Your lazy reviewer just noticed there's a free .pdf Hoax Hunters sample over at the Heavy Metal website shop. It looks ... ok. Hard to tell with just 10 pages including the cover and a blank, and not knowing where this is in the story.
getting a lot of russian and ukrainian bot traffic these days, hope they don't wreck anything.
Sunday, April 12, 2015
Friday, April 3, 2015
Heavy Metal #273
Cover by Marco Turini - 7 - Titled "Homage to Frazetta" in the credits. A change in direction from the chick in some getup. It's subdued and evocative and maybe ambiguous in its intentions.
An ad for a "Mechanism" comic. If it was going to be in the mag, I would be interested enough in seeing it, but it appears it will be a separate comic, so I'm not so sure.
Julia and Roem by Enki Bilal - 7 - I'm immediately thrown by the guy with no hair, but I recover enough to see some exposition and development. And coincidence. The art style with hazy greys and browns is perfect for the post-apocalyptic wasteland we are shown.
The 49th Key by Erika Lewis, J.K. Woodward, and Deron Bennett - 6 - The art style was less than precise, but the panel framing and composition briskly tell the story. I was put off by the look of the "letter" from 1556, but it set up the story nicely. People communicating by sound without words? How do you get nuanced sound with tuning forks? To be continued? I'll look forward to how it develops.
Gallery by Abrar Ajmal - 7 - You might think that once you've seen one demon warhorse festooned with skulls trampling the undead, you've seen them all, but this hardworking artist has more to offer. Some of the other work doesn't even have skulls. But many of them do.
Women's War by Fabio Celoni and Adriana Coppe and Marco Turini - 7 - A perfectly ridiculous premise is complemented by a nutty story with an exploration of a real depth of emotion, and Turini's terrific art. Separating men and women in a bid to save the human race in the face of alien invasion? Well, at least the womens' wasteland excursion outfits have bare midriffs. I still enjoyed reading and looking at this again and again. Turini produces scenes that always have something new to see.
Ymir by Joseph Kelly - 7 - It's just a joke, but it's a little funny, and it looks cool. The art simultaneously reminds me of the "Pyloon" stories from 1979, and "Rock Opera" from nearer the end of its run (from 1980 to 1985, it started as a half page black and white and grew dramatically to a multipage color extravaganza, spewing invective and satire, and was one of my favorites, can you tell?), drawings from photos with some fuzzy focus. Unrequited love, or something.
The Aftermath: The Big Clean by the Molen Brothers - 8 - Boy, this was fun. Murky but detailed art that rewards scrutiny? Scathing commentary on corporatism and consumer apathy? That's the stuff for me. Continued next issue? Sounds great.
Exile by Mislav Tomasinjak - 7 - It starts with an inventive approach to setting the story, ends in a more conventional manner, and has a circular path to its story. The art has some nice stylistic effects and the story is textured and almost subtle. And it has a seahorse starship.
The Lost Girl Preview by Michael Mongillo and Rob Ten Pas - 6 - Appears to be a handful of disconnected scenes from a new graphic novel. Nice enough art and hints of a story of a girl and monsters she encounters. Doesn't make me want to go buy it.
The Souvenir by Daniel Hugo and Jayson Geland - 8 - Nicely done art with terrific scenes, and an interesting, almost unique story, told with fancy fonts and not-too-pretentious dialog. Trailing a fugitive to retrieve a souvenir. It tells its story with subtle details as well as a bit of exposition.
Temptation by Made In Ona and Christian Krank -7 - I'm glad we're seeing more of Mr Krank's work, I like the art style and his ability to tell a story in a single page, here almost without words.
Artist's Studio by Myka Jelina - 5 - I'm pretty uninterested in Bratz-doll fashion pinups, but I will say the artist shows some pretty nice technique. Interesting that the artist's favorite medium is stated as acrylic on wood panel.
MI9: Secret Agent Susan Coby by JD and JMB - 6 - This entry shows a small bit of wit along with the unclothed secret agent. These are kind of fun though insubstantial.
An ad for a "Mechanism" comic. If it was going to be in the mag, I would be interested enough in seeing it, but it appears it will be a separate comic, so I'm not so sure.
Julia and Roem by Enki Bilal - 7 - I'm immediately thrown by the guy with no hair, but I recover enough to see some exposition and development. And coincidence. The art style with hazy greys and browns is perfect for the post-apocalyptic wasteland we are shown.
The 49th Key by Erika Lewis, J.K. Woodward, and Deron Bennett - 6 - The art style was less than precise, but the panel framing and composition briskly tell the story. I was put off by the look of the "letter" from 1556, but it set up the story nicely. People communicating by sound without words? How do you get nuanced sound with tuning forks? To be continued? I'll look forward to how it develops.
Gallery by Abrar Ajmal - 7 - You might think that once you've seen one demon warhorse festooned with skulls trampling the undead, you've seen them all, but this hardworking artist has more to offer. Some of the other work doesn't even have skulls. But many of them do.
Women's War by Fabio Celoni and Adriana Coppe and Marco Turini - 7 - A perfectly ridiculous premise is complemented by a nutty story with an exploration of a real depth of emotion, and Turini's terrific art. Separating men and women in a bid to save the human race in the face of alien invasion? Well, at least the womens' wasteland excursion outfits have bare midriffs. I still enjoyed reading and looking at this again and again. Turini produces scenes that always have something new to see.
Ymir by Joseph Kelly - 7 - It's just a joke, but it's a little funny, and it looks cool. The art simultaneously reminds me of the "Pyloon" stories from 1979, and "Rock Opera" from nearer the end of its run (from 1980 to 1985, it started as a half page black and white and grew dramatically to a multipage color extravaganza, spewing invective and satire, and was one of my favorites, can you tell?), drawings from photos with some fuzzy focus. Unrequited love, or something.
The Aftermath: The Big Clean by the Molen Brothers - 8 - Boy, this was fun. Murky but detailed art that rewards scrutiny? Scathing commentary on corporatism and consumer apathy? That's the stuff for me. Continued next issue? Sounds great.
Exile by Mislav Tomasinjak - 7 - It starts with an inventive approach to setting the story, ends in a more conventional manner, and has a circular path to its story. The art has some nice stylistic effects and the story is textured and almost subtle. And it has a seahorse starship.
The Lost Girl Preview by Michael Mongillo and Rob Ten Pas - 6 - Appears to be a handful of disconnected scenes from a new graphic novel. Nice enough art and hints of a story of a girl and monsters she encounters. Doesn't make me want to go buy it.
The Souvenir by Daniel Hugo and Jayson Geland - 8 - Nicely done art with terrific scenes, and an interesting, almost unique story, told with fancy fonts and not-too-pretentious dialog. Trailing a fugitive to retrieve a souvenir. It tells its story with subtle details as well as a bit of exposition.
Temptation by Made In Ona and Christian Krank -7 - I'm glad we're seeing more of Mr Krank's work, I like the art style and his ability to tell a story in a single page, here almost without words.
Artist's Studio by Myka Jelina - 5 - I'm pretty uninterested in Bratz-doll fashion pinups, but I will say the artist shows some pretty nice technique. Interesting that the artist's favorite medium is stated as acrylic on wood panel.
MI9: Secret Agent Susan Coby by JD and JMB - 6 - This entry shows a small bit of wit along with the unclothed secret agent. These are kind of fun though insubstantial.
Saturday, February 14, 2015
Heavy Metal # 272
Well, I sure dragged my ass putting this review together. The next issue will be out in days. Good thing no one but me gives a crap.
Cover by Ron Leary - 7 - Titled "ASTRUD: How to Slay a Snake" in the credits, apparently made just for this cover, judging by the empty space at the top. More than just a babe in some outfit, this is well composed and kinetic. The snake's fangs look more like a dog's, and its scales are a little wonky, but it's a nice axe and she's really working it. But what's up with the pig snout cape and belt ornaments?
Julia and Roem by Enki Bilal - 7 - With a look and feel very much like Animal'z, this starts right in with lost souls and their existential despair, and their hair. I'm not quite as much in awe of the return of one of HM's titans as the last time, but I'm very interested and looking forward to seeing how this one develops.
Khulan by Katie Houghton-Ward and Sacha Bryning - 7 - This one grew on me in re-reading. Gods berate their captive for information. Art and story evoke wonder and mystery, and it takes a dim view of man's, and gods', self importance. I can dig that.
The Age by Tayyar Ozkan - 5 - Modern man lets himself go, just like a cave man! While this may not be just a retread of one he's done before, and I think the techniques are well-refined, the story is barely one-dimensional.
Red Sails by Christian Krank - 7 - Saved from romeros in the nick of time. I like the comic-y but grim style, and for a single page there's a nice little story.
R.I.P. by Matthew Farrell and Mario O.M.G. Gully - 6 - I welcome the return of the text-with-illustration format, it was more common way back in the day. It's a nice change of pace and offers another means to tell an illustrated story. It's not easy to do well though, excess wordiness or disconnected illustrations are common pitfalls. In this case, Mr Gully's illustrations are on the mark, looking good and fitting the story, and the vagrant with the HM shirt is pandering but funny. Mr Farrell's writing is wordy but not to excess, and there's much about the method and energy I enjoy. Unfortunately, here and in a couple things by him featured on the HM website, I get the impression of a delight in some of the terrible things humans are capable of inflicting on each other, with little to make me think he sees that people are capable of more, much more.
This touches on a question I have asked myself: Why? Why do I like HM magazine despite all the horrible and gruesome and even obscene things that it's contained? Why do I like Ranxerox and accept the inhumanity it displays (along with its wit and vitality) but complain about things like Mr Farrell's story with a son killing his father and the otherworldly revenge he gets in return? Why do I enjoy some displays of some of humans' worst impulses? I've thought that I like to be reminded of man's capacity for hatred and violence, to be reminded of how far we have come, and how far we have yet to go, but I'm not satisfied that this is the whole answer. I don't know why, but maybe I'll explore these thoughts further another day.
Gallery by Dan Chudzinski - 7 - An accomplished sculptor who credits TMNT for discovering the Italian Renaissance masters? Well of course he gets a spread in HM! My snark aside, some neat and interesting stuff is displayed, and his growth and achievement is described. A bunch of images of some really detailed and imaginative work are provided, and anyone with more interest than me should probably go look him up.
Deviant Strain by Jim Webb - 7 - A zombie superhero? Why hasn't anyone thought of this before? On second thought, I expect it's been done and I just haven't seen it. Now that I've spoiled it for you, the art's pretty good, but the story is really quite good, telling an awful lot, and leaving some mystery, as it reaches its inevitable conclusion. Mr Webb's also had a Deviant Strain entry in HM's issue #267.
the Giver by Homero Rios, Jose Carcia, and Renato Guerra - 6 - A boy is helped by a mountain sage, at a cost. It's not bad at all, and a few bits of the illustration were really neat.
Robeo and Ruliette by Zelkjo Pahek - 6 - A robot love story, with some intricate and/or busy illustration, that really could have fit in the mag 30 years ago, or any time in its history. The story has an odd feature or two, that makes it more mysterious and/or confusing. Though I'll never know why the human arm appears, I still liked this one just fine.
Moth by Vitorrio Astone - 6 - Humankind falls to alien invaders, and a lone human sacrifices himself, to make a point .... and it works (?). Looks pretty cool with some non-traditional panel framing and some explosive sound effects.
Another Heavy Metal Dot Com ad, this time the trite slogan falls flat for me. Does this count as a continuing series?
Artist's Studio by Rebecca Yanovskaya - 7.5 - some lovely imagery with detail and depth, and lots of feathers, made more interesting by reading that the medium is ballpoint pen with gold leaf. This artist also does a nice back cover.
Heavy Bone by Enzo Rizzi and Nathan Ramirez - 7 - Pretty cool black and white art with a rock and roll story that could have been written 20 years ago, and could easily have fit into HM when rock music was more of a reference point. A fun imagination of the origin of a Black Babbath song. Besides, I like Zappa.
Ensign Haley by Wren - 7.5 - I really like how the art's watercolor look adds to the space travel and non-terrestrial characters. And how the pretty space girl manages to get nude and use sex as a weapon, and her intelligence, and escapes to a life of happy space wandering. I wish it was really all so simple. Wren also featured in HM #270 with something similar, and I seem to have liked this one a bit more.
MI9: Secret Agents Abroad in "Kiss Me Honey Honey"by JD & JMB - 6 - the return of the one page sexy secret agent story. "Are you sure you don't want any clothes Daphne?" Of course not ...
A pretty nice issue, I got some enjoyment from the stories and some interest in the art. A couple stories with color themes, and a couple Romeo and Juliet references. I think the mag's in a pretty good groove, for the most part, and I'd be fine if it kept on this way for a while. Which it might not. I'll see what the next issue brings, pretty soon here. Hope I'm a bit more timely in the next review.
Cover by Ron Leary - 7 - Titled "ASTRUD: How to Slay a Snake" in the credits, apparently made just for this cover, judging by the empty space at the top. More than just a babe in some outfit, this is well composed and kinetic. The snake's fangs look more like a dog's, and its scales are a little wonky, but it's a nice axe and she's really working it. But what's up with the pig snout cape and belt ornaments?
Julia and Roem by Enki Bilal - 7 - With a look and feel very much like Animal'z, this starts right in with lost souls and their existential despair, and their hair. I'm not quite as much in awe of the return of one of HM's titans as the last time, but I'm very interested and looking forward to seeing how this one develops.
Khulan by Katie Houghton-Ward and Sacha Bryning - 7 - This one grew on me in re-reading. Gods berate their captive for information. Art and story evoke wonder and mystery, and it takes a dim view of man's, and gods', self importance. I can dig that.
The Age by Tayyar Ozkan - 5 - Modern man lets himself go, just like a cave man! While this may not be just a retread of one he's done before, and I think the techniques are well-refined, the story is barely one-dimensional.
Red Sails by Christian Krank - 7 - Saved from romeros in the nick of time. I like the comic-y but grim style, and for a single page there's a nice little story.
R.I.P. by Matthew Farrell and Mario O.M.G. Gully - 6 - I welcome the return of the text-with-illustration format, it was more common way back in the day. It's a nice change of pace and offers another means to tell an illustrated story. It's not easy to do well though, excess wordiness or disconnected illustrations are common pitfalls. In this case, Mr Gully's illustrations are on the mark, looking good and fitting the story, and the vagrant with the HM shirt is pandering but funny. Mr Farrell's writing is wordy but not to excess, and there's much about the method and energy I enjoy. Unfortunately, here and in a couple things by him featured on the HM website, I get the impression of a delight in some of the terrible things humans are capable of inflicting on each other, with little to make me think he sees that people are capable of more, much more.
This touches on a question I have asked myself: Why? Why do I like HM magazine despite all the horrible and gruesome and even obscene things that it's contained? Why do I like Ranxerox and accept the inhumanity it displays (along with its wit and vitality) but complain about things like Mr Farrell's story with a son killing his father and the otherworldly revenge he gets in return? Why do I enjoy some displays of some of humans' worst impulses? I've thought that I like to be reminded of man's capacity for hatred and violence, to be reminded of how far we have come, and how far we have yet to go, but I'm not satisfied that this is the whole answer. I don't know why, but maybe I'll explore these thoughts further another day.
Gallery by Dan Chudzinski - 7 - An accomplished sculptor who credits TMNT for discovering the Italian Renaissance masters? Well of course he gets a spread in HM! My snark aside, some neat and interesting stuff is displayed, and his growth and achievement is described. A bunch of images of some really detailed and imaginative work are provided, and anyone with more interest than me should probably go look him up.
Deviant Strain by Jim Webb - 7 - A zombie superhero? Why hasn't anyone thought of this before? On second thought, I expect it's been done and I just haven't seen it. Now that I've spoiled it for you, the art's pretty good, but the story is really quite good, telling an awful lot, and leaving some mystery, as it reaches its inevitable conclusion. Mr Webb's also had a Deviant Strain entry in HM's issue #267.
the Giver by Homero Rios, Jose Carcia, and Renato Guerra - 6 - A boy is helped by a mountain sage, at a cost. It's not bad at all, and a few bits of the illustration were really neat.
Robeo and Ruliette by Zelkjo Pahek - 6 - A robot love story, with some intricate and/or busy illustration, that really could have fit in the mag 30 years ago, or any time in its history. The story has an odd feature or two, that makes it more mysterious and/or confusing. Though I'll never know why the human arm appears, I still liked this one just fine.
Moth by Vitorrio Astone - 6 - Humankind falls to alien invaders, and a lone human sacrifices himself, to make a point .... and it works (?). Looks pretty cool with some non-traditional panel framing and some explosive sound effects.
Another Heavy Metal Dot Com ad, this time the trite slogan falls flat for me. Does this count as a continuing series?
Artist's Studio by Rebecca Yanovskaya - 7.5 - some lovely imagery with detail and depth, and lots of feathers, made more interesting by reading that the medium is ballpoint pen with gold leaf. This artist also does a nice back cover.
Heavy Bone by Enzo Rizzi and Nathan Ramirez - 7 - Pretty cool black and white art with a rock and roll story that could have been written 20 years ago, and could easily have fit into HM when rock music was more of a reference point. A fun imagination of the origin of a Black Babbath song. Besides, I like Zappa.
Ensign Haley by Wren - 7.5 - I really like how the art's watercolor look adds to the space travel and non-terrestrial characters. And how the pretty space girl manages to get nude and use sex as a weapon, and her intelligence, and escapes to a life of happy space wandering. I wish it was really all so simple. Wren also featured in HM #270 with something similar, and I seem to have liked this one a bit more.
MI9: Secret Agents Abroad in "Kiss Me Honey Honey"by JD & JMB - 6 - the return of the one page sexy secret agent story. "Are you sure you don't want any clothes Daphne?" Of course not ...
A pretty nice issue, I got some enjoyment from the stories and some interest in the art. A couple stories with color themes, and a couple Romeo and Juliet references. I think the mag's in a pretty good groove, for the most part, and I'd be fine if it kept on this way for a while. Which it might not. I'll see what the next issue brings, pretty soon here. Hope I'm a bit more timely in the next review.
Monday, January 19, 2015
HM September 79 sample
There's a new HM September 1979 sample on the official HM website. If you like, use the Links page on this here blog, or consult the internet yourself to find it.
Since the previous December 1984 sample is nowhere to be found, if you want this one I'd suggest you get it soon.
As before it's not the complete issue, with no complete stories, but for "Soft Landing" by Dan O'Bannon and Thomas Warkentin, which was adapted as an opening in the first HM movie.
It's too bad they take such a haphazard approach to page selection, but it's better than nothing I suppose.
Enjoy, as best you can.
Since the previous December 1984 sample is nowhere to be found, if you want this one I'd suggest you get it soon.
As before it's not the complete issue, with no complete stories, but for "Soft Landing" by Dan O'Bannon and Thomas Warkentin, which was adapted as an opening in the first HM movie.
It's too bad they take such a haphazard approach to page selection, but it's better than nothing I suppose.
Enjoy, as best you can.
Thursday, December 18, 2014
HM Dec 84 preview
I don't care for the HM website in its present form. It seems to be a pile of slightly HM related stuff thrown up all over. It loads like crap on my dinosaur machine. There's little in news announcements or updates. It seems to grab some heavy metal music stuff too. It just doesn't seem to have any purpose. There was an "Issues" section when it was revamped, that could have put some focus on individual past issues, but it disappeared quickly.
There are sometimes some interesting bits. An occasional comic or short story is sometimes nice.
Something I did enjoy, is a preview of the December 1984 issue, billed as a holidaze gift from "30 years ago today", that is available as a .pdf of a scanned magazine. It's not at all perfect, a couple pages are misarranged or misaligned, and not all pages are included. It's not one of the mag's finest issues either, as it neared the end of its monthly run. However, it is a nice opportunity for anyone who doesn't have this issue to see some of it, and it does have a few good parts, including a Corben cover, an interview with Frederico Fellini, an installment of "An Author in Search of Six Characters" by Milo Manara, and some Tex Arcana and Rock Opera.
(it was funny that at first the link for the download went to some sort of web email launcher, instead of the download, but it seems to work now.)
So I'd recommend anyone interested to go to the HM website and grab this free preview, before it disappears in the disjointed mess the site is now. There's a link on my "Links" page, or you can use the awesome power of the internet to find it yourself. Enjoy.
There are sometimes some interesting bits. An occasional comic or short story is sometimes nice.
Something I did enjoy, is a preview of the December 1984 issue, billed as a holidaze gift from "30 years ago today", that is available as a .pdf of a scanned magazine. It's not at all perfect, a couple pages are misarranged or misaligned, and not all pages are included. It's not one of the mag's finest issues either, as it neared the end of its monthly run. However, it is a nice opportunity for anyone who doesn't have this issue to see some of it, and it does have a few good parts, including a Corben cover, an interview with Frederico Fellini, an installment of "An Author in Search of Six Characters" by Milo Manara, and some Tex Arcana and Rock Opera.
(it was funny that at first the link for the download went to some sort of web email launcher, instead of the download, but it seems to work now.)
So I'd recommend anyone interested to go to the HM website and grab this free preview, before it disappears in the disjointed mess the site is now. There's a link on my "Links" page, or you can use the awesome power of the internet to find it yourself. Enjoy.
Tuesday, December 2, 2014
Heavy Metal # 271
It says "Asylum Press Special". Frank Forte is credited as Guest Editor. The Co-CEOs are credited again.
Cover by Aly Fell - 7 - While the pose is a bit stiff, and the background was a bit sparse in contrast to the subject, I liked how the subject itself was so carefully crafted, and was clever enough to gain my interest. It's so ridiculous it's amusing that such a (very pretty) young woman would be an officer on an airship (that only happens in the movies), and the uniform mashup of Nazi Germany and Elizabethan England, and a peace sign, is so meticulously rendered, that I really enjoyed it. Someone else pointed out that she's holding the saber in the wrong hand, for pulling from the scabbard it would seem, for me it just adds to the sillyness. Aly Fell did the contents page art as well, it appears to be from '07, it has a different energy.
An ad for a Batman vinyl bank? Does "collector quality sculpting" means the molded wrinkles? Someone might actually buy this? Now I can imagine Mr West is getting a piece, but what about Robin and the Joker?
Prayer... by Steve Mannion and Frank Forte - 7 - A Fearless Dawn story, referred to elsewhere as an homage to Möbius. I do like the style, it looks hand drawn and it does resemble an older HM story, it's almost wordless. It could almost work in black and white, except for the glowing green orb that's almost certainly a lochnar reference, and it tells a light but enjoyable story. And there are tentacles.
Dangerous Curves by Dwayne Harris - 6 - Post apocalyptic delivery probably isn't nearly as much fun as it looks. Digitally-aided art works pretty well here, nice details and coloring, it enhances the rather thin story, still liked it.
Pond Scum by David Hartman - 3 - It looks nice enough, but I thought using caged girls for bait was unfunny.
Gallery by Ben Olson - 7 - A few covers and a few portraits, in an almost classic style. There are monsters and clowns and a few things in between.
Priests of the Black Death by William Broad - 4 - The art is rather flat, and this could be just another example of victimization and wanton abuse, but for a supernatural vengeance twist .
Warlash by Frank Forte and Nenad Gucunja - 7 - This has a subtitle The Transformation of Eduard Yan. Warlash seems to be a crime-fighter in a decrepit Pittsburgh, but the star of the show is a junkie, perhaps it's Mr Yan. Junkie gets cut up for a debt and is dumped into the sewers, managing to shoot up one more time before he falls. Must've been some good stuff, since he turns into a tentacled monster. So when he attacks some hookers, enter Warlash. Fight ensues, monster is defeated, but threatens vengeance. Art's pretty nice, energetic storytelling.
Separation Anxiety by Robert Steven Rhine and Frank Forte - 7 - Love, betrayal, and vengeance, at the Circus. The art's alright and the storytelling is straightforward but brisk. The story itself is out there enough. Freaks gettin' freaky and a horrifying twist at the end.
Mother by Mark Covell - 7 - Boy robot gets the Mommy Dearest treatment. The story and some of the art are sort of murky, but I liked it.
Feast by Royal McGraw, Adauto Solva, and Frank Forte - 6 - Blackmailed by yakuza, a chef gets some zombie vengeance. Pretty nice art with a simple story.
The Green Fairy by Jason Paulos - 7 - Some old school black and white art with some comic-style dot pattern shading. A fairly involved story for a 7-page comic. A tortured artist gets the fame and fortune he desires, at the cost of his soul.
Swamp Girl by Frank Forte, Fabio Nahon, and Liezl Buenaventura - 6 - The art is alright and colorful, the story is just another love triangle. A few strategically placed word balloons diminish the impact. At least there are more tentacles.
Short Circuit by Elizabeth J Musgrave, Frank Forte, and Beth and Frank - 6 - Rather superficial story but I liked the joke anyway. Somehow telling it from the stripper-working-her-way-through-college's viewpoint made it more reachable for me.
Evaluation by Hilary Barta and Davpunk - 5 - The art's done well, the story is thin and unclear, though it has a cynical view.
another version of the Heavy Metal dot com ad, less mindblowing than the last one.
Mutation by Frank Forte and J C Wong - 6 - The art has much to recommend it, but the story, while having some imagination, ends up being another victimization, that's not justified by how "she likes it" at the end. More tentacles though.
Allison by Frank Forte, Timothy B Vigil, and Joe Vigil - 7 - While satanic rituals to bring back the dead don't interest me much, this one had more to the story. Drug overdose, love triangle, vengeance and surprise, all this and more. Well, a little bit more anyway.
an ad for Girls and Corpses dot com. looks like it might be an actual magazine. it might be funny, but I don't think I'll go there.
Incident on Alpha Proxima by Frank Forte - 5 - monsters in space is kind of cool but there's not much to this one.
Artist's Studio by David Lebow - 8 - Lots of nice looking painting with fantasy, and fantastic women, and skull-faced robots.
Sacro Profano by Mirka Andolfo and Roberto Branca - 6 - looks nice but it's just a joke, might be one of several stories of angel-devil love.
back cover by David Hartman - 6 - kinda neat, way better than I could do for sure, but rather sketchy for my liking.
A great number of stories in this issue, with Mr Forte's tentacle-prints all over it. I may not like everything he's done, but there's so much that there's quite a variety, so there's something for everyone. Recurring themes are pain, vengeance, victimization, and tentacles. There wasn't anything that really excited me, but many enjoyable entries.
Cover by Aly Fell - 7 - While the pose is a bit stiff, and the background was a bit sparse in contrast to the subject, I liked how the subject itself was so carefully crafted, and was clever enough to gain my interest. It's so ridiculous it's amusing that such a (very pretty) young woman would be an officer on an airship (that only happens in the movies), and the uniform mashup of Nazi Germany and Elizabethan England, and a peace sign, is so meticulously rendered, that I really enjoyed it. Someone else pointed out that she's holding the saber in the wrong hand, for pulling from the scabbard it would seem, for me it just adds to the sillyness. Aly Fell did the contents page art as well, it appears to be from '07, it has a different energy.
An ad for a Batman vinyl bank? Does "collector quality sculpting" means the molded wrinkles? Someone might actually buy this? Now I can imagine Mr West is getting a piece, but what about Robin and the Joker?
Prayer... by Steve Mannion and Frank Forte - 7 - A Fearless Dawn story, referred to elsewhere as an homage to Möbius. I do like the style, it looks hand drawn and it does resemble an older HM story, it's almost wordless. It could almost work in black and white, except for the glowing green orb that's almost certainly a lochnar reference, and it tells a light but enjoyable story. And there are tentacles.
Dangerous Curves by Dwayne Harris - 6 - Post apocalyptic delivery probably isn't nearly as much fun as it looks. Digitally-aided art works pretty well here, nice details and coloring, it enhances the rather thin story, still liked it.
Pond Scum by David Hartman - 3 - It looks nice enough, but I thought using caged girls for bait was unfunny.
Gallery by Ben Olson - 7 - A few covers and a few portraits, in an almost classic style. There are monsters and clowns and a few things in between.
Priests of the Black Death by William Broad - 4 - The art is rather flat, and this could be just another example of victimization and wanton abuse, but for a supernatural vengeance twist .
Warlash by Frank Forte and Nenad Gucunja - 7 - This has a subtitle The Transformation of Eduard Yan. Warlash seems to be a crime-fighter in a decrepit Pittsburgh, but the star of the show is a junkie, perhaps it's Mr Yan. Junkie gets cut up for a debt and is dumped into the sewers, managing to shoot up one more time before he falls. Must've been some good stuff, since he turns into a tentacled monster. So when he attacks some hookers, enter Warlash. Fight ensues, monster is defeated, but threatens vengeance. Art's pretty nice, energetic storytelling.
Separation Anxiety by Robert Steven Rhine and Frank Forte - 7 - Love, betrayal, and vengeance, at the Circus. The art's alright and the storytelling is straightforward but brisk. The story itself is out there enough. Freaks gettin' freaky and a horrifying twist at the end.
Mother by Mark Covell - 7 - Boy robot gets the Mommy Dearest treatment. The story and some of the art are sort of murky, but I liked it.
Feast by Royal McGraw, Adauto Solva, and Frank Forte - 6 - Blackmailed by yakuza, a chef gets some zombie vengeance. Pretty nice art with a simple story.
The Green Fairy by Jason Paulos - 7 - Some old school black and white art with some comic-style dot pattern shading. A fairly involved story for a 7-page comic. A tortured artist gets the fame and fortune he desires, at the cost of his soul.
Swamp Girl by Frank Forte, Fabio Nahon, and Liezl Buenaventura - 6 - The art is alright and colorful, the story is just another love triangle. A few strategically placed word balloons diminish the impact. At least there are more tentacles.
Short Circuit by Elizabeth J Musgrave, Frank Forte, and Beth and Frank - 6 - Rather superficial story but I liked the joke anyway. Somehow telling it from the stripper-working-her-way-through-college's viewpoint made it more reachable for me.
Evaluation by Hilary Barta and Davpunk - 5 - The art's done well, the story is thin and unclear, though it has a cynical view.
another version of the Heavy Metal dot com ad, less mindblowing than the last one.
Mutation by Frank Forte and J C Wong - 6 - The art has much to recommend it, but the story, while having some imagination, ends up being another victimization, that's not justified by how "she likes it" at the end. More tentacles though.
Allison by Frank Forte, Timothy B Vigil, and Joe Vigil - 7 - While satanic rituals to bring back the dead don't interest me much, this one had more to the story. Drug overdose, love triangle, vengeance and surprise, all this and more. Well, a little bit more anyway.
an ad for Girls and Corpses dot com. looks like it might be an actual magazine. it might be funny, but I don't think I'll go there.
Incident on Alpha Proxima by Frank Forte - 5 - monsters in space is kind of cool but there's not much to this one.
Artist's Studio by David Lebow - 8 - Lots of nice looking painting with fantasy, and fantastic women, and skull-faced robots.
Sacro Profano by Mirka Andolfo and Roberto Branca - 6 - looks nice but it's just a joke, might be one of several stories of angel-devil love.
back cover by David Hartman - 6 - kinda neat, way better than I could do for sure, but rather sketchy for my liking.
A great number of stories in this issue, with Mr Forte's tentacle-prints all over it. I may not like everything he's done, but there's so much that there's quite a variety, so there's something for everyone. Recurring themes are pain, vengeance, victimization, and tentacles. There wasn't anything that really excited me, but many enjoyable entries.
Sunday, October 26, 2014
Heavy Metal #270
Figured I'd better get the review in before the next one comes out, scheduled for next week but I probably won't see it until mid-November. Here goes...
Cover by Pascal Blanche - 7.5 - A more imaginative take on the chick-in-some-getup. The woman's form, and the coloring and lighting, do evoke a Corben feeling. It's quite lovely. The getup is so ridiculous it's amusing, the cross-head screws are just goofy, and the weapon is silly, the sight looks setup for a left hand shooter, but that's not how she's wearing it. There's a slight interference in the model, the sight on the belly, but mostly it's very well done. There's detail in the paper cover, the screws and the giant nips for instance, that I just didn't see on the screen in preview images.
An ad for TMNT Minimates? Ugh. I wonder how long they'll let him get away with pimping the kid stuff.
The new owners are each credited as "Co-CEO", and this issue's cover as well as last issue's are credited on the contents pages.
Animal'z by Bilal - 8 - And so the story concludes, as obtuse and ethereal as ever. A polar bear honor guard, the last nihilistic duel, riding or swimming or flying off into the sunset, if there was a sunset. I won't pretend this had deep emotional meaning to me, or that it was spectacular or action-packed, but I've enjoyed it tremendously. Seeing Bilal in the pages of Heavy Metal, 37 years after I first did, has been a delight. And what do you know, there are previews saying another Bilal, Julia and Roem, will start in #272. Looks like the same art style, I wonder if I'll like it as much. Something to look forward to.
Surefire Means by Brandon Barrow - 6 - Pretty nice looking art, and a somewhat interesting, though not necessarily original, premise of being lost on an alien planet, but the ending just struck me as dumb.
Artist's Studio by Chris Compston - 6 - I can't say that guitar art interests me much, but he does have some nice ability.
Brom Kah by McCleary, Garret, and Bolt - 6 - Another story with nice looking art, arcane but ponderous storytelling, and a less than inspiring ending.
Sexy World by Enrique Pilozo - 6 - I didn't like it much, but I can appreciate how the sentiment of loneliness in a superficially sex-crazed society, can appeal to the pimply-faced basement dweller, typing alone in a darkened room, in all of us.
Vampire Vixens of the Wehrmacht by Emperor and/or Lex and Campbell - 7 - Despite my relative disinterest in vampire stories, and some really dumb things, like 6 year old Hitler has a toothbrush mustache (I mean, I get ya have ta show it's him, but c'mon), I was able to find some things to like. Some of the photo-copy/realistic art was enjoyable enough, some of the compositions were really nice, and parts of the often over-the-top story were humorous enough. There's a promo at the end, promising another story called "Arses High". I'll try not to get my hopes up too much.
Biological Warfare by Jeff Dyer and Mauro Balloni - 3 - I actually disliked this one. Even the pedestrian art is better than the clumsy character stereotypes and stupid execution of a simplistic premise. Sorry guys, but the bad Middle Eastern Terrorist bit really struck a nerve with me, that kind of shit pisses me off. Better luck next time.
Two Peas in a Pod by Wren - 6 - Y'know, at least these clumsy character stereotypes (nice muttonchops) are in a bit more fanciful story, and are more funny and less offensive. The story is sparse, a spaceship captain looking to release her ship from an asteroid, discovers a hidden world and sparks upheaval. I enjoyed the art, though sometimes it's less than precise, it's nice to look at. And speaking of coincidences, of course the giant space suit can hold two women, who of course take a fancy to each other, supporting another slightly less offensive clumsy stereotype.
Just One Feeling by Christian Endres and Christian Krank - 7 - Just one page but it has a story. I like the art style, and there is a feeling. Would you feel sympathy for orphaned alien zombie kids?
A full page ad for Heavy Metal dot com, with art someone actually worked on, another HM logo treatment with slotted screws, and a dorky-on-purpose tagline. The cosmic confluence of meaning and superficiality, of brilliance and stupidity, of the incredibly crappy mess the HM website is now, and the paper in my hands, blows my mind.
Close Call by Sytse S. Algera and Apri Kusbiantoro - 5 - a somewhat interesting premise, of disease-fighting nanobots rescuing beach-goers, enhances the ok storytelling and art.
Oskar Ed by Branko Jelinek - 6 - I really liked the animal, it's drawn well. The story tries for mysterious and imaginative, almost gets there.
Saskatchewan by Lee Nielsen - 6 - I think I know the despairing self-awareness that I think this is trying to convey, but I think I'm missing some of what it's trying to say too. The art's pretty cool, I like the writing, but there seems to be more put into it than what I get from it.
Autopsy by Gonzalo Ruggieri - 7 - simple but funny, "no sign of intelligence" indeed.
Gallery by Pascal Blanche - 7 - A lot of this looks really nice, very well executed digitally composed portraits. Some of them look very much like digital models, rather than an actual character, but I suppose that's ok. There's not a lot of personality or emotion available, but they look nice.
M19: Secret Agent Daphne in "An Awesome Weekend" by JD and JMB - 6 - Nice looking one-page spy story. A "See you in sixty days, metalheads!" suggests this will be a recurring entry.
Back Cover by Pascal Blanche - 7 - nice looking and radiantly colored, it looks better on the cover than in the Gallery.
So, there were a few good things to recommend this issue, and a couple not so much. My sentiment is on the positive side, I've seen a lot worse. Next up is an Asylum Press issue, so we'll see what that brings.
Cover by Pascal Blanche - 7.5 - A more imaginative take on the chick-in-some-getup. The woman's form, and the coloring and lighting, do evoke a Corben feeling. It's quite lovely. The getup is so ridiculous it's amusing, the cross-head screws are just goofy, and the weapon is silly, the sight looks setup for a left hand shooter, but that's not how she's wearing it. There's a slight interference in the model, the sight on the belly, but mostly it's very well done. There's detail in the paper cover, the screws and the giant nips for instance, that I just didn't see on the screen in preview images.
An ad for TMNT Minimates? Ugh. I wonder how long they'll let him get away with pimping the kid stuff.
The new owners are each credited as "Co-CEO", and this issue's cover as well as last issue's are credited on the contents pages.
Animal'z by Bilal - 8 - And so the story concludes, as obtuse and ethereal as ever. A polar bear honor guard, the last nihilistic duel, riding or swimming or flying off into the sunset, if there was a sunset. I won't pretend this had deep emotional meaning to me, or that it was spectacular or action-packed, but I've enjoyed it tremendously. Seeing Bilal in the pages of Heavy Metal, 37 years after I first did, has been a delight. And what do you know, there are previews saying another Bilal, Julia and Roem, will start in #272. Looks like the same art style, I wonder if I'll like it as much. Something to look forward to.
Surefire Means by Brandon Barrow - 6 - Pretty nice looking art, and a somewhat interesting, though not necessarily original, premise of being lost on an alien planet, but the ending just struck me as dumb.
Artist's Studio by Chris Compston - 6 - I can't say that guitar art interests me much, but he does have some nice ability.
Brom Kah by McCleary, Garret, and Bolt - 6 - Another story with nice looking art, arcane but ponderous storytelling, and a less than inspiring ending.
Sexy World by Enrique Pilozo - 6 - I didn't like it much, but I can appreciate how the sentiment of loneliness in a superficially sex-crazed society, can appeal to the pimply-faced basement dweller, typing alone in a darkened room, in all of us.
Vampire Vixens of the Wehrmacht by Emperor and/or Lex and Campbell - 7 - Despite my relative disinterest in vampire stories, and some really dumb things, like 6 year old Hitler has a toothbrush mustache (I mean, I get ya have ta show it's him, but c'mon), I was able to find some things to like. Some of the photo-copy/realistic art was enjoyable enough, some of the compositions were really nice, and parts of the often over-the-top story were humorous enough. There's a promo at the end, promising another story called "Arses High". I'll try not to get my hopes up too much.
Biological Warfare by Jeff Dyer and Mauro Balloni - 3 - I actually disliked this one. Even the pedestrian art is better than the clumsy character stereotypes and stupid execution of a simplistic premise. Sorry guys, but the bad Middle Eastern Terrorist bit really struck a nerve with me, that kind of shit pisses me off. Better luck next time.
Two Peas in a Pod by Wren - 6 - Y'know, at least these clumsy character stereotypes (nice muttonchops) are in a bit more fanciful story, and are more funny and less offensive. The story is sparse, a spaceship captain looking to release her ship from an asteroid, discovers a hidden world and sparks upheaval. I enjoyed the art, though sometimes it's less than precise, it's nice to look at. And speaking of coincidences, of course the giant space suit can hold two women, who of course take a fancy to each other, supporting another slightly less offensive clumsy stereotype.
Just One Feeling by Christian Endres and Christian Krank - 7 - Just one page but it has a story. I like the art style, and there is a feeling. Would you feel sympathy for orphaned alien zombie kids?
A full page ad for Heavy Metal dot com, with art someone actually worked on, another HM logo treatment with slotted screws, and a dorky-on-purpose tagline. The cosmic confluence of meaning and superficiality, of brilliance and stupidity, of the incredibly crappy mess the HM website is now, and the paper in my hands, blows my mind.
Close Call by Sytse S. Algera and Apri Kusbiantoro - 5 - a somewhat interesting premise, of disease-fighting nanobots rescuing beach-goers, enhances the ok storytelling and art.
Oskar Ed by Branko Jelinek - 6 - I really liked the animal, it's drawn well. The story tries for mysterious and imaginative, almost gets there.
Saskatchewan by Lee Nielsen - 6 - I think I know the despairing self-awareness that I think this is trying to convey, but I think I'm missing some of what it's trying to say too. The art's pretty cool, I like the writing, but there seems to be more put into it than what I get from it.
Autopsy by Gonzalo Ruggieri - 7 - simple but funny, "no sign of intelligence" indeed.
Gallery by Pascal Blanche - 7 - A lot of this looks really nice, very well executed digitally composed portraits. Some of them look very much like digital models, rather than an actual character, but I suppose that's ok. There's not a lot of personality or emotion available, but they look nice.
M19: Secret Agent Daphne in "An Awesome Weekend" by JD and JMB - 6 - Nice looking one-page spy story. A "See you in sixty days, metalheads!" suggests this will be a recurring entry.
Back Cover by Pascal Blanche - 7 - nice looking and radiantly colored, it looks better on the cover than in the Gallery.
So, there were a few good things to recommend this issue, and a couple not so much. My sentiment is on the positive side, I've seen a lot worse. Next up is an Asylum Press issue, so we'll see what that brings.
Tuesday, October 14, 2014
Job Dun
A while back, Mark Hobby contacted me, and asked if I would review Job Dun, Fat Assassin, which he did with Ben Michael Byrne, of Kranburn fame, as well as Noelle Criminova and Dave Evans. I was quite flattered to be asked to review an actual comic on my meager blog. Despite my warnings of infrequent posts and tiny audience, he sent it to me anyway. After having it a number of weeks, I'm finally putting up a review.
Now, I'm not the first nor only one to be asked, and of course others responded in a more timely manner:
http://www.comicsonline.com/2014/08/comic-book-review-job-dun-fat-assassin-1/
http://fanboycomics.net/index.php/blogs/simply-jack/item/3899
http://www.regeeken.com/artist-spotlight-job-dun-fat-assassin-spray-comics/
Clearly these are regular comics readers with broader interest and experience than mine. Their blogs are cooler too. My interest is mostly limited to Heavy Metal magazine and related items, but since I got hooked on BMB's Kranburn when he shared the beginnings on the departed HM website forums, I'm interested enough in Job Dun to actually write about it.
Basically, I liked Job Dun. It's got cool drawing, a fun and wacky storytelling style, and a crazy futuristic setting. It's thought-provoking but doesn't take itself too seriously. In fact it's so nutty, it has its incomprehensible moments. In some of the other reviews, it evokes references to Heavy Metal magazine, I suppose I can see it.
This one seems to be titled "Body Shitta." The fat assassin, in a grimy urban jungle, plugged in and hopped up on Khem-Kola and pineal implants, takes an assignment from a red-head black-clad bombshell. Perhaps letting his infatuation get the better of his judgement, such as it is. "Spray" addled hilarity and some fantastical violence ensues. Jokes are made, imaginations are tested, and social norms are disdained. An ending with more than a couple loose ends. A "Next, Whut is 2B Dun?" So perhaps there will be more.
I hope so. I like Mr Byrne's work, I liked Mr Hobby's story, and the bright colors and lettering added up to make a fun read. Job Dun appears to be available on the same bigcartel site that offers Kranburn from FEC Comics, so I'll suggest seeking it out and spending less than a buck (AUS) for a digital copy. They have print for $6 as well ( http://jobdun.bigcartel.com/ ), though getting Kranburn shipped to me was a challenge, I hope it would be easier for you for Job Dun.
thanks again to Mr Hobby for the kind offer of a free comic and letting me write about it.
Now, I'm not the first nor only one to be asked, and of course others responded in a more timely manner:
http://www.comicsonline.com/2014/08/comic-book-review-job-dun-fat-assassin-1/
http://fanboycomics.net/index.php/blogs/simply-jack/item/3899
http://www.regeeken.com/artist-spotlight-job-dun-fat-assassin-spray-comics/
Clearly these are regular comics readers with broader interest and experience than mine. Their blogs are cooler too. My interest is mostly limited to Heavy Metal magazine and related items, but since I got hooked on BMB's Kranburn when he shared the beginnings on the departed HM website forums, I'm interested enough in Job Dun to actually write about it.
Basically, I liked Job Dun. It's got cool drawing, a fun and wacky storytelling style, and a crazy futuristic setting. It's thought-provoking but doesn't take itself too seriously. In fact it's so nutty, it has its incomprehensible moments. In some of the other reviews, it evokes references to Heavy Metal magazine, I suppose I can see it.
This one seems to be titled "Body Shitta." The fat assassin, in a grimy urban jungle, plugged in and hopped up on Khem-Kola and pineal implants, takes an assignment from a red-head black-clad bombshell. Perhaps letting his infatuation get the better of his judgement, such as it is. "Spray" addled hilarity and some fantastical violence ensues. Jokes are made, imaginations are tested, and social norms are disdained. An ending with more than a couple loose ends. A "Next, Whut is 2B Dun?" So perhaps there will be more.
I hope so. I like Mr Byrne's work, I liked Mr Hobby's story, and the bright colors and lettering added up to make a fun read. Job Dun appears to be available on the same bigcartel site that offers Kranburn from FEC Comics, so I'll suggest seeking it out and spending less than a buck (AUS) for a digital copy. They have print for $6 as well ( http://jobdun.bigcartel.com/ ), though getting Kranburn shipped to me was a challenge, I hope it would be easier for you for Job Dun.
thanks again to Mr Hobby for the kind offer of a free comic and letting me write about it.
Friday, September 26, 2014
Native American Classics
A little while ago, I indulged myself and bought a copy of "Native American Classics" at a resale shop. It's an issue of Graphic Classics, Volume Twenty-Four. I haven't picked up any of these I've seen before, but I'd read some collections of Native American stories when I was younger, like "Indian Sleep-Man Tales", and this looked a bit interesting.
It's a handful of stories written in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, by or about Native Americans, and illustrated by contemporary artists. A wide range of styles and tones makes this very enjoyable for me.
I was quite pleased when I discovered later as I read through it, that it includes a story illustrated by John Findley, of Tex Arcana fame. It may not be the best-written story in the book, but Mr Findley's work is just terrific. It isn't hard to recognize as his, once I look at it. His fine line drawing is enhanced by some really nice coloring, a departure from the Tex Arcana black and white line drawing style I so admire.
Since this was just published in 2013, it's my hope this shows some of the paying work Mr Findley referred to, when he was kind enough to respond to my inquiries about Tex Arcana, that he was too busy to spend time on it. (indeed, since then he's actually produced a few new Tex Arcana pages, that I referred to earlier this year.)
So I'm pretty happy I came across this. Mostly since it has Mr Findley's work, but also because I enjoyed most of the other stories. These Graphic Classics appear to be readily available online, and I may need to seek out "Western Classics" as Mr Findley is referenced to have adapted a story "El Dorado" in the credits (as well as a mention of "best known for his graphic series Tex Arcana, which ran in Heavy Metal magazine ..."). I certainly recommend it.
It's a handful of stories written in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, by or about Native Americans, and illustrated by contemporary artists. A wide range of styles and tones makes this very enjoyable for me.
I was quite pleased when I discovered later as I read through it, that it includes a story illustrated by John Findley, of Tex Arcana fame. It may not be the best-written story in the book, but Mr Findley's work is just terrific. It isn't hard to recognize as his, once I look at it. His fine line drawing is enhanced by some really nice coloring, a departure from the Tex Arcana black and white line drawing style I so admire.
Since this was just published in 2013, it's my hope this shows some of the paying work Mr Findley referred to, when he was kind enough to respond to my inquiries about Tex Arcana, that he was too busy to spend time on it. (indeed, since then he's actually produced a few new Tex Arcana pages, that I referred to earlier this year.)
So I'm pretty happy I came across this. Mostly since it has Mr Findley's work, but also because I enjoyed most of the other stories. These Graphic Classics appear to be readily available online, and I may need to seek out "Western Classics" as Mr Findley is referenced to have adapted a story "El Dorado" in the credits (as well as a mention of "best known for his graphic series Tex Arcana, which ran in Heavy Metal magazine ..."). I certainly recommend it.
Sunday, August 24, 2014
Kranburn #10
I picked up the digital Kranburn #10 early, then went ahead and got #8, #9, and #10 in print. They are awesome.
Digital is great, easy and cheap. Everyone should do it. Getting them in print was again pricey and a bit challenging, but thanks to the efforts of fec comics and my actually having dollars I can squander on them, I can get slick bits of paper with these cool pictures on them. I like that.
(I lifted the picture from fec comics, they sell Kranburn, and other stuff. You should go there and buy stuff.)
The cover of issue #10 is again a scene from the inside, nicely colored. It might be the most fun picture in the whole of Kranburn, the enormity of the thighs, the horror of the shorts, the pot on his head, the lobster claw mitts, I wonder what the "KSB" on the belt buckle is for.
The story picks up immediately with Lawton and his captor. Then quickly shifts to Brand preparing for his last "big swing". In both cases, the tables are turned and horrifying violence ensues. Lawton brutalizes his tormentor. Brand is caught in Nong territory and is chased by a mob of crazed thugs.
As far as readers of the webcomic are concerned, I realized I can't help but drop spoilers in reviewing something that won't hit the webcomic for more than a year. Rather than wait a year, I'll again encourage more of you to go to fec comics and buy Kranburn when it comes out, at least the digital issues.
Brand is in deep trouble. Unprepared and outnumbered, he's running for his life. He realizes they want him alive, and decides to die while killing as many Nong as he can. Holing up in a building, the only escape is off the roof.
This issue is one of the most action packed and brutally violent of the whole story. If you're not interested in furious depictions of the brutality people are capable of inflicting on each other, then Kranburn is not for you, especially this issue. But if you're reading this, chances are that you might enjoy the artistic capability and the gonadular fortitude BMB displays with this work, like I do.
The cover picture, it turns out, is edited. I really almost bust out laughing when I saw it in the story. I wore shorts like that back in the day, but not quite like that.
A scene I didn't get, that I think might be important to the story, is when Brand looks out a window up in the building, at Brutus standing out in the rain, and flips him off, Brutus smirks, looks away like something hit his face (besides rain?), then looks back in shock. Maybe it's nothing or it's just a bit of creativity in the timeline, maybe it will be explained in the webcomic.
I wonder what happens to Lawton. Can he make it back to Kranburn? I wonder what happens to Brand. Does he survive, or is this the rare story that continues after the demise of its protagonist? I wonder about Syliva, I wonder about Egon, I wonder how or if that Berrik slave trade story is going to reappear. It's almost a cliffhanger. Hopefully in a few weeks another issue tells me more.
Digital is great, easy and cheap. Everyone should do it. Getting them in print was again pricey and a bit challenging, but thanks to the efforts of fec comics and my actually having dollars I can squander on them, I can get slick bits of paper with these cool pictures on them. I like that.
(I lifted the picture from fec comics, they sell Kranburn, and other stuff. You should go there and buy stuff.)
The cover of issue #10 is again a scene from the inside, nicely colored. It might be the most fun picture in the whole of Kranburn, the enormity of the thighs, the horror of the shorts, the pot on his head, the lobster claw mitts, I wonder what the "KSB" on the belt buckle is for.
The story picks up immediately with Lawton and his captor. Then quickly shifts to Brand preparing for his last "big swing". In both cases, the tables are turned and horrifying violence ensues. Lawton brutalizes his tormentor. Brand is caught in Nong territory and is chased by a mob of crazed thugs.
As far as readers of the webcomic are concerned, I realized I can't help but drop spoilers in reviewing something that won't hit the webcomic for more than a year. Rather than wait a year, I'll again encourage more of you to go to fec comics and buy Kranburn when it comes out, at least the digital issues.
Brand is in deep trouble. Unprepared and outnumbered, he's running for his life. He realizes they want him alive, and decides to die while killing as many Nong as he can. Holing up in a building, the only escape is off the roof.
This issue is one of the most action packed and brutally violent of the whole story. If you're not interested in furious depictions of the brutality people are capable of inflicting on each other, then Kranburn is not for you, especially this issue. But if you're reading this, chances are that you might enjoy the artistic capability and the gonadular fortitude BMB displays with this work, like I do.
The cover picture, it turns out, is edited. I really almost bust out laughing when I saw it in the story. I wore shorts like that back in the day, but not quite like that.
A scene I didn't get, that I think might be important to the story, is when Brand looks out a window up in the building, at Brutus standing out in the rain, and flips him off, Brutus smirks, looks away like something hit his face (besides rain?), then looks back in shock. Maybe it's nothing or it's just a bit of creativity in the timeline, maybe it will be explained in the webcomic.
I wonder what happens to Lawton. Can he make it back to Kranburn? I wonder what happens to Brand. Does he survive, or is this the rare story that continues after the demise of its protagonist? I wonder about Syliva, I wonder about Egon, I wonder how or if that Berrik slave trade story is going to reappear. It's almost a cliffhanger. Hopefully in a few weeks another issue tells me more.
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