In 2021 I set a goal to post reviews here for 1,000 comics, and finished the year at 1,008 reviews. It was a stretch - - not to read that many comics, because I actually read quite a bit more. The challenge is to find and take the time to write a fair review of what I read - - but I made it. I’m up for a new year, and a new challenge. My goal for 2022 is to read and document 1,200 comics. That’s an average of 100 books per month, easy enough to check and update. Wish me luck!
# GOAL FOR August 10, 2022 . . . 733 comics documented
CURRENT COUNT . . . . . 734 comics documented
San Francisco, 1971. Seymour Phillips is a hippie journalist who discovers the information, which leads his investigation down a dark path that puts his life in danger. He becomes paranoid and wears disguises, on the advice of Chase, another disguised person claiming to be a former CIA agent. After Phillips learns that a recently arrested drug trafficker also works for the CIA he goes down the rabbit hole of conspiracy theories, etc.
The CIA seems to be unscrupulous in their efforts to explore the possibilities of LSD, even spiking the coffee or drinks of fellow CIA agents and prominent politicians. Whether all the things detailed in this graphic novel actually occurred, it's an interesting spin. The art reflects the psychedelic, hallucinatory nature of the proceedings and in places simulates the effects of a bad trip. This gets a bit hard to follow in places, and the story ends without reaching a conclusion/resolution. Apparently this is just Volume One. THREE STARS.
Summary: “The Morrison Hotel anthology written by Leah Moore, in collaboration with the surviving members of the legendary rock band and drawn by artists from around the comic book world, will weave the band’s influence into some of the lore that led to their status as the architects of counterculture, influencing artists, poets, and outsiders for generations to come, set against the backdrop of the close of the free spirit of the 1960s into the tumultuous 1970s. A decade in which women, African Americans, Native Americans, gays, lesbians and other marginalized people continued their fight for equality, and many Americans joined the protest against the ongoing war in Vietnam.”
The Goodreads summary/promotional blurb above provides a good synopsis of what's being offered here. Writer Leah Moore writes short stories either about The Doors, or themes influenced by their music. It provides a brief and incomplete time capsule of this point in the Doors history. Each section is illustrated by a different artist, with varying degrees of quality and complexity.
The presentation, especially the deluxe hardcover edition with slipcase and art prints, is nice. I'm a fan of the band's music, but didn't feel this did anything to increase or enhance my appreciation for their art. Still, this is something that avid Doors aficionados should check out and consider whether they want to add it to their memories. None of the stories really stood out. Kind of a ho hum for me. THREE STARS.
Seemed like a receipt for a hot mess, but it actually holds together quite well and is enjoyable as pure action adventure, like a B-movie guilty pleasure.
Only after doing a little research did I realize this is a type of sequel/prequel to other works. Alt-country musician Sturgill Simpson put out a hard rock album, SOUND AND FURY, in 2019 - which morphed into a 75-minute anime movie on Netflix inspired by and featuring his songs. This work expands on that, and perhaps puts things into better perspective. Not sure, as I haven't checked out the music or anime yet (but I will).
At it's heart, this is a basic revenge tale against a corrupt mega-corporation, The Thousand Likes Corporation (kind of like Facebook/Amazon) featuring a killer car race like DEATHRACE 2000 and MAD MAX, with a young rebellious female samurai trained by some kooky martial artists (the Sound and Fury brothers) and getting back at her cousins and uncles in the corporation who tore her family apart. And, it's not over at the last page. To be continued. Not sure I'll keep going, but this was a bit of fun. THREE STARS.
Mission Operative Code-Name: Space-Man, equipped in a highly sophisticated Marine-Astronaut reactive armor, sneaks aboard the International Space Station to download an illegal payload of information for an unknown party within the U.S. Government. After everything goes wrong, Space-Man is forced to engage in an orbital-skydive, crash-landing on Earth only to discover that he’s trapped on a world inhabited by people who have died from falling…
The beginnings of this graphic novel are very engaging and held my attention. This begins as a science-fiction outer space adventure and then morphs into an alternate world fantasy with elements of weird western before it morphs into something else after the midpoint. Amusing and entertaining, I'm in complete agreement with the opening paragraph of the Goodreads summary. This graphic novel reminds me of Rick Remender's FEAR AGENT in both tone (light-hearted, humorous) and appearance (similar art, action-oriented).
The second paragraph of the summary was a real head-scratcher for me:
Dealing heavily with the concepts of theology, death, and the after-life, This Is Where We Fall is an innovative new series . . . that hopes to ask complex questions on science, faith, and mankind’s need to believe in something greater than itself, as well as questioning what defines the fundamentals of the human spirit.
That paragraph suggesting that this graphic novel raises interesting questions about the afterlife and deals with metaphysical and theological subjects seems like over-reach, perhaps the hope of some over-zealous marketing person. I did not see a single one of those references within the story, so they must have been buried deep. Also, I consider this story pure entertainment and not once did reading this persuade me to contemplate any of those great questions.
Like all Z2 Comics, there is a tie-in to music. This time it's three songs performed by Mitski that can be scanned and listened to while reading. (I did not take advantage of this). Miskiewicz is a skilled writer, but if you're new to his work I recommend THOMAS ALSOP over this. THREE STARS.
HOLY DIVER serves as a modern morality play in such a way that it makes the reader pause and consider the meaning of what they just read. Steve Niles plays loose with the concept and turns religious provincialism on its' head, raising the question of which side is the correct side? I loved it for that reason.
While this is an effort to shed more meaning and insight into the classic rock song, it's a beautiful story to read. The illustrations are gorgeous and this serves as a brilliant showcase for the art of Scott Hampton, especially the full page panels that look like lush paintings.
I've read a few of the Z2 Comics graphic novel offerings recently, and this one is my favorite of the bunch. FOUR STARS.
In the future (2036) a comet hits the earth and blots out the sun. In a newly frozen world, this brings out hordes of long-dormant humanoid bat creatures to prey on the survivors. It’s a mix of science-fiction, fantasy and horror.
Based on the audio-book series (Audible) and scripted by the same creator, the comic follows the early days of Darcy, a vampire hunter and the struggles of a group of resistance fighters working to save humanity. Her devotion (as a trainee as well as emotionally) almost gets her killed as Darcy departs on her own to locate a missing comrade. Not all the vampires are monstrous in appearance, as she learns a heart-breaking lesson. I would definitely read more of this, and I’m curious about the audio series (but not subscribed to Audible). FOUR AND ONE-HALF STARS.
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