I’m writing this while the Seahawks are winning the NFC championship game, and even in my quiet neighborhood I can hear my neighbors yelling and fireworks being set off. Or people are rioting and looting, which would be way more fun. But if we get too crazy, they might have to send a lawman up here to care of all our post-football crime. I wonder if there’s any type of West Coast police enforcer that could handle and entire city rioting….?
Oh man, I’ve been waiting on pins and needles for this release since the first pages started to surface like 3 months ago. I’ve even been waiting weeks to write this silly write-up on it because I’m so excited for people to read it. The West Coast gets their judgment day when Dredd is sent the Cali-forni-way, and is left to tackle a sprawling 5,000 square mile Mega City Two. Each neighorhood has its own laws, and Dredd is left with no time to figure out the new rules. Writer Douglas Wolk is a Judge Dredd historian by his own right, and never forgets the tongue-in-cheek humor that makes Dredd such a great character. The subtle humor is driven home by fan favorite artist, Ulises Farinas. He creates a chaotic city that is full of traffic, people, traffic, and enough background signage to make you feel like there’s a second comic happening in background. If you’re not convinced by my description (if you’re not, we’re not friends anymore) check out the preview pages posted on Comics Alliance. You’re a fool if you don’t buy this comic, creep.
Do you guys remember the show “Clone High”? It was an awesome cartoon comedy that parodied shows like Dawson’s Creek, but with the angsty, horny, teenage clones of famous people from history like Abe Lincoln, Joan of Ark, and Mahatma Gandhi. My point is that this new comic from Rick Rememder reminds me of that show; that show was awesome, thus logic dictates that his new comic will be awesome. The main character, Mark Lopez, goes to a high school that is designed to train the descendants of the world’s top assassins and crime families. Combine highly skilled killers, mid-‘80s underground culture, and way-too-intense teenage emotions and this book spells DRAAAMA. Remender is on a Rick roll, that is for certain.
Ryan North is known around these Seattle parts for his syndicated comic strip, Dinosaur Comics, that runs in our weekly alternative newspaper, The Stranger. So when I found out North was going to be doing a “kids comic” (Adventure Time), I was a little surprised, but never disappointed. But then more and more people begin to take his humor seriously (is that an oxymoron?) Anywho, his new series, Midas Flesh, is everything I want a monthly comic from North to be: slightly philosophical, hilarious dialogue, sci-fi, and a dinosaur that’s a doctor. Awesome. This journey is just getting started, but it’s already entertaining the entire way.
The creative team of Antony Johnston and Christopher Mitten (Wasteland) should be enough to drag anyone into this dark fantasy book. Magic is outlawed in this world because it messes with everyone’s lives, and invites bad things. Rascal, a thief, witness the murder of the King and Queen by some freaky demons. But their magic is incomplete, and Rascal realizes the bottle of mist around her neck is what the demons need to finish their magic incantation. There’s a lot of cool fantasy art, a lot of murder, and freaky demons (aforementioned).
