REVIEW: The Manhattan Projects #12

People will often talk about The Walking Dead - or, more recently, Saga - as the harshest, most ruthless comic on the shelves, refusing to pull punches with how they put their characters through the wringer.  But surely, surely, The Manhattan Projects must also be ranked right up there in any discussion of such qualities.  This book is fucking brutal!  Especially when you consider that here, the unrelenting cruelty certain characters are subjected to is at least partially played for laughs.  But in my review of The Manhattan Projects #11 last month, I praised Jonathan Hickman for shifting from the gleeful heartlessness that had populated much of the book’s run to give us a disarmingly poignant, moving little story of a most unlikely of friendships, two outsiders finding kindred spirits in each other.  Perhaps Hickman wasn’t such a callous monster after all?

Oh, how wrong I was.

After a mere page, the warm and fuzzy rug we were given in the previous chapter is pulled out from under us.  While last issue focused on the lonely life of Harry Daghlian, this chapter is a character study of Enrico Fermi.  Fermi has long remained one of the more mysterious members of the cast, with the most we’ve gleaned from him previously being that he’s “not human.”  We were first told that in the delightful little character profiles in the monthly backmatter – unforgivably absent this issue, boo! – and saw it for ourselves when Fermi turned into his true alien form and ripped some bad guys to shreds several issues back.  But here, we learn Fermi’s true nature, and the way this sheds startling new light not only on his character, but on the larger narrative of the series up until this point makes for exhilarating reading, and testament to Hickman’s skill in crafting labyrinthine, multi-layered plots that really pay off in the long run and reward continued investment from patient readers.

Fermi as characterised here alternates between monstrous and oddly sympathetic, with a few moments that skillfully navigate that horrifying/darkly hilarious balance mentioned above.  But though the ostensive spotlight is on Fermi (the awesome alien-themed cover and the title of “The Fermi Paradox” would suggest as much), for me it is Harry Daghlian who continues to shine here.  Indeed, this issue very much works as a pair with the previous one.  In an ensemble cast full of characters who are horrible or at least amoral, Daghlian serves as the beating heart of the ensemble.  Ironic, considering he’s the one guy on the team who has no physical heart.  But he wears his hypothetical heart on his sleeve, and that emotional quality makes him a relatable figure in contrast to the cold, clinical personalities that surround him, in spite of his ghoulish appearance.  A great little line Hickman throws in for Daghlian is, “You know you can’t physically hurt me.”  The word “physically” is key, here, as of course emotionally, Daghlian is deeply wounded as he says this.

Visually, this issue is just a delight.  Nick Pitarra has the chance to draw some of the craziest, most out-there stuff of the series thus far, here, and he knocks each sequence out of the park.  There’s a massive fight scene involving most of the team, which Pitarra excels at depicting.  For a book often credited for its big ideas, it should be acknowledged that Pitarra really knows how to cleverly frame some action-packed sequences when called upon to do so.  Daghlian and Fermi in his alien form are two of the most visually interesting figures in the comic, and here they get to interact quite a bit.  We also have cute baby birdsnakes, the ethereal image of Daghlian floating through space, and chainsaw-wielding Einstein.  Chainsaw.  Wielding.  Einstein!

And despite what I talked about regarding the mile-wide mean streak of The Manhattan Projects, Pitarra shows commendable skill in really drawing out human emotion, especially from non-human faces.  In spite of the brutality and the “Ha!  Gotcha!” reversal of the touching previous chapter, there is still a sense of tragedy and battered humanity to be gleaned from happenings in this issue amidst the grim hilarity of it all, and those moments hit home so well largely due to the contribution of Pitarra.

I mention the impact of the coloring on The Manhattan Projects perhaps more frequently than any other comic I review, and with good reason, as Jordie Bellaire continues to strike.  Mentioning the brilliance of the blue/red sequences is pretty old hat by now, so I want to touch on all the lovely green hues that spring up here: Fermi, Daghlian, the cold expanse of the moon.  Top notch work.

And since I’ve mentioned everyone else on the creative team, I must also give credit to letterer Rus Wooton here.  There is one incredibly tricky sequence here where one conversation has an entirely different conversation superimposed over it, but it has to be done in a way to let certain exchanges from the base conversation have connotations that impact on the additional dialogue operating on a higher level.  Even describing it to a letterer must have made it sound like a nightmare, but Wooton pulls it off with pinache, navigating these difficult waters and never making the pages feel cluttered in spite of the onslaught of information being thrown at the reader.

The Manhattan Projects has always been good, boasting big ideas and a fascinating cast of oddball characters from the very beginning, but since issue #8 I’d argue the series has upped its game to a whole new level, with an unbroken chain of 5-star masterpieces.  With this insanely high standard, The Manhattan Projects is beginning to challenge even the mighty Saga as the most consistently awesome comic currently in the market.

The Manhattan Projects #12 is on-sale now in all good comic shops.

REVIEW: Comeback

Let’s get this bit over with  early.  For a while now, it seems like the Looper parallels have loomed large over Comeback.  Both bring a grungy, low-tech, noir-tinged approach to time travel, placing it within a grounded sci-fi mythology more recognisable to our own world, and both debuted around  the same time.  I know when someone first mentioned Comeback to me, they compared it to Looper.  But there are some key differences, namely that while Looper applies its black market time travel tech to the business of taking lives while Comeback applies it to saving them, on the surface, at least.  But I happened to like Looper, and so my curiosity was piqued about checking out a similar tale with Comeback.  I never did get round to reading the single issues, but I was pleased to pick it up this past week as a collected graphic novel.  And upon devouring the whole thing in a single sitting, I realised it really isn’t all that much like Looper after all beyond those surface details.  If anything, it reminds me more of the time travel in Timecrimes – people meddling with something they quite clearly shouldn’t be, resulting in increasingly head-spinning changes and tinkering within a relatively confined timeframe – and the atmosphere generated by quietly sinister British conspiracy thrillers like State of Play or Edge of Darkness.  So, writer Ed Brisson and artist Michael Walsh’s Image miniseries is very much its own thing, and more than capable of being assessed on its own merits.

The backmatter in this collected edition of Comeback makes for some inspirational reading, with Brisson delving into how he and Michael Walsh made a vow to get themselves picked up by a major publisher within the space of a year, and how, after 8 months, they did it.  Not by nurturing a single idea, but by bombarding with pitch after pitch, coming up with as high a volume of ideas as they could to increase the odds of honing in on that one killer concept that would capture an editor’s imagination.  The successful pitch for Comeback is included in this volume, and what a high concept it is.  In a world that is not really recognisably sci-fi at all (indeed, it’s referred to as “The Present” in the captions), there is a company called Reconnect.  For a lofty price, they will reunite bereaved people with their lost loved ones, by travelling back in time into the recent past and plucking the deceased out of the timeline shortly before their death.  Reconnect will then perfectly restage that death with another body so as not to meddle with the fragile timeline, and the reunited loved ones are taken off to live a new life with new identities far away elsewhere.  Of course, as is the case with such tales, all is not as it seems!

I first became familiar with Ed Brisson through two avenues.  First, as a ubiqutous letterer on the indie comics scene, who has applied his considerable skills across a wide range of creator-owned titles I’ve reviewed over the years.  And second, as a promising emerging writer on 215 Ink’s gritty crime oneshot, Black River.  But with Comeback, Brisson steps up to a whole other level.  Trying to get around the mechanics and paradoxes of time travel is enough to make my penis bleed, but Brisson makes it all feel very straightforward and accessible.  Things get a bit mental in the later chapters, with history getting rewritten and re-rewritten at an increasingly frenzied pace, but it works so well because we gradually ease into it, starting with sporadic, surgical incisions into the timeline before steadily escalating to this craziness in a way that feels organic within the story.

But one of the smarter plays Brisson makes is not getting too wrapped up in the mechanics of time travel and the mythology of this world, instead narrowing the focus and giving us a character drama.  Mark, our ostensive lead character, has an interesting journey, going from fastidious company man to uorthodox action man and rebel.  But for me the most fascinating figure in Comeback is Mark’s partner, Seth.  I can’t go into the role he plays in the narrative too much without delving into spoilers – and the less you know about the specifics of the plot beyond the initial setup going in, the better – but it’s through him we most clearly see the physical and spiritual toll that meddling with time can take.  I also really liked the character of Owen, a blue-collar heavy who exudes a kind of understated menace.  The only person who really seemed to get short thrift to me was potential car crash rescuee Kelly, whose motivations are erratic and, without further contextualisation, make her seem pretty unlikeable.  Brisson himself notes in the back pages that one of his big regrets was not having the space to flesh her character out further.

Michael Walsh’s art is interesting.  When I first flipped through a single issue of Comeback (I think it was around the time issue #3 was released), his style initially didn’t really geab me.  But though it’s not flashy or immediately eye-catching, once you get into it there’s a lot to like.  His characters have this real lived-in feel about them, where you read so much into the personalities of even relatively minor figures based on the way they stand or the nuance of expression on their faces.  The minimalist linework is reminiscent of the likes of Chris Samnee or Dave Aja, and feels like a suitable fit for the crime genre leanings of the tale.  More than suitable, I think it’s Walsh’s muted approach that grounds everything, and really sells the believability of the concept without making it feel too futuristic and alien.

Also worth mentioning are the colors of Jordie Bellaire, who is fast establishing herself as one of the most versatile colourists in the field.  As a demonstration of her diverse range, would you guess that the person who coloured The Manhattan Projects also coloured this?  While that is all bright acid pop, with those bold red/blue washes, here the pallette is much more restrained and washed-out, save for the odd flourish of nightmare-red in moments of violence.  The ambient lighting is handled very well throughout, with early morning, daytime and night all identifiable at various points of the story, and best of all one apartment scene bathed in neon-purple lights from outside signage that put me in mind of Nicholas Winding Refn psycho-pulp.  Jordie and Walsh make for a good visual team.

It seems like, every year, there emerges a breakout talent in the comics world that seems poised to strike out into the next level.  With his upcoming Image series Sheltered looking highly promising, and this lovely graphic novel release of Comeback collecting the story for the trade-waiters, it seems like Ed Brisson could be the breakout creative voice of this year poised to leap to the next level.  His talent for coming up with those killer ideas, paired with an ability to realise those in compelling stories with perfectly-chosen artistic collaborators, definitely marks him out as someone with the tools to make a splash in the field in years to come.  Unlike the characters in the story, the creative team of Comeback certainly seemed poised for a bright future!

Comeback is available now from all good comic shops.

REVIEW: Crimson Society #1

It feels like we’re at critical mass with vampires – and to a lesser extent, werewolves – in pop culture these days.  The Twilight novels and films, then the various soppy, glossy TV dramas tapping into the craze, really pushed the once-fearsome beasties into the realm of saturation.  Comics have fared better.  American Vampire is fantastic.  And, against the odds, I, Vampire came along too and managed to carve out its own niche.  On the werewolf end of things, Extinct by Fabian Rangel Jr and Jethro Morales was an indie gem that covered the territory well.  Is there room for another comic to squeeze in and do something new in the field?  According to this first issue of Crimson Society, by writer Mike Hunau and artist Carlos Trigo, the answer is yes.  The solution it finds to managing to feel fresh is not just telling a story of vampires or of werewolves, but of telling the story of a protagonist who is both a vampire and a werewolf!

Our hero, Jack Crimson, is a werewolf.  He is duped by a scientist into taking vampire DNA, supposedly to cure him of his lupine affliction.  But instead of curing him, the scientist instead grafts cybernetic arms onto him – seemingly biomechanical, perhaps fuelled by vampire blood – turning him into a vampire-werewolf-cyborg!  A vampire-werewolf-cyborg.  How cool is that?  Credit to Hunau, he doesn’t make it just feel like a cheap gimmick, skillfully depicting the disorientation and panic Crimson is going through as a result of his unique condition.

However, if there’s a downside here, it’s that much of the plotting  is quite opaque, with a lot of the explanation about what’s going on and the nature of Jack’s powers left for the reader to try and figure out.  It could be that Hunau is simply holding his cards close to his chest, and is just preserving a sense of mystery until he can reveal the answers in future issues.  But at this early stage a little bit more insight into who Jack Crimson is, what he does, and what is happening him could give the reader more to sink their teeth into and therefore leave them more invested in returning for those future issues.  As it currently stands, it feels like the plot has barely gotten started and things are just getting interesting when the “To Be Continued…” caption flashes up.

Carlos Trigo’s art does its job well.  It has a cartoony vibe that gives things a sense of fun and energy, while still versatile to have the grue be suitably be hard-hitting when called for, with exploding heads, trailing innards and wayward eyeballs.  The bright colors of Andrea Celestini compliment this vibe well, with good use of deep reds.  Trigo does some commendable work with POV shots, shifting us into Crimson’s point of view for an almost first-person shooter vibe for a couple of key sequences, which works well at casting us into his mindset.  There’s also a surprising amount of beefcake – plenty of naked man-butt action for the ladies!

As far as first issues go, Crimson Society #1 is a bit light.  However, it does have some charm to it, with inventive writing and vibrant art and colours managing to make this a worthwhile read.

Crimson Society #1 is available to buy from Comixology.

Glasgow Comic Con 2013: A Creator-Owned Comics Preview

So, there’s a comics convention coming up in July that I’ve been looking forward to all year.  “Oh, San Diego?” I hear you ask.  Nope!  I’m talking about Glasgow Comic Con!  Sure, the climate ain’t as sunny as SDCC, but for the past two years my hometown con has put on a hell of a show.  In 2011 and 2012, the event was held in the Mackintosh Church Arts & Heritage Centre, a lovely venue full of character which I personally enjoyed, as it was so unlike your typical convention hall.  However, the downside was that it was way outside the City Centre, so getting there was a bit of a chore.  But for the third annual Glasgow Comic Con, running from Saturday July 13th to Sunday July 14th, the organisers have switched to the Centre for Contemporary Arts, better known as the CCA: a cracking, upmarket venue with a brilliant location right in the heart of the City Centre.  Things are primed for this year’s convention to be the best yet!

As an independent creator, there’s one thing in particular that makes me really like Glasgow Comic Con.  Yes, the show has had its share of high-profile guests – with the likes of Grant Morrison, Frank Quitely, Jim Starlin and Mark Millar all making appearances over the past couple of years – who are game for panels and signings.  Yes, there are bargains on back issues and graphic novels to be found in the exhibitor area.  But last year, something that has stood out to me is that, perhaps more than any other con I’ve attended, the “star attraction” seems to be local creator-owned comics.  Last year, there were many reports of quick sellouts of sizeable amounts of stock from numerous indie creators, with a recurring problem (and a good one to have!) being pros selling out of all their stock by the end of the first day or the start of the second day and have nothing left to offer even as fans kept on coming up to their table looking for stuff to buy.  I personally had my most profitable convention ever at last year’s show, and I’ve exhibited at Thought Bubble and New York Comic Con.  I had some of the easiest pitching experiences in my life: I have a little blurb rehearsed in my head that I cycle out on punters on the convention floor, but often at Glasgow Comic Con I’d only make it as far as “Hi, can I interest you in my comic, The Standard?” before they’d cut me off with a “YES PLEASE!” and put money in my hands.  There were folk who just started at one end of the show floor and went through every small press table, buying something from everyone.  There’s something about the Glasgow comic fanbase that has a strong interest in supporting local talent, it seems.  It’s reflected in the prominent, popular “local” sections in our comic stores.

Given the highly positive experience of last year, there has definitely been a buzz around the thriving Scottish comics community over the past several months, a feeling of just about everyone working away on something in hopes of getting it ready in time for the con.  I for one love it that the debut of the latest comic from this local creator or that is feeling like an event and an attraction that will be drawing people to the convention.  Of course, I’ll be there as a pro and an exhibitor, but as a reader, the thought on getting my hands on the latest work from Neil Slorance or Craig Collins is a major draw.

Bearing all this in mind, we return, in a roundabout way, to the purpose of this feature.  I want you all to be as excited about the wealth of Scottish comics being showcased at Glasgow Comic Con as I am, so I want to do a rundown of the diverse range of creator-owned comics debuting at the show.  I firmly believe there’ll be something for every comics fan available.  Let’s get started!

THE STANDARD

Selfishly, I am opting to begin by promoting myself!  I shall take that as a perk of being the guy to write this thing!  For me, The Standard was the comic that started it all.  My first experience attending a convention in any sort of professional capacity was Glasgow Comic Con 2011, where The Standard #1 was nominated at the Scottish Independent Comic Book Awards (or SICBAs) affiliated with the convention.  Fast forward to 2012 and I had a table at the show, and The Standard went from being an award-nominated comic to an award-winning title, with me earning the Best Writer trophy for issue #3.  As mentioned above, I had a hugely successful con, with my graphic novel collection of the first 3 issues of the series proving to be a big seller.  And now, a year later, after much demand, The Standard #4 will finally be ready to make its debut at the con!

We’re just putting the finishing touches on it now, and I have to say, I’m so proud of the work everyone has done on this.  From a scripting perspective, I’d say it’s a leap forward from the previous three issues.  Jonathan Rector’s artwork is perhaps the best it’s ever been.  Mike Gagnon is settling very nicely into his role as permanent colourist – the first person to last more than one issue in the role!  And Kel Nuttall continues to deliver consistently ace letters.  I’d definitely say The Standard #4 is the best of the series thus far…. and Glasgow audiences will get to read it before anyone else in the world!  We’re currently pencilled in for a worldwide Diamond release in October, but attendees at the convention will be able to pick up their advance copy in July, a whole 3 months earlier!  Not only that, but this will be a Glasgow-exclusive edition, with a new cover by Scottish artist Iain Laurie drawn specially for the show.  It’s still in development, but here’s a sneaky peek:

But that’s not the only comic I’ll be debuting at the con…

BAD SUN

Chris Connelly has some form at Glasgow Comic Con.  He was one of the aforementioned small press success stories last year, with his debut comic Reality War selling out in record time and marking the young artist out as an emerging creator of note.  It was at Glasgow Comic Con 2012 that the two of us really got to chatting about the possibility of working on a comic together.  And from those discussions came Bad Sun.

For those of you unfamiliar with my previous conversations about the comic, Bad Sun is a sci-fi comic set in a future where an alien race known as the Tchairabuns have migrated to Earth, and have now been living amongst us for some 30 years.  While most stories may adopt a setting of New York or Los Angeles, or maybe London, to show how the world would react to such an event, Bad Sun is set right here in Glasgow, Scotland.  It’s not a locale used often in sci-fi tales, but I think the local angle will be highly appealing to the comic fans attending the convention.  The story centres around Lennidasz Cowan, a Tchairabun adopted in infancy by human parents who forged a trailblazing career in the police force, and who now finds himself appointed the leader of a new taskforce dealing with human/Tchairabun relations in Glasgow.  In this role, he has to deal with both the machinations of a Tchairabun extremist terrorist group and the anti-alien prejudices felt by some of the city’s human population and even his own team.

The first issue of this new 6-part miniseries will be on sale at Glasgow Comic Con, and contains both a 24-page main story, drawn by Chris Connelly, and a 5-page backup tale drawn by Jason Mathis of School of the Damned fame.  We’re packing in the content here!  Both Chris and I will be at the table selling the book, so come along to meet the co-creators and pick up the first chapter of what could be my most ambitious comics narrative yet!  Chris Connelly will also be selling original art and prints, and doing commissions most likely, so you won’t want to miss that!

That leaves one more book of mine to promote…

AND THEN EMILY WAS GONE

Iain Laurie has good form at Glasgow Comic Con.  Back in 2011, he was award-nominated for his stellar work on Roachwell, where I first became a fan of his.   In 2012, he didn’t have a table or an official presence at the show, but I did buy off him my copy of Iain Laurie’s Horror Mountain, which ended up being the best thing I got at Glasgow Comic Con 2012.  Now, at GCC 2012, I’m pleased to report that Iain Laurie will be tabling with me and Chris Connelly, doing commissions (an original Iain Laurie sketch is near the top of my con wishlist) and helping me sell copies of the first issue of And Then Emily Was Gone, the 5-issue miniseries we have co-created.

And Then Emily Was Gone begins with Greg Hellinger, a man who sees monsters.  Formerly a police detective with the Missing Persons Bureau, renowned for his ability to find people thought lost forever, the visions Hellinger is afflicted with have left him a broken man.  But then a 17-year-old girl called Fiona shows up at his door.  Her best friend, Emily, has gone missing, and Fiona has reason to believe only a man of Hellinger’s unique skill set can help her.  So begins a journey to Merksay in the Orkney Islands, a strange place where horrible things are happening…

The benchmark Iain and I often talked about while developing this comic was Twin Peaks.  We wanted to capture that weird, slightly off-key vibe, permeated with a cloud of dread hanging over everything.  I think this simultaneously manages to be both Iain Laurie’s most mainstream work and my most bizarre and out-there.  It’s an unusual comic, to be sure, but one I’m highly proud of.  I’ve said it until I’m blue in the face, but it bears repeating that I am unbelievably excited to be working with Iain Laurie, particularly on such a subtantial project, and I quite simply cannot wait to share it with you.

And thus ends the self-promotion!  This is by no means all about bigging myself up, as I’m just one of several local creators showcasing work at Glasgow Comic Con.  For starters, And Then Emily Was Gone isn’t the only debut featuring artwork from the venerable Iain Laurie.

METRODOME

Iain Laurie reunites with Craig Collins, who paired with Laurie for Roachwell in 2011 before making a splash with his Haunted Bowels at last year’s con, for a new anthology of strange tales.  In the convention’s three-year history, Craig Collins singular creative voice has already made him something of a fixture.  The unique visual stylings of Iain Laurie have proven to be a worthy match for Craig in the past, so I’m keen to see where that collaboration takes them with Metrodome.  The actual plot remains elusive, beyond the vague teaser of “The Fight for Survival, The Battle for Ultimate Victory!”  But considering the talent involved, this is already a guaranteed con purchase for me.

Guaranteed to have a major presence at the con is Black Hearted Press, Glasgow-based comics publisher and also the organisers of the convention.  They have a veritable slate of quality projects primed to unleash on  con attendees this July, both established brands and exciting new titles.  Let’s take a look at what they have in store…

THE SCHOOL OF THE DAMNED

Arguably the flagship title of Black Hearted Press, The School of the Damned has already proven successful enough to sustain its own spinoff title, The Children of the Damned.  Played like a love letter to the classic Universal horror movies, the series focuses on a school of monstrous misfits derived from the iconic horror archetypes of that cinematic golden age, set against the backdrop of WW2-era Nazi Germany.  I’ve spoken fondly of the series myself in earlier reviews, with its mix of clever plotting by John Farman and lush artwork first from James Devlin in issue #1 and then Jason Mathis in issues #2-#4.

With The School of the Damned #5, launching at the con, we welcome a new art team to the fold in the form of Thomas Crielly and John Howard.  I’ve had a glimpse at some of the stuff these guys are doing, and it is lovely stuff, living up to the high benchmark set for the visuals on this series by their predecessors.  This issue, the penultimate chapter in the series’ first arc, promises a major character death and a beast of a cliffhanger, and also boasts the jawdropping cover by the mighty Alex Ronald seen above.  I presume the rest of the series thus far will also be available, and I heartily recommend that horror fans check this quality series out and catch up on the story so far.

‘Great concept; good characters; intriguing storyline; art and writing up to the task – terrific!’ – Ian Rankin

LAPTOP GUY

On the opposite side of the spectrum from the Gothic stylings of The School of the Damned, and a testament to the diversity of their lineup, comes Laptop Guy.  Originally a comic by cartoonist Sha Nazir about the adventures of the eponymous laptop-headed protagonist, this series relaunch sees Nazir return on art duties while joined by writer Jack Lothian.  The series has been reinvented as a metatextual, very loosely “biographical” comic about a fictionalised version of Sha Nazir and his struggles to make the previous incarnation of Laptop Guy, here characterised as an utter turd of a comic: “Failure has a new name,” reads the tagline, “And that name…. is Laptop Guy.”.  I’d call that harsh, as I found the original Laptop Guy to be a charming book, and I know people who speak of it fondly, but it does make for a funny conceit to build the narrative around.  This is billed as a “sitcomic”, a term I’ve had in my head for ages and am so pissed that Sha got to capitalise on it before I could, and having got a sneaky peek at the issue, I can confirm it does bring the funny, and shades of the movie Adaptation.  At the very least, Laptop Guy #1 is more successful than its fictionalised counterpart!  The first instalment of this relaunch will be available at the con, so check it out for yourself.

‘A guy with a laptop for a head… Weird and funny. – Bill Bailey

MAXIMUM ALAN

Another offering from Black Hearted Press, this one is truly bizarre.  It’s a violent, surreal tale, starring legendary comics writer Alan Moore.  And Alan Moore.  And Alan Moore.  And Alan Moore.  And Alan Moore….

You get the idea.  Issue #1, which I picked up at the convention last year, began with the real Alan Moore going about his misanthropic daily life, only to be confronted by an army of murderous parallel dimension Alan Moores out to eliminate him.  And things got weirder from there.  This year, writer Ross Leonard and artist Brian Rankin are back with a second helping, as issue #2 debuts in time for the con.  I have heard whisperings of cameos from other famed comic creators, too!  The solicit describes Maximum Alan as “a comic trip unlike any other”, and no one can argue the uniqueness of this oddity, that’s for sure!  I thought this was a good laugh, and I’m sure the second chapter will be more of the same.  Look out for it at the show!

ROYAL DESCENT

The final Black Hearted Press book to be featured at Glasgow Comic Con, and perhaps the one I’m most looking forward to.  The high concept behind the series just sounds brilliant.  With the fall of the British Government and society in ruins, a new and powerful political party takes the reigns in this dystopian vision of a future Britain. The Austerity party’s first act is the public execution of the British Royal family… by their own hand.  From there we launch into what seems to be “The King’s Speech meets Battle Royale,” which promises to make for a brutal, controversial, eerily relevant comic experience.  John Farman has some big ideas for this one, and all the artwork I’ve seen from John Howard suggests he’s a real talent of note worth keeping an eye on, so I wouldn’t be surprised if this ends up being a breakout hit of the convention

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Black Hearted Press are a veritable juggernaught of Glasgow comics, and as you see will have a wealth of material on offer at the con.  But there is a wide selection of other creators also showcasing their comics at the show.

GLoW 2

The Glasgow League of Writers is a great network of creators based in and around the city, who meet fortnightly for a kind of writer’s circle for comic to read and provide feedback for each other’s scripts.  It’s an invaluable creative resource, one I’m proud to have been a founding member of.  At last year’s Glasgow Comic Con, our debut anthology, creatively titled GLoW 1, was another of the con’s sell-out successes.  That first volume was on a superhero theme.  This second volume, with the similarly creative title of GLoW 2, has switched genres to horror.  With a wider stable of writers and artists contributing, and a higher quality of storytelling all round, I’d say those who picked up the first anthology at last year’s show and enjoyed it definitely won’t be disappointed by this follow-up.

I’ve got two stories in GLoW 2: “Floorboards”, drawn by my old friend James Fairlie, and “Open House”, drawn by my Bad Sun collaborator Chris Connelly.  And there’s also work from a whole range of new and established Glasgow talent.  Be sure to head over to the GLoW table and check it out!

Speaking of GLoW members…

NO MORE HEROES

A little anecdote I never tire of telling is that, at the very first GLoW meeting back in 2011, the very first script on the agenda was Gordon McLean’s No More Heroes #1.  Back then, it was clear Gordon was writing something special, and since then we’ve seen that first draft script grow into a 4-issue miniseries, we saw the original roughs and sketches of artist Caio Oliviera, and then we saw it all blossom into a complete comic.  And at last year’s SICBA awards, No More Heroes walked away with the coveted award for Best Comic.  Since then, the remaining issues have been released, and now the conquering hero returns to Glasgow Comic Con with the complete series in tow.

The story only got better with each passing issue, so Gordon and his comic must surely be considered front-runners to make lightning strike twice for awards glory.  It really is a fantastic series, a dark twist on the superhero genre that sees a hapless Everyman dragged into a murky world of violence and villainy after his dismissive response to what he believes is a prank call results in the suicide of a famed superhero.  Whether it’s catching up on the whole series or scooping up any issues you missed, this is a highly recommended purchase for your Glasgow Comic Con visit!

THE MIND PALACE

Luke Halsall is another founding member of the Glasgow League of Writers.  Perhaps best known for his journalistic work for Geek Syndicate and his prose work that has found quite the following on the Kindle market, his comic work has mostly been limited to shorts in anthologies.  The Mind Palace marks Luke’s first foray into a substantial solo comics project, an anthology piece filled with various shorts, all written by Luke and drawn by a wide range of artist, covering a variety of genres but unified with an uneasy weirdness of tone.  Luke is notorious for his iron-clad pitching abilities on the convention floor, so whether you plan to or not, expect to leave Glasgow Comic Con having bought a copy of The Mind Palace, along with an odd sock and a bridge.

I’ve also heard reports that Luke Halsall will be debuting another top secret comics project at Glasgow Comic Con, drawn by Villainous artist Graeme Kennedy (who will also be selling Villainous alongside writer Gary Chudleigh).  Keep your eyes open!

VAMPIRE VIXENS OF THE WEHRMACHT

Two years ago, artistic wunderkind Alex Ronald made everyone’s eyeballs explode with his stunning artwork in Vampire Vixens of the Wehrmacht, a story being serialised in the Wasted anthology.  He ran away like a bandit with the Best Artist SICBA that year, and has spent the time since even further honing and refining his craft to the point where not just your eyeballs, but your whole cranium is at eruptive risk from exposure to his perverse visual delights… as Vampire Vixens of the Wehrmacht is back, this time not just as an anthology short, but as a full, self-contained oneshot!

Vampire Vixens of the Wehrmacht features the wartime adventures of a gorgeous Nazi Vampire defector and a pompous British Army chaplain as together they take on Hitler’s occult horde.  It’s boobs, blood, guns and gore with political correctness thrown out the window.  That’s the setup, and that’s really all you need, isn’t it?  Ridiculous, high-octane exploitation, with Nazis, vampire, Nazi vampires, and more cheesecake than you can poke a stake at.  And it’s all held together by Alex Ronald’s stunning painted artwork, chanelling the likes of Alex Ross and Jon J Muth.  Alex will be tabling at Glasgow Comic Con, where he’ll be offering Vampire Vixens of the Wehrmacht with two variant covers, in a volume boasting an introduction from none other than Mark Millar.  This is sure to be a hot item at the show.  I know I’ll be buying it!

TEAM GIRL COMIC

One of Glasgow’s most popular indie comic exports, Team Girl Comic has found fans all across the UK.  I for one saw them make a killing at the Thought Bubble convention in Leeds last year.  The central conceit of Team Girl, as the title might suggest, is that it’s a comics anthology created entirely by female cartoonists.  Their open submissions policy has seen a diverse range of content in past issues, with a few schoolkids even contributing from time to time, but quality stalwarts such as Gillian Hatcher and MJ Wallace remain a recurring presence in the series.  Their latest issue - Team Girl #8 - will be available at the con, as will earlier issues, I’m sure.  These books seem to go down really well with the all-ages audience, I’ve noticed, though that shouldn’t be taken to mean kids only: there’s enough charm and smarts on display for readers of all ages to enjoy. 

However, I’m pleased to report that Team Girl Comic won’t be the only offering from the talented Gill Hatcher…

BUNNY BEHIND THE MOON

Part comic, part children’s storybook, Gill’s latest project looks quite simply delightful.  Wonder is a little schoolbunny with unusually long ears. One day these ears start to receive strange messages – someone appealing for help. Could it really be a bunny astronaut lost in space? Wonder must use her intelligence and bravery to rescue the bunny behind the moon.  Packed full of adorably-drawn bunnies, this book is set to overload your “Aaaaaaw!” sensors, and should prove a great showcase for the skills of Gill Hatcher as she moves from the collaborative Team Girl network into a project where the spotlight is all on her.  I remember reading an early draft of the script for the book way back when at a GLoW meeting, and thoroughly enjoying it, so I’m highly anticipating seeing the finished product.  I expect it to do very well at the con.

BIG IN JAPAN

Another talented new creator who’ll be presenting at Glasgow Comic Con is Morag Kewell.  I knew Morag as one of the Hope Street Studios crowd, though I thought of her as more of an artist of models and crafts like hand-made jewellery as opposed to comic illustrations.  But it turns out Morag has multiple strings to her bow, as at the Dundee Expo earlier this year, this comic book travelogue of her trip to Japan proved to be a big hit.  I had thought of Neil Slorance as the undisputed champion of the comic travelogue, but it seems like this sub-genre is a growing niche on the Scottish comics scene.  It’s a nice demonstration of how comics are a medium, not a genre, and any kind of story – including non-fiction stories – can be told in the format.

FAT-MAN AND RIBBON

I gave the #0 preview issue of this fun superhero parody a positive review back when I read it, but said that it was really just a teaser, and that the proper issue #1 would be the real test of the book’s quality.  And now, Fat-Man and Ribbon #1 is set to launch at Glasgow Comic Con.  When Matthew Charles Marlowe, C.E.O. of the world renowned clothing empire Fat Men, Inc., is suddenly confronted by the dastardly machinations of sinister and powerful forces of anarchy he has but choice: become the hero his city kinda sorta needs! Set in the fictional, future capital city of Scotland, Metro Scotia, Fat-Man and Ribbon is a semi-autobiographical tale of justice, adventure, intrigue and hetero life partnerships.  Written by Martin Ferguson, and with wonderfully crazed artwork by Andrew Docherty, I am expecting to be entertained!

COSPLAY KILLERS

Written and drawn by Craig Longworth, Cosplay Killers has been cropping up in comic shops all over Glasgow, and now Craig will be bringing the first issue to the city’s native comic convention.  The book’s about a ragtag group of misfits enacting violent retribution on a “hit list” of what they feel to be the worst of society.  It’s Craig’s debut comic, from what I understand.  I remember the excitement and terror of trying to put my first comic out there with The Standard #1 a couple of years back, so kudos to Craig for diving in with Cosplay Killers.  It looks like suitably bonkers small press fun!

But I’ve saved perhaps the best for last…

THE AMATEUR ASTRONOMER’S JOURNAL

I’ve been interested in Neil Slorance’s work since his collaboration with writer Colin Bell on Jonbot VS Martha.  It has a quirky, cartoony cuteness to it that contains a surprising amount of expressiveness once you get into it.  But where Neil truly came into his own was with his aforementioned travelogues, Nine Lines of Metro and Seven Days in Berlin.  Making the jump from artist to cartoonist, Neil added another string to his bow, showing his art could be more than just cute and funny, it could be poignant and even heartbreaking, and pack surprising emotional wallop.  I was so impressed by Neil’s 2012 output that I’m now automatically invested in anything with his name attached, meaning this announcement of a move from non-fiction back to fiction for Neil is highly intriguing to me indeed.

Incorporating some of Neil’s real-life passion for science and astronomy, the plot of The Amateur Astronomer’s Journal is likely evident in the title.  But Mr. Slorance promises a bit of “sap” (his word) too, so I’m preparing for a tale that’s bittersweet and moving and brings all the feels.  This will probably be my first purchase at the show, and it’s a debut I’m anticipating more than most Marvel/DC stuff on the horizon.  Check it out for yourself to see what all the fuss is about.  And while you’re at Neil Slorance’s table, be sure to pick up his earlier books, and maybe get a sketch from him while you’re at it.  He really is a nice, talented fellow.

So many great creator-owned comics for you guys to buy.  And that’s not including the other awesome comics from Glasgow creators I know to be in development, but which sadly won’t be ready in time for the show.  Stephen Sutherland and Gary Kelly’s pulse-pounding thriller Neverending, Garry McLaughlin’s mind-boggling sci-fi epic Gonzo Cosmic, and the top secret new collaboration from Colin Bell and Neil Slorance… each one of these not being available for me to get my hands on at Glasgow Comic Con is devastating in itself, but all three of them being absent is quite simply heartbreaking.  I’ll keep my eye out for all three in the hopefully not-too-distant future!

Hopefully this highly lengthy piece has demonstrated just how much talent there is in the Glasgow comics scene.  There is a rich selection of creator-owned comics set to be featured at this year’s Glasgow Comic Con, a lineup so strong I’d willingly match it up against the small press corner of any con in the world this year.  If you’re a comic fan in Glasgow, you have no excuse: get yourself to Glasgow Comic Con, CCA, July 13th-14th.  If you’re a fan of quality independent comics from further afield, on the other side of the UK, hell, the world… you should make the pilgrimage to Glasgow for this show.  Come join us, you can sleep on my couch!

Tickets are available to buy from the CCA or Plan B Books, or online at the official website.  Get yours now!  This show is gonna be the baws, and as both an exhibitor and a fan, I can’t wait.

REVIEW: Sunsara #1

I have to acknowledge that I’m starting this review on a guilty note.  To explain a bit about how many of these creator-owned comic reviews come about, while some comics are titles I discover myself, other times creators will contact me by e-mail and point me in the direction of their comic in hopes of me reviewing it.  I do try my best to review every single comic that is sent my way, but by this stage I’m afraid I have a pretty big, sprawling backlog, and every so often comics fall between the cracks.

Take Sunsara #1, this sci-fi comic written and drawn by Chris Pritchard.  Today, when trawling my inbox for a new creator-owned comic to review, I found nested within some other already-read messages an e-mail from Chris, explaining that he was launching a Kickstarter to help get this comic off the ground, and he’d love my help in publicising the book and the campaign.  Doing a bit of research, I was sad to discover that the Kickstarter campaign never made its funding, and Chris has shelved Sunsara – whether he’s done so temporarily or permanently, I do not know.  After actually reading the first issue I’m even sadder, as it’s very good, and this is a campaign I would likely have ended up supporting or at the very least publicising.  So, meagre consolation prize it may be, but I thought I’d share a belated review of Sunsara #1 today.

Reading Sunsara, the first thing that will grab you is the artwork.  This is beautifully rendered stuff.  With its highly detailed figures with textures flesh and clothes, and meticulously-realised cityscapes and locations, I was put in mind of the work of Scottish artist Alex Ronald, whose work I greatly admire.  There’s a real Philip K Dick vibe to the sci-fi aesthetic Pritchard crafts for Sunsara, with the murky future metropolis putting me in mind of Blade Runner in particular.  Also of note is the slick manner in which Pritchard frames his action sequences,utilising the technique of depicting each stage of a character’s movement in a single panel to convey a sense of quickness and fluidity.  In addition, I’d like to state a note of admiration for the design of our lead character, vengeful assassin Sunsara.  Pritchard has resisted the urge to go the cheesecake route, making Sunsara actually look relatively plain rather than the impossible knockout beauties that usually occupy genre comics, and dressing her sensibly in practical attire rather than something Barbarella-style held together by string.  Are there missteps?  Sure, there’s the odd panel with a strangely-drawn face.  But overall, Chris Pritchard really marked himself out as an artist worth keeping an eye out for with his work here.

As far as the writing goes, that’s pretty solid too.  The plot itself is pretty standard fare, with Sunsara witnessing the death of her father as a girl and growing up determined to find and get revenge on her father’s killer.  But there are enough wrinkles in here to give it some original spark, with some unconventional twists on family dynamics that give the comic a surprising amount of heart.  Pritchard shows craft as both an artist and a writer, then, but if there’s any weak-point, it’s in his lettering.  Generally, it’s fine.  But there were quite a few spots where I spotted basic spelling and grammar errors, or typos.  And when comic lettering has things like that in it, it’s a surefire way to immediately take me out of the story.  Proofreading is ESSENTIAL, as slip-ups like this can really hurt the credibility of a book that otherwise looks professional in quality.  Though I will say he gets some brownie points on the lettering front by making “PEW!  PEW!  PEW!” the sound effect of the laser guns, even in serious, dramatic scenes.

It’s a shame that this may be an abortive comics project that I’ve discovered too late.  But what there is of it is still highly worth checking out.  Be sure to visit the official website, http://www.sunsaracomic.com, where you can check out the first (and I believe the second) issue for free, as well as scripts for the remaining issues, and support the book and its creator by picking up all manner of cool merchandise.  But whether he chooses to return to Sunsara or not, I for one hope we’ve not seen the last of Chris Pritchard.

Sunsara #1 is available to read for free on the comic’s official website.

REVIEW: Doc Unknown #1

It’s been a while since I read anything from Fabian Rangel Jr.  His werewolf miniseries Extinct was one of my earliest creator-owned comic reviews, where I first noted Fabian as a developing comic book writer worth keeping an eye on.  Then his graphic novel Fall followed through on that initial promise, a poignant tale of childhood, friendship and the loss of innocence (and aliens!) that remains one of the best comics I’ve ever reviewed here.  But since Fall I haven’t had the pleasure of reading anything new from Rangel Jr.  I know he’s had projects, but I haven’t had access to them here in Scotland.  Thank goodness then for Comixology, from which I was able to download the first issue of his latest project, Doc Unknown – or, to give it its full title, Doc Unknown in the Museum of Madness.  It’s been a while, but thankfully it was worth the wait!

In his afterword, Fabian describes Doc Unknown as a mash-up of everything he loves about comics, crammed with everything he would want from a comic as a reader.  And that unbridled excitement and energy is certainly reflected in the pages contained within this first chapter.  Doc Unknown is a pulp hero in the vein of Doc Savage or The Shadow, a throwback to the proto-superhero adventures of the early 20th Century.  Tributes to such figures certainly have an established history in the comic books their exploits helped inspire, with Tom Strong one of the most acclaimed, and The Black Beetle the one I read most recently.  But while I found Francesco Francavilla’s pulp throwback to be beautifully-drawn but ultimately uninvolving, leaving me too cold to bother returning for a second issue, Doc Unknown felt in a lot of ways like The Black Beetle done right, taking not just the mould of the protagonist from that earlier era of storytelling, but also the simplicity of plot and denseness of incident and storytelling that made those tales so popular in the first place.

Doc Unknown #1 is not a comic that you could accuse of being decompressed.  In the first issue alone, we are introduced to an interesting villain – Killer Croc like gangster Snake – and given his backstory, while also setting up his evil scheme involving stealing a mystical artefact from a museum.  We’re also introduced economically to Doc Unknown, not by learning his alter ego – which remains a mystery as this first issue ends – but by seeing him kicking ass in action.  We get an elaborate fight scene between the two that involves Doc Unknown battling reanimated mummies and T-Rex skeletons, before culminating in some fisticuffs that see the confrontation resolved.  We’re then allowed time for aftermath and various plot threads to be resolved, as well as a supernatural element introduced with Doc’s ability to see and communicate with the ghost of a murder victim in the museum.  All while setting up a larger overarching plot of a Court of Owls type Illuminati of the rich and powerful out to get Doc because of a MacGuffin that comes into his position.  And we get another major new villain for him to contend with introduced too.  All in the space of a single normal-length issue, when you could imagine this amount of narrative getting dragged out across multiple issues these days.  All this, and we also get a 5-page backup story from the same creative team.  You’re getting more than your money’s worth in terms of content packed into one issue.

One of the things that makes Fabian Rangel Jr a great writer is that he doesn’t feel the need to announce his greatness.  He’s shown some real diversity in his output as he allows himself to take a backseat and let the story do the talking.  He proved more than capable of writing snappy dialogue and quickfire exchanges in Extinct, and showed some impressive narrative tricks for drawing out emotion in Fall, but here it’s all very pared back, minimal panel counts per page, and dialogue snipped back to bare minimum.  Doc Unknown himself is a taciturn figure, not really knowable, though what sense of his personality we do get suggests a more compassionate soul than the steely, hardened vigilante we might be used to, someone who seeks to comfort the loved ones of innocents killed in the crossfire, and even reaches out to understand the motivations of the bad guys he throws in jail.  But Rangel Jr doesn’t make a big song and dance of explaining that in poetic fashion.  It’s mostly implied.

I’ve talked about this as a pulp adventure tribute, but I’ve not used the term pastiche, as I don’t think this feels like an old-fashioned comic.  One of the downfalls of many comics that try to pay homage to eras past is that, even if in some form they succeed, they end up feeling like they’re of that era, and not particularly relevant to readers of this era unfamiliar with that past generation.  Not so with Doc Unknown, and I think that’s thanks to the dynamic artwork of Ryan Cody.  This is a book that never feels stuffy or old, with Cody’s slick, exciting imagery and bright, bold colouring making the whole aesthetic of the comic feel fresh and of-the-moment, something new that you could imagine a kid picking up and falling in love with.  Those minimal panel layouts I mentioned above really work in Cody’s favour, as he makes every page have this widescreen, expansive feel, the action almost spilling out of the page.  I felt the need to read this comic on my iPad horizontally, even though the pages are in portrait format, as each of Ryan Cody’s expansive story beats played out on a scope that demanded they be viewed in that way to appreciate them.  Another of the things that makes Fabian Rangel Jr a great writer is his keen eye for choosing great artists that perfectly fit the tone of the book in question.  And Ryan Cody joins Jethro Morales and Juan Romera on the list of his excellent artistic collaborators.  Mr. Cody now most definitely has a new fan in me.

Maybe it was the circumstance: I got to read this comic on my iPad sat outside on an uncharacteristically sunny day here in Glasgow (it started pouring with rain a couple of hours later, restoring balance to the universe), with “Giorgio by Miroder” from the new Daft Punk album playing on my MP3 player.  It all just felt right.  Maybe it was the fact that I’m already a supporter of Fabian Rangel Jr, and his name on the cover alone is enough to convince me to try a comic.  Whatever it was, I have to say I loved Doc Unknown #1.  A hugely fun breath of fresh air, appealing to readers young and old.  It’s deserving of a much bigger audience than it may get as a Comixology Submit product, and that’s a shame.  In my humble opinion, a savvy publisher would be looking at this as an undiscovered gem and scrambling to pick up the print distribution rights.  But for now, I’m glad I have Comixology, and that I’m able to sample treats like this and have access to burgeoning creators whose work I greatly admire.  It wasn’t easy to recommend his earlier work, great as it was, with its relatively limited availability.  But the digital marketplace is global, so I’m able to most heartily recommend this.  If you like good comics, check it out – it’s only 99 cents, what do you have to lose?

Doc Unknown #1 is available now from Comixology.

REVIEW: Sabotage! #1

This first issue of Sabotage! was problematic for me.  In reading it, I was reminded of a script I recently reviewed for my writing group here in Glasgow.  That script involved a bullied teenager developing telekinetic superpowers and using them to wreck terrible revenge on the various tormentors in his life.  I had some issues with it, most prominently that the script seemed to present this as a good thing, and allow said teenager to remain in the role of protagonist after his actions had made me emotionally disconnect from him.  In reading Sabotage!, I found myself having the same reaction.

Here’s the thing about this story, as written by Jeff Schouten.  Our main character is Jack Madrir, a disillusioned high school kids who spends his nights devoted to his alter ego, public nuisance Sabotage (or perhaps Sabotager: someone calls him that, at one point, but the suggestion is that the person has got his name wrong).  I can’t really call him a superhero, or a crime-fighter, or a vigilante, and I don’t think he operates on a scale big enough to really call him a supervillain either, so “nuisance” probably fits best.  He engages in petty, mean-spirited, ultimately futile acts of vandalism, laughs at the misfortune of others if he deems them as lame or on his “hate list”, and seems quite dismissive and patronising towards his girlfriend, beyond thinking she’s great at sex.  Now, if we’re supposed to hate Jack’s guts, and the arc of the series is going to be about watching this punk kid get humbled and have to learn from the ground up how to be a decent human being who thinks about more than just himself and his juvenile revenge fantasies, then Schouten is doing a fantastic job, and I want to read more.  But if we’re actually supposed to like Sabotage and think of him as some kind of cool, badass anti-establishment anti-hero, if we’re supposed to admire and support his rebellious tendencies and get behind him as our protagonist… then this is a disaster.  And after a couple of readings, I still honestly can’t figure out what way Schouten wants us to interpret this.

Am I bringing my baggage of probably relating more to Lance the class nerd from the opening pages than anyone else in the story to how I respond to the comic?  Perhaps.  But in a comic that is so reliant on its central character, how that character is presented going forward is going to be crucial to its success.  It’s a shame that this insufferable character had me on the threshold of checking out, as Schouten does have some admirable narrative tricks up his sleeve outside of his choice of protagonist.  In particular, there’s a skillfully-executed switcheroo in tone near the issue’s conclusion that pulls the rug out from under you and hits like a gut-punch.

I also enjoyed the artwork of Ibal Canales.  It’s simple stuff, but there’s an energy to it, the storytelling is clear, and there are some delightful facial expressions – Jack’s “I just had awesome sex” face is a gem.  And again, the cartoony vibe helps build up certain expectations for the tone of the book that makes the aforementioned plot reversal all the more jarring.

So, all in all I wasn’t quite sure what to make of Sabotage!  It’s either really obnoxious or really clever, maybe a bit of both?  The first issue is available to read for free online, so go take a look and judge for yourself.  And if, like me, you think you need to see where Schouten and Canales take the story next before coming to a solid conclusion, then there’s an option to donate to the budget to help the second issue get made.

Sabotage! #1 is available to read for free online.