Afternoon,
Apologies as I am a little early. Like anyone truly gives a flying at this point.
As you will possibly have seen by the last post here I got into a great discussion with Eamonn (Mega City Book Club) Clarke about the comics stylings of Eddie Campbell in his thousand page comic Bacchus (also known as Deadface). It was the second episode in our Summer Event. Cross-Company, multi-issue series of summer podcasting. One more to come. Where could that possibly be? If you can guess in the next 24 hours you will receive the first of the newly minted FLYING FUCK AWARDS! You can find the new episode right here. (Warnings – these awards do not exist).
This week over at the ACP we had the cultural whirlwind that is Nick Gonzo along for our rocky ride. A long-term friend of the Pod going back over nine years he talked Zines and Zine Fairs with us. We also tried our best to separate Comics and Zines (and the favourite of little Lord Fauntleroy – the Graphic Novel). You can listen and shout along at by clicking the word ‘Fuck’ that follows this sentence. FUCK.
Back to the task that I started this weekly rant with.
Favourite Small Press Comic of the Week.
Sometimes you are just in the mood for well written adventure. This has all that with a mystic element weaved into a First Nation story from 1400 years ago. Head over to Nectar Comics to find out more. The first issue in a series that will leave you desperate for the next one. Refreshingly self-contained and lacking in comics cliche.
Tops.
This was one that is familiar but also, I’ll admit, actively twisting my preconceptions and got me thinking about it’s themes in a less than satisfied way. In many ways it is what we have expected to see in a new, albeit posthumous, issue of Peep Show. But, to me, there was something different hiding underneath. We change and so do the comics, maybe it was that? Maybe in a world of Neil Gaimans I expected something better? Although, I’m not sure why. (Warnings – it does cover the area of having sexual relations with a much younger female fan – albeit not in the way alleged against Neil).
It sits in the top position for a number of reasons. The cartooning is great and it did after all get me thinking. More than most comics manage these days. Mostly they make me wonder where I left my phone.
I won’t elaborate for the moment as I’m lining up an NIA that will, in part, cover this issue with a familiar voice. More details soon.
Bottoms.
This week there was a tie for the bottom. First up is DC Comics and this animation inspired cover.
I feel like the writer, artist and editor are having trouble working out how to format a page. Overcrammed in one page with titles and credits that visually at first glance appear to be working as part of the story/dialogue to mere pages later a massive eye-pulling blank space on a page. Pacing and a seeming lack of awareness of how a page works so bad that they easily hit the bottom of the pile for me this week.
Maybe, just maybe we should bring back that mentoring system back? Especially for editors.
Next up Marvel.
This nonsense is written by Cody Ziglar who is fast becoming my least favourite Big Two regular writer. Rather than having a story it is just a series of scenes/moments that he considers to be cool. At one point robots are introduced and seen only from the side. There is no sense of jeopardy or any result from assaults, punches or shields thrown or actually plot points. Another comic written in Twitter speak, painful to read. A shame as the art has a certain energy and deserves better.
Never Iron Anything - The Comics Review Website 