"Cut and Run" by Peter David & Greg Land - Elektra is contracted by Patch to defend a pregnant woman from an impending hit, leading to a bloody fight "Cut and Run" by Peter David & Greg Land - Elektra is contracted by Patch to defend a pregnant woman from an impending hit, leading to a bloody fight between two skilled assassins. Not much to this story, but I unexpectedly found myself enjoying Land's artwork.
"Verité" by Al Ewing & Rod Reis - A witness testifying against Wilson Fisk was brutally killed, but the video surveillance footage seems to obscure the killer. Who could possibly have slashed the witnesses throat in under 24 frames per minute? I really liked this one - very creative.
"Yokai" by Greg Smallwood - A wordless Elektra adventure with her taking on a demonic entity and helping out a little girl, all rendered in Smallwood's elegant artistic style. The strongest piece yet, and caps this really great anthology issue of Elektra stories....more
Mostly just articles and essays on the evolution of more non-mainstream comics, which for Monte Beauchamp is primarily EC Comics and the '60s-'70s undMostly just articles and essays on the evolution of more non-mainstream comics, which for Monte Beauchamp is primarily EC Comics and the '60s-'70s underground comix movement along with some exploration of the '80s black-and-white explosion and the '90s wave of alternative comics. Beauchamp also brings in some heavy-hitters like Alan Moore, Gary Panter, Charles Burns, Hunt Emerson, Carol Lay and more to contribute their own perspectives. BLAB! does continue to be light on actually including comics, but there are a few pieces in here with Dan Clowes' and Kim Deitch's pieces being some clear standouts. There isn't too much more to add here outside of that, so really pick this up if you're interested in comics history more than just for the names contributing here....more
Not quite as impactful as later volumes would be, the initial few entries in Sammy Harkham's Kramers Ergot demonstrate a few growing pains in the deliNot quite as impactful as later volumes would be, the initial few entries in Sammy Harkham's Kramers Ergot demonstrate a few growing pains in the delivery of a quality comics anthology. That isn't to say that Kramers Ergot #1 isn't good - it's perfectly acceptable and delivers on some decent pieces throughout. It is clear though that once some variety in pieces and bigger names begin to pass through that this series really takes off.
This first volume only has a small handful of names: Sammy Harkham, Justin Howe, David Brook, and Luke Quigley, with Harkham himself taking on the bulk of the pages. Harkham's own cartooning prowess is more raw here, with his style very evocative of Al Columbia both from the linework to the types of stories being told. While there are decent strips in here, most are unfortunately quite forgettable pieces....more
"Legends" by Lee Garbett- A quaint little retelling of the TMNT history in the form of a fable/folktale interspersed witStories in this issue include:
"Legends" by Lee Garbett- A quaint little retelling of the TMNT history in the form of a fable/folktale interspersed with some Japanese mythology. Definitely one of the stronger stories in this series yet.
"Shredder Gets Caught on Things" by Chris Condon & Carson Thorn - This was a fun gag story about the various defeats of the Shredder in the silliest ways, but the best thing about this story is Thorn's ability to replicate various art styles from various iterations of the Turtles (original Eastman & Laird series, '80s animated series, '03 animated series, etc.).
"Does This Android Dream of Electric Sheep" by Jeremy Holt & Sebastián Píriz - A bit more melancholic of a tale as an android Turtle deals with his circumstances but gets by from the support of his brothers. Wasn't the biggest fan of the artwork on this one, but it does have a suitable aesthetic for the type of story being told.
"The Book of Splinter" by Patrick Gleason - A pretty brief story over just a few pages centered on Splinter's perspective but given the rendition of a fighting video game appearance. Didn't quite come together for me....more
"The Beast That Bleeds Green" by Jock & Dom Reardon - The Turtles hunt something bleeding green mutagen blood through the sewer Stories in this issue:
"The Beast That Bleeds Green" by Jock & Dom Reardon - The Turtles hunt something bleeding green mutagen blood through the sewer only to find themselves trapped. A supremely short tale that doesn't really get anywhere, but I quite liked the scratchy and ragged linework - gave the story a very underground comix look to it.
"Sin Sewer" by Dave Wielgosz & Riley Rossmo - A fun spoof of Frank Miller's Sin City, Rossmo hits all the visual beats necessary of the classic crime noir comic and the inner monologue was also done well.
"Miami Vacation" by Alexis Zirritt & Carlos Giffoni - The artist from Space Riders does TMNT, and it was Zirritt's name that caught my eye the most when scanning the opening page of this issue. A fun little story for sure, but I do think Zirritt's immaculate use of color isn't on display for a story that is only reliant on greens.
"Green Means Go" by Cameron Chittock & Michael Shelfer -April and the Turtles get into a little bit of road rage with Baxter Stockman. Not much to this one, but the art is nice....more
Red Dawn by Charles Soule & Mark Bagley - A quick fable that pits Elektra against some vampires that leads to a tragic ending. Some pretty classic BagRed Dawn by Charles Soule & Mark Bagley - A quick fable that pits Elektra against some vampires that leads to a tragic ending. Some pretty classic Bagley designs here that look pretty nice in the subdued black & white style.
Not the Devil by Leonardo Romero - For organized crime, there are worse things to encounter in Hell's Kitchen than Daredevil. As Elektra takes on a local outfit with the most violent of means, she encounters what seems to be a reminder of her own childhood amidst criminal elements. A solid story from Romero, but I didn't quite connect with his artwork the way I usually do.
The Crimson Path by Declan Shalvey & Simone D'Armini - Elektra's vengeance only leads down one path - the Crimson Path. Kind of an esoteric story centered on Elektra fighting some demons that represent her own personal demons. It's a bit trite I would say, but not bad either.
Overall a solid first issue that does cut right into the most critical elements of Elektra's character....more
A phenomenal second issue now includes the likes of Spain Rodriguez, Richard Sala and David Mazzucchelli, all three of whom have iconic pieces. MazzucA phenomenal second issue now includes the likes of Spain Rodriguez, Richard Sala and David Mazzucchelli, all three of whom have iconic pieces. Mazzucchelli's "Stop the Hair Nude" is distinct from his other works as it takes on a more manga influence and follows one man's obsession with pubic hair. Mack White's "Homunculus" is another highlight here as well.
Stories included in Zero Zero #2: - "Trashman" by Spain (as Algernon Backwash) - "The Chuckling Whatsit: Chapter 1" by Richard Sala - "Homunculus: 'His Origin'" by Mack White - "Centerpiece" by Glenn Head - "ヘアヌードはやめろ" by David Mazzucchelli - "New Adventures of Jesus: 'Up the River'" by Frank Stack - "View from the Bridge" by David Collier - "Car-Boy in 'Curse of the Car Killers'" by Max Andersson - Front cover by Richard Sala, back cover by Wayno and front inside cover piece by Mats...more
Zero Zero was a comics anthology from Fantagraphics that ran for 27 issues. Packed with pieces from the great independent artists of their time, many Zero Zero was a comics anthology from Fantagraphics that ran for 27 issues. Packed with pieces from the great independent artists of their time, many of the stories published in Zero Zero have strong standing within the medium despite being obscured in this relatively less known series. A lot of work was serialized here, with this issue beginning multi-issue arcs from Ted Stearn and Frank Stack to name a few. In this opening issue, some major highlights include Mary Fleener's short one-page strip, Collier's charming piece on the impact of nostalgia on humanity, and Holzman's woodcut piece (my personal favorite of the bunch).
Stories included in Zero Zero #1: - "Nostalgia in the Late 20th Century" by David Collier - "Fuzz & Pluck" by Ted Stearn - "The Sea Wolf by Jack London" by Mary Fleener - "Over the Hill with Jesus" by Frank Stack - "The Great Disease" by Henriette Valium - Untitled piece from Michael Dougan and the Deitch brothers - "In the Subway" by Max Andersson - "The Man with the Big Head" by David N. Holzman - "They Rolled the Whole Bed Out of There" by Charles Bukowski & Pat Moriarity - "Mark's Friend, Woody" by Mike Diana - Front cover art by Gary Panter, and back cover art by Glenn Head. Inside cover piece by J.R. Williams...more
Where the first two Mould Maps were gloriously sized artistic showcases of some powerhouse talents in the industry, editors Hugh Frost and Leon SadlerWhere the first two Mould Maps were gloriously sized artistic showcases of some powerhouse talents in the industry, editors Hugh Frost and Leon Sadler sought to provide an avenue for more longer form pieces for deeper stories to set in. And just as the seminal comics anthology Kramers Ergot took a leap in quality with Kramers Ergot Four,Mould Map 3 serves as a distinct step up in quality. Frost described the theme of the third volume as being "trans-hopeless", defined as the feeling of being "trapped in power structures that we have little to no control over". The longer format provides the multitude of cartoonists here with more grazing room, and every single contributor jumps at making this one of the greatest single comics anthology ever compiled.
Most entries in Mould Map 3 deliver some fantastic stories within their half dozen or so page counts, with some pieces (like Yuichi Yokoyama, Dmitri Sergeev and Aidan Koch) having small booklet inserts for their pages similar to Spiegelman's Maus in Raw. Lando's esoteric sci-fi piece gets the longest page count at 13, but even with the varying page counts, artists make their durations count to the fullest. Some contributions were a genuine surprise by how great they were, in particular Joseph P. Kelly's (an unknown artist to me) wordless comic about a violent revolution and a rare non-Megg, Mogg & Owl comic from Simon Hanselmann were truly excellent comics. Olivier Schrauwen's talents are much more well-established for me, and included here is a fairly familiar storytelling beat featuring yet another member of his fictitious family named Armand Schrauwen. This might have been the best individual piece in the entire collection.
I'm re-reading this for who knows how many times since its initial release a decade ago, and Mould Map 3 still remains unparalleled in its ability to showcase some of the best names in the industry. For me, it's been great going back to this to see just how many names are on here that went on to deliver some truly great classic comics throughout the late 2010s/early 2020s....more
Nobrow #5 is subtitled, "A Few of My Favorite Things", which is yet another very loose prompt for the thirty contributors to this volume. The last in Nobrow #5 is subtitled, "A Few of My Favorite Things", which is yet another very loose prompt for the thirty contributors to this volume. The last in its format, this issue of the Nobrow anthology goes all out with respect to the spot colors, with each piece and vibrant as the next. Though the prompt is loosely defined, structuring is prevalent in the artwork as many artists choose to repeat patterns across their allotted page. The final product is a collection of truly vibrant and beautiful compositions that are inspiring for any artists hoping to understand the use of blocking and color in their own works....more
"Night & Day" serves as the governing theme for the fourth issue of the Nobrow anthology, with contributions from a great many artists. The theme does"Night & Day" serves as the governing theme for the fourth issue of the Nobrow anthology, with contributions from a great many artists. The theme does feel just as unclear as the previous one, "Topsy Turvy", but there are some pretty great pieces included in here. Favorites include Mark Long's, Isabel Greenberg's and Katie Brookes' contributions, though in each case I kind of struggle to connect the theme to the artwork....more
MAD is a humor publication edited by Harvey Kurtzman that initially started as a comic book before changing to the magazine format after the 23rd issuMAD is a humor publication edited by Harvey Kurtzman that initially started as a comic book before changing to the magazine format after the 23rd issue. Notable for its satirical tone, MAD served as an outlet for Kurtzman and other contributors to lampoon popular culture and current events. As the last surviving line from EC Comics, a lot of the early MAD comic strips serve as gags that parody the typical genre fiction styles found in older EC publications. Horror, war, sci-fi and crime comics were the prevailing works out of EC, and Kurtzman had to give it his best in terms of parodying each genre.
Kurtzman writes every story in this first issue, while artwork is provided by Jack Davis (Hoohah!, Wally Wood (Blobs!), Will Elder (Ganefs!) and John Severin (Varmint!). The stories aren't necessarily the most memorable but each one is sharply drawn and a breezy read. Elder's Ganefs! featuring two polar opposite criminals and some snappy Kurtzman dialogue was the best story of the bunch, and the type that feels most reflective of the tone that MAD is best known for....more
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Black, White, and Green is a new anthology series that features short stories from a variety of comic creators deliveredTeenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Black, White, and Green is a new anthology series that features short stories from a variety of comic creators delivered in black-and-white with the occasional splashes of green. Stories collected in this issue include:
"Buddycount" by Gavin Smith - A titular homage to Kevin Eastman's and Simon Bisley's Bodycount, this story pairs up Casey Jones and Mikey delivering vigilante justice to a bunch of street hoodlums known as the "Viper Boys". While it doesn't have the true weirdness of Bodycount, Gavin Smith's artwork is still stellar and the use of green is quite spectacular here.
"If By Feast or Famine" by Tyler Boss - Mikey does his best Rorschach from Watchmen impression as he dons a trenchcoat and acts moody. I'm a fan of Tyler Boss' work, but this one didn't do much for me.
"The Green Dogū" by Javier Rodriguez - A strange totem that imbues hypnotic persuasion on its targets is used by April to negate the Shredder's assault on the Turtles. Silly and funny, but mostly silly. I do think Javier Rodriguez does rely a bit more on the psychedelic colors in his comics since this one doesn't really pop like his work on Defenders does.
"Deadly Delivery" by Mikey Way & Nikola Čižmešija - A urban myth of an entity known as "Pizza Face" threatens the Turtles' happiness. Even sillier than the previous story, and less fun too.
Overall, this issue was a bit of a step up from the much weaker first issue, and I'd attribute the improvement to having more single artist written and drawn stories. A few short pages per story can't really be done all that well by committee. Allowing one person to take the reins allows for creativity amidst the brevity....more
In the sprawling landscape of the comics medium, oddities and fringe works exist and often fly under the radar. In 2009, at least one such occurrence In the sprawling landscape of the comics medium, oddities and fringe works exist and often fly under the radar. In 2009, at least one such occurrence was to be found. I can't imagine there is a substantial crossover in the readership of comics adapting The Simpsons and that of alt comix anthologies, but for just one issue of Bongo Comics' Treehouse of Horror series, guest-editor Sammy Harkham joins on to deliver one of the strangest issues yet. Known for his eclectic comics anthology Kramers Ergot, Harkham assembles a stacked cast of alternate cartoonists including names like Tim Hensley, Jordan Crane, Kevin Huizenga, Jeffrey Brown and C.F. Each would go on to sign off each story as "Matt Groening", but a handy table of contents helps to sort out the true credits. It must have been bizarre for the regular readership of Treehouse of Horror, but a small contingent of comics readers must have been blown away by this issue.
Though most of these names have contributed to much better stories, it's clear the various creators really jumped into the deep end and gave it their best shot. Thurber and Huizenga craft their own version of Lovecraft's Cthulhu mythos with "Call of Vegulu", and Hensley's and Crane's one-page stories are economical and tremendously illustrated. But the best story here is Jeffrey Brown's "Bad Milhouse" where Milhouse is complicit in the evil acts of murder and copyright violation.
Fans of Kramers Ergot will really appreciate this issue for being a fun little in-joke that a bunch of alt cartoonists got their chance to shine on a fairly mainstream comics title....more
š! #18 applies the theme of "Poetry" for this anthology of short comics. It works well as comics designed for anthologies tend to require succinctnessš! #18 applies the theme of "Poetry" for this anthology of short comics. It works well as comics designed for anthologies tend to require succinctness, and utilizing the ethereal nature of poetic prose allows for loosely structured visual narratives. This issue of š! is one of my favorites since it seems most contributors really understood the assignment. Some favorites in this issue include Lote Vilma Vītiņa's and Kārlis Vērdiņš' "Icebreakers", Dunja Janković's "Effects" and Theo Ellsworth's "Psychedelic Poetry Hour".
But the two mains standouts were "Spring Waters" by Nicolas Zouliamis and "Perils" by Evie Chair. "Spring Waters" is inspired by Vilhelms Purvītis's painting of the same name as it cultivates a hallucinogenic narrative about a camping trip that is incredibly visually striking. "Perils" is a silent piece about a girl getting ready for her day - there's nothing else to it but Chair's illustrative prowess is unparalleled here.
I know that kuš! uses new themes for each issue of š!, but I do think "Poetry" is something worth revisiting again since I'm sure there are many other cartoonists who would be able to contribute more great works fitting the theme....more
Cherry by Christopher Yost & Martin Coccolo - Deadpool cleans up a mess made by one of A.I.M.'s scientific labs whereby an experiment involving DNA maCherry by Christopher Yost & Martin Coccolo - Deadpool cleans up a mess made by one of A.I.M.'s scientific labs whereby an experiment involving DNA manipulation has led to the creation of a hellish Kool-Aid Man type of being. Completely nonsensical story but Yost does a decent job of capturing the meta quality of a Deadpool story. Nice artwork from Coccolo, especially with respect to the action sequences.
Samurai Version by Sanshiro Kasama & Hikaru Uesugi - Basically an ad for Deadpool Samurai. The manga-esque artwork works well so it's a compelling enough ad for sure.
Operation Payback! by Mike & Laura Allred - Deadpool awakens on an alien planet where he attempts to save a child from a gigantic red centipede. A little Doop cameo features here, so fans of the Allreds' X-Statix series will rejoice I'm sure. Not much else to this story, but Allred's artwork is always a treat.
A middling issue in the series with no clear highlights, but overall Deadpool: Black, White & Blood has had some of the better entries in this anthology series so far....more
Thirty illustrations sporting the loose "topsy turvy" theme fill out this gorgeous four spot color collection. As with the previous two issues, there Thirty illustrations sporting the loose "topsy turvy" theme fill out this gorgeous four spot color collection. As with the previous two issues, there are no sequential pieces to be found (though you can argue that Jon McNaught's contribution would count as sequential), but the artwork throughout is dynamic, enigmatic and enthralling....more
The Worst Convent in the World by Jay Baruchel & Paco Medina - Deadpool fights a bunch of skinheads dressed up as nuns who may or may not be holding hThe Worst Convent in the World by Jay Baruchel & Paco Medina - Deadpool fights a bunch of skinheads dressed up as nuns who may or may not be holding his penguin hostage. Terrible story and forgettable artwork.
The Bet by Frank Tieri & Takashi Okazaki - Deadpool and Bullseye navigate some large-than-life traps in order to hit the same target. A fun combination of characters and Okazaki's artwork is stellar. Strongest story in this issue by far.
The Perfect Ones by Stan Sakai - Huge fan of Sakai so this was the one I was most anticipating. Story itself was just okay, but Sakai's rendition of Deadpool in the style of Usagi Yojimbo was fun.
Overall weakest issue of the series though....more
An array of artists contribute a page or two each depicting scenes from the jungle, mostly minimalistic to utilize the use of three spot color printinAn array of artists contribute a page or two each depicting scenes from the jungle, mostly minimalistic to utilize the use of three spot color printing to full effect. The designs are all clean and vibrant, and despite the limited color palette, the artwork is quite diverse. It's entirely an artbook with no true sequential stories, so it's really to be appreciated for the large sized artwork alone....more
An impressive feat for Š! to hit their fiftieth volume, and here the comics anthology features the theme "Fifty-Fifty" - a vague theme that leaves theAn impressive feat for Š! to hit their fiftieth volume, and here the comics anthology features the theme "Fifty-Fifty" - a vague theme that leaves the interpretation of the idea up to the various contributing cartoonists.
The indeterminate concept results in a lot of variability in ideas, but execution as well and this volume is a fair bit more stale for it unfortunately. There are solid pieces in here for sure, though this time they felt far and few in between. I mostly enjoyed: "Winter Survival Game" by Anna Vaivare, "Peacemonger Signs Off" by Juliette Collette, "Fresh Water Danger" by Teddy Goldenberg and "The Magical Dinner" by Tomasz Niewadomski.
The clear standout piece for me was the six-page story, "Slasher" by Mārtiņš Zutis, which features a comic within a comic that boasts some truly fantastic artwork. It might be meta for the story to begin with the quote, "I'm not sure about those experimental comics", in a comics magazine that only really has experimental comics, but Zutis lands the punchline well with a truly jaw-dropping sequence of abstract artwork that evokes elegance and violence in equal measure....more
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