Welcome to the first ever installment of Stand Up Comix!
Each week the people at ComiXology have been kind enough to open allow us to invade Santa’s Toy Shop, so to speak and review the new books from indie creators that have been submitted for your purchasing pleasure. You can find all of these books and more on iOS, Android, Kindle Fire, Windows 8 or at www.comixology.com.
With that out of the way, let’s get reading some comics!
Bertie Bear and the Dagger of a Thousand Souls #1
Written & Drawn By Andy Clift W
The idea of a sentient Teddy Bear was probably something that was special once upon a time ago, but it isn’t anymore. Heck, just last week we had a book that was released about a Teddy Bear that was an alien from space. This time, the bear is a monster hunter, which I suppose makes as much sense as a bear that is an alien; however, the book seemed to be trying to get by on the, “HEY GUYS! A TEDDY BEAR FIGHTING MONSTERS!” gimmick than telling an engaging story. Maybe future issues will change my mind.
Bikini Cowboy
Written & Drawn by Fresherluke
A grand graphic novel filled with laughs, action, and likable characters that I cannot recommend enough. A fresh look at western comics that ends with more questions than answers for a lot of the mysteries presented or implied I can’t wait to see what is in store for future volumes of the bikini-clad, desert surfing protagonist Whisky Jill. Only a couple of uncomfortable scenes keep me from calling it perfect.
Bludgeon #0
Written By Greg Freeland II, Jeremy Owen
Drawn By Jeremy Owen
While the dialogue is well written and the staging is well drawn, for an introductory piece the book is too brief and doesn’t give us enough to go on. I would have liked to have seen Bludgeon in action and not just the Batman-esque “suiting up” montage at the end. Maybe the official #1 issue will correct this, but I just wish there was more to go by.
Clown Town
Written By Kevin LaPorte
Drawn by Amanda Rachels
An uncomfortable read that draws inspiration from classic horror movies, this graphic novel is certifiably nuts. The opening pages seem like sketches on a Juggalo’s Trapper Keeper, and the story gradually builds to a climax that was in need of a denouement that never came. If you need a little nightmare fuel that is completely without tact, you’ll get that in abundance. If you are more interested in storytelling, you might just want to skip it.
Deadhorse Vol. 1: Dead Birds
Written by Eric Grissom
Drawn by Phil Sloan
Deadhorse delivers the type of adventure thought to be reserved by men named Jones. Likable characters litter the page and dialogue is clever and funny as we get wrapped up in a story. The villain, a brute named Sasquatch is just as likable and sympathetic as the heroes of the book and I would love to have a T-shirt filled with Sasquatch quotes. “Let it be known that Sasquatch will need ride!”
Eve of the Ozarks: Guardian of the Bluffs
Written & Drawn By Gustav Carlson
There isn’t anything inherently wrong with Eve. The issue is that I had forgotten about her almost as soon as I closed the virtual book. There isn’t really anything in here that I cared for and wouldn’t think to pick up any further issues since I never felt any connection to her at all.
The Grove Nymph #1
Written & Drawn By Jecaro
I’m not sure what the audience for this one is. It isn’t an awful story or anything like that, but it just seemed like the type of tale that Disney would make a Tinkerbell sequel out of (minus the nudity of course). Even the Pomegranate thing she saves looks remarkably like the Orange Bird that sits in the Sunshine Tree Terrace at Walt Disney World, so either this started as fairy fan fiction or I’m crazy. Well…crazier.
The Gun #1
Written by John Ulloa
Drawn by Jose Varese
The Gun proves that you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover. A sympathetic character that is driven to the point of desperation, Gun tells a great Twilight Zone type story in a rather well drawn, written, and economic way. I can’t wait to see where this series takes us.
The Hammer of Argus #1
Written by Ernesto Lopez de Victoria, Christopher Nelson
Drawn by Ernesto Lopez de Victoria
Pass.
What? I can’t do that? Oh…alright. The Hammer of Argus follows the “adventures” of a blacksmith to the gods who happens to throw hammers at his enemies like the more interesting actual god; Thor.
The writing sounds like a novice dungeon master losing control of his game and the art looks like it’s from one of those low rent character models from “video game school” ads that used to be all over gaming magazines in the late 90’s.
The Infidel, featuring PIGMAN #2
Written & Drawn By Bosch Fawstin
The book has some flashes of a great artist in there, but not consistently enough to be something to be sought after.
The writing is essentially a huge one-sided conversation held by the author in a way so bigoted and raw that the story never becomes much more than a Facebook rant and the ensuing fallout thread set to pictures.
Legends of Luxura #1
Written & Drawn Kirk Lindo
There is apparently a lot of Luxura to go around. This series of tales, ranging from pretty good to boring keep telling me of earlier books that tell of even more adventures that this vampiress has been in.
The character is kind of boring with a vague personality that I really couldn’t put my finger on. I’m sure previous works explain her and tell me more about what makes her tick, but she fails the Bing test as she shares a name with a line of luxury spa equipment.
The Man Called A-X #4: Self-Discovery
Written by Marv Wolfman
Drawn by Shawn McManus
Better than issue #3, A-X (who is also called A Ten and Ax in the book) has been hunted down by another assassin who means to kill him with his awesome dreadlocks (deadlocks?).
Other small pieces of the puzzle fall into place as Ax grows closer to finding the truth about who he is. He is essentially the Jason Bourne of comics right now. Or Wolverine…who is already a comic book character.
Pandeia #1
Written & Drawn Paul Orlando Caggegi
Pandeia is a confusing and ugly comic book that gives us absolutely no reason for us to care about anything or anyone in the battle they throw us in.
The dialogue reads like a tech manual and is cold, calculating, and unforgivably boring.
The Raptor #1
Written & Drawn Blair Shed
The only real “super-hero” comic in the mix, The Raptor is also one of my favorites. With an engaging story and well written characters and scenes, The Raptor’s first impression on me was positive. Rolling a bit of Spider-man, Batman, and The Punisher in his very brief appearance in his own book, I can’t wait to see what is in store for this crime-fighter.
Return of the Super Pimps #1
Written by Richard Hamilton
Drawn by Ulises Carpintero
I’m not quite sure how I feel about this one yet.
With a strong first showing of the Super Pimps, we get a great fight sequence and fun personas. When the unthinkable happens, they just quit. I mean…like immediately. Suddenly, we are in present day and I’m starting to dread seeing these Pimps forty years later.
This book is another one that I’m going to have to see more of. Hopefully there will be more flashbacks to the 70’s but I swear that if the next action sequence follows anyone who has had a hip replacement, they’ve lost me.
Ultrasylvania Vol. 1 King Dracula
Written by Brian Schirmer
Drawn by Valerio Fabbretti, Richard Healy, Niko Pope, Jonathan Aguillon, Greg Mack, Garrett Richert, John Gomes, Edward Edgerson Jr., Matt Harding, Dylan Palmer, Erik Solem
The best thing about this volume is that there were so many different artists that contributed to the work. Every so often the style would change and sometimes radically so. From oil paintings to computer aided color pallets, I loved every swap over.
The story is decent with a climax I saw coming from nearly the first panel, but seeing Dracula mix it up in a diplomatic meeting with Frankenstien’s monster was a fun little diversion and not stilted or fake sounding. The book is as if The Tudors was about monsters.
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