| Issue #54 | Release Date: 4/4/12 | Vol.#10 |
Hey folks, Ambush Bug here. I’ll be descending upon Chicago’s C2E2 (The Chicago Comics & Entertainment Expo) this weekend providing coverage of the event, doing interviews with the greats of the industry, signing copies of my own book THE JUNGLE BOOK at the Zenescope booth on Saturday, and trying not to get arrested with fellow @$$holes Sleazy G, SJimbrowski, The Dean, and Henry Higgins is My Homeboy who will also be tooling around the con this weekend. If you want any of us to stop by your booth or talk with you for an interview, feel free to drop us a line. Find out a full schedule of the event and more about tickets for C2E2 here! Hope to see you there!(Click title to go directly to the review)
Advance Review: THE SECRET SERVICE #1
RAMIEL: WRATH OF GOD #1
WHISPERS #2
EVERY WAKING MOMENT OGN
WOLVERINE AND THE X-MEN #8
B.P.R.D. HELL ON EARTH: THE PICKENS COUNTRY HORROR #1
RUNNERS: THE BIG SNOW JOB VOL.2
CHEAP SHOTS!
Advance Review: In stores today!THE SECRET SERVICE #1
Writers: Mark Millar, Matthew Vaughn (co-plotter)Art: Dave Gibbons (art), Angus McKie (colors)COLORIST: ANGUS MCKIEPublisher: Marvel Icon
Reviewer: Johnny Destructo
I hadn't the foggiest as to what this series was going to be about. All I had in the way of experience was the cover and my previous enjoyment of Millar's works. Whenever possible, I like to go into a new series with as little exposure as possible, for the same reason I try to avoid all the teasers and behind the scenes stuff for upcoming films. If I know everything ahead of time, I lose most of the experience of enjoying the ride.
However, even AFTER reading issue one of THE SECRET SERVICE, I wasn't entirely sure of where this series was going to go, so curiosity piqued, I headed to the nearest information superhighway to do some digging. This led me to make two discoveries:
A. The series is basically about how a wayward, arsed-up kid eventually turns into a James Bond-esque superspy.
B. I wish I hadn't made the first discovery.
It isn't that I don't like what the essence of the story is; it's just that I was really enjoying the mystery. I had a very satisfying initial read that left me with questions, and I missed that feeling after I did my research--much like trying to find the hidden Christmas presents, finding them, and then realizing that I'd ruined the surprise for myself. All of this is to say that I really dug this first issue, so much so that I wish I just enjoyed the ride like when I was a kid and had to read comic books WITHOUT the internet.
That isn't to say that I didn't have my doubts. In the first page, we are introduced to special guest star Mark Hamill. And not just a guy similarly named, but the actual actor, whom you probably know best from his stellar work in JAY & SILENT BOB STRIKE BACK as the astounding Cock-Blocker. He's done some other work here and there, but it was all pretty small potatoes when compared to JASBSB. I opened the issue and realized what was happening and thought "well, this isn't off to the best start." It seemed sort of lame at first, but by the time that scene was over, I was IN.
With the big entrance out of the way, we start to get into the meat of the story, and from here on in, it never once feels like a typical Mark Millar story. It feels...adult? I realize that may sound a touch insulting, but I've always enjoyed how Millar stories talk to the action movie lover in me--the kid who sometimes just loves things because they seem cool or fun or bad-ass. The kid who loves the original “Total Recall” and “The Matrix” (or...you know...superhero comics). Whereas a good portion of Millar's works are really great sugary snacks, this issue felt like a well-proportioned, filling meal.
And the art. Good god, the art. How is it possible that Dave Gibbons has gotten even BETTER than he was on WATCHMEN? Unbelievable, even moreso that it was done digitally.
Jack London is a respectable government agent who is constantly called upon to get his sister's troublesome kid Gary out of, well, trouble. The poor bastard is a wastrel, a nogoodnik, a ne'erdowell, and Jack has had about enough, and decides to call in a favor. There is a real world vibe to this that I haven't experienced in a Millar book that I can recall. Maybe that's what I meant earlier when I said it feels more adult. This series has more in common with LUTHER than MISFITS. (If you've never heard of LUTHER OR MISFITS, do yourself a favor and do some googling, and then watch both series. Amazing stuff.)
And even if you don't usually enjoy Millar's work, pick this up, you'll high-five yourself later.
JD can be found hosting the PopTards Podcast, drawing a weekly webcomic, discussing movies, comics and other flimflam over at www.poptardsgo.com, graphically designing/illustrating for a living, and Booking his Face off over here. Follow his twitter @poptardsgo. His talkback name is PopTard_JD. He is also now co-hosting another Comic Book discussion show on Party934.com alongside Bohdi Zen. They discuss comics and play music, check it out live every Saturday from 4-5pm.
RAMIEL: WRATH OF GOD #1
Writer: Javier Grillo-MarxuachArtists: Steve Gendron (pencils) & Peter Wonsowski (colors)
Publisher: Ape Entertainment
Reviewer: Professor Challenger
“Think Not That I Come To Bring Peace On Earth. I Come Not To Bring Peace, But A Sword...” -- Matthew 10:34
With that verse from The Gospel of Matthew, Javi Marxuach's new comic book, RAMIEL, begins: the story of an Archangel in Heaven who desires to walk with the mortals – to become flesh and blood.
Whatever you do, don't be thinking that this is some sappy little Bible tract. This comic is a wonderful surprise and tackles what could be a tricky topic with a respectful but original approach. One of the things that makes this comic stand out from the rest (and why you should pick it up yourself) is the look of it. The artwork is stylized with watercolors which gives it a texture quite different than the overly slick digital art that has become the norm. Artist Steve Gendron designs the Heavenly Host to look grounded in a mythical reality – appearing human and clothed with armor and wielding swords delivering graphic and bloody wounds. Gendron tells Marxuach's story quite dramatically with his pacing and panel work. Wonsowski's color work sets the emotional tones well.
The reason I focus on the visuals so strongly is that this is a story told mainly through the visuals. There is no narration at all and there are many pages without any dialogue. RAMIEL takes advantage of the graphic format of the comic book to tell its tale.
Where there is dialogue, it is both entertaining and thought-provoking. The Angels debating their roles as God's messengers and defenders. The curiosity and temptation of Ramiel's struggle to understand God's purpose in suffering and death. As an Angel, it is outside of his experience but yet, it haunts him.
Marxuach's mythology here builds on the usual Biblical interpretations of Angels to create a spiritual realm still bound by its own physics per God's design. The Angels here have a level of free will enough to believe that there may have actually been an uprising millennia before that split them and sent a portion of rebels into Hell where they plot, plan, and fight to take back Heaven. It was Lucifer who aspired through pride and hubris to usurp God's throne and led the rebellion. Ramiel is not rebelling because of selfishness or pride. He is driven by compassion, curiosity, and a sense of unfulfillment in his job. These are aspects of the human condition that all readers should be able to relate to.
I am a fan of Javi's work, but this is a bit more serious and thought-provoking than the more witty light-hearted work I'm used to. He has a great sense of flow to the writing and, like the best comic book writers, he knows when it is time to let the visuals tell the story alone and when it is time to combine them with words. Really good stuff.
What happens when an Angel is stripped of his divine nature and made mortal...but without a soul? This is what fascinates me most about this story – what happens next?
Prof. Challenger is Texas artist and writer, Keith Howell. You can read his stuff here and over at profchallenger.com. You can also get in on the ground floor of his new endeavor, "Everything I Ever Needed to Know I Learned from Comic Books" here.
WHISPERS #2
Writer: Joshua LunaArt: Joshua Luna
Publisher: Image Comics
Reviewer: The Writing Rambler
With issue #1 I gave WHISPERS a shot and I was very happy with what I discovered. This was a well written look into the mind of a man who is coping with new powers despite having a grocery list’s worth of his own issues. I’m happy to report that in WHISPERS #2 Joshua Luna further expands this story and creates tension and excitement for what the future holds for this series.
In this second issue we watch as Sam Webber further explores his new abilities and attempts to understand/explain what’s going on to himself and those closest to him. What’s great about this character’s journey so far is that the story never feels forced. Unlike many other comics (pretty much all of today’s superhero books) that often seem to race to get to the next splash page, WHISPERS excels in its attention to story detail. Joshua Luna has the fantastic ability to provide dialogue that makes the reader feel as though they are in the midst of a friend’s conversation. He makes you care about what’s happening to Sam and really feel like you’re going along for the ride on his newfound supernatural exploits. There’s some solid story building here, and without getting into spoiler territory we get a new confidant for Sam as well as a seriously creepy villain who I’m sure we’ll see more of in future installments. This is all highlighted by Luna’s beautiful artwork, which serves as a testament to just how talented this one half of the Luna brothers really is.
I can’t say enough good things about WHISPERS & I highly recommend people pick up the first 2 issues as not only is it one of Image’s best books but one the best books I’ve read today, period.
You can follow The Writing Rambler on his blog here and follow on Twitter @Writing_Rambler !
EVERY WAKING MOMENT OGN
Writer: Jeff DyerArtist: Steve Ott
Publisher: Arcana Studios
Reviewer: MajinFu
Have you ever wished you could have more time to keep up with your busy schedule, or pondered how much more productive you would be if you didn’t have to sleep? What if I told you there was a pill that could remove the necessity for rest, giving you back that third of your life you would have spent unconscious to use however you like? That is the premise behind EVERY WAKING MOMENT, a new graphic novel from Arcana Comics that begs the question: what happens to our neglected dreams when we’re not asleep like we should be? For a story focused around snoozing, it’s a surprisingly enthralling read that weighs both sides of the debate with gusto.
The nature of sleep is something that writer Jeff Dyer obviously finds fascinating. The book is largely a debate on the necessity of sleep and whether mankind’s reliance on slumber is an impediment to the progress of our species, and ultimately an argument for the necessity of dreams in driving that progress. It is also a potent and involving thriller that touches on some controversial issues that are relevant in today’s fast-paced world.
The story revolves around a journalist and single mother named Emma Troy who scores an exclusive interview with entrepreneur and self-made billionaire Grant Auden, who has recently concocted a wonder pill that negates the need for sleep. The project responsible for the pill’s creation is called ARISE (Auden Resources In Sleep Elimination) and is dedicated to a future where every person on the planet spends the rest of their days entirely conscious, but before the pill can be sold around the world they need test subjects. Luckily the local league of superheroes volunteers to be guinea pigs for the new drug, which proves to have some unforeseen ramifications on various members of the team. Even as it makes them more efficient superheroes than ever before, you can’t help feeling something will eventually go wrong, resulting in an ominous tone that permeates throughout the book.
The super team that appears in the graphic novel winds up being a bit of a problematic element of the story. We learn just enough about the Idealists to make them somewhat intriguing, but not enough that they seem like fully-realized personas. In fact, most of them come across as thinly-veiled stereotypes of other costumed heroes. There’s the signature strong man with a specialty in punching things extra hard, the grizzled veteran vigilante with his exuberant young sidekick, and even the old dude that floats around in a chair spouting rhetoric (sound familiar?). All of these characters have distinct designs and there are some nice touches with the lettering to distinguish the voices, but many of the “Idealists” as they are known to the general public have little to no individual personalities to really set them apart, and we never get enough character development to make their position in the story all that interesting. Still, their later appearances in the book provide some especially creepy moments, and they offer a nice break from the rest of the book, which is fairly dialog-heavy.
Just after the first trial run is declared a success and plans are made to distribute Arise across the nation, a professor named Dr. Allyn Hexom shows up in Ms. Troy’s office, attempting to persuade her to see his side of the story; he claims that Grant’s new wonder pill is a danger to society and could bring about the downfall of all humanity. To say anything else would spoil the story, but suffice it to say it’s heavy, thought-provoking stuff. Like Auden Grant before him, Professor Hexom serves as a mouthpiece for Dyer to present both sides of the argument concerning the consequences of abandoning that essential resting time. Unlike the Idealists, Grant and Hexom feel more realized in their personas and they play off of the protagonist Emma fairly well. However, the tendency to use these characters as a means of lecturing the reader does slow the pacing of the plot, even when these scenes are some of the most interesting in the entire book. A focus on more realistic exchanges would have helped.
The art is not the strongest aspect of this book, but it gets the job done. Steve Ott’s work is serviceable to the story, especially in capturing the darker mood and lingering feeling of doom that pervades the book. His style is reminiscent of someone like Michael Avon Oeming but more amateur. Many faces and figures eerily resemble each other, but all the characters are still distinct thanks to some solid design work. Most of the backgrounds, if they appear at all, are fairly sparse, which helps the book flow nicely, but there is obviously a focus on the human figures over establishing any kind of realistic setting. The book just looks like it could have used more time in the art department in general, as a majority of these pages look like they were rushed out with any kind of quality control.
It may have sounded like I was disappointed by this book but I really enjoyed reading it. While the art appears rushed and at times looks downright amateur, I still found myself completely drawn into the tense story and always turning the page to see what would happen next. EVERY WAKING MOMENT is a graphic novel that builds to a crescendo similar to WATCHMEN, with a slow boil opening that only intensifies with each new chapter. While the overall quality and technical excellence of that text is only hinted at here, I was still enthralled by the argument of this book enough to read on to the very end. Those interested in the science of sleep would probably enjoy this book, and those looking for a superhero yarn with less focus on the heroics and more on the human drama may also want to check this out. It may not win an Eisner, but that’s totally fine. With a compelling premise, a unique story, and an especially strong sense of foreboding throughout, this just be worth checking out. Just don’t lose any sleep over it or it may come back to haunt you!
Note: The author of EVERY WAKING MOMENT will be in Chicago this weekend for C2E2! Stop by to say hello and check out his new graphic novel, now on sale!
WOLVERINE AND THE X-MEN #8
Writer: Jason AaronArtist: Chris Bachalo
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Reviewer: Optimous Douche
Before AVENGERS VS X-MEN starts its crossover asphyxiation of current storylines, I wanted to take one last ditch effort to get people into the best damn mutant book on the shelves − WOLVERINE AND THE X-MEN.
Month after month, Aaron has delivered healthy, but always balanced, doses of heart, mayhem, danger and most importantly FUN to the mutant verse and for the first time in years broke us from the endless of cycle of chase prophecy, determine destiny, rinse…wash…repeat.
Yes, while Scott continue brood over lost Hope in Utopia, WOLVERINE AND THE X-MEN takes an actual Brood, and other eclectic students including the next rendition of Apocalypse, on whirlwind adventures spanning from the farthest reaches of the galaxy and into the inner space of Kitty Pride’s blood stream…yes, and all in just seven issues.
Issue one had me worried about this title. Wolverine was a little too comical, the new Junior High Hellfire Club were a little too childish to be believable, and Bachalo’s art left me head scratching at times on what I was actually looking at.
Issues 2-8, though, have been stories in grand redemption. We’ve had a pregnant Kitty Pryde inseminated with nano-broods as opposed to the expected metallic zygote; the Omega-level Quentin Quire has been a complex antagonist tripping over his own arrogance each time he tries to undermine Wolverine’s authority; and this issue especially once again makes me fear the pubescent Hellfire club instead of laughing at the little kids clopping around the house trying to wear Mommy and Daddy’s shoes. Addition of special consultant Sabertooth helped a lot in the Hellfire Club redemption. Aaron also had the chutzpah to do the unthinkable in this issue: confine Wolverine to a chair with wheels that seems to be a rite of passage for X-Men headmasters--an homage that is simply brilliant in its design and execution.
When Cyclops and Wolverine split during "Schism", Cyke never stood a chance in winning the hearts and minds of mutant fans. Wolverine was taking us home aboard one of the noblest of chariots, to protect and train young mutant minds, while Scott decided to build a cataclysm squad that stands around posing until a suitable threat of epic disaster is deemed worthy of thwarting. Yes, it’s been this way for the X-Men since they set up shop on Utopia, but it was never so blatantly stated. When read in tandem, the dichotomy between the two titles is a perfect balance--the unmoving seesaw. When taken apart, though, WOLVERINE AND THE X-MEN simply becomes the fat kid on the seesaw with everything in their favor.
It’s not all about the kids, though, or even Wolverine’s virtuous mandates. The maturation of Kitty as co-headmistress and Bobby Drake as CFO exhibits Marvel’s deep commitment to never being trapped in amber. It’s also great as a fan to see these two coming into their own after so many years being considered children. Hell, Aaron was even able to turn the lobotomizing of Angel in X-FORCE from a shit sandwich into spun gold by giving Warren a safe haven to be as naïve and bold as he pleases.
Optimous has successfully blackmailed fellow @$$Hole BottleImp into being his artist on Average Joe. Look for Imp's forced labor on Optimous brain child in mid-2012 from COM.X. Friend Optimous on FaceBook to get Average Joe updates and because ceiling cat says it's the right thing to do.
B.P.R.D. HELL ON EARTH: THE PICKENS COUNTRY HORROR #1
Writers: Mike Mignola and Scott AllieArt: Jason Latour, Dave Stewart (colors)
Publisher: Dark Horse
Reviewer: Henry Higgins is My Homeboy
To be honest? HELLBOY is one of my favourite series I rarely actually read. It’s one of the titles I always greatly enjoy reading (I maintain that HELLBOY: THE FURY was last years best mini), but it always finds itself falling through the cracks of my read list. And it makes no sense why it does that. It’s a thoroughly enjoyable universe, with stunning visuals and engrossing characters. The B.P.R.D. has continued on, and the latest entry in their “Hell On Earth” banner is a great example of why this universe is still going strong after so many years.
Writing: (4/5) This builds upon some of the past events from the B.P.R.D., while remaining completely accessible. There’s no real foreknowledge needed to come in, merely that “weird stuff is happening, people go to check it out”. To the credit of Mignola and Allie, they quickly and effortlessly make the story. It moves at a great clip, never getting lost or distracted. Not even the odd aside about vampire’s roles during the Boston Tea Party removes the urgency to the story. As the story jumps from plot point to new setting, it never seems to slow down at all.
By focusing on a pair of more grounded agents, the story gives what is in essence a particularly frightening mist a clear sense of threat. Vaughn and Peters are very quickly interesting and engaging, and the story never feels like it wastes time introducing and expanding on them. They grow naturally, and very quickly there’s a connection.
The vagueness of some of the elements can be distracting, and the speech from the vampire historian carries on a little too long, but it doesn’t detract from the issue too heavily.
Art: (4/5) HELLBOY titles have always had a certain majesty to the way they look, and Jason Latour and Dave Stewart continue that proud tradition. This issue looks fantastic. Each new scene actually feels like a new location, as opposed to simple room next to simple room. There’s a distinct world around them, which gives the story a very grounded feeling. This plays to the books strengths, and is consistently good.
Sometimes, it becomes utterly sublime--most notably when the children play with the frogs. It’s an incredibly calm scene, brilliantly coloured and wonderfully framed. Whenever a character finds themselves lost in the marshes listening to the croaks of the frogs, the art takes an incredible step up--which is all the more impressive, because the art most of the time is already quite good. The scenery is incredible, and looks as such throughout.
The issue only really falters when it calms everything down. Some of the faces lack definition or even features, and at other times they can appear lopsided or inconsistent. While it helps sell the atmosphere of the book, it can be distracting at times, and is the only thing that really removes one from the story.
Best Moment: The panel of Prussian Vampires slaughtering colonists.
Worst Moment: Some of the faces, though it does feel a little nit picky.
Overall: (4/5) A very entertaining comic, and easily one of the coolest looking ones in recent memory.
RUNNERS: THE BIG SNOW JOB VOL.2
Writer/Illustrator: Sean WangPublisher: runners.com
Reviewer: superhero
A long time ago (2007 to be precise) in a galaxy far, far away I discovered a fantastic little black and white graphic novel called RUNNERS. I gave it a really great review back then (which you can read by clicking here) and afterward I lost track of any follow up projects by the creator of the book, Sean Wang. Which is too bad because RUNNERS was one of the best indie books I’d ever read and it had a terrific amount of potential.
Well, it seems as if the RUNNERS saga has continued online and added color to its palette to boot! RUNNERS, for those not in the know, is an intergalactic adventure comic that deals with a rag-tag group of Han Solo-type smugglers as they traverse the spaceways. It’s a straightforward tale of classic space swashbuckling that’s rounded out with lovable and identifiable characters who just happen to be aliens. It is space opera comics the way you wish they were done all the time. RUNNERS is what I wish every issue of the LEGION OF SUPER HEROES was or every chapter of the Star Wars prequels had been like.
RUNNERS: THE BIG SNOW JOB finds the group without a Dhama, which in the RUNNERS ‘verse is the equivalent of having a big mob boss backing them and funding their operations. Without an official Dhama the RUNNERS find themselves having to scrounge around for whatever illicit smuggling jobs they can get. This obviously leaves them low on funds and desperate for any employment opportunities they can find. Enter a nefarious crime boss with a slightly innocuous, yet mysterious, job. Things go wrong, as they often do in stories like this, and the RUNNERS find themselves dueling with a group of drug runners on an arctic planet outgunned and with little hope of getting out of the predicament they’ve gotten themselves into.
Just as he did with RUNNERS: ODD JOBS, Sean Wang delivers an immensely entertaining space comic with RUNNERS: THE BIG SNOW JOB. Wang is a terrifically talented comic creator as he is not only able to write a great adventure tale but he is also able to illustrate and color it with a professionalism that even some of the big two’s creators can’t match. RUNNERS is a comic that stands head and shoulders above so many comics out there today because it is put together with such care that the talent behind it can’t be ignored. RUNNERS looks and reads like a mainstream comic, but it comes from a truly independent artist and that, as anyone who’s tried to create a comic on their own would know, is a more than impressive achievement. Sean Wang has wowed me again and if you give RUNNERS a chance I’m sure it will impress you too.
I know that sometime this year Wang is going to begin a Kickstarter campaign to drum up funds for a print version of this book. I hope he lets me know when this fundraising effort kicks off because I’ll be donating to his cause as soon as I get notice. I’ll be voting with my wallet and I can’t think of a higher recommendation coming from a cheapskate like me.
Discovered as a babe in an abandoned comic book storage box and bitten by a radioactive comic fan when he was a teenager, superhero is actually not-so mild mannered sometime designer & cartoonist, Kristian Horn of Los Angeles, California. Some of his work can be seen at www.kristianhorn.com and check out his blog at www.parttimefanboy.com. You can check also out his webcomics at www.babybadass.com and thediplomatics.com, which is currently in development.
SKULLKICKERS #13Image Comics
When I sit down and think of why I really enjoy this book, I always nudge it toward the “guilty pleasure” category, which I feel really undersells it. It’s probably because I just assume I’m the demographic this book seems to speak to--one of the first generations to grow up on video games and some of the more irreverent cartoon humor. But that is totally selling this book short, as exemplified with this particular issue with a “simple” plot of showing its Dynamic Duo stowing away on a female pirate ship as it sets up this new arc. Of course there’s some pretty over-the-top, slapstick humor bits as always, complete with some fourth wall commentary. But there is also some nice little thread tightening as Zub and Company build up the character of Elvish Warrior Kusia, nudge forward Baldy’s newfound ability to “hear” animals, and present an opportunity to divulge the history of the big man’s mysterious golden gun. While the humorous bits might not have shone through like they always do this time around, the material this book is building shows it is just move than very pretty pictures and geek-slanted gags. But those pictures are pretty damn pretty and the gags themselves would be enough to make this book worth a buy each month; the rest is ale on the cake. - Humphrey Lee
AMERICAN VAMPIRE #25DC Vertigo
I honestly never though one of my favorite new comic book characters would be a Greaser but here we are. The “final” showdown between Skinner Sweet and Travis comes to a head and looks to end in a typical fashion of villain has hero on the ropes but a clever, unforeseen trick later the hero is about to win the day. Which is exactly what happened, complete with a horrific, “memory lane” origin story that Travis regales Skinner (and the audience) with until the Vassals of the Morningstar show up and flip the script in a big way. This issue is a really nice capper to an arc that had been up to this point mostly an adrenaline rush. There’s still plenty of that to be had, of course, as Travis is a character that demands there always be action around him, but there are also plenty of overarching developments to pay the core of the book forward. It’s another sterling example of how well this book keeps itself character-centric while tending to its horror-meets-Americana landscape. - Humphrey Lee
FATALE #4Image Comics
God, this feels like blasphemy for me to even be typing, but I’m honestly just not really feeling this newest Brubaker/Phillips joint right now. Horrible, right? I kind of want to slap myself, maybe even see a brain doctor, but there it is. Thing is, I just can’t quite place my finger on what is veering me this way. I’m guessing what it is is kind of a disconnect with the characters, in that I really have not grown an attachment to any of them like I do in a CRIMINAL arc. Like, for now, all I see Hank Raines, the reporter pulled into this macabre web by Josephine, the dame that seems to center this story, as is just that: the standard schlub who gets drawn in by a pretty face. Now, Walt Booker, a dirty cop also drawn into a big mess by the same pretty face, is showing a bit more than that to me between his fight with cancer, a wartime past, and how he always seems to stumble upon the horrific elements of this book, which are interesting. If anything, I guess this one is impatience on my part after years of being conditioned to stories confined to “simple” arcs by this creative tandem that get in and tell the story and more onto the next set of characters. The groundwork here is good, I think I just need more fleshing out, and not in the dismembering way this book has been doing pretty regularly thus far. Trust me, I’m more than hoping the problem is just with me and I’m more than ready to eat my doubtful words as this arc wraps and a new one kicks up. - Humphrey Lee
SWEET TOOTH #32DC Vertigo
This issue had a lot of great material going for it. One was the main thrust of this issue and arc, and that’s Gus’ big “coming of age” moment as he removes himself from under Jepperd’s wing to confront Walter. It’s a big boost to a character that has been, basically, sniveling upon his and the book’s inception. What really rules about this issue, though? Jimmy “Fat Man” Jacobs and Jepperd, two men that seem destined to try and murder the hell out of each other, instead teaming up because they once actually beat the hell out of each other on the ice, playing hockey. They even don some skates to go to the rescue because, as Tommy says, “this is fucking awesome.” And it is, because hockey is fucking awesome and Jeff Lemire knows this. Also, there’s a pretty sad and heartfelt moment between Jepperd and Lucy in the wake of the Walter incident that, between these two plot arcs, really reminds us just how dangerous and shitty the world of SWEET TOOTH can be, as if we needed reminding. But, still, two hockey goons are now this book’s resident badasses, just in time for Stanley Cup playoffs, and that is the absolute shit right there. Go Pens! - Humphrey Lee
Proofs, co-edits & common sense provided by Sleazy G
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