Review- STRANGER THINGS: THE OTHER SIDE

STRANGER THINGS: THE OTHER SIDE (Dark Horse, First Printing, 2019; Softcover)

Collects Stranger Things: The Other Side #1-4 (cover dates June, 2018- January, 2019)

Writer: Jody Houser

Artists: Stefano Martino and Keith C. Champagne

Colorist: Lauren Affe

If any series lends itself to the comic book format, it is the nostalgic Netflix series Stranger Things. This four issue mini-series shows what happens to Will while he is trapped in The Upside Down. Key moments in the series are shown from the other viewpoint, and it's really cool. Fans of the series will eat this up. If you haven't read the series I am not certain if this will make a lot of sense, especially at the end.

It would have been cool if this were presented and framed like a 1983 comic book with flat colors, cheap pulp paper, and “Ben Day” dots. Then again, this series skews to a younger demographic than this fortysomething old man, and those kids seem to dislike the presentation of old comic books.

I read this book in one sitting with my 12 year old son, who loves the series. Heck, I even got him the action figures for his birthday last year. He's at the right age where the vibe of the show clicks with that sense of wonder we all have at that age before life grinds us down to a stump. He loved this book and so did I. I'm looking forward to more Stranger Things comics, and I am really, really looking forward to Season Three. Is it July 4 yet?

The OCD zone- This is the part where I go into tactile sensations and materials used in physical media. Those with heart conditions, high blood pressure, or women who are pregnant should exit my blog at their earliest convenience, as their safety cannot be guaranteed beyond this point.

Paper stock: Thick glossy stock.

Binding: Perfect bound trade paperback.

Cardstock cover notes: Matte coating with spot varnish. The matte portions have sufficient protection from scuffing, a problem many matte finish covers seem to have. This is good, since copies of this book are likely to circulate through libraries across the country.

Review- LADY KILLER VOL. 2

LADY KILLER VOL. 2 (Dark Horse, First Printing, 2017; Softcover)

Collects Lady Killer 2 #1-5 (cover dates August, 2016- August, 2017)

Writer and Artist: Joelle Jones

Colorists: Michelle Madsen

I borrowed this book from my local library.

Ho ho! We see a change of location and a change of circumstances for Josie and her family this time around. We also see the introduction of a major complication by the name of Irving, who sets everything on its head. The gore and the violence are turned up to 11, along with the plot developments and dark humor. This book has everything which made the first volume great, only more of it.

The artwork is a little different this time out but is still great. The coloring is worlds different, with Michelle Madsen replacing Laura Allred. Madsen uses more bells, whistles, and Photoshop gimmicks than Allred does but knows when to dial it down to a more “flat” look when appropriate. There are times when her color art looks better and other times where I wish Allred were still on board.

The story moves forward and is as tight as a drum. As with Volume 1, we have enough loose ends for another arc. That isn't on the horizon for the time being, as Jones is currently doing work over at DC, but you never know.

Junk Food For Thought rating: 4 out of 5.

The OCD zone- This is the part where I go into tactile sensations and materials used in physical media. Those with heart conditions, high blood pressure, or women who are pregnant should exit my blog at their earliest convenience, as their safety cannot be guaranteed beyond this point.

Library copies are fascinating studies in the durability of these books. I look at them like science experiments, as the average human handles their books like the Samsonite Gorilla when compared to how I handle my books.

Paper stock: Coated stock with a slight sheen to it.

Binding: Sewn binding.

Cardstock cover notes: Matte coating with spot varnish.

Review- LADY KILLER VOL. 1

I read the first issue in the Dark Horse Number Ones trade last year and was blown away by it. My local library has a pretty kickass graphic novel section and I was pleased to find this book there.

LADY KILLER VOL. 1 (Dark Horse, First Printing, 2015; Softcover)

Collects Lady Killer #1-5 (cover dates January- May, 2015)

Writers: Joelle Jones and Jamie S. Rich

Artist: Jamie S. Rich

Colorists: Laura Allred

I borrowed this book from my local library.

Lady Killer is the story of Josie Schuller, your average middle class housewife circa 1960 who has a side job. The Jackie Kennedy American post-war prosperity aesthetic and optimism is a fantastic contrast to the extreme gore and senseless violence that her side job provides. Josie is a hitman...er, I mean hitlady.

Like all working women who juggle family life with a thriving career, Josie is burning the candle at both ends trying to make it all work. She tries to compromise family life and scheduling with her hits and winds up making neither side happy. This is where her situation gets sticky for everyone involved.

Without giving away anything, this is a fun, fast-paced read high on style. Those with an aversion to excessive gore or black comedy would do well to stay away from this comic. If you can giggle at the over the top nature of the series then you will have a blast reading it.

Everything wraps up nice and neat at the end while leaving enough loose ends for further investigation of the series. The writing is solid, the artwork has a style that balances between nostalgic and modern, and Laura Allred's coloring is second to none.

Junk Food For Thought rating: 4 out of 5.

The OCD zone- This is the part where I go into tactile sensations and materials used in physical media. Those with heart conditions, high blood pressure, or women who are pregnant should exit my blog at their earliest convenience, as their safety cannot be guaranteed beyond this point.

Library copies are fascinating studies in the durability of these books. I look at them like science experiments, as the average human handles their books like the Samsonite Gorilla when compared to how I handle my books.

Paper stock: Coated stock with a slight sheen to it.

Binding: Sewn binding.

Cardstock cover notes: Matte coating.

Review- Free Comic Book Day 2018

FREE COMIC BOOK DAY 2018

I was suffering from seasonal allergies on this year's Free Comic Book Day. The pollen kicked my butt and I felt like I was dying from the bird flu. I don't know what the bird flu actually feels like, but it couldn't be any worse than seasonal allergies. Spring was late and came on with a vengeance, with every pollen known to man killing my sinuses. I took very few pictures this year because of this.

My kids and I hit five shops this year:

Time Travelers in Berkley, MI

Warp 9 in Clawson, MI- They had a line wrapped around the building before they opened due to their offering 10 free comics per person.

Abbas Discount in Sterling Heights, MI

Green Brain Comics in Dearborn, MI

Big Ben's Comix Oasis in Allen Park, MI

A huge thank you to all of the shops who participate in this event. I tend to buy something at each shop that I stop at, as the comics are not free to retailers and nobody likes a vulture. I'm bummed that I was not feeling good this year. 

On to the reviews. None of the stores listed above endorse these reviews. All opinions on these comics are my own. I am doing this one in a pellet review style.

Barrier #1 Free Comic Book Day Edition (Image, cover date May, 2018)

Brian K. Vaughn and Marcos Martin bring us this intriguing landscape-format comic with 50+ pages of story. This is timely, dealing with a Mexican drug cartel and aliens, both illegal and extraterrestrial, and it poses many interesting questions.

While this is extremely well done, my major gripe is that much of the issue is written in Spanish. Why Vaughn couldn't write the dialogue between <brackets> like this and have a * with a box stating Translated from the Spanish is beyond me. This is standard operating procedure in comics for translation in scenes. It soured me on wanting to read more of this series. I guess that my not being bilingual makes me not educated enough to read BKV's work. That's okay, my money is just as green as anyone else and I'll be keeping it in my wallet.

Junk Food For Thought rating 3 out of 5.

Relay #0 (AfterShock, cover date May, 2018)

Wow, this is absolutely brilliant. I am 100% in for the inevitable trade paperback.

Junk Food For Thought rating 5 out of 5.

World Of Aspen 2018 #1 (Aspen, cover date May, 2018)

Split book, with Dissension: War Eternal being enjoyable and Nuway being kind of blah. There's nothing here that is going to make me open my wallet.

Junk Food For Thought rating 2.75 out of 5.

Silver #1 (Dark Planet, cover date, 2018)

Black and white comics live and die by mood. Silver is a Crime/Noir series, but the cartoony artwork does the story a bit of a disservice. It's not bad but it's not great, either.

Junk Food For Thought rating 3 out of 5.

Scout Comics Presents: The Mall #0 Free Comic Book Day 2018 (Scout Comics, cover date May, 2018)

A highly entertaining coming of age period piece, The Mall has a strong enough hook for me to read if I came across it at the library or if I had a free copy to review.

Junk Food For Thought rating 4 out of 5.

Die Kitty Die! FCBD 2018 #1(Chapterhouse, cover date May, 2018)

An Archie/Harvey character spoof riff done with enough gusto that I can dig it. Entertaining and fun.

Junk Food For Thought rating 4 out of 5.

There were no true cover scans available online so I made one. 

Ann Arbor Comics Art Festival (Fifth Avenue Press, cover date May, 2018)

Local artists doing a FCBD tie-in to help promote the former Kids Read Comics Festival (now the A2CAF) which takes place every June. This comic wasn't my cup of tea but it wasn't awful, either.

Junk Food For Thought rating 2 out of 5.

Valiant Icons Sneak Preview (Valiant, cover date September, 2017)

Valiant has a lot of passionate fans. While the stuff certainly is readable enough I don't have any ties to due to the fact that I was on sabbatical from the hobby their first time around. Solid stuff that doesn't click with me for whatever reason.

Junk Food For Thought rating 3 out of 5.

There were no true cover scans of the Green Brain Comics variant anywhere online, so I made one. 

DC Nation #0 (DC, cover date July, 2018)

Since the FCBD powers that be blackballed DC due to DC's lazy efforts over the last few years which comprised of reprints, DC instead flooded retailers with this bargain priced comic which ties into three upcoming events. From what I've read, the wholesale cost of this .25 comic was less than the wholesale cost of any FCBD comic, making it a favorite of retailers to stock up on weeks ahead of time and hand out en masse. Well played, DC.

Your Big Day is possibly the best Joker story that I've ever read. The two other stories aren't my cup of tea but your mileage may vary.

Junk Food For Thought rating 3.5 out of 5.

Marvel Rising #0 (Marvel, cover date July, 2018)

The Squirrel Girl and Ms. Marvel team up wasn't too bad. My daughter might like it.

Junk Food For Thought rating 3.5 out of 5.

Bob's Burgers Free Comic Book Day 2018 (Dynamite, cover date 2018)

The cartoon series always left me cold, but this was a terrific read. I especially enjoyed Where The Fried Things Are, a stylized spoof of my childhood favorite Where The Wild Things Are. I would read more of this if the library had them.

Junk Food For Thought rating 5 out of 5.

Free Comic Book Day 2018: General (Dark Horse, cover date May, 2018)

This split comic features an Overwatch story, which I was indifferent to. My son likes that game, I think. I don't let him play it at my house but I've heard him talk about it. The second half of the comic is The Quantam League, an interesting timeslip superhero riff. Might be worth a second look if the library has it or if someone wants to slide me a review copy.

Junk Food For Thought rating 3 out of 5.

Doctor Who: Free Comic Book Day 2018 #1 (Titan, cover date June, 2018)

Slick and polished stuff, but I am not a Doctor Who fan and it left me cold.

Junk Food For Thought rating 2.75 out of 5.

Papercutz Free Comic Book Day #12 (Papercutz, cover date 2018)

There are times when I feel old and cynical, like maybe I've been reading comic books for too long. That tends to come into play when I read stuff like this, which is such a retread and so regurgitated that it blends so many established concepts together that it's almost indiscernible. This is the comic book equivalent of white noise to me. If I were a kid and didn't know all of the reference points I might have liked it better.

Junk Food For Thought rating 2.5 out of 5.

The Metabaron (Humanoids, cover date 2018)

Great stuff from Humanoids. I was on quite a Humanoids kick years ago but had to cut some stuff out to stay in the game. This is a great read and if you are able to walk away from your core superhero stuff this will tickle your fancy.

Junk Food For Thought rating 5 out of 5.

2000 AD Free Comic Book Day Prog 2018 (Rebellion/2000 AD, cover date 2018)

What happened??? 2000 AD usually has pretty high standards, but this is all abysmal dreck.

Junk Food For Thought rating 1.5 out of 5.

Invasion: Free Comic Book Day 2018 (Chapterhouse, cover date 2018)

This left me cold.

Junk Food For Thought rating 0.75 out of 5.

Strangers In Paradise XXV: Free Comic Book Day 2018 (Abstract, cover date 2018)

This was incredible. I am a big Terry Moore fan, and this reminds me that I need to finish reading Rachel Rising. I want to pick this series up as well now. Crap.

Junk Food For Thought rating 5 out of 5.

P.S. The Omnibus is way out of print and is very expensive. It must be spectacular.

James Bond- Vargr: Free Comic Book Day 2018 (Dynamite, cover date 2018)

Outstanding stuff by Warren Ellis with fantastic artwork by Jason Masters and Guy Major. There are several of these books out if the advertisements are any indication. I will gladly accept review copies and/or gifts if anyone wants to send some my way.

Junk Food For Thought rating 5 out of 5.

Berlin: Free Comic Book Day 2018 (Drawn And Quarterly, cover date 2018)

Berlin was an unknown quantity to me until now. This fantastic historical fiction is set in 1928 with the echoes of World War I still present and the beginnings of what would become the Nazi Party bubbling up under the surface. There have been 19 issues published in the past 22 years, with a projected 22 issues needed to complete the story. It's been three years since the last issue was released. Crazy. This ranks up there with Age Of Bronze for timeliness in publication.

Junk Food For Thought rating 5 out of 5.

Shadowman: FCBDay 2018 Special (Valiant, cover date May, 2018)

I was on sabbatical from the hobby when Valiant had their first go 'round. Their relaunched universe has a lot of fans. I don't have any emotional attachment or nostalgia unlike people 5-10 years younger than me, so I am not in. This all seems well done and entertaining but I can't buy everything. Lord knows I've tried.

Junk Food For Thought rating 3 out of 5.

Shadow Roads Free Comic Book Day 2018 (Oni Press, cover date May, 2018)

This is one of those things that scream “muh IP!”, something that is solely done to get a movie option. It was readable but unremarkable.

Junk Food For Thought rating 2.5 out of 5.

Free Comic Book Day 2018: Avengers/ Captain America #1 (Marvel, cover date May, 2018)

I feel guilty because I can't get into a lot of what Marvel is doing today. I read this comic, I liked it well enough, but I can't let go of my '60s-'80s versions of these characters. My guilt comes in because my 11 year old son really enjoys modern comics, and I wished that I still enjoyed Marvel with him. There are too many major changes to these characters for them to still feel like they are “mine”. Times change and torches get passed. My son is the future, not me. I can live with that, and it pleases me in many ways. I read them with him sometimes still, and I see it through his eyes and remember what it was like to be 11.

Junk Food For Thought rating 3 out of 5.

Free Comic Book Day 2018: Amazing Spider-Man/ Guardians Of The Galaxy #1 (Marvel, cover date May, 2018)

Oof. This was rough. Nick Spenser sucks and so does the art. This was downright painful for me to read.

Junk Food For Thought rating 1.75 out of 5.

Actionverse Featuring The First Hero #1 (Action Lab, cover date March, 2015)

Every year some store slips dead stock into the FCBD offerings. Since I do multiple shops every year I won't grab doubles of anything but will pick up stuff like this. This is kind of readable I guess. It's not bad but it doesn't make me want to throw my money at it either

Junk Food For Thought rating 2 out of 5.

That's all, folks! 25 comic reviews in one post. If any of you are still here, thanks for reading this far. I'll try to post my FCBD 2019 review in a more timely manner. This one fell between the sofa cushions.