Erik Cheski
I wasn’t sure what to expect when I first sat down with this strange volume, but I quickly grew to love this strange, little world that I was entering in these panels. Caught somewhere between Dragonball Z and Lupin III, this cockeyed hero’s journey has a solid story, interesting characters, and wonderful charm that become irresistible the further you go.
Luis M. Cruz introduces us to his take on the werewolf theme in his inaugural issue of his self-published work, Jennifer the She-Wolf. There’s a lot to be said for this story; there’s enough of a spin to distance itself from the tropes of the genre, and a really cool artistic take on the material, as well.
Neil Gaiman thinks this comic is awesome, and SO DO I. (You should obviously be more interested in Mr. Gaiman’s opinion, but you’re readingmy review, damnit.)
Get down with the sickness.
Faced with the fast-spreading plague common to all shared living experiences, our three ladies deal with their illnesses in their own way: Esther buries herself in blankets and avails herself on mystic healing rites; Susan combats the needs of the body versus those of Nicotene; and Daisy gets hold of some unregulated cure-alls. (I can just see her singing “I’m so excited” before breaking down into tears . . . )
Okay, I don’t call out covers often, but damn. That’ll make you look twice. Really, really great work.
The second issue of Dream Reavers starts with the bang we left at the end of last issue, and though the circumstances remain high and tense, the comedy and fun of this book get to flow through a bit. Our protagonists have been gathered, a little more background on our protagonist that doesn’t seem to fit with the others, and the meeting at the end that promises answers, as well as giving us a big reveal.
I’m not entirely sure what to make of this comic, but there’s a lot of elements that I really enjoy.
First, we have a guy who is maybe not the brightest of bulbs living in the 1930s era and stumbles upon a book with an incredible amount of power. Ignoring the advice of his friend (who seems to be a mix between Batman, the Rocketeer, and Gosylin from Darkwing Duck), he is pulled into a whirlwind adventure that has its origins in ancient Greece.
Here we go, kids! It's time to party.
The third issue of Rafael Albuquerque and Mike Johnson's Ei8ht is an explosive showdown that we have only just begun to anticipate, and it’s ramping up to some awesome action. The rebels find themselves at the mercy of another potential scourge, and the last pieces of the puzzle fall into place for our hero Joshua, though we'll have to wait for the next issue to get more details.
A few more tales to pay for ales . . .
In this second collection of guest writers and artists, we are treated to three more superb additions to David Petersen’s world by some great storytellers.
No taxation without representation.
Brian K. Wood gives us his take on the American Revolution and gives us a tale as deep and interesting as we expect from him. Much like his work on The Massive, Wood excels in finding the balance between violence and action and the characters he crafts that can find the openings in that action for dialogue, where words can win the day better than bullets.
Maxwell Neely-Cohen’s first novel is an exploration of what it means to grow up in an age where information travels faster than wisdom, and the people who built the system find themselves hopelessly outclassed by those who grew up in it. Layered with a storyline ramping up to the apocalypse, we inhabit four youths who will change the perception of the world for themselves and everyone in their path.
