#comicsense

Rick and Morty #4

Publisher: Oni Press

Writer: Zac Gorman

Artist/Cover Artist: CJ Cannon

Price: $3.99

If you’re a fan of the Rick and Morty TV show, you will be a fan of this comic. Rick is as disgusting and burpy as ever and Morty is just trying to make him happy while attempting to keep the chaos levels at a minimum (and failing miserably). There are, of course, aliens in this comic who are fed up with Rick’s shenanigans. Rick and Morty is irreverent and enjoyable. It fits well with the feel of the show.

Book of Death: The Fall of Bloodshot #1

Publisher: Valiant

Writer: Jeff Lemire

Artist: Doug Braithwaite

Cover Artist: Rafael Sandoval

Price: $3.99

So this book has Bloodshot as a pirate, Bloodshot with a beard, Bloodshot eating a polar bear, and Bloodshot fighting a dinosaur. Yeah. It’s that awesome. It’s kind of a depressing look back on his life and how alone he’s been and how death is approaching, but I suppose in a book called Book of Death, that’s to be expected. Although it was a bit of a downer, I enjoyed reading this book and it’s one of the only ‘event’ series I’m willing to follow. The art is absolutely stunning and there is a ship that looks like The Millennium Falcon.

Infinite Loop #4

Publisher: IDW Publishing

Writer: Pierrick Colinet

Artist/Cover Artist: Elsa Charretier

Price: $3.99

Okay, this book is crazy!! In a good way, I think. There are so many different time streams and different versions of one person and whoah. The story and art work together to form a mind bending experience that I’m really not quite sure I entirely follow, but I’m still super interested and intrigued. I also like that Teddy’s mom was spouting 1984 quotes every which way.

Wolf #1

Publisher: Image

Writer: Ales Kot

Artist/Cover Artist: Matt Taylor

Price: $4.99

Dirk Gently #2

Publisher: IDW Publishing

Writer: Chris Ryall

Artist/Cover Artist: Tony Atkins

Price: $3.99

So I read the first Dirk Gently issue before I had read either of the Dirk Gently novels. I liked the comic and found it entertaining. However, I’ve recently read Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency and I’m halfway through The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul. There is something about Douglas Adam’s humor, wit, and timing that simply cannot be replicated. This new comic series is a cute and interesting story, but it doesn’t feel like Dirk Gently. I am happy to see that he now has his weird maroon hat in this issue, as he should.

Starve #2

Publisher: Image

Writer: Brian Wood

Artists/Cover Artists: Danijel Zezelj and Dave Stewart

Price: $3.50

I am still so all about the art in this book. Starve is Hunger Games and Top Chef mixed into one and it makes for a savory pairing (hehe, see what I did there?). As the book comments on our wasteful society, it also explores familial relationships, friendships, and the use of entertainment as a means of ignoring prevalent real life issues and flaunting the ability not to care. The graffiti-esque nature of the art intensifies the bleakness and suffering of much of earth’s population at this time. Starve is thought provoking, engaging, gritty, and stunning.

Invader Zim #1

Publisher: Oni Press

Writer: Jhonen Vasquez

Artists: Aaron Alexovich and Various

Cover Artist: Aaron Alexovich

Price: $3.99

Boy, does this book bring me back. I remember sitting in my friend’s porch, watching Invader Zim for the first time and going, ‘What is this silliness?? I’ve never seen anything like it! It’s so goofy and wonderful!’ (My family didn’t watch much TV, as you can maybe tell). It’s great to see that loveably and incompetently evil green guy back in action! I’ve probably mentioned this before, but I really don’t like oozy, gross things, which is why I don’t watch shows like Rick and Morty or Spongebob. Because of this, there were several panels in this issue that I had to avert my eyes from and maybe cover up a little bit with my hand, but Gir is just so adorable, he makes up for it. And most people don’t have weird squeamish things for no reason like I do, so I don’t think grimy, revolting Dib will be a problem for most people! This is a fun first issue and I think it will make many Invader Zim fans very happy.

The Tomorrows #1

Publisher: Dark Horse

Writer: Curt Pires

Artist: Jason Copland

Cover Artists: Jason Copland and Dylan Todd

Price: $3.99

So. First, I really like the color scheme in the book. It’s cool and pastel-y and vibrant. I also really like that their computer is Andy Warhol. I want to know if it’s actually his consciousness in their somehow or if it’s just programmed to be like him. (I’m sure it’s the latter, but a girl can dream, right?) Reading this book felt a lot like reading The Surface. Maybe I’ve just been reading too many comics recently, or more specifically, too many comics in one genre, but The Tomorrows felt like just another dystopian future with a band of cool rapscallions who are going to bring down the government. There was nothing wrong with it and it was an enjoyable read, but it felt a little bit stale. With a storyline that has been tackled so many times, I needed something to really set this story apart from all of the other Big Brother, Mega-City One type narratives. I’m holding on to my optimism for this series and will read the second issue in the hopes that it will change my mind for the better!

Negative Space #1

Publisher: Dark Horse Comics

Writer: Ryan Lindsay

Artist/Cover Artist: Owen Gieni

Price: $3.99

Negative Space did the opposite of The Tomorrows. It took the idea of constantly being watched and exploited in a direction I’ve never seen it go before. I’m honestly not quite sure where exactly it’s going still, but I certainly know that I’m enjoying the journey. I’m writing this review having not read any synopsi of the comic before reading this issue because it looked cool and I wanted it to see where it would take me. I was very pleasantly surprised and a little unsettled as I read, which is a nice way to feel. I like when books take me off guard and I want you to be able to experience this feeling as well so I won’t tell you too much about the plot of Negative Space. As a person who understands the burden of being extremely empathetic, this issue struck a chord with me. Owen Gieni’s detailed and full art brings this story to life with passion and depth. If you’re looking for a new series to try out, I fully recommend this number one!

D4ve #1

Publisher: IDW Publishing

Writer: Ryan Ferrier

Artist: Valentin Ramon

Cover Artist: Fiona Staples

Price: $3.99

All I can think of when I see D4ve’s office at the beginning of this issue is Joe vs. the Volcano and that is certainly not a bad thing. D4ve is our futuristic Tom Hanks stuck in a life of robot monotony. The best part about D4ve #1 is that it’s a typical midlife crisis story, but the fact that it’s about a robot makes it a jillion times more interesting, heart-warming, and unique. The idea that robots have taken over the world and wiped out humanity, but then have simply fallen into the humanistic patterns they were working to eradicate is hilarious and a little sad. Also the robots for some reason have decided that wearing clothes is a necessity now. I’m not complaining because there’s nothing cuter than a one-eyed robot wearing a green hoodie with the hood up. D4ve is charming, but also provokes a good amount of introspection and life contemplation. It makes me want to start talking in robot speak. For example dreams are night-cycles, sleeping is recharging, and milk is oil. Parades are still parades though and robots love them! I’m really enjoying the vibe I get from this comic. Read it!!

Criminal: Special Edition

Publisher: Image Comics

Writer: Ed Brubaker

Artists: Sean Phillips and Elizabeth Breitweiser

Cover Artist: Sean Phillips

Price: $4.99

Criminal is back! And not only is it back, but it’s back with a comic within a comic and I am all about that. In this Criminal: Special Edition Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips celebrate the return of Criminal with a 48 page one-shot. The main character, Teeg Lawless (haha his last name is Lawless and he’s in trouble with the law) is in jail and only has the comic book Zangar, The Savage to keep him company. When the other inmates start becoming less than amiable, Lawless uses the rolled up comic as a shiv (wut.) and successfully gouges a dudes eye out with it (double wut??). Criminal has all of the violence, poor parenting, and intrigue that you would expect from a comic called Criminal that’s set in the 70’s and I kind of love it. The interspersing of pages from Zangar with Lawless’ struggle to survive jail and figure out who his enemies are is a great narrative technique that gives us a little insight into Lawless’ actions. For those who grew up on Criminal and those who are just reading it for the first time, Criminal: Special Edition is worth picking up.

Curb Stomp #1

Publisher: Boom! Studios

Writer: Ryan Ferrier

Artist: Devaki Neogi

Cover Artist: Tula Lotay

Price: $3.99

This comic is everything. It’s The Outsiders, meets West Side Story, meets a group of hella rad ladies, meets a roller derby. Curb Stomp shows the bonds of friendship and family in an intensely visceral way that questions the lengths people will go to save the ones they love. After reading Curb Stomp I was a weird combination of emotional and wanting to dye my hair purple (hey Starbucks, can we pretend purple is a natural hair color if I saw it in a comic?). I know I talk about coloring a lot, but the coloring is just !!!! so good. The vivid pinks, purples, and teals add to the message of striking balance between wanting to spend time with friends and having to make difficult decisions to keep a community safe. The women in this book are strong and well developed and I already feel like I could be friends with all five of them. Read Curb Stomp! For the art, for the characters, for the story, for the colors, for everything! Read it!

Zombies vs. Robots #2

Publisher: IDW Publishing

Writers: Chris Ryall and Steven Niles

Artists: Anthony Diecidue and Val Mayerik

Cover Artist: Ashley Wood

Price: $3.99

Okay, so. I reviewed Zombies vs. Robots #1 when it first came out and I was totally in love with the concept, but not so much in love with the execution of the first issue. There was a lot of back information and, you know, I have a bit of trouble connecting with hunks of programmed metal and lumbering rotting corpses. However, I did not give up hope because I so wanted the second issue to grab me a bit more and guess what! It did! There’s this one panel where a robot is shooting zombies and yelling at them and the combination of art and dialogue makes me want to blow it up to ginormous proportions and frame it on my wall. Zombies vs. Robots #2 provides us with characters to connect with as humans who have been in cryo-sleep on a space station are woken up and prepare to return to earth and one of the robots left to fight zombies has had some wiring issues or some sort of malfunction that is making it shout like an angry human. In all honesty though, what I’m most excited about are the two short stories at the end in Tales of ZVR. They pick up where they left off in the first issue and they are wonderful. Last month we had the incredibly descriptive onomatopoeia, “windy sound” and this month we have, “That windy sound is still being heard! Small twigs breaking sound!” Even with very different artistic styles, these two short stories are both full of heart and robots, including a little robot who says “meep”. The main story is better and the short stories continue to be great, so I stick with my earlier assertion that Zombies vs. Robots is a series to keep your eye on!

They’re Not Like Us #3

Publisher: Image Comics

Writer: Eric Stephenson

Artist/ Cover Artist: Simon Gane

Price: $2.99

They’re Not Like Us is like the X-Men with no morals. Like, exactly like that. A bunch of youth with powers are in a mansion with one older guy who is the leader, but instead of using their powers for good, they use them for revenge and stealing things. It makes me feel squirmy and grimy when I read it because I’m enjoying it, but I know that these people are awful! It’s an interesting comment on what would happen if people with powers didn’t use them for good, but also didn’t necessarily use them to be villains either. While the actions of the characters in They’re Not Like Us are totally wiggedy wack and not cool, they’ve built up their own system of justification that leads them to believe they are following the correct path. I’m still on the fence about this comic, but I’m not going to lie, I couldn’t put it down while I was reading it.

Mister X: Razed #1

Publisher: Dark Horse Comics

Writer/ Artist: Dean R. Motter

Cover Artist: Ty Templeton

Price: $3.99

Great story: check. Great color scheme: check. Robots: check. Mister X: Razed was so refreshing to read and has all the makings of a phenomenal comic. The story was a straight forward mystery that ended spectacularly. The ending took me off guard in a really positive way, which I announced to everyone sitting near me in the coffee shop. Every week there is one comic that particularly stands out to me and this week Mister X: Razed was it. It has all the charisma of a Nancy Drew story and art straight out of the 50’s. If you read nothing else this week, read Mister X: Razed! Put it at the top of your list.

Casanova: Acedia #1

Publisher: Image

Writers: Matt Fraction and Michael Chabon

Artists: Fabio Moon and Gabriel Ba

Cover Artists: Fabio Moon and Gabriel Ba

Price: $3.99

Jay Gatsby, James Bond, and Sam Winchester walk into a bar, play darts with Matt Fraction and Fabio Moon, and give Fraction and Fabio the inspiration they need to create Casanova: Acedia #1(and not just because Sam Winchester’s hair looks like Casanova’s, I promise). First of all, the art in this comic is amazing. The line drawing and limited color palate remind of a Dr. Suess book, but with more blood and less learning. Secondly, the story is intriguing as Quentin Casanova has no memory of who he is or why he knows the things he knows. This also means that if you’ve never read any Casanova comics before, there’s no need to worry because the title character has just as little clue to what’s going on as you do. My favorite part of this comic is the narration style as it switches seamlessly between an objective narrator and Casanova’s thoughts throughout the issue. Full of mystery, luxury, and hints of the occult, Casanova: Acedia #1 is definitely worth picking up this Wednesday.

Colder: The Bad Seed #4

Publisher: Dark Horse

Writer: Paul Tobin

Artist: Juan Ferreyra

Cover Artist: Juan Ferreyra

Price: $3.99

Okay, so. This comic is TERRIFYING. It’s very good and phenomenally well done, but also terrifying. Like waking nightmare, hiding under blankets, wanting to take a shower, but being too scared level of terrifying. Now I know what you’re thinking, “But Julia! You should know this by now!” “It’s a horror comic, what do you expect?” I know!! But that doesn’t stop it from giving me the heebitie jeebities, which are twelve times more intense than your run of the mill heebie jeebies. Seeing as the point of Colder: The Bad Seed is to continue Colder’s legacy of being mind-bendingly eerie and crossing between the worlds of sanity and insanity, than I’d say this comic is definitely doing its job. Just don’t be surprised if you end up being incredibly aware of the existence of your fingers after you read it.

Creature Cops: Special Varmint Unit #1

Publisher: IDW

Writer: Rob Anderson

Penciler: Fernando Melek, Inker: Novo Malgapo, Colorist: Juan Romera, Letterer: E.T. Dollman

Cover Artist: Leandro Panganiban, Cover Colorist: Kevin Volo

Price: $3.99

Creature Cops takes place in a world that would be heaven for Napoleon Dynamite. Forget ligers, there are animal splices that he couldn’t even have imagined: gator-snakes, panda dogs, horned mastiffs, and many more. Animal control has become federalized and the employees of the Special Varmint Unit must work around the clock to keep up with the creatures invading the city. This classic police drama style story is suspenseful and mysterious and left me eagerly awaiting the next two parts of this three part mini-series so I can find out why on earth someone has decided to breed giant rats and griffins.

Bitch Planet #2

Publisher: Image

Writer: Kelly Sue DeConnick

Artist: Valentine De Landro

Cover Artist: Valentine De Landro

Price: $3.50

Bitch Planet is everything I want from a comic. With so many dystopian future stories flooding all forms of media right now, it’s incredibly refreshing to read one that does not involve a forced love triangle between three characters who are essentially walking literary allegories. The characters inBitch Planet are representations of . . . wait for it. . . people. Astounding, right? We’re only two issues in and I can already say with 100% certainty that a conversation with Penny Rolle or Kamau Kogo would be infinitely more interesting than talking to Katniss Everdeen or Tris Prior. Not only that, but Bitch Planet does not hesitate to make a clear statement about its intentions. This is a feminist comic and it is proud of it. Bitch Planet tackles heavy subject matter without watering it down and expands on the issues it presents in essays at the back of each comic, which are informative without shaming or guilt tripping anyone for having a different perspective.  It is hard to find media that is both well written and well spoken, but Bitch Planet’s kick-ass futuristic story and captivating characters provide exactly that. If you are a woman, have known a woman, and/or if you are able to read, pick up Bitch Planet #2 this Wednesday!

Munchkin #1

Publisher: Boom! Studios

Writers: Tom Siddell, Jim Zub, and John Kovalic

Artists: Mike Holmes, Rian Sygh, and John Kovalic

Letterer: Jim Campbell

Cover Artists: Ian McGinty, Tyler Jenkins, Shelli Paroline, and Braden Lamb

Price: $3.99

Munchkin #1 takes all of the charm and sass of the Munchkin card game and puts it into three delightful short stories centered around the Munchkin universe. While all of them are great, I especially loved the second story in this issue, ‘Humans Got No Class’. It played off the idea that this card game, and role playing games in general, can be subjective and ridiculous, but are ultimately awesome and worthwhile uses of the imagination. I really enjoy when a product is tactfully able to make fun of itself, which is basically what this entire comic is in the best way possible. Munchkin #1 is tons of fun and a very enjoyable read, so read it!

Groo: Friends and Foes #1

Publisher: Dark Horse Comics

Writer: Mark Evanier, Artist: Sergio Aragonés, Colorist: Tom Luth, Cover Artist: Sergio Aragonés

Price: $3.99

Reading Groo was reminiscent of sipping coffee on a Sunday morning and perusing the funny pages. Groo, the bumbling goober, is back in another swashbuckling adventure. As he sets sail again, he can’t even manage to make mistakes the way people expect, much to the chagrin of Captain Ahax and anyone else Groo encounters.  The cartoonish art style fits perfectly with the lighthearted fun and enduring characters of the story. With his faithful pooch at his side, Groo battles pirates and leaves chaos in his wake. If you’re looking for an entertaining, feel good read with a heavy dose of nostalgia, pick up Groo: Friends and Foes #1 this week!

Reyn #1

Publisher: Image Comics

Writer: Kel Symons, Artist: Nathan Stockman

Price: $2.99

Scraggly trees and a massive spider erupting from the ground in the first few pages of Reyn gave me high hopes that this series would be a Lord of the Rings-esque fantasy epic. While I wasn’t wrong, I soon realized that Reyn held on to all of my least favorite fantasy tropes and did not do much to expand or innovate within the genre. This issue introduces a typical hunky hero, Reyn, who fights off monsters, swings a sword around a lot, and talks to himself. My first indication that this series was not going to live up to my expectations was when a local farmer attempts to use his daughter and her excessive boobage as an object of persuasion while trying to convince Reyn to become the village protector. My hopes rose again as the female lead, Seph, was introduced. Seph is strong, has occult powers, and is wearing shoes that look like Spider-Gwen’s (+5 Charisma for awesome lady footwear matching). However, as often happens to the eternal optimist, I was again let down as Reyn refers to Seph using the dreaded double d word, ‘damsel in distress’. While Reyn had the potential to be a great new fantasy adventure, I’d suggest waiting to read it until the first trade shows up in your local library. Oh also, the villains are giant lizards who look like ninja turtles, so there’s that.

Lumberjanes #10

Publisher: BOOM! Box

Writers: Noelle Stevenson and Shannon Watters, Artist: Carolyn Nowak, Cover Artists: Carolyn Nowak and Kat Leyh

Price: $3.99

If you haven’t read Lumberjanes before, now is a great time to start! Lumberjanes #10 is the beginning of a new story arc so it’s the perfect place to jump on in. If you have read Lumberjanesbefore, keep reading because #10 does not disappoint. Dinosaurs, bear women, and three-eyed foxes, oh my! This series follows the summer shenanigans of a group of hardcore lady types attending camp. It’s not an ordinary summer camp, however, as the girls are constantly faced with bizarre and supernatural creatures and must use their smarts and the power of their friendship to overcome each strange occurrence. What really sets this series apart is the incredible character development of the main ladies. From April’s feminine strength to Ripley’s unapologetic enthusiasm, all of the girls have their own distinct personality, not dependent on their gender or any other stereotypes. Reading Lumberjanes feels like hanging out with a group of close friends and in #10 the adventure continues, so pick it up!

Burning Fields #1

Publisher: BOOM! Studios

Writers: Michael Moreci and Tim Daniel, Artist: Colin Lorimer, Cover Artists: Colin Lorimer, Trevor Hairsine, and Riley Rossmo

Price: $3.99

This intense horror comic combines the political drama of the Middle East with mysterious deaths and disappearances in a grotesquely fascinating first issue. The comic’s gritty realistic style is reminiscent of Greg Rucka’s Queen and Country. It follows investigators looking into the deaths of American workers whose bodies have appeared at an oilfield in Kirkuk, Iraq. The deaths are surrounded by controversy as the investigators clash with each other over past differences and strange marks are found on the corpses. Warning: there is some pretty gruesome art work in this comic, so if you’re squeamish you may want to give it a pass or at least read it with your fingers over your eyes so you can close them if things get too gross. Burning Fields is a great read and if you’re a fan of realistic, political, and/or supernatural mysteries, definitely give it a try!

Zombies vs Robots #1

Publisher: IDW Publishing

Writers: Chris Ryall and Steve Niles, Artists: Anthony Diecidue and Various, Cover Artist: Ashley Wood

Price: $3.99

Zombies and robots fighting each other, need I say more? Let’s just say I was really excited to read this issue and I’m still pretty pumped about this series as a whole. The beautifully detailed art makes the post-apocalyptic world and oozing zombie flesh oddly gorgeous and serene. My one major frustration with this issue was the overabundance of exposition that the robots spewed out in every panel. I understand that the first comic of a series necessitates some background information, but a comic that is entirely explanation and nothing else gets to be a bit of a drag, especially when all of this exposition is told by a long winded bot who uses the words ‘whom’ and ‘coalesce’ properly. As Elvis would say, “a little less conversation, a little more action please”. Despite all of this, I have not lost hope for Zombies vs Robots as a series. The idea of a post nuclear fallout earth with no humans in existence is intriguing, so if you can get through the dense back story, I’d give Zombies vs Robots a chance. Along with this, the two additional stories, Tales of ZVRand The Orphan, which follow Zombies vs Robots in this issue are phenomenal and incredibly drawn.