Picks: 2005
These are my "comic picks", largely from the UK indie scene, which appear on the front page of the downthetubes.net web site.
COMICS
Jump to review of: • Albion #1 • Freakshow •
Louis • Negative Burn • Wilderemere
BOOKS
Jump to reviews of: Bolland Strips • Brodie's Law • Devilchild • The Tides of Time • WebComics • The Essential Guide to World Comics
MAGAZINES
Jump to reviews of: Comics International • Fusion • Omnivistascope • Spaceship Away
| COMICS | |||
Reviewed July 2005: To be honest, this almost wasn't my pick of the week. As a fan of British comics and characters from the age of five, I would personally have preferred a more "in your face" treatment of some of of my favourite heroes, perhaps in the style of Alan Moore's "Tom Strong" books rather than another "conspiracy" storyline.
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A group of people come together to investigate the weird, joined by a ghost with a grudge against one of the party. These four issues comprise disparate tales inspired by pulp fiction, The X-Files and, I suspect The Avengers, as the investigators tackle a time-jumping thief, move to New York and take on an unfriendly ghost, a killer undertaker and, it seems, Egyptian deities. There's a clear love of Americana and plenty of enthusiasm behind these stories, but I found some of the scripting in need of good editing and a demand for better exposition, and the art incredibly stylised and stilted, for all its strong figure work and faces. Of the two artists, Thompson seems the more accomplished, using more blacks and a stronger inking style; but both suffer from a lack of depth to establishing shots, and action sequences need more work. (Both artists remind me of American artist Gene Day on an off day). That said, the stories have an intruging ongoing back story and the women of the strips are engagingly drawn. There's also a good use of "change of camera angles" from Mooney, which makes "talking heads" scenes much more interesting. Sadly, he over uses close ups, and should pull away from the central action to break up pages more. There's a strong sense of design to Freakshow but my feeling is that all concerned should loosen up a little and have even more fun with the characters and settings than they are doing. John Freeman • Update: Trade Paperbacks of Freakshow -
14 issues of the title have been published as of January 2007 -
are available from Silver
Bullets |
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Louis: The Clown's Last Words This is a strange, bizarre graphic novel, just one in a series that has attracted sponsorship from the Scottish Arts Council and high praise from many quarters, on both sides of the English Channel – and the US. There's no way you can pigeonhole Louis, an allegorical, haunting series that begins with Red Letter Day and continues with Lying to Clive and this volume, the Clown's Last Words (Dreams Never Die, a fourth book, has also been released. While the world of Louis – a world where anthromoprhised, distorted and unique creatures are spied upon, terrorised and confused – can be enjoyed as a strange children's story, the tales work on many levels, which has prompted the attention of critics not normally linked with comics reviews. The art is child-friendly and accomplished, the colouring simply beautiful and the storytelling – well, unique would be the only word I could use to describe it. Alice in Wonderland, Phillip K. Dick, Wallace and Gromit (on acid, maybe) – such comparisons barely scratch the surface when it comes to describing this fantastical saga. I heartily recommend checking out the Metaphrog web site if you’re intrigued by this series, which includes some stunning animation and plenty of more information about Louis and other creations. This is a stunning, ground-breaking comics project that well deserves the attention it has received from many quarters. John Freeman |
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The first new Negative Burn collection for over seven years, the assembled strips don't fail to disappoint, encompassing a terrific range of storytelling styles and genres. From the humorous Quorzar 13, Honorable Conqueror of the Galaxy (Zander and Kevin Cannon & Shad Petosky) to the samurai tale Heaven and Earth (Ron Marz, Luke Ross and others) the sheer range of creators is a highly enjoyable anthology highlighting some great talents. I particularly enjoyed the autobiographical Thoughts on a Winter Morning (Kurt Busiek, Steve Lieber) and Erik Larsen's The Wish -- both stories, for me, providing a very different pace and setting to what you normally expect from such creators. This is a fantastic collection, a snapshot of creative talent distanced from superhero shenanigans (although Rob Burdern and Andy Kahn's The Gasser is an amusing pastiche of that genre). If you’re scared by anthologies, fearing you're buying a collection you may not enjoy large parts of, Negative Burn does not fall into that category. Buy it. Enjoy. John Freeman |
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Wildermere
#1 & 2 The Glass Shore Press comprises a Britain-based co-operative of artists set up to distribute artwork, comics, books and prints in a fair and co-operative way. Wildermere is the work of 'Chronic Fatigue', also behind the equally splendid Mixy. Strangehaven creator Gary Spencer Millidge says that although neither work is distributed widely, his titles have sold surprisingly well and has established a enviable following, apparently consisting mainly of teenage girls. Wildermere is a haunting gothic tale, a town isolated from elsewhere with the arrival of a strange device which melds realities and corrupts the remaining existence. The human population is deeply affected, mentally and physically by the device, with only the young 'hero' – I use that term guardedly – remaining 'pure', and the focus, the hope, perhaps, for a better future. With its scratchy, haunting art style and near-poetic storytelling, Wildermere proves a haunting, edge-of-madness setting for an intriguing story, which, despite some intense storytelling and exposition, particularly in #1, flows nicely. CF's imagery is both beautiful and horrific but lovingly rendered. This is a book for anyone who loves a good horror tale, of worlds corrupted, or worlds to be saved… but you may find it is not for the nervous.
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A triumphant return for the 2000AD-inspired fanzine, firing on all cylinders with contributions from Al Ewing and Arthur Wyatt, who both wrote for the recent 2000AD Winter Special. With just one exception -- I wasn't keen
on the art for the bad Company strip but the script was enjoyable
-- I enjoyed every strip in this new issue, especially the
Judge Dredd story About Face drawn by David Gray (watch
out for this guy, he's going to be big!) and a hilarious poke
at the Judge Dredd movie, Doppleganger - the Dredd
strip that got Boo Cook his job on the real 2000AD! To order either send a cheque (payable to Underfire Comics) to: Zarjaz |
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| BOOKS | |||
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 Brodie's
Law: Project Jameson Story by Daley Osiyemi and David Bircham; Script by Alan Grant Art: David Bircham Cover by Simon Bisley Introduction by director Renny Harlin (Cliffhanger, Die Hard 2, Deep Blue Sea). Publisher: Pulp Theatre Entertainment Out: September 2005 "What would the law mean if everyday had a different face?" Already one of the UK's most successful indie exports, the first six issues of this hard-hitting tale of gangland war and bastard science are now being released as a collection. The story centres on Jack Brodie -- a mean-spirited man, a thief who runs foul of gangland bosses. They try to kill him; they execute his ex-wife, kidnap his son and frame him for the murder. Meanwhile, Brodie acquires a formula, PM13, which enables him to take revenge on his enemies with a frightening anonymity, possessing the power to "suck your soul dry" by stealing a person's thoughts and identity before returning it. Unfortunately, this bizarre power has a price: every time he takes on someone else's body he also absorbs their minds -- or at least, parts of minds. Those minds stay with Jack, increasing daily the chance he'll become a schizophrenic psycho on a quest for justice that makes Dirty Harry look like pussycat. With an action-driven storyline and characterisation developing as that story becomes ever more involving -- and includes some nasty twists -- Brodie's Law has certainly caused plenty of excitement from comics fans who've given it a try. While many of them may have been persuaded to pick up the book drawn because of Grant's undisputed track record of powerful storytelling, I'm sure Bircham's energetic art style has helped keep them reading. I particularly like his character work, his faces -- male and female -- a step away from the often simplified styling of many US strips. This is a terrific non-stop gangster story, all the better for being collected, as many plot points are not revealed util way into the latter part of the story. You're simply dropped into the action from page one and well, hold onto your proverbial hat from there. I have some issues -- I''d prefer some stronger "establishing shots", Bircham's style tends to lean toward mid shots and close ups, and some action scenes could benefit from wider perspective and "dead space" to accentuate action. Story and script-wise, plotting and characterisation would be hard to beat and the concept has plenty going for it. But the remorseless misery of Brodie's situation and resulting character might grate with some. Brodie doesn't live in a pretty world and Messrs Osiyemi, Bircham and Grant shine a dark light on a very murky world with aplomb. If you like your comics mean and moody, Brodie's Law is a must buy. Buy the book from Amazon.co.uk: Click Here Web Links: www.pulptheatre.com |
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 Devil Child: Heaven's Prisoners Graphic Novel, £6.99 (including shipping) from www.devil-child.co.uk 4/7/05: Released earlier this year but just re-advertised, Andrew Winter's Devil Child saga is one marked by constant improvement in storytelling and art, with Winter's satirical digs at organised religion wrapped in an absorbing story centring on, well, obviously, the Devil's child. The war between heaven and hell is old hat in this saga, but man's discovery of other dimensions looks set to put paid to that. This is hugely enjoyable series with some terrific art from Ken Susuki. |
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Recently released by Carlton Books, Dirty Dozen is a huge collection of Commando strips selected by DC Thomson’s current Commando editor, George Low. A stonking 784 pages for just £14.99, the collection is features 12 gung-ho stories of war heroes battling the Nazis of World War II on land, sea and air. With stories selected from the first 1000 issues, this an excellent collection for anyone who’s ever picked up a Commando in the past 40-plus years of the title, featuring impressive art and tight writing, backed by meticulous research. For my money, the collection’s best stories are the eerie Riley’s Rifle -- a gypsy soldier takes revenge on his murderers from beyond the grave -- and March of the Monsters, in which a disastrous forced beach landing in German-held territory by experimental tanks sees Nazis panic when they think invasion is imminent. The only disappointing aspect of the title is the complete lack of credits for any of the creators -- despite the fact that editor George Low, who introduces the book, reveals he often informs readers who drew what strip if they wrote in. This lack is perhaps not surprising given DC Thomson’s traditional reluctance to credit any of their freelancers, but for those of us who like to know who penned the stories we’ve read, it’s a surprising omission in this deluxe format and a bit of a slap in the face to the hundreds of creators who have worked on the title since it began in 1961. That said, Dirty Dozen is a a terrific value for money
collection and well worth seeking out if you grew up reading Commando. Web Links • Buy the Dirty Dozen from Amazon.co.uk • Buy the Dirty Dozen from Amazon.com STRIP CHECKLIST • GLIDER ACE |
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This is a stonking collection of Doctor Who strip, comprising all the Pater Davison strips published during the tenure of the Fifth Doctor on TV back in the 1980s. There are no whining companions in this superb volume, or brilliant writing let down by the kind of low-budget visual effects and other production factors which so damaged the reputation of the TV show. When writer Steve Parkhouse demands an invading army battling Panzers he gets them, and more, from Dave Gibbons, who recently described his Doctor Who work as some of the best he's ever done. It certainly is. |
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 WebcomicsBy Steven Withrow and John Barber Publisher: ILEX ISBN: 1 90470 550 2 The great thing about the web is that anyone -- anyone! -- can publish on it with even a limited amount of technical knowledge and access to a computer. Blogs have made that process even easier. As a result, the web has become a huge playground for comics creators, with thousands of online comics available for reading. Many of them are extremely well written, drawn and delivered. The problem with the web is that there are so many comics strips out there that aren't well written, drawn, and delivered that finding the quality material is often like trying to find the proverbial needle in the haystack. A search engine may have no quality control, but fortunately, book projects like Withrow and Barber's Webcomics are a fine way to locate the best of the web -- and help those still trying to improve their skills. Incorporating masses of creator interview material, examples and fairly easy-to-follow "how to" sections outlining the basic principles of creating web comics, this title provides a fascinating introduction to perhaps the fastest growing and one of the most exciting areas of modern publishing. There's plenty of useful guidance in this title from the likes of Kean Soo (www.keaner.net), Nowhere Girl creator Justine Shaw (www.nowheregirl.com), and Charley 'Argon Zark' Parker (www.zark.com) and many others. Along with art and writing tips WebComics also includes information on delivery, from simply preparing your strips for upload to generating income from them. Inevitably, a printed book on web comics suffers from being limited in finding ways to present some of the more "cutting edge" material found on the Internet -- those that combine the traditional strip form with audio and animation for example. It's also a snapshot of the web at the time of publication: even as I write this, new strips will be being published for the first time, naturally not featured in the book. That said, WebComics is an extremely useful guide to online comics and their creators and I'm sure it's a title that can be re-worked and re-published in future with new material and perhaps, additional interviews. As it stands, whether you're an established creator or just starting out, I highly recommend this book. Buy Webcomics from Amazon.co.uk: Click Here Buy Webcomics from Amazon.com: Click Here More information on the book:www.ilex-press.com |
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 The Essential Guide to World Comicsby Tim Pilcher and Brad Brooks Cover by Roger Langridge Foreword by Dave Gibbons Publisher: Collins & Brown ISBN: 1-84340-5 Chrysalis Books' imprint Collins & Brown, publishers of Dez Skinn's Comix: The Underground Revolution and Mike Conroy's 500 Comicbook Villians have produced a cracking overview of World Comics with this new guide. Written by former Comics International associate editor Tim Pilcher and Les Cartoonistes Dangereux co-founder, Brad Brooks, it offers a fascinating global snapshot of the the world's comic industries from the obvious -- America, UK , France and Japan -- to the esoteric -- Malaysia, Hong Kong, Kenya and Turkey. Although there are some omissions -- the authors say there simply wasn't space to include every country, and web comics, spannning all borders, get only limited coverage -- I found this a very entertaining insight into comics from around the globe. While I'm familiar with some French, Italian, Norwegianand Australian titles, for example, it came as a surprise to learn of enthusiastic comics publishing in India and Africa, and the sheer variety of featured creators and creations is simply astonishing. The book is also useful as a "starting point" when it comes to exploring some countries output. With Japanese manga, for example, there are some very useful recommendations when it comes to identifying the quality among the quantity. Packed with stunning imagery, the book not only includes detailed but well-written guides to comics from around the globe but also spotlights world-class talents such as Herge (creator of Tin Tin), Phillipines master Antonio S. Velasquez, Jack Kirby and others. It's also interesting to learn how comics are regarded in different countries. While British comics generally remain the province of children, in France they are regarded as "The Ninth Art". It's inevitable that such a general title simply can't afford space for every favourite from around the world. Manga alone could take up the entire page count, such is the output of its Japanese creators. But I'm happy to agree with Dave Gibbons, who describes The Essential Guide to World Comics in his introduction as an enjoyable modern day comics equivalent of the Victorian "Baedeker's guide". I hope sales justify a second edition including those unexplored regions of the world omitted in this volume. • Buy The Essential Guide to World Comics from Amazon.co.uk: Click Here • Buy The Essential Guide to World Comics from Amazon.com: Click Here |
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| MAGAZINES | |||
 Comics International #186 Further info via http://www.qualitycomm- unications.co.uk/ci £1.95/$2.50 from comic shops To subscribe: write to 8 Galliford Rd, Maldon, Essex CM9 7XD, UK UK: £30.00 (1st class) £24 (2nd) USA/Canada: $60 (air) $40 (sea) Mainland Europe/Eire: £40/¤60 (air only) Australasia/Asia: £50 (air) £35 (sea) All are 12-issue rates. Single or back issues at 1/12th of above. You can also order online: Click Here Reviewed June 2005: The latest issue of this excellent no-nonsense comics news magazine features no less than eight pages focusing on Alex Ross's new DC project, Justice, featuring 25 exclusive character images which will not appear in the series. Most of them are fantastic detailed pencil sketches, character studies of the major supervillains who'll be appearing in DC's 12 part series, as well as six colour JLA hero shots. The sketchbook is accompanied by a 2000 word+ Q&A with Alex, giving his thoughts and insights on the project. Highlight of the issue though is the second part of a new Jack Staff strip by Paul Grist. I've always thought it strange when a magazine about comics doesn't feature a comic strip and I'm glad publisher Dez Skinn does, too. The strip's a slow burn but well worth reading. |
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 OMNIVISTASCOPE #1 66 pages, Square Bound, Colour Cover, B/W inserts Available online via www.solarwindcomic.co.uk £5.99 and a variety of real word outlets including Forbidden Planet Reviewed June 2005: Black and white anthologies are a hard sell. Hell, anthologies are a hard sell -- even I simply poked this one suspiciously at the Bristol Comics Festival, according to writer and publisher Paul Scott. As for science fiction anthologies -- well, Paul has his work cut out for him. Lucky for him I like short stories, eh? I shouldn't have been so reticent about this new title: it's is a great collection, worthy, I think of the high cover price, featuring some great strips and art, particularly Matt Timson's stylish rendition of "54", Paul McCaffrey on "The Way We Used to Live" and Mike Donaldson on "Juggerman". While some of the strips are fan art -- some of the storytelling is just a little too static for my taste, redeemed by the stories themselves -- all the work included is of a very high standard, burdened only by being an anthology -- some of it some people will like, some parts other will like, but will they like all of it enough to buy it? I hope so. Paul's already enthused indie comics fans with his marvellous 1970s comics pastiche, Solar Wind, but this is a welcome step up, standalone title I hope to see more of. |
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A lovingly rendered new strip by Don Harley featuring the original Dan Dare may be the biggest reason to buy Spaceship Away, but there's plenty of other excuses to part with £6.99 for this high quality magazine: a stunning pin up by John Ridgway and Dan Dare's horoscope are just two! |
