#justice for Pretzel the rat

[whisker-biscuit]

Home Is Where The Hedgehog Is

Fandom: Sonic Movie (2020)

Rating: G

Summary: Living with Donut Lord and Pretzel Lady is super fun, even if there are dumb rules he has to follow sometimes. Sonic is going to hold onto it with everything he has.

The first in a one-shot collection of a hyperactive hedgehog trying his best to fit in with his newfound family, and two humans who want him to know he doesn't need to try at all.

MAJOR spoilers for the Sonic Movie!

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Living in a house was much different than living in a cave.

For starters, the draft wasn’t nearly as bad, even when Sonic forgot to close the attic window at night. And now he had an actual, honest-to-goodness bed to burrow into when it really was that cold. Came with a blanket and pillow too, deluxe model!

The other thing that was different was the company, Tom and Maddie and Tom’s so-called “best friend”. Maybe he should have mentioned that one first, but hey, a hedgehog could only focus on so many new changes at one time.

Speaking of changes, a personal alarm clock wasn’t something he was expecting this morning.

“Good morning, Sonic!” Maddie’s head poked up past the attic trapdoor.

“Mmph…” The teen mumbled, curling into a tighter ball under the covers like it would make him invisible.

The woman hoisted herself up from the ladder and made her way to his side. “Come on, you promised you’d go to bed early tonight, so you can’t be complaining now. It’s time for breakfast, up and at ‘em.”

“Food?” A pair of ears perked out from the quill ball. Sonic’s head popped up soon after. “What kind of food?”

“Guess you’ll have to get up to find out, won’t you?” She winked at him and ruffled the fur on his forehead, then started heading back to the ladder.

There was a whoosh of wind and the pitter-patter of impossibly fast feet against the wooden floor, and suddenly Maddie was all alone in the attic.

“Come on slowpoke, I’m hungry!” Sonic called up to her from the hallway before he zoomed into the kitchen, sliding to a halt just in time to avoid crashing into the kitchen island. Tom was busy loading up three plates with eggs and bacon. He didn’t even flinch at the boy’s arrival.

“Morning, Sonic. What took you so long?” The man raised an eyebrow with a bit of a smirk as his comment made the hedgehog pout.

“It’s not my fault, you guys didn’t even wake me up! Ooh, is that my plate?”

“Ah, not yet,” Tom grabbed the offending plate and held it up out of Sonic’s reach. “Go wash your hands first.”

“But Tooooom…”

“You heard me the first time.”

“Ugh, fine. Why you hafta be such a stickler for rules? You were more fun on the road trip.”

“That’s because –” the man blinked and the teen was no longer there. He sighed good-naturedly as Maddie arrived looking just as frazzled.

“Day one,” she said with a smile and a slight giggle. Her arms found their way around his waist as he scraped grease off the skillet. “This might take some getting used to.”

“You’re telling me.” He tilted his head back to sneak a quick kiss to her cheek. “But I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

“Me neither.” The woman hummed against him. A breeze picked up.

“Hey, if you wanted to do lovey-dovey couple things you coulda just said that.” Sonic sat at the table with his arms folded, kicking his legs out and giving them a scrunched up look like he couldn’t decide whether to be grossed out or resigned.

Maddie laughed and gave her husband another kiss, then released him from her hold to help carry their food. Tom shook his head, giving the boy a look. His response was a smirk and eyes too large to be innocent.

“Okay smart aleck, I expect to see that plate clean before you even think of excusing yourself from this table.”

By the way Sonic was eyeing the food laid out in front of him, it didn’t seem like a hard task.

Through breakfast, the three of them ate and chatted together like they had been doing it for years. There were a few mishaps – Sonic had a very bad habit of talking with his mouth full, and accidentally ratted Tom out when the man tried to sneak some bacon to the dog – but the energy didn’t wane at all. It wasn’t until Maddie pulled Sonic over to help her with the dishes that things started to quiet down. Tom, having made breakfast this time and contractually not required to help this time, went to change into his uniform.

The woman was making small talk as she washed the food off and handed each item to the teen to place in the dishwasher, and he’d occasionally interject with comments or questions. Just as they finished, however, Maddie noticed as she dried off her hands that Sonic had stopped talking entirely and was just staring at the hand towel she’d given him.

“Something on your mind?”

“Huh? Oh yeah, I mean no, it’s fine.” He was quick to toss the towel on the counter and rubbed the back of his head. “I just realized that I’ve never done this before.”

“Washing dishes?”

“That too but…all of it, I guess. It’s kinda weird. You guys have this whole routine thing going on and that’s cool, but for me it feels…. I dunno, more important? It’s dumb.”

He was starting to fidget in place, obviously wanting to say or do something else but not sure how to bring it up. Maddie frowned a little in thought and crouched so she was at the hedgehog’s level.

“Do you mean eating breakfast? Or – ah.” She gave him a reassuring smile. “You know, having company in everyday things is nice. I used to take it for granted.”

Sonic looked at her sharply. “What do you mean?”

“Well, Tom and I married not long before I started vet school. We had been so used to being around each other for every little thing that it felt like they weren’t ‘special’ anymore. I think that’s how it can get for a lot of people, honestly. But when I started school, we didn’t see each other nearly as often. I was gone all day for classes, and he had to pick up a second job to help make ends meet, which usually meant evening shifts. We barely had the chance to even sit down for a decent meal together, most days.”

The teen’s expression was opening up into something more vulnerable. “Was it hard?”

“Very hard. We still loved each other, so not being able to just be together without work or school in the way made it hard sometimes. But it was because we loved each other that those times we could just sit back and relax became so much more precious. It’s been a while since those days, but I try not to forget the feeling.”

She reached out and took his hand, making sure to keep steady eye contact. He was stock-still.

“It’s alright to find joy in doing things with people, even if they’re simple things like eating breakfast or doing chores. No one’s going to think it’s strange that you’re loving it. Especially not me or Tom. Okay?”

Sonic was staring at their connected hands. There was a barrier around his emotions in that moment that looked very close to crumbling. With a quiet sniff and a nod, he gave her a huge grin.

“Okay.”

Tom’s voice from the other room broke the moment.

“Why’d it get quiet all of a sudden? You two aren’t planning my untimely demise right now, are you?”

“You bet your badge we are!” The hedgehog called back, already settling into his more common mischievous persona. He made a motion to zip away, then stopped to give Maddie a tight hug first. She almost lost her balance from the impact but returned it anyway.

“Thanks, Maddie.”

“Always, kiddo.”

A blur, a whoosh, and he was gone.

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A/N: I'm back on my Sonic kick from forever ago, and there's no obvious end in sight. I love the found family trope, I love that it happened in the movie, and I love that Sonic is allowed to express real negative emotions (screw you Sega, do our blue boy justice). Have no idea how many of these I'm going to do nor how long they might get, nor do I know if they’ll all stay rated G. We’ll see.

[tawnywrites]

3, 4 and 6!!!

3. Is there a character without abilities? Are they unique? 

Yes, there is a character without abilities and that is the protagonist herself! Kasie Williams! She’s not from the world of Ordinacy so basically why would she need powers? That’s unrealistic. 

Survival is important in Ordinacy rather than magic abilities honestly

What are you going to do with your powers when you don’t know how to use them? Don’t get powers at all then! 

4. Is there a royal family? if so, talk about them a little bit!

There is a royal family but their parents have already stepped down from the throne. There are about 7 royal families in different countries. 

We have Queen Saion and Queen Dara the two sisters who were separated after they came to control two different lands apart from each other. They used to hate each other after a certain war that happened between Aevenir and Henrith (the kingdoms that they rule over) but after both countries had a peace treaty they try to make an effort to be there for one another.

We have Princess Chrysa who rules over the country of Eothea. She is cousins with Queen Saion and Queen Dara but she prefers to stay far away from the two of them since they would only bicker a lot whenever they see each other. She’s childhood friends with the King of Algion. 

We have Punisher Solstice the ruler of Algion, a country for outlaws and prisoners. He’s the one that orders and enslaves all of the criminals of Alterna. He’s seen as an intimidating and merciless king. He was often seen around making dead rats, skeletons and ravens alive to make them serve him and do his deeds. He’s childhood friends with the Princess of Eothea. Somehow… he has a crush on her. 

We have Twin Justice Sisters (Mia and Sera) the rulers of Kanvis, it is a country that promotes balance between Aevenir and Henrith. The reason why Kanvis exists it’s because it was the only country that allows Aevenirians and Henrithians to interact with one another. The sisters work for Punisher Solstice to hold trials whether or not an accused deserves to be punished in Algion or not. Between the two of them. Sera is the friendliest sister despite being on the dark side of the law.

We have King Julius the ruler of Opostia but out of all of the royal families mentioned King Julius is the only one who’s deceased after a certain incident that happened a few years ago. No one is currently ruling Opostia and since then Opostia became a fallen country filled with rebels and outlaws roaming around freely. 

There are a few more royal families in Spriton but there are so many families I can’t mention them all in this single post!

6. Are there different creatures in your world? what kind of creatures?

There are a LOT OF CREATURES lying around Alterna wanting to bite your flesh alive. The common creatures you see on Alterna are called Darkeshels.

These creatures are born from human negative in a person’s heart. It can be anything from depression, anger, anxiety, fear and etc. They are all born because of human feelings. 

Darkeshels (Dark + E(motions) + Shells) are creatures that pound on humans in Alterna in order to feed themselves with energy. They have shells on their bodies as a weak spot in order to defeat them but those shells are their energy suckers. 

Common darkeshel creature type is named Snake Eye these are creatures that slither through their veins and has an eye for a head. Once they are killed they release green sticky blood. 

There are more creatures like Bara Dog, Krakenmirs, Vadrakels and etc. 

But I have to mention Snake Eyes first since they are the first monsters you will see from my story. 

Thank you so much for asking @candy-m-s Seriously fam I couldn’t thank you enough for doing this. I hope this satisfied your curiosity. Have a pretzel!

[ricardotomasz]

Such is life! Behold, a new Post published on Greater And Grander about G&G Announces Call for Voice Actors: SK8HARD

See into my soul, as a new Post has been published on http://greaterandgrander.com/2020/11/gg-announces-call-for-voice-actors-sk8hard/

G&G Announces Call for Voice Actors: SK8HARD

In conjunction with the brilliant author, Kim Delgado, Greater & Grander announces a new audio podcast series for the teen comic book, SK8HARD.

SK8HARD is about a teenage skateboarder who gets telekinetic powers and has to win the neighborhood skate competition, deal with the local bullies, get away from kidnapping scientists, and save his town from impending disaster.

SK8HARD is announcing an open call for voice actors for this project. Voice recordings will be done from home, and in accordance with Covid-19 safety guidelines. Actors should have a high-quality home microphone.

Union / Non-Union: Non-Union Production Type: Independent Project length: Audio Podcast (60 minutes total) Project format: Audio Only Production location: Los Angeles, but open to remote locations Production Company: Greater & Grander Compensation: None, copy and credit only

SK8HARD Characters

THE CREW

Tyler, a lithe blond-haired, blue-eyed pre-teen wonder.  Smart, agile and gen-x cool, Tyler is the personification of a good kid. He is intensely competitive and ingenious in coming up with new and exciting types of action moves for his Gen-X sporting abilities. These abilities are accented by his faith in justice and moral desire for fair-play. Tyler holds high ideals and plays by the “rules”… even when others do not.

Link, lanky African-American kid with a laid-back attitude which disguises his amazing speed. Link can skate faster, out-run, out roller-blade any kid in the neighborhood except Tyler. Link loves music and skates and works out to the lyrical beat of his “tunes”. Link plans on becoming a skating DJ matching his two loves at once.

Venus, super smart pre-teen who is “Valley Cool”. Her long red hair accents her bright green eyes and infectious smile. It’s evident that her like for Gen-X sports is superseded only by her crush on Tyler. Venus is a clothes maven who loves fashion and dreams of modeling Gen-X clothing and equipment.  

Hector, Latin-Native American mix with jet-black hair and a flowing pony tail. His intense eyes are products of his Cherokee Indian birthright. A daring skater and all around athlete, Hectors, second love is cars. He draws and creates new models and dreams of building low-rider bounce cars and trucks.

Janie, precocious spitfire and Tyler’s little sister. Constantly in her brother’s business, the bratty, brainy, scheming 8-year-old consistently tries to prove Tyler’s super powers to her parents. This creates a sibling rivalry on steroids.

Janie lives to get Tyler grounded, but secretly worships the ground her brother walks on.

Mogol, Jack Russell Terrier. This brainy pup adds some bark and bite to the crew’s adventures. His talent for sniffing out the best bones is supplanted only by his ability at being the best skateboarding pooch around! Mogol has a mind of his own and gets into doggie trouble creating headaches for Tyler and his team.

THE ANTI-HEROS

RICKY KINCAID: Pre-teen bully. Slicked back hair accents adevious crooked smile with bad teeth. This mean-spirited kid and his Marauder buddies find their way into trouble every chance they get.

Two misguided youths who accompany Ricky in his rat pack are MILLS AND BRETT.

BRETT: He’s so thin his nickname is “Pretzel”. A kid who is just along for whatever Ricky gets into.

MILLS: A greedy food monger who would steal candy from a baby or bones from a dog.

THE SCIENTISTS

KATYA POLIN, an austere Russian scientist, with a perpetual scowl, rules her scientific domain with an iron fist and will do whatever is necessary to win a Nobel prize.

BRUNO HOFFMAN, a short, balding man with a thick German accent, is a multi talented physicist who lives to please his boss, Katya.

ELTON MASSON, a rail thin, nebbish Englishman with angular features, is a math brainiac who loves his tea (with a spot of milk). 

Subscribe, Like, Follow!

  Follow @GreaterGrander

#Action, #ActionAdventure, #Actor, #Actors, #Actorslife, #Actress, #Fiction, #Podcast

[kiss-my-freckle]

6x1 & 6x2

“Life is full of lovely little ironies.” - Red

Red getting arrested in the rain. In conversation with Liz -

Red [5x17]: I’m not here hiding from American law enforcement. I could dodge those raindrops and never get wet.

Red facing a very public trial. In conversation with Ressler -

Red [5x10]: With all due respect, I didn’t kill Henry Prescott to protect you. I killed him to protect myself. The man knew the nature of my relationship with the FBI, and I couldn’t risk that information coming to light in a public trial. 

Loving secrets.

Liz: This isn’t a game. Red: It could be. If the secrets you keep are as loving as the ones Dembe keeps. Well. That is interesting. 

Jennifer: You can’t let him in. He can’t see me. 

It took Liz a while to answer the door, and I’m sure Red heard the whispering. He checks out the closet first because it's open, then peeks around the other side. 

Liz, acting stupid -

Red: Bad time? Liz: No. Red: May we? Liz: Hmm? Red: As a fugitive from justice, I prefer not to linger in public hallways.

Then pulling him away from the closet -

Dembe eyes it, so they both know someone’s in the closet. Because Jennifer stays hidden, Dembe and Red are left to assume either or - man or woman. 

I’d consider Keenler a “loving” secret if Red were to assume it. 

Remember this convo in S4?

Red: You speak Italian? Dembe: There was a girl. Red: Of course there was.

Ressler.

Ressler and Liz are on site for Dr. Koehler and The Corsican. 

6x1 -

Ressler: The ID on the dead guy turned up as fake, but we sent the prints to Interpol and we got a hit. Red: Tell me. Ressler: Not until you tell us why you gave us this case because it obviously wasn’t so we could arrest Dr. Koehler and expose his clients. Red: Hans Koehler was a friend of mine. I suspected he was being held against his will. I wanted to save his life. Sadly, I failed.

6x2 -

Cooper: Ressler, Keen, get to New York. There’s an assassin in the city, and we need to find him.

Ressler: If you’re good with it, I’m good with it. Liz: I already told you, I’m good with it. Ressler: What am I missing? See, I know you, and I know there’s no way that you’re okay with Reddington killing a guy in our custody so he wouldn’t have to identify that skeleton. No, you don’t want to tell me what’s really going on, I’m okay with it. But don’t insult me by saying you’re good with it. Liz: Thank you. Ressler: For what? For being okay with it. 

The Corsican’s escape.

Samar: Moreau, Bastien. I need you to notify security he’s on site and Yes, that’s exactly what I’m saying. No, I do not have a positive ID, but you need to put the facility on lockdown and hold all passengers. Man on radio: Code three, all responders. “White male. Mid-50s. May be armed.”

Red’s arrest. 

Red: I need you to focus. Focus on what happened. How it happened. This wasn’t an accident. My luck didn’t just run out. Someone tipped them. Someone close. The cops were tipped off. Not specifically about me. That would’ve triggered a larger presence, and I would’ve noticed. Whoever did this told the cops as little as possible. Something about a “middle-aged white male carrying a concealed weapon.” Something a couple of cops could follow up on quietly, discreetly. 

Liz and Red. 

Liz: They won’t acknowledge the agreement. They’re not gonna release you. They’re gonna put you on trial.

Liz [in promo]: Cooper's been ordered not to inform the court about the task force. They're going to prosecute you.

Red: I need to find the person who betrayed me. Liz: So you can kill him?

Not “So you can kill THEM?”

But “So you can kill HIM.”

Liz [in promo]: He used you - Your decency. He knew you wouldn't lie about the immunity agreement. He knew you'd rather violate a direct order and damage your own career instead.

I suspect Red is using Cooper’s decency to smoke out who betrayed him.

Liz: He asked me to find out who tipped off the police. “It’s all that matters to him.” Not that he’s been arrested or - That he’s gonna be put on trial - And face the death penalty. “All he cares about” is finding out who betrayed him.

Red is confident he’ll win -

Red: One way or the other, I’ll be set free. Indictments and trials are obviously the hard way. The easy way is for you and your family to suddenly become grotesquely rich, buy one of those offensive mega-yachts, and travel the oceans like a nouveau Jacques Cousteau. Baldwin: Is that a bribe? Red: A statement of fact.

Holt: Let me be clear. You will never be free again. You’ll be tried, convicted, held in a federal prison until we execute you. Red: As pleasant as that sounds, I’m afraid I’ve made other arrangements. Holt: This is gonna be fun. Red: Winning always is.

Red: Forget about the prosecutor and all this. I’ve been a step ahead of them for decades. I’m confident this won’t change that.

Confident despite the politics of it. In promo -

Red: Of course they are. The political animal. In the short run, justice always loses in politics. Liz: Aren't you worried. You've been indicted for at least half a dozen capital offenses. Red: I'm confident I'll prevail.

Red informs the judge he’ll be representing himself. Go figure. 

1x2 -

Diane Fowler: His lawyers drafted this? Cooper: No. He did. Reddington represents himself in legal matters. 

Overheard conversations. 

Ressler: So we’re still doing his bidding. Cooper: I’m sorry, Agent Ressler? Ressler: Reddington. He shot an unarmed man in FBI custody just so that Keen couldn’t identify that skeleton that he’s been lugging around like his life depended on it.

Liz: Aram, what is it? Aram: He’s been arrested. Ressler: That’s great news. Aram: Great? Why would you say that? Ressler: The guy’s a killer. Aram: I know, but look. I know theoretically that I should be happy that someone who’s done what he’s done has finally been caught, but I’m not. I’m sad. Liz: Sad, about Moreau? Aram: Moreau? Ressler: You just said he was arrested. Aram: No. We haven’t found Moreau. We’re still working on that. Liz: Well, then who are you talking about? Aram: Mr. Reddington. Mr. Reddington is the one that’s been arrested. Liz: What? When? Aram: Less than an hour ago, he was uh, buying a pretzel. 30 years on the run, and a beat cop picks him up at a pretzel cart. Ressler: Where is he now? Aram: NYPD is holding him at the 27th. Liz: Well, we have to go get him out. Ressler: Police precinct, the most wanted man in America? There’s no getting him out. Liz: Of course we can. We - We, the government. We have an agreement. Ressler: Keen, he’s in the system now. Liz: Does Cooper know? Aram: He’s in with Panabaker. Ressler: She’s not gonna do anything. Liz: Is that what you know or what you want? Aram: No one wants that. Liz: For Reddington to get arrested so we don’t have to work with him anymore? Ressler: Go ahead, Keen, say it. I know it’s what you’re thinking. Aram: Thinking what? Ressler: That I called it in. Reddington’s whereabouts, that they arrested him because of me. Aram: That’s crazy. None of us would betray Mr. Reddington like that. Liz: I don’t believe you did it, but I do believe you’re relieved it happened. Ressler: Keen, all I do know is that it’s over, and nothing Cooper says is gonna change that.

It’s all that matters to Red. Finding out who betrayed him. That’s according to Liz, which I agree with. He doesn’t care at all about the trial. I don’t see Red pushing Cooper to put his career at risk. Ever. There’s no way Red would walk out of prison using his immunity agreement. The arrest was already made public. If he walked, he’d look like a rat. He’d just as well protect himself AND the Task Force. I think he’s gonna use his immunity agreement as bait to flush out who betrayed him, and I think Ressler will be his suspect because he’s already been given enough. 

If Red assumes it, a loving secret Keenler affair. 

Red: Bad time? A man he knows has feelings for Liz and will do anything for her. The woman he’s in love with, still upset she didn’t get to learn Red’s truth. Ressler’s statement in the Post Office.

Ressler: So we’re still doing his bidding. Reddington. He shot an unarmed man in FBI custody just so that Keen couldn’t identify that skeleton that he’s been lugging around like his life depended on it.

Life is full of lovely little ironies, facing a public trial. 

Red: With all due respect, I didn’t kill Henry Prescott to protect you. I killed him to protect myself. The man knew the nature of my relationship with the FBI, and I couldn’t risk that information coming to light in a public trial. 

To Red’s face after Koehler’s death. 

Red: Tell me. Ressler: Not until you tell us why you gave us this case because it obviously wasn’t so we could arrest Dr. Koehler and expose his clients. The description Samar gave on The Corsican - with Ressler in the car. Doing the same to him as they did to Red even though Albrecht was already dead.

Man on radio: Code three, all responders. “White male. Mid-50s. May be armed.” 

And Liz throwing it to a man. 

Red: I need to find the person who betrayed me. Liz: So you can kill him?

So what it looks like, is Ressler replacing Tom in providing Liz answers. 

Red: I’d say that depends.

[spynotebook]

We’ve run our 11 Best Single Issues Of The Year. Well now, Rich Johnston and the Bleeding Cool writers (not Jude) give you 11 collections and graphic novels to reflect on as we say good riddance to 2016 and welcome 2017 with nervous worry.

Eliot Cole

Doctor Who: A Matter Of Life And Death by George Mann, Emma Vieceli and Hi-Fi.

I don’t have quite as much to say here as I did in my “lack of words” on A-Force #4, but I find this Eighth Doctor collection just the lovely example of (a) comics and (b) what could’ve been with the best of all the doctors. George Mann’s stories are each self contained, following the fantastic journey of Josie, and how she becomes part of Eight’s life. Each story was a book, and was self contained, but lends well to the whole. I wrote 3 sentences on George Mann’s awesome plotting (and such), and having a good take on 8 but they amounted to that word, “awesome.” Emma Vieceli’s trademarked panelling design compel you through this beautifully, I could genuinely read pencils of this quality on anything. Ms. Vieceli is surely meant for the greatest of things. Do yourself a favour and check out Titan’s Eighth Doctor Collection.

Jeremy Konrad

The Fix Vol.1-Where Beagles Dare by Nick Spencer, Lieber, Ryan Hill, and Nic J Shaw

I actually was starting to feel a little burnt out by Image this year. Quite a few of their series were blending together and felt to be covering quite a bit of the same ground. That all changed when I picked up The Fix. This series, with its dry, sarcastic humor and panels that you have to study to catch every little  gag in the details very quickly became one of my favorites. And I mean, Pretzels. How can you not love a dog like Pretzels??? Every issue gets better and better, and hopefully it runs for a very long time.

Hannah Means-Shannon

Aleister & Adolf by Douglas Rushkoff, Michael Avon Oeming, and Nate Piekos

This book has been an outlier on many press radars, but it’s one of those densely crafted, significant works that hopefully will be the gift that keeps on giving, showing comic creators and fans what new directions in the medium can be taken. Written by powerhouse social critic Douglas Rushkoff and drawn by the endlessly original Michael Avon Oeming the book tracks a fictional account of Aleister Crowley’s media wars with Adolf Hitler based on a few key historical facts. It follows the life of a young military reporter assigned to Crowley through the course of “sigil” developments, like the swastika by the Nazis and V for Victory by Churchill in the war over human minds during WWII. Rushkoff’s characterization, research, and narrative framing devices, combined with Oeming’s emotive and often highly symbolic artwork make sure this book has something significant to say about the ongoing role of symbolism and propaganda in the way we see the world around us. It might just remind you of the dangers and the positive powers of belief and focus to influence any struggle, even on an international level. Aleister & Adolf may be about the second World War, but it’s highly relevant to our times and makes for a thought-provoking, and at times disturbing, read.

Joe Glass

The Wicked + The Divine Deluxe Hardcover by Kieron Gillen, Jamie McKelvie, Matthew Wilson and Clayton Cowles.

I mean, just look at it.

Let’s not even go into the story or anything yet, just take in this huge, black, hot foiled beauty! You can read comics on your train to work looking like you’re reading out of some mystic grimoire of mystery!

Plus, it contains Kieron Gillen, Jamie McKelvie, Matthew Wilson and Clayton Cowles’ incredible series of pop stars as gods and the hard price of fame (it kinda kills you in the end, which 2016 proved in force really, didn’t it?). Collecting the first two story arcs, plus loads of behind the scenes materials and a good chunk of Gillen’s breakdowns of the book, it makes for the absolute best purchase for fans of the series.

And it just looks sexy as hell on a book shelf!

Abdulkareem Baba Aminu

Huck by Mark Millar and Rafael Albuquerque.

Surprising myself, and after a great deal of thought, I have picked Huck Vol. 1 by Mark Millar and Rafael Albuquerque as the best graphic novel/collection for 2016. I started reading the monthly issues, up to the second, and I somehow fell off. But I did know I’d catch up on the trade when it gets released. And boy was I glad I waited. The story, collected, had a pace that was missing during its monthly run, and the character development proved to be near-perfect. Early comparisons to Superman did no justice to the story of a small town resident who’s revealed to have some truly awesome powers, of course with disastrous results. The art – oh, boy the art – is beautiful, aided by perfect colours and it sets the tone the right way. There’s almost a Spielberg-ian sense of wonder and adventure to the tale, enough to make me ignore the irritation that is an editing error which portrayed a factual kidnapping of schoolgirls by insurgents as having happened in East Africa, when the stated Sambisa Forest is in Nigeria, in West Africa. You could say it was personal for me. That aside – and I truly enjoy most of the Millarworld books – Huck is my absolute favorite.

Marilyn Weiss 

Nameless City by Faith Erin Hicks

I was so excited for this graphic novel to be released, it was easily one of the highlights of my reading this year. We meet Kaidu, a recent arrival to the Nameless City, and son of the latest ruling clan, Dao. As he trains to become a warrior, his adventurous nature drives him into the city, where he meets up with the lovable, street wise Rat. Hicks did an amazing job creating a detailed world that I would love to explore and get lost in. I can tell that there are so many stories hiding within the city, just waiting to be told. I would gladly hand this book to any fan of comics, be they young or old. The sequel, The Stone Heart will be out in April 2017.

  Rich Johnston

Patience by Dan Clowes

I’m a sucker for a post-modern time travel story. See my love for least year’s There’s No Time Like The Present by Paul Rainey. And Dan Clowes gives us actual plottage with Patience. A story of rags to – well not exactly riches, but a different state of being, as the newly pregnant young Patience is murdered, a series of events that destroys her partner, Jack. It’s his attempts to “put right what once went wrong” and the calamitous consequences of his actions, digging his own grave – or Patience’s  – deeper and deeper that drive this book forward. Or backwards. Which means you’ll have to reread it the moment you finish for that Sixth Sense experience. But for all that it’s the attitude of Jack, the anti-Hollywood hero that sets this apart, refusing to follow the obvious tropes or experiencing triumphs – or disasters as he may be expected to.

And the devil is always in the details. Clowes has always had a style that grabs the eye, gives it direction and pulls it forward, the narrator grip in full effect. Here every object in every panel could have serious significance that you will need that second – or third reading to pick up on it.

Toward a Hot Jew by Miriam Libicki

You know those overnight sensations who have been working hard at the craft for decades? That’s Miriam Libicki. In something that resembles the missing link between Marjane Satrapi and Joe Sacco, her autobiographical work exploring her Jewish identity, attractiveness and the reaction of those around her, whether as a Israeli soldier or a professor of art, this collection of a decade’s work jumps from illustrated essay to comic book panels, exploring the medium, the tools to create the work and express inner neurosis as beautifully – and as ugly – as possible.

Black Dog: The Dreams of Paul Nash by Dave McKean

Art about art – Dave McKean creating a comic about war artist Paul Nash, and how that artist turned the worst extremes of humanity into art that illuminated the mind. And then how it affected the young Dave McKean, and how his work has existed in relation to that of Paul’s. This is a giant standing on the shoulder of another giant and between them they can see so much about us. An incredibly moving masterpiece, and stands alongside McKean’s Cages, as an exploration of the effect of art on both the viewer and the artist themselves. Psychologically complex and using the very strictures of comic book panels, speech, character positions to demonstrate so much of what we are.

Rolling Blackouts by Sarah Glidden

Another example of comic book journalism, Sarah Glidden takes a trip to the Middle East with an eye on America’s influence on the region, travelling through Syria, Iraq and Turkey. But its also an examination of journalism itself, as Sarah is accompanying two “proper journalists” as they look at the effect of the Iraq War and of its refugees, so it also becomes a procedural for the profession as well – especially when they are joined by a friend and a US soldier who served in Iraq. And it suddenly gets a whole lot more awkward. Something that is made more palatable by Sarah’s soft watercolors, a different look than we might have otherwise expected.

Everyone has a story to tell. It turns out that’s as much true of the journalists as it is those they report on.

Clean Room Vol 1: Immaculate Conception by Gail Simone, Jon Davis-Hunt and Quinton Winter.

For some reason I never find The Walking Dead comic as gross as I do the TV show. I occasionally wondered if that was a creative choice of the limitations of the medium? Well, Clean Room answered that. It really is something very nasty indeed. Writer Gail Simone has rarely been given the chance to operate at this level. And she choosing the tack of making the people far scarier than the Entities that are meant to be threatening them, in terms of the moral choices they hold. Jon Davis-Hunt’s choices of style are also a surprise, eschewing the darkness for something brighter, more visible and cleaner. This is horror with the strip lighting turned up and refusing to blink.

It also takes suicide head on, as something fuelling the survivors, and as psychological as that is, the comic is never afraid to shlock-horror out, embracing that aspect rather than being embarrassed about it. It’s the combination of both approaches that elevates this title above the norm and makes it something special. And the way it buolds from issue only helps the trade paperback – even if you are denied the pain of waiting from month to month for cliffhangers to resolve.

Buy this for the Scientologist in your life. And then get Gail Simone to write Crossed.

            Bleeding Cool’s 11 Favourite Graphic Novels/Collections Of 2016