Grommets

Grommets is a series I read via the Global Comix app on my phone, and it is an engaging and moving coming-of-age story. It was definitely a blast from the past for me, taking me back to the 1980s, skateboarding, and punk rock. Although I only really dipped my toe into the world of skateboarding, because my sense of balance was lacking, I was a big fan of the music in this book and had not a few friends who resembled characters in Grommets. The two main characters, Rick and Brian, live in Sacramento, California in 1984 and are loners who find common bonds in skating and music. Together, they navigate a great number of things, including being latchkey kids, dealing with disappointed parents, dating, getting hassled by jocks, dodging security guards, having illegal parties, and finding places to hang out.

As a person who lived through this era, I felt that the creators got so much of the feel and tone of the time period correct. It does not just throw out token references for the sake of nostalgia but weaves all the technologies, musicians, and politics of the 1980s into an organic whole. The artwork in particular is very well researched and portrays a very 1980s world, full of denim, run-down buildings, skate ramps, convenient stores, and other locales. It meshes realism with a cartoon style, a sort of hybrid of classic MAD artists Mort Drucker or Jack Davis and Tank Girl co-creater Jamie Hewlett. It works very well at capturing characters' emotional states as well as bringing energy and dynamism to the action sequences, especially with the vibrant coloring. 

The artwork well suits the funny, honest, and often brutal aspects of the plot, which does not sugar coat any of the rough stuff that come with being a social outlier, physical and emotional violence from peers, and fallout from family who might not see things the same way you do. I read the book as a series, and the wait for the final issue was a struggle because of the cliffhanger, I am not going to lie. It was a very gripping and emotional read for me, with very strong character work, and I found myself very concerned for Rick and Brian's well being. 

Grommets was created by writers Brian Posehn and Rick Remender, artist Brett Parson, and colorist Moreno Dinisio. Posehn is a stand-up comedian and actor who also has a bunch of writer credits for the Marvel character Deadpool. Remender is a comic book writer and television producer known for his work at Marvel as well as his original series Fear Agent, Black Science, and Deadly Class. Parson has drawn a number of Tank Girl comics as well as worked for a number of publishers. Dinisio is an artist and colorist for a wide range of comic books. 

I have read a number of online reviews about this series, and they were all celebratory. Javier Reyes called it "a love letter to 80s skater culture and punk rock." Publishers Weekly wrote, "This sweet and raunchy slice of life spikes its 1980s California skate-punk nostalgia with brutal face-plants, hard-won lessons, and bursts of violence."

Grommets was published by Image Comics, and they offer a preview and more information about it here. I recommend this book for readers mature enough to handle the drinking, language, and mature situations that these kids deal with. The first issue/chapter is available to read for free here. 

I Was A Teenage Michael Jackson Impersonator, And Other Musical Meanderings

One of the highlights of this year's HeroesCon for me was meeting Keith Knight and buying this book from him. I Was A Teenage Michael Jackson Impersonator, And Other Musical Meanderings is a funny and entertaining autobiographical comic that mainly details the author's brief stint making crazy amounts of money as a celebrity impersonator. For about a year and a half in the mid-1980s, starting when he was 17-years-old, he lip-synched and danced at birthday parties and department stores, joined a cadre of other touring impersonators, dated a Madonna impersonator, and learned a lot about the entertainment business. Also, ironically, by pretending to be someone else, he learned much about himself, the world, and how to get by in it.

Certainly, this book has lots of voyeuristic thrills, and it is fun to watch as Knight gets into (and out of) various scrapes and uncomfortable situations. His artwork is wonderfully cartoonish and expressive, bringing life and vibrancy to the proceedings, and the pacing makes the gags and witty dialogue land in hilarious fashion. As a bonus, interspersed between the chapters are passages from Knight's various comic strips that celebrate various musicians from David Bowie to Run DMC (RIP Jam-Master Jay) to Prince. If you have a fascination for 1980s pop culture and a sense of humor, this is the book for you.

The aforementioned Keith Knight created this book, and he has been celebrated for his past strips The K Chronicles and (th)ink. He is also a rapper and had his life and comics adapted into the comedy series Woke, which ran for two seasons on Hulu. I love this show and am glad it got two seasons, but I wish there were many more. Knight speaks about his MJ years and this book in this interview.

I Was A Teenage Michael Jackson Impersonator was nominated for an Eisner Award for Best Humor Publication in 2024. It was published by Keith Knight Press, and there is more info about it here. This book was originally funded by a Kickstarter campaign.

Parachute Kids

Parachute Kids is a compelling and moving graphic novel about immigration. It is set in the early 1980s, but I feel that the issues and experiences are still sadly relevant in contemporary times. The narrative follows a family from Taiwan who are visiting California except there is a huge twist: the parents have decided to leave their children to have a better life in the USA until they can return.

Most of the narrative then follows Feng-Li, the younger sister as she tries to fit in at school and life. She feels isolated and out of touch, and learning English is a huge hurdle. Also, she gets teased by other kids for being out of touch with US pop culture and also not having enough money to get some of the things she feels would help her fit in. However, this book is not just about her plight but also features two other prominent plots with her older siblings. Her older brother Ke-Gang has different issues than her fitting in, as he falls into a group of other immigrant children, but they often get into trouble outside of school. Her older sister Jia-Xi perhaps struggles the most, as she has to maintain finances as well as shoulder many of the parental roles. All of them fall into peril when she is victimized by a phishing call.

What I loved about this book was how it told individual tales in a way that reflects universal struggles that immigrants face. Even 40 years later, many of the prejudices, pitfalls, and obstacles still exist for people seeking to find better living conditions for themselves and their children. Both of my parents are immigrants so I am especially sensitive to immigration tales, and this one is told in beautiful and heart-rending fashion.

Although this book is fictional, it is based on the experiences of its author Betty C. Tang, herself a parachute kid from Taiwan who still lives in the USA. She has worked for various Hollywood animation studios including Disney TV and Dreamworks Animation. She has been working on her second graphic novel, a sequel called Outsider Kids, which is due to be published in April.

Parachute Kids won an Excellence in Graphic Literature Award, was included on the National Book Award Longlist, and was named an Asian/Pacific American Award Honor Book. Consequently, it has been extremely well reviewed. In a starred entry, Kirkus Reviews summed it up, "Emotionally moving and beautifully executed." In another starred entry, this one in The Horn Book, Jerry Dear wrote, "Tang weaves themes of family, racial stereotyping, cultural adaptation, sacrifice, peer pressure, sexuality, bullying, and survival into a poignant and triumphant story of perseverance and resilience, presenting a remarkably honest depiction of an Asian American immigrant experience." Esther Keller opined, "The endearing artwork, with color that pops and wide-eyed characters that mimic manga-style artwork, will easily find its audience."

Parachute Kids was published by Scholastic, and they provide more information about it here.

Reckless

I have read pretty much everything that Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips have published. Together they have produced some of the most compelling and well crafted crime/suspense stories of the past couple decades, sometimes melded with superhero tropes, supernatural tales, movie history, or even westerns. Of late, they have moved from producing monthly comic books to original graphic novels, and Reckless is the first of a series.

The titular star of this series is Ethan Reckless, an ex-student radical from the 1970s who has flamed out and taken up residence in a run-down movie theater and who takes on private cases for those he deems worthwhile. For a price. In this book, he runs into a woman from his past and is faced with a case that brings up lots of baggage. I know all of this seems cliche to those who relish a good pulp tale, but the way the story is executed and paced is pitch perfect. 

The artwork clearly displays a love for the recent past, with accurate depictions of old locales and cars, as well as hairstyles and fashions. This book is homage not only to classic pulp authors like Donald Westlake and John D. MacDonald but also past decades. The coloring by Jacob Phillips resembles that of classic paperback covers, adding to the tone and timbre. I loved getting swept up in this story, and there were just enough twists and turns to keep me guessing. It's another winning piece of genre fiction from these masterful creators.

Even the exposition is interesting!

All of the reviews I've read of this book have been glowing. Jake Owens wrote, "Reckless showcases all that the comic book/graphic novel genre is capable of. Exquisite art and skillful dialogue meet in a display of subtlety that weaves together and makes something much larger than the sum of its parts." Zac Owens called it "nearly perfect." Justin Harrison summed it up as "a damn compelling introduction to an intriguing anti-hero."

Reckless was published by Image Comics, and they offer a preview and more about the entire series here. It features violence, drug use, and sexual situations so it is suggested from readers mature enough to deal with those topics. And if you like this book, there are four subsequent sequels.

Best Friends

Best Friends is the follow-up to Real Friends, a very well-received, well-reviewed graphic memoir about the ups and downs of elementary school friendships. In this book, things get even more complicated when Shannon gets to sixth grade, the final grade of elementary school. Her friendships seem to carry higher stakes, as the oldest girls in school become the most popular and also have the most power to level at outliers and less social children. 

Being in the popular group brings its own pressures, and things get weird when some of her friends start doing things to purposely test Shannon's loyalty and trustworthiness. Also, she does not seem to watch the same TV shows or listen to the same music they do, which makes her feel out of touch and uncool. And on top of everything else, some of the friends start hitting puberty and turning their attentions to boys in complicated, often confusing ways.

Not only is Shannon dealing with a lot of moving parts in terms of school, friends, and gender politics, she also has to deal with her own struggles with anxiety. These manifest in stomachaches, very dark thoughts (about loved ones dying or her house burning down), and OCD tendencies, and they also hinder her confidence. One of her coping mechanisms is to channel her feelings into her creative writing, here a story of Princess Alexandra who finds a magic jewel with mysterious powers. She is quite imaginatively playful in general, an aspect of her personality that the popular girls just don't seem to get.

By the end of the book, and the onset of middle school, she learns more about what works for her and what satisfies her in terms of friendships and future aspirations. Not everything ends in tidy fashion, and I appreciated the attention paid to a realistic portrait of a young person's emotional life. I think that there is much here for younger (and even older) readers to relate to and even find solace in.

This book is another collaboration between author Shannon Hale and artist LeUyen Pham. The back pages of the book feature a lot of information about them and how they collaborate, and they seem like they are having a blast working together. Hale is a prolific children's book and YA author, and she has a few graphic novels under her belt, too, including Rapunzel's Revenge and Calamity Jack. Pham has drawn a good number of children's books, including The Bear Who Wasn't There, and has worked with Hale before on a series of The Princess in Black books. Both creators speak about their work on Best Friends in this interview.

All of the reviews I have read about this book have been positive. In a starred review, Kirkus Reviews called the book "insightful, introspective, and important." Sam Wildman opined, "I can relate to almost every panel on every page and I know young readers will feel the same." Ayla Jaganjac wrote that it was "amazing."

Best Friends was published by First Second, and they offer a preview and more about it here. The third book in this series, Friends Forever, (about life in 8th grade) is due out in August.

Jack Kirby: The Epic Life of the King of Comics

Captain America. The X-Men. Hulk. Iron Man. The Avengers. The New Gods. Black Panther. These are only a few of the hundreds of characters that Jack Kirby either created or co-created. They are household names and properties that have generated billions (trillions?) of dollars for the corporations that control them. But he received close to none of such profits. In terms of industry folks, most artists and creators revere Kirby as one of the all-time greats, but non-comics people tend to not know who he was and attribute all of his creations to his frequent collaborator Stan Lee. Finally here, he is given a full biography, in graphic novel form.

Jack Kirby: The Epic Life of the King of Comics tells his whole life story, from his early days as a hard-scrabble New Yorker to his becoming an artist and taking part in the formative years of the comic book industry. He was friends/associates with many of the people who shaped American comics, like Bob Kane, Will Eisner, and Joe Simon. He bounced around several companies, enlisted and served in the Army during World War II, co-invented the genre of Romance Comics, co-created the Marvel Universe as we know it, and went on later in life to work in animation. His was an eventful life, and this book captures it in a mostly realistic, painterly style that evokes the spirit of Golden Age comics as well as documentaries. Also, the paper itself is colored to resemble yellowed newsprint, the material used to display Kirby's works.

I have to say that this book moves at breakneck speed, and it is packed full of his accomplishments. There is a part of me that wanted there to be more breaks, perhaps in the form of chapters or parts, but I also feel that the sort of compressed storytelling at play here is more emblematic of Kirby's work. So the medium very well matches its subject, though I also made myself pause at times to catch my breath and take in the story.

I also appreciated the way the book used Kirby as the primary narrator (using various interviews and articles as reference points) with occasional shifts of POV to his wife Roz and collaborator Stan Lee. I'd say it does a good job at capturing the spirit and voice of the man, and I liked how it treated him in very practical terms, with his speaking to the need to be productive and work not only in terms of expressing himself but also to put food on the table and support his growing family. Certainly Kirby was an impressive creator, but this books demystifies some of the origins of his most famous works, showing how he cobbled together his experiences, learning, and media consumption in spinning his fantastic stories and amazing characters. Kirby is impressively human.

This book also touches on the more controversial aspects of Kirby's life, namely how he was cheated out of his due as a creator and spent much of his life battling in vain to retain control of his stories, characters, and artwork. Surely there is lots of blame to assign for his treatment, and I felt this book captured well the conditions that led to it. It also has lots of source material behind it to help flesh out the proceedings well.

In seeing people's responses to this book online, the most glaring aspect people have latched onto is the depiction of Kirby himself, which you can see from the cover image. While everyone else is realistically drawn, Kirby is rendered in a cartoonish way, with a huge head and big eyes. I think this choice does two things: it draws attention to him in every way as an otherworldly presence, and it makes it clear who he is in every instance, making for smoother storytelling. Others have noted how this choice is related to how another comics titan Osamu Tezuka (the "God of Manga") drew himself in his own works, and I feel that there is a similar semiotic move made here, a marker of a similarly legendary figure. In reading the book, I have to say that I did not find the choice jarring in the least, and I was quickly drawn into the narrative flow of the story. Even though I was very familiar with many aspects of his life, I still found this book fresh and vibrant. And I feel it is extremely important now, especially as an introduction to those who are unaware of just how impactful Kirby's life was.

This book was created by long-time Jack Kirby fan Tom Scioli. His own works clearly owe debts to Kirby in terms of style, particularly his series Gødland and American Barbarian, not to mention his recent Fantastic Four: Grand Design limited series. He has also drawn a number of licensed properties, including Transformers Vs. G.I. Joe. Scioli speaks about his work on this book in this interview. For more about his entire career, check out this interview with TCJ.

All of the reviews I have read about this book have sung its praises. In a starred review Publishers Weekly called it "a must-read for Kirby fans, and beyond—it captures the mythos of the of the 20th century comic industry’s golden age."  Kirkus Reviews summed it up as "a fast-paced celebration of an underheralded legend within the comic-book industry." Steven Thompson wrote, "The public deserves to know Kirby’s story and Tom Scioli, the obsessive Kirby fan/writer/artist, tells it here in a way I can’t help but think the King himself would’ve liked, and in the medium Jack Kirby loved."

Jack Kirby: The Epic Life of the King of Comics was published by Ten Speed Press, and they offer a preview and more here.

Kirby's influence extends way beyond comics.

Child Star

Brian "Box" Brown is one of my favorite comics creators, and his prior graphic novels have been nonfiction looks at Andre the Giant, Andy Kaufman, Tetris, and Cannabis. All of these books were very well researched and obvious labors of love. His latest book is fictional, but it is based in reality and is also obviously well-sourced and personal. Child Star focuses on Owen Eugene, who displays both humor and charisma from a very young age and becomes a huge celebrity.

His life and career is clearly modeled on a melange of people such as Gary Coleman, Emmanuel Lewis, and Macaulay Culkin, but I don't think one would have to know that to enjoy this book. I am knowledgeable enough to get the references to real-life events, but I feel that readers who are not up on 1980s sitcoms and movies would just read this book as a prolonged examination of a person's life. Owen stars in commercials at first but quickly graduates into a hit TV series as well as several movies, cartoons, and other commercial venues in the form of lunchboxes and toys. And, of course, he came up with a catch-phrase that propelled him into the public consciousness but became an anchor as he grew older. Along his path through stardom, he touches a lot of people's lives.

As you can see from the excerpts above, the narrative plays out in multiple forms. There is one level of commentary that runs as a documentary, showcasing the actors, parents, and other people in Owen's life in a series of interviews. Then, there are also lengthy excerpts from fictional TV programs and movies that Owen starred in (which are colored in red, so you can tell the difference from reality).

What is impressive to me about this book is how well it plays like a documentary, with elaborate scenes from his various star vehicles included in extended excerpts. The book plays out in multiple parts, detailing Owen's rise to fame, his stream of successes, his struggles with finding work as he grew older, his disillusionment with the business side of showbiz, his fragile health situation, his dis-junction from his parents, and his eventual late-life slide into obscurity and tabloid fodder. The lengths that Brown went to in fleshing out and realizing this character and his world are extremely impressive. Also I should note the level of affection Brown has for his subject matter. Even though the TV shows and movies depicted have a tongue-in-cheek quality, this book does not parody or mock Owen, holding him in esteem while showing the pitfalls many child stars experienced. As a fan of 1980s and 1990s popular culture, I really enjoyed this book.

All the reviews I have read about this book have been positive. In a starred review, Publishers Weekly summed up, "This in-the-know skewering of celebrity and pop culture will entertain children of the ’80s as well as their own children." In a starred review in Library Journal, Douglas Rednour remarked that it was "thought provoking and poignant yet honest in its humanity." Paul's Picks called it "an impressively dense and thorough look at the child star phenomenon." Brown speaks more about his work on Child Star in this interview.

Child Star was published by First Second, and they offer a preview and much more here.

Paper Girls, Volumes 2-3

Today, I look at the next two installments in the Paper Girls series (my review of Volume 1 is here). These two trade paperbacks cover issues 6-10 and 11-15, and the fact that I read both may spoil the fact that I found much here to keep me entertained and involved with this title.Still, won't you stick around and see what I thought about each in detail?

Volume 2 takes the girls 28 years into the future to 2016. There, at least one of them runs into her future ("old") self, and they all search for the lost member of their quartet. Along the way, a few more clues about who are chasing them get dropped, though much is still left unanswered. Mostly, the girls find out that they can't always trust everyone (even other versions of themselves) and learn about "foldings," times and places that line up just right to allow time travel to happen. Each chapter in this volume ends with a revelation, and the ending cliffhanger was a good one.

My favorite part of this volume, apart from the excellent artwork, continues to be the clever dialogue and relationships between the girls. They might not be the closest of friends, but they do get along in their own ways. And they are biting and swift in their judgments. Also, there are a bunch of jokes in their observations of future life that I thought were funny. Overall, it was a pretty brisk, fun book that left me wanting more.

Luckily, Volume 3 just came out so I did not have to wait to see what progressed. In this book, the girls end up in about 10,000 BC, a prehistoric period when people are pretty primitive and rough. The quartet meet a young woman, her baby, and three men who want to steal that baby away. Also, they also meet up with another time traveler who fills in some more information about what may be happening. This installment is more action-packed, with lots of disappearances, chases, large animals, and combat with stone weapons. And I quite enjoy seeing how each of the different volumes is set in a different historical epoch and has its unique flavor.

In the end, I enjoyed reading these books. They tell a story that is simultaneously slow to develop and efficiently plotted. I say slow because I am three volumes into this series, and I still do not definitively know what is going on. However, much transpires in these stories in a short time, and I feel that each chapter unfolds in seemingly effortless fashion. Also, although the plot may tread on some material common to other scifi tales, those elements remain fresh and exciting. I genuinely want to know what happens next, and I feel like I read each of these books as if I am devouring them. The worst thing I can say about them is that I felt they read too quickly. And I want more. Now.

These books are a collaboration between by Brian K. Vaughan and Cliff Chiang. They both are comics industry veterans who have won multiple awards over the course of their careers.Vaughan's many writing credits include the series Saga, Y The Last Man, Ex Machina, and Runaways, which all feature strong character work, high concept stories, and suspenseful pacing. He has accomplished much over his career, both in comics and in other media, such as when he was writer and producer of Lost. His track record of creating smart, fun, and exciting series is intact with Paper Girls. Chiang is known for his exceptional work on a number of DC Comics titles, most notably Wonder Woman and The Human Target. Both creators speak about their work on Paper Girls (and there are spoilers - beware) in this interview.

Paper Girls won the 2016 Eisner Awards for Best New Series and Best Penciller/Inker, and all of the reviews I read of it have been positive. Thea James wrote that the second volume "continues to impress and delight." Heather Duff opined, "This series continues to be awesome, it looks good, the girls are brilliant sassy characters." Shelby Luebers called the plots "funny and curious" and also complimented that "the girls are real."

Paper Girls is published by Image Comics, and they have previews and more about the whole series here. It will resume publication in November. These books do contain a fair amount of profanity, so it is recommended for readers mature enough to handle that.

Today is the Last Day of the Rest of Your Life

So, Like I wrote earlier, I signed up for Comixology Unlimited. I have been diving into a few books lately, seeing what is offered and if the service is worth my while. Today is the Last Day of the Rest of Your Life was a title offered by one of my favorite publishers, and although I had not heard of the book (despite it being a multiple award winner-Where have I been?), it sounded intriguing and I thought I would give it a shot. It turns out that this chance reading ended up ending up being pretty lengthy, almost 500 pages of comics(!).

As it turns out, I was entirely enthralled by this book and I took it down in a few sittings. It was utterly compelling, raw, suspenseful, and revelatory. The narrative focused on a young Austrian woman who was into punk rock and decided to go on a trek with some friends in the summer of 1984. These women take off in search of a good time, and in turn they have many adventures, party, face the menace of sexual violence, and try to scrounge up money or food. They take part in many illegal activities and run afoul of displaced artists, pimps, wanna-be pimps, and organized crime.

The story is sort of nostalgic, but not sickeningly sweet or overly romanticized. I thought that the characters were very well defined, and the drama of all these situations was quite powerful and moving. I am very glad I took the time to explore this service and find this gem of a book.

This book's creator and main character is Ulli Lust, winner of an Ignatz and an Eisner Award nominee. I love her rough-edged artwork and masterful storytelling as well as the limited color palate that lend the proceedings a grungy authenticity. She speaks extensively about her life and career in this interview.

All of the reviews I have read about this book have been very positive. Robert Kirby opined that this book is so successful because Lust had so much time to reflect on these events, and he wrote, "She captures perfectly and without judgment the complex social, cultural, and personal maelstrom she willingly entered into that summer, offering readers a wonderfully vicarious thrill in the process." Publishers Weekly gave it a starred review and wrote, "Her recollections willfully expose the dark side of an anarchic lifestyle, yet are void of any didactic embellishment, and instead form a genuine and nonjudgmental look at aimless youth and rebellion." Eddie Campbell likened it to "a person who came to stay and I didn’t realize how much I was enjoying their company until after they’d left."

Today is the Last Day of the Rest of Your Life was published in the US by Fantagraphics Books, and they have a preview and more available here. If it is not clear by now, this is not a book for children.

Paper Girls, Volume 1

I have read a bunch of comic books written by Brian K. Vaughan, including Saga, Y The Last Man, Ex Machina, and Runaways. What they have in common is a lot of strong character work, high concept stories, and suspenseful pacing. He has accomplished much over his career, both in comics and in other media, such as when he was writer and producer of Lost, winning multiple awards including a few Eisners. I am glad to say that his track record of creating smart, fun, and exciting series is intact with his collaboration with artist Cliff Chiang (known for his exceptional work on a number of DC Comics titles, most notably Wonder Woman), Paper Girls.

This volume collects the first five issues of the ongoing series, which focuses on four 12-year-old girls who have paper routes in 1988. Our story starts when a newbie, Erin, gets accosted by some thuggish teenagers.

She then meets three other paper girls, Mac, KJ, and Tiffany, and they all form a sort of gang/clique.

The characters' interactions are lively and interesting, and the book would be fine if it just focused on their interpersonal relationships, but there is a twist. These girls happen upon a weird, possibly alien object that turns their lives upside-down. Life radically shifts from normalcy to something strange, which might be an alien invasion, a visit from future people, or the Rapture. It's not really clear, but I have to say it is an intriguing and fun ride. Chiang's artwork is vibrant and clear, and Vaughan's story is typically great. I think that he writes the best cliffhangers in comics, and he really knows how to hook readers and then keep them in suspense with lots of twists and turns.

All of the reviews I have read about this series have been glowing. Shane Boyar concluded, "It’s a lot to take in over just 5 issues, but with a creative dream team like the one Image has gifted to us with this series, and a elevator pitch that is “Stand By Me meets War of the Worlds” there’s no other verdict for Paper Girls than BUY IT." Jennifer Cheng wrote, "The cliffhanger is both surprising and funny, but mostly I look forward to seeing more of these characters. Vaughan and Chiang are a dream team combination, and "Paper Girls" looks like it's going to be another winner for both of them." Vaughan talks at length about his inspiration and work on this series in this interview.

Paper Girls, Volume 1 was published by Image Comics, and they have more info, previews, and links available here.

Happy Will Eisner Week, Day 3: Sexcastle

Will Eisner Week is rolling along to day 3, where I am reviewing a graphic novel funded in part by Kickstarter, a new-fangled, crowd-sourced method of gathering money to bring a project to fruition.

Sexcastle is a hilarious parody/satire/homage/tribute to 1980s action movies. It's main character is Shane Sexcastle, formerly the world's most dangerous assassin. He looks a lot like Snake Plissken, and the story begins when he is released from prison. Well, actually, the story starts here:

Which gives you a sense of the timing and humor in this book. Anyhow, once Shane is a free man, he decides he wants a quiet life as a florist. Things are going well until one day the local muscle comes by the shop looking for "insurance money."

My favorite line in the whole book.

Needless to say, Shane makes short work of the goons, but the local crime boss decides to sic the team of assassins Shane used to head on him.

If you watched any movies from the 1980s at all, you recognize most of these faces.

So the rest of the book is basically the same plot as Road House, only with way more jokes and way less of Patrick Swayze's abs. There is a whole lot of mindless violence in this book, but it is also played mostly for laughs, and there are a few scenes that are surprisingly heartfelt. I am super impressed by how fun and raucous this book was. I would also say impressed, but Kyle Starks' last book The Legend of Ricky Thunder is one of my all time favorites. After my experiences with all of his books and mini-comics, I am pretty much set to buy anything he creates sight unseen. The man is a masterful entertainer, humorist, and comics maker.

All of the reviews I have read about this book have been extremely positive. Rich Barrett wrote, "This is a laugh-out-loud comic from a real rising talent." Kyle Overkill added that it "provides a lush experience whether it be the humor, the action, plot, characters or a man befriending a polar bear." Matthew Meylikhov lauded, "It’s fun, it’s incredibly funny and it has a surprising amount of heart at the center of it." And if you are interested, Starks speaks more about his work on Sexcastle in this interview.

Sexcastle is published by Image Comics. There are profane language and violence throughout, so I recommend this book to readers mature enough to handle both.

Deadly Class, Volume 1: Reagan Youth

I've said it before, but it seems to me that Rick Remender is everywhere in comics these days. Reagan Youth is the first volume of the ongoing series Deadly Class, collecting issues 1-6. Deadly Class is set in 1987. It stars Marcus Lopez Arguello as the protagonist, a teenage Nicaraguan immigrant living in San Francisco. After his parents' deaths, he finds himself bouncing around the social services circuit, and ends up homeless.

 

 

After a few months on the streets, with no prospects or hope, somehow he gets recruited to attend the underground King’s Dominion High School for the Deadly Arts, a school for assassins. This school is more like a prison, with various violent cliques vying for power among the student body. Also, they have classes about such things as poisoning, beheading, and assassin psychology. I think of it as a sort of Harry Potter meets Oz type of tale.

I thought that the story was full of intriguing twists and turns, and I also found myself interested in a good number of the characters and their motivations. Remender speaks about how he drew from his own youthful experiences in this series, and that attention to personal detail is apparent. He also collaborates well with artists Wes Craig and Lee Loughridge on storytelling that well balances atmosphere, action, and personal drama. I think that this book is full of great action sequences and stylized, suspenseful scenes that create a general vibe of coolness, kind of like a contemporary, comic book version of the 1999 movie Go. I had a lot of fun reading this book.

The reviews I have read about it have been largely positive. Publishers Weekly was unimpressed with Remender's story, calling it too interested in "gratuitous thrills," but they did find favor with "Craig’s appealing artwork" and "Loughridge’s European-style color palette." Barry Thompson called it "a tale that’s equal parts empathetic and fucking terrifying." Marcus Deehan concluded, "If you like the sound of a grittier, more vulgar Harry Potter or Naruto, or if you enjoyed Resevoir Dogs, Rockstar’s Canis Canum Edit or maybe even Freak and Geeks then I recommend you pick up a copy and give it a read."

Reagan Youth was published by Image Comics, who have previews and much more available here. The series is currently at issue 10. This book contains profanity and frequent violence, so I recommend it for readers old enough to handle both.

Hip Hop Family Tree, Volume 1

Originally serialized at Boing Boing, Hip Hop Family Tree, Volume 1 follows the "viral propagation of a culture." The narrative starts in the late 1970s in the Bronx and covers a large swath of events and figures. One of the great features of the large page format is that the riff on traditional Marvel Treasury Editions includes some rough paper and old-school coloring that makes the rappers and moguls appear as larger than life figures like superheroes. And there is a multitude of colorful characters in here, including graffiti artists, beat boxers, luminaries like Rick Rubin, Run DMC, Russell Simmons, Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, and Kurtis Blow; record companies like Sugar Hill Records, radio DJs, and club owners.

Image found at the Columbus Museum of Art

One of my favorite parts of the online version is its inclusion of specific songs highlighted in every episode. Although that feature does not accompany the book, the fine folks at Stumptown Trade Review have a 4 hour playlist of many of the artists and songs featured in the book here.

Accomplished creator Ed Piskor has done lots of nonfiction comics in the past, including working on American Splendor and a biography of The Beats with Harvey Pekar. Even his hacker book Wizzywig, which I absolutely loved, was based on reality. He is an excellent researcher and deft artist, and his imagery is an excellent combination of reality and super-expressive, cartoonish comics. Piskor manages to capture grit, enterprise, power, and frivolity with his pictures, but with his words he also does a sort of comic rapping, incorporating snippets of lyrics and song titles into his dialogue as well as setting up visual imagery and foreshadowing future events. This does not come off as too clever or cute but adds to the vitality of the narratives. I found this book to be a marvel of ingenuity and a testament to his great skills as a comics creator. He speaks more about his influences, career, and work on this book in this interview. He also spoke at length with Tom Spurgeon here.

All of the reviews I have read online about this book have been glowing. Publishers Weekly gave it a starred review and called it "a massive undertaking, but Piskor succeeds mightily in chronicling hip-hop’s formative years with riveting detail." Win Wiacek called it "cool, informative and irresistible" as well as "wild fun and deliciously addictive."

Hip Hop Family Tree, Volume 1 is available from Fantagraphics. They provide a preview and much more here. You can also read most if not all of the comics online at Boing Boing. Piskor is still doing new entries in the series and reportedly will keep going for 5 volumes, until he reaches the time period his interest in rap music waned in the early 1990s.

On a side note, I met Ed Piskor this past summer at HeroesCon, and pre-ordered this book. He was an incredibly smart and polite man, and I am glad to show off the sketch he drew in my copy.

Slick Rick!