From reviews@lists.zumcomics.info Thu Jul 22 05:56:31 2004 From: reviews@lists.zumcomics.info (reviews@lists.zumcomics.info) Date: Thu, 22 Jul 2004 05:56:31 +0100 Subject: [review] [TRS] Blink#1 Message-ID: Blink#1 Posted by Mardou Blink#1 is the beginning of a strange and very ambitious graphic novel by Dennis Lo. Three characters are introduced: Marty, a middle aged butcher, Cassie, an unorthodox scientist and Dion, a young misogynist porn star. Issue 1 sees the main focus on the relationship between Marty and Cassie. Marty, as well as a butcher and abbatoir worker, is something of a storyteller himself, opening the novel with an Eastern tale of love and humiliation (establishing the themes of the novel? Maybe, but it's a little early to tell). Cassie, a failing scientist losing the respect of her faculty as she becomes more and more absorbed in her 'scientific' analysis of the occult, relies on Marty for animal subjects for her experiments (though exactly what they are isn't clear). Dion is brought into the story as a subplot in this installment, and what is hinted about him, is neatly juxtaposed as a TV news story, next to the news item of baffled police finding the remains of Cassie's dismembered cows.A strange and complex story is set in motion, and left on a cliffhanger ending. Whislt Lo seems technicallly adept and creating characters and creating a story arc (or part of one), he's less successful in telling his story sequentially. The artwork is very detailed and intricately shaded. Overly so actually. The artwork doesn't quite work for a number of reasons. Whilst I like Lo's distinctive rendering of people (they're both knotty and fleshy), there's way too much going on in each panel. The action is murky and your eye is hampered as you read. Another problem is that Lo allows all the action and detail to slide to the centre of the panel. Everything's surrounded by so much dead space and the end result is very disconcerting. It's almost like looking at a long series of badly composed stills instead of a comic. The lettering is also a real cause for concern. Both narration and dialogue is typed and stuck on. It's so tiny and speech bubbles are tightly cut around the words, there's no room for the writing to breathe and exist as an organic part of the comic. And considering how much dead space is left in most panels, it's confusing that this should be the case. Ironically, the thing I feel I ought to be complimenting Blink for - that it doesn't look like anything else I've read - the story has some depth, there's oodles of time and work evident here - is the thing that lets it down. This just isn't enough like a comic for me to enjoy. Lo needs to learn the rules of sequential narration, they'd help guide him towards a book that's technically sound enough to warrant his ambition and talent. As it is, Blink is stuck somewhere between Dennis Lo's word processor and a series of odd, evocotive, but somewhat askew, paintings. $3.95 (US)/UK ?? For More Info see: http://www.bugpowder.com/trs2/005370.html From reviews@lists.zumcomics.info Thu Jul 22 05:59:03 2004 From: reviews@lists.zumcomics.info (reviews@lists.zumcomics.info) Date: Thu, 22 Jul 2004 05:59:03 +0100 Subject: [review] [TRS] Matter: Summer Special #1 Message-ID: Matter: Summer Special #1 Posted by John Robbins When the local wacky-backy supply runs dry and the chopped-up grilled skin-of-banana still refuses to smoke right, the world of Cheech & Chongers Whitey White and Sean Brown becomes all hard-edged and distinct. Worse still: their sex-drives are returning! In desperation the duo respond to a small-ad cypher and soon receive the kind of imbibation capable of transporting them through an interdimensional lesion and embroiling them in a covert corporate struggle for monopoly of this transporting/embroiling substance. Add to the joint a Ruskie hitman tamed by love, an out-of-this-world romance and a finale in which a friendship is saved with the aid of diseased skin and a mullet, and readers may find that they have long passed the five leaves left stage! 'Serious Gear' (being the title of this Coen-like story) is of course a trip itself. Creator Philip Barrett sheds the frame structure in favour of open panels and a thinking outside the box, adopts doodling-brush to complementary effect, and achieves a breezy, fluid reading experience that floats along with a kind of measured drift - an approach which enhances some inventively surreal sequences. Vaguely resembling a Health Board booklet designed to surreptitiously educate the masses, this little book of blow is a fun, funny read. Passive smoking, gentle reader, has never been safer! A6, two-colour card cover, 80 pages - email aunty_matter@hotmail.com for ordering details and/or check the Jinx! website. For More Info see: http://www.bugpowder.com/trs2/005376.html From reviews@lists.zumcomics.info Thu Jul 22 06:07:16 2004 From: reviews@lists.zumcomics.info (reviews@lists.zumcomics.info) Date: Thu, 22 Jul 2004 06:07:16 +0100 Subject: [review] [TRS] Beowulf Cartoon Message-ID: Beowulf Cartoon Posted by John Robbins Mike Weller, acclaimed creator of Space Opera, Fanzine Fiction and Madeline My Love In Death And Fancy, turns his attention to 1000 a.d. (ish) poem Beowulf and conjures a matter-of-fact prose retelling, suffused with suspense and intrigue. Present are those elements of 'high culture' that lend greater legitimacy to the superhero genre - which we all enjoy - and a sense of foreboding integral to the effectiveness of good horror - which again, we all enjoy. As Bill Griffiths puts it in his introduction, 'what better than - a book of Beowulf!' Hideous swamp giant Grendel, a half-man half-god cast out of Asgard by Odin and Frigor, wreaks havoc nightly on Danmark's great banqueting hall, Heorot. When women, minstrels and poets alike refuse to enter Heorot for fear of Grendel's thirst for human prey, and when all that remains of heroes in the morning light are bloodstains on benches and tables, once-great king Hrothgar is reduced to prisoner of his own kingdom. Enter: Beowulf - champion swimmer, Scandanavian-famed as the youth whose hands have the strength of 30 men; rumoured bed-wetter and same-sex fancier. Can he and his 14 loyal kinsmen be the first men in 12 years to stay in the banqueting hall after dark? And what of the hushed stories of a second unearthly creature, woman-shaped and giant? Our hero, it seems, has his work cut out. Presumably what sets this production of Beowulf apart from others is Weller's bloody mindedness in attempting to capture a visually lyrical quality befitting a story originally created for an oral tradition. Practically the whole of the book's 176 pages is imaginatively hand-lettered, mostly in bubble-style, with illustrations used sparingly but to affecting consequence. It is either the startling work of a madman, or of one who understands the conditions of the world and who has found his own tranquillity and order. Either way, here Weller entertains with tales of long long before. £15, payable to Visual Associations, c/o 3 Queen Adelaide Court, Queen Adelaide Road, London SE20 7DZ, UK. For More Info see: http://www.bugpowder.com/trs2/005378.html http://www.comix.org.uk/visualassociations/ From reviews@lists.zumcomics.info Sat Jul 24 10:40:41 2004 From: reviews@lists.zumcomics.info (reviews@lists.zumcomics.info) Date: Sat, 24 Jul 2004 10:40:41 +0100 Subject: [review] [ZUM!] Lovebomb #1 Message-ID: review by Mardou Within it's badly photo-shopped cover, Get in the Ring devotes 26 pages to strips and stories featuring Peter Doree's favoured axe-wielding members of 'Rock Royalty' in imaginary scenarios. There's 'Let's Go Hunting with James Hetfield and Ted Nugent', 'Breakfast Time with Iron Maiden' and 'Living Life on the EdgeŠ.with Rush'. Its lowbrow comedy stuff, leave your brain behind when reading and if possible, seal all windows and doors, so that the smell of unlaundered Donnington 'Monsters of Rock' T-shirts best compliments the thin throb of testosterone at work in the pages you're holding. Don't get me wrong. I like Rawk music. I even like 'Rockumentaries'. It's just that reading stories about Bruce Dickinson taking a pee are plain unfunny. And tiresome. The artwork functions passably. Peter Doree draws well enough so you at least recognise who the characters are meant to be, but the portraits are let down by clunky action and some of the bizarrest foreshortening I've ever seen. What is this, a comic about celebrity mutants? That might well have been a funnier premise for a comic than the stuff on display here. In a nutshell? Unnecessary. For more info see: http://www.zumcomics.info/g/getinthering.html Discussion: http://forums.pauljholden.com/viewtopic.php?t=268 From reviews@lists.zumcomics.info Sat Jul 24 10:44:54 2004 From: reviews@lists.zumcomics.info (reviews@lists.zumcomics.info) Date: Sat, 24 Jul 2004 10:44:54 +0100 Subject: [review] [ZUM!] Lovebomb #1 Message-ID: review by Mardou This last one was a review for Pete Doree's 'Get In The Ring' - error in subject line - sorry about that. paul From reviews@lists.zumcomics.info Sun Jul 25 19:46:41 2004 From: reviews@lists.zumcomics.info (reviews@lists.zumcomics.info) Date: Sun, 25 Jul 2004 19:46:41 +0100 Subject: [review] [CI #171] Astonishing Adventures of Julius Chancer: The Black Orchid 1 Message-ID: Reviewed by Jon Edwards Astonishing Adventures of Julius Chancer: The Black Orchid 1 by Ewing; King Rat Press =A32.50 from Smallzone 10 Cleveland Avenue, High Ercall Telford, Shropshire TF6 6AH Young Julius Chancer, assistant to historian Sir=20 Alfred Catesby-Grey, is unwittingly drawn into a=20 globetrotting quest for the mythical Black=20 Orchid. Opening in 19205 London, this captivating=20 38-page mystery thriller is meticulous in its=20 textual and visual detail. Influenced by European=20 illustrators, notably Herge, yet with echoes of=20 Moebius, Manara and even James Robinson and Paul=20 Smith's Leave It to Chance, major talent Garen=20 Ewing captures the spirit of classic Tintin, but=20 provides a deeper story with broader influences &=20 a memorable cast. Supremely realised. Fantastic=20 value. Book of the month. (9) http://www.comics-international.com/Reviews/small_press.html Comics International reviews first appear within=20 the format of the magazine & are thus designed to=20 fit the constraint of being within 50 words. From reviews@lists.zumcomics.info Sun Jul 25 19:48:28 2004 From: reviews@lists.zumcomics.info (reviews@lists.zumcomics.info) Date: Sun, 25 Jul 2004 19:48:28 +0100 Subject: [review] [CI #171] Dark 3 Message-ID: Reviewed by Chris E Bunting Dark 3 by Rubins & Rubins; =A33.50 from A. Rubins 50 Hillside Grove, Southgate London N14 6HE Helen returns home with Michael to find that=20 Sunflower has thrown a party and reverted to her=20 old ways. With intelligent use of structure,=20 writing and art, the creative team of Anna and=20 Karen Rubins have crafted an absorbing and=20 ambitious small press comic. (7) http://www.comics-international.com/Reviews/small_press.html Comics International reviews first appear within=20 the format of the magazine & are thus designed to=20 fit the constraint of being within 50 words. From reviews@lists.zumcomics.info Sun Jul 25 19:50:46 2004 From: reviews@lists.zumcomics.info (reviews@lists.zumcomics.info) Date: Sun, 25 Jul 2004 19:50:46 +0100 Subject: [review] [CI #171] Don't Tread on My Rosaries Message-ID: Reviewed by Jon Edwards Don't Tread on My Rosaries by Bagnall; =A39 from Smallzone 10 Cleveland Avenue, High Ercall Telford, Shropshire TF6 6AH Like the thinking man's Beryl Cook, John=20 Bagnall's distinctive cartooning displays a=20 uniquely British flavour, his eccentric scripts=20 (observations on life, religion and David Bowie)=20 occasionally bearing a hint of nostalgia, and=20 executed with wit and economy. This handsome=20 80-page softcover features a selection of=20 Bagnall's work from 1987 to the present, and=20 although the few shorter strips here are perhaps=20 the weakest, the most recent showcase Bagnall's=20 detailed, woodcut-styled illustration at their=20 boldest and most refined. (9) http://www.comics-international.com/Reviews/small_press.html Comics International reviews first appear within=20 the format of the magazine & are thus designed to=20 fit the constraint of being within 50 words. From reviews@lists.zumcomics.info Sun Jul 25 19:52:31 2004 From: reviews@lists.zumcomics.info (reviews@lists.zumcomics.info) Date: Sun, 25 Jul 2004 19:52:31 +0100 Subject: [review] [CI #171] Dormitory 1 Message-ID: Reviewed by Jon Edwards Dormitory 1 by Browne & Browne; =A31.90 from Smallzone 10 Cleveland Avenue, High Ercall Telford, Shropshire TF6 6AH Heavily influenced by Japanese manga (even=20 including the use of Japanese names for its=20 American characters) this US-created title=20 follows the antics of a group of high school=20 girls beginning university life. Despite nicely=20 realised character visuals, the grey tones and=20 basic backgrounds - seemingly applied using=20 digital techniques - lend a stiffness to the=20 layouts, while the storytelling occasionally=20 lacks clarity. Negatives aside, the book's soap=20 opera charm could potentially engage as the=20 series develops. (7) http://www.comics-international.com/Reviews/small_press.html Comics International reviews first appear within=20 the format of the magazine & are thus designed to=20 fit the constraint of being within 50 words. From reviews@lists.zumcomics.info Sun Jul 25 19:54:29 2004 From: reviews@lists.zumcomics.info (reviews@lists.zumcomics.info) Date: Sun, 25 Jul 2004 19:54:29 +0100 Subject: [review] [CI #171] Gone Message-ID: Reviewed by Jon Edwards Gone by Auchterloune; =A36.99 from Smallzone 10 Cleveland Avenue, High Ercall Telford, Shropshire TF6 6AH Paradoxes abound and reality unravels as=20 time-traveller Janet meddles with the past in a=20 desperate attempt to make her cheating boyfriend=20 remain faithful. This professionally packaged=20 softcover - boasting the quirky atmosphere of=20 Donnie Darko and a raw, pseudo-cartoon style not=20 unlike that of British creator Nick Abadzis - is=20 a unique 76-page romantic thriller, offering a=20 dark, amusing charm that renders the mild absence=20 of polish forgivable. (8) http://www.comics-international.com/Reviews/small_press.html Comics International reviews first appear within=20 the format of the magazine & are thus designed to=20 fit the constraint of being within 50 words. From reviews@lists.zumcomics.info Sun Jul 25 19:56:00 2004 From: reviews@lists.zumcomics.info (reviews@lists.zumcomics.info) Date: Sun, 25 Jul 2004 19:56:00 +0100 Subject: [review] [CI #171] Manhole 1 Message-ID: Reviewed by Jon Edwards Manhole 1 by Mardou; =A32.50 from Smallzone 10 Cleveland Avenue, High Ercall Telford, Shropshire TF6 6AH A slice-of-life 28-page anthology in the vein of=20 Daniel Clowes' work. The reflective=20 mother-daughter conversation, Esme's Door, is=20 subtly touching, but it is the main strip, George=20 Best - the life and loves of an unfulfilled young=20 woman - is the highlight here. While the artwork=20 is not quite as cleanly executed as it could be,=20 this is nevertheless a well-written,=20 sophisticated title of inherent wit. (8) http://www.comics-international.com/Reviews/small_press.html Comics International reviews first appear within=20 the format of the magazine & are thus designed to=20 fit the constraint of being within 50 words. From reviews@lists.zumcomics.info Sun Jul 25 19:57:29 2004 From: reviews@lists.zumcomics.info (reviews@lists.zumcomics.info) Date: Sun, 25 Jul 2004 19:57:29 +0100 Subject: [review] [CI #171] The 0 Men 23 Message-ID: Reviewed by Kelvin Green The 0 Men 23 by Eden; Ominous Comics =A31.50 from M. Eden 19a Trevalyan Road, Tooting London SW17 9LS Grace confronts her husband Stu, while Scarlet=20 has a chat with Anathema and Rob starts to=20 realise that something is wrong. The writing is=20 again excellent, with some audacious twists that=20 surprisingly do work, and characterisation that's=20 unparalleled in quality. The only flaw is that=20 the art isn't quite as strong as it usually is. (8) http://www.comics-international.com/Reviews/small_press.html Comics International reviews first appear within=20 the format of the magazine & are thus designed to=20 fit the constraint of being within 50 words.