Social Blunderer

What a delight this horror anthology is. All the stories are just about perfectly paced, each panel intensifying the tension, deftly guiding the reader along a creepy passage. Horror comics are exceedingly difficult to do well. It, therefore, is a real treat to read something that is as refined as this. What Howard does with Crossroads at Midnight is put sympathetic well-written characters at the centre of each of the stories. Horror has a terrible reputation for being exploitative yet this is anything but that. The tales range from the body horror of someone having their skin stolen to a chiller about feuding siblings.

The linework is fluid and some of the creature designs evoke Junji Ito and some David Clowes creepier stuff. You can almost see the scratch mark of the pencils, cleverly using crosshatching and shadows to give us enough light to the characters and creatures in the comic. The Boy at the beach is one of the most disturbing antagonists I have seen on a page in some time. While the monsters are sinister and weird I think most of the praise should be aimed at how Howard depicts the emotions that the more human characters are feeling. Howard is able to frame the realisations of characters understanding how much trouble they have got themselves and more action-heavy sequences with equal aplomb.

For those looking for their next horror fix, this is superior stuff. Exactly the sort of thing that needs to be read late at night under the bedsheets with a torch. Howard is a graphic novelist to keep an eye out for.

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. Please consider using this link to but the book.

A curious and deeply personal look at the effects of epilepsy on a young woman’s life. Using art as a way of coping with her condition and the subsequent treatments that she undergoes Elodie explores the fragility of memories, the difficulty of living with a condition that changes the way you think and process information, and how trauma can both devastate and bring families together.

The artwork is profound and emotive, veering from disturbingly abstract representations of illnesses to cartoony line drawings of Elodie’s interactions with the people in her life.

I’m not sure if enjoyable is the right word but I found it to be a well-constructed novel that I think rewards the reader with an ultimately uplifting experience.

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. Please consider using this link to but the book.

What Unites Us is a timely polemic from the veteran journalist. Dan Rather is as always highly eloquent and these graphic essays do a superb job of articulating his arguments about the values that he believes binds the citizens of the United States together. Often using moments from his life and career to demonstrate the point that he is making the essays touch on democracy, equality, and the environment. Rather is blunt about the challenges facing America and is clear about the fact that he does not have all the answers.

The novel often harkens back to a past imperfect with both a sweet sentimentality and a willingness to reassess often scathingly at the way things were.

Foley’s palette uses a mixture of blues and reds. He mixes these hues innovatively to punctuate a particular image or to evoke iconic moments like Obama’s hope posters. Which I think is apt as hope for a better future is something that permeates through much of Rather’s writing. He is keen on demonstrating how much progress has been made and that we should see this as an example of the progress we can make in the future. Foley does some clever stuff here, there is a lot of text in the book but it never overshadows the gorgeous illustrations.

The images that really remained with me were the sections about Martin Luther King and his criticism and praise of journalism’s role in the Iraq war.

Having not read the prose it’s difficult for me to gauge how faithful this adaptation is. However, on its own merits, this is a graphic novel well worth reading regardless of where you stand politically. Folley breathes new life into Ratner’s words which is a splendid achievement.

Thanks the Netgalley for the ARC.

Brain Drain is a riveting and humorous crime caper. It is very, very, very loosely inspired by the bizarre true story of what happened to Albert Einstein brain he died.

Our protagonist is Thomas Stoltz Harvey, a fed up pathologist who seizes the opportunity to steal Albert’s brain. His flimsy justification for this breach of the hypotactic oath is to make scientific discoveries about the nature of Einstein’s genius.

What follows is an exquisite and layered comedy caper. It is so funny. Gomont has a full bag of tricks from sight gags to snappy one liners. I particularly enjoyed the whimsical Walter Mitty-esque flights sequences that are skewered in the next panel by the awful reality of the situation Stoltz has put himself in.

What I really like about Brain Drain is that it is prepared to go weird which in my opinion really heightens the farcical tension.

From the moment that Stoltz steals the brain he is hiding or running away from the hospital administration, his family, Einstein’s executors, and the FBI. It’s rare for me to read a comic with my hands over my eyes due to cringe inducing panels.

The cast of characters in Brain Drain is delightful. My favourite the no-nonsense Otto who berates everyone within earshot. Stoltz despite all his flaws is a character that you root for. Reading how he gets himself and out of jams was just a joy. I really enjoyed Brain Drain. Can’t wait for part 2. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.

Raven book 1 is an entertaining adventure tale that has a sort of boisterous energy on every page. The action is brilliantly illustrated and the story itself has enough intrigue to keep you turning the page. There is a fair bit of violence and bloodshed so maybe not one for some younger readers that might be fans of The Pirates of the Caribbean franchise.

Unfortunately, the cast of characters are all a bit boilerplate. We have the stubborn nobleman Count de Montignac and his sweet daughter Anne. Kemba who is Raven’s wise and witty mentor. This is fine as there is enough nuance and smart dialogue to make you care about them (apart from Lady Darksee who as a villain is truly despicable).

For those that fancy a graphic novel full derring-do on the high seas or something a bit darker and violent than Pirates of the Caribbean, this is a real treat. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.

I am quite fond of London. There is not a lot of fiction about the Polish community in the UK, and it was refreshing to read a story about them. This is an offbeat and good-humoured look at the life of Mikolaj and Gosia as they struggle to make ends meet. Despite working long hours for little money and being far from home, Mikolaj grows to enjoy his life in London. There is an affecting conversation between Mikolaj and Gosia discussing when they are going to go home, with Mikolaj musing that he misses being in Poland when he is in London but misses London when he is in Poland. The themes of homesickness, racism, and poverty are all explored with an unsentimental eye. It is a character-driven slice of life drama. The non-linear structure might grate on some.

The black and white art has a contemporary feel to it. There are many gags in London and the sense of timing in their delivery in perfect. However, the panel layouts are occasionally too dense for my taste. Overall, Trejnis does an exemplary job of making the story feel authentic and delivers the story well.

There is no soft coating the difficulty of the lives that Mikolaj and Gosia live in London, making the climax of the book all the more touching. London is a properly entertaining and distinctive story about immigrant life.

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.

An enjoyable sci-fi romp with sublime art. I read this in one sitting. In terms of tone and art style, it is somewhere between Moebius and Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind. This French comic wears its manga influences on its sleeve and is all the better for it. The book’s pacing is impeccable. The layout composition, especially in the action sequences, lends frenetic energy to the pages. There is a dynamic nature to the draftsmanship that I enjoyed. The character and world designs are funky and inventive. It feels like a lived-in world where people are salvaging what they can, including clothes. Our main protagonists are likeable if someone cliche, Aster a gutsy heroine who is a bit of an outsider in her adopted community, and, Wallis the bookish son of a village elder, are charming. The dialogue, on the whole, was witty, and There is a great supporting cast of diverse characters. Merwan is excellent at facial expressions, and there are some neat visual gags. The story itself doesn’t break any new ground, but it seems churlish to criticise Aster of Pan in that regard. It goes to some ridiculous places like Rocky 4 levels of silliness. It is like watching a good action film. You kind of know how it will probably end, but you want to see how they get there. It says a great deal that I am eager to read more stories set in the world of Pan. Lovely stuff.

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. Please consider buying Aster of Pan with this affliate link.

I really enjoyed this. It is an anthology of horror shorts based in the Galicia region of Spain. Based on the folktales of the area, we encounter various supernatural terrors, from soul stealing spectres in the woods to supposedly possessed teenagers.

Galicia itself is a character in all the stories. Its landscape and culture have an effect on the actions of all the characters. These tales could not take place anywhere else. The characters in these tales are farmers or working people trying to live everyday lives. That sense of extraordinary things happening to ordinary people makes these tales work even more effectively.

The dialogue and lettering are graceful and eerie. The book is paced wonderfully. Despite being over 100 pages long, I read it in one go. It ratchets up the tension and uneasiness expertly. There are various characters ranging from those confronting the apparitions to those who attempt to flee the things that haunt them.

The art is just lush. Suárez uses a palette of black and whites and grey accents to render a world that is as ominous as it is mundane. The style reminds me of a mix between Isabel Greenberg and Rebecca Green. Suárez does a tremendous job of depicting emotions hidden beneath the surface in the characters’ faces and body language in the book. The art is creepy but never resorts to gore to terrify.

For fans of Emily Carroll, this graphic novel is going to be right up your alley. It is wickedly good. More please!

Thanks Netgalley for the ARC.