Morning Folks,
What a weekend that was. We’ve just experienced Qvention and a big shout-out to everyone who attended. It was just the best to gather and worship the messianic figure that is Cliff ‘Q’ Cumber! I haven’t laughed half so much in a long time. That reminds me, I better try and get my deposit back from that pub – if I dare. If you have a listen to the new episode of the ACP you can find out all the gossip from the day. (Don’t worry, not all of it). But seriously, thanks guys. A group of people, often with differing world views, who got together, talked comics, drew and laughed. I think I’m still on what the kids call a ‘Come-Down’! Roll on the next one. PS. I stand by my comments about sexy Nuns.
Then Sunday was all comics again but in a different gear. Myself and Falpy got together to envelope and sketch in the rewards for the new Kickstarter. The paperbacks of Flesh & Ink and the extra issues of Cockney Kung Fu will be in the wild and hopefully in your hands soon.
Meanwhile, the world continues to go nuts.
The NIA podcast is returning next week with one of those books that I dipped in and out of throughout its chequered run but have had a 500 page omnibus sitting there giving me feelings of guilt since lockdown. We may also be discussing a certain ten point Graphic Novel manifesto.
To add to the general feelings of fevered intensity I’ve decided to add a new section to this Wednesday column. To follow that momentous first will be the usual Tops and Bottoms. This week I have read 167 separate comics that I can choose from.
Small Press Book of the Week.
This week stinks of favouritism. In my defence it is actually really good. It’s just that it is by my buddy, oft-collaborator and Tribute Press co-publisher, Mr Adam Falp.
Adam Falp’s Smokin’ Bedroom is an A4 Black & White DIY comic. What appears at first read to be a series of short stories is in fact an interlocking narrative that centres on that ever-so forgotten race of humans who I like to call ‘Real People’. Whilst this happily talks of the dregs of society, stalkers, sex addicts, violent private investigators and more they come over as massively more real than 99% of the rest of small press. No short read and all for just £5. You can find it in Gosh or at Adam’s site here.
Tops.
This was a good week of comics. Competition was high. Among the pile I picked up a new issue of Usagi Yojimbo, Falling in Love On the Path to Hell and Redcoat. But the winner was this cracker from Titan Comics of all places.
This is of course a translation of a BD volume split up into issues but begins to show that this volume will be delving deeply into the relationship between Elric and his sword. The battle that takes place at sea is gorey and glorious!
Bottoms.
We return unsurprisingly to Marvel Comics again. To a character who has had a series reboot almost yearly for a decade at this point – sometimes more often.
The above issue as you can see is number 7. The series has been about for seven months. Remember that for later. This didn’t make the Bottoms for it’s art. That is passable in a rather underwhelming way. The writing was written in that Twitter talk style I’m used to now at Marvel. (Worth a mention that this is not the first appearance Alyssa Wong has made here – her Deadpool was bland and boring). So, why did it make the list? I’ll explain. I haven’t read this new series so far in its run. As I try to read all the Marvel books either in physical form or on the app I decided to get on this one late. Marvel tends to have ‘Catch-Up’ pages so I thought it’ll be fine.
Here’s what I was presented with.
It wasn’t fine.
Who wrote that drivel. I zoned out on the first couple of attempts and then laughed my way through the overcomplicated rubbish on the third attempt. It’s full of strange asides that feel like a Chat GPT ninety-seven word sentence explaining the plot to Game of Thrones! How are people meant to jump on board a comic if this is what they are presented with??!!
I think I’ll just wait for the inevitable reboot of the Captain Marvel series later this year.
So, until next week. Get off social media. Work hard, Play hard and thanks for reading.
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