This Sporting Life
Suzanne – The Jazz Age Goddess of Tennis by Tom Humberstone 1914 and Europe was beginning its descent into the abattoir of war. Young men turned away from their jobs and homes and went to the battlefield. Thousands of women were needed to work in arms production and they filled the factories. For many it was a taste of independence that they liked. A revolution … Continue reading This Sporting Life
Tall Tales and KickBoxing Clerics
Berserker Monk Leland Bjerg – writer and letterer, Josh Thompson – pencils/inks, Gabriel Roldan – colours The hour grows late and the drinks are flowing. The tavern is filled with assorted lowlifes – thugs, pirates, mercenaries and throat cutters. Naturally the company turns towards the telling of tales. Well, we have all been in a pub like that at some time and there are certainly … Continue reading Tall Tales and KickBoxing Clerics
Scare Mongering
An Illustrated History of Ghosts Adam Allsuch Boardman, published by NoBrow There are no shortage of ghosts and ghost stories where I live. Edinburgh has more haints and apparitions than it has festival visitors. Well, nearly. Indeed a whole cottage industry has sprung up around the subject, offering ghost tours complete with someone ready to jump out and shout boo. You can also tour famously … Continue reading Scare Mongering
Sharp Fragments
Sleeping While Standing by Taki Soma Published by Avery Hill In his introduction to this book, Brian Michael Bendis compares the stories of Taki Soma to his favourite short, loud, angry hardcore punk songs “you know those songs that are only, like, a minute ten. A short burst of rrrrrrage energy aaaaaand done.”. Well I can tell you that reading Sleeping While Standing took me … Continue reading Sharp Fragments
Artistic License
Blat issue 2 by Mat Greaves You know how it goes. You are a deep and culturally attuned person. You love visual art, and comics is the pinnacle of that art. You follow a bunch of artists on their ‘socials’ and you find the same personality clashes, obsessions and weirdness (and flashes of genius) that you find in, well pretty much any other topic. The … Continue reading Artistic License
Drowning in the River of Dreams
In Our Dreams Awake Co-creators John McGuire and Egg Embry Artists Edgar Salazar and Rolands Kalniņš. Letters and book design are by Alexander Lugo In Our Dreams Awake is an imaginative and often original book that brings the reader into strange worlds, worlds seemingly visited in dreams. Just what, if anything, is real and what belongs to the dreamworld is left open. This is the … Continue reading Drowning in the River of Dreams
Back to Nature
Woodland Creatures volume 2: Wild Souls Cristina Roswell, Fali Ruiz-Dávila, Tomás Aira I reviewed the first volume of Woodland Creatures back in February 2020, when the world was different. The urban fantasy tale of humans lycanthropically linked to giant Amaroq wolves of Inuit legend focused on conflict, both personal and political. The conflict theme continues in the second volume. Our angst ridden anti-hero Calliope returns … Continue reading Back to Nature
Run to the Hills
Eve by Una The world seems to grow more fractured and dangerous by the day. Plague, war…which horseman of the apocalypse will ride over the horizon next? Ah, looks like hunger. Eve deals with a young woman born during the pandemic and growing up in the world as it may unfold in the next few years, as it is beginning to unfold now. The fragile … Continue reading Run to the Hills
Gothic Illuminations
At Last the Light Written by Simon Birks, with art and colours by Anna Wieszczyk, and letters by Rob Jones. Published by Blue Fox Comics. The Firth of Forth is a fjord in Scotland that flows between Edinburgh to the South and Fife to the North. Within the Firth there are several islands and as you pass over on the famous Rail Bridge you can … Continue reading Gothic Illuminations
Strictly Come Slashing
Final Boy issue 1 Writer & Letterer: Samuel Ethan Carter, Penciler & Inker: Marlon Souza, Colourist: Danilo Leao Horror comics seem to be super popular in the indie comics world these days. The genre is evergreen and big enough that sub genres are also well represented. Case in point, Final Boy from writer Samuel Ethan Carter, artist Marlon Souza and colourist Danilo Leao which gives … Continue reading Strictly Come Slashing
Daredevils and Warriors 