The Six Sidekicks of Trigger Keaton

I am a huge fan of both Kyle Starks and Chris Schweizer's comics, having read pretty much all of the books they've made (click on their names in the labels, you'll see!). They are friends in real life and frequent collaborators, and in The Six Sidekicks of Trigger Keaton they once again make an enjoyable and well-plotted action/murder mystery. The titular Trigger Keaton is an actor in adventure shows, a horribly behaved Chuck Norris type and grade A jerk, leaving a path of verbal abuse, wounded egos, and broken noses in his wake. He's got a long-term studio contract so that he appears in many different series, only his cantankerous disposition, hard drinking, and penchant for wounding stuntmen means that they are short-lived despite their popularity.

Someone has finally had enough, and they take Trigger out to pasture, but staged it as a suicide. The six actors who played his sidekicks are some of the only people who come to his funeral, and when some of them question his death, they all end up involved in a disjointed and haphazard investigation.  

These unlikely sleuths have a difficult time gelling as a squad, and their bickering is one of the bright spots of this book. The book also features lots of snappy dialogue, several carefully constructed combat scenes, and myriad pop culture references to fictional shows, including ads, movie posters, interviews, and previews. Also, the mystery plots features lots of red herrings to keep the reader guessing. This series is a real labor of love and a joy to read, especially as a child of the 1980s where many of the pop culture references come from. 

Trigger being Trigger.

All of the reviews I have read about it have praised this critically under-rated series. I agree with Sean Kleefeld who wrote, "On top of being a fun set of characters and an interesting concept, the story is told very well." Aussiemoose gushed that "the 6 Sidekicks of Trigger Keaton has everything you could possibly want in a graphic novel." Joe concluded that there is "so much packed into each issue, none of the characters or ideas feel underbaked, it all feels so fleshed out and has made for an incredibly fufilling reading experience that everyone should check out!"

The Six Sidekicks of Trigger Keaton was published by Image Comics, and they offer previews and more info about it here. This book features copious amounts of profanity and violence, so it is suggested for folks who can handle that.

Abbott 1973

Sometimes when I read a book, I am struck by how much some things change and how much other things stay about the same, especially regarding how some social groups are treated and mistreated. Abbott 1973 is the second entry in the series, and I have to admit that I have not read the first book but still was able to jump right in and enjoy this one. The main character is Elena Abbott, a Black, lesbian reporter who works for a Black-run newspaper in Detroit. Because of the times, she and her partner have to stay closeted. In this book, she has a new editor, and he treats her condescendingly because she is a woman, which creates friction. Also, she is covering the tense mayoral race that would result in the first Black mayor of Detroit being elected, though there are some sinister forces working against that happening. 

The twist in this realistic fiction is that those forces draw from the occult. However, Abbott has access to power called the Lightbringer, and she is able to combat those supernatural villains on her own terms. What I feel this book does best is traverse two genres, urban historical fiction and supernatural fantasy, in a way that both work. This book is a great piece of suspense and the fantastical elements add a different, satisfying twist to the proceedings. The character work is also strong, and I really liked the detail and care to depict a time period from about 50 years ago, warts and all. 

This series is a collaboration between writer Saladin Ahmed, artist Sami Kivelä, and colorist Mattia Lacono. Ahmed is an author whose novel Throne of the Crescent Moon was nominated for a Hugo Award, and he has also done several runs for Marvel Comics on characters such as Miles Morales, Daredevil, and Ms. Marvel. Finnish artist Kivelä is known for several series, most notably Undone by Blood and Machine Gun Wizards. Italian artist Lacono has done extensive work coloring comics, mostly for Marvel Comics.

All of the reviews I have read about this book have been positive. Zack Quaintance wrote that it does "a great job of building upon its established premise to begin a story that feels intriguing, timely, and important as ever." Marion Deeds called the first series "an immersive read and a look at an important time period in the USA, and one we are being encouraged to forget." Publishers Weekly summed up, "Pulp and politics mix in this relatively straightforward supernatural tale; though it doesn’t elevate the genre, it satisfies its goals and does so with a refreshingly diverse cast."

Abbott 1973 was published by Boom! Studios, and they offer more info about it here.

Where the Body Was

I am a big fan of and have read and reviewed pretty much every series or book that Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips have collaborated on, but Where the Body Was is special among a fantastic body of work. It is their most evocative and character-driven work to date, and I not only could not put it down but I was also moved greatly by the plights of its characters. 

The events of this story occur in 1984, and they involve an array of people from the neighborhood. There are juvenile delinquents struggling with drugs and dabbling in theft, a woman who is bored of her marriage with her psychiatrist husband, a guy who likes flashing his police badge and bossing people around, a wandering veteran who camps in the nearby woods, a young girl who patrols the neighborhood in a superhero outfit, and the local neighborhood watch. For some reason, someone has also hired a private investigator to tail one of these people, and soon enough there is a dead body on the street.

Untangling that mystery is one thread in this book, but several more follow the exploits of the various characters. They all have their own sets of surprises and internal struggles, and it was excellent to get to know each of them from the narrative but also from the narration that they provide from the present. The coloring work by Jacob Phillips especially shines here, as he changes pallets to differentiate from the past and present.

The result is not only a compelling and deftly constructed whodunit but most impressively a series of character studies that play out similarly to a true crime documentary series. That all of this emotion, action, and depth was created in the space of 144 pages is nothing short of incredible. I urge anybody who loves a great crime story to check this simply superb book out. 

The reviews I have read of this book have been glowing. Zac Owens stated, "Their work has never been so paradoxically raw and thought out."  Justin Harrison wrote that it "is good comics made by folks who know good comics. It’s a joy to read and well worth checking out." Brad Gullickson concluded, "I'd rank it at the tip-top of their collaborations."

Where the Body Was was published by Image Comics, and they provide more information about it here. It contains profanity, drug use, nudity, and sexual situations and is intended for readers mature enough to handle those things.

Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees

I read this series on the Global Comix app, and it's also now available in a handy trade paperback. Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees is a title that has been very popular at my local comic shop, and I have been pretty curious what all the excitement was about. It's a beautifully drawn book, with characters who are depicted as anthropomorphic animals a la Richard Scarry's Busytown but who act in much darker ways. In my description below, I am purposefully being vague, because I do not want to give too much away.

The main character is Samantha Strong, a bear who runs the local hardware store in the sleepy town of Woodbrook and who engages in some pretty vicious deeds on the sly. When some of the locals get murdered, the ensuing investigations threaten her secrets, so she decides to take matters in her own hands to find the culprit.

Woodbrook is full of a vast array of inhabitants, including dogs, birds, mice, pigs, goats,cats, foxes, raccoons, turtles, and more. They are all panic-stricken by the murder and their small town is gripped by terror. Part of what is engaging about this book is seeing a sort of crime procedural plot occur in this picture book setting, but the mystery elements are well-plotted, and there are enough suspects and plot twists to make things interesting. Because of the dark subject matter, I suggest this book for more mature readers who can deal with gruesome murder, but there is also a touch of whimsy that comes with the watercolor artwork that sets this series apart. I found it a very entertaining and sumptuous reading experience.

Patrick Horvath wrote and drew this series, with lettering by Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou. Horvath has written and directed a number of movies, and this is his debut comics work. Otsmane-Elhaou has lettered books for many different publishers and also was a co-editor of PanelxPanel, an excellent, Eisner Award-winning web journal about comics. Horvath speaks about his inspirations and work on BTTWNS in this interview.

All of the reviews I have read about this collection have been positive. Publishers Weekly wrote, "Horvath’s charming picture-book artwork, rendered in bright painterly strokes and packed with visual detail, makes the gruesome subject matter all the more disturbing." Kate called it "one of the most unique graphic novel experiences I’ve had this year." Zack Quaintance concluded, "It all makes for a great spooky season read, and a fun addition to your comics bookshelf from a cartoonist whose work definitely bears following into the future."

Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees was published by IDW, and they offer more information about it here. For those who want more, a sequel series, Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees: Rite of Spring, which is set a decade after this series, is currently being published.

Witch Hazel: Variety Hour

Continuing my look at spooky-themed books, Witch Hazel: Variety Hour is a fun-time activity book for older teens and above. It features puzzles, stickers, and a few comic stories. The comics focus upon the titular Witch Hazel. She is a a youngish spell-caster, and she is trying to get her act together. In the first tale she is trying to get by via the gig economy, performing an exorcism ordered up on the Witchcraft app. Things do not go exactly to plan but play out in a clever and playful manner. 

In the second story, there is a misadventure with a size changing spell and her familiar, an axolotl named Noot.  In the final and longest story, she gets a job in the gift shop at a medieval theme park that used to be an apple orchard and ends up having to contend with the guardian spirit who lives there. Hazel also has to deal with her ex-girlfriend, Alice, as well as her friends who are visiting the park, which complicates matters.

I very much liked this book, which is a lot like a classic comic book but with a much sturdier cover. The artwork is colorful and energetic. The stories are fun and entertaining, and the whole enterprise feels so full of joy and whimsy. If you are looking for some contemporary Halloween comics amusement, this book should be right up your alley.

This book was written by Colton Fox and drawn by Beige Blum. Fox is an instructor and also featured his artwork in the film Erin’s Guide to Kissing Girls. Blum is the founder of the Dirty Laundry Collective, a Toronto-based crew of women of colour and LGBTQ+ artists. Fox and Blum have collaborated on a couple other Witch Hazel comics, which they link to on their websites. You can find more info about these comics in a few interviews with Fox here.

I was not able to find many substantive reviews, but Brad at Graphic Policy called it "cute" and "fun." Witch Hazel: Variety Hour was published by Silver Sprocket, and they offer a preview and more here. There is another sizable excerpt available here from Solrad.

Asgardians: Loki

I thought it might be appropriate in the month of trick-or-treating to take a look at one of the biggest tricksters of all. If everything you know about Loki comes from Marvel Comics or MCU movies this book is going to blow your mind. First off, Loki here is a half-brother to Odin, not Thor. He is the son of a ice giant, and he engages in all sorts of chicanery. Some of it is in service of the Asgardians, like negotiating the building of a defensive wall around the city, and some for nefarious reasons, like plotting the death of Baldur, the most beloved of all Aesir. Along the way, he gives birth to a 8-legged horse, uses his testicles to play tug of war with a goat, and fathers a giant wolf, the Midgard Serpent, and Hel, the goddess of the underworld. He lived a wild life for sure.

What I loved about this book was how it is crafted in a way that more clearly shows that how all the books in this series fits together to tell one grand narrative. Loki and his kin all will play huge roles in the ultimate demise of the Norse gods, Ragnarök, which will be the focus of the fourth and final book. And instead of portraying all of the major players there as villains, this book gives insights into how and why they are pitted to combat against the Aesir. The tale of the Fenrir the wolf I found especially distressful, with how they tricked him into bondage while also sacrificing the right hand of Tyr, who had played a big part in raising him, in the process. The Norse gods are petty, deceitful, greedy, and prone to bullying, and it is interesting to juxtapose this pantheon with the Olympians, the Greeks gods that author George O'Connor chronicled. 

Also, like the other books in the series, there are copious endnotes that lend lots of insight into O'Connor's artistic choices and visual themes. There is much to digest from this wonderfully rendered graphic novel.  

O'Connor has created many graphic novels in the past two decades, including the American history journal account Journey into Mohawk Country and the dystopian future book Ball Peen Hammer, written by Adam Rapp. He also drew the political graphic novel Unrig: How to Fix Our Broken Democracy with author Daniel G. Newman. He speaks about his penchant for drawing mythological tales in this interview.

All of the reviews I have read about this book have been positive. Kirkus Reviews called it "a semi-sympathetic portrait of a god too clever for his own good." Ian Keogh wrote, "Asgardians has been an excellent series from the start, well researched and engagingly presented, but the additional nuance in telling Loki’s story, the sheer variety of other material and the always excellent art raise the quality higher."

Asgardians: Loki was published by First Second, and they offer a preview and more information here. I am so looking forward to book four!

Nathan Hale's Hazardous Tales: Bones and Berserkers

The 13th book in one of my favorite graphic novel series, Bones and Berserkers changes up the format in that it features a collection of 13 tales rather than one overarching narrative. Still, all the major players are still here, and the range of horrific stories run a gamut of genres. There are folk tales like the Demon Cat, an adaptation of Edgar Allan Poe's "Hop-Frog," the real-life misadventures of pro-golfer Eben Myers with medicinal radium, and the terrible murders and arson at Frank Lloyd Wright's home/studio Taliesin. I felt that in some ways this book was a bit more documentary in places, like history mixed with true crime writing, which worked well.

This book is dedicated to Alvin Schwartz and Stephen Gammell, and it shares a real kinship to their Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark. It features some pretty graphic scenes, including a human head stripped bare by cancer treatments, a bunch of men dressed as orangutans who are set on fire, and butts being chopped off of people's bodies, so it is pitched toward an older audience than earlier volumes in the series. Still, there are moments of grim humor that punctuate the proceedings much like the Crypt-Keeper did in Tales From the Crypt. It's not a book for the squeamish, and I found it to be wonderfully gruesome and fun. This book is a treasure trove of horror for fans of both fiction and nonfiction.  

The Jersey Devil!

Bones and Berserkers was made by Nathan Hale (not related to the Revolutionary War spy), a highly accomplished graphic novelist. I love his work so much that I named one of my annual favorites list categories after him. Aside from his great success with this series, he has also published the fictional graphic novels The Mighty Bite,  One Trick Pony and Apocalypse Taco. He has also drawn a few others, including Rapunzel's Revenge and Calamity Jack. I learned some more about Hale's work on this book and his upcoming projects in this article.

The reviews I have read of this book have been positive. Kirkus Reviews summed it up, "Not all true, but truly nightmarish." Susan Harari wrote that it would be "perfect for reluctant readers in middle or even high school who are brave enough to handle both fictional and factual horror stories."

Nathan Hale's Hazardous Tales: Bones and Berserkers was published by Abrams Fanfare, and they offer more information about it here.