Volcano Trash

Night Air was one of my favorite books of 2016, and this book Volcano Trash is the follow-up volume from Ben Sears. In this book, we get more of the same: excellent all-ages adventure starring a couple of lovable rogues named Plus Man (a young goggle-wearing thief) and Hank (his robot companion). They are also joined by a getaway driver named Basil, who pitches in on various plots and schemes.

The characters have much to contend with in this book, including corrupt cops, a labyrinthine prison, lackeys, a henchman who can split into three, and hive-mind guards, when their past actions catch up to them and they end up in the hands of the law. There are lots of action, intrigue, and plot twists, too, as unlikely alliances happen and certain characters are not what they seem.

 

 

In addition to all of this great plotting, you can also see that the artwork is exceptionally attractive and inventive. The action sequences are rendered in excellent detail, combining elements of video games, European comics, and manga conventions. The technology and character designs are first-rate, and this book is a joy to read, behold, and revisit. It's just plain fun.

The reviews I have read about this book have been glowing. Dustin Cabeal simply stated. "I loved every corner and page of this comic." Oliver Sava wrote, "Sears’ work reads like a mashup of great all-ages entertainment like Tintin, Adventure Time, the Indiana Jones movies, and any number of action video games, and there’s a sense of joy and delight that makes his comics especially well-suited for kids." Paul and Gwen at the Comics Alternative praised the book for its broad appeal and unique art style.

Volcano Trash was published by Koyama Press, and they have a preview and more info about it here. If you are interested in learning more about Ben Sears, there is an extensive interview with him about comics and this book here.

Alex + Ada

This month, to celebrate Image Comics' 25th Anniversary, Comixology Unlimited is offering a few complete series to read. I chose this one Alex + Ada, because I loved some of Jonathan Luna's past works, especially his collaborations with his brother Joshua The Sword and Ultra. Here, he collaborates with writer Sarah Vaughn on a series that ran for 15 issues, collected into three trade paperbacks that are all available to read on CU.

The story focuses on Alex, a lonely guy in his 20s who is still struggling with the fallout from his failed engagement. One year for his birthday, his grandmother, who is a free-wheeling, liberated, and funny woman, buys him a robot companion to get him out of his funk. He names her Ada, and she will obey any and all of his wishes.

This leads to some awkward scenes as Alex tries to acclimate to this new relationship and also not take advantage of the situation. He's lonely, but he's also not good with using something that looks human as a surrogate for a relationship. Eventually, he stumbles upon an underground community that would permit him to allow Ada to think and act for herself. When she is "unlocked," a whole bunch of revelations and complications ensue.

Much of what follows comments on what makes up romantic relationships, defines people as human, and explores the dynamics of people dealing with new technologies. There is also a lot of intrigue, as an anti-robot backlash develops, giving this series a political dimension that I could not help but notice echoed some of those we are dealing with right now. I know that the trope of using a robot to explore what constitutes humanity is pretty common, but I very much enjoyed how it played out in the scope of all these books. Much of that was because I liked that the characters were well thought-out and interesting. That said, there is also a fair amount of action and suspense, particularly in the second half of the series. I also very much enjoyed the simple, clean art style used to tell this tale.

Like I noted above, artist Jonathan Luna has drawn a number of other comic book series. Writer Sarah Vaughn has worked on the webcomic Sparkshooter and the series Deadman: Dark Mansion of Forbidden Love for DC Comics. She speaks a lot more about her career in this interview. Both creators are set to collaborate on the forthcoming series Eternal Empire, and they speak about their work on Alex + Ada in this interview.

All of the reviews I have read about this book have praised the story, and some have been more critical of the artwork. Pharaoh Miles commented that the story "more than invades the senses, it lives with the reader." Brandon Perdue wrote, "For the classic sci-fi fan, those who seek thoughtful futurism over whiz-bang action, Alex + Ada is easy to recommend."

Alex + Ada was published by Image Comics, and they have previews and much more info about it here. There are some adult situations in the book, but I think it is appropriate for older adolescents.

Brobots and the Kaiju Kerfuffle!

Brobots and the Kaiju Kerfuffle is a bright and colorful book aimed at an audience of younger readers who like robots and monsters. As an older reader who likes robots and monsters I was intrigued to see what this book was like. I found it pretty enjoyable, if a bit slight, because the book ended so quickly. But maybe that is a good thing because it left me wanting more. And I hope there will be more volumes forthcoming. I mean if they gave it a #1 on the cover, they must have more in store, yes?

The story specifics here follow a trio of brother robots on a fishing trip. One of them uses radioactive bait, with disastrous results. Just see:

The rest of the book features their adventures as they battle and learn to deal with this creature. Also, the plot has a couple of surprising twists that elevate the proceedings above a typical smash-'em-up fight book. Plus, there are lots of corny jokes that I am sure that younger readers would enjoy. I know I love a good corny joke myself, and this book tickled me a few times.

This book is a collaboration between writer J. Torres and artist Sean Dove. Torres is a veteran comics writer who is known for his work on Teen Titans Go! as well as his own series The Mighty Zodiac and Power Lunch. I also really enjoyed his work on the Jinx books from Archie Comics. Dove is a successful artist, illustrator, and art director who has done lots of high profile work in comics and commercial art over the years. Torres speaks more about his work on this book in this interview.

I had a tough time finding any reviews of this book, but the one I did find was positive: Alyssa Vaughn summed up by stating, "Brobots is adorable, and it’ll definitely be in the stack of comics I give my nephew for his birthday."

Brobots was published by Oni Press, and they have more info about the book here. Comic Book Resources provided a preview here.

Descender Volume One: Tin Stars

Tin Stars is the first volume of the ongoing Descender series. It compiles the first six issues, telling the tale of a universe where robots have destroyed a sizable portion of the population on nine worlds. The resulting backlash resulted in robots being hunted and destroyed. Ten years after the initial massacre, Tim-21, a small robot designed to be a child's companion reactivates. He finds himself in a strange and lonely place, and he tries to get his bearings.

I don't want to spoil much, because I think that this series is well paced with revelations and surprises, but Tim-21 is wanted by a number of interested parties, because his is a unique robot model. Also, his codex is somehow related to that of the "Harvesters" that wrought the massive destruction. I know that this series is similar to other works, and it seems to wear influences, to the manga series Astro Boy and Pluto, the TV series Battlestar Galactica, and the film Prometheus, on its sleeve, but I still think the story feels fun and fresh. Much of that freshness has to do with the artwork, which you can see is wonderfully atmospheric in its painterly qualities. I also feel that the character work is interesting, and the motley crew that assembles is amusing for its dynamics.

Descender is a collaboration between writer Jeff Lemire and artist Dustin Nguyen. The multiple-award winning Lemire is known for his spare and beautiful Essex County Trilogy. He is a prolific comics maker who has worked for the big 2 comics companies, doing superhero work on titles like Animal Man and Extraordinary X-Men, as well as also creating original works like The Underwater Welder, Plutona, and Trillium. Nguyen has been drawing mostly for DC Comics for the past decade, being one of the main artists on various Batman books. Both creators speak about their work on the Descender series in this interview.

The reviews of I have read about this series are positive, though some are somewhat measured. In a starred review, Published Weekly praised Nguyen's "marvelous" artwork while also praising Lemire as he "smoothly doles out information while amping up the tension, and the innocent, friendly character of TIM-21 creates real heart in the midst of extreme violence." Emily King praised the artwork as well, but added that "If you don’t know much about Mass Effect, than Descender will seem pretty fresh in terms of the core pillars of its story and setting" (Disclaimer: Until I just googled it, I knew nothing about Mass Effect). Henry Dykstal called it "an excellent start to an epic."

Descender Volume One was published by Image Comics. They have more information and links to previews here.

Nothing Can Possibly Go Wrong

A fresh take on the eternal struggle that is brains versus jocks, Nothing Can Possibly Go Wrong is as enjoyable and engaging as it is beautifully and playfully drawn. The central issue here is that there is only enough student group funding to pay for one of these things: new costumes for the cheerleading squad or covering the robotics team at a national competition. Things get ugly when the cheerleaders make Charlie, the likeable, laid back captain of the basketball team, the frontperson in the upcoming student class elections. Also running in this mud-flinging campaign is Nate, the captain of the robotics team, Charlie's next door neighbor, and probably best friend. Neither Nate nor the cheerleaders hold back in going after what they want and the result is one ugly election.

Charlie gets caught in the middle of their squabbles, which we learn is nothing new in his life. He also has issues with his divorced parents and has not spoken to his mother in about a year. Although a lot of what I have described sounds vaguely cliched, in execution this book does not really feel like a retread because of how well the characters, their motivations, and their actions are fleshed out. I do not want to spoil anything, but both sides end up having to collaborate with the other more than they would like, and what begins as an "us versus them" plot shifts. Also, the take on gender and personal dynamics is interesting and nuanced, and overall all of these factors contribute to a comfortingly familiar but still fresh and fun feeling.

The collaborators that pulled up this book are Prudence Shen and Faith Erin Hicks. Shen is an author, and this is her first book. Hicks is graphic novelist, webcomics creator, and animator whose growing list of impressive works includes The War at Ellsmere, Brain Camp, The Adventures of Superhero Girl, and Friends With Boys (one of my favorite books from last year). There are a number of comedic and dramatic scenes in the book, and Hicks does an excellent job of depicting them as well as imbuing a lot of personality into the characters. Both creators speak more about their work on this book in this interview. 

Reviews I have seen of this book praise it for its story, characters, and art. Jonathan H. Liu at GeekDad commented on the story that it "works really well as a comic book" and on the art that "Hicks does a great job of portraying the characters and is able to communicate a lot with facial expressions." The reviewer at Guys Lit Wire wrote that the book struck "a great balance between the humor and pain of being in high school." JD DeLuzio called this book " a standout North American graphic novel that eschews capes, tights, and magic."

A preview and much more are available at the book's official website. It was published by First Second.

A huge thank you to Gina, a wonderful person who sends me review copies of great books such as this one.

Incredible Change-Bots

 

The Incredible Change-Bots books are an intriguing mixture of parody, homage, satire, and action-adventure stories. Author Jeffrey Brown obviously has a lot of experience with Transformers in various media, and his love for them shows. What he adds is a sense of the ridiculous that comes with following the adventures of anthropomorphic, shape-changing robots. His stories have parodied, senseless violence tossed in, but what makes them charming are the clever robot names, the wonderful sound effects he includes, and the snappy verbal banter that occurs between characters. Brown's tongue is earnestly in cheek throughout these adventures.

In book 1, we meet the cast and their social system. As the two party government of Awesomebots and Fantasticons devolves into bickering, combat, and the destruction of their home world of Electronocybercircuitron, the robots decide to board a rocket and find a new place to live. Along the way they accidentally land on Earth and decide to try to live under the radar. Of course, their boorish and egotistical interactions do not allow that to happen for long. Soon humans become aware of these robots and the US military becomes interested in the destructive potential of these warriors. A huge battle ends the story, and one robot is left behind for dead as the rest of his compatriots leave Earth to find an uninhabited world they can call their own.

In book 2, we find Shootertron, the megalomaniac leader of the Fantasticons, was not killed after all. Stranded on Earth and unaware of who he is, he is taken in by a kindly couple of farmers who befriend him and try to raise him as a good person. Much of this part of the story is told via an ironic and hilarious set of journal entries handwritten by the robot in a spiral bound notebook. Somehow, he comes to the attention of a scheming general who kidnaps Shootertron to either recruit the robot or dissect him to figure out how he works. Also, somehow all the other change-bots end up back on Earth, and of course another series of battles and bickering ensue.

These books' creator Jeffrey Brown is best known for his autobiographical, independent comics work. His works, such as Funny Misshapen Body, Clumsy, and Every Girl is the End of the World for Me are very open, confessional kinds of tales that focus on his past relationships, his upbringing, and his life. Other of his works, including Bighead and Sulk, are more action-oriented, fictional stories that are not quite superhero stories. I have always found his art style charming, deceivingly simplistic, and emotionally charged. He speaks more about his work on the Change-Bots books in this interview at Topless Robot.

Reviews I have read about these books have been largely positive, appreciating the parody/homage quality, with some preferring these books to Michael Bay's Transformers movies. yo go re wrote about the first one, "The writing is what really makes this book, though, whether it's the subtle G1 nods or the broad comedy." Michael May praised the second book, "not only are the jokes even better, but the story’s more touching too." Aaron Block summed up his review of both books, "Jeffrey Brown proves that you can create something new with those memories, and that sometimes it’s okay to find that box of old toys in the attic and, piece by piece, remember how they work."

Previews, reviews, and more about books 1 and 2 are available from the books' publisher, Top Shelf.
There is also an animated video trailer for book 1 on YouTube. Check it out!