Category: Paper Cuts

Paper Cuts: 10/21/16

If there was an Eisner for Best Week of Comics, this one would have to be nominated.

Die Kitty Die #1 (Astro Comix / Chapter House)

The sign of good story tell can be when you are reading a first issue but you feel like you have known this character your whole life.

Die Kitty Die is the creation of two classic Archie creators who have an undeniable chemistry as a creative team.

The art in this book is simply incredible. The book opens with a classic “throwback” style of art that resembles Archie comics of the 1960’s. Here we are introduced to Kitty as a character. The artwork in this section – paired with the editor’s note – really makes you think you are reading a re-print, and it is delightful.

From that intro, we fast-forward and find ourselves with modern day Kitty, complete with art reminiscent of the Life with Archie or Predator vs Archie series; no surprise considering both creators worked at Archie during that time.

Oh, and there is a beautiful two-page spread from J Bone in the middle of this issue and it is simply stunning.

The colors are bright and vibrant and it matches the story telling. We meet Kitty, a semi-forgotten comic character who also happens to be a real life witch. The story is accessible to anyone and is not shy about taking a couple jabs at the current state of comics.

This book was just so much fun and full of energy that I implore everyone to check out the creators’ Kickstarter happening right now.

Ratings: 5 out of 5

Lord of Gore #1 (Devil’s Due)

The worst part about this book is having to wait until 2017 when the next issue comes out.

The art here is pretty good. Daniel Leister definitely has an affinity towards Howard Chaykin and it comes through in the best possible way.

This was a fantastic first issue and really set up the world. After reading the Lord of Gore background story in it, I was not too sure that this was not a real life horror franchise.

This is a fantastic tale of real life Hollywood and life of stars on the horror convention circuit. If there ever was a perfect book for Horror-Writers, it is this book.

Ratings: 4.5 out of 5

Spell on Wheels #1 (Darkhorse)

There have been many books and movies that have been trying to capture the same type of fun and coolness of the movie, The Craft. Spell on Wheels finally is a worthy successor and really captures some of the same magic.

Artist Megan Levens delivers some wonderful art. Her character design is fantastic. Her cartooning style mixed with real-life-figure-proportions really grounds the book; no small feat, considering it is about witches with fantastical powers.

Writer Kate Leth really crafts a compelling first issue that deals with some real life fears that many women face, but still manages to keep the story light and not bogged down.

The creative team here is worthy of high praise for delivering a story of believable women in a fun road trip that really has some heart.

Ratings: 4.5 out of 5

Tags Astro Comix, Chapter House, comics, Darkhorse, Devil's Due, Die Kitty Die, Lord of Gore, Paper Cuts, Reviews, Spell on Wheels

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Paper Cuts: 10/7/16

BIG WEEK OF COMICS!

But before we dive in, just a quick plug. Last year after moving to the burbs, I was not ready with enough Halloween candy for all the kids in the neighborhood. When I ran out in less than an hour, I did some quick thinking and grabbed a long box and started giving out some comics. It was a hit of the neighborhood. I will be doing the same this year. If you would like to do the same and do not have any comics to give away, check out your local comic shop. They are selling 25 mini comic packs for $5 each. Check them out here: http://www.halloweencomicfest.com/Catalog Order a couple and give them out!

Grimm Tales of Terror Vol 2. #13 (Zenescope)

Skip this comic and watch Tales from the Darkside: The Movie or Scarewaves. Both tell nearly the same exact story of artist-meets-demon-must-feed-demon-for-great-art.

Ratings: 1 out of 5

Zombie Tramp Halloween Special (2016) (Action Lab)

Straight cheesecake. If you miss 90’s anatomical drawing and dialogue, this book is for you. The most memorable moment comes from when Zombie Tramp tells a little girl that her butt is not big enough to be Vamp Blade. Cringe.

Ratings: 1 out of 5

Chronicles of Terror #1 (WP Comics)

A new online quarterly horror anthology series. This issue is all over the place. It has some highs and has some lows. There are a more than a couple stories with too many text boxes and some very poor lettering. However, you’re paying $5 for 142 pages and the artwork in a couple of these stories may make this worth your time. I personally enjoyed the art from Dann Franco in “Shots Between Fangs” and Luciano Fleitas in “Down to the Woods.”

Ratings: 2 out of 5

Deadman: Dark Mansion of Forbidden Love #1 (DC)

There is nothing earth-shattering about this book, but it really is different than every other book DC Comics is putting out. Whether you are a fan of the old DC prestige comics or the vertigo heroes, this book hits all the right marks.

This is the story of Deadman and it is not your traditional hero story. Instead of saving the earth from aliens in the sky, you get Deadman in a story of love, heartbreak, and ghostly mystery.

I enjoy my caped stories, but this was really wonderful.

Ratings: 4 out of 5

Cannibal #1 (Image)

If you mix iZombie and Southern Bastards, you get Cannibal #1. Art feels very Jason LaTour, but Bergara is not as polished. It is well written and interesting enough.

Ratings: 2.5 out of 5

B & V Friends Comics Double Digest #251 (Archie)

Another week. Another Archie Halloween Special. This one centers around the adventures of Betty and Veronica.

There are plenty of tales in this one, but the interesting thing to see in this one was the small art changes it made in each story. Where the Archie stories from last week had very similar art throughout the entire book, this one had some changes while keeping that Archie feel.

The stories are filled with some all ages fun with jokes for kids and adults.

I really thought last week might have been a fluke or I was in the mood for something light hearted, but after this week, these Archie Halloween specials deserve to be any comic collection.

Ratings: 4 out of 5

Tags Archie, Cannibal, Chronicles of Terror, comics, Deadman, Grimm Tales of Terror, Paper Cuts, Zombie Tramp

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Paper Cuts: 9/30/16

I apologize Paper Cuts fans! We just got busy over here at Paper Cuts Central. So busy that we are reviewing a couple comics for all ages from last week to get you in the Halloween Spirit! You can still always pick these up from your local comic shop or digitally over on Comixology.

The Simpsons’ Treehouse of Horror #22 (Bongo)

There is a very easy way to describe this book. Simpsons parody X. Repeat. In this anthology the Simpsons parody Ghostbusters, X-Files, Vampires and Looney Tunes.

Truthfully, there is nothing wrong with this comic. If you are a fan of the show, there may be some extra enjoyment, but as just a comics fan and occasional Simpsons viewer, this issue just felt a little flat. There was nothing especially clever about the jokes and the art is exactly what you would expect.

Ratings: 2 out 5

Adventure Time: 2016 Spooktacular #1 (Kaboom)

One of the best things about the Adventure Time show is that it strikes a nerve for children and adults for enjoyment.

I was pleasantly surprised that tone carried over into this Halloween special.

Kids who read this book will see some of their favorite characters and the bright colors and different art is sure to keep them entertained while diving through.

Upon a bit deeper reading though, you realize the very cute character of Gunter is put in some very strange and overall creepy tales. Also, art fans will enjoy the changing art styles throughout each story. It gives the overall comic the feel of a horror anthology movie that is enjoyable to see what each creator can do in a short time.

Ratings: 3.5 out of 5

Archie Comics Double Digest #272 (Archie)

It is hard to put my finger on what was so enjoyable about this book, but I’d try to say that this book had the same type of charm that the original Muppets TV show had.

The classic Archie style of art certainly grabs younger readers, but also gives the adult readers that nostalgic feeling of Sunday morning comics and standing in line at the grocery store.

Where Treehouse of Horror relied too heavily on its built-in fan base, Archie has a lot of laugh out loud jokes and clever nods that kept me engaged with each anthology story, despite the similar art running throughout.

As far as Halloween classics go, this is certainly one you want to keep around for yearly holiday read.

Ratings: 4 out of 5

Tags Archie, comics, Paper Cuts, Simpsons

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Paper Cuts: 9/16/16

This past weekend was Cincy Comic Con, which is a great convention if you ever find yourself in the Midwest. It is the one show which gives you very easy access to creators not just to sign books, but to ask questions and have a conversation.

On top of my normal duties of podcast bumps and creator interviews, I had the time to sit down and really talk with some smaller publishers who came out to the show. I had a great conversation with the guys over at Broken Icon Press.

No matter how great they seemed after our conversation, a great conversation does not always mean great comic books. I had planned on highlighting a couple of the indie publishers this week, but **spoiler** I was so blown away with Frank #1 that, without much thought, I realized this was the only book I really wanted to talk about.

Frank #1 (Broken Icon)

You can’t teach an old dog, new tricks. Well in the case of Frank #1, you can teach an old zombie some new tricks.

The zombie genre has gone beyond the point of saturation and seems to be on the decline.

That is not to say The Walking Dead is not as popular as it once was, but the constant bombardment of zombie stories across comics and most media, is beginning to get tired and worn out.

Occasionally, something new and interesting has come along. The New Deadwardians was an interesting take by placing zombies and vampires into separate classes and throwing them into Victorian England. Even Action Lab’s Ghoul Scouts felt fresh because it was a toned down, PG-rated version of kids dealing with zombies. I am happy to put Frank by Broken Icon into taking that genre and turning it on its head.

We meet the titular character, he is not only a brainless zombie, but also as a ghost who haunts himself. The only problem is that the ghost side of Frank is not mindless like his undead counterpart, but instead a fully functioning, speaking ghost. Ghost Frank has to learn to control his zombie counterpart and figure out why Ghost Frank still remains on this plane of existence.

When we first meet Frank the ghost, we as an audience begin to feel a bit sympathetic towards our hero, but as the issue goes on, we realize that Frank is not a sad sack, but a more layered character.

We have a great premise and great character development, but we do not get there without some top notch dialogue. Many true indie books that I have read get bogged down in explanation and text boxes. Not here. Writer Eric Watkins belongs in the conversation with any larger company stable of writers.

The art by Todd Beistel is great as well. It certainly has the feel of an independent comic with heavy blacks and lots of scratchiness to the art. That is not necessarily a bad thing. If you look at any issue of The Walking Dead, it still has the very same feel throughout the entire series.

Ratings: 5 out of 5

Do yourself a favor and head over to Broken Icon Comics for Frank #1. $2.00 for a digital version or $10 for a hard copy with an original sketch on every copy.

Tags Broken Icon Comics, comics, Frank, Paper Cuts

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Paper Cuts: 9/8/16

It’s back to school week for a lot of folks out there. It’s the start of a new school year for some, but us over here at Paper Cuts HQ, it is a new week of comics. And three #1 issues to start this year off on the right…

Eclipse #1 (Image / Top Cow)

Imagine a world where being in the sun for even a moment would kill you. There is no trade off where you get to live forever or fly in the night sky. Just a normal human, being forced to live your life underground, except for the ICEMEN who wear a sophisticated suit to help them navigate the new landscape.

World building is always fun and if a number #1 issue is done right, the creators will give you just enough rules to understand, but will also leave you with questions. Zach Kaplan does an excellent job of building the world with his cast of characters and very little text boxes. In a single issue, he delivers a large cast of memorable characters, builds out a world and weaves a tale of mystery and murder.

At first glance, I thought the overall art to be a bit too bright overall and almost exhausting with the constant brightness of it all, but after sitting down and looking it back over, I believe that is what they were very subtlety building. Brightness in the night, brightness underground, and just a constant bombardment of light. Really effective story telling told through color and dialogue.

Ratings: 4 out of 5

The Great Divide #1 (Dynamite)

Infectious disease horror is an oft forgotten form of horror outside the zombie genre. When we look at our real lives with diseases like Ebola and Zika, it terrifies everyone and can cause an immediate state of panic. With basically one text box, Ben Fisher sets up a paradigm in a world where humans can no longer touch one another without immediately causing death due to a disease that nearly wiped out the human race and makes it impossible to reproduce. This book may share some similar tones and themes of “Y: The Last Man,” but that is not a bad thing.

Now do not get me wrong, I am not going to put The Great Divide next to Y: The Last Man, but it was solid story telling with enough world building and plot to keep me interested.

Dynamite as a company has traditionally focused on writers and the art has suffered because of it. Therefore, I was pleasantly surprised to see that the art provided by Adam Markiewicz was better than lot of other books I reviewed for this column. The style reminded me of Mike Henderson, who is currently working on Paper Cuts’ favorite, Nailbiter.

Ratings: 3.5 out of 5

Glitterbomb #1 (Image)

The solicit promised “terror in the water” and although it loosely delivered, that was not the main focus on this #1. A washed up, aging, down-on-her-luck actress is looking for a miracle and becomes possessed with an uncontrollable “thing” that emerges from the water.

Although I usually like to rate the comics strictly on storytelling and art, but this was a nice bounce back for creator Jim Zub. Zub may be known for his sword and sorcery writing; his work on horror-fantasy mashup of Wayward has been very enjoyable. However, his work over at Marvel left me feeling flat, so I was happy to see him come back to something where he can stretch his creativity.

Ratings: 3 out of 5

Tags comics, Dynamite, Eclipse, Glitterbomb, Great Divide, Image, Paper Cuts