Survival
Writer: Russel Lissau
Artist: Mark Stegbauer
Survival is a short comic in ashcan format (that means small, for the uninitiated.). The premise centers around a mother, father, daughter, and their survival during a pandemic-level zombie outbreak. The father’s first instinct is to pack up his family and take them to the local bulk store (think Costco or Sam’s Club). Once inside, the family stocks up on supplies and moves to the fire exit. Unfortunately, the parking lot is overrun, and so they decide to stay inside. The story time-jumps an unspecified amount of days forward. The army comes to the rescue after spotting the clever SOS sign hanging from the roof of the building. Survival is short, but tragic. Unfortunately at five dollars an issue, it hardly comes at bulk price. It is worth noting that the art is chock full of hidden symbolism ,and there are some nicely placed references. Those of you familiar with John Cusack in Better Off Dead will get a chuckle out of the paper boy’s cameo in this comic.
Tales of Mr. Rhee #1
Writer: Dirk Manning
Illustrator: Seth Damoose
Publisher: Devil’s Due Entertainment
Www.DirkManning.com
Tales of Mr. Rhee is in every sense the work of a professional. The character has been around for some time, but Manning has constructed his work in such a way that anyone can pick up and start reading. This is the first issue of a new, four issue limited series. The series takes place after the apocalypse in a world filled with monsters, demons, and all sorts of mayhem causing creatures. Rhee flashes back to a time, during the cataclysmic events, where he stumbles on and rescues a group of kids who have just lost their parents. The story mostly centers on the interaction between Rhee and the eldest child as she struggles to accept the events of the past as well as her new strange savior. Rhee, a master of the occult, is determined to do right by them. Although, by the end of the first issue, things seem to be taking a turn for the worse.
The Ineffables #1
Writer and Artist: Craig Bogart
The Ineffables was started as “almost entirely a stream of consciousness drawn on the fly.” As such, it has a strong air of self importance, without any of the necessary talent.
The Dreamer #1
Writer and Artist: Lora Innes
Publisher: IDW
Www.TheDreamerComic.com
Lora Innes’s Dreamer series is actually the print form of her webcomic of the same name. The series follows a teenage girl who, when she falls asleep, wakes up during the American Revolution. Beatrice Whaley now has to deal with being a normal girl in high school and the incredible world of Revolutionary America, but which is real and which is the dream? The series stands well on its own right off the bat, and Innes creates some interesting characters and then proceeds to develop them fantastically. She uses her talent to bring the characters of Revolutionary America to life. Nathan Hale is a particular favourite.
Bloody Olde England #1
Writer: Bobby Nash
Artist: Jason Flowers
Www.JasonFlowersArt.BigCartel.com
Bloody Olde England is werewolf story vaguely reminiscent of a Stephen King novel. In Bear Creek, there has been a strange murder, and Sheriff England is on the case, but not everyone is who they seem. The series is well illustrated and has a nice feel to it. However, after the first issue, I’m fairly certain I’ve sussed out the ending. For fans of horror, this isn’t a bad read. If you have the opportunity, you might want to pick it up.
Crimson Rosetta #2.1
Writer and Artist: Allen Etter
Unfortunately, I have picked up only book one of part two of Crimson Rosetta, so there is much that was lost to me. However, I would like to touch on the artwork. ETA uses watercolors for his panels, and the result is brilliant. Each image would easily be at home between the pages of Neil Gaiman’s Sandman series. The water colors are dreamy, starry, and just gorgeous.
Lazerman #1
Writer: Alan Hebert, Jr.
Artist: Chris Hebert
www.HBComics.com
College student Alex Sanders is granted superpowers in a classic comic book style accident. The series is fun and geeky, and vaguely reminiscent of comics in the 60’s and 70’s. The art reminds me of Cory Walker’s art in Invincible. Lazerman is a solid start to a new series that shows a lot of promise for the future. That being said, I’m a little late to the party as Lazerman has been running for at least eight issues.
In addition I’d like to bring some attention to the phenomenal art of Nathan Szerdy. Szerdy was there selling his pin-up style comic art. Szerdy has a fantastic style with some incredible realism. You can check him out over at NathanSzerdyArt.com
