Every month I get through a fair number of reviews, and every month I try to pick the very best of them for this little roundup. Some months are big months, some smaller. But there’s always something that you should really be reminded of. This month had a great choice for me to root through ….
By Martin Stiff
Well, this was no surprise at all really was it? So far all three issues have made best of year lists, and although there was a smidge of disappointment with the semi-reveal of a facet of the mystery here, it was still a cumulative thrill to go through all 4 issues.
“It is a wonderfully perplexing thing, utterly gripping, full of mystery, full of blindingly great moments, dialogue that I love.”
“The Absence is still, for my money, one of the best comics being published right now. There’s still two issues to go, two issues where there’s a lot of extra mysteries to be solved; will we discover the true connections between Temple and Marwood, will Marwood’s “leap of faith” be explained, will Temple’s seemingly near-magical powers be explained?“
The best news is that The Absence will be coming out as a collection in 2013, which means that Stiff absolutely has to deliver those final two issues next year. Stress for him, joy for me.
By Naniiebim
This was one that properly won me over, across four volumes and multiple readings. First volume an instant hit, but the subsequent volumes confused and frustrated at first, only to work for me later on. I was still a little undecided, but it worked on enough levels to make me think this was a strong series, that is only going to get stronger in time.
“…. the demon and the girl. The demon is called Mephistos; Soul Recruitment junior Field Operative. Demon Third Class. Or at least that’s what his work ID says. The girl is Maria. And she’s the only one who can see through the cloaking spell, tail and all. They meet, they chat, she’s surprisingly unconcerned about the whole demonic thing.”
“But once all that’s over and done with and they end up chatting, there’s an unusual chemistry developing, one of those can’t quite put your finger on it sort of things. Is she nervously flirting? Or simply nervous? Why isn’t she a little bit more freaked out by the boy with the demon’s tail?”. Questions, questions, questions…. but still that unmistakeable attraction thing going on…”
“Like I said, Volume 1 is beautiful, brilliant, funny, enthralling stuff. Volumes 2-4 I just felt a little overwhelmed and lost at first, but by the end, even with the faults I see, this is an excellent series, and one I sorely hope continues in some form in the not too distant future.”
By Andi Watson
Watson really is a class act, and Gum Girl is him on top form, less introspective than his usual work, but no less entertaining, enjoyable, or perfectly crafted for it.
“The cover says it all so very well really. Big, bold, bright pink, a title with a big, big exclamation mark, character description so fitting; “she’s got gum and she’s not afraid to use it“. This really is Andi Watson letting loose with everything, using much bigger and bolder strokes than we’re really used to”
“Gum Girl, simply put, is a hoot.“
By Ian Edginton and INJ Culbard
As featured in 2000AD Prog 1800 onwards, and a wonderful reward for a hard week at work. I was tempted into pledging to read 2000AD each week by the number of people telling me how broad, how excellent it had become. And so far I’m finding they’re absolutely right. But nowhere has it been truer than here with Brass Sun.
This has become something of a highlight of my week for the last month. My lord, it’s stunning, it really is. Edginton and Culbard are both on stellar form here, and it’s a joy seeing Culbard’s artwork at a larger scale than usual. I’m running out of ways to describe it each week that doesn’t include the words brilliant, vast, or epic.
“This attempt not only works, it’s bloody brilliant. Seriously, this is excellent, setting up an off-kilter bit of sci-fi, the story of a strange world which may, or may not, be completely literal in its talk of a Brass Sun. Could the religious power in charge be ruling over a system of mechanical nature, what is the approaching ice devouring outer planets as it goes, their stellar deaths covered up and denied by the religious controllers? Questions that don’t frustrate, merely intrigue.”
Sun, Oct 7, 2012
Comics and cartoons, Reviews