andyctwrites

[andyctwrites]

Selling Your Story – Peaks and Pitfalls of Publishing Contracts

Points to consider when deciding if a Publisher is the right fit for you.

Landing a publishing contract is the Holy Grail for many creators who set their sights on “breaking in” to comics, and it’s understandable as to why this is the case…

It’s a big ego bump for starters. Someone external, has recognised your work as good enough to be associated with, promote and sell. In terms of logistics, publishers have established distribution and promotional tools at their disposal and should have a bigger voice than you alone to share your creation with their customer base. As an independent creator, associating yourself with something bigger can also boost your profile – Like a more positive version of joining a gang in prison (I’d imagine). 

The subject of publisher relations with creators, differential deals and the fairness of agreements became the subject of debate across comics twitter recently. Voices of creators and collaborators I have a great deal of respect for came out to talk about their views on several publishers with messages of both condemnation and support. Wider spread trends led to a number of freelance workers actively sharing what they had been paid for projects. While there’s no need to pick through a debate which is easily searched, I’ve been thinking a great deal on the subject of publisher contracts.  Specifically, how an independent creator can review and consider what publishers are offering more critically in the hope they secure favourable terms, or at very least don’t feel regrets down the line as items not considered at the time of signing come home to roost.

I’ve sat to write this piece in the hope it sparks more discussion and helps those working in the small press scene, which I love, ask the right questions and considering offerings from publishers who show interest in their work.  Hopefully I’ve made it accessible and not hideously dull.  

Before we take a step further, let’s cover a few notes and caveats here:

Who is this guy? – I’m Andy Conduit-Turner a writer and extremely small name, in all but letter count, in UK indie comic publishing. The chances are, that if we’ve not met, you’ve not heard of me.

My comics contracting experience is primarily limited to drafting my own commissioning contracts to engage with collaborators for comics I have written, and in licencing short stories which I’ve written to appear in anthologies and other mediums produced by others. At the time of writing, I have neither signed with, or been rejected by any major (or minor) comics publisher and am not providing comment on any observed content which may or may not appear in a publishing agreement from any given company. 

I am, neither a qualified legal professional or literary agent. In the event any contract you ever receive for any purpose is of extreme importance, investing in the support of a qualified person with greater industry experience is of far greater value than anything you’ll read here. 

Outside of comics, my professional career and other personal projects over the last decade have seen me review, interpret, question, edit and respond to countless legal agreements for a variety of purposes. This has left me with a wealth of experience in considering longer term impacts for both the purchasing and suppling parties of service agreements – I’ve spent a great deal of time having both commercial and capability-based discussions prior to contracts being signed.

This is by no means an anti-publisher piece – Regardless of where you stand on recent publishing discussions, I’ve no desire to create an Us (Creators) vs Them (Publishers) sentiment here. There are countless publishers who are passionate about sharing creator’s stories, invest significantly and add a great deal of value to both individual projects and the industry as a whole. No reputable publisher is out to trick creators or deliberately give them a raw deal.  That said, as with many transactions, a publisher is a business with an end goal of limiting liability and generating revenue in both the short and long term – Depending on your ideological feelings, this isn’t necessarily an inherently evil objective, and it’s how publishers remain in business. 

Your publishing contract is equally not a formality, a magnanimous offer from a friend with nothing to gain from the arrangement, and your unconditional ticket to success and acclaim. Different deals will work for different creators – A good deal to one will be an unacceptable deal for someone else and there are few terms which would be universally perfect or awful for everyone. I’d hope through these pages I can maybe help you consider your offers, ask necessary questions and make decisions you’re comfortable with for your own circumstances.

Negotiation carries risks – Especially within the sphere of indie publishing, there are a couple of truths we need to reflect on.

1. Comics are an attractive and exciting creative medium for people to get into. Especially if a publisher is welcome to unsolicited submissions, they are likely to have no shortage of people interested in publishing with them.

2. Many publishers aren’t huge organisations. In the event a member of their core team is not already a legal professional, it’s unlikely they will have a legal department on their staff to directly manage adjustments to legal documents and agreements.

What this boils down to is that, many publishers may simply not have the resources or interest in negotiating or adjusting a contract with you – There’s every chance that the offer made to you is non-negotiable. While I’d argue that the withdrawal of an offer in response to a question asked or statement challenged in good faith is indicative of the professionalism of the organisation in question, you should be prepared for the fact that being the squeaky wheel may not land you the deal you want, and may take the one you have off the table. 

A Note on NDAs and Market Norms

NDAs, or Non-Disclosure Agreements are very common, as part of, or prior to contracting in many industries. They are typically used to protect (in this case publishers’) private or proprietary information concerning their business practises, contracting terms, project pipeline and pay rates private and confidential. They are a routine consideration and not indicative of any sinister goings on.  In keeping with professional conduct, if you sign an NDA you should, of course, respect its conditions though here are a few considerations and questions you may ask or confirm however.

1: Is the NDA mutually beneficial – While you are agreeing not to share the details of a publisher’s business and offer outside involved parties, does the signed NDA bind the publisher to offer you the same regardless as to whether the end result is a signed publishing agreement?

Are there stated commitments to your work remaining confidential and not circulated to other outside parties during your negotiations? What commitments are made to the return / disposal of any project details or materials shared should an agreement not be finalised.

Additionally, can you expect details on deals you accept in terms of up front remuneration, percentage splits on profits and additional contract terms to remain confidential?

2: Pitch exclusivity – Are there any expectations, formal or otherwise that you should not pitch your comic elsewhere until negotiations have been concluded?

3: Your right to advice – No NDA should prevent you taking appropriate professional advice before signing any final agreement.

Rules on business competition internationally, already provide a great deal of legislation to ensure businesses to remain competitive and prevent illegal practises such as price fixing and market sharing. While market norms may dictate and guide the offers you’re likely to receive competing businesses should not mutually agree to adhere to set fees or conditions. At this point I’ll pause and note that I don’t hold the market specific professional knowledge to apply Anti-Trust and similar business competition legislation to publishing contracts – These should be forefront of a publisher’s mind when managing confidentiality of contract content.  

So…With all of that now said (in painstaking detail) let’s get into this shall we

What’s in this for you?

So, you’ve pitched your book to a publisher and they’re interested in working with you? Great news! Now comes the time when you need to consider what you want to get from your potential partner, and consider, realistically, what you’ll accept. For many creators your wants and expectations may include:

Contribution to production costs. Particularly for writer led teams, an ability to appropriately pay artists, colourists, letterers, editors and other professionals make up the bulk of comic production costs even before downstream logistics such as printing, marketing and distribution come into play.  Many publishers may state up front whether this is a model they can support. Initial production costs add to the overall risk and increase the volume needed to sell before profits are realised.   Consider – Landing a publisher may not relieve you of the need to raise personal funds or take to Kickstarter. 

Upfront royalty payments. A noble dream for some, though likely only realised by more established creators. Belief in your project will need to be high to warrant an upfront payment to the creator for a book prior to a single copy being sold Consider – Manage your expectations here, how promising is your pitch? Do you have a track record of success that offsets the risk of an upfront pay out?

Percentage Profits – This is likely to be a long-term arrangement of any publishing deal whereby the creator and the publisher acting a licence holder take an agreed % split of future profit revenue generated from the project – Profits from what exactly we’ll come to later.  Consider – There’s no way around this, any additional step in the process here are going to reduce the by unit revenue you receive per each sale. By working with a publisher, the benefit to you is that they support you in, ideally, selling more copies than you would alone.

Production and logistical support – Sure, you know writing, art or whichever your creative field may be, but there’s every chance that your publisher is more familiar with the processes involved with getting your book into people’s hands.  With established relationships with suppliers and retailers your publisher may also be able to optimise the per unit profit on your book sales, in addition to increasing your potential audience through supply networks and wider convention attendance.

In some cases, your publisher may also take a creative role in the process, appointing an editor, or suggesting changes to make a book more marketable in their experience – We’ll also return to this point later.

Comic Financials - Hypothetical example – Comic X

Working without a publisher

You as creator spend £2000 on the production of your comic  (Art, letters, colour, whatever!) Print volumes allow you to obtain copies of your book at £2 per copy

You price your book at £5 per copy Let’s then also assume a modest spend of £200 on website, and attending some local cons, and you break even on Postage and Packing. Under this model you’ll see a profit on your creation once you sell your 734th copy of Comic X. This assumes you sell exactly all of your stock and are left with no additional copies which you’ve paid to have printed, but not yet sold. Let’s make this a tiny bit more complex and suggest that you diversify from selling physical copies online and at cons alone. You begin selling digital copies via an established digital store front at £3. You also connect with local comic retailers who agree to carry copies of your comics in store. To keep this simple and not lose the remaining 3 people this dive into maths hasn’t lost already let’s assume that your sales across all avenues equal out to 1/3 each, and once again all copies you produce will sell. The digital sales have no print cost but the digital storefront takes 50% of the sale price

The stores agree to purchase copies of your book from you for £4, creating a 33% share on profit after print costs.

Under this scenario, Comic X will officially be profitable after around 245 direct physical sales, 489 digital sales and 367 sales via stores.

Working with a publisher

Under this model, we’ll assume that you as a creator invested the same £2000 in production costs but nothing further, leaving the publisher to manage the printing along with costs for attending conventions etc.

Outside of the numbers here, your publisher is also the party taking the risk regarding the volume produced if any copies go unsold. The trade off is that your publisher will take a percentage of any profits before they reach you. For this example, let’s say you agree on 50% revenue share and receive no contribution to production costs or any upfront payment.

For argument sake, let’s assume your publisher secures the same unit costs and margins (though you’d hope they may be able to negotiate better through volume purchasing). Understanding a publisher’s direct cost with con attendance, and marketing when applied to a single book is a level of hypothetical we won’t attempt here.

Focussing on you as a creator, under the same sales methods used in the non-publisher model you would begin to see profit on your production investment of £2000 from publisher paid royalties after 445 direct sales, 889 digital sales and 667 in store sales.

After all this talk of money, the first thing to recognise is that it isn’t everything to all creators. Many will consider the long-term goals of building an audience as a pathway to bigger and better things, or simply an investment in their creative hobby. Those with realistic aspirations will likely not expect to anything resembling a profit from their early books (save perhaps for those with the skills to produce a comic entirely alone or with collaborators satisfied with payment purely from sale revenue). For many creators, having a partner who ensures copies of their books get into people’s hands, minimising their own administrative efforts is the goal.  

What is critical is to do your own calculations, consider your goals along with level of financial investment and energy you have to invest in selling your own book. In this simplified example, we’ve not considered the accuracy of print orders vs sales, tax applications or eligible rebates or potential publisher costs deducted from profits to account for their operational expenses, but it should give you a loose model to consider your own investment against.

Potential Questions – Depending on your financial and creative motivations

What sales numbers does the publisher consider to be a success? Assuming the publisher will set sale price – What margin do they consider acceptable vs costs? What sales avenues does the publisher use? Does the publisher have established relationships with distributors and retailers with agreements to carry their stock? If so, what regions and countries do they have distribution networks within? Which electronic store fronts does the publisher make books available via? What volume of conventions, in which locations, does the publisher typically attend? Are they willing to share any statistics on which platforms generate the strongest sales? How, if at all, are publisher overhead costs factored into overall sale profits for division between publisher and creator? Does the agreement permit the creator to obtain copies of the publication at cost, or discounted rates for either personal use or onward sale? What marketing methods do the publisher deploy to promote new and existing content? Does the agreement, place any expectations or limitations on the actions of the creator to promote the comic? Does the agreement commit the publisher to any minimum volume of books to be produced for sale, or resources allocated to promote the publication?

What’s in this for them?

Now we come to the other half of the deal. In working with a publisher, you grant your partner certain rights in potentially both the short and long term. Understanding the rights, you’re happy to sign away and the long-term implications can be key points in your decision-making process.

Your potential publisher may request some of the following:

Percentage Profits on book sales – This is a given and how your publisher will make the most immediate return on backing your comic and investing in its production or distribution

Editorial and creative direction – While some publishers may primarily take on completed projects, others may provide editorial input. For many creators, this may be beneficial professional, input to improve the project overall.  Consider – When you engage an editor privately as a self-published creator, the final decision on how you incorporate your editor’s feedback is your own. A publisher driven edit may take the final creative control out of your own hands. As with many aspects in this section this can be a positive, but it is something you should consider and make peace with before you agree to your publishing deal.

Revenue on sale of promotional and licensed goods – As part of your agreement, your publisher may gain rights to produce and sell a variety of goods associated with your comic. For a small press projects, this could be as simple as prints, postcards and pins made available as add on purchases, but an agreement could equally account for additional 3rd party licensing. Consider – From a financial perspective do you retain a share of the profits from the sale of promotional or licensed goods? Is the rate in line with the percentage you earn from book sales? Depending on the answer to these questions, if your book is successful and lends itself to popular merchandise, you’ll potentially see a larger return on your production investment more quickly, in time you may even see more royalties from the tasteful sets of commemorative glassware your story has produced than the book itself.  From a creative standpoint, you need to consider that you are likely giving up a degree of control here. If you’ve strong feelings that series logo should never appear on a tote bag, this is potentially something your deal may remove your option to veto in the future.

Adaptation rights – In licensing your comic for publication, your publisher may request rights concerning the adaptation of your comic into other mediums.  These rights may extend to written and audio productions, stage, television and film versions and interactive media such as video games. The requested rights may be inclusive of both financial benefits of licensing for alternative mediums and overall creative control in the adaptation for other media.  Consider – If you’re a creative person with hands in other media, be it a keen filmmaker or an apprentice of coding, you may wish to seek to retain your own rights to pursue alternative interpretations of your story. Particularly in fields you have interest in.  This may also be the time to consider how you would feel about any alternative take on your work with which you may have no creative involvement or influence over. 

Sequel / Spin-off Rights – In agreeing to publish your project your publisher may also requests rights relating to production of related projects, both in comics or other media (as detailed above). These rights may include first review and option to license the new publication prior to it being offered to other publishers, the right to engage the creative team professionally to actively work on a related publication, or potentially engaging a separate creative team.  Consider – As with the above point, your decision on agreeing with these terms will depend on your overall attachments to the project and your own long-term plans for ongoing related stories.  If the idea of having limited or no control on how your original story grows into future projects gives you cold sweats, this is a right you’ll need to consider your comfort with, before you sign. How important is having ongoing control to you?

Potential Questions – Depending on your financial and creative motivations

What history does the publisher have with facilitating adaptation of comics to other media? Does the agreement, obligate or limit the creator in efforts to adapt the publication for other media? Does the publisher actively seek opportunities for property adaptations, or is this handled ad hoc as interested parties approach the publisher as licence holder? Does the publisher’s right to financial share in adaptation driven revenue differ in the event that the publisher take no active role in adapting or pitching the an adaptation of the property? What rights do the publisher hold regarding the sale or transition of publishing or ongoing licensing rights to a third party?

Overall, considering the ongoing rights and control a creator or creative team is willing to hand over to a publisher will be a critical point for many in making a decision before signing an agreement. How you perceive the value of publisher input, a potential reduction in creative control and your confidence in the long-term potential of your story will be key points in influencing what you’re comfortable in conceding in exchange for the benefits your publisher brings to the table. 

The Finer Details

With the main points of your agreement carefully reviewed, it’s time to consider the ifs and buts, concerning the terms and limitations of your agreement.

Time – How long does your agreement grant the stated rights to your publisher? A set period? A set period with right to extend or first refusal to negotiate extension on similar terms or terms related to performance? Indefinite? Location – Are publication rights granted internationally or only in certain territories? Does your selected publisher have capabilities to market and distribute in all stated territories?  If not, do they actively seek third party partners to distribute successful publications in additional territories?

Obligations – Are there stated timings for release, efforts to market, volumes sold, or stock made available for purchase a publisher must maintain to retain the license to your comic? Remuneration and Reporting – How frequently are royalties calculated and paid to the creator or creative team? Are there lower and upper limits to disbursement amounts? What reporting does your publisher provide to indicate gross profits leading to creator revenue share? Specifically, when it comes to matters of accounting. If you intend to maintain a financial interest in the performance of your work, appropriate transparency of accounting may be essential to understand your publisher’s level of investment and gross earnings before final profits are divided? Most organisations should permit you a right to audit, but be mindful of the conditions applied. Permitting a deep audit via the appointment of an official accountant able to review documentation on a publisher’s premises may fulfil legal obligations but creates an immediate pay wall for you as an independent creator, whose initial earnings on a single book may not warrant the investment.

If your potential publisher is able to provide sample reporting, you can accommodate yourself with the level of detail prior to signature and assure yourself that the level of transparency meets your level of interest.

Legal obligations – In addition to any submission conditions when you pitched your book, signing a publishing agreement will almost certainly involve your further verification that the work is your own and indemnify your publisher from any obligation or responsibility should this statement prove inaccurate in the future.  In addition to the obligations on the creator, take note of any commitments made by the publisher to protect the IP you are licensing to them, and potential indemnity from any actions arising from material changes to the work or subsequent adaptation upon which the publisher, or their representative exercises creative control.

Limitations and release – Tied to the any limitations relating to time or location stated in your contract, it’s also worth noting any other terms which would lead to overall rights being returned back to the original creator or creative team.  The most commonly anticipated reason for this would be publisher insolvency, though in some cases a struggling publisher with the appropriate rights could look to sell on any held licensing rights to a third party to raise capital prior to this occurring (assuming your agreement permits this). Clauses that benefit the creator in this area could speak to the minimum level of production or service provided to promote your comic, which if not met over an extended period results in the rights returning to the creator to pitch elsewhere or develop further with no further obligation to the publisher, thus holding your publisher to a higher degree of accountability for your book’s ongoing performance. Another alternative may represent a defined buy out clause, permitting the creative team to release themselves or further obligation to a publisher by either ensuring a pre-defined return on the publisher’s initial investment or a sum equal relevant to the book’s performance.   The latter examples, I’d anticipate would be less frequent in their appearance within standard contract language, however these may be some of the most essential inclusions for a creator who is invested in the long-term management and performance of their work.

For an example, we’ll return to Comic X…

Worst case scenario…

Joe Creator, writer of Comic X, signs a publisher agreement granting licencing rights, inclusive of, merchandise, sequel and adaptation control and financial rights irrevocably to a publisher.

Joe’s agreement sees the creator receive 50% of Net profits from book sales but nothing from any additional licensing or merchandising unless directly engaged by the publisher to work on this new content under a separate agreement.  The publisher will manage distribution and printing costs but does not contribute to the initial creation cost for artwork and associated tasks.

The rights will return to Joe only should the publisher file bankruptcy or should they fail to produce any volumes of the work within a defined period following initial project completion.

With no minimum term of service, the publisher fulfils their obligation to Joe through a short production run of 50 copies of their book, which are not directly marketed by the publisher but organically sells 30 copies through their inclusion on the publisher’s stand at conventions. The remaining 20 copies are sold at stock clearance reduction prices and do not recoup their print costs. The book is not listed digitally or marketed to any retailers. In the end of his first year since publication, the royalties owed to Joe from the profit share fall well below the minimum payment threshold and no payment is made.

In the five years that follow, the book remains listed on the publisher’s store front as “Out of Stock” and based on performance no further print runs are ordered.  

Meanwhile, Joe continues to build career momentum through well received subsequent releases, published independently and interest in obtaining adaptation rights for Joe Creator properties hits public consciousness.  Having secured irrevocable licencing rights the publisher secures a lucrative 3 series deal with Netflix adapting Joe’s original Comic X series. Netflix opts to use their own writing team, whose agents ensure they are recognised as lead creatives.  A credit listing “Based on Comic X by Joe Creator” appears at the end of the opening credits, but everyone skips these.

With the Netflix series differing significantly from the original Comic X, rather than reprint the original, the publisher opts to engage a different creative team to spin off a new ongoing series based more closely on the aesthetic and themes of the new Netflix creation. The financial impact to Joe from creating the original work remains fundamentally minus £2000 as the £35 owed to Joe in previous revenue falls below the minimum payment threshold. This is an extreme example, played up for the sake of hyperbole, but hopefully it illustrates the point Consider your conditions carefully, what you gain, what you give away, and the level of effort your publisher commits to you. and finally. 

Know who you’re dealing with - Know your own worth

Throughout previous sections, I’ve encouraged creators to consider what they want from a publisher, what they are happy to give in exchange and the finer details of agreements.

I’ll leave you with a (mercifully) briefer point by encouraging both research and self-reflection. Your research on a publisher should not begin and end with “Who is accepting pitches?”

Consider the fit of your project within their body of work.

Meet and connect with other creators who’ve worked with them and politely request their feedback.

Look at publisher’s company performance and makeup with resources such a Companies house or Endole. Do they appear financially stable? How large is their team? What other interests to their leadership team have?

Look at publisher’s websites and social media platforms, how are they marketing? How large is their reach? How much interaction do you see with their posts? How large is their portfolio?

Measure your own, time, resources, and reach against your potential publishers and consider objectively and, in quantifiable terms wherever you can, how you measure up.  If you’re brining a sizable or active existing audience with you to a publisher this may enhance your ability to negotiate.

To wrap up I’ll say, that I hope the last, almost 5000 words *Jeez* have been of some value, whatever your experience of creating or publishing to date. I by no means consider myself an authority on anything so would be delighted if this sparks further conversation and discussion from others who may add more specific examples and considerations which may help others chasing the goal of having published work out in the wild.

I’ll return to one of my opening points that there are some fantastic publishers doing incredible work in the indie comic scene and making books possible that would otherwise never see the light of day. For indie creators, whether a publishing deal is a Holy Grail or a Poison Chalice will likely remain up to the individual and determined by how circumstances play out.  If this helps just one person, take pause, consider their options and make an informed choice it will have been worth the effort.

[andyctwrites]

#ReadingRampage Year 2 - Week 6: These Savage Shores

Double post in the same week for me to get caught up on write ups after my holiday (Yeah it’s a hard life isn’t it). 

For the last few days of my trip and subsequent catch up I found a little less time to read, but the couple of issues I did get through were real delights so without further delay.

Read 1:  These Savage Shores 1 & 2 

Published: Vault Comics Written: Ram V Art: Sumit Kumar Colours: Vittorio Astone Letters: Aditya Bidikar

This book is one of the rare occasions where I heard of the a creator ahead of seeing any their comic work - My path to reading and (spoilers) enjoying These Savage Shores began with reading thread on twitter by the book’s writer Ram V as he described his beginnings as a comic creator, working on his own IPs and recently becoming the first Indian writer to write Batman (Here’s a link to a Multiversity interview on the subject). After reading the article I read some more of Ram’s work in the form of the sprawling sci-fi epic Paradiso and upon seeing mention of the upcoming These Savage Shores I’d made a mental note to watch for its arrival 

Fast forward a few weeks and I (Extremely briefly) met Ram as he tabled at Thought Bubble. In what was probably less than 30 seconds of conversation as I endeavoured to get around the entire con in 3 hours or less. I met a writer clearly passionate and enthusiastic about his work, and gripping a preview edition of issue 1 of These Savage Shores which I enjoyed immensely back in #ReadingRampage day 353 (back when I was brave enough to commit to a book every day). 

This first impression managed to immediately strike me as a book I’d need to pick up in full. 

Finally sitting with the first two issues with enough time to dedicate to properly digesting, and quickly found my expectations shattered yet again. For those that have avoided spoilers for this book so far I’ll try to avoid being the one to ruin the surprises now by keeping my description brief. Everything begin as an ocean voyage draws to a close and a nobleman forced to exile himself from England (on account of being outed as a vampire) arrives to begin anew in India. What the arrogant undead expat soon determines however is that perhaps he is not the most dangerous predator in his new home.  I’ll leave the descriptions at that and add my commentary that the events that begin to unfold from this point managed to surprise me at several points throughout the story so far already in addition to introducing a number of captivating characters seeped in mystery and with a wealth of secrets to uncover in future issues. 

For me personally, the immediate excitement I’m getting from this book is the incredibly fresh take on a theme which is incredibly familiar - There’s something uniquely compelling about seeing something we’re accustomed to - Maybe, in some cases even tired of, like a Vampire story and have it taken in to a setting with it’s own different set of rules and legends (which much of the audience will be far more ignorant of).

Moving on to the rest of the creative team in play here, the artwork is best described for the most part as beautiful - The detail in period features and the level of detail ranging from scenes featuring nature to the presentation of architecture and character costume is utterly superb. Then in moments of action or horror there’ s a real sense of something terrible having been unleashed from the pages - It’s really quite incredible stuff. The colour work is also some masterful stuff, England feels cold and rainy, the jungle has a real look of heat and humidity, the atmosphere is captured admirably across each scene.    Additional applause are owed to the book’s letterer who pulls off some really intricate work as some characters correspond by letter. 

I may well revisit this post down the line when I can comment on the complete run here but for now - If this above doesn’t state it quite strongly enough - READ THIS. 

Additional Reading (listening) - As I come to upload this write up, I see on my Podcast feed that Ram is guesting on the Awesome Comics Podcast this week - Where you’ll no doubt be able to hear more about These Savage Shores and his other projects. Why not take a listen to it - It’s what I’ll be doing moments after I hit post on this. 

[andyctwrites]

#ReadingRampage Year 2 Week 5: Marvel Connections Game

As I found myself in the latter part of my holiday, having caught up with two fairly extensive series already, I turned my attention to a short game I decided I could play with several of the books I’d recently picked up from Marvel either as series I’d been following, or grabs from some of the recent Comixology sale events that have been successfully plundering my bank account with irresistible opportunities to “Save” money. 

In any case, slightly inspired by an event that took place way back in the early part of the year as I was preparing for an appearance on Gareth Hopkins’ Alpha Flight based podcast, Alpha Pod Flight - As a brief aside, each episode of this entertaining show sees artist (and Alpha Flight fan) Gareth, and a guest, talk through a classic issue of adventures featuring Canada’s premiere mutant super hero team.

While reading the issue selected for the episode, I was chuckling to myself about what initially felt like a bizarre bit of dialogue between the Scorpion and the Tinkerer as they met at the airport. In answer to the Scorpion’s complaints that he is late the Tinkerer explains that he was seeing his son off at the airport as a trip to the Costa Brava (A Fictional Central American republic rather than a Spanish resort popular with British tourists). Imagine my surprise, after having laughed at what seemed like a pointless bit of dialogue, when I learned that the Tinkerer not only has a son, but that he is The Agent - Rick Mason and his graphic novel detailing his adventures in Costa Brava became one of my favourite finds of the year:

Honestly though - Read this. It’ s great!

Technical issues caused the episode where we discussed this at length to be lost though I eventually did record an Episode of Alpha PodFlight with Gareth, on a different (equally great) issue that can be listened to HERE.

Since this tenuous link led me unexpectedly to a real gem I decided to replicate the principle of this same game with my to read pile as a way to leap from one book to the next - While the result wasn’t quite as radical or the findings as obscure I still had a lot of fun!

I began, in this case, with the end even the mighty Avengers fear:

Read 1 - Thanos Wins

Written: Donny Cates Art: Geoff Shaw Colours: Antonio Fabela

Donny Cates has been a name attached to a lot of my favourite content coming from the Marvel camp of late and this proved to be no exception - To briefly set the scene, Thanos finds himself abducted mid-massacre by an enigmatic Ghost Rider. His destination, a future where he finally won and where the victorious King Thanos now seeks aid from his younger self. 

Despite existing in what those living in a traditional “Darkest possible timeline” have nightmares about, this is far from a Grimdark tale, Cate’s writing giving an irreverent, black comedic twist to almost any situation and with some superb, vibrantly coloured art that shines especially during action panels, this was a great point to start. 

A little extra mention for some of the bonus content in here - Thanos visiting an unfortunate victim every year with his own brand of birthday gift was especially entertaining.

My first segue here was a fairly simple one - Based on the standout character (for me) from this mini series and having already enjoyed the first issue earlier in the year I went straight into...

Read 2: Cosmic Ghost Rider 

Written: Donny Cates Art: Dylan Burnett Colours: Antonio Fabela

Boasting a fair portion of the team from the last read, the transition to reading the full Cosmic Ghost Rider series was a fairly smooth affair. 

In this 5 issue arc we see the (now time displaced) spirit of Frank Castle, aka the Cosmic Ghost rider, politely asked to leave his earned place in Valhalla to undertake a mission to rid the universe of Thanos long before he grows to become the menace he will eventually be known as - Simple right?  In a last moment attack of conscious, the rider opts not to kill the infant Thanos, but rather take him under his wing and raise his correctly - What could go wrong?

This is probably the highlight of Cates’ work I’ve read thus far (and I REALLY enjoyed Venom) featuring a character and scenario that really hits the sweet spot for me - There’s a light tone in the face of endless devastation and at times it’s downright ridiculous - I LOVED IT!  I found the art a very strong match for the story content too,  creating a world and scenario I was sad to leave behind after a short run. 

Needless to say I’m 100% on board for the new Guardians of the Galaxy run in 2019. 

So, having joined The Punisher in a less grounded adventure, and looking through my unread pile, I found myself drawn to another series featuring Frank Castle outside of his usual MO...

Read 3:  Doctor Strange / Punisher - Magic Bullets

Written:  John Barber Art: Jason Muhr / Andrea Broccardo Colours: Andres Mossa / Andrew Crossley Letters: Clayton Cowles

I always enjoy an unlikely team up, and tonally this felt like almost as unlikely as they come...In Magic Bullets, the story begins with the feel of a standard Punisher adventure, with Castle, infiltrating a gangland recruitment event and “Punishing” the attendees - Until he stumbles across something he’s not equipped to deal with. 

As we meet Doctor Strange here I should admit that I’m far less well read in terms of Doctor Strange lore and characters - My Pre-MCU experience of the character is primarily from his appearances as a guest character in 90s Spider-Man cartoons, a infallible master of the mystic arts who say the name of magic spells as he’s using them in a theatrical Shakespearian style  - Feel free to read the below in the appropriate voice for effect:

“The Winds of Watoomb!!!”

In this story, the current state of the Marvel universe seems to be that magic has , by and large been banished from the world, with remaining pockets of mystical energy being based within magical items or in specific places - So the all powerful Strange of other stories is somewhat nerfed, with the appropriate impact on the character’s overall confidence and demeanour. 

While at first I had mild concerns that a slightly more, impulsive, wise cracking Doctor Strange as we first meet in the early portion of this book would feel a little as though the writing was simply playing to what has been shown to work well in the movies, I actually warmed to it quickly, the contrast between the depowered, though still principled and composed Strange and the uncompromising, stalwart figure of the Punisher, play off well against one another in an escalating tale of some low ranking mobsters that enlist the help of a Necromancer to increase their gang territory with a show of demonic force. 

Artistically, this is a book designed to read digitally, with all of the advantages the platform brings with, subtle movement, panel layering to convey action and staggered dialogue and it all works together very nicely, on a par with the better books I’ve enjoyed in the format. 

As with other books I’d struck up to this point in the week, despite the massacre of criminals by the Punisher and an army of demons to contend with, the overall feel of the book is light, briskly paced and with a humorous slant. If you’ve, even a passing interest in either of the characters and don’t feel the need to take your superhero fiction too seriously it’s another series worth taking a look at. 

Now...during this story, the aforementioned low level gangsters, The Fussili siblings Lucretia and Livio, find themselves infused with demonic power...As their power grows and lesser organisations fall to them, their hunger for power also increases as they plan to even take on the Kingpin himself! 

Which linked me neatly to

Read 4: Kingpin - Born Against 

Written: Matthew Rosenberg Art: Ben Torres Colours: Jordan Boyd Letters: Travis Lanham

Now here we had quite a change of pace - A grounded, serious and thoughtful story in comparison to some of the mad cap adventures I’d read throughout the week. In born against we follow Sarah Dewey, an award winning but now down on her luck journalist whose profiles of boxers catch the attention of an allegedly reformed Wilson Fisk, aka, The Kingpin. Fisk approaches Sarah with the offer of employment as his biographer to tell the true story of his life and crimes. 

Uncertain, and sceptical, but in desperate need of money Sarah has little choice but the hear the Kingpin out, only to slowly and subtly be drawn into his world. 

The Kingpin - In almost every incarnation I’ve seen him in remains one of my favourite Marvel villains. The subtlety, intelligence and ruthless brutality of the character skilfully drawn out in this story exemplifies exactly what makes him one of the best, easily the story driving match of any infinity stone wielding mad titan or sentient killing machine.  immensely compelling from the outset, as you as a reader are as confused, taken in and churned up in the deception and manipulation of the Marvel criminal underworld.  

The artwork for this story is once again well suited to the story at hand, the lines are harsh,  the shadows dark - Running into this darker, dirtier story after the bright colours of space based adventures and magical street battles seemed incredibly fitting. 

As the end of this run approached I aimlessly searched for some time for a link to another book in my to read pile - Flicking back trough the book I came to a section where the Kingpin is inviting Sarah to attend a fundraiser he’s organising...You’ll never guess who the entertainment is!

Read 5: Dazzler The Movie

Written: James Shooter Art: Frank Springer / Vince Colletta Colours: Christie Scheele Letters: John Morelli

So the trail ended - Having started with a recently released book about a final battle for the fate of all remaining life in the universe, to a book released the year before I was born concerning the ill-fated movie career of part time X-Person, full time Marvel Pop-Icon Dazzler. 

It was on the first page of the book proper as my wife leaned over to see what I was reading, only to see a number of tight, pastel coloured Lycra wearing figures bicycle kicking into the air. “It’s from the 80s” I explained as she raised an eyebrow and carried on reading.  While Dazzler: The Movie has it’s merits, I’d by lying if I claimed it hadn’t suffered slightly from time and the associated change in attitudes and developments in story telling.  In moments of the story or hero falls wildly in love with an admirer based on how persistently he pursues her - To provide context, he’s persistent enough that he’d warrant a listing on the sex offenders register.  Later Dazzler remarks as her disgust of having gotten fat from her Hollywood lifestyle (She hasn’t). 

While overall this probably saw me rolling my eyes and slightly less engaged with this story than some of the others I’d enjoyed during the week there’s still some enjoyment to be had here, with the character growing and establishing a sense of self identity while balancing personal her personal desire for fame and recognition with her status as a mutant and ties to the X-men and their mission for mutant acceptance. There are also some neat displays of her powers on a larger scale than I’ve seen elsewhere. 

and don’t for a second think that this being an 80s thing was ever a problem - I love the 1980s! As I belong to a generation for whom the light throwing, fashionable young female member of the X-men is firmly Jubilee (Pre-Vampire years) it was actually a nice opportunity to see more of this iconic character. In the interests of seeing her in some additional contexts I may well check out Mags Visaggio’s more recent take on the character to seek out some X-men issues where she features on the team.

So there’s where the trial took me - I think I’ll do something similar with some other companies in the coming weeks. 

Week 6 - I head to Savage Shores

[andyctwrites]

#ReadingRampage Year 2 Week 4: The Woods

For week 4 of #ReadingRampage year 2 , given that being on holiday continued to grant me more reading time than usual I opted to tackle another long standing series which had been on my reading list for an extended time - The Woods:

Published: Boom Studios Written: James Tynion IV Art: Michael Dialynas

In the interests of giving a brief overview of the premise of The Woods, it’s hard to do much better than writer James Tynion IV’s own original note which eventually grew into a near 800 page comic story: “Full Mid-Western High School is beamed to a planet on the other end of the universe. Wooded Planet. Lotsa Problems and stuff.”

In essence this should be plenty to whet most appetites, but to expand on things just slightly, as the note suggests a school, complete with all of the staff and pupils find themselves instantaneously and inexplicably on a hostile world.  From this simple initial premise, a huge, sprawling and rich Sci-fi, character driven adventure spanning a number of years and 9 volumes unfolds with no shortage of action, emotional exchanges, and desperate struggles for survival. 

I’m familiar with writer James Tynion IV’s work, initially from his role in Batman Eternal, but perhaps more so his independent work The Eighth Seal, which I’ll take a brief aside to point out is an excellently constructed mix of political thriller and body horror terror fest which I’d desperately like to see continued. 

Returning to the topic of The Woods, I found the writing perhaps his most compelling work I’ve experienced so far. Characters, and more importantly the way their relationships grow and develop over the course of the volumes feels very genuine and encourages a real connection with the core group of protagonists in particular - These are characters whose fates you really care about. The cast of characters, is also quite a diverse one. While I’m in no way qualified to comment on how accurate these characters and their dialogue are, from my perspective it created what felt like an authentically mixed population, lending itself to a richer narrative overall. Even within the group of core protagonists there are a number of character types, both in terms of physical and personality attributes, I suspect that individual readers will see elements of themselves, or character aspects they recognise in people they know in different members of the cast, and relate to their role in the story differently. 

Reading the entire saga in just a few extended binge reads not only testament to how compelling I found the story but also probably a key factor in keeping me engaged, avoiding any chance of getting lost between volumes which occasionally feature significant time or situational jumps. 

Touching briefly on the art - Michael Dialynas (whose work now also features in Gotham Academy and TMNT amongst other places) does an incredible job of realising the characters and, in keeping with the written aspects of their personalities having them grow and develop between volumes. 

There’s a lot to be said for a project retaining a singular artist for an entire 9 volume run, the detail, consistency and cohesion you experience as a reader is really second to none. Michael also crafts an alien world and creatures particularly well,  striking an impressive balance between the familiar and unreal, the horrific and bizarrely cute alike.  Action is also extremely impactfully drawn, more than once eliciting an audible gasp from me as particularly surprising or brutal goings on take place. 

I’m thrilled to have finally got around to reading this very satisfying, and for those with limited patience waiting for releases, I’d hasten to add satisfyingly concluded series. Well worth a read!

Next Week:  Marvel Treasure Trail (I’ll explain in the write up). 

[andyctwrites]

#ReadingRampage Year 2 Week 3: Porcelain

I’m away on holiday for the next few weeks. This means extra time to read but less to physically write up about the books I’m enjoying, all exacerbated by some shaky WiFi. So the schedule may be a little out but never fear, the reading pile hasn’t beaten me!

A few months back, at Thought Bubble I FINALLY got my hands on all 3 volumes currently available of Porcelain from Improper Books, written by Benjamin Read and with art from Christian Wildgoose.

Note to self: Add better picture and links

Having now absolutely devoured all 3 volumes back to back my only regret is that I’d not done so sooner!

Porcelain, at its very heart, is a dark fairytale. There are some moments of absolute whimsy and wonder, yet, as with all of the strongest fables, there’s a stark counterbalance with darker themes of death, deceit and loss to be felt too. Benjamin Read has crafted an intircate and balanced narrative here that made my swift reading of all three chapters a certainty by the time I was 10 pages in.

The story begins, as many similar epics do, with the simplest, and most humble of beginnings. A young girl, cold and hungry in the streets is convinced / threatened by the band of urchins she is part of to climb over the high walls of a local recluse who the children fear following rumours of him being a wizard.

That’s as far as I feel I should go in terms of set up - the story that follows is one of love, belonging, science, magic, betrayal, secrets, loss, fear, fantastic creatures, revenge, (have you stopped reading this to go and snag a copy or 3 yet?)

Each Volume also occurs following around a 10 year gap, leading to each entry having its own very distinct feel and focus, while still forming part of the overall tapestry being weaved.

The characterisation here is also some of the best I’ve had the fortune to read in a comic. As the story progresses, defining who is in the right / wrong, and who we should identify as the heroes and villains. All of the heroes are flawed, likewise the villains are never simply moustache twirling agents of evil, but have believeable and on occasion sympathetic motives.

I’d be remiss at his point not to give pause and call out the artwork here - An incredible amount of thought has gone into each and every character design, and panel layout. Action scenes are breathtaking, architecture and character design are intricate with an attention to detail like little else I’ve read. Family resemblances between some characters and the growth of characters as time progresses is truly remarkable. Looking over the design notes at the end of each volume isn’t something I universally get on board with, but in this case I found myself actively going back into the book itself to look again at some of the design features pointed out.

Ok, so fairly obviously, I enjoyed this! Of course I tend mostly to write up books I enjoyed, but in this case there’s perhaps an additional dimension I can add.

Porcelain has become the third comic I’ve ever recommended to my non comic reading wife to pick up (the others were Maus and Don Quixote) - No pressure then 😁

Fantastic books, thoroughly recommended.

Next up: Week 4 - The Woods

[andyctwrites]

#ReadingRampage Year 2 - Week 2:  Literary Adaptions

For week two my second year of #ReadingRampage , inspired slightly by a new podcast I’ve been enjoying called Book Cheat - Let’s pause a second and I’ll explain. 

Book Cheat is a fairly new podcast, at time of publishing, In which comedian Dave Warneke has made time to read a classing piece of literature so you don’t have to. During the episode, Dave goes over the plot, covers key themes and provides a few quotes to two guests with the aim of giving them enough context to being able to bluff having read the book in one of those awful “Polite conversations” leaving the house can often force one into. 

Anyhow it’s very funny so you should check it out HERE

Linking this back to reading comics, I decided to spend the week focused on comics based on some literary favourites.

Book 1:  Bram Stoker’s Dracula

Written: Bram Stoker - Adapted by Jason Cobley Art: Staz Johnson / James Offredi (Colours) Letters: Jim Campbell  Published: Classical Comics

The first read for the week was a title that could have equally made it into last week’s Horror focussed theme. Initially published in 2011, the Classical Comics series is a very interesting concept. The classic story of Dracula is faithfully translated from prose to panels (with some pretty gorgeous artwork). When it comes to the text however the interesting twist is that there are two versions available: Original Text: Original Dialogue and Text Quick Text: Modernised & Abridged for a speedier read

I picked up the former version from Jason at Nottingham Comicon a few weeks back and am pleased to say that I enjoyed it immensely. Though I have actually read Dracula many years ago I recall finding the structure hard to get into initially, making this approach a great method of making some of the classics more easily digestible and appealing to those who may find the original language a bit daunting. 

I’ll be checking out more of these. 

Book 2: The Complete Don Quixote

Written: Miguel de Cervantes - Adapted by Rob Davis  Art + Letters: Rob Davis

A solid recommendation from artist and Alpha Flight podcaster Gareth Hopkins here. Don Quixote has been a book I’ve had the best intentions of reading for many years but (for want of a better excuse) I just hadn’t gotten round to, it’s age and language acting as a barrier to getting started, along with my complete ignorance of just how funny the story is.

I cannot recommend this book effusively enough - It’s a masterful modernisation of the original comic (which I’m now inspired to go back and read) Bringing the story to life with relatable language and an engaging artistic style that pulled me through the close to 300 pages of the adaptation at a break neck pace. For the most part very funny, but with other emotional scenes that provoke more thought than you might expect. 

Check this one out!

Book 3: The Colour of Magic

Written:  Terry Pratchett (Adapted - Scott Rockwell) Art: Steven Ross Letters: Vickie Williams

This was a step back into the past with perhaps the first graphic novel I ever owned, perhaps this was even the book that informed a younger me that comic versions of actual books were even a thing - Though where were the folks of Classical Comics when I was suffering through Eagle of the Ninth or when I’d really let time get away from me over the summer I was supposed to have finished A Tale of Two Cities (which in its defence, I enjoyed in the end)?!

I had a bit of an adventure reading this one given that the bindings in this book I’ve had for 27ish years, and read many times had long since given up on life and my first 30 minutes was spent regathering the pages into the correct order. After this little diversion however I got right back into the action revisiting this childhood favourite and was far from disappointed. I recall on first reading that Steven Ross’ hand painted images really struck a chord with me, recreating the characters as I’d imagined them when I first read the novel and capturing the tone that I loved so much from the books (and by extension the old point and click adventure game) perfectly. Reading again now the story still has a delightful charm Pratchett’s books always had for creating a world seeped in an incredible amount of detail and lore, combined with a narrative and characters that lean into just how ridiculous it all is, lovingly satirising the genre its arguably a leading example of. 

While going back and reading the whole novel series might be a good intention that never materialises into actual action (there are 41 of them) This has been a great reminder of how much I used to enjoy this series, and I do have a graphic adaption of the second Discworld novel “The Light Fantastic” right here on the shelf. 

Honourable Mention (Read 4) Moriarty Lives (Sherlock Holmes)

Published: Dynamite Comics Written: David Liss Art: Daniel Indro

While I lacked the time to go back to these for a re-read in the past week. I can never think of non-comic books I’ve read and enjoyed without the first name that springs to mind being that of Sherlock Holmes.

The Dynamite Comics run of stories featuring the master detective are certainly adjacent to the original stories, taking inspirations and direction from them without being exact retellings. One limited run I enjoyed in particular was Moriarty Lives. 

In this 5 issue limited run we join Professor James Moriarty taking on the role of the protagonist as he emerges, penniless and assumed dead following the his confrontation with Sherlock Holmes at the Reichenbach Falls during the conclusion of the Final Problem. With comparable intelligence to his nemesis, though with a offset moral compass, the series delivers a refreshingly different ,  and no less enjoyable, Holmes-esq adventure. 

Next up in Week 3: Porcelain (Series) 

[andyctwrites]

#ReadingRampage Retrospective - Year One Summary

Work in progress - This is going to take a while so I’m going to hit publish (to lock myself in and then update as I get time:

Phase 1:  List the comics I read during year 1 (Complete to April 30 2018) Phase 2: Add Pics & Details and update totals (Complete to Day 2) 

#ReadingRampage started on 25th September 2017 as a self imposed 30 day challenge to clear out a hideously large “To Read” pile. A simple premise where by I’d read and tweet about a Comic Book for each day of the challenge. 

One thing led to another and the challenge grew to cover an entire year. Here in an exercise in commemorating that year is a breakdown of EVERYTHING I covered over those 366 days with a VERY BRIEF summary of each. Links to sites, prices and Twitters accurate at time of posting 

In total #ReadingRampage Year One covered:

2 Individual comics From the work of at least xx individuals I counted (To be updated) - 3 Writers - 4 Artists - 1 Letterers 

and that doesn’t even touch on editors, publishers, printers and all of the other people whose hard work goes into making comics. Huge Respect to all of you!

Day 1 - Corsair Published: Madius Comics Written: Nick Gonzo (@Nick_Gonzo) Art: MagiciansHouse   / Alexa Renee (Colours) (@Monstalexa)  Letters: Rob Jones - This is a name that will come up a lot (@RobJonesWrites) Available - Digitally on Comichaus

Here’s where it all kicked off. A fatigued agent of the paranormal investigating the aftermath of a ritual gone awry. As future reads would go to show the Madius guys can spin a great horror short.

Day 2: El Marvo Published: Hawk & Cleaver Written:  Ben Errington & Luke Kondor Art: Dan Butcher & Will Robson (Cover) Available:  Hawk & Cleaver Website

In the barren wastes of a ruined earth desperate resistance fighters discover the cryogenically frozen body of Heroic Luchador El Marvo, whose revival will become a beacon of hope for the humble citizens of Muck.

Day 3: Overrun Andi Ewington, Matt Woodley, Paul Green

Day 4: Re Animator (Dynamite)

Day 5: Punisher 001 (Becky Cloonan)

Day 6: TrollTooth Wars

Day 7: Upstarts (Inkforged1)

Day 8: Andy-Thology

Day 9: Queen (Issue 1) Jamie Me

Day 10: Griff Gristle: The Siren’s Song

Day 11: Protanopia - Andre Bergs

Day 12: Mostrosity 

Day 13: The Seduction of the Innocent

Day 14: Planet of the Daemons

Day 15: Actionverse 1 - Featuring The Stray

Day 16: King Legacy

Day 17: Revenge of Evil Ed (Evil Dead Comic)

Day 18: Alex Automatic (Issue 2)

Day 19: Doc Dino

Day 20: Outlaws Wanted - Nottingham Comicon Anthology

Day 21: Perrywinkle

Day 22: Paperbacks and Inkstains Collection

Day 23: Who Needs the Moon (8 issues)

Day 24: Ink Island

Day 25: Silver - Volume 1

Day 26: Midnight Man #2

Day 27: Descending Outlands #4

Day 28: London Horror #7

Day 29: Comichaus #5

Day 30: Sexcastle

Day 31: Ichabod Jones

Day 32: Merrick The Sensational Elephant Man #1-3

Day 33: Ness #1

Day 34: Hookjaw #5

Day 35:  The Last Sherriff #4

Day 36: Spy Seal

Day 37: Tragic Tales of Horrere #3

Day 38: Ghost Island #2

Day 39: Prometheus (Ryan Little)

Day 40: NPC Tea #1

Day 41: Late Knights #1

Day 42: Witch Creek Road #1&2

Day 43: Star Bastard #1&2

Day 44: Transfer #1

Day 45: Queen #2

Day 46: Transdimensional (1 & 2)

Day 47: XCT #0

Day 48: Replicator #1

Day 49: Hang Low, Aim High

Day 50: The Church and The Dime

Day 51: Injection (Volume 1)

Day 52: Wretches #1

Day 53: White Noir

Day 54: Samurai Slasher #1

Day 55: Untethered #1

Day 56: The Last Time We Met

Day 57: Paradox Girl #1-5 

Day 58: Dark of the Forest

Day 59:  Killer Bytes - Arrival of Comichaus app

Day 60: Kill Screen: Everything Not Saved Will Be Lost

Day 61: Start Again

Day 62: Undigenous

Day 63: Clean Room (Volume 1)

Day 64: Brethren Born

Day 65: Draw Blood

Day 66: Wired Up Wrong

Day 67: Oktana & Ko

Day 68:  Nights Templar

Day 69 (Nice): Sex Criminals (Volume 1)

Day 70: Katrina Hates the Dead

Day 71: Chum

Day 72: Samurai Slasher #3

Day 73: The Gulls

Day 74: Adventures in Science

Day 75: Lou Scannon #4

Day 76: Monster of the Week

Day 77: Low

Day 78: Wart

Day 79: Ake’s Trial / King’s Leap

Day 80: Cognition #0

Day 81: Cold Colony

Day 82: Dark Matter #1

Day 83: Find

Day 84: Samurai Slasher: Late Fees

Day 85: Lonesomes #3

Day 86: Monsters and Other Scary Shit

Day 87: Moon #1

Day 88: Afterlife - Man Made God

Day 89: Chew (Volume 1)

Day 90: Isabelle (Volume 1)

Day 91: Santa vs Samurai Slasher

Day 92: Kill the Minotaur #1

Day 93: Leaving Megalopolis

Day 94: Freelance Blues

Day 95: Paper Girls (Volume 1)

Day 96: Power Ups: Vilified

Day 97: Papercuts & Inkstains #7

Day 98: Gods of Men

Day 99: Abominable Glory

Day 100: Transformers vs Visionaries #1

Day 101: Fast & Frightening

Day 102: Super Robot Mayhem

Day 103: Whispering Sands

Day 104:The Healer

Day 105: Bomb Scares

Day 106: Sliced Quarterly (Volume 1)

Day 107: The Face and The Hand

Day 108: Yakuza

Day 109: The Eighth Seal (8 issues)

Day 110: Galaxfreaks

Day 111: Ramlock Investigates

Day 112: XCT #1-4

Day 113: Funk Soul Samurai

Day 114: Golden Age

Day 115: Folktales of the Cryptids (Early preview)

Day 116: Gears of War 

Day 117: Kingdom of Skulls

Day 118: Little Heroes #1

Day 119: Stain the Seas Scarlet

Day 120: Cadavers #3

Day 121: Huck #1

Day 122: Delta (Stuart McCune) 

Day 123: Hyde

Day 124: Black Hammer #1

Day 125: Awesome Comics Anthology #1

Day 126: The Disease / Giallo Anthology

Day 127: Last Exit to Brighton

Day 128: Lou Scannon 5 & 6

Day 129: Samurai Slasher 2 & The Ether (Revisited)

Day 130: Tales From Beyond Infinity

Day 131: Hex Loader 1-3

Day 132: Mandy The Monster Hunter - Legend of the Spindly Man #1

Day 133: R:IL Persona

Day 134: Sometimes I Just Want to Kill you all (Public Transport) 

Day 135: 2084: The New Order

Day 136: 30 Days of Night #1

Day 137: Calavera The Undead

Day 138: Transformers vs Visionaries #2

Day 139: Deer Editor #3

Day 140: Captain Cosmic #1

Day 141: Soulless

Day 142: Locke & Key Head Games #1

Day 143: Merrick the Sensational Elephantman #4

Day 144: The Boy Who Came Closer

Day 145: Copernicus Jones Robot Detective

Day 146: Requiem Vampire Knight

Day 147: Devil in Disguise #1

Day 148: Bruce Outback

Day 149: Lou Scannon #7

Day 150: Dracustein

Day 151: Drones (Comichaus)

Day 152: Ness #2

Day 153: Ness #3 & #4

Day 154: Red Mask From Mars - Ready to Rumble

Day 155: Sadistic #0

Day 156: 30 Days of Night #2

Day 157: Dark Matter #2

Day 158: Cognition #1

Day 159: White Ash #1&2

Day 160: Alpha Flight (Alpha Flight Pod - Check issue #)

Day 161: Final Street #1

Day 162: Resurrection Men #1

Day 163: Wretches #2

Day 164: Joseph Merrick: Knight of Grace (Sensational Elephantman #6)

Day 165: Transformers vs Visionaries #3

Day 166: Punchline

Day 167: Transylvanian Knights

Day 168: The Actual Roger

Day 169: Bun #1

Day 170: Finis

Day 171: The Axeman Cometh

Day 172: CCTVille #2

Day 173: Vessels #1

Day 174: Comichaus #1

Day 175: Comichaus #2

Day 176: Comichaus #3

Day 177: Eternal 

Day 178: Wolverton: Thief of Impossible Objects

Day 179: Lost Light

Day 180: Glow #1&2

Day 181: Betty “The Slayer” Mitchell

Day 182: The Edge off

Day 183: Sadistic #2

Day 184: Devil in Disguise #2

Day 185: Gung Ho

Day 186: Battle Badgers #1-3

Day 187: Infidel #1

Day 188: The Beauty: Volume 1

Day 189: Rok of the Reds #1

Day 190: Robyn #1

Day 191: Street Tiger #2

Day 192: Pumpkinhead #1

Day 193: Sonic the Hedgehog #1 (IDW)

Day 194: Tomb of Dracula #01

Day 195: Lady Hollywood #1

Day 196: Transformers vs Visionaries #4

Day 197: Myth (Alterna)

Day 198: Rasl #1

Day 199: Centipede #1

Day 200: Folktales of the Cryptids #1 (Full issue)

Day 201: The Woods - Volume 1

Day 202: Lizard Men #1

Day 203: Magpie

Day 204: Can you Kill Hitler

Day 205: Apes ‘n’ Capes #1

Day 206: Rok of the Reds #2

Day 207: Tails of Mystery #1

Day 208: Actionverse - Featuring the Stray #2

Day 209: Actionverse - Featuring the Stray #3

Day 210: Zombies Hate Kung Fu #1

Day 211: Snarl #1

Day 212: Sleeping Dogs 

Day 213: Our Friends Arachnid

Day 214: The Ultimates Volume 1 (Re-visit)

Day 215: Murder Most Mundane

[andyctwrites]

Year 2 - Week 1: Horror

A little over a year ago, while looking at an obscene number of comics in both my physical and digital “To read” piles, stacked high with mainstream and indie titles alike I realised that it was unlikely that I’d ever get around to reading even half of the fabulous books I wanted to check out. What’s more buying new things is hard to justify to yourself (yes, even when Comixology has a sale on) if you’re not reading everything you already have. 

So I decided to make a dent in the backlog, and #ReadingRampage was born, by which I set myself a challenge to read a comic of some description, regardless of format or length each day for the duration of my self imposed challenge. The initial 30 days, soon extended to 50, then 100 before I finally pushed for a full (leap) year. At times, it was a real slog on top of a relatively busy life. Late nights, or early morning catch ups were challenges at times but on the whole I LOVED IT! Over the course of year I’ve read so many incredible stories, made new friends, interacted with people whom I deeply admire and hopefully introduced folks that read along with my #ReadingRampage tweets with a new book or two - particularly the indie books that I hold very close to my heart. 

Anyway, I’ll commit to a full rundown of year 1 in the future but for the moment...

After the year ended, and a short break, it struck me that I wasn’t willing to let the Rampage end just yet and so I began year 2 with a twist. Each week I’ll be focussed on a theme, creator, series, character or genre.  During the week perhaps I’ll read 2 comics,  perhaps I’ll read 10. Still plenty of great books to read,  but a little less pressure to hit a specific number of books and more flexibility to read a longer trade or collection over several days. 

Preamble out of the way - Week 1 of #ReadingRampage Year 2 was focussed on (naturally given the date) Horror

Read 1:  Ghost Island - Issue 4:  Possession

Published:  Afterlight Comics

Written: Joseph Oliveira Art: Adrian Manuel Garcia (Cover) Anabella Turlione (Internal) Available via: AfterlightComics.com (£5 - Pre Order)

Ghost Island is a series I’ve been following since its beginnings. Often promoted under the slogan of “It’s like Jurassic Park but with Ghosts” and why not? That’s a strong and compelling comparison, that certainly got my attention, what’s more it’s entirely accurate. 

The story has been introduced over the course of several issues, with events shifting from the events at hand to glimpses into the pasts of the various experts who have been brought in by the attraction’s enigmatic owner to experience the macabre tourist spectacle. Here in the fourth instalment (without spoiling anything of course) things are beginning to unravel as the resident ghosts appear to be less contained than everyone was led to believe. 

Each and every character presented in the story has depth and reason for inclusion that are being carefully revealed as the story progresses. Such reveals play off nicely against the increasing spectral carnage and haunting encounters taking place in the story’s present timeline making for a well paced, enjoyable thriller that’s certainly kept me returning with each new issue. 

Read 2: The Tomb Of Dracula - Various Issues

Published by: Marvel

Writer: Various - Including - Gerry Conway, Archie Goodwin & Gardner F Fox Art: Various - Including Gene Conlan & Jon Costa (Letters) Available:  Comixology (It’s frequently on sale for a pittance)

I’d picked up this classic horror collection some time back, and this seemed like a perfect opportunity to dive back into 500+ pages of the further adventures of the world’s foremost blood sucker presented in the Tomb of Dracula complete collection. 

The premise of this classic Marvel take on an even more classic horror icon begins with Frank Drake, a distant relative of the original count inheriting Dracula’s castle (I can only imagine that in a pre-Heir Hunters TV series world it took 2 generations to find an heir after Dracula’s death). 

When it comes to the story itself, I can’t put it much better than Tony Esmond did on the recent Halloween episode of the Awesome Comics Podcast where he pointed out the almost soap opera feel to the series, in particular the interplay between characters and their relationships. 

The action beats, and particularly the use of cliff-hangers threatening imminent death of a character, quickly resolved on a page turn, stirs strong memories in my own mind of the adventures of another Bat-based character, whose “certain doom” is neatly sidestepped at the last moment.

Not that this is a problem of course - It has a similar level of camp charm that I can’t help but smile at.  My favourite example of this is when Dracula, dives into a black mirror which unbeknownst to him is a gateway into a world of demons, doggedly pursued by mute vampire hunter (and associate of Rachael Van-Helsing) Raj. Upon arriving in the demon world. Upon arrival in the demon world, Dracula is able to hold his own against the demons but leaves a helpless Raj to his doom...Only to realise on a page turn that Raj is his only potential source of blood to feed on while trapped in the demon realm, and jump to his rescue from a demon dogpile. 

Note: They also escape the demon realm in another page or so (Into the past of Transylvania where Dracula plans to get revenge on Abraham Van Helsing for killing him) 

It’s a classic comic that despite the elements that date it slightly and the restrictions placed on it be existing in the time of the Comics Code I’ve been having a lot of fun with this series and plan to continue to read through the entire collection. 

Read 3:  Our Final Halloween

Written: Mike Garley Art: Michael Lee-Graham Letters: Mike Stock Available:  TBC - Kickstarter initially

Here’s one I’d been looking forward to. The premise here is an immediately engaging one. A group of friends wake up in an abandoned house, filled with weapons, oddly familiar graffiti and a mysterious portal. 

I’m saying no more...It’s the kind of blood soaked delight I’m used to seeing from Mike’s writing and Michael’s art work, particularly the use of light and copious amounts of gore is a real treat. It made for the ideal Halloween read and I’d love to see more from this team up. 

Including a page from the Kickstarter promotion work below, it should be all you need to get you searching for where you can get your hands on a copy for yourself.

Final Read: The Little Deaths of Watson Tower

Written: Nick Bryan Art: Rosie Alexander Available: Via Comichaus (£3 Physical or Read Digitally via Comicahaus App)

Final read for this week was a new addition to the Comichaus app (I believe the Awesome Comics folks mentioned it too) and is a horror themed short concerning a group of friends who, for their amusement dress as skeletons as they play around the high-rise block most of them live in. 

The short story has a light tone with a sweet and thoughtful deeper message behind all of the hijinks. It additionally has some great authentic feeling dialogue. Finally I’m a huge fan of the design work Rosie puts into the book - If you’re looking for an artist who’s mastered the cartoon skeleton in its many forms, look no further.

So there we are - All in all a successful first week to kick off year two I’d say.  I’m going to try and keep these longer posts going - Recommendations for themes or books are very welcome (contact me via Twitter @superandyt83) 

Next topic:  Comic adaptions of other Literature

[andyctwrites]

True Believers 2017

Well 2017 is here and after the legendarily bad time everyone had in 2016 everything is now looking pretty darn urrrrg... oh well it’s the first Comicon of the year.

Arriving early doors at Cheltenham Race Course I had a slight moment of panic as the first person I saw in the car park was handling a piece of apparatus which, I could only guess, was for the artificial insemination of horses. Luckily, as I learned later when I saw the equipment inside the convention hall - It was an ADAM extractor from some sweet Bioshock Little Sister cosplay and I had neither the wrong day or location. 

The term Comicon is increasingly broad, with events around the country placing the focus of their events in different areas and this one, for me, is spot on!

The focus here is firmly on comic creators and there were no shortage of stands manned by a plethora of talented folks showcasing both books and standalone artwork alike. Far from being a one trick event however there was still a good balance of tables selling books & merchandise from the comic mainstream, ensuring attendees with varying interest can all find what they’re after.  Having attended with some friends with slightly different interests to my own (Nobody’s perfect) it was great to see two of them with a greater interest in anime find items they were excited to buy and our other friend (attending his first convention) pick up some bargains on mainstream hardbacks, before also grabbing his first set of indie books - This also makes me a good friend having not wasted their time by dragging them along to something that wasn’t for them. 

As you can see - I had no issue finding things to spend money on

Within the space - Which was great -  there were also sections dedicated to tabletop gaming and cosplay. While I spent less time in these areas they were well organised and the proximity to the main hall was spot on to allow the elements of the convention to feel connected without crowding the overall experience.

While I know very little about the Cosplay community and almost certainly did not see all of the costumes on display there were some really great ones I should shout call out including a pixel perfect Chun Li, some incredibly detailed Batman & Batgirl, worn by an intimidatingly statuesque and attractive pair of Cosplayers*, the aforementioned Little sister (who wasn’t toting a horse insemination device) accompanied by Metal Gear’s Snake and some great representation from “Ya Boi” Guzma and Team Skull to call out but a few.

A photo or two of the venue, stalls and Cosplayers would come in handy here though - Alas, I suck (pretty hard) at bothering to take photos - In the event any folks reading this took some you’d be happy for me to include send them my way on Twitter and I’ll update this, being sure to credit you and retain my shame for never taking pictures. 

All in all a great convention that I’ll certainly look to attend again next year. Once again the UK small press community continues to massively impress me with the awesome, welcoming and friendly attitude of all of those I’ve been fortunate enough to speak to. If you don’t have plans for February 3rd 2018 (and shy of getting married how would you have plans for a year in the future) then get on this! 

Tickets are already available from the True Believers website, which you can find HERE along with more content (they DO bother to take photos) interviews with creators & more. 

Until next time. 

Andy -  @superandyt83

PS - Folks at Cheltenham Racecourse Cafe, that was excellent Victoria Sponge 

*To all Cosplayers - its not that you aren’t all attractive, and even if you’re not I’m sure you’re still super nice.

[andyctwrites]

Whatever Happened To The Archetype?

If 2016 leaves us with a single lesson (Steering well clear of a number of political issues) it’s perhaps the reminder that even our heroes are mortal. The past 12 months have seen the world mourn the loss & celebrate the life and work of some of the most beloved characters and influential artists of their generation.

Tying this swiftly to the subject of my next review before it devolves into my personal memories of this year’s departed idols, followed by a call to treasure your heroes and me rushing off to hand write a letter to Adam West to tell him how much entertainment he’s brought me over the years - today’s review focuses on what happens to a hero (this time of the Super variety) when they fall out of the spotlight. Do people remember them fondly or simply move on and forget about them?

In this four part series (reviewed in full as a now collected trade) writer Stu Perrins outlines the key question of the plot in his book’s title:

Whatever Happened To The Archetype?

It’s a question that is in equal measures the enemy of the ongoing series or a fun aside for an non-canon or else-worlds tale. In essence what happens when Super Heroes get older?

Look across the comic shelves and you’ll see this tackled in different ways (sometimes multiple for the same character) Batman has become darker and more paranoid in one continuity and taken on a young ward to take over the cowl in another, Captain America and Wolverine have both had shots at being elderly (with varying degrees of permanency) and the passing of time and changes in public opinion are themes central to the story of the Watchmen. As you can see there are a number of examples without even touching Spiderman: Reign (which unless you’re actively seeking a case of the doldrums you really shouldn’t) so lets open with looking at how this tale sets itself apart.

As we join the story we find ourselves at an old people’s home with Christopher Quin attempting to convince a visitor of his Super Heroic past which at this point have largely been dismissed as the nonsensical stories of an old man. Delivering a story like this as a stand alone tale is simultaneously a gift and challenge for the writer - On the one hand you aren’t about to bookend an ongoing character to a point you’ll eventually need to reach  - unless of course reboot your timelines / universe (since that always goes so well). However on the other, your readers are also going need to learn you character’s origins and see some of their past adventures all self contained in a single story if their conclusions are to carry any weight - this is neatly achieved within the framework of Christopher Quin’s story itself, as he retells his own origin to his audience, recounting past events - both victories and defeats while tying back to the context of the present day. Having read through the story I was struck particularly by the focus on relationships between the characters and an old man’s reflection on his past choices taking precedence over a simple recounting of various adventures from the Archetype’s past and serves to give the reader an insight into the motivations and priorities of our elderly story teller.

Visually, artist, Ron Gravelle’s style particularly focuses on character faces, with his key achievement being in illustrating the transition of the hero between his youthful and aged appearances as the story moves between the past to the present. Time has clearly been taken to ensure that the two can be recognised as one and the same. 

While both writer and artist go a long way in creating a complete story within these four issues the brevity, while necessary, at times left me wanting to understand more. In the interests of telling a complete story each scene is required to directly move the narrative forward. The insertion of some additional stories with only hints to the wider context, or potentially presented from the perspective of other characters to move matters forward more subtly, or give further insights into the motivation of other characters that the narrator of the main story lacks awareness of would be a welcome addition to further strengthen what is a solid core narrative that succeeds in showcasing a great deal of humanity and vulnerability within an indestructible space man.

As is usual with any write up of an indie book I undertake I’m not about to tell you what eventually becomes of the Archetype, but should you wish to find out for yourself it’s available both as individual issues and the collected edition in print from Insane Comics or digitally via Comixology here

You can follow writer Stu Perrins on Twitter @stuperrins  and artist Ron Gravelle  @Rono64Design

Until next time, 

Andy -  @superandyt83

[andyctwrites]

Descending Outlands

In real life Space is a dangerous place - Take the film Gravity for example, it’s the reason I no longer say “Worse things happen at Sea” for fear that if I happen to be within earshot of an astronauts it would prompt them to proceed to tell me that in no uncertain terms that “at sea” has shit on “in space” where the slightest mistake can cause your horrible death...

Thankfully other entries further into the Sci-Fi genre make space adventuring far more inviting - downright fun even* and its this type of cosmic escapade that I’m looking at today, in the form of Descending Outlands by comic creator Sean Dobey...

At the time of writing 3 full issues of Descending Outlands have been released, the third being a bumper double sized issue - so far it’s been an awesome ride which continues to escalate with each new instalment.

As we’re thrust into the universe in the first issue there’s no opening crawl to give you the state of the universe and whose tyrannical grip it’s in, neither is there opening narration from a captain stating the ship’s mission - It’s not needed. Instead within the opening few pages we’ve already had interrogations, mysterious Uber-villains and a daring space heist.

As always with indie titles I’m always loathe to discuss too many story details that could venture into spoilers, partially since, ideally, folks reading this might want to read it for themselves and giving things away in a review like this would definitely make me “That guy” but also because with the amount of content released in trailers and leaked for mainstream releases across any number of formats these days it’s increasingly hard to be surprised - So consider this an effort to preserve some mystery in the world.

What I can safely say is that our ‘Heroes’ Captain Nate Avery and his crew of outlaws find themselves in a more trouble than usual when during a heist they inadvertently steal project Isis - Which, unfortunately for them, a lot of unpleasant and powerful people will do an awful lot to get back (Or pay a lot for others to get back for them). Forcing the crew to hide out in even shadier parts of the galaxy than even their usual work takes them and frequent hives of scum and villainy that would make Mos Eisley Cantina look like a Happy Eater**

For me the real selling point of Descending Outlands thus far has been the depth of the world it’s set in. With each chapter we get a further glimpse at more of the Outlands’ inhabitants, factions and technology which serve to create a richer and deeper backdrop for the story to play out against as it progresses. We see similar development with characters. Rather than bog down the opening chapters with each character’s life story, introductions come thick and fast in the midst of action with details of their past together and character nuances slowly being built up as things progress. Over time we’re seeing what at first glance could be pigeonholed as a variation on a famous character or a particular archetype to a series of far more interesting individuals that I find myself increasingly looking forward to learning more about.

Of course, you can’t have a slightly misfit crew of roguish space adventurers without inviting comparisons;  particularly to the likes of Firefly and Guardians of the Galaxy, and while there certainly legitimate parallels to be drawn, there are enough differences both tonally and in story line that give Descending Outlands its own identity, and at no time while reading it have I found myself feeling I was reading an off-brand copy of any other property. While an enjoyment of Guardians, Firefly and Star Wars can be taken as a reasonable indication this is also something you’ll enjoy you’d be a fool (and dare I say also a knave) to think you’re simply in for more of the same.

Visually, Descending Outlands has been progressively going from strength the strength, though a number of artists have provided the art work across the three issues to date, the individual styles are complimentary and with the addition of Sean Dobie’s own work as colourist across the board they all tie together very well. The design of the characters also seems to be growing as their personalities develop and we learn more of their back stories. The action sequences (particularly some of those in issue 3) are also just what I’d look for in a story like this - a glorious maelstrom of laser fire and explosions, punctuated by a few quips and the heist adventure staple which is the classic blend of genius plans and desperate improvisations that keeps you turning the pages.

As a final note on visuals there are also some great covers by Chris Imber whose work never fails to impress.

Descending Outlands started for me as a good read which is quickly growing with each subsequent entry into a great one - Can’t wait to see where this one goes next. Particularly if you’re a fan of the genre it’s well worth the investment to check it out.

You can pick up Descending Outlands from Evil Kat Studios

The Descending Outlands website also features more information on the world and characters of the series.

Issue one is also available digitally via Comixology here

You can also follow Writer / Colourist Sean Dobie on Twitter @dobes2 and also the various artists (Twitter links included where I could find one)

Alvaro De Cossio:  @adecossio (Issue 1) Paul Oliveira: (Issues 1-3) Samir Simao (Issue 2) Dave Tinto (Issue 3) Chris Imber:  @RECKLESS_IMBER (Covers Issue 2-3)

Lettering throughout by Vince Hunt  @jesterdiablo

Until next time

Andy Twitter -  @superandyt83

*Other exclusions to space being really fun include Alien(s) Moontrap, or any Stark Trek NG episode where Data bangs on about emotions

** The strength of that comparison really depends on your dining experiences on UK motorways between the 1970s and 90s

[andyctwrites]

Alex Automatic

As a child I watched the Prisoner - I hasten to add that these were repeats as the show originally aired many years before I was invented. Anyhow, full disclosure - while I liked it , I totally didn’t get it. There was a man called number 6 (but he doesn’t like being called that), He’s a prisoner and he mostly shouts at number 2, looks unsuccessfully for number 1 and almost escapes most weeks before that bubble gets him. 

With the gift of hindsight I now understand that a lot of subtleties I missed the time were around trust, or the lack of it surrounding everyone - perhaps even yourself and with Alex Automatic, a new spy themed adventure written by Fraser Campbell I finally have the chance to follow one of these twisting tales of intrigue the first time around. 

Alex Automatic, the titular hero of the story is a secret agent enhanced with a number of gadgets and other robotic implants to create a deadly undercover agent without equal, the only problem being that he’s also having some trouble with his grip on reality. 

As we progress through the story the reader is left with a need to constantly question the goings on we’re subjected to the shifting perspective of the beleaguered spy as the mystery unfolds. This story telling mechanic is greatly enhanced by the artwork and lettering of James Corcoran, David B Cooper & Colin Bell. Visuals distort and shift between panels, characters appearances shift and change for the reader at the same time as they do for Alex and we’re left trying to establish fact from fantasy. 

Needless to say it’s a compelling read that has a good balance of mystery, invitation for the reader to speculate and actual resolution (albeit at times answers with a question mark)

The world the team have created for Alex Automatic is an incredibly rich one with a wealth of characters, be they real or imaginary shown only briefly we draw out both a great strength of the book but also my key area of criticism, and it’s rare that I say this but - I’d like them to have been able to draw it out more!

This of course it is a feature of the medium the story is being delivered in that drives its pacing. One shot publications can only be so long for reasons of practicality and an ongoing series without the benefits of a large publisher paying the bills comes with additional risks. I for one would love to see what this team could do with an ongoing series where uncertainty can stretch for longer and we can delve deeper into backstory of the various characters, without the need for a resolution before the issue ends. 

The short stay in Alex Automatic’s world remains a thrilling throughout and beautifully presented through artwork which captures the spy genre flawlessly, and one I’d gladly return to for more intrigue, assassination and existential crisis in a heartbeat. 

You can purchase Alex Automatic from the Cabal Comics Website or follow writer Fraser Campbell  @FraserC69  for more news on Alex Automatic and his other projects, word is that 2017 is already looking busy for new material (Yes - Including more Alex Automatic)

Until next time, 

Andy -  @superandyt83

[andyctwrites]

Last Driver

The end of the world, or at least the collapse of society as we know it, is a subject beloved by fiction writers across all genres and mediums of story telling. It can have all kinds of consequences, ranging from life on a scorched planet embroiled in an endless war with a race of underground dwelling monsters -  to a world where lifestyle choices have become limited to either living life as an organic battery for a machine race with your mind trapped in virtual reality, or hanging out underground in the real world with sweaty raves seemingly the only form of entertainment. For Frank Sudden - The end of the world has arguably been a positive change in The Last Driver by C.S Baker , illustrated by Shaky Kane & published by Dead Canary Comics

Frank Sudden is a man for whom the end of civilisation, brought about by the inexplicable emergence of gigantic monsters all over the world, has been a liberating experience - No longer tied to the drudgery of his former life he can now drive the open road in a sweet car and try to enjoy the new state of the world as much as possible. 

Frank’s, appearance and demeanour and self styled methods for getting by in a monster ridden wasteland channel the greatest action heroes of the 80s and 90s the simplest parallels to draw would be to the likes of Mad Max or Duke Nukem (who by extension is John Nada from They Live & Ash from Evil Dead) but I’d be amiss to label him a simple amalgamation of or tribute to these characters. While the influences can be seen in the way our hero comes to terms with his situation & pursues a set of simpler goals that become all the more important when modern societal concerns of your retirement income and cholesterol level are rendered moot by the concentration of ferocious pterodactyls you’re now likely to encounter, it’s his interaction with the world where we see some of the greatest unique features of this hero. Delightfully ignorant or dismissive of any wider significance anyone feels he may have to the world, Frank is not out to end tyranny, save the world or even any people in it particularly. Neither is he the eternal loner, haunted by memories of his past and just seeking survival and solitude - He’s a guy making the best of it, who likes BBQ, beer, smokes, a fast car and cheerleaders, He’s neither the good guy who kicks the bad guys’ asses or the bad guy who fights the worse guys, he’s very deliberately just the guy...

 In terms of the story while I’m sure with enough analysis there’s a case to be made here for the story’s allegorical value in illustrating the fragile nature of morality and the social construction of our desires which without the governance of society would look quite different to what we all tell each other (and perhaps more importantly ourselves) - Such as description would no doubt invite cries of the term “Wanky” and as such in the spirit of the character and story itself it’s better to take the book at it’s own face value, as the story of a man living in a Kaiju filled desert of death and destruction, but still having a bloody good time! 

Visually it’s a striking book, shying away from neither violence and gore or sexual content, while certainly not a comic for children it stops short of the type of content you find in more extreme alternative comics like Prison Pit - This is not to The Last Drivers detriment however as it’s able to deliver content including sex and violence without risking turning off the wider audience that other comics which really push the shock elements run the risk of doing. Colouring also plays a strong role throughout the book and I was particularly fond of the use of contrasting background colouring which is used effectively in several panels to set the tone of a scene or give the foreground action some additional kick, blood from monster kills seems to splash between panels and splash pages are well used in providing a sense of scale.

All in all - A joyfully irreverent take on a world beyond the Thunderdome - With less lamenting for a lost family and more monstercide than you can shake a comically oversized gun at - Give it a read!

You can follow publishers Dead Canary comics  @DeadCanaryComic for news on new upcoming books from their lines or writer of The Last Driver Christopher Baker  @csbakercomics

Until next time, 

Andy -  @superandyt83

[andyctwrites]

Madness Returns - To Arkham

The HD remake is currently an issue I’m having trouble with - In the current political climate, of course it’s by no means the most important issue facing either myself or the world at present, but it’s the one most appropriate for me to open this video game review with.

In essence my feelings on the HD remake and by extension the collection have been consistently conflicted through the years - I rolled my eyes at Nintendo pushing the 3DS and then the Wii U on the strength of remade Legends of Zelda but yet grind my teeth when a Mass effect collection was teased but eventually stepped away from. I eagerly tore through the Master Chief Collection yet felt let down by the Metal Gear collection due to it’s glaring game omissions (Damn you Konami it’s the BEST ONE!). Anyhow steering vaguely back towards topic, I was uncertain for quite some time as to whether I’d invest in Batman: Return to Arkham for a number of reasons at first.

Firstly - There’s a lot on right now. Games I’ve never played before, not to mention books to read, movies to watch, 40 hours a work a week, family and friends to spend time with, an occasional need to exercise, eat and sleep, a dog that needs walking...you got the picture - time is precious.

Then there’s the competitionist aspect - While a remake of Arkham Asylum and City are welcome blasts from the past as a consumer I can’t help but lament the lack of a complete Arkham collection with the addition of Arkham Origins (admittedly made by another dev but surely possible with a few meetings) and Arkham Knight - No need for an upscale here but where as I sold off my copy of Arkham Knight after I completed it, it’s inclusion in a collection would earn it a spot on my shelf forever. A collection of this kind would certainly have left me with the sense of having got an amazing deal. 

In either case I did pick up the Return to Arkham collection - thanks in part to a handy birthday Amazon voucher and upon it’s arrival, I have to admit it’s was a welcome return - The concept of returning to Arkham was compelling enough to temporarily stop play on some other games I’d been working though including Gears of War 4 and Xcom 2 - Both of which are excellent, so that in itself speaks volumes about the Batman’s long lasting appeal

Visually - At this point I’ll reveal that I’m far from being a digital foundry side by side screen shots type of guy. While I can make no comment on resolutions, frame rates, fidelity and polygons - I can tell you that both games look great. While perhaps falling short of the heights on the generation’s current highest performers the updates suitably bring the games to a new generation of consoles while protecting them from appearing dated. There are some minor cape clipping issues but this kind of minor technical glitch is hardly on par with half of the new releases we see released at present.

In terms of the game play itself it’s a strong as it ever was. Talking the story and features blow by blow for games which were originally released 7 & 5 years ago respectively seems redundant so instead I’ll focus on my experience as a returning player.

The freeflow combat system remains an industry benchmark which has yet to have been surpassed by any genre rivals. Complexity is built in at a good pace to keep combat interesting and even late in the game it remains rewarding to go out of your Bat-way to swoop down and beat up an unsuspecting group of thugs. Even Riddler challenges remain compelling and perhaps even more enjoyable than the first time round as between memory and the gift of hindsight to allow you to move on rather than torture yourself trying to fathom out how to reach a trophy you do not yet have the required gadget to collect. 

For my return to Arkham I opted to brave hard difficulty which presents a decent challenge for previous players without feeling unfair. The greatest impact of the higher difficulty is felt in predator sections where stealth is more critical than ever and being spotted usually equals a swift death in a hail of gunfire. 

The story and its delivery through set pieces and the background chatter gleamed from intercepted conversations remains strong even retreading the story again, all skillfully delivered by the excellent cast of voice actors across both games. Progress through the adventures is no longer the spiralling roller coaster racing to a conclusion that it’s near impossible to put down but is now a great walk down memory lane. In saying this I don’t want to imply the excitement is gone, this memory lane is less leafy and ridden with benches suitable for eating Werther’s original while pawing over old memories, and more of a crime drenched alley ridden with memorable boss battles and bloodthirsty thugs...sounds less appealing but not to worry, you’re Batman.

The only factor I found particularly jarring was a lack of gadgets I became used to as standard issue from the later games not being available from the start as I felt restricted, but these are matters that allow the pacing of the games to work so I can take those as a part of history.  

Overall it’s a welcome return, I’d urge anyone who missed out on the original 360 / PS3 release to pick these up as they remain phenomenal titles. The same goes for a returning players with fond memories and not filled with excitement but any of the winter releases this year. For those falling into neither of these categories, despite the games’ undeniable quality, for as long as we remain in the age of the remake and the collection I’m tempted to encourage you to hold your nerve for a more complete “Ultimate” collection which while in no way announced of even hinted at I’d never rule out,

Until next time, 

Andy -  @superandyt83

or...as this is a video game entry catch me on XBL GT: Majin Snake

[andyctwrites]

A Dose of Horrere - Laudanum

Following my previous entry on the Tragic Tales of Horrere anthologies , and before I move on to reviews of books about befriending unicorns and a toffee apple convention* I’ve decided to linger just a moment or two longer in the realm of sinister stories and take a look at creative team Wood, Sambrook & Jones’s latest short story - Laudanum

Tonally this is certainly a darker tale than those presented in the team’s previous collaborations, depicting a Victorian era story of demonic possession & madness. As a man struggles to come to terms with tragedy and loss. While comics are perhaps one of the toughest forms of media to create a true sense of fear and horror within, the team excels in doing so here. The panels conjure dread and revulsion owing to the artwork from Alisdair Wood which is visceral in parts and at other times, particularly in some facial transformations across several frames, very subtle and with the detail to truly express the terror the characters are gripped by.  

While a undeniably a short tale there’s no lack of satisfaction or conclusion here and as a reader I come away satisfied that I’ve been told a complete story and if the Hobbit movie trilogy taught us anything it’s that making a good story longer doesn’t always improve it. 

I’d also be remiss not to call out the price point the creators have opted for here as it’s often of point of contention when it comes to independent content, particularly in digital format. At 50p,this is both certainly cheaper than most bars of chocolate these days, will last you longer even if you just read it once** and despite not being a doctor I can confirm that habitually buying a short comic at this, or any price, presents less of a risk of you developing type 2 diabetes long term than the same quantity of chocolate. 

So for reasons of entertainment (dark though it may be) economy & health I can heartily recommend a dose of Laudanum***

You can purchase Laudanum as well as the Horrere anthologies digitally here 

and catch up with the book’s creators at the following on Twitter:

Writers: Rob Jones - @RobJonesWrites   Michael Sambrook -  @Rapiaghi  

Alisdair Wood -  @alisdair_wood

Until next time, 

Andy -  @superandyt83

*This is a lie - to my knowledge there’s no such comic as Unicorn Pals - Toffee Applecon 

**Unless you read extremely fast or eat extremely slowly

***The comic - not the drug -  Not a doctor, Consult your GP, always read the label

[andyctwrites]

Malevolent Medley of the Macabre - Tragic Tales of Horrere

Well it’s Halloween, So I thought, what better time to review one of my favourite creepy collaborations?

Also at the outset it’s worth mentioning that if you’re reading this on Halloween 2016 issue 1 of Tragic Tales of Horrere is currently absolutely free on Payhip (download here) if spooky stories are your thing, particularly if you’re a fan of the likes of Tales from the Crypt & Creepshow - Stop reading and go and get this downloaded - But then come back and read the rest (it’s the least you can do for the tip on the free comic right?)

As I mentioned at the outset Horrere is a collaboration between a number of fine upstanding members of the UK small press circuit (full list later) to produce a horror anthology which channels the spirit of classic petrifying publications, which I’m very pleased to say it pulls of with great success.

The art styles between stories serve to cleanse the pallet and make each of the book’s four tales distinct while remaining complimentary to the overall theme and the black and white presentation is clear and perfect for the source material.

As with the genre as a whole these tales thrive on suspense and each of the stories’ twists and turns so I’m hesitant to talk any details but readers can expect a healthy mix of monsters, the undead, magic & demons all set to the delicate horror balance of scares and violence juxtaposed against some really neatly written comedy beats.

While it’s rare (particularly in horror) for a sequel to match the quality of the original I’m pleased to say that in this case Tragic Tales of Horrere #2 is an exception to the usual trend of diminished returns with the second issue delivering another 4 great tales of psycho killers, the zombie apocalypse and more - Plus as a side mention, during the first tale writers Rob Jones and Michael Sambrook pull out what has since become my favourite new stock phrase for anyone who enters into a discussion regarding science and technology. 

A must for fans of pulp horror and a dark treat for even the casual horror fan, these books are worth embracing the Halloween spirit and picking up - Or if you find yourself reading this in July, just because.

Tragic Tales Of Horrere can be purchased direct from it’s creators Here

You can also follow the team  @HorrereComic for updates on future projects.

The book’s main creators can be found at the following:

Writers: Rob Jones - @RobJonesWrites   Michael Sambrook -  @Rapiaghi

Artists: Neil Ford - @Neil_Ford   Alastair McLauchlan - @Al_Mclauchlan  Gareth Sleightholme -  @hesir  Alisdair Wood -  @alisdair_wood

Happy Halloween all - Until Next time, 

Andy -  @superandyt83

[andyctwrites]

Operation Boom - A new Reckless Adventure

Operation Boom is a new action comic from Reckless Hero. Written and drawn by Chris Imber with Chris Jenkins providing colouring and lettering. 

This new adventure follows the success of RH’s first title The Last Sheriff (Review of the 1st 3 issues coming soon) and focuses on a group of mercenaries reluctantly hired by the government in a ploy to recover tech stolen by a deadly criminal organisation. In this introductory chapter we’re introduced our protagonists in a way that has echos of opening of a new story arc in Chris Claremont’s legendary run on X-men where we’re able to quickly meet the team and understand some of their abilities in advance of the main adventure beginning in full.

Further influences can be seem from other team up pieces both in comics and video games with individual team member’s skills supporting the others to build one deadly unit. I’d draw parallels with Xbox classic Brute Force, but for fear of losing any readers I have before I make even a single power of Vengar reference, so instead I’ll stick contemporary and say Overwatch.

Visually, Imber and Jenkins’ work is bold, colourful and shy of neither taking a full or sometimes even double page to give action shots the weight they need to build the story or throw in some blood soaked violence to these action heavy heroes’ endeavours.There’s also some great composition work and use of picture in picture images to create a sense of pace. Stylistically the anime influences are easily identified, both in the character design and composition as well as the bold colouring choices. For me the look and feel of the characters in particular also resonates strongly with those found in video games, especially 80s / 90s Capcom classics such as Final Fight, Street Fighter & Strider - Which in my book, is far from a bad thing. 

All in all this action packed start paves the way nicely for some epic action in what promises to be an explosive follow up issue. I’m looking forward to seeing where this goes next. 

You can buy Operation Boom the Reckless Hero’s Website  or for news on upcoming titles follow @RecklessHeroHQ and creators Chris Imber @Reckless_Imber & Chris Jenkins @TheMightyBurbs

Until next time - Andy

Twitter @Superandyt83

PS Brute Force forever.