Switching back to the double page spread, De Landro once again employs the bilateral symmetry to emphasize the two sides of the game. But unlike the previous score of the game, this one shows the clear power imbalance. Though the layout is symmetrical, the guards have the judge on their side, and it allows them to get away with illegal plays and unnecessary violence.
Paper Girls #3 opens with genre-subverting humor but then pours on the suspense and action. Brian K. Vaughan adds a race against the clock to the other odd time-oriented elements, prompting hand-wringing anxiety while also building in absurd, often hilarious, references to 1988 in weird and apt juxtapositions. Cliff Chiang and Matt Wilson continue to provide brilliantly nuanced and multi-layered visuals for Vaughan’s unique mix of the strange and the mundane.
Rocket Girl #7 is a fun and frenetic issue that reminds the reader of who Dayoung actually is: a stubborn teenager with a strong sense of right and wrong that happens to have a jetpack to fight crimes with. Montclare and Reeder work in tandem wonderfully to get this point across with perfectly teen angsty dialogue and gorgeous art to go with it. It should be interesting to see where the story goes next, with headstrong Dayoung deciding to take matters into her own hands and her compatriots in “the past” trying to get to the bottom of what she might have caused.
Saga #31 Story by Brian K. Vaughan Art by Fiona Staples Letters by Fonografiks Published by Image Comics WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD After what seems like an eternity, Saga returns with an all-new story line. Last time, superstar couple Alana and Marko were separated from their daughter Hazel and her grandmother, Klara. Years later, Klara …
Switching back to the 8-panel structure for a two-person dialogue, these pages depict a conversation in the men’s bathroom between Maki and Carl, Father Josephson’s assistant. It appears straightforward enough, delving into Maki’s credentials for making the A.C.O. stadium but also exploring more of his anxieties. However, in the subtleties remain the intricacies of class and power and the structures that keep those without power from coming together in revolt.
I Hate Fairyland has enjoyable mindless violence with potentially interesting subversive elements. Great art, fast-paced story, crude humor, and unique characters, makes for a satisfying read. Some might find the comic too mindless or some of the character flat, but for all the muffin huggers out there that love ultraviolence, it will be a sweet, delicious treat.
The “Demons” arc, of which this is part three, has been literally and figuratively exploring the demons tormenting the Rat Queens. The literal demons tear at their flesh. The metaphorical demons of the past tear at their minds and hearts. In part three, Hannah and Dee are reunited with loved ones while Violet and Betty’s R&R time lacks relaxation.
The scrimmage between the NC team and the guards begins and sees its first score. An injury on the field creates a different score to be settled. Like with the previous pages depicting the team, these are given the two-page spread to emphasize the space of setting and give room for the many bodies in panels. De Landro creates a symmetrical mirroring of left and right on the double-page to emphasize the two sides of the game, the reactive antagonism within the story, as well as spotlight the Liu twins.
The Goddamned #1 Written by Jason Aaron Art by r.m. Guera Colors by Giulia Brusco Letters by Jared K. Fletcher Published by Image Comics The Goddamned #1 could be classified as a post-apocalyptic story with its violent gangs of basically cavemen wandering around killing, fighting, and falling in their own excrement. Ironically, it is set …
These pages show a literary communion. Josephson’s goal, by sharing drinks, is to bring them together in service of his plans for the ACO team and the financial betterment of the Duemila conference. However, at every panel break, we see the tension of the communion. Maki doesn’t want to be involved, and it is only through manipulative coercion that Josephson succeeds.
Citizen Jack is off to a good if tad bit slow start. The political satire clashes a little bit with the supernatural horror, but seems to be doing a good job of tying the two together. The art is good, if flawed, and the upcoming comic issues will determine whether or not Citizen Jack can hold its own in Image’s ever expanding library.
The companion robot Tim-21, his creator Dr. Quon, and the rest of the supporting cast for writer Jeff Lemire and artist Dustin Nguyen’s Descender will return on Nov. 11 with issue #7.
Paper Girls #2 picks up immediately after the close of issue #1. One of our mummy-ninja mystery men is making a mad dash with his bag of stolen devices. The issue then goes on to offer deepening characters and relationships, developing themes, and more than a few surprises. Brian K. Vaughan and Cliff Chiang maintain the excitement, intrigue, and childhood nostalgia established in the opening issue while giving their readers much more to munch on.
Monstress #1 Written by Marjorie Liu Art by Sana Takeda Letters by Rus Wooton Published by Image Comics Monstress #1 is 72 pages of immersion into a world filled with magic, but that has been torn apart by wars and their results. Writer Marjorie Liu and artist Sana Takeda draw on many influences in this …
In this installment of Cell by Cell, I look deeply into the panels of Bitch Planet #5, pages 5-8, appreciating and analyzing the story and artistic composition.
Southern Cross #1-5 (2015) Written by Becky Cloonan Art by Andy Belanger Colors by Lee Loughridge Letters by Serge LaPointe Published by Image Comics In a dark future, ex-con Alex Braith travels to a refinery rig on Titan to retrieve the remains of her sister, Amber, after she died of mysterious circumstances. The ship Alex …
Kurt Busiek is probably one of the biggest name in American comics. He started off doing freelance work for both DC and Marvel on titles like Iron Man, Avengers, and The Untold Tales of Spider-Man. In 1993, Busiek joined with superstar artist Alex Ross co-created the classic Marvels mini-series that showed the major events of the Marvel Universe from the perspective of photojournalist Phil Sheldon. From there, he created the long-running, award-winning Astro City series. Kurt Busiek is most notable for his humane approach to superheroes, making characters feel relatable despite their fantastical powers.
With fantastic art, unique world building, and an intriguing cast of characters, The Autumnlands #7 picks up where the first arc left off with promises of bigger, better stories on the horizon.
In this Cell by Cell, I look deeply into the panels of Bitch Planet #5, pages 3-4, appreciating and analyzing the story and artistic composition.
Scalped’s beloved creative team of Jason Aaron and RM Guera return for the Image Comics-published book The Goddamned, an Old Testament story drenched in the crude and the poetic set to debut on Nov. 11. “We just knew we wanted to do something very different from Scalped,” said Aaron via Skype interview Tuesday. Goddamned is …
Huck, an Image Comics series starting on Nov. 18, is very different in tone compared to much of their past work, but that just means more excitement for writer Mark Millar and artist Rafael Albuquerque. “I like doing different things,” said Millar via Skype interview today. “In the past two, three years I have tried …
Huck #1 is wholesome like a Red Delicious Apple and not saccharine like whatever chemicals they put in diet soda. It’s all-American like the smell of your favorite pie or sweet baked like your grandma or freshly mowed grass on a Friday morning before the first high school football game of the season without the jingoism or exceptionalism that has marred this country. (The fact that it was written by a Scottish person and drawn by a Brazilian definitely helps in that category.) Basically, Huck #1 is the most hopeful and uplifting comic that has come out in 2015 so far with a good hearted and admirable main character, a setting that lets Rafael Albuquerque show off the softer side of his watercolor style, and a compelling final page cliffhanger plotted by Mark Millar.
Mary isn’t a popular girl. A high school outcast, she has only one friend, dresses plainly, and has an obsession with aliens that raises a few eyebrows. Who would think she would be chosen to wield the Witchblade, a powerful weapon passed down to strong women throughout the dawn of humankind? Mary now has super strength, super agility, and the ability to create weapons. Unfortunately, she also gets caught in the middle of a war between the Darkness and the Angelus, the forces of light and dark warring for domination of the earth. In Switch #1, Mary will have to choose a side in this conflict while dealing with the pains of growing up and finding her inner courage.