Osamu 'Rob Zombie' Tezuka

Osamu Tezuka just blew my mind. MW is dark. Black, even. Blacker than the Earl of Hell's waistcoat, this is. And I thought 'Buddha' was colorful! I mean, it's got it all: murder, mass murder, rape, child rape, torture, invalid rape, suicide, and once in a while you'll see a priest slug someone in the gut.

The story follows two men, bound by fate, one a priest, one the devil incarnate. MW 'probes' the complexities of homoeroticism and throws in a little political espionage for good measure. The brutality in this book cannot be ignored. Not one punch does Tezuka pull and it makes for great reading. I read the trillion page epic 'Buddha' earlier this year and was impressed, but this is something else. My favorite of his so far. Please read this, guys.

Thank you Nathan Fox

One more issue of Pigeons From Hell to go. The horror! I just want to thank Nathan Fox, if he's out there, for kicking ass all over this book. Issue #3 has a panel of a bloodied kitchen that's just tremendous. I also need to thank him for selling me the coolest thing I own for only $40. Let's see if I can explain it:

It's two prints (roughly 24'' X 17'' each), they're entitled "Purple Rain and Red Napkins."

The two prints make up two panels of a picture of a speeding train. On top of the speeding train is a huge specter, or demon, speeding along with it, tearing it apart.

And it's in old school red and blue 3-d.

You're all invited to come look at it.

Or you could just check it out on www.foxnathan.com. Actually, I'm not sure if "Purple Rain and Red Napkins" is on the site, but he's got a real nice website with a lot of cool work. I'd post a photo of it, but I'm... well, technologically embarrassed right now. It'd probably be easier for all you guys to just come to Chicago to my living room.

Dolis

by Maki Kusomoto



Alright. The main character's cup floweth over with self loathing. Mitsu is aloof and mysterious, beautiful and intriguing. Kishi knows that she's uncompromising and selfish, but he doesn't realize how seriously disturbed she is. She's obsessed with being as perfect as the paintings that her ex boyfriend used her as a model for. The visual layout of the book is really nice. I like the colors and the paneling. The character design is not my cup of tea. Everyone has really big foreheads, tiny chins and huge eyes (adorned with borderline ridiculous lashes). I figured I'd give it a try.

1985

Written by Mark Millar
Art by Tommy Lee Edwards



One more Mark Millar mini series to add to the list. Toby is 13. His parents are divorced. His mom remarries some rich guy. His dad is a loser, but a nice dude. Toby loves to read comic books. Him and his dad take a walk in the woods to look at a house where his dad used to hang out as a kid. Toby peeps something a little weird in an upstairs window. News reports later in the day validate his suspicions. He sneaks out in the middle of the night to spy on the house in the woods...

Good storytelling! I do, indeed, look forward to the rest of this series.

Angel: Revelations

Written by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa
Art by Adam Pollina



I'd like to start this off by saying that I don't read too many Marvel titles. I've never been a huge fan of superhero comics, I kinda pick and choose. So, this comic is about Angel, of the X-Men. I like the way the story is told. It's very welcoming to me, as an outsider of sorts. A tiny girl with stigmata tells her local priest about dreams she's been having which involve Warren Worthington (Angel). And so begins the tale, but the real sugar here is the art. It is absolutely unique, I love it. Check it out, breathe it in.

It gets a triple threat out of a double entendre.

Withheld

Should be read by no one. I don't even know why this woman wrote this comic. It's a shitty comic, about stupid people. No one in this book is likable. Dumb, dumb, dumb, dumb, dumb. Can literally read it in 20 seconds and be mad about it for an hour. *shakes head*


This was a random rant by Christian. So much more, I couldn't type fast enough...I'm so sorry.

*all information withheld to avoid hurt feelings and bad press*

Princess Resurrection

by Yasunori Mitsunaga



Princess Hime (princess princess) wears a tiara, fights with a chainsaw and still has time for tea. A tiny robot girl, a zombie boy, and a half human-half werewolf are on her team. As her siblings try to kill her to become the heir to the throne, we get super sweet fights with werewolves, demons and crazy hospital staff.

chainsaw - check.
zombies - check.
big titties - check.

Two very enthusiastic thumbs up.

Burn

by Camilla d'Errico and Scott Sanders



Man and machine have been co-existing for years. Under the peaceful facade, some have been harboring resentment for one another. One man creates Sheftiel, a sentient machine programmed to destroy mankind. A young boy named Burn is playing with his friends in their village when the madness comes down. One frantic act of self preservation will change things forever. Man and machine will never be the same.

I have yet to solidify an opinion on this one.

John Constantine, Hellblazer: Setting Sun TP (w/ Warren Ellis, a/ Various)

This is a small collection of Warren Ellis penned Hellblazer stories, with various artists, like Tim Bradstreet (!) and (of course) Marcelo Frusin (who I love). My only complaint with the book was the thing I also enjoy most: the Ellis-ness. I love Warren Ellis, but after reading so much Brian Azzarello (who takes a backseat in regards to the story he is telling), I'm starting to wonder if Ellis isn't just a one-trick pony after all (read this book and then read Fell and then read Desolation Jones and then read Transmetropolitan). But, you know what? It's one really awesome trick. I just wish he could find the time to sober up and actually finish a title.

3.5 (out of 5) aborted right-wing babies,
-sandy

P.S. Let the "Dude, Back Off Warren Ellis/Brian Michael Bendis' Nuts" flame war begin.

Dead, She Said

Written by Steve Niles
Illustrated by Bernie Wrightson



This book displays many qualities of a top notch mystery, one being on the opening page you get a dead man describing the fouler qualities of rigor mortis. From the beginning to the end the raunchy details left me wanting more.

Somehow the lead character is a "zombie"(?) I'm not really sure though because he talks and acts as though he's living. The only noticeable zombie quality he has is the smell of his own rotting flesh.

Overall I'd have to say this comic gets four out of five major internal organs.

-Dana-

P.S. Bernie Wrightson draws intestines real good. -liz-

Pigeons From Hell

Written by Joe Lansdale
Art by Nathan Fox



Louisiana swamplands, two sisters inherit a mansion with a history. People have all heard the stories about the Blassenville house. The sisters make a trip of it with a group of their friends to check out the sweet inheritance. After one of them falls through the rotted staircase and breaks his leg, they're forced to spend the night. Things are creepy, cold, and not quite right in this house. The second issue kicked my dick in the dirt, for real. HOLY SHIT. A+, thumbs up and all that. Jenkies.

Skim

by Mariko and Jillian Tamaki



High school sucks for some people (I know I hated it). Skim is a chubby, wiccan, goth would-be that can't stand the ignorant, self absorbed Heathers that run rampant. Love, suicide, and sexuality are a few things that it touches on. It's introspective and gentle. The art has a very classic Japanese feel to it, reminiscent of Edo period pieces. An enjoyable read, even though it reminded me of being in high school.

Sour Leaves

by Brendan Monroe



Teeny and delicately illustrated, this book tells the story of a journey through life. Ups, downs, ins, outs. Everything comes full circle.

10 dimes out of a dollar.

Sky Doll

Story and Art by Alessandro Barbucci and Barbara Canepa



Marvel's first collaboration with the French publisher, Soleil. Sky Doll is the story of a runaway pleasure bot named Noa. She escapes her job at the car wash, and stows away on the ship of man that she'd intrigued earlier in the day. The world is controlled with religious propaganda, and the elaborate ruse of Papess Lodovica. What are the mysterious ties between Noa and Agape, the defrocked papess and sister of Lodovica?

H.O.T. positive

Kick Ass

Written by Mark Millar
Art by John Romita, Jr.



Dave Lizewski: he wasn't a jock, or a geek...but he was a comic book fan. One day, he put on a super hero costume...and got his ass kicked. But that didn't stop him. Bad guys beware...Dave will not give up so easily. This comic is so AWESOME! The art is good, the writing is great!

Jessica Farm

by Josh Simmons



A detached, immersed, frenetic, emotional roller coaster ride through a young girls imagination. What's real? What's made up? Who are these people? Slightly irritating (this does not change my opinion of the book, its still fantastic): This book is being created at the rate of one page per MONTH. He started in 2000 and after 8 YEARS, he put out the first volume. So, every 8 years...we'll get one 96 page volume until the year 2050...totaling up at a 600 page body of work. Novel (pun intended) idea.

Swamp Thing: Saga of the Swamp Thing TP (w/ Alan Moore)

Alan Moore took over Swamp Thing with issue #21 (of Volume 2) in 1984 (due to low sales), 2 years before the first issue of Watchmen was released. Moore has a knack for reviving obscure (read "shitty") DC comics characters and making them less shitty. I can't imagine Jason "Floronic Man" Woodrue ever actually being scary, but he comes pretty close in this book. Even Etrigan (who also pops up in the Sandman series) is an interesting character!

Moore reinvents the origin of Swamp Thing, although the story remains roughly the same, in theory, with a few major differences (including the appearance of Jason Woodrue). Environmentalism is a heavy theme in this series, as Floronic Man discovers the secret of Swamp Thing's power, "The Green" ("Gaia", the earth as an ecosystem of interconnected plant organisms). Woodrue's symbiotic relationship with "The Green" allows him to see (and feel) the horrors of humanity's abuse of our planet. Woodrue goes on a killing spree, fueled by The Green, and Swamp Thing attempts to save The Green, the world, and the woman he loves, from Woodrue's (naive) vendetta.

The Saga of the Swamp Thing is more important than ever, with the reality of global climate change knocking on our door. 24 years later, we need Swamp Thing more than ever.

I give Saga of the Swamp Thing 4 (out of 5) drowning polar bears,
-sandy

100 Bullets: First Shot, Last Call TP (w/ Brian Azzarello, a/ Eduardo Risso)

If you read my Loveless review, you would know that I hated this book the first time around. I'm really trying to give Brian Azzarello (Sgt. Rock, Hellblazer, Superman: For Tomorrow) what is due him, as a comic writer, and I'm really glad that I am. Azzarello writes really complex stories that unravel themselves slowly and deliberately. I would recommend this book to fans of Heroes or Lost. There is even a mysterious "Agent Graves" of a mysterious (non-governmental?) organization (although he comes off a bit more benevolently than Benamin Linus or Noah Bennet)!

Eduardo Risso's art is reminiscent of Frank Miller's Sin City and it is SUPER sexy (unlike Miller's, which I find gratuitous). Azzarello and Risso do Frank Miller better than Frank Miller. There, I said it.

The plot is that "Agent Graves" appears to persons whose lives have been ruined by the negligence or brutality of other peoples' lives. Graves offers said persons an opportunity: a briefcase, containing a gun and 100 untraceable bullets, and perhaps most importantly, irrefutable evidence of their victims' connection to the event(s) that ruined their lives. They are given carte blanche, as long as they don't show anyone else the contents of the briefcase. What would you do if you knew you could get away with (justifiable?) homicide?

The stories are sad but exciting. Lots of dead babies, ruined futures, and shattered families.

I really recommend this book if you're looking for another lengthy series to commit to, or another huge mystery to sink into.

3.5 (out of 5) bible thumpers,
-sandy

John Constantine, Hellblazer: Dangerous Habits TP (w/ Garth Ennis)

Garth Ennis is the only person I know who hates religion as much as I do. Well, I don't actually know Garth Ennis, but, if I did, I think we'd have some things in common. I wonder if he gets as many death threats as writers like Richard Dawkins or Christopher Hitchens.

The premise of the book is that everyone's favorite alcoholic anti-hero/magician/trickster/hellion gets diagnosed with terminal lung cancer. Constantine reevaluates his life to find some comfort in his death, but only finds a graveyard of friends in his wake. In order to save his soul from the clutches of the Devil himself, Constantine tries to redeem himself to his few living friends, but must ultimately face his demons alone.

This book rules. Garth Ennis (Preacher, The Boys, Punisher MAX) is at his most human in this story arc, as he explores the meaning of friendship--in life, and in death--in true Garth Ennis fashion (i.e. severed reproductive organs). Scoop it up!

4.275 (out of 5) dead babies,
-sandy

Loveless Vol 1-2, Vertigo (DC)

I have never really cared for Brian Azzarello. I can't say that I've read all of his work, but I suffered through the first 12 issues of 100 Bullets and could not force myself to read any further. I even tried reading the first few issues of Loveless when it first started coming out a few years ago (believe it or not I had a subscription). I liked the first 6 issues, illustrated by Marcelo Frusin (Hellblazer), but when the artist switched to Danijel Zezelj (Desolation Jones #7-8), I was turned off. I fell off with the series and would wonder, occasionally, if it would be worth picking back up.

It is.

I have come to LOVE Zezelj's work on Loveless, and I have come to love Azzarello's writing (at least on this series, but I am going to try 100 Bullets again very soon). Zezelj's work is raw and gritty and his backgrounds are elegant but minimal (there is a lot not to look at, if that makes sense). I tore these two volumes apart.

I don't generally go for Westerns (and would defer any questions about good Western comic series' to my friend, Christian); I don't really care much for the Civil War (though I am, believe it or not, distantly related to Abe Lincoln!); but this story is really raw. You love and hate everybody here and you keep turning pages to figure out who is really screwing who. The book is set in the years following the Civil War, when blacks are "free" but still enslaved by a nation of bigots, and when the South has yet to put down their arms.

The setting is volatile and the morals are ambiguous. This book is a gem!

4 (out of 5) homeless guys,
-sandy

now you're all in BIG trouble

There is some irony in the fact that I am at Vault of Midnight right now, on Day 1 of my 1 week visit to Ann Arbor. I have lived in Seattle since this past January, and despite the presence of Fantagraphics Books, the comic scene there is lacking (On an unrelated note, I shared a plane ride home with David Petersen of Mouse Guard, who is a Michigan native, and a good friend of our shop). I haven't been reading as many comics as I would like (no $$ for getting my comics shipped!), but I've been getting some 80's books from the library (can't seem to bring myself to buy comics from a shop that I don't have a tattoo of) and you can bet your bottom dollar that I'm going to write up some Alan Moore titles for you sexy humans in the near future.

Anyway, I sense that a small child has committed an act of injustice against one of our display tables. Just wanted to assert my presence on this little section of the internet; I look forward to getting flamed by all of you (more so) in the near future.

-sanford c bledsoe iii
(the c is for "comics")

Immortal Iron Fist #14

HOLY F*@#ING SHIT BALLS

this is my favorite comic out

art
story
chariktors

all dope

100% awesome juice dripping down my chin

Sanford "cheatin' sandy" Bledsoe to make blog debut.....eventually.

long time comic reader,game master and former vault of midnight employee "sanford bledsoe" will make his long awaited reviewing debut on "we read comics". after an initial confusion over invites and scheduling (as per usual sanford was seeing double and was confused about his options). no exact date had been locked down but "we read comics" industry insiders expect "sometime" in 2nd quarter 2008. From all of us at "We Read Comics", welcome to the team sanford! we look forward to your constant enthusiasm for the medium, biting sarcastic wit, consistent striving for political correctness and grammar, and hugs...oh my, the hugs. Welcome to the team.
(don't fuck this up)

Pax Romana #1-2

Story and Art by Jonathan Hickman

Ah, my first blog post. Where is the fanfare? The teeming crowds of adorers? No matter...

OH!...... i see, I...uh...thanks!

Jonathan Hickman, you clever bastard. I put off reading this one for months when on perusal it seemed dense and remarkably similar to your last title, Nightly News. Not that I had a problem with that one, but I was starting to get the feeling that you were a one-trick-pony. A flash in the pan. A pretender to the whatever. I am standing, here, corrected. Let it be known that I have found correction.

This is one of the sweetest premises to a comic book, or any work of fiction, that I've read in a long time. The idea is that the Vatican (in 2053 or thereabouts) is sponsoring a trip BACK IN TIME to assert the dominance of the Catholic Church for time eternum using modern day soldiers and weaponry. Hickman uses sneaky little mechanics like transcribed minutes from meetings between Vatican officials and Private Military Contractors to explore the morality and practicality of what they want to accomplish. Brilliant. Love it. Yes.

Here's the thing: the art is way over the top. I get that every page is this meticulously crafted piece that I should hang on a wall but in terms of the narrative it's just fucking distracting. Each frame is a portrait of some dude (that looks a lot like all the other dudes) making a Lenin-stance surrounded by 75 speech bubbles. So, props for the effort, but you're not pulling it off.

Nevertheless, between this and Transhuman I will be watching you from here on in, Hickman.

Everyone else: READ THIS SHIT. 6 clever things out of 8 clever things.

Here's my list of comics this week.

Amulet: book one

w/a-kazu kibuishi
this comic was so COOL! i was emotionally involved with these characters and expressed myself aloud frequently! I laughed!I gasped! I even exclaimed "OH NO!" when drama went down!the story is about a brother and a sister who relocate to their grandfathers farm house with their mom following the death of their father.Emily the oldest child,finds her grandpappy's study/lab and a portal to a fantastical world.some strange tentacled creature kidnaps her mom,so Emily and Navin (the younger bro.) must find her mom and confront the dark overlord of this awesome world....but they get help from their new sweet robot pals!I AM FLIPPING OUT IN ANTICIPATION FOR VOLUME TWO!!!!!
-the color is phenomenal! kudos upon kudos for the great coloring team that made this book happen.
-great,slightly cartoon-y facial expressions that really made everyone's emotions clear to me.dude,..at one point navin almost gets caught by his mom doing something he shouldn't and the face he makes had me cackling and slapping my knees.
-really cool designs on the buildings and technology.robots awesome..vehicles ill.
-reminescent of "spirited away" and "totoro" but wholly original and individual.
- MR.Kibuishi stopped into our store and was a totally cool and nice gentleman.I really would like to buy him a beer.
PLUS THIS HAPPENS

HOUSE MECH!!!!
I GIVE THIS BOOK 4 OUTTA 4 KIDS IN THE BACKSEAT NOT ASKING IF WE'RE THERE YET!