DEAD MEN TELL NO TALES #1
Written by Dwight MacPherson and Drawn by Mike Fiorentino and Fernando Acosta
Published by Arcana Studio

DEAD MEN is an interesting little book that adds another to the slowly growing number of pirate-centric comics on the market. Ostensibly, it branches off from established reality; we’re introduced to the wretchedly evil Captain William Kidd and learn a bit about what a true piece of shit he was. But it’s his first mate, Tobias Kibble, who finds the spotlight in DEAD MEN. Kibble discovers, amongst a pile of ill-gotten booty, a small silver box that will lead to his death… which is only the beginning of his story.

The book has only one real glaring flaw: there’s so much back-story to squeeze in to get the tale in motion, that it feels a bit exposition-heavy in places. However, that’s nicely offset by some terrific art from the two gentlemen who tackle the chores. As an indy effort, done in color, this is a fine, fine start to a series that has loads of potential for success in the horror genre. Grade: B+

MR. T #1
Written by Chris Bunting and Drawn by Neil Edwards and Randy Emberlin
Published by AP Comics

Boy, is this difficult to review. Look, on the one hand, I admire the spirit and the idea: bring some old-fashioned blaxploitation flava to comics. Groovy. There’s a new designer drug on the streets, kids are being hit by it really hard, and the last good man who really cares turns to an old protector to try and bring him back into the game. The old protector is wary, because he just got out of stir after being framed for a crime he didn’t commit. Ass-kicking is going to ensue.

And it works. It does. You put yourself into the frame of mind that you used to get when you’d turn on the late night movies as a kid, and the story, while not stunningly original, does a decent job of giving you the old 70s thrill. But there’s a massive problem that I just have a whole damned lot of trouble getting past: the character model for the old protector, a/k/a the guy whose name is also the title of the book.

For my entire life, Mr. T has meant one thing, and one thing only: cheese. Pure, unadulterated cheese. I found myself praying that I’d get to the final page and that the old protector would turn out to be Richard Rountree. But I wasn’t that lucky. Maybe for other readers, they won’t have that problem; God bless them. We all bring different baggage to the table, and this is mine. Grade: B-

SURROGATES #1 AND 2
Written by Robert Venditti and Drawn by Brett Weldele
Published by Top Shelf

I have a real soft spot for futuristic police procedurals and mysteries, so this book was right up my alley. In Venditti’s world, people rarely ever leave the house; instead, they download themselves into “surrogates” that allow them to look and act however they want in the safety of their own homes. No worries about dying in a car crash, or catching herpes, or getting fat, or aging; there’s absolute freedom in that sense. Of course, you run the risk of letting your real body go to Hell, and life ages you whether you go out into the sun or not.

However, not everyone approves of living life this way, and soon enough the police begin to be called in on a series of serial murders of the actual surrogates (not the operators). It seems someone is relishing destroying them and admonishing the operators to “live.”

Venditti’s world is intriguing and his concept a fascinating hybrid of life and virtual reality. I found myself sympathizing with both the victims and the killer in this one, which alone tells me how successful I think the book is. Weldele’s art gets a bit shaky here and there, but I never let it distract me from the story it was telling. Grade: A

WINGNUT AND FIDGET SPRING 2005 ONE-SHOT
Written and Drawn by Brian Clopper
Information Available From The Creator

This is a very cute little book. Wingnut is a wiseass bounty hunter out to catch the biggest scum in the galaxy, but more often than not finding himself in deep bleep. Indeed, it’s on one of those deep bleep occasions that he finds himself saddled with a new partner, the charmingly stupid Fidget; in order to avoid being fed to a giant monster, he takes on the boy as a way to pay off a debt.

Clopper finds ways to pay homage to STAR WARS and other classic sci-fi properties for solid laughs, but the book’s success hinges on his art. Fortunately, Clopper can draw up a storm, producing clean, simple work in a European style. WINGNUT AND FIDGET hasn’t found anything new under the sun, but it’s very nice to have another book that’s easy to pass on to a kid to enjoy. Grade: B

FAUX KISS
Written and Drawn by David Bessent
Information Available From The Creator

Yay! Mini-comics! David Bessent is apparently local to me, but this is my first exposure to his work. I hope it won’t be the last. KISS is, on the surface, a simple tale of boy meets girl. However, below the surface is a story about anticipation, desire, and the things we’ll do to make those feelings pay off.

What strikes you is how polished Bessent’s art looks, especially printed at mini-comic size. This is a relationship story, without a lot of physical movement, so you don’t get a good idea of his full capabilities, but what’s here is lovely and captures the emotion of the protagonists very well. He also handles the dialogue and the interplay between the characters with ease. This is someone who looks very ready to step up and play in the bigger arena. Grade: B+

BEOWULF #1
Written by Brian Augustyn and Drawn by Dub
Published by Speakeasy

This is the newest effort from fledgling Speakeasy Comics, and it’s also the best. No conceits, no hedging- this book features the Beowulf, now living in modern day New York City. He’s an immortal with a mission: to continue to fight the greatest battles against the greatest foes. Only now, rather than classic monsters, he’s taking on superhumans.

BEOWULF has a dandy kick of pop thrill to it. Augustyn is a veteran who knows his way around an adventure story, and Dub provides some gorgeous art, aided and abetted with lively and vibrant colors. I dug the basic pulp sensibility of Augustyn’s take on the character, and this was fun. Grade: A-

THE GRIMOIRE #1-2
Written by Sebastein Caisse and Drawn by Djief
Published by Speakeasy

A young girl heads on the run from her seemingly evil mother. Sounds pretty normal, right? Of course, it takes a slightly different turn when the girl and her mother are both witches, the girl is traveling with a talking raccoon that only she can understand, and she steals a book on the way that allows her to summon al manner of creatures to protect her on her journey.

Squarely aimed at the young girl demographic, this is a delightful tale that hits on most cylinders. Caisse’s script is elegant and spare, but the real star is Djief’s art. A marvelous blend of European, Asian, and modern American influences, this stuff sings. Grade: B+

ATOMIKA #1-2
Written by Andrew Dabb and Drawn (and Created by) Sal Abbinanti
Published by Speakeasy

The first Speakeasy book to hit the stands, and meant, I think, to be the flagship title, ATOMIKA turns out to be the weakest effort of the bunch. Set in an alternate 20th century where Russia became the dominant power due to its mythological gods becoming real forces, Atomika (the being) is indeed the greatest of the gods after he is created. Or something like that.

The problems start with the fact that the concept is not explained nearly as clear as it needs to be. Why exactly does the story require that Russia be the most dominant power and which creates Atomika? Where do the other Russian gods really fit in, besides in trying to keep Atomika below them? Why does Atomika himself appear to have exactly zero character? These are only some of the questions you’ll find yourself asking as you read these.

It does look very pretty, but right now, I’m waiting to see exactly what ATOMIKA is supposed to be about. And why. The answers are not contained within. Grade: C

ODDLY NORMAL #2
Written and Drawn by Otis Frampton
Published by Viper Comics

I enjoyed issue one of this charming little book, and issue two is even better. Oddly, transported away from our world, where she’s considered a freak and an outcast, is now in the faerie world… where she’s considered a freak and an outcast.

Frampton avoids giving Oddly an easy way out by making sure that her mixed parentage makes her life miserable no matter where she lives. That makes Oddly a perfectly relatable heroine, a true rarity in today’s comics. Between this and GRIMOIRE, it’s a damned good week for comics for girls. But don’t let than limit you: both books can appeal to readers of all ages and genders. Grade: B+

RANDOM ENCOUNTER #2
Written and Drawn by Nicc Balce
Published by Viper Comics

I wasn’t overly fond of issue on of this mini, though it was nicely drawn and passably entertaining. Too many references to the world of gaming got on my nerves and bogged down my ability to follow and enjoy the story. Issue two is a decent improvement, moving the gaming stuff a little further away from the foreground and concentrating on the plot itself: some sort of extra-dimensional invaders are on the loose, and our cast of young folk are doing their best not to get killed by the shadowy beasts. Then there’s also the matter of the young warrior heroine who appeared out of the blue to battle the nasties in issue one…

Balce’s art looks much sharper this time out, his Ameri-manga look seeming to possess a bit more depth of image. It’s either that, or the printing on issue one wasn’t as sharp as it should have been. Either way, my curiosity is re-aroused and I’m interested to see where this goes. Grade: B+

See you in seven.

Review materials may be sent to: Marc Mason, P.O. Box 26732, Tempe, AZ 85285. You can also find me at Happy Nonsense and The Comics Waiting Room

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