Recommendation: Kent State by Derf Backderf

Things have been very full-on at work recently, particularly as I have been redeployed to a covid vaccination team.  But, to keep my sanity, I've done two things: come off Facebook and I always try to find time to read, either on breaks, or at home. The escapism this allows me is a welcome relief from the stresses surrounding us all right now.

My most recent read was the Derf Backderf book, Kent State, which tells the true story of the killing of four unarmed students, by National Guardsmen, at Kent State University, Ohio on May 4th 1970. You may think that would be the last thing you'd want to read about, in a comic book, at this time but bear with me and I'll try and explain (spoiler light) why this is a book that you should have on your bookshelf.

I'd originally heard about Kent State when listening to The Awesome Comics Podcast and the guys recommended it.  That put the book on my to look into list, but when I heard the later interview with Derf, and the work he'd put into it, that's when Kent State became a must read.

For me it was one of those perfect books, within the first few pages I felt that I was in the 1970s Ohio that Derf had recreated.  The opening chapter recounts the authors own recollections of driving with his mom, past ranks of National Guard soldiers as they held back Ohio truck drivers union members from attacking "scab" drivers who were breaking a strike. This is followed by seeing a young Derf watching TV with his parents while Nixon broadcast to the nation informing them of the scaling up of the  Vietnam war.  This announcement was the spark that led to a lot of protests on university campuses all over America as it would mean a greater amount of young men being drafted into the army.

Kent State University became a focal point for the paranoia of government and local law enforcement thinking that radical and "commie" students were rife within the university and its community.  This led to the deployment of a very tired, nervous and highly strung National Guard Unit to the university.  The rest of the book describes the following days leading up to the fateful day and introduces us to the soon to be victim's.

What Derf does here is build the tension beautifully and gives us an insight into the minds of both the students and the National Guardsmen.  He has done a great amount of research and spoken with the relatives and friends of those involved.  The book has no bias but just relays the facts of the awful event.  

I'm always a sucker for black and white art as I feel it can convey so much more emotion than when colour is used, it draws me into the story every time. Derfs art certainly does that here with brilliant detail in every panel, even the dandelions in grass verges are faithfully recreated.  I'm not normally a fan of info dumps or prose in my comic books but the style in which Derf presents the information needed here to keep the story concise is perfectly done so as not to lose the readers interest, or the flow of the book.  

When it came to the day of the shootings I actually held off reading, as I had gotten so involved in the lives of the soon to be victims. But read on I did and it was horrible to see and read about the deaths of those caught in the path of the rounds fired by the National Guardsmen.  But Derf handled the moments with both the reality and respect the killings deserved. The book ends with sources cited and more background information for each day covered in the book.

We are 50 years on from the events in Kent State and yet, in many ways it seems that nothing changes, there are still lessons to be learned from this awful event.  This is simply one of the best graphic novels I've read, no supes, no caped crusaders just real and tragic events brilliantly brought to life.  If this book doesn't win awards it'll be a travesty, a real must read!

New Year - New Recommendations

Happy new comic reading year! Following the excitement of the first Christmas for our baby, I found a quiet moment to finally read my copy of issue #4 of The77.  I went for the Kickstarter of the excellent Lew Stringer variant cover, I'm sure there are some very happy creators seeing their characters Immortalised by Lew.

Inside, the usual quality we have come to know and love, each story coming in like a heavyweight boxer in a title fight.  Bounty on the Mutie, Penny Pentagram and Prodigal finding distance, warming us up.  Trackless Depths, The Cell and V bringing the fight to us, unleashing a salvo of hard hitting writing and art punches.

Undertow itself was a lesson in fighting techniques, some superb fight scenes brilliantly drawn.  Division 77 and Sgt Shouty put us on the ropes and then left it to Andrew Sawyers Valkyr13 pin up (pictured above) to deliver the knockout punch.  It's no secret that I'm a fan of The77 and my own story Project Revenant will be coming up later this year, but this is an awesome issue!  If you've not already got yours, what are you waiting for?

Buy issue #4 and back issues here: https://the77comic.bigcartel.com/

I was kindly given an advanced copy of Sentinel issue six "Bad Kitty" by writer Alan Holloway a couple of days ago, he told me that it was a fun issue and it certainly is.  The hero of the story Carlos Harrison, a criminal in the style of The Stainless Steel Rat who we meet while in the middle of a heist in a luxury hotel.  I don't want to give too much away here because part of the fun I had with the book was not having a clue what was ahead of me.  Art and lettering is by Morgan Gleave who some may know from his work in The77.  What a great job he does too, his art style was a perfect fit for this story. Check out this exclusive video!

Bad Kitty is a really fun romp with lots of nods to 2000AD and cartoon animals that you'll recognise but they don't pull you out of the story.  If you are looking for some silly escapism, that puts a smile on your face during these difficult times, then I can highly recommend Bad Kitty.  The Kickstarter begins on February 1st - look out for a cracking variant cover by Mal Earl there too.

Finally I also got around to reading my copy of Atomic Hercules goes Commando, which had been sitting in my inbox for a while.  What I love about the Atomic Herc series isn't just the sheer filth and depravity or the ultra violent characters, that's just one layer of the stories.  For me the stories also depict so many of my frustrations at the world and Hercules is the avatar that takes them on.  For instance a preening self obsessed social media addicted, all mouth warrior gets what he deserves when he crosses Herc.  

Tony Esmond and Adam Falp have created such a brilliant character and world that he inhabits here.  It's also obvious they are enjoying what they are doing too, playing about with formats, like this being in the style of a Commando comic keeps it fresh.  I'm looking forward to more.

Buy your copy here: https://neverironanything.bigcartel.com/products?page=1

Recommendations: America Lost and Found, Outer Darkness amd Dracula

It's been a while since my last blog, I've really missed writing it but that's what having a baby in a pandemic while working frontline for, an under siege NHS gets you.  I thought that I'd return to it with some recommendations of comics I've read recently, some of them Christmas gifts, some new, some old.

First up an indie comic I heard about on The Awesome Comics Podcast (ACP).  I'm a lover of anything Dracula or vampire related so when I heard of this comic I had to get it.  It's called "Matt Simmons presents: Farran Jones’ Bram Stoker’s DRACULA". The premise is that Matt has transcribed a conversation with his mate while sat in the pub, his friend Farran is describing Bram Stokers original Dracula.  He's then gone away and turned it into a comic and what a comic it is.  It's printed on three sheets of A3 glued together by hand, folded and put inside a handwritten ripped envelope. You read it from top to bottom like a scroll.

The presentation is just brilliant and so original, thankfully the content is just as awesome.  Matts friends description of Dracula teamed up with Matts, deceptively simple artwork and clever layout is genius.  It takes a lot for a comic to make me laugh out loud but this did many times.  Happily it looks like there's more to come too, I really can't wait.

Secondly "Outer Darkness book one", which was gifted to me at Christmas.  I love it when I pick up a comic, novel or watch a TV series and feel part of that world right away and Outer Darkness did that for me.  The writing of John Layman Is just superb and it is equally well complimented by the art of Afu Chan.  Right away I felt at home with the characters and premise of the story, there are obvious parallels with Star Trek here but this crew is the most dysfunctional you'll ever meet. Most of the crew hate the new Captain particularly his First Officer who definitely has homicidal thoughts about him.  

There is so much going on in the universe that these characters live in but the excellent writing means the reader isn't bombarded with exposition, it just unfolds effortlessly. I hope my April birthday brings me book two to get stuck into.

Finally, a modern classic that no 2000AD or, for that matter, any comic fan can be without America by John Wagner and Colin Macneil. In this case it's "America Lost and Found", a release containing the rediscovered scripts from John Wagner.  There is a nice foreword from Garth Ennis who reveals what an influential force John Wagner was on his development as a writer. This is followed by another foreword from the man himself talking a little about how America came about and how some of the scripts were lost. 

The first half of the book contains the scripts and the second half the finished article, showcasing Colin Macneils beautiful artwork.  This allows you to compare the script with the actual strips and see how Macneil interpreted JWs words, but it can be a bit of a pain flicking back and forth.  However, this is easily remedied by reading along with one of the other multitude of America releases that you probably have in your collection.

Recommendations: Cannibal XXX, Murder, Kazana the Slayer and Vyper

Three quick recommendations from my weekends reading and one new Kickstarter, it's a mixed bag of styles and genres that's for sure.

First up is Cannibal XXX, by Paul PJ Johnson this is certainly the most NSFW comic I've read in a while and certainly not one to leave out for your kids, but it is a brilliant read.  The premise is that a director of porn films, who is also married to the worlds best porn star, wants to create a porno masterpiece.  He recruits some of the brightest and best talent in the industry and finds a deserted island to film on, not realising that it is, in fact, inhabited by the titular cannibals.  

It goes without saying there is graphic sex and cannibalism throughout the comic but it's not all about shock and gore.  Paul has a brilliant fast paced cinematic feel to his writing, bringing these characters to life without making them two dimensional. If you've ever heard the documentaries by John Ronson about the porn industry, you'll know how deep and dark that particular rabbit warren goes and how nearly everyone involved is scarred in some way physically or mentally, many using drugs just to get through the day. This aspect of the characters isn't overlooked, which gives them a depth that I didn't honestly expect to find here.

If you have a strong stomach, a love of the VHS horror films of the 80s and just bloody good comics you will love this, I'm so glad that I listened to Damian Edwardsons Omen to That podcast and found out about Paul's work.  I can't wait for episode 2, but in the meantime Paul has a catalogue of other titles such as Razor Bastard that I intend to check out.  You can get a copy by DM'ing Paul via Facebook messenger.

Murder by John tucker is a small A6 piece of perfection containing two short stories Narrowing and Poseidon.  John was Influenced by the small one and done independent zines he encountered as a student so wanted to create a love letter to those with Murder.  

If you've not read any John Tucker before you can catch up with his entire back catalogue, digitally, for just a fiver. His stories have a surreal edge and are always written with a great ear for day to day language.  

Murder Volume 1 was a limited edition print run with no reprints but keep your eyes open for volume 2 in the future. Be quick though it's just a one week Kickstarter.

Finally on my read pile was Kazana The Slayer which is Sentinel issue 5, I got a sneak peek from Alan and Ed.  As you might guess from the title it's a Conan the Barbarian style tale where we find our Hero, a wondering swordsman, comes to the aid of a village under attack by an evil overlord.  The fully painted story was originally created by Sentinel artist Ed Doyle sixteen years ago. He has gone back and worked on some of the art while writer Alan Holloway has reworked the original story.

It's a satisfying read that doesn't ask a lot of the reader but to sit back and enjoy the ride.  It has undead, skeletal warriors and a heroic muscular man wielding a sword smiting all before him.  What more could you ask for? The Kickstarter starts tomorrow, Tue 10th November.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/sentinelcomic/sentinel-issue-5-kazana-the-slayer

My final recommendation is for another Kickstarter, that has already smashed its funding goal it's Vyper. a homage to the action films and TV series we loved in the 80s like Airwolf, Streethawk, Commando.  Full of fast cars, guns and hot women - just like the life we all lead, I'm sure. https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/377292064/vyper-0?ref=nav_search&result=project&term=Vyper

Review: SHIFT

It cannot be denied, 2020 has been a bit of an all round shit show what with global pandemics, lockdowns and the like.  But one spark in the darkness, for us comic fans, has been the wealth of great new indie titles we've had to help us through the rough times. Such as the homage to Starblazer, The Sentinel and Pat Mills (all hail his name) brought us the highly anticipated Spacewarp. While The77 smashed onto the scene bringing with it a wealth of new art and writing talent.

Joining this lineup comes SHIFT, another British anthology comic but as Spacewarp is different to The77 SHIFT is different to them both.  The comic weighs in at a hefty 100 pages and is brought to us by the distributor and publisher GetMyComics. The comic contains a mix of ongoing strips and one and done stories along with articles, creator profiles and interviews.  The interviews and articles come from the team behind the Comic Scene magazine which sadly fell victim to the Lockdown.

SHIFT opens with 'To the Death' by Transformers writer Simon Furman and Geoff Senior, who also draws the cover art, a future war story with full on muscle bound action heroes and huge guns a plenty. This is a strip that wouldn't feel out of place in 2000AD, where Geoff Senior has been an art droid previously.  It's a strip that has been released previously but if it's your first time of reading, it's an action packed treat with a more adult tone.

Another 2000AD droid, Steve Yowell, is on art duties for the next strip 'Foot Soldiers' written by Jim Krueger. Robot overlords rule a dystopian future and it's up to a gang of delinquents to take them on, using equipment from superheroes killed by the robots. I liked the less than typical superpowers the heroes of the story discover and use here.  Coincidentally, I assume, one of the teen heroes looks like a young version of Steve Yowells Zenith.

The titular character of 'Kora' crash lands her craft and has to survive what the planet has to throw at her.  Written and drawn by Chris Geary, he pulls us into the tale with great sequential storytelling and no dialogue.

'Soulwind' is an Eisner winning adventure strip which begins with a very distinctive oriental look, about a boy tutored by monks in remote temple. But then an event happens that changes everything for the boy and for the reader as the art style changes dramatically too. A very interesting start to what promises to be an epic tale.

'Tiny Acts of Violence' is probably my favourite strip here, set in 1968 East Berlin, it is dark and full of tension drawing the reader into the lives of those wanting to escape the restrictions and violence of the East.  Martin Stiffs design here is very strong giving the reader great depth and variety.  He mixes in a folklore tale of two boys into a story of defection and intrigue, complex storytelling done to perfection.

If you like to use your tech then 'Shifter' could be for you, or a great way to introduce your kids to a comic. Simply download an app and use it when reading the comic for the augmented reality embeded in parts of the story to  come to life.  Perfect in a story where people can turn into creatures both real and imagined. 

Finally 'Hungerville' a very satisfying one and done strip from a personal favourite creator of mine Warick Fraser- Coombe, the creator of body horror Skullfucker. A relentless robot debt collector has come to make a collection from a debtor who has taken refuge in an isolated town, Hungerville, we soon discover there is good reason the town is isolated. Stunning use of colours and brilliant imagery throughout this one.

I really enjoyed reading SHIFT, it has a great indie feel to it, but not so much as to make it inaccessible to someone who is used to more mainstream comics.   For someone like me, who fell away from comics for a long period of time, it's great to be able to catch up with previously released titles in this format. However, the fact that all but one of the strips has been released before may be off putting to some of the potential audience for the comic. 

That said, SHIFT is great value for money at £6.99 for 90+ pages and will be available to buy online and from comic retailers every 6 weeks.  This accessibility, to another excellent British anthology comic, will hopefully mean that it can reach a new audience, drawing them in, to the world of comics. That can never be a bad thing!

Buy SHIFT here: https://getmycomics.com/SHIFT

Review: The77 Issue #3

I got my issue #3 of The77 through the door today, so here's a quick spoiler free run through of the stories.

The issue I got came with a great cover by Ade Hughes featuring the characters from 'V', which is the opening story to this issue.  There is also a beautiful variant cover by 2000AD droid Paul Williams. 'V' part 3 Created by Steve Bull and Ade Hughes (SpaceWarp) both expands the world our heroine Anat now finds herself in and adds another layer of intrigue.  Who are her rescuers and what is their 'tech'?

'GRID' Introduces us to a top assassin who just wants a quiet drink Created by Dave Heeley and Neil Sims.  I'm looking forward to seeing where this goes, Neil sims art complimenting Dave Heeleys script perfectly. 

'The Screaming Hand' The third instalment by Kek-W (2000AD: Deadworld, Fall of Deadworld) and Conor Boyle (Hook Jaw)  I think this has been my favourite episode of the story so far, lots of action and lovely artwork from Conor Boyle.  Definitely one for a read through when the series ends.  Wouldn't be out of place in 2000AD.

'The Cell' part 2 by Bambos Georgiou (The Real Ghostbusters, ACES weekly) and Andrew Sawyers. Andrew, like Neil Sims, has been a real breakthrough star of The77 his art here has amazing energy and use of colour. The story from Bambos gives us a look at a very violent,  dystopian future. It's probably my age but I will have to go back and read issue 2 as I'm a bit lost as to what's going on in the story.

'Trackless Depths' part 1/3 Strange things are stirring in the water around a Victorian Clipper. Created by Dave Bedford (Trompe la Morte ) and Ben Macleod (2000AD).  This story has so many elements I love.  Some very nice greyscale artwork which only adds to Dave Bedfords excellent atmospheric script, I just wanted the story to continue! Look out for a great cameo appearance from a certain shark fisherman too.

'Matilda Atkins and the Amulet Of Destiny' created by Michael Powell (The Last Man The77 #1) and Sarah 'Milmo' Millman (Speed Demons - Rebellion's Tammy & Jinty) This is a nice one and done story that I wouldn't say is aimed at me.  But it would be a perfect story for younger comic lovers or anyone who feels out of place in the world. I know Sarah Millmans work from her indie comic series NPC Tea, her clean lined style and great use of colour is perfect for this tale. 

'Division '77' part 3 - Created by Dave Heeley and Sinclair Elliott the future war fan favourite story continues. Could there be mutiny in the ranks? Some nice story building without losing the action we love.  This is followed with a Division 77 pin-up page from Andrew Sawyers.

'SGT Shouty of the Moon Force!' In space everyone can hear him shout'! Created by Lew Stringer (BEANO, Combat Colin, Brickman, Oink!)  Well this is always a one page delight that always takes me right back to my days of reading the Beano. We get some background on the Sarge and his nemesis here, I enjoyed Lews artists impression of a previous event in the story. 

'Forgotten Reality' Created by Anna Everts and Phil Elliott a one off story that in other, lesser, anthology comics might be called a future shock, so no spoilers here.

'Undertow' Created by Joe and Jeremy Dunn.  In my review of episode one of this story I said that I was left underwhelmed.  I was promised that episode two would alter my opinion and yes the guys have followed through on their promise. I really enjoyed part two as our hero heads off on a quest that leaves us with trouble brewing.

'Gut Crawlers' part 2 Essential workers doing the Galaxy's dirtiest job. Created by Dan Whitehead and Paul Williams. Illustrations for part 2 have been taken over by Filippo Roncone and a cracking job he does too.  This conclusion to the story gives us a little more insight into the newest crew member and how she came to be working with the gut crawlers, leaving it open for development. 

'Martian Law' Created by Brendan Wright.  I really wasn't a fan of episode one of this story but I have to admit it's growing on me now.  Brendan's art is colourful and full of energy bringing life to the crazy Martian world he has created.

'Skate Worm' in 'The Frack off !' by Conan. Art by Morgan Gleave.  Another outing for the rebellious worm with attitude as he saves his skate park from destruction.  For me the line work on Morgans artwork came across as a little heavy and lost some definition on the characters. Possibly something to do with reproduction?

'Penny Pentagram' part 3 London's grooviest Paranormal detective by David Thomas (WP Comics, Night Hunters, Avatara) and Jon Roydon (The Lost Graveyard). I'm really trying to like this Buffy-esque character but sadly the story just doesn't do anything for me. But that's an anthology comic for you, not everything is going to hit home for everyone.

This issues Standouts, for me, were Trackless Depths and The Screaming Hand I was really pleased that the Undertow guys lived up to their promise of more to come too.

If this is your first dip into the world of The77 and you enjoyed it I'd definitely recommend grabbing the first two issues while you can. 

Review: Rok, Killing Moon, Knockout & Tigerstyle

With work commitments ramping up, as we prepare for Covid Strikes Back (I work in a hospital), and having a 6 month old baby my free time has been in short supply of late.  But I've tried to cram in some reading whenever I can.  In the spirit of my reading here are a few whirlwind reviews of what has been in my hands recently.

Firstly Rok The God, what can I add that hasn't already been said about this one, not much I guess, but here goes anyway.  If I'm honest, I only bought Rok of the Reds to placate my guilt at asking John Wagner to sign so many things when I met him at ICE Birmingham.  

Now, if like me, you think a football comic isn't for you then think again.  I'm not a massive sportball fan but I loved Rok of the Reds and that feeling carried on here too.  John Wagner and Alan Grant give us a brilliant story as you might expect from two such experienced writers.  Sci-fi, action, humour, football it has the lot wrapped up in a script that shows these two have not lost their edge and are obviously enjoying working on this creator owned project.  Showing how an "all ages" comic should be done.

Dan Cornwell is a favourite artist of mine I have a great Hammerstein and a beautiful commission of John Wick, gifted to me by my wife, hanging in our house.  Again he's given his all for Rok.  As you might expect, we get some stunning splash pages but I enjoy the minutiae he crams into his panels. Look in the background of pictures for the hidden details and Easter eggs.  

Verdict: Comic perfection, peerless writing and an artist at the top of his game. A book that welcomes you in on the first page and keeps you entertained to the last. 5 out of 5

Next up Killing Moon from the guys at Pigdog Press, written by Chris Denton, art by Neil Bhuna Roche and colours from Darren Stephens I've played a bit of DnD in the past and some parts of this swords and sorcery story reminded me of campaigns played with friends. The mix of assassin, sorcerer and grizzled fighter make for a great ensemble cast who bounce off each other.  What is also nice is the humour that runs through the book, not enough to distract from the story but perfectly balanced with the darker elements.

I liked the addition of the history of Killing Moon along with an original black and white strip, as much as I loved the colour work by Darren I'd like to see the modern KM in black and white too. We are also rewarded with an awesome Killing Moon gallery, with contributions from artists such as Matt Soffe and 2000ADs newest Dredd artist Steven Austin.

Verdict: I backed the Kickstarter for a digital copy but I'm betting this looks even better in the flesh. Great, stories and characters but also brilliant value for money. 4 out of 5

Finally Knockout and Tigerstyle, written by Fraser Campbell and art by Adam Falp.  This is a love letter to the bronze age of all-action pulp comics.  I've previously enjoyed Adam's work on the excellent, Atomic Hercules comics. They were never short of action but Fraser has given him a workout here with a script that sees every page filled with some top drawer stuff.

The story sees Knockout, a former boxer with a right hook that can put holes in walls, team up with Tigerstyle a martial arts master streetfighter, to takedown Harlems underground fight scene. I won't say more as I don't want to give any spoilers but you are in for a treat if this is your style of comic.

Verdict: I just love the energy of this comic, I've not really read much bronze age stuff but I'm going to try and find some now. 5 out of 5

All in all some great reading, check them out if you can.