Graphic Novel Reviews

Funny stuff. The Flaming Carrot is a surreal superhero who fights crime and perpetrates wackiness. This book had a strong effect on me while growing up in the eighties. Highly recommended!

reviewed by dan

Local HC (Oni Press): As I handed over the single issues of this series to a coworker (my standard practice when upgrading to a better format), I remember saying something to the effect of “this is one of my favorite recent series, from one of my favorite writers, from a hot artist, and in every issue there’s at least one scene, or one line of dialogue, or one moment that totally blows me away,” much like that “ex you can’t get out of your head” that Brian Wood describes in one of the essays. Sure, Local is about Megan, and the sweeping arc of her life. It’s about all of the various “Locals” that get showcased in each issue, and how the cities themselves become crucial characters and story elements. Most importantly thought, local is about us. Wood and Kelly have given us, in Megan, a character that we can view the world through and identify with. We are all Megan. At times, all of us have struggled with identity, family, connecting to a new environment, have used others, and have been used on our journey to adulthood. In the ways that Scorsese used to describe film, and Wood himself has posed questions here (what does your Local say about you?), this work challenges us to ask questions of ourselves, and better define us. Like any truly great work of art, we learn about ourselves when juxtaposed against another strong set of ideas. I can say that Local is my favorite Brian Wood series, or my favorite mini-series, or one of the best books from Oni Press, but all of those qualifiers sound too limiting for a work that truly needs to get out there and breathe. I can develop sound byte style tag phrases that I envision being used as alliterative pull quotes, such as “an ingenious slice of pop fiction perfection,” yet that still doesn’t capture what I want to say. Local is one of my favorite books, ever. Period. There, I said it. Grade A+.

reviewed by Justin

Gutwrenching pulp-noir at it's finest. This is the book Frank Miller always wanted to do, so he did it!

reviewed by dan

When these were originally released (partially) by First Comics in the late 1980's, they were released in comic book format. I loved them, and always hoped the rest would come out in an English language edition.

When Dark Horse released the entire 28 volumes in a manga size (but reversed to standard format) about 10 years later, I was in heaven.

The art and drawing in this long series (>7,000 pages) chronicles the epic adventures of a ex-samurai ronin assasin and his son as they travel the road of Meifumando to hell and damnation.

At times glorius, at times brutal, always true to the artists vision of the time and place. This is a no-brainer for anyone who loves classic samurai movies such as "The Seven Samurai", etc.

At the same time, fairly explicit (lots of violence, some sex) and not for the squemish.

Kazuo Koike and Goseki Kojima have created a masterpiece of grandeur, unsurpassed in the comicbook genre.

Not for the faint of heart, but very rewarding.

reviewed by DaveH

I discovered this a bit late, but it grabbed me and held me. The mix of "humanity" and weirdness and the everyday ordinaryness of the science heroes and their neighborhoods is just plain lovable. The writing and art are amazing, with more amusing tributes and homages hidden in than anyone can find.

reviewed by DaveH

Yet another outstanding collection of Hellboy material by Mike Mignola.

Hellboy continues to struggle with his role in life and the coming end of the world.

The first collection since the release of the under-rated yet fun and true to character Hellboy movie did lead some to question whether Mignola is tiring of Hellboy.

reviewed by DaveH

The origins and early adventures of Rocketo, a Mapper and explorer, as he searches for the famed Hidden Sea.

Bloody brilliant. This is the way high fantasy and adventure should be: exotic locales, exciting perils, and an interesting cast of quirky characters. Espinosa's artwork is like nothing else on the market, and its just beautiful. One of the best new series in a long time, this will leave you thirsting for more.

reviewed by jdp

When these were originally released (partially) by First Comics in the late 1980's, they were released in comic book format. I loved them, and always hoped the rest would come out in an English language edition.

When Dark Horse released the entire 28 volumes in a manga size (but reversed to standard format) about 10 years later, I was in heaven.

The art and drawing in this long series (>7,000 pages) chronicles the epic adventures of a ex-samurai ronin assasin and his son as they travel the road of Meifumando to hell and damnation.

At times glorius, at times brutal, always true to the artists vision of the time and place. This is a no-brainer for anyone who loves classic samurai movies such as "The Seven Samurai", etc.

At the same time, fairly explicit (lots of violence, some sex) and not for the squemish.

Kazuo Koike and Goseki Kojima have created a masterpiece of grandeur, unsurpassed in the comicbook genre.

Not for the faint of heart, but very rewarding.

reviewed by DaveH

A gorgeous art book by one of the world's great comic artists, Francois Schuiten. Schuiten produces some of the most beautiful work I've ever seen, most notably his vast fantasy tinged landscapes and set pieces. The price tag is a bit hefty (though certainly not overpriced for the size and production values), but this is one of the rare few comic artists with a style and a body of non-comic work truly deserving of a volume such as this.

reviewed by jdp

In ancient Japan, a young girl searching for a fresh start meets an old man who may just need the same thing.

An excellent book by Scott Mills, and my favorite work of his. Mills’ artwork is very simple but it works perfectly for this subject matter, a quiet tale about people who’ve been dealt a blow and are trying to get back into life again together. It’s not quite a romance but there’s that flavor to much of it, and it moves in some directions that could easily have descended into pretension in lesser hands and manages to avoid that pitfall. A really nice character portrait, well told and illustrated.

reviewed by jdp