Indie Corner - 10/16/13

Each week I'll spotlight a couple independent books I've read and may have flown under people's radar.

FBP

Shaolin Cowboy 01

Jay and Adam's time in the pocket universe is quickly coming to an end, but is there enough time left for everyone to get out?  What's really going on and there and why?  This issue answers these questions and more, including the fallout from the mission, and a surprise ending that sees one character leave the FBP.

This series is nuts and I love it.  Great writing, crazy art that both looks and works great (when Rodriguez bothers to include backgrounds).  Next issue should serve as a jumping on point for anyone interested in the series.

THE SHOALIN COWBOY 1

Geof Darrow and Shaolin Cowboy are back!  Fans of the original series will rejoice at the return, but new readers shouldn't fear picking up the story from here - this is the beginning of a brand-new story.

The book opens with Shaolin Cowboy digging his way out "from the center of the earth" as the short prose opening tells us.  Unfortunately, there's a horde of zombies fast on his trail.  Beautifully disgusting mayhem ensues as he first runs from, then confronts the undead.

The Shaolin Cowboy has never been a talkative character, that role has always been left to the rest of the cast.  The same holds true here, with much of the story being told through Darrow's art rather than the titular character.  Near the end of the book, however, we'e shown a few pages worth of unfamiliar characters that have seemingly been in search of the cowboy, indicating some larger storyline at play.  I can only assume we'll be treated to additional details in issues to come.

GHOSTED 4

While Jackson's team tries to formulate a plan, one of their members goes missing.  Unfortunately for them, that's just the beginning of their trouble as things get much worse for everyone involved, leading to the climactic final page.  Oh, and that thing Jackson's been talking about not doing for the last few issues... it happens.  They stay in the house after dark  There's really very little else I can say about the issue without spoiling things, so I'll simply suggesting picking up the series and giving it a try.

Honestly, after the first issue, I didn't think I'd be reading the series for all that long.  The premise is good, writing is good, art is serviceable... but it didn't really hook me.  Yet I've consistently come back for more and after that last page, its hooks are in me.  Supernatural + Heist makes for a good comic.

GHOSTBUSTERS 8

This issues picks up exactly where the last left off.  Winston is still in Las Vegas, attempting to quietly deal with a ghost in the hotel while on vacation with his wife.  Egon continues to investigate himself for changes following recent events, but will he find anything more than his own paranoia?  Peter, Ray, and Kylie are all on the frozen ship off the coast, only to make a bad situation worse.

This storyarc wraps up faster than I had expected.  For one, I thought we'd see more of Winston on vacation and the relationship with his wife.  Instead, he spends much of his time trying to trap the ghost, and when he's unable to do it discreetly, has some strong words for the client.  The tension on the ghost ship, seen in the last few issues, quickly builds, but luck and a brainstorm resolve the issue without difficulty.  It's hard to understand why so much was building toward this.  Egon, meanwhile, still hasn't done much of anything.

Indie Corner - 09/18/2013

Each week I'll spotlight a couple independent books I've read and may have flown under people's radar.

 

ETERNAL WARRIOR 1

As I write this, Sunday morning, the Valiant website is inaccessible.  There was some information I wanted to verify, but I'll just work from my spotty memory instead.  When Valiant re-launched last year, I read a preview of X-O Manowar and was intrigued enough to pick up the first issue.  I only made it to issue two before dropping the series, but I've continued to hear good things regarding Valiant ever since.  Once again, I read a preview and was interested enough to pick up the first issue. Eternal Warrior 1 is a good first issue.  Great art and Pak's writing mean I'll be picking up issue two and seeing where things go from there.

TMNT: HUN

A friend of mine has mentioned Hun a few times from his appearance(s?) on the Turtles show.  I was unfamiliar with him, so learning his identity here came as a shock.  I'm having a somewhat difficult time reconciling what I knew before with this new information.  It certainly wasn't the path I imagined things would take.  Still, this new wrinkle should make things very interesting.

LOCKE & KEY: ALPHA

Despite being an oversized issue, this feels rushed.  Or at least the beginning does.  The opening pages check in with our scattered cast of characters, but does so in the least informative way possible.  From there, Dodge explains explains practically everything for a large chunk of the book, before the tables turn and people start dying left and right.  I can't help but feel slightly disappointed in this.  This feels like it should have been left in the oven a bit longer.  It's just doesn't feel the same as the half dozen mini series I've enjoyed so much.

FBP 3

Issue two just came out two weeks ago.  I don't know what's up with this book's shipping schedule, but I'll take it.  The book opens with a brief look at what led Adam to become an FBP agent before quickly resolving the cliffhanger from last issue.  The mission continues in the bubble universe while an investigation is underway about what's really going on in the main universe.  We're then left with another cliffhanger and if things weren't kicked into gear already, next issue has the clock seriously ticking.  This may be one of the rare books I buy monthly and in trade form.

B.P.R.D.: 1948

I don't know anyone that's read BPRD and said, "Eh, it's just not for me."  As far as I can tell, there's people that are into it, and those that haven't read it.  1948 is a great example of the series at its best - great story, amazing art, thrilling, touching, and somewhat heartbreaking.  While there are some slight references to the 1947 series, this is an almost entirely stand-alone story that I would easily recommend to anyone interested in the BPRD series.  For those long-time Hellboy and BPRD readers, there are moments (like the final page) that hit home that much harder.

EAST OF WEST: vol. 1

I picked up the first four issues of this before switching from buying the single issues to trades.  It was good enough that I knew I wanted it on my shelf instead of a box in the closet, and I thought I'd be better able to keep track of the various characters and plots.  So this morning I sat and read the whole thing.  And it was awesome.  But crucially, I found retained more information and pieced more of the story together than I had when read as issues.  Recommended, and very much looking forward to future volumes.

KILLJOYS 4

Things aren't going well for anyone in this series - The Girl, the DJs, Korse, the droid, and though he doesn't realize it yet - Val.  Things are escalating toward... something.  What, I can't tell, but definitely somewhere.  We've already had one confrontation between the Killjoys and scarecrows, that didn't really result in much change, but it appears another is on the horizon.  Maybe things will go down differently this time.  I'll stick around, though mostly for Becky Cloonan's art and not the barely coherent story.  With two issues to go, maybe it ends well.

Indie Corner - 09/04/2013

Each week I'll spotlight a couple independent books I've read and may have flown under people's radar.

LAZARUS 3

So much done with so little.  There's a number of silent or nearly silent panels here, but each conveys volumes.  Family machinations going on at every level and all of it is perfect.  Seriously, I can't praise this book enough.  Easily my favorite new series.

TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES 25

With the number of things that happen in this book, I will surprise myself by saying this is a bit of a breather before the storm.  The last few issues have been nuts and I've loved every second.  This issue moves a huge number of pieces on the board - Hob and Splinter, Casey's dad, Casey and April, Raph goes nuts for a bit, there's a call-back to the annual, the Savant return, there's something up with Leo, the list goes on and on.  And that doesn't even include the last page insanity.  Things are about to explode in a major way.  I recommend you get on board.

UNCANNY 3

I came into this expecting Hellblazer-Diggle or Losers-Diggle, but issue three has turned the series into... Heroes?  I don't know.  Higher level players than our protagonist are introduced, but I'm finding it very hard to care.  This will be the last issue I pick up.

COLLIDER FBP: FEDERAL BUREAU OF PHYSICS 2

This book is nuts, and I completely love it.  Before issue one, the solicit text had me slightly concerned because it sounded like _Fringe_ which didn't exactly go well, but it's totally not that.  There's insane sci-fi stuff going on with beautiful art, but really there's believable characters, a deepening mystery and killer cliffhangers.  Highly recommended.