Review- FCBD Offerings Part 2

And Then Emily Was Gone #0: FCBD Special (Comix Tribe, cover date, 2015)

I went to 8 stores on Free Comic Book Day this year so that I could get as many different comics as possible. I was pleasantly surprised by And Then Emily Was Gone, as it has a weird overall tone, both in writing and artwork. The Oxymoron back-up story was also very enjoyable. Who knows, maybe I will pick up one of their books after all.

Junk Food For Thought rating: 3.5 out of 5.

2000 AD Free Comic Book Day Prog 2015 (2000 AD, cover date 2015)

A smorgasboard of past, present, and future 2000 AD properties, the one that stood out for me was Judge Dredd. Nothing else really grabbed me but everything was certainly readable. I was pleased to see the announcement that there will be a second Daily Dredds hardcover collecting more of the UK Judge Dredd strip.

Junk Food For Thought rating: 3 out of 5.

Free Comic Book Day: The Phantom (Hermes Press, cover date 2015)

Predating Superman and every other masked hero that you know of, “The Ghost That Who Walks” is one of those characters that I was interested in but not enough to buy a hardcover of blind. Enter this sampler from Hermes Press, reprinting several short stories from the middle era (1960s-1970s) of the character, including a story with artwork by the godlike Jim Aparo. I will try to resist hunting down this line of books, as several are out of print and expensive.

Junk Food For Thought rating: 4.5 out of 5.

Terrible Lizard #1: Free Comic Book Day Edition (Oni Press, cover date May, 2015)

Huh. Well how about that? Cullen Bunn isn't the first name that springs to mind when thinking of light-hearted, fun, all-ages comics, but I'll be darned if this isn't a slick comic that I am not afraid to share with my kids. It's a story about a 14 year old girl whose father does some dimensional breach bit and brings back a dinosaur of some kind who bonds/imprints with the girl. Good stuff.

Junk Food For Thought rating: 3.75 out of 5.

Jurassic Strike Force 5 Free Comic Book Day One-Shot (Silver Dragon/ Zenescope, cover date May, 2015)

Hot on the heels of Terrible Lizard comes this offering from Zenescope's non-cheesecake all-ages imprint, Silver Dragon. This is a hybrid of a number of different concepts that isn't anything particularly fresh, nor is it particularly bad. It's readable enough although I don't think that I would pay for it. My 8 year old son enjoyed it quite a bit.

Junk Food For Thought rating: 3 out of 5.

Tales Of Honor Volume Two #0 (Top Cow/ Image, cover date May, 2015)

I can take or leave outer space stuff that isn't Star Wars or Star Trek, and Tales Of Honor is no different. While it's a solid and polished concept with decent artwork I don't care enough to spend any money on it.

Junk Food For Thought rating: 2.5 out of 5.

Review- THE SIXTH GUN VOL. 1

THE SIXTH GUN VOL. 1 (Oni Press, 2013; Hardcover)

Collects The Sixth Gun Nos. 1-11 (cover dates May, 2010- April, 2011)

Writer: Cullen Bunn

Artist: Brian Hurtt

Colorist: Brian Hurtt and Bill Crabtree

My OCD homeskillet, Ferjo Byroy insisted...nay, demanded that I read this book which is his current obsession. After much dodging, I agreed...if he would loan it to me. This book is pretty straightforward. There are six guns that carry a curse, and when they are all brought together they can open a portal that is a treasure...or a curse, depending on one's viewpoint. All signs point to it being a curse.

The writing is crisp and moves at a decent clip without feeling like it is lazy or a ripoff. There is plenty of action and macabre happenings that should please fans of horror comics. This horror/old west hybrid has been employed a number of times elsewhere. This isn't exactly reinventing the wheel. It is presented with a freshness that makes it entertaining and worth a read. I enjoyed it but not enough to buy it. Truth be told, I have too many irons in the fire now and can't keep up with this stupid hobby lifestyle any more. 

The artwork and coloring are decent and have a borderline cartoony style to them that keeps things lighter than the subject matter otherwise would be. If you had a more photo realistic penciler or a more heavy handed colorist this would feel more like a straight up horror story. As it stands it is more lighthearted and fun. There are certainly far worse books on the stands these days. If horror tinged old west gunfighters sounds like your cup of tea then this should do you nicely. Maybe I'll even borrow the next hardcover from Ferjo. Maybe.

Junk Food For Thought rating: 4 out of 5.

The OCD zone- This book is huge, standing 13.2 inches (33.582 centimeters for the non-English system of measurement outside of the United States) tall. It also has a built in ribbon bookmark. Some fans really like this, I could not care less.

DVD-style Extras included in this book: The previously web comic exclusive story Them What Ails Ya (22 pages).

22 page cover gallery including the Free Comic Book Day, Volume 1 and 2 trade paperback covers, as well as cover roughs.

Artwork from original pitch (12 pages).

Production artwork (13 pages).

Art print for Challenger's Comics Chicago, IL. (1 page).

Creator biographies (3 pages).

Paper rating: 5 out of 5. Thick uncoated stock with zero sheen under any light source.

Binding rating: 5 out of 5. Smyth sewn binding, 10 stitches per signature. The book block appears to be glued square to the casing. It does not flex or hollow at all. The book does lay mostly flat, so it doesn't matter.

Hardback casewrap coating rating: 5 out of 5. Spot varnishing complimenting a thick waxlike coating, making this a highly durable hardback.

Buy THE SIXTH GUN VOL. 1 HC at InStockTrades!

Reviews- Whiteout Vol. 2: Melt; Iron Siege

WHITEOUT- THE DEFINITIVE EDITION VOL. 2: MELT (Oni Press, 2007; Softcover)

Collects Whiteout: Melt Nos. 1-4 (cover dates September, 1999- February, 2000)

Writer: Greg Rucka

Artist: Steve Lieber

This is an extremely satisfying follow up to the original Whiteout mini-series. While not as intense as the original, this still has plenty of suspenseful, page-turner elements and bang for the buck. I cannot recommend these two Whiteout books enough. Rucka's writing and Lieber's artwork are perfect. These seem pretty timely, too, since I can look out the window and see plenty of white stuff. While not arctic cold, it's cold enough where you wouldn't want to be outside for very long, either. My dislike of Winter really helps with the psychological aspect of this book. 

IRON SIEGE(IDW, 2011; Softcover)

Collects Iron Siege Nos. 1-3 (cover dates December, 2010- April, 2011)

Writer: Trevor Goring

Artist: Grant Goleash

The gist: The story takes place during World War II, and deals with some kind of chemical/ black magic/ monster/werewolf thing. This is an empty calorie read. I blew through this book in no time flat, and once I finished it, I knew that I would never have want to read it again.

The OCD zone- I remember when the floppies of this series were originally solicited, IDW boasted how this was being published in Golden Age comic book size. I'm not sure why that matters. Sure, this takes place in the '40s, the “Golden Age of comics”, but it has nothing else in common with that era, either in tone or presentation. Likewise, this trade paperback is published in Golden Age comic book size, making it a bit wider than normal trade paperbacks. So what you get is a mediocre read that will look out of place on your bookshelf because it will stick out farther than the rest of your softcovers. It's a real win-win!

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Review: Whiteout- The Definitive Edition Vol. 1

WHITEOUT: THE DEFINITIVE EDITION VOL. 1(Oni Press, 2007; Softcover)

Collects Whiteout Nos. 1-4 (cover dates July- November, 1998)

Writer: Greg Rucka

Artist: Steve Lieber

This was one of those 'nick and dent' bookstore market returns that are available at a steep discount at comic conventions. I was blown away by the quality of the artwork and picked it up.

This is top shelf stuff. I often feel embarrassed when I discover something like this, only to find that it has long been celebrated in nerd circles. I can't be everywhere at once, kids. There are only so many hours in a day and so many dollars in my wallet. I guess that the important thing is that I discovered it at all. Seriously great stuff, I recommend this to everyone, comics fan or not. 

Steve Lieber's artwork is stellar. He employs many techniques and gets the most out of the black and white format. A great artist can “paint” color in your mind, and Lieber does just that. I am sorry, but this title deserves some gushing. It is that good.

I have been more adventurous with my reading habits as of late, and it's really paying off. While I am tired of the big two's reboots, ret-cons and crossovers, there are plenty of great comic books being published by countless other publishers. It's not the medium that's tired, it's the traps and conceits of certain genres that are tired.

The OCD zone- This book was published in what is called the 'graphic novel' format size. It's larger than a digest but smaller than a standard trade paperback. The format works for this material. My only gripe is that the original issue's covers are not included in this book, even though there is a blank chapter marker page before each issue.