Justice Warriors

Justice Warriors is a series set in a near future where citizens live in a "perfect," domed city called "The Bubble" and are surrounded by the "Uninhabited Zone," which is populated by mutants who live in squalor. The Justice Warriors are police who enforce the laws of The Bubble in the UZ, one officer a monster with a goldfish head named Swamp, the other a walking poop emoji named Cadet Schitt. Swamp is not a great officer, and in the course of the first few pages, his partner is killed in action while he waits for his breakfast burrito to be cooked. Those in charge are perhaps even worse: The mayor is a musician who is more interested in album sales than governing, the chief of police a robot obsessed with social media and not justice. And overall, the entire system promotes capitalism over any sense of morality.

Exhibit A.

This future comments on our present day in darkly funny ways, parodying our contemporary consumption as vapid and in service of maintaining a power structure of media and soft drink companies while shilling cheap goods at the general populace. It is a darkly funny book, full of extreme, slapstick violence and a Judge Dredd-level of social commentary where it is way too easy to find yourself rooting for the wrong side (if there is one). The adversary in this book is a band of Zodiac-driven terrorists, they are Libras, who are exacting justice by taking over social medial popularity and invading the Bubble. They wreak havoc and disturb album sales, but what is disturbing is how most folks are easily swayed to their side and a "new" social order where the new boss will be just like the old one. 

This book is biting and weirdly fun, pointing out many of the foibles of ourselves and our current times. And perhaps best of all, it features phenomenally good artwork. The wide variety of mutants are cartoonish, highly detailed, and quite distinct from each other. There are intricate backgrounds that belay a vast amount of world-building. And the action sequences and comedic timing are both on point. I found myself poring over this book, reading and rereading sections to drink in all the mayhem, hilarity, and detail.

Justice Warriors is a collaboration between writer Matt Bors and artist Ben Clarkson. Bors is a long time political cartoonist who also founded and edited The Nib. He has won multiple Eisner Awards, was twice nominated for a Pulitzer Prize, and also writes the recent Toxic Avenger series. Clarkson works in animation, illustration, fine art, theater and comics, and his work has appeared internationally in many venues. Bors and Clarkson both speak more about their work on this book in this interview.

All of the reviews I have read of this book have been positive. Zack Quaintance called it "a dense, surprising, and often-hilarious read." Ryan Zickgraf wrote, "Part of what makes Justice Warriors feel fresh is that it finds new ways to depict totalitarian regimes. Instead of the predictable censorship-focused Big Brother of the endless 1984 knockoffs, everyone in Bubble City is free to speak their mind online — but the algorithm is tweaked to favor the rich and powerful and ads promoting conspicuous consumption."

Justice Warriors was published by Ahoy Comics, and they offer more information about the series here. It features violence, gore, and profanity, and is advised for readers mature enough to handle those things. For those who enjoyed this book, a second volume, Vote Harder, has also been published.

Out of Alcatraz

Originally published as a 5-issue series, Out of Alcatraz is a fictional account of what happened to the three men, Frank Morris and brothers Clarence and John Anglin, who engineered an audacious plan to escape from the penitentiary in 1962. It has largely been believed that all three perished in the treacherous waters of San Francisco Bay, but technically all three are still listed as wanted fugitives by the FBI. This graphic novel could have also been titled Out of the Frying Pan, because every chapter ends with a surprising escalation of their situation. Their quest for freedom is marked by people who try to profit from these outlaws, by getting them to perform forced labor or assassination. It is a wonderfully crafted narrative that ramps up suspense until the very last pages.

The artwork and pacing in this book are exceptional. I liked the use of watercolors to add ambience and tone, and it does a great job of portraying character's emotions as well as emphasizing explosive action sequences. The way that the plot unfolds leads the reader through multiple reveals while providing a good sense of mystery, the hallmark of a great thriller tale. 

I also very much appreciated the drama involving the two investigators, one FBI agent and the other an ex-federal marshal, who are trailing these fugitives. Their love story adds a different dimension to the fugitive narrative, exploring what it meant to try to exist as a homosexual during this time period, with many prohibitions against coming out and being able to live their lives in a free way. This book is not just a great piece of suspense, but also a moving story that will sit with you for a bit.

Out of Alcatraz was a collaboration between writer/producer Christopher Cantwell and artist Tyler Crook. Cantwell has written a number of series for Marvel Comics and also created and produced the TV series Halt and Catch Fire. Crook has drawn many comics series, notably the Eisner Award-nominated Harrow County and The Lonesome Hunters, which he also wrote. Cantwell and Crook speak about their work on Out of Alcatraz in this interview.

All of the reviews I have read of this book have been glowing. In a starred review from Library Journal Thomas Batten summed up, "Atmospheric, beautifully rendered, and psychologically rich, this is a standout thriller." Justin Munday called it "a phenomenal fictionalized take on a true event." The reviewer at Turn & Work wrote, "The story is taut and compelling, tackling the social prejudices of its time with more nuance and depth than I expected from a five-issue series."

Out of Alcatraz was published by Oni Press, and they offer a preview and more information here. You can also read the entire first chapter of the story here. This book features profanity, violence, and some sexual situations so it is suggested for readers mature enough to handle those things.

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.