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News"},"link":[{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#feed","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.panelpatter.com\/feeds\/posts\/default"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8675936740079831063\/posts\/default?alt=json-in-script\u0026orderby=published"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.panelpatter.com\/"},{"rel":"hub","href":"http://pubsubhubbub.appspot.com/"},{"rel":"next","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8675936740079831063\/posts\/default?alt=json-in-script\u0026start-index=26\u0026max-results=25\u0026orderby=published"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Unknown"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"16","height":"16","src":"https:\/\/img1.blogblog.com\/img\/b16-rounded.gif"}}],"generator":{"version":"7.00","uri":"http://www.blogger.com","$t":"Blogger"},"openSearch$totalResults":{"$t":"3072"},"openSearch$startIndex":{"$t":"1"},"openSearch$itemsPerPage":{"$t":"25"},"entry":[{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8675936740079831063.post-7600225905210096792"},"published":{"$t":"2021-04-14T08:30:00.001-04:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2021-04-14T08:30:00.219-04:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"bastien vives"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"fantagraphics"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"florent ruppert"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"isabelle merlet"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"jerome mulot"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"montana kane"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"quick hits"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"scc"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Quick Hit: The Grande Odalisque"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cp style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"1670\" data-original-width=\"1280\" height=\"400\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-8Udx8hINo3U\/YHC5wi_RiQI\/AAAAAAAACGI\/BKvNDIBgyR0cZQiqQRmwahuyVB8aFwNqQCLcBGAsYHQ\/w306-h400\/The%252BGrand%252BOdalisque%252BGraphic%252BNovel.jpg\" width=\"306\" \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003EManufacturing a successful heist is a common story trope seen many times over in film and trade paperback. These are stories of a person \u003Ci\u003EA\u003C\/i\u003E meeting a person \u003Ci\u003EB\u003C\/i\u003E, and so on,\u0026nbsp;in order to assemble a Team so that they are able to steal object \u003Ci\u003EC\u003C\/i\u003E; narrative structure we are all quite familiar. People's names have become normalized through this genre. Franchises have literally been built on it. There is reason for our desire to tell stories as these. They are action-packed, they are high-stakes, and there isn't any reason to expect much less from a narrative design combining cat burglar with Thelma \u0026amp; Louise. Heist tales always manage to have a specific purpose keeping you perched to the edge of your seat. \u003Cb\u003EThe Grande Odalisque\u003C\/b\u003E, published by\u0026nbsp;\u003Cb\u003EFantagraphics Books\u003C\/b\u003E\u0026nbsp;this past February, is no different.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Ca name='more'\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003EThe solicitation pulled from the website speaks for itself as it introduces characters, Alex, Carole, Clarence and Sam, while gently hooking reader without spoiling the atmospheric joyous and sarcastically sexy tone of the book. I am serious when I say that \u003Cb\u003EThe Grande Odalisque \u003C\/b\u003Euses all of the genre expectations of a heist and turns them up higher than Seth Rogen on the cover of the British GQ. (And, while I don't mean this in the literal sense, there are mention of the Mexican Cartel so all I ask is that you kindly give my analogy a bit of a pass).\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"1680\" data-original-width=\"1280\" height=\"640\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-Liaf6hIyr9E\/YHTiXV2b5JI\/AAAAAAACTvE\/F6Zpk2MgjSYZ5xrLEvN6IzNs93pUTK1qQCLcBGAsYHQ\/w488-h640\/5fe535c7471e9b9989482c1146759e2a._SX1280_QL80_TTD_.jpg\" width=\"488\" \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003ECarole and Alex, the two lead characters in our story, are longtime friends who have mastered themselves as the partners in crime we see them as immediately upon opening the book. The banter and snark eavesdropped upon as we open curtain to the story instantly sets tone for the rest. Alex, the getaway driver, finds herself more consumed with the fact that she's being dumped through text message than she is with making sure Carole exits the building safely with the painting she just stole. Carole has a charm about her wit and snark that makes her instantly likable. There's something about a strong female character with a mouth that could shake off the most vicious of night walker that makes her sexy as hell. Then there's Alex. Aside from being fuel for the driven dialogue she ultimately becomes the character that you feel the most connected to. For a graphic novel sitting at around 130 pages, it makes better use of character development than most stories twice its length.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003EStylistically, this graphic novel is minimalist by nature and uses the titular piece of art's existence as a metaphorical expression of the story being told. The in-real-life 1814 Grande Odalisque painting by Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres is described by many art historians as representing Ignes' shift from Neoclassicalism toward exotic Romanticism. I find this as an ironically buried narrative.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003EAllow me to briefly explain.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003EJust as Neoclassicalism was focused on rekindling the what once was, so did the Romanticism period, but from an about-face perspective standing at the same vantage point. Art is immediately reduced to an antiquated form once it looks backward unless it also looks inward. \u003Cb\u003EThe Grande Odalisque,\u003C\/b\u003E both the art and the graphic novel, uses this approach to achieve improvement and growth where it was previously assumed as irrelevant. There was nothing inherently wrong with art from the Neoclassical period, but it was the Romantic period that soon followed where boundaries were challenged and new vision emerged. The heist genre follows a similar evolutionary journey right before our eyes here in \u003Cb\u003EThe Grande Odalisque\u003C\/b\u003E as it positions itself subject to the pivot point of both.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-lUkOJx2408s\/YHFYa5c3gcI\/AAAAAAAACGU\/uuBWgUTu0TEgb4nfFaocKFPHU78v1gE_QCLcBGAsYHQ\/s900\/LEAD_Grand_Odalisque78.jpg\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"599\" data-original-width=\"900\" height=\"426\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-lUkOJx2408s\/YHFYa5c3gcI\/AAAAAAAACGU\/uuBWgUTu0TEgb4nfFaocKFPHU78v1gE_QCLcBGAsYHQ\/w640-h426\/LEAD_Grand_Odalisque78.jpg\" width=\"640\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003EFantagraphics Books solicitation:\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003EAlex and Carole, friends since childhood, are now (literal) partners in crime. But the heist - to steal the Ingres painting The Grande Odalisque from the Louvre in Paris - is too much for the duo to handle, so they bring in Clarence, a bureaucrat's son with a price on his head by a Mexican drug cartel and, more importantly, an arms dealer. Next is Sam, a stunt motorcyclist and boxer by trade, who proves trigger happy with tranquilizer darts. Using soda can smoke bombs, rocket launchers, and hang gliders, Alex, Carole, and Sam set off a set of circumstances that results in a battle with the French Special Forces - and their partnership, which was on the rocks, will never be the same again. Ruppert and Mulot, two of the most innovative comic creators in the world, team up with multiple Angouleme prize winner Bastien Vives to bring you this impossibly funny, violent, and sexy action-packed thriller.\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003EPicking up this book will be one of the highlights of your reading portion of the year. There is something for everyone to enjoy in this graphic novel and it comes with an enthusiastic recommendation from me. And with as much time I spent categorizing it's buried metaphor, I do not want to downplay the fact that this is much more a relationship story than it is a heist one. Carole and Alex reveal a bonded friendship, along with newfound crook-mate Sam, that will make you exhale with celebratory relief when the final pages reveal that \"Carole, Alex and Sam will return\".\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-CFgVUNGjkok\/YHFYOtZ7uFI\/AAAAAAAACGQ\/qxWugycMofYkbQwZbT60cX0HNeBV_kc6gCLcBGAsYHQ\/s700\/the_grande_odalisque_v1_who_you_do_it_with.jpeg\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"248\" data-original-width=\"700\" height=\"226\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-CFgVUNGjkok\/YHFYOtZ7uFI\/AAAAAAAACGQ\/qxWugycMofYkbQwZbT60cX0HNeBV_kc6gCLcBGAsYHQ\/w640-h226\/the_grande_odalisque_v1_who_you_do_it_with.jpeg\" width=\"640\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cb\u003EThe Grande Odalisque\u003C\/b\u003E\u0026nbsp;is available now at bookstores, online, and digitally.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u0026nbsp;Editor \u0026amp; Associate Publisher: Eric Reynolds\u003Cbr \/\u003ETranslator: Montana Kane\u003Cbr \/\u003EDesigner: Chelsea Wirtz\u003Cbr \/\u003EType Designer: Cromatik LTD\u003Cbr \/\u003EProduction: Paul Baresh\u003Cbr \/\u003EPublisher: Gary Groth\u003Cbr \/\u003EOriginally Published as \u003Ci\u003ELe Grande Odalisque\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;in 2012 by Dupuis\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003E2021 Publisher: Fantagraphics Books, Inc.\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003EStory and Art by Bastien Vives, Florent Ruppert \u0026amp; Jerome Mulot\u003Cbr \/\u003EColors by Isabelle Merlet\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8675936740079831063\/posts\/default\/7600225905210096792"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8675936740079831063\/posts\/default\/7600225905210096792"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.panelpatter.com\/2021\/04\/quick-hit-grande-odalisque.html","title":"Quick Hit: The Grande Odalisque"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Sean Cohea"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/07662024169569787722"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"24","height":"32","src":"\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-DXKNlYtDJLU\/Xz6QMUI4BAI\/AAAAAAAABVk\/oQRQAwW3nmY-OZJjzAhnfh3VgR72KdqzgCK4BGAYYCw\/s113\/1798ACAF-1300-473D-AAC6-F2D214D8F395.jpeg"}}]},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8675936740079831063.post-9085642507885994553"},"published":{"$t":"2021-04-13T08:30:00.005-04:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2021-04-13T09:47:36.468-04:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Ablaze Comics"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"abrams"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"AfterShock"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"AWA"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Black Panel Press"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"boom"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"dc"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"drawn and quarterly"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"idw"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"image"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"iron circus"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"jk"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"kfm"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"marvel"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"mmc"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"nps"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"rbm"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"scc"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"titan"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Catch It at the Comic Shop April 14th, 2021"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003EWelcome to Catch it at the Comic Shop, where the Panel Patter team looks  at what's coming out at your favorite store or digital device this  week. Each one of us that participates picks up to five items due out  this week, with a little bit about why we like them. (NOTE: We use  solicitation material for this, so if we miss creators, \u003Cb\u003E\u003Cu\u003Eplease talk to your publisher\u003C\/u\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E!)  Sometimes we might only have a few items to share, other weeks, keeping  it to five will make for hard choices. Here's what the team wanted to  highlight this week...\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003ESean’s Picks:\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"1800\" data-original-width=\"1171\" height=\"400\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-uHtbTjTBCWM\/YHS9BNdkhbI\/AAAAAAACTtQ\/S_-BhpVRkQc823DnZcaf2Yuw1EXgEcetQCLcBGAsYHQ\/w260-h400\/STL175870.jpg\" width=\"260\" \/\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cb\u003EPeanuts:  Scotland Bound, Charlie Brown OGN by Charles M. Schulz, Bill Melendez,  Jason Cooper and Robert Pope, published by BOOM! Studios\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003EAnytime  you mention the Peanuts gang I’m all-in. The gang that the legendary  Charles Schulz created are timeless American treasures that will be  among the most beloved characters every child will grow up with for  endless generations. It doesn’t end with those holiday TV specials, but  it sure does begin there. After reading and rereading the dozens of  collected volumes there are plenty of moments to cherish and enjoy.  Never did I imagine I’d live to see new stories from Charlie Brown and  the gang. Not until today, that is. \u003Cb\u003EBOOM! Studios\u003C\/b\u003E is publishing a  brand new adaptation of a newly discovered storyboard from the Schultz  studios and is brought to us by the people behind \u003Cb\u003EAdventure Time Comics\u003C\/b\u003E and \u003Cb\u003EScooby-Doo\u003C\/b\u003E.  This time Charlie Brown convinces his friends to travel abroad so that  he can meet the love of his life, a pen pal from Scotland. That rare  moment of self-confidence, found here in this new Peanuts story, is what  we have always hoped for in the epic sage of the perpetually sad  Charlie Brown. In all those years reading along with Chuck and his gang,  we’ve managed to see him muster up enough confidence to embarrass  himself into a silly situation where readers of literally all ages can  enjoy. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ca name='more'\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"900\" data-original-width=\"600\" height=\"400\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-HF6_Wyd2lg0\/YHS9BNzsBOI\/AAAAAAACTtM\/4kuQmQ5Jlu8rZ_GO-W2owz37lQp8HCjFACLcBGAsYHQ\/w266-h400\/STL173415.jpg\" width=\"266\" \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003EHeaven No Hell HC\u0026nbsp;by Michael DeForge and published by Drawn \u0026amp; Quarterly\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cb\u003EHeaven No Hell\u003C\/b\u003E is a collage of DeForge parables that exhibit perspective from one of  the best modern day storytellers we have right now. As with most of  DeForge’s work, these comic shorts come across as ambiguously  atmospheric and often darkly humorous, but they always land with that  familiar abstract realism we’ve come to expect and adore. This one is  for the coffee table. The book guests will peruse and be catalyst to  many conversations that will follow.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"1500\" data-original-width=\"988\" height=\"400\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-PoEKyPOtuk4\/YHS9BrYl-uI\/AAAAAAACTtc\/Av4U0mIhvwgFjD0S9btlu3hRWNqs3E1kgCLcBGAsYHQ\/w264-h400\/STL182678.jpg\" width=\"264\" \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003EHome #1 by Julio Anta, Anna Wieszczyk and Bryan Valenza, published by Image\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cb\u003EHome\u003C\/b\u003E is a story about a mother and her son seeking refuge at the United States southwest border. Right from the start we witness Mercedes Gomez and her son Juan going through motions, traveling from Guatemala to the Reynosa-McAllen International Bridge in Mexico. There they hope to register as refugees and live with Mercedes’ sister-in-law in Houston as they make for a better life for themselves. Unfortunately for them, this new series from \u003Cb\u003EImage\u003C\/b\u003E was clearly conceptualized during the refugee-unfriendly Trump-era seeing the blatantly obvious xenophobia and active dialogues separating child from family. I know nothing of this creative team but I am excited to get acquainted. The foundation to this coming-of-age story is so incredibly real that it hurts. It seriously hurts real bad. Reason for recommending this title is not so that you can be reminded (again) of how awful our border policy has been in recent years, but rather is because of the redemptive spin on the tragedy that the team add to it. This debut issue focuses almost entirely on the specific refugee story of a mother and son, and upon final page reveal you are introduced to the supernatural caveat that this miniseries is going to embrace. Clearly this book was written with a purpose, and that purpose is to give a voice to the voiceless.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"1566\" data-original-width=\"1032\" height=\"400\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-wcuPdlv6v5s\/YHS9BccO6ZI\/AAAAAAACTtY\/LI_6Dqt6dkM6QVeaFbh-KuaocXDJ2ccYQCLcBGAsYHQ\/w264-h400\/STL181764.jpg\" width=\"264\" \/\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cb\u003ECanto \u0026amp; the City of Giants #1\u0026nbsp;by David M Booher, Drew Zucker and Sebastian Piriz, published by IDW\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003EOk, folks. Canto is back! He is here again with pals Rikta and Falco. I have thoroughly enjoyed the handful of Canto series that Booher and Zucker have created thus far, and this time around Booher brings on board a new illustrator to freshen things up a bit as Sebastian Piriz provides the artwork in this debut issue to the City of Giants arc. Beginning things here we see Canto and gang riding a dragon driven wagon toting a witch toward the City of Giants as they come upon Fra and Ba ...two stranded giants’ heads held prisoner by the King and Queen of Brob (the name of said City of Giants). As previous, Canto recalls his kindled friendship with the two Giants and takes it upon himself to free them from their captivity. Canto won my heart back when he first debuted as the humbled, brave and courageous knight that he showcases himself as. These are always enjoyable reads and I recommend Canto highly for anyone looking for an uplifting, heartwarming, gentle but tragic fantasy story about a little knight who tries anything with all of his little might. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"900\" data-original-width=\"600\" height=\"400\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-1gObG3KqWFQ\/YHS9BBPpZ-I\/AAAAAAACTtU\/1WuDbpyQsw4hlSPBZ5vlOo7ihdz1Df4TwCLcBGAsYHQ\/w266-h400\/STL180625.jpg\" width=\"266\" \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003EMan in the Painters Room GN\u0026nbsp;by Jamison Odone and published by Black Panel Press\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/p\u003EI  wrote about this graphic biopic last year shortly after its  successful  Kickstarter campaign. Now it will finally have a wider release with it  being available at bookstores. If you’ve ever wondered about the life of  Van Gogh in his later years then this read should be of interest. It  shakes off the excess and focuses on a very specific period late in the  artist’s life. We see how he befriends a young child and becomes  fascinated with a very specific routine. I found this book especially  enjoyable and it’s great to see it getting more exposure this week.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003EKirk's Pick:\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"1566\" data-original-width=\"1032\" height=\"400\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-Ho5xsOkvfvo\/YHS96G00e4I\/AAAAAAACTtw\/ryELRZFuojsNvSQoyX4hTSPrFEUha3vUwCLcBGAsYHQ\/w264-h400\/STL167311.jpg\" width=\"264\" \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cb\u003ELocke \u0026amp; Key\/Sandman: Hell \u0026amp; Gone #1, by Joe Hill and Gabriel Rodriguez, Published by DC\/IDW\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EI know I'm supposed to remind you of how great Home Sick Pilots has been (haunted houses that are also mechs are extremely my sh*t) and to pick up it's new issue this week. Or how Cantwell's turn on Iron Man has been a welcomed grounded change from the usual grand futurists arcs we've been reading from other writers the last few years (also this week). But there's this thing where two of my favorite series' of all time are combining for a crossover and I can barely focus on anything else in my life at the moment. Locke and Key\/Sandman: Hell and Gone #1 releases this wednesday and the more you think about these two mythologies, it only feels natural that they would eventually meet. Though the events of this series happen under the Sandman Universe DC banner of titles, L\u0026amp;K creators Joe Hill and Gabriel Rodriguez are firmly in the driver's seat telling this story. So on top of getting to watch them continue to build on the Locke family chronicles, we will see them tackle Neil Gaiman creations like Roderick Burgess and The Corinthian. Expect chills, tears, and me never shutting up about it.  \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E \u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003EJames' Picks:\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E \u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"1800\" data-original-width=\"1186\" height=\"400\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-cmBMgw4vd6w\/YHS-Bu29btI\/AAAAAAACTt0\/z4xt6C2VCMQ4_-Qx-15k6dacg7LtM2VnwCLcBGAsYHQ\/w264-h400\/STL182609.jpg\" width=\"264\" \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cb\u003EChariot #2 by  Bryan Hill, Priscilla Petraites, and Jeff Dekal, published by AWA Studios\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETwo issues in and this is a very fun series.\u0026nbsp; It's a story about a super-futiristic car from the 1980's, and a badass woman whose consciousness seems to have merged with the car, and the lucky (or unlucky) guy who found and restored this incredible, weird car (like \u003Ci\u003EKnight Rider\u003C\/i\u003E, if KITT were alive and a sexy 80's woman who appeared as a ghost sometimes and had a no-nonsense attitude). I really love the vibe of this series - while it takes place in the present day, it still very much has an 80's vibe to it. A very fun read so far. \u003Cb\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"1968\" data-original-width=\"1280\" height=\"400\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-prG0nxVX_uo\/YHS-UkrNxxI\/AAAAAAACTuA\/WntcNC9X8esZV2HkOExEIH7ZU1Eim62BQCLcBGAsYHQ\/w260-h400\/928579._SX1280_QL80_TTD_.jpg\" width=\"260\" \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cb\u003ESweet Tooth: The Return #6 by Jeff Lemire and Jose Villarubia, published by DC Comics, Black Label\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E \u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EI was skeptical at first about Jeff Lemire returning to the world of \u003Ci\u003ESweet Tooth\u003C\/i\u003E. I thought that he did a remarkable job ending that story, and saying as much as needed to be said about that world. However, I'm quite glad I started reading this miniseries, as it's turned out to be a terrific story in its own right and a strong follow-up to the original series.\u0026nbsp; This new miniseries captures the general spirit of the original (very, very sad) series, while taking place hundreds of years later. I am curious to see how this mini wraps up, but it seems like Lemire could keep this going as a whole new series if he wanted to stay in this world. Lemire's art is better than ever, and captures sadness and loneliness and weird confusion better than just about anyone. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003EMike's Picks\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cimg alt=\"\" data-original-height=\"900\" data-original-width=\"600\" height=\"400\" src=\"https:\/\/lh3.googleusercontent.com\/-r-44OF2C6no\/YHMoRj7hobI\/AAAAAAAALTY\/m2vbnEEhX7YtUb1mvKzeWCoLTLXO0aJ5wCLcBGAsYHQ\/w267-h400\/image.png\" width=\"267\" \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003EHeaven No Hell by Michel DeForge, published by Drawn and Quarterly\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: left;\"\u003EI found DeForge's \u003Ci style=\"font-weight: bold;\"\u003EFamiliar Face\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;both remarkable and unsettling, especially reading it during the height of the original pandemic lockdown, and I've been delighted by the abstract escapism of his \u003Ci style=\"font-weight: bold;\"\u003EBirds of Maine\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;instagram comic. \u003Ci style=\"font-weight: bold;\"\u003EHeaven No Hell\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;represents something different, though. This collection of short stories shows DeForge's range and provides some examples of more typical sequences contrasted with his trademark abstract work (exhibited by the cover image). DeForge is a master at never letting the reader get completely comfortable with his work, at least not on the first read, and the shifting styles that all work to serve the same thematic intent demonstrates not only his versatility as a creator, but also the wider connection of the veins he mines.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"2048\" data-original-width=\"1350\" height=\"400\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-kTWO1uum9ZI\/YHS-p6gcfFI\/AAAAAAACTuM\/L8Q363Kzyq4qCjTng90H8raN3D09fkFuwCLcBGAsYHQ\/w264-h400\/STL182966.jpg\" width=\"264\" \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003EMinky Woodcock: The Girl Who Electrified Tesla 1 by Cynthia von Buhler, published by Titan Comics\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Co:p\u003E\u003C\/o:p\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E \u003Cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"background-attachment: scroll; background-color: white; background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background: white none repeat scroll 0% 0%;\"\u003EI loved the original Minky tale, a great blend of history and a legend tied together by some absolutely stunning art that looks far more like an oil painting or stained glass window than any comic has the right to. Buhler, well known in various avant-garde circles, returns with her proto-feminist Minky for another noir romp. Having tussled with Houdini prior, Minky will find herself caught up with none other than Nicola Tesla this time around. There is already a rich history of mythologizing Tesla, and many authors have used his story as a jumping off point. I’m intrigued to see how von Buhler, who utilized both history and myth surrounding Houdini, folds Minky into this world.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"background-attachment: scroll; background-color: white; background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background: white none repeat scroll 0% 0%;\"\u003E\u003Co:p\u003E\u003C\/o:p\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E   \u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cimg alt=\"\" data-original-height=\"294\" data-original-width=\"191\" height=\"400\" src=\"https:\/\/lh3.googleusercontent.com\/-qdtHVV6LinY\/YHSOWO622UI\/AAAAAAAALTg\/WZstjzJ9rpw527R1ytNauSRexScUZfJ7wCLcBGAsYHQ\/w260-h400\/image.png\" width=\"260\" \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003EHome Sick Pilots 4 by Dan Watters, Casper Wijngaard, Aditya Bidikar, and Tom Muller, published by Image Comics\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Co:p\u003E\u003C\/o:p\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E \u003Cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003EThere is a ton to be said about this series, and, frankly, I think it all comes down to execution. For me, it’s the way the creative team blends concepts authentically without out any of the essential elements. Home Sick Pilots is many things at once. It’s a coming of age story, a haunted house tale, and a mech narrative all informed by 90s punk rock sensibilities and vocabulary. What is impressive – and I truly think this is a hard feat to pull off – is that HSP can be these things without feeling like it pays lip service to any of them. Much of that credit belongs to Wijngaard and Bidikar who seem to keep the book tight and effortless despite the near breakneck pace Watters established for the series. With each issue, Watters peals away layers of backstory while continuing to build the tension of the story. This entire first arc has been composed of frenetic rising action, and it’s a testament to exactly what good genre work can do.\u003Co:p\u003E\u003C\/o:p\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E \u003Cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cimg alt=\"\" data-original-height=\"302\" data-original-width=\"195\" height=\"400\" src=\"https:\/\/lh3.googleusercontent.com\/-xq7z1S8jgEM\/YHSOf3v_ofI\/AAAAAAAALTk\/VRBTAZuGok8hP14S99R9DAR8YSnYQCWLwCLcBGAsYHQ\/w258-h400\/image.png\" width=\"258\" \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003ELonely\u0026nbsp;Receiver\u0026nbsp;by Zac Thompson, Jen Hickman, and Simon Bowland, published by Aftershock\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Co:p\u003E\u003C\/o:p\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E \u003Cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003EI am rife with anticipation to re-read this story as a collected edition. Thompson’s narrative lent itself well to the serialized format because it functioned almost as a series of vignettes as opposed to a linear narrative. And such a choice works well for a breakup story, one where you’re replaying events in your head and wondering if they happened the way you remember in some sort of forensic accounting of your romance. There are questions of reliability here, and Hickman lends a sense of paranoia to her illustrations. I’ve said it before, the burgeoning subgenre of cyberpunk love is going to explode at some point, and Lonely Receiver is a great indication of not only a particularly thoughtful work in terms of it’s philosophical implications, but also is an exemplar for how both genre fiction and sequential art aide the assessment of those implications in a way traditional realistic fiction falls short almost by design.\u0026nbsp;\u003Co:p\u003E\u003C\/o:p\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003ERob's Picks:\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"900\" data-original-width=\"600\" height=\"400\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-YLHStAeKBqg\/YHS_IxcPVwI\/AAAAAAACTuc\/ocvVZW7QrB8aQn0M-HLEwm9SifQ_WLoswCLcBGAsYHQ\/w266-h400\/STL181422.jpg\" width=\"266\" \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cb\u003EEros Psyche #2 by Maria Llovet, published by Ablaze Comics\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003ESara's made it into The Rose, but that might not necessarily be good for her health. As we saw from the first issue, something's not quite right at the school and now that she's a part of their student body Sara's going to find out things are far darker than they first appeared to be. Love is blind, but Sara might end up a literal representation if she's not careful. As usual, superstar artist Maria Llovet knocks the illustrations out of the park with her uncanny ability to draw some of the sexiest gothic horror of all time, both here and across her other works. She's a singular talent and her stories keep me on the edge of my seat every time I read them. I'm so glad to see more of her work getting published--and even happier that the quality of all of them is spectacular.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"1800\" data-original-width=\"1179\" height=\"400\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-AxfsvR8kvSw\/YHS_PecLo_I\/AAAAAAACTug\/2a-ozAusAVkLk6MRcl6Mi1cMlvIkc0xTQCLcBGAsYHQ\/w263-h400\/STL178225.jpg\" width=\"263\" \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cb\u003EFlash Forward An Illustrated Guide to Possible (and Not So Possible) Tomorrows by Box Brown, Julia Gfrorer, Ben Passmore, Sophie Goldstein, Matt Lubchansky, Amelia Onorato, Blue Deliquanti, Ziyed Y. Ayoub, John Jennings, Maki NAro, Kate Sherridan, Sophia Foster-Dimino, Zach Weinersmith, Chris Jones, and Rose Eveleth, published by Abrams\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EA Passel of Panel Pals and their talented friends come together to work with podcaster Roe Eveleth to provide the reader with hints of a not-so-distant future that can either be really cool (Robot Bodies! Undersea Cities! Less Need to Sleep!) or really terrifying (Robot Bodies! Permanent Lie Detectors! Less Need to Sleep!), and perhaps a little of both--if they can ever happen at all. While some offer glimpses of the mix of good and bad of technology, like being able to live (but also hurt people) on the Moon, others (Will there come a day when we can't tell real videos from faked ones?) are s terrifying I barely want to consider them. Unfortunately, that last one is something we're already seeing, as the future quickly becomes now. This is a thought-provoking book with amazing creators and really keeps the cutting edge of graphic nonfiction moving forward. I hope to have a longer piece on this one soon, but wanted to ensure everyone knows about it now!\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"1500\" data-original-width=\"1000\" height=\"400\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-tvJp2gBLRtg\/YHS_bhsu5MI\/AAAAAAACTuo\/XzFlms0TvQQ8pUm0tS86Ukntv_cWjp2FgCLcBGAsYHQ\/w266-h400\/STL180285.jpg\" width=\"266\" \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cb\u003ENight Marchers and other Oceanian Stories, A Cautionary Fables \u0026amp; Fairytales Book, by Various Creators, Edited by Kel McDonald, Kate Ashwin, and Sloane Leong, published by Iron Circus\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EOriginally a Kickstarter created by Prolific Panel Pal Kel McDonald, this edition of the Cautionary Fables \u0026amp; Fairytales series, the fourth in the line, features stories from multiple Oceanian communities. Reminding me of the books of lore and legend I was read to (and then read myself) from all over the world, Kel and her fellow editors picked people whose variety of skills and styles match these really cool--and often creepy--fables. It's really awesome that Iron Circus is reprinting them for a new set of readers. If you didn't get the original edition like I did, don't miss out on this second chance if you enjoy folklore even half as much as I do.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"1800\" data-original-width=\"1171\" height=\"400\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-0jmtocvzkHs\/YHS-3NwVo-I\/AAAAAAACTuQ\/SXAM-Q_6sFsJiYr5AfJveLYAEryYCTxmACLcBGAsYHQ\/w260-h400\/STL175870.jpg\" width=\"260\" \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cb\u003EPeanuts: Scotland Bound, Charlie Brown by Charles Schulz, Bill Melendez, Jason Cooper, and Robert Pope, published by Boom! Studios\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003ESomeone found an unproduced Peanuts special from the dream team of Schulz and Melendez. This is not a drill. We have new, Schultz-based Peanuts material in our lives. It's what we all desperately need right now, and I don't even care that for some people, Charlie Brown and Snoopy are nothing but corporate symbols. If you grew up with them the way I did, they're comfort food, and getting some right from their original creators brings me nothing but great joy. Adapting this story for comics are Jason Cooper and Robert Pope, who have extensive experience making all-ages material sing, with Adventure Time and Scooby Doo respectively. It seems Charlie Brown's pencil pal in Scotland is a lassie, and he's mustered up the courage to go see her, bringing along his conscience Linus and his critic Lucy along for the ride. Schroeder and Snoopy round out the cast as we see Charlie Brown try to break out of his shell, but we all know how this one ends, right? Sometimes you just can't escape yourself, no matter how far you travel. I can't wait to sit down and savor this one over a box of zingers.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"2048\" data-original-width=\"1350\" height=\"400\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-8Yb6k0v7JrA\/YHS_oQyKYpI\/AAAAAAACTuw\/liOO2kdGq505N3dQPGKLwxRxf_9t50jJACLcBGAsYHQ\/w264-h400\/STL182919.jpg\" width=\"264\" \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cb\u003EDoctor Who: Missy #1 by Jody Houser, Roberta Ingranata, and Others, published by Titan Comics\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EThe Master, currently (I think?) incarnated as Missy, is one of the most iconic foes in all of Doctor Who, plaguing doctors of all shapes and sizes across space and time. One of the best at currently writing Doctor Who, Jody Houser gets to celebrate the Master's 50th anniversary by pitting Master Against Doctor in an incarnation-spanning scheme that might see them winning once and for all. I'm a sucker for seeing Doctor 3 get more love, and the Pertwee\/Delgado combo still remains my favorite Doctor\/Master pairing. With Houser at the helm and good likenesses from Ingranata, this should be a great treat for longtime fans of the show.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003ENeil's Pick:\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"2048\" data-original-width=\"1349\" height=\"400\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-d6zmLlTDss8\/YHTA59URTVI\/AAAAAAACTu4\/GsdIWk47Ij0h8vEMAxaZpfu9iywTv4eNQCLcBGAsYHQ\/w264-h400\/STL181935.jpg\" width=\"264\" \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cb\u003EGuardians of the Galaxy #13 by Al Ewing, Juan Frigeri, Federico Blee Published by Marvel Comics\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ESince the days after Annihilation I've had somewhat of love\/hate relationship with Guardians of the Galaxy stories. Annihilation is one of my all-time favourite stories and one that hasn't been beat since...within the Marvel Cosmic universe before anyone questions me. So yeah, I've not been grabbed by any Guardians storylines for a hell of a long time. Thankfully I have a good friend who has a bigger passion for the Guardians than I have and he's informed me that this could be the perfect jumping on point. Al Ewing's writing is definitely a major plus point, as his current We Only Find Them When They're Dead (Boom) is a wonderful indie space opera of a story along with his huge Immortal Hulk run the Guardians are surely in good hands.\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8675936740079831063\/posts\/default\/9085642507885994553"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8675936740079831063\/posts\/default\/9085642507885994553"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.panelpatter.com\/2021\/04\/catch-it-at-comic-shop-april-14th-2021.html","title":"Catch It at the Comic Shop April 14th, 2021"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Panel Patter"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/12354673590872893078"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"16","height":"16","src":"https:\/\/img1.blogblog.com\/img\/b16-rounded.gif"}}]},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8675936740079831063.post-7328506736536752744"},"published":{"$t":"2021-04-06T08:30:00.003-04:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2021-04-06T09:56:59.537-04:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"AfterShock"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"boom"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"catch-it"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"dark horse"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"dc"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"image"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"jk"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"mmc"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"rbm"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Catch It at the Comic Shop April 7th, 2021"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003C\/div\u003EWelcome to Catch it at the Comic Shop, where the Panel Patter team looks  at what's coming out at your favorite store or digital device this  week. Each one of us that participates picks up to five items due out  this week, with a little bit about why we like them. (NOTE: We use  solicitation material for this, so if we miss creators, \u003Cb\u003E\u003Cu\u003Eplease talk to your publisher\u003C\/u\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E!)  Sometimes we might only have a few items to share, other weeks, keeping  it to five will make for hard choices. Here's what the team wanted to  highlight this week...\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003EJames' Picks:\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"1500\" data-original-width=\"976\" height=\"400\" id=\"id_4f57_e5dc_8beb_c355\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-3vCnQHQXyZM\/YGoF6R5HhYI\/AAAAAAACTp0\/TL8uLV29NQ0UarxXLcPsvRn5zSZhzxmdQCLcBGAsYHQ\/w260-h400\/STL178684.jpg\" style=\"height: auto; width: 260px;\" width=\"260\" \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cb\u003EGeiger #1 by Geoff Johns, Gary Frank, and Brad Anderson, published by Image Comics\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWith an independent comic written by Geoff John’s and drawn by Gary Frank, I would’ve picked this up no matter what. This team has totally earned my trust, going all the way back to their run on Action Comics prior to the new 52, and continuing in Shazam, Superman: Secret Origin, and in Doomsday Clock most recently. I loved Doomsday Clock. All of John’s’ and Frank’s work has been at DC, and I’m so curious to see what they do in a whole new world. Having read the first issue, I’m super intrigued to see where it’s going. Frank is as spectacular on art as ever. His level of detail is just remarkable, with excellent, weird, post-apocalyptic colors from Brad Anderson. The story is really interesting and dark. It’s post apocalyptic and sci-fi, and it feels like it’s going big places. This is a no-brainer for me.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ca name='more'\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"1528\" data-original-width=\"994\" height=\"400\" id=\"id_4c67_c1a_6ca3_1763\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-l-4V9yXL0pw\/YGoF6fCq_bI\/AAAAAAACTpw\/yricja_2yAQPuOMjnrl9WWweVE8KRj61ACLcBGAsYHQ\/w260-h400\/STL177311.jpg\" style=\"height: auto; width: 260px;\" width=\"260\" \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cb\u003ESeven Secrets vol. 1 by Tom Taylor, Daniele Di Nicuolo, and Walter Biamonte, published by Boom Studios!\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESeven Secrets returns with a new issue this week, and also this book which collects the first volume. It’s a perfect time to catch up on this fun, action-packed series. I love Tom Taylor’s work generally, he has a great way of sketching out interesting worlds\/stories but not losing sight of the humanity and relationships of the characters. This is a story about a secret society that protects the 7 most important secrets in the world. There’s action, humor, family drama, and betrayal. Daniele Di Nucuolo was previously unknown to me, but I’m so glad I started reading this book. The art is so delightful! It’s got a dynamic animation style, and wonderful detail. This is a great read.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"930\" data-original-width=\"605\" height=\"400\" id=\"id_563_1819_f79b_2ba3\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-lRvtuWbYoKw\/YGoF6YadpEI\/AAAAAAACTp4\/LRlmPPJzDlIETGVCfJJx7vRVuiqD3-wwACLcBGAsYHQ\/w260-h400\/STL181262.jpg\" style=\"height: auto; width: 260px;\" width=\"260\" \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cb\u003EProject: Patron #1 by Steve Orlando and Patrick Piazzalunga, published by AfterShock Comics\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;This should be a fun series. Steve Orlando is a great writer, and I love the premise here. Basically, it's like \"what if, after Superman and Doomsday fought, Superman was actually killed and had been replaced with a decoy that was piloted by a team\".\u0026nbsp; I don't know the artist but I'm looking forward to checking this out. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"1500\" data-original-width=\"976\" height=\"400\" id=\"id_7c22_7639_16e1_96da\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-N1BvxeoimwA\/YGoF6vTyS6I\/AAAAAAACTp8\/oP8_8qWmrV09erDZtMBXSplQGpGpEUiEQCLcBGAsYHQ\/w260-h400\/STL182682.jpg\" style=\"height: auto; width: 260px;\" width=\"260\" \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cb\u003EThe Silver Coin #1 by Chip Zdarsky and Michael Walsh, published by Image Comics\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis should be great. Michael Walsh is a terrifically talented artist, and this is an anthology of stories where he is the artist for all of them but each issue wil have a different writer. The first issue is written by Chip Zdarsky, and involves a 70's rock band and some sort of supernatural horror. I love both creators involved, and think this should be a terrific read.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003ERob's Picks:\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"1800\" data-original-width=\"1171\" height=\"400\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-JkZF_QAH2KQ\/YGvRrQ88zqI\/AAAAAAACTqw\/nEhZxeSePRYhW5sOh3BbVKPpH7F2A-fnwCLcBGAsYHQ\/w260-h400\/STL182506.jpg\" width=\"260\" \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003EBeasts of Burden: Occupied Territory #1 by Evan Dorkin, Sarah Dyer, Benjamin Dewey, and Nate Piekos, published by Dark Horse Comics\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003EEveryone's second favorite occult-related dogs (let's face it, no one tops Scooby Doo) are back, this time with a story set in the past and overseas to boot, giving Dorkin, Dyer, and their now-established art partner Benjamin Dewey a chance to tap the rich mine of Japanese horror legends for a new mini-series. Between Milk and Cheese and the Burden pack, Dorkin's been responsible for some of the most iconic and long-lasting characters from Dark Horse not named Hellboy. I'm so glad to Evan and Sarah paired with one of the best in the business at drawing talking animals, Panel Pal Ben Dewey, to keep things going. They've come a long way from being shorts in an anthology project, and this new way to enlarge the mythos should be a fun way to ring in the spring of 2021.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"1500\" data-original-width=\"976\" height=\"400\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-bqvrR-itYBA\/YGvRrR7G8II\/AAAAAAACTqs\/EwjrmZgzRsgF01b83umx6CAOx6IafC5EQCLcBGAsYHQ\/w260-h400\/STL182682.jpg\" width=\"260\" \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003EThe Silver Coin #1 by Chip Zdarsky and Michael Walsh, published by Image Comics\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003EA new shared world horror series where the first issue is by Chip Zdarsky and Michael Walsh? Twist my arm, why don't you? As a lover of horror comics and the creators involved. plus the idea of shared world lore, this series immediately caught my eye, and it doesn't disappoint one bit. Written in the same style as a Twilight Zone but bloodier, Walsh and Zdarsky push all the right buttons here. You know where things are going, but you don't care because the journey, especially with Walsh's panel structures, is well worth it. There's so much atmosphere and little touches that make thing a comic to linger over and let the horror grow. I can't wait to see what the next issue brings.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003EMike's Picks\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; font-size: x-large; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/lh3.googleusercontent.com\/-S3pcju7UolI\/YGu9Wiva5pI\/AAAAAAAALSo\/df_8YzlSGj4nTlucmL5vvzxnnMGDCgQVgCLcBGAsYHQ\/image.png\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg alt=\"\" data-original-height=\"1394\" data-original-width=\"900\" height=\"400\" src=\"https:\/\/lh3.googleusercontent.com\/-S3pcju7UolI\/YGu9Wiva5pI\/AAAAAAAALSo\/df_8YzlSGj4nTlucmL5vvzxnnMGDCgQVgCLcBGAsYHQ\/w258-h400\/image.png\" width=\"258\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; font-size: x-large; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003EBatman: Kings of Fear by Scott Peterson and Kelley Jones, published by DC Comics\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: left;\"\u003EI won't blame you if you don't remember this self-contained Batman series since it originally hit the stands close to three years ago. However, I will remind you to pick up this TPB because if you missed either the original serialization or collection, you missed one of the best Batman stories in the past few years. Overshadowed by Tom King's main Batman book and the first sprawling Metal event, Kings of Fear might have had the odds stacked against it. But the nice thing about a self-contained series like this is that you can pick it up three years later and jump in without any hesitations. And you should. Scott Peterson runs through a Scarecrow tale that is familiar but still well-executed. But then there's Kelley Jones, who is just otherworldly. His trademark exaggerated style works perfectly for this tale, and Jones seems to revel in it.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both;\"\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/lh3.googleusercontent.com\/-q3q910apc4s\/YGvB_xv7NRI\/AAAAAAAALSw\/9rzeLRn0AVkiWDjadf47FhO5LqagJFSUQCLcBGAsYHQ\/image.png\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg alt=\"\" data-original-height=\"1384\" data-original-width=\"900\" height=\"400\" src=\"https:\/\/lh3.googleusercontent.com\/-q3q910apc4s\/YGvB_xv7NRI\/AAAAAAAALSw\/9rzeLRn0AVkiWDjadf47FhO5LqagJFSUQCLcBGAsYHQ\/w260-h400\/image.png\" width=\"260\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003ESwamp Thing 2 by Ram V, Mike Perkins, and Aditya Bidikar, published by DC Comics\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: left;\"\u003EI don't want to sound hyperbolic, but I think this Swamp Thing team is going to be talked about for years. Ram is working hard to build a world that both advances the narrative of Swamp Thing while connecting it to the mythology that Moore summoned for his legendary run. And Perkins is the perfect complement; he channels Wrightson and Veitch without looking imitative, creating harsh landscape for the newest protector of the green. Issue one thrust Levi Kamei directly into the action, and Ram crafts the beginning of a strong supernatural detective story. Issue two sees Levi continue to struggle with his new status as Avatar of the Green, testing his resolve in the desert with severe psychological torment. This is exactly what I've wanted with a Swamp Thing series for a long time.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cb style=\"font-size: x-large;\"\u003EKirk's Picks\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cb style=\"font-size: x-large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-HPgKtceS2o8\/YGxeEE6_QtI\/AAAAAAAAv4M\/tFfSvanZPworG7H45HsNMSBRwrPZ4MOuQCNcBGAsYHQ\/s900\/Silver%2BCoin-%2BLotay.jpg\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"900\" data-original-width=\"585\" height=\"400\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-HPgKtceS2o8\/YGxeEE6_QtI\/AAAAAAAAv4M\/tFfSvanZPworG7H45HsNMSBRwrPZ4MOuQCNcBGAsYHQ\/w260-h400\/Silver%2BCoin-%2BLotay.jpg\" width=\"260\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cb\u003EThe Silver Coin by Chip Zdarsky, Michael Walsh, published by Image Comics\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe horror anthology in comics is tradition and I sense for some writers, a rite of passage. Everything from classic EC comics to the current Ice Cream Man series carry longevity in the range of themes they cover to staying relevant for years to come. With Image’s new The Silver Coin series, each issue will be a different team of comic’s creative all-stars bringing you each installment. I can’t speak to what that’s going to do for longevity for this series, but I can say the first issue The Ticket, penned by Chip Zdarsky and art by Michael Walsh is excellent for more than just the horror elements it’s got going for it. From it’s rock band POV that is notoriously difficult to cohesively translate in comics to Walsh’s color palette choices that evoke the same feelings of childhood scary tale books, this sets the bar pretty high for what the other creative teams have to follow up on.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-wcD8Mbv4nr0\/YGxeawL_STI\/AAAAAAAAv4Y\/0O_6XB2ZT_wvtufbdfVvfWnZ3ccwkMYdQCNcBGAsYHQ\/s1367\/ShadowService.jpg\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"1367\" data-original-width=\"900\" height=\"400\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-wcD8Mbv4nr0\/YGxeawL_STI\/AAAAAAAAv4Y\/0O_6XB2ZT_wvtufbdfVvfWnZ3ccwkMYdQCNcBGAsYHQ\/w264-h400\/ShadowService.jpg\" width=\"264\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cb\u003EShadow Service Volume 1 by Cavan Scott, Corwin Howell and Trionna Farrel, published by Vault Comics.\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EWith Shades of X-Files, Constantine, and Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Shadow Service for all it’s shades of noir and shape shifting creatures masquerading as street lurking killers was actually a joy to read with every installment. The creative team maintains the tight rope walk of taking its self seriously without going too cartoony. It’s filled with characters that will feel familiar to fans of the franchises that I mentioned, but with enough originality infused into each player to help not make this series be a copycat and stand on its own. The first arc collected here will be a breeze to read in one quick sitting but not for being an easy read, but a fun one. And the talking rat. I definitely read this title for the talking rat.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8675936740079831063\/posts\/default\/7328506736536752744"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8675936740079831063\/posts\/default\/7328506736536752744"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.panelpatter.com\/2021\/04\/catch-it-at-comic-shop-april-7th-2021.html","title":"Catch It at the Comic Shop April 7th, 2021"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Panel Patter"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/12354673590872893078"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"16","height":"16","src":"https:\/\/img1.blogblog.com\/img\/b16-rounded.gif"}}]},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8675936740079831063.post-8731510043123905521"},"published":{"$t":"2021-04-05T08:30:00.001-04:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2021-04-05T08:30:00.620-04:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"addison duke"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Jim Campbell"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"jk"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"michael moreci"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"nathan gooden"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"review"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"single-issue review"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"vault"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"ADVANCE REVIEW: Barbaric #1 by Moreci and Gooden"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"1215\" data-original-width=\"800\" height=\"400\" id=\"id_d3a3_3cbe_6162_1945\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-3rtEGi4fTX4\/YGC-q8zDWdI\/AAAAAAACStU\/3VBxrQ_YhecL1P3v38XYqTCiRHV2rn64wCLcBGAsYHQ\/w264-h400\/ExVLPEXWEAAU-Tf.jpg\" style=\"height: auto; width: 264px;\" width=\"264\" \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003EBarbaric #1\u003Cbr \/\u003EWritten by Michael Moreci\u003Cbr \/\u003EIllustrated by Nathan Gooden\u003Cbr \/\u003EColors by Addison Duke\u003Cbr \/\u003ELetters by Jim Campbell\u003Cbr \/\u003EPublished by Vault Comics\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/p\u003EI wish I could quantify or adequately describe what it is when a comic series has \u003Ci\u003Eit\u003C\/i\u003E, that \u003Ci\u003Eje ne sais quoi\u003C\/i\u003E that immediately hooks me and makes me not just say \"I liked that\" but say \"I'm in.\" Well, whatever that alchemy is, I'm happy to say it's present in the first issue of \u003Ci\u003EBarbaric \u003C\/i\u003Efrom the excellent creative team of writer Michael Moreci, artist Nathan Gooden, colorist Addison Duke, and letterer Jim Campbell.\u0026nbsp; I'm not typically that much of a fantasy comics person, but I'm very much intrigued by what the creative team sets up in this first issue. There's a great deal that seems fantastical, but people feel real and grounded. It's a violent, vulgar, blast of a series and I'm excited for more.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"1019\" data-original-width=\"663\" height=\"640\" id=\"id_7e75_55cc_2fc9_7f19\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-FW9owhBwcAk\/YGC-v00KAWI\/AAAAAAACStg\/LTlwF2q-y-shr2ISpapCWcHlGEDPHFQnACLcBGAsYHQ\/w416-h640\/unnamed-19-1.webp\" style=\"height: auto; width: 416px;\" width=\"416\" \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003EIf you're a Barbarian, your goals in life are probably relatively straightforward:\u0026nbsp; \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Col style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cli\u003ECrush your enemies.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003ESee them driven before you.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EHear the lamentations of their women.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ol\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EPower  and riches for yourself and your tribe\/clan, crushing all those who  oppose you, etc. These are things to strive for. Your goals are probably  \u003Ci\u003Enot \u003C\/i\u003Eto roam the lands killing people - not for personal gain and  glory (which would be cool), but rather, in the name of promoting  justice and \"doing good\".\u0026nbsp; Well, this is the situation that Owen the Barbarian finds himself in. Owen was going along, living his best Barbarian life (murdering and pillaging, drinking, sex, etc.) when he has a curse placed upon him . He can either go to Hell immediately and suffer eternal punishment and face those who sent there - OR, he can go around writing wrongs and doing good, never refusing to help those in need.\u0026nbsp; And now he has an enchanted talking axe that craves blood but also tells him who does or does not deserve to die (like Jiminy Cricket, but an axe, and very murdery).\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Ca name='more'\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWe first meet Owen in \u003Ci\u003EBarbaric \u003C\/i\u003Eis in his role as an executioner in the community of Gimesh. After consulting with his Axe, he determines that two of the three condemned people are worthy of death, and let's the third one go. He also metes out lethal justice to the cleric figure who is organizing executions in the name of his god. From there the story flashes back to Owen's adventures and his encounter with the three witches. We rejoin him in a pub, where he hears a commotion involving the impending public execution of a Witch. He steps in to help the Witch (though she is more than capable of getting herself out of this situation), and she asks for his help in dealing with a very big problem, and we see Owen's next mission. And it's a doozy. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"1019\" data-original-width=\"663\" height=\"640\" id=\"id_89f6_53ef_c1cc_dd61\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-IXwXrNUo9-A\/YGC-vyA0gvI\/AAAAAAACStY\/6xMBK8IEwb0lDueNPy5Sx3RFLFYdH4woQCLcBGAsYHQ\/w416-h640\/unnamed-20-1.webp\" style=\"height: auto; width: 416px;\" width=\"416\" \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis first issue of \u003Ci\u003EBarbaric \u003C\/i\u003Eis such a blast of a comic - a raunchy, vulgar, funny, super-violent story (like if \u003Ci\u003EJohn Wick\u003C\/i\u003E was also really funny in addition to its many other virtues).\u0026nbsp; For me to really like this story means it has to clear a higher bar than it might for other people. I'm just not much of a fan of fantasy stories. I never played D\u0026amp;D as a kid (or an adult), I liked the \u003Ci\u003ELord of the Rings\u003C\/i\u003E and \u003Ci\u003EHarry Potter\u003C\/i\u003E books and movies, but that's about as far as I go. I just don't care about dragons, wizards, trolls, magic, etc. (if you talk robots and time travel, \u003Ci\u003Ethen \u003C\/i\u003Eyou'll have my attention).\u0026nbsp; So, what I'm telling you is that even if you don't particularly like fantasy stories - maybe even particularly if you don't like fantasy stories, you ought to give \u003Ci\u003EBarbaric \u003C\/i\u003Ea chance. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhy? I'm glad you asked. I think it’s because this story feels less to me like a “fantasy story” than it feels like “a strong story being told in a fantasy setting”. Some fantasy stories have turned me off because the characters feel stilted, or the world building feels overly intricate or baroque, and the story feels bogged down in details that just don’t interest me. But right from the beginning this story grabs me. This is a fantasy setting of orcs and goblins and witches, but fundamentally it’s a story about a bad man who must redeem himself by meting out justice. The fantastical elements feel well-done, but this could also easily be a story told in the old west, or feudal Japan. And maybe that’s why I like it so much, it has a strong Western\/Samurai vibe to it.\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"1019\" data-original-width=\"663\" height=\"640\" id=\"id_1a5d_c20_af06_eb8e\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-PGUnjP7DCFM\/YGC-v8VZrqI\/AAAAAAACStc\/M02_FFuc4JofAhJaRREkL4EbByIYaJbrgCLcBGAsYHQ\/w416-h640\/unnamed-21.webp\" style=\"height: auto; width: 416px;\" width=\"416\" \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFrom the beginning it’s clear that Moreci and Gooden are out to tackle big ideas, as well as tell an entertaining story. Our guy Owen is a Barbarian, but he’s an astute social observer. Within the first few pages he calls out religious hypocrisy and points out the fundamental unfairness of punishing poor people in a specify that does nothing to address their poverty. This is a violent, brutal society, but even Owen and his magical murder Axe can see that someone doesn’t deserve to die simply because someone else says they do, or because it would set an example to deter theft. To be clear, Owen and his Axe are not community organizers marching in the streets. But I appreciate that trenchant observations about religious hypocrisy and social inequality inform the book from the get-go.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIt’s an insightful, funny, entertaining story. But the reason you should pick this story up in comic form (apart from the simple fact that that’s the format it’s in) is the art. I was *completely* unfamiliar with Nathan Gooden’s work before this book but - pardon the vulgarity - HOLY SHIT he’s a great artist and this is exceptional work. This comic bursts with life (and death!) and energy thanks to the work of Gooden and Addison Duke on colors.\u0026nbsp; Gooden has a fantastic style. Each artist has their own distinct style, but Gooden's work made me think of a combination of the visceral detail of Jerome Opeña combined with the angles and energy of Sean Murphy. It's incredibly compelling, muscular, brutal linework, an immensely appealing style. Not to be super cliche, but it's very \u003Ci\u003Emetal\u003C\/i\u003E.\u0026nbsp; Owen is a fearsome being. He’s being an imposing and not only that he clearly looks like someone who could kill you with ease, and he acts that way as well. The talking ax is also a thing of beauty in this story. Well, not beauty in the traditional sense. But, if it’s possible to really effectively convey facial acting and emotion in a terrifying-looking talking axe that looks sort of like a skull, then Gooden does that effectively.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"1019\" data-original-width=\"663\" height=\"640\" id=\"id_9b12_adf_e7e1_6a0a\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-KMDRiFjeR8Y\/YGC-wMIC9iI\/AAAAAAACStk\/QfHesyvS51I1M3xAZClUpZYO_XYCRLJ5QCLcBGAsYHQ\/w416-h640\/unnamed-22.webp\" style=\"height: auto; width: 416px;\" width=\"416\" \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003EGooden doesn't just have a terrific linework, he is (most importantly) a  a terrific sequential storyteller. From the very beginning of the  story, Gooden does a great job establishing a sense of scope and place.  We follow reaction from the very beginning of the story where Gooden  conveys a real sense of place in a very short amount of time, and also  provides a sense of scope of the size of the arena that the characters  are in. From there I thought that the “camera” following the characters  move from one to another in a very appealing way. And once the action begins, I appreciate that Gooden very clearly conveys a sense of the  brute force and strength and speed of Owen in combat. Conveying action that is fast AND furious AND brutal AND not hard to follow is not an easy task (and not one that all artists can pull off). \u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGooden has a fantastic artistic partner in Addison Duke. From the very beginning of the story, color really informs and creates the sense of place in the comic. In the first part of the story, which takes place in more of a Mediterranean seeming area, the washed out dusty colors convey a sense of desert and heat and Dusty atmosphere. Duke nicely uses color to convey differing distances in some of the panels above, contrasting the closeness of the cleric figure with the distance of the audience. And Duke‘s usage of light and shadow really also help to convey the fearsome nature of Owen in the story (as he has a grizzled, almost stone-like muscular appearance), and bring him to life as a terrifying figure. \u0026nbsp;I also appreciated Duke's color choices with regards to the various characters in the story. This is not our world, and the diversity the colors colors of the characters conveyed that this is its own, interesting world populated by diverse set of beings. And the overall sense of quality of the book extends to the excellent lettering from Jim Campbell (no surprises there). There are some fun, appropriately barbaric-looking lettering choices in the comic that are additive to the story. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"1019\" data-original-width=\"663\" height=\"640\" id=\"id_f492_2802_7d2b_7a8c\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-76kDDD9EnDc\/YGC-wQEYncI\/AAAAAAACSto\/O4fTuF4i45Q7CKenlK2BhxNNvCLw-g8jgCLcBGAsYHQ\/w416-h640\/unnamed-23.webp\" style=\"height: auto; width: 416px;\" width=\"416\" \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBarbaric number one really does have that \u003Ci\u003Eit \u003C\/i\u003Efactor that makes me very excited to read more. There’s tons of bloody action, humor, smart ideas, and some heart. This is without question the best debut I've read this year.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ci\u003EBarbaric is coming out this June and available to pre-order now. \u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8675936740079831063\/posts\/default\/8731510043123905521"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8675936740079831063\/posts\/default\/8731510043123905521"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.panelpatter.com\/2021\/04\/advance-review-barbaric-1-by-moreci-and.html","title":"ADVANCE REVIEW: Barbaric #1 by Moreci and Gooden"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"James Kaplan"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/08677155836689043778"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"16","height":"16","src":"https:\/\/img1.blogblog.com\/img\/b16-rounded.gif"}}]},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8675936740079831063.post-3838918729126022424"},"published":{"$t":"2021-04-02T11:05:00.002-04:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2021-04-02T22:32:07.785-04:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"gary panter"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"jimbo"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"mmc"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"nyrc"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"The Apotheosis of a Punk in Gary Panter's Jimbo: Adventures in Paradise from NYRC"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/lh3.googleusercontent.com\/-GzJCL8wcTt4\/YGcsmFSCLzI\/AAAAAAAALSQ\/NRJIQw9-xuwtyIQ9zEoaGWj-F6tOIln-gCLcBGAsYHQ\/image.png\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg alt=\"\" data-original-height=\"2048\" data-original-width=\"1578\" height=\"400\" src=\"https:\/\/lh3.googleusercontent.com\/-GzJCL8wcTt4\/YGcsmFSCLzI\/AAAAAAAALSQ\/NRJIQw9-xuwtyIQ9zEoaGWj-F6tOIln-gCLcBGAsYHQ\/w308-h400\/image.png\" width=\"308\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cb\u003EJimbo\u003C\/b\u003E holds a special place in my comic-reading history. Along with Mike Allred’s \u003Cb\u003EMadman\u003C\/b\u003E, the 1990’s \u003Cb\u003EZongo\u003C\/b\u003E incarnation of \u003Cb\u003EJimbo\u003C\/b\u003E represents my first foray outside the world of mainstream superhero comics. For an 8th grader raised on \u003Cb\u003ESuperman\u003C\/b\u003E and \u003Cb\u003EGreen Lantern\u003C\/b\u003E, a book like \u003Cb\u003EMadman\u003C\/b\u003E was certainly weird, but familiar enough. It spoke essentially the same language, if in a far cooler and slightly less accessible dialect. \u003Cb\u003EJimbo\u003C\/b\u003E, on the other hand, was entirely foreign, dropping only a few cognates here or there, and I truly had no idea what what I had encountered when it first entered my world. I’m not sure specifically how I came across it, or why the shop owner even let me buy it. I’m 100% certain I didn’t understand it in the slightest.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Ca name='more'\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETo be fair, I’m not particularly confident I understood Madman either.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFast forward more than twenty-five years to a new collection of the late 80s iteration of \u003Cb\u003EJimbo\u003C\/b\u003E, \u003Ci\u003EAdventures in Paradise\u003C\/i\u003E, the original publication serving as a compilation of the first ten years of Panter’s \u003Cb\u003EJimbo\u003C\/b\u003E cartoons from \u003Cb\u003E\u003Ci\u003ESlash\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E and \u003Cb\u003E\u003Ci\u003ERaw\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E. This new edition from \u003Cb\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.nyrb.com\/collections\/new-york-review-comics\/products\/jimbo?variant=35223007002792\"\u003ENew York Review Comics\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E is oversize (perhaps a little larger than the Treasury Edition format) with ever-so-slightly glossy pages that undoubtedly contrast Panter’s scrawling style while helping to highlight and contrast the textures that define his panels. Jimbo’s history is perpetually linked with punk rock, and \u003Ci\u003EAdventures in Paradise\u003C\/i\u003E reflects the sounds of the 80s American Underground captured in thick black ink. Raw and emotive, but with a subtle if not tender core, these 80s \u003Cb\u003EJimbo\u003C\/b\u003E works capture not only the nuclear anxiety of the Reagan years, but also the convergence of late hippie ethos with punk rock aesthetics.\u003Ci\u003E Adventures in Paradise\u003C\/i\u003E collects strips over forty years old, and consequently accrues a historical element, a retrospective of not only the style of the second wave of Underground Comix, but also a worldview that is almost dumbfounding in its prescience even by today’s standards.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EPanter sets the tone for the \u003Cb\u003EJimbo \u003C\/b\u003Estories we’ll encounter as his titular character muses on the nature of dreams, arguing that the most unsettling aspect of dreams doesn’t lie in the surreal or the fantastical, but as they crest into realism. The realest dreams are the most nightmarish. It’s almost impossible not to read the entire collection through this lens. Panter sends us into a fever dream on paper, and this thesis holds true. Throughout the collection, Jimbo encounters bizarre situations, including futuristic worlds connected to the city’s sewer and automated fast food restaurants; he meets and reckons with Nancy, and he attempts to disarm a nuclear bomb. But it’s in the reality that Jimbo’s existential dread manifests most clearly; it’s when things seem normal that Panter’s work is the most unsettling.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cimg alt=\"\" data-original-height=\"2048\" data-original-width=\"1530\" height=\"640\" src=\"https:\/\/lh3.googleusercontent.com\/-M_8Mqgv2HmE\/YGcklAvl_gI\/AAAAAAAALR4\/IUyVpx-nzFsi0H0F8Dh5rDoJ6i26LfAKQCLcBGAsYHQ\/w477-h640\/image.png\" width=\"477\" \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: x-small;\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003EPanter's thin and rough lines alternate with his denser pages characterized by thick inks and panels stuffed with otherworldly renderings.\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe element I appreciate most about \u003Ci\u003EAdventures in Paradise\u003C\/i\u003E is Panter’s uncompromisingly raw style. It’s not specifically that the art isn’t refined. No, Panter can create heavily detailed panels. He deliberately works in textures, and the pages feel appropriately layered and rough. I almost wish I could run my hand across them. Panter's line structure is cleaner than it often appears, and it alternates from being thick and dense to thin and more free-flowing.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"256\" data-original-width=\"429\" height=\"382\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-iCdXhAnv2d0\/YGciuXsNVZI\/AAAAAAAALRo\/hVaoqZOB-dYVpP6fWr1ALKJjkgF03ITYwCLcBGAsYHQ\/w640-h382\/Screenshot%2B2021-04-02%2Bat%2B9.56.23%2BAM.png\" width=\"640\" \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: x-small;\"\u003EPage 12 of \u003Cb\u003EAdventures in Paradise\u003C\/b\u003E\u0026nbsp;provides a definitive example of Panter's contrasting style. Here, we see Panter conjure what could be a page from Kirby's \u003Cb\u003EFourth World\u003C\/b\u003E\u0026nbsp;epic.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs I mentioned above, it’s practically impossible to separate Jimbo from punk rock, and as I read \u003Ci\u003EAdventures in Paradise\u003C\/i\u003E, I couldn’t help thinking about chord structure and specifically about the more avant-garde bands of the 80s scene, those rooted in the noise and nihilism of punk, but with a more intentional approach. Panter's work feels deliberately distorted, and I thought of the bands that made noise because they wanted to see where it would go, not because they were restricted to noise by primitive skill. In other words, I thought about bands like Sonic Youth, Big Black, or The Butthole Surfers. \u003Ci\u003EAdventures in Paradise\u003C\/i\u003E feels noisy, like there is a static on the page. Panter moves from thin-lined, rough sketch work to hyper-detailed, high contrast scenes in a manner of panels. At points, Panter appears to be funneling his approach through a cubist or surrealist lens, channeling it all into a highly Fauvist rendering of neo-expressionism all while still functioning as a student of pop-art. At other times, he’s positively Kirby: otherworldly, geometric, and impeccably stylized.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"598\" data-original-width=\"390\" height=\"200\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-aV4ycWxvsoo\/YGcjEI69e3I\/AAAAAAAALRw\/FLv2dq4LVwsV2nEF-iptN_5gSK786YPMQCLcBGAsYHQ\/w131-h200\/Screenshot%2B2021-04-02%2Bat%2B9.46.05%2BAM.png\" width=\"131\" \/\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/lh3.googleusercontent.com\/-S6SqRbJXOHI\/YGcm3H6Tm4I\/AAAAAAAALSI\/MbdVGlptYYYpqb_hI8d9kMqx_zSul9E8ACLcBGAsYHQ\/image.png\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg alt=\"\" data-original-height=\"2047\" data-original-width=\"1504\" height=\"200\" src=\"https:\/\/lh3.googleusercontent.com\/-S6SqRbJXOHI\/YGcm3H6Tm4I\/AAAAAAAALSI\/MbdVGlptYYYpqb_hI8d9kMqx_zSul9E8ACLcBGAsYHQ\/w147-h200\/image.png\" width=\"147\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: left;\"\u003EPanter's style morphs from page to page and even from panel to panel. On some pages, Panter's first draft approach connotes his raw punk frustration, while his more intricate pages reveal the sense of nuclear anxiety that permeates the entire collection. Even Panter's lettering captures this dynamic. There are points where his lettering seems deliberate and articulated, and others where it seems that Panter changed his idea about the direction of the dialogue mid-lettering. The shifting polarity of Panter's vision reveals Jimbo's specific neuroses, caught somewhere between an immediate agnosticism and a terrifying vision of the future. And there is a good rationale for such an outlook - Jimbo's world combines the end point of Cold War paranoia with the increased commodification of the nascent stages of late-capitalism. Forty years later, Jimbo's predictive anxieties come manifest in the hyper-immediate climate characterized by the Internet of Things, gig economies, and looming artificial intelligence.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/lh3.googleusercontent.com\/-PA1i3GEmb4c\/YGcllRm-RlI\/AAAAAAAALSA\/mXV_2fRmNJ0gwyu70zzp3Q_pKciCYmOIQCLcBGAsYHQ\/image.png\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg alt=\"\" data-original-height=\"2047\" data-original-width=\"1539\" height=\"640\" src=\"https:\/\/lh3.googleusercontent.com\/-PA1i3GEmb4c\/YGcllRm-RlI\/AAAAAAAALSA\/mXV_2fRmNJ0gwyu70zzp3Q_pKciCYmOIQCLcBGAsYHQ\/w480-h640\/image.png\" width=\"480\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: x-small;\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003EPanter the sage - it's almost as if he predicts Olivia Jaimes' \u003Cb\u003ENancy\u003C\/b\u003E\u0026nbsp;reboot.\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhat jumps out at me is thus the sheer prescience of Panter’s philosophy. Despite producing the majority of \u003Ci\u003EAdventures in Paradise\u003C\/i\u003E forty or more years ago, his anti-consumerist critique of late-capitalism is equally fresh and poignant today, perhaps even more so. Panter’s landscape eerily anticipates some of the most frustrating hallmarks of the 21st century. He expresses a horrifying picture of stifling big box suburban life and an all-too uncanny portrait of an automated workforce. While recent books like \u003Cb\u003EMarc-Uwe Kling’s\u003C\/b\u003E \u003Ci\u003EQualityland\u003C\/i\u003E and \u003Cb\u003EClaire North’s\u003C\/b\u003E \u003Ci\u003E84k\u003C\/i\u003E seem frighteningly accurate in describing the immediate future, reading \u003Ci\u003EAdventures in Paradise\u003C\/i\u003E reminded me of my first encounter with Vonnegut’s \u003Ci\u003EPlayer Piano\u003C\/i\u003E. There is a disconcerting, unsettling feel to Panter's predictions. It's almost frustrating to think someone saw the world we'd encounter with such clarity of vision. I can’t help but wonder what it was like to read Jimbo’s adventures in their original context. Did they seem outlandish? Were people able to see past the counterculture antagonism through to Panter’s punk polemic?\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"633\" data-original-width=\"985\" height=\"413\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-X1rqF8bFfus\/YGcszIfIKSI\/AAAAAAAALSU\/8-hwo9crCjA3FT9-5CD5RP9Mb8XBOyD_wCLcBGAsYHQ\/w640-h413\/Screenshot%2B2021-04-02%2Bat%2B10.38.32%2BAM.png\" width=\"640\" \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: left;\"\u003EPanter closes the collection with what amounts to an ongoing story. Parts of \u003Ci\u003EAdventures in Paradise\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;link together, while others stand alone. An overarching tone certainly permeates this book, but for most of the collection, Panter isn't necessarily trying to tell a story. It isn't presented in the original publication chronology, but rather one Panter describes as a \"rambling coherence.\" In the last portion of the text, Panter's style seems to coalesce as does the narrative itself. Building from Jimbo's scattered adventures, our protagonist becomes a hero proper, charged with dismantling an atomic bomb amidst a wasteland of science fiction creatures. Washed in azure, the final section is indicative of Panter's vision of pop art cum neo-expressionism. It's fitting that the apex of this world combines two art styles known for blending the high and the low, because that truly seems to be who Jimbo is -\u0026nbsp; a hickish punk at the center of the world itself.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Ci\u003EJimbo: Adventures in Paradise arrived in comic stores this week, and is available from a number of alt-comics retailers as well as its publisher, \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.nyrb.com\/collections\/new-york-review-comics\/products\/jimbo?variant=35223007002792\"\u003ENew York Review Comics\u003C\/a\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8675936740079831063\/posts\/default\/3838918729126022424"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8675936740079831063\/posts\/default\/3838918729126022424"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.panelpatter.com\/2021\/04\/the-apotheosis-of-punk-in-gary-panters.html","title":"The Apotheosis of a Punk in Gary Panter's Jimbo: Adventures in Paradise from NYRC"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Mike McCann"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/01788264059663942004"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"16","height":"16","src":"https:\/\/img1.blogblog.com\/img\/b16-rounded.gif"}}]},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8675936740079831063.post-3801475957509086008"},"published":{"$t":"2021-04-01T11:03:00.002-04:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2021-04-01T11:03:49.339-04:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Black Mask"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Jim Campbell"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Manuel Preitano"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Pat Shand"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"quick hits"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"rl"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Quick Hit: Destiny, NY #1 by Pat Shand and Manuel Preitano"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cp style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"1156\" data-original-width=\"1500\" height=\"309\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/--cneTYDdQQY\/YGDv5le2zLI\/AAAAAAAAGAE\/RQ_4U3DDDU0zp_J10cl491tVdnFXDYnigCLcBGAsYHQ\/w400-h309\/Destiny%2BNY%2BCover.jpg\" width=\"400\" \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003EDestiny, NY #1 \u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EPat Shand, writer \u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EManuel Preitano, artist \u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EJim Campbell, letterer \u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003ECover artists: Elisa Romboli, Terry Moore, and Rosi Kämpe \u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EPublished by Black Mask Studios  \u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E \u003Cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003EWhat happens next to the young man or woman after they save the world, defeat the evil villain, or solve the unsolvable puzzle? This is generally where the story ends, with the hero victorious and balance restored. We don’t see the hero going to college, getting a job, applying for a mortgage, etc. Now that the quest is over, we don’t really care about the hero anymore; they are the spent rocket booster that’s done its job and is no longer needed. The audience has already moved on to the next story, the next adventure.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"1980\" data-original-width=\"1280\" height=\"640\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-8K-hrx1RlAU\/YGXf22llt8I\/AAAAAAACTEE\/KtSoWIAj0BU2UkocQG_AKZBm0cuyd5TAQCLcBGAsYHQ\/w414-h640\/ee19696092e7bd5cfd3edfb3bcdbae25._SX1280_QL80_TTD_.jpg\" width=\"414\" \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003ELogan McBride is one of these young heroes and she fulfilled her prophecy as a preteen. It isn’t clear to the readers—or even to her friends and classmates—what exactly she did. It was foretold that she would “Go into the unseen and remove untouched death” but what does that mean? Her life now involves being a grad student at Destiny University and working as a barista. You would think that after removing the untouched death, she would at least get a job at a startup. Her ex-girlfriend Bailey has just gotten engaged, she appears to be suffering from anxiety, and she doesn't really seem to have anything to look forward to. And that’s where \u003Ci\u003EDestiny, NY \u003C\/i\u003Estarts.\u0026nbsp;\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ca name='more'\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E \u003Cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003EOne of the things that I really like about the world of \u003Ci\u003EDestiny, NY \u003C\/i\u003Eis that Destiny University and its prophesized students are known to the public. This isn’t another hidden away magic school à la Brakebills or Hogwarts. And though magic does seem to exist in this world, it doesn’t look like it is used for everyday things. Characters ride subways, live in tiny apartments, get sandwiches from bagel shops, and take vacations that they can’t really afford. \u003C\/p\u003E \u003Cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003EPat Shand’s dialogue is clever, witty, and fleshes out the characters. There were several points during the book when I laughed out loud. When Gia, a friend of Logan, explains that a seer told her that she is going to defeat the most ancient evil on this plane, Gia understandably has a few questions. “…at first, I thought--they want me to kill a dark lord on a plane? How am I gonna get a sanctified sword through security, right?” And like in most colleges and universities, lust plays a major role in day-to-day life. Each character seems to have one or two active crushes going on. \u003Cspan style=\"mso-spacerun: yes;\"\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"mso-spacerun: yes;\"\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"494\" data-original-width=\"800\" height=\"396\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-5HTrScPOL08\/YGDwAB3zN6I\/AAAAAAAAGAI\/pVKyVZ2fLrQXcKreWDBSoEFyZYBTCyqHgCLcBGAsYHQ\/w640-h396\/Destiny%2BNY%2Bvariant%2Bcover.jpg\" width=\"640\" \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003EAccording to the Black Mask Studios, the series’ artist, Manuel Preitano, loves cats. And that love is expressed with his drawing of Brody, Logan's black cat. It’s clear that Preitano is not only a skilled artist, but one who is very familiar with feline behavior. \u003Cspan style=\"mso-spacerun: yes;\"\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003EHis linework is clean but not sterile, and he evokes both the claustrophobia of the subway and the bright genericness of American coffee chains. The cast is diverse not just in terms of race but also in regards to sexuality and body type. It’s always great to see characters with bigger bodies, and this inclusion makes perfect sense for this world as it is what you would see at any university. There are a number of sex scenes between women, but they never feel engineered for the male gaze or to be gratuitous.  \u003Cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003EWhen I got to the last page in this double-sized first issue, I turned the next page hoping that there was still more to read. If you like \u003Ci\u003EThe Magicians \u003C\/i\u003E(either the book series or the TV series), you owe it to yourself to check out \u003Ci\u003EDestiny NY.\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E "},"link":[{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8675936740079831063\/posts\/default\/3801475957509086008"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8675936740079831063\/posts\/default\/3801475957509086008"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.panelpatter.com\/2021\/04\/quick-hit-destiny-ny-1-by-pat-shand-and.html","title":"Quick Hit: Destiny, NY #1 by Pat Shand and Manuel Preitano"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Rachel Lapidow"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/07953309876689728459"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"16","height":"16","src":"https:\/\/img1.blogblog.com\/img\/b16-rounded.gif"}}]},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8675936740079831063.post-5085446153996464049"},"published":{"$t":"2021-03-30T08:30:00.002-04:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2021-03-30T13:20:36.110-04:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Black Mask"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"catch-it"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"dark horse"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"dc"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"image"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"jk"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"kce"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"kodansha"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"marvel"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"rbm"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"rl"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"seven seas"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"source point press"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"vault"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Catch It at the Comic Shop March 31st, 2021"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cp\u003EWelcome to Catch it at the Comic Shop, where the Panel Patter team looks  at what's coming out at your favorite store or digital device this  week. Each one of us that participates picks up to five items due out  this week, with a little bit about why we like them. (NOTE: We use  solicitation material for this, so if we miss creators, \u003Cb\u003E\u003Cu\u003Eplease talk to your publisher\u003C\/u\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E!)  Sometimes we might only have a few items to share, other weeks, keeping  it to five will make for hard choices. Here's what the team wanted to  highlight this week...\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003ERachel's Picks:\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"1215\" data-original-width=\"800\" height=\"400\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-G3qiqQj69Ng\/YFkyjKckwvI\/AAAAAAACSrk\/bhG35nk9tusMqTImBWwA_HlGylRbB6cVgCLcBGAsYHQ\/w264-h400\/907288._SX1280_QL80_TTD_.jpg\" width=\"264\" \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cb\u003EWitchblood #1 by Matthew Erman, Lisa Sterle, Gab Contreras, and Jim Campbell, published by Vault Comics\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EI’ve  always had a problem with female characters fighting in metal bikinis  and stiletto boots\/high heels. How is it that none of these characters  have had a wardrobe malfunction while saving the day? I can only suspend  my disbelief so much. Lately I’ve gotten in to watching Jill Bearup’s  videos. She is a stage combat performer and one of the frequent themes  in her videos is discussing the clothing that characters, especially  female characters, wear in action and comic book movies. If you want to  know why boob armor is bad and why platform boots aren’t the best  footwear for a fight, I recommend that you check out her YouTube or  Nebula videos. Thus, when I started reading Vault’s Witchblood and I saw  that Yonna D’Arc a witch and the main character was wearing a cute but  very practical motorcycle outfit (leather jacket, fitted cargo pants,  sturdy low-heeled boots), I was quite pleased.\u0026nbsp; Witchblood takes  place in a world where both witches and vampires exist. The vampires  especially enjoy drinking blood from witche—hence the title of the  series. Yonna is understandably not a fan of this. Aside from the great  outfits, I was also immediately captured by the opening shot of a  beautiful western desert with stars, mountains, and cacti. A lot of neon  colors, like hot pink and turquoise are used throughout, which reminds  me of Jen Bartel's work. There are moments that are very cartoony, like  when a character is bonked on the head. What's nice though is that even  though some items in that panel are drawn in a more simplified manner,  the item that did the bonking is rendered in a lot of detail. And when  the vampires turn up, the art becomes more menacing and psychedelic. I  liked Jim Campbell's lettering for Bhu the crow’s sound effects. Some of  these include \"peck,\" \"caw\" and my absolute favorite, \"bird.\" If you  like urban fantasies and colors that remind you of Lisa Frank, pick up a  copy of Witchblood.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"1968\" data-original-width=\"1280\" height=\"400\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-X8-hIsIZpA8\/YGJkJY7E4zI\/AAAAAAACS7A\/nC2f5jtKTywDQmV8IqGb6xnLJwXbX6mGQCLcBGAsYHQ\/w260-h400\/921643._SX1280_QL80_TTD_.jpg\" width=\"260\" \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cb\u003EShadow Doctor #2 by Peter Calloway, Georges Jeanty, Juancho!, Charles Pritchett, \u0026amp; Mark Chiarello, published by AfterShock Comics\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/p\u003EThis volume opens with teenaged Nat and his white friend, Mary, out in the Alabama woods. Mary brings Nat to a fig tree that shouldn't be growing in this climate, but which appears to be thriving. These scenes of the lush tree and the woods are the brightest in the volume, a kind of Eden. Even in this paradise, the color of his skin will be held against him.\u0026nbsp; Knowing that the series is based on a true story, it is sickening to see how terribly Nat is treated. He just wants to be a doctor and no one is willing to hire him or to lend him money to open a clinic. And though Al Capone regularly says racist, ignorant things to Nat about Black culture, he's far less racist and hateful than most Americans. He gives--not loans but gives--Nat $1,000 so that Nat can open up a clinic. Capone tells Nat that in America, station doesn't matter, that a man is limited only by his ambition. Despite this, he doesn't believe that America is ready to accept Black lawyers or doctors, but he'd like Nat to prove him wrong. The art by Georges Jeanty again recreates 1930s Chicago. My favorite panel is from inside a bustling jazz club. The diners are all rich and white and the band performing is made up of three Black men. Nat's purple suit (a loan from Capone) is one of the brightest items in the space. It’s obvious how much he doesn’t belong there. But his services as a doctor are going to be needed quite soon.\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ca name='more'\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003EKelli's Picks:\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"1024\" data-original-width=\"683\" height=\"400\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-JaGldzoUze8\/YGC9Biao-6I\/AAAAAAACStM\/bFt1hF4TChYMD1i6V499_3sQUQlz7F4AgCLcBGAsYHQ\/w266-h400\/HeavensDesignTeam_vol_004_cvr-683x1024.jpg\" width=\"266\" \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cb\u003EHeaven’s Design Team Vol.4 by Hebi-Zou, Tsuta Suzuki, and Tarako, published by Kodansha \u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E This manga is such a crazy mix of themes.  It’s creationism mashed up with non-conformist gender roles and gender identities, sprinkled with good dose of biology, and finished with a touch of humour.  Before I go further I should say, I am 100% Team Evolution.  I do understand and respect the fact that Intelligent Design is considered by some as an explanation for the existence of life on Earth.  For me it’s the nucleus for a really interesting and funny manga.  Whether you plant your flag in one camp, or the other, or neither,  I hope that you can enjoy this manga!  Anyway, here’s the premise:  God created Heaven and the Earth, he also started to make all the plants and animals, but then He got lazy and a little bit bored, so He decided to outsource the job.  Enter Heaven’s Design Team.   An eccentric group of designers tasked with fulfilling God’s vague and sometimes conflated design requests.  The group itself is pretty interesting. There’s a big burly guy who likes to design cute, cuddly animals. There is a pig-tailed, plushie-carrying girl who has a penchant for designing macabre creatures, like parasites.  There’s the guy who likes to sample almost every creature they create.  Most of his designs have ended up in a pot or at the end of a skewer.  Then there is the person who believes that to design is to create beauty.  I say person, rather than s\/he because they are transgendered and also possibly non-binary.  Actually, their gender isn’t really important to story, but it’s worth mentioning, precisely because it is not an issue within the pages of Heaven’s Design Team.  They’re just part of the team doing their thing designing beautiful fauna and flora.  That kind of inclusivity is just awesome. Heaven’s Design Team  is an educational and humorous romp for fans of manga like Cells at Work, and What the Font?!.  If you’re inquisitive about the world around you, if you wonder why elephants have such ridiculously big ears, or why bunnies eat their own poop, or why the world isn’t filled with horses that fly, pick up a copy of Heaven’s Design Team. It’s a nice launching point from which to learn more about the creatures that we share this planet with. \u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"449\" data-original-width=\"320\" height=\"400\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-6dFjjXDO0F0\/YGDkbQtya0I\/AAAAAAACSuE\/_G13H_IvtJEKAicOI09JfGGkiJZyltWOACLcBGAsYHQ\/w285-h400\/BL-Metamorphosis-4-coverFRONT.jpg\" width=\"285\" \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cb\u003EBL Metamorphosis vol. 4 by Kaori Tsurutani, translated by Jocelyne Allen, published by Seven Seas Entertainment\u0026nbsp; \u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EBL  stands for “Boys Love”; as the label implies BL is manga about love  between men. It is a complicated genre, but to put it simply, it is  manga about men who like men, written primarily by women for girls and  young women.  The popularity of BL has increased in recent years and  readership has grown beyond its target audience to include fans of all  ages and gender.  BL Metamorphosis however, is less about BL and more  about the friendship of two women.  Ichinoi is 75 when she picks up her  first volume of BL.  She thinks it is a regular Shojo (girls) manga and  is pleasantly surprised once she starts reading.  She is instantly  hooked and returns to the bookstore to buy the next volume in the  series.  It is here that she meets Urara, a sensitive and introverted  high school student and veteran BL fan. The two slowly develop a  friendship, meeting to trade volumes and talk about their favourite BL.   As the story unfolds we learn more about Ichinoi and Urara, about their  struggles, their relationships with others and also with themselves.  Volume 4 sees Urara take the plunge into making her very own BL  doujinshi [amateur manga] with the hopes of exhibiting it at a doujinshi  convention.  Tsurutani’s art style is simple but quite detailed. Hidden  in her panels are small details that offer a glimpse into the daily  lives of urban Japanese. Her pen touch is light, with thin even lines,  typical of shojo manga, and perfect for this story that is a quiet  meditation on growing up and growing old.\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003EJames' Picks:\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"2048\" data-original-width=\"1600\" height=\"400\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-caNHv0CvXBU\/YF6gxU_JBgI\/AAAAAAACSss\/WV5VpyOjDLwmDTsYBQhJlFtegLTcctniACLcBGAsYHQ\/w313-h400\/0121DC074.webp\" width=\"313\" \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cb\u003EThe Other History of the DC Universe #3 by John Ridley, Giuseppe Camuncoli, Andrea Cucchi, and Jose Villarubia, published by DC Comics\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EI've really enjoyed \u003Ci\u003EThe Other History of the DC Universe\u003C\/i\u003E so far. The first two issues focused on Black heroes (Black Lightning, and Bumblebee\/Guardian), and this issue focuses on the character of Katana (a.k.a. Tatsu Yamashiro).\u0026nbsp; I haven't read a ton of comics featuring this character, but I've enjoyed Katana when I've read her. She's an incredible combatant with a sword, and her sword has the spirit of her deceased husband in it.\u0026nbsp; That's pretty intense. The character was also featured to great effect on the \u003Ci\u003EArrow\u003C\/i\u003E TV show years ago.\u0026nbsp; This comic series exists to shine a light on DC characters representing marginalized groups of people, in order to make clear that the \"canonical\" history of the DC universe is not the only perspective that needs to be heard. This is always timely and always important, but given the terrible anti-Asian violence in recent weeks, this is unfortunately more timely and important than ever (hey, #StopAsianHate). Anyway, the first 2 issues have been challenging (in a good way) and thoughtful and gorgeously illustrated, so I'm really looking forward to this next one. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"1800\" data-original-width=\"1100\" height=\"400\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-C4XnXKZ7RNo\/YF6gxUyAqnI\/AAAAAAACSso\/6s02hSObfdIsBP4N1UCUSIHprp8tB1qhQCLcBGAsYHQ\/w245-h400\/JAN210555.webp\" width=\"245\" \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cb\u003EBeta Ray Bill #1 by Daniel Warren Johnson, published by Marvel Comics\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAny time Daniel Warren Johnson starts a new project it's a big deal. \u003Ci\u003EWonder Woman Dead Earth\u003C\/i\u003E was an incredible \"what if\" tale about WW which felt different than most other stories I've ever read about the character. Before that, \u003Ci\u003EMurder Falcon\u003C\/i\u003E was one of my favorite comics of 2019, as it told an incredibly emotional story of a guy in a band who used the power of music to defeat monsters. The reason that DWJ is such a popular storyteller is simple. His art is completely f$%^ing mind-blowing. He does some of the most intense, visceral, detailed work out there today. Just staggering. Go read his books and check out his insane commissions. Anyway, Beta Ray Bill is a really fun character who I always enjoy whenever he pops up. His last encounter didn't go well, and he's heading off somewhere to have adventures. Honestly while I'm sure the plot will be interesting, all I want is to just watch Beta Ray Bill battle giant monsters. I think this'll be great. \u003Cb\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"2048\" data-original-width=\"1349\" height=\"400\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-dg-3i9HGzyE\/YF6iPf0S34I\/AAAAAAACStE\/kmr4qnUl6XkEw_F9Kvf0Zs5aeZN8O9nMACLcBGAsYHQ\/w264-h400\/STL179758.jpg\" width=\"264\" \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cb\u003ESilk #1 by Maurene Goo and Takeshi Miyazawa, published by Marvel Comics\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EI really like the character of Silk. She's a more recent addition to Marvel that was introduced around the time of the original \u003Ci\u003ESpider-Verse\u003C\/i\u003E miniseries (which is SO good, you should read it).\u0026nbsp; She was apparently bitten by the same spider that bit Peter, but then she was locked in a secure bunker for 10 years. Sort of weird, but it does explain why she wasn't around during Peter's earlier years. Anyway, she's a fun character, and I'm excited to read a new miniseries about her.\u0026nbsp; I LOVE artist Takeshi Miyazawa's artwork, and have enjoyed it in books like \u003Ci\u003EMs. Marvel, Runaways, \u003C\/i\u003Eand \u003Ci\u003EMech Cadet Yu\u003C\/i\u003E. His style is very manga-influenced while still operating within the western comic book style. And he just has incredibly appealing, fun art. So I'm thrilled to check this one out.\u0026nbsp; \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"1384\" data-original-width=\"900\" height=\"400\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-YU_p-DizQ-E\/YF6gxvfCl5I\/AAAAAAACSsw\/BIOIBLlQVtgB3Y_0qDlPn2ECL5OZV2o6wCLcBGAsYHQ\/w260-h400\/SEP200197.webp\" width=\"260\" \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cb\u003EDecorum #7 by Jonathan Hickman and Mike Huddleston, published by Image Comics\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EI'm thrilled for the return of \u003Ci\u003EDecorum\u003C\/i\u003E. This is high-level, weird science fiction which feels like it has a micro story, a macro story, and an \"I have no idea what the hell is going on\" story.\u0026nbsp; But that's fine because it's really engaging and is one of the very best looking comics out there. Mike Huddleston is an absolute beast on art - he's like 5 incredibly talented and distinct artists all rolled into one.\u0026nbsp; The micro story follows an incredibly well-mannered assassin, and he attempts to train a courier as a protege. There's also a story about maybe trying to birth some sort of robot messiah, and there's god? I don't know. It's a lot, but I really love it. \u003Cb\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003ERob's Picks: \u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"1845\" data-original-width=\"1200\" height=\"400\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-uKWZv-tviqM\/YGJkKQdyPGI\/AAAAAAACS7I\/fDlYWXSViW406g9qHNBJHXi6moAf5H1-wCLcBGAsYHQ\/w260-h400\/STL180420.jpg\" width=\"260\" \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003EDestiny, NY #1 by Pat Shand, Manuel Preitano, and Jim Campbell, published by Black Mask\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003ENormally your destiny is ahead of you, but in the case of Logan, it's so far behind her it may as well not exist. While others at her special school wrestle with their looming fate, Logan can't get her mind out of the past. Making matters worse is an ex who's getting married and an inability to look forward. She's even planning a date with a former hookup. That's when Lilith enters her life and turns it upside down in the best possible ways--or perhaps not, as an important secret is revealed in this debut issue that moves quickly from start to finish. Black Mask keeps hanging in there and publishing great comics, and this is no exception. I loved that the pacing kept moving, despite all the introductory work that Shand and Preitano have to do here to get readers up to speed. Logan is immediately likeable and relatable. She's just enough of a mess to remind us of our own lives, but not so much as to be ridiculous. The queer content is extensive, but doesn't feel shoe-horned in, and no one's being a bargain basement stereotype or bigot. And while one of the big reveals wasn't a surprise to me, I'm still looking forward to seeing how they deal with it in future issues. Another thing I really liked was Preitano's linework, which doesn't feel digitally polished. The option to go greytone really enhances the pencilwork, too. I can see some of the individual strokes that went into many of the figures. There's even a great style change for the flashbacks, which look more European in style compared to the very Marvel 70s\/80s House Style the rest of the comic features. And by the way, that's a compliment, not a critique. Seeing someone take the time to make subtle changes in the position of figures, ensuring they look like they're actually talking to each other, and giving a general sense of movement is never, ever a bad thing. Preitano's not afraid to switch up the reader's eye, either, which makes the comic feel even more full of motion. It also means that Jim Campbell has plenty of room to not only letter clearly, but also switch up things so it's not always hanging over their heads like a stormfront. Destiny, NY impressed Terry Moore enough to do a variant cover. After reading this first issue, I can easily see why. Don't sleep on this comic, especially if you dig urban fantasy style settings--and spectacular art.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"1800\" data-original-width=\"1171\" height=\"400\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-bagAe4y1pF4\/YGJkJchoa_I\/AAAAAAACS64\/0JRBwTs3DAoDCOzsC9bd4zH7fcfAjaLBQCLcBGAsYHQ\/w260-h400\/STL177910.jpg\" width=\"260\" \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003EAutobiographix Hardcover by Will Eisner, Frank Miller, Sergio Aragones, Stan Sakai, Bill Morrison, Linda Medley, Paul Chadwick, Matt Wagner, and others, published by Dark Horse\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003EA long long time ago, in a sale bin somewhere, I picked up this awesome collection in paperback, with the one I remember the most being Frank Miller's illustration of his appearance as a extra in the Daredevil movie. While the time period of the book's original publication (2003) shows both in terms of the creators involved and the not-so-great diversity of said creators, it's still a phenomenal book. Part of the fun are the varied styles of those involved, ranging from Miller's practically sketchwork panels to Aragones' cartoonish, but detailed work. These are black and white, so watching how each creator approaches the use (or nonuse) of blacks is another great way to study its pages. I don't often re-buy books, but in this case, I'm planning to make an exception.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"900\" data-original-width=\"600\" height=\"400\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-taJpeGfKOc0\/YGJkJQVTIMI\/AAAAAAACS68\/9zSxqZOugZsk7vkdS5J78NxBXaIx9DQxQCLcBGAsYHQ\/w266-h400\/STL179113.jpg\" width=\"266\" \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cb\u003ECult of Dracula #1 by Rich Davis, Henry Martinez, Trevor Richardson, and Ed Dukeshire, published by Source Point Press\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003EThe Dracula mythos gets a more modern spin, with Renfield leading a cult of worshippers of the bloodsucker and Mina Murray trying to learn its secrets for a (presumably Netflix) documentary. Add a special agent into the mix (unfortunately named Bram, but that's a small complaint) for extra oomph because of course the body count is racking up, and you get a vampire story that caught my eye despite very few details. I love the idea of reimagining Dracula because the standard version is getting a little stale, and while I don't know much about the creators involved, I'm intrigued. The previews for the art look a little stiff and more typical of a indie floppy book than the linework I usually praise, but if the visuals keep the story moving, that'll be enough to keep me reading into issue two.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"1215\" data-original-width=\"800\" height=\"400\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-Dvpe1zuPOYM\/YGJkJ1tYqHI\/AAAAAAACS7E\/NIE8ILTywagKhM3j8i4-9a-g6_q9vTm0QCLcBGAsYHQ\/w264-h400\/STL180246.jpg\" width=\"264\" \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003EShadow Service #6 by Cavan Scott, Corin Howell, Triona Farrell, and Andworld Design, published by Vault Comics\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003EMeyer and Quill are on the run from the events of the first arc and the British Really Secret Service is hot on their tail in this combination chase scene\/origin issue that keeps the foot on the gas. While there's not a lot of plot movement here, the fights are well-constructed and Howell and Farrell do a really nice job making a nightmare of a horse come to life. Wraith-1 is a bit of a cipher, so making her the lead figure here is a bit harder to pull off, but her backstory is useful for explaining why she's such a closed book. This is designed as a jumping on point and I wish it had a bit more meat to offer a new reader, but if you're looking for some magic-with-dire consequences material, this overarching story has it in spades with quirky characters and a whole lot of destruction.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8675936740079831063\/posts\/default\/5085446153996464049"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8675936740079831063\/posts\/default\/5085446153996464049"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.panelpatter.com\/2021\/03\/catch-it-at-comic-shop-march-31st-2021.html","title":"Catch It at the Comic Shop March 31st, 2021"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Panel Patter"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/12354673590872893078"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"16","height":"16","src":"https:\/\/img1.blogblog.com\/img\/b16-rounded.gif"}}]},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8675936740079831063.post-8422556922729143884"},"published":{"$t":"2021-03-25T08:00:00.001-04:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2021-03-25T08:00:03.504-04:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Arielle Jovellanos"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Crank"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Diigii Daguna"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"oni press"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"rl"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Quick Hit - Aggretsuko: Meet Her Friends"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C!--[if gte mso 9]\u003E\u003Cxml\u003E \u003Co:OfficeDocumentSettings\u003E  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Name=\"No Spacing\"\/\u003E  \u003Cw:LsdException Locked=\"false\" Priority=\"60\" Name=\"Light Shading\"\/\u003E  \u003Cw:LsdException Locked=\"false\" Priority=\"61\" Name=\"Light List\"\/\u003E  \u003Cw:LsdException Locked=\"false\" Priority=\"62\" Name=\"Light Grid\"\/\u003E  \u003Cw:LsdException Locked=\"false\" Priority=\"63\" Name=\"Medium Shading 1\"\/\u003E  \u003Cw:LsdException Locked=\"false\" Priority=\"64\" Name=\"Medium Shading 2\"\/\u003E  \u003Cw:LsdException Locked=\"false\" Priority=\"65\" Name=\"Medium List 1\"\/\u003E  \u003Cw:LsdException Locked=\"false\" Priority=\"66\" Name=\"Medium List 2\"\/\u003E  \u003Cw:LsdException Locked=\"false\" Priority=\"67\" Name=\"Medium Grid 1\"\/\u003E  \u003Cw:LsdException Locked=\"false\" Priority=\"68\" Name=\"Medium Grid 2\"\/\u003E  \u003Cw:LsdException Locked=\"false\" Priority=\"69\" Name=\"Medium Grid 3\"\/\u003E  \u003Cw:LsdException Locked=\"false\" Priority=\"70\" Name=\"Dark List\"\/\u003E  \u003Cw:LsdException Locked=\"false\" Priority=\"71\" Name=\"Colorful Shading\"\/\u003E  \u003Cw:LsdException Locked=\"false\" Priority=\"72\" Name=\"Colorful List\"\/\u003E  \u003Cw:LsdException Locked=\"false\" Priority=\"73\" Name=\"Colorful Grid\"\/\u003E  \u003Cw:LsdException Locked=\"false\" Priority=\"60\" Name=\"Light Shading Accent 1\"\/\u003E  \u003Cw:LsdException Locked=\"false\" Priority=\"61\" Name=\"Light List Accent 1\"\/\u003E  \u003Cw:LsdException Locked=\"false\" Priority=\"62\" Name=\"Light Grid Accent 1\"\/\u003E  \u003Cw:LsdException Locked=\"false\" Priority=\"63\" Name=\"Medium Shading 1 Accent 1\"\/\u003E  \u003Cw:LsdException Locked=\"false\" Priority=\"64\" Name=\"Medium Shading 2 Accent 1\"\/\u003E  \u003Cw:LsdException Locked=\"false\" Priority=\"65\" Name=\"Medium List 1 Accent 1\"\/\u003E  \u003Cw:LsdException Locked=\"false\" SemiHidden=\"true\" Name=\"Revision\"\/\u003E  \u003Cw:LsdException Locked=\"false\" Priority=\"34\" QFormat=\"true\"    Name=\"List Paragraph\"\/\u003E  \u003Cw:LsdException Locked=\"false\" Priority=\"29\" QFormat=\"true\" Name=\"Quote\"\/\u003E  \u003Cw:LsdException Locked=\"false\" Priority=\"30\" QFormat=\"true\"    Name=\"Intense Quote\"\/\u003E  \u003Cw:LsdException Locked=\"false\" Priority=\"66\" Name=\"Medium List 2 Accent 1\"\/\u003E  \u003Cw:LsdException Locked=\"false\" Priority=\"67\" Name=\"Medium Grid 1 Accent 1\"\/\u003E  \u003Cw:LsdException Locked=\"false\" Priority=\"68\" Name=\"Medium Grid 2 Accent 1\"\/\u003E  \u003Cw:LsdException Locked=\"false\" Priority=\"69\" Name=\"Medium Grid 3 Accent 1\"\/\u003E  \u003Cw:LsdException Locked=\"false\" Priority=\"70\" Name=\"Dark List Accent 1\"\/\u003E  \u003Cw:LsdException Locked=\"false\" Priority=\"71\" Name=\"Colorful Shading Accent 1\"\/\u003E  \u003Cw:LsdException Locked=\"false\" Priority=\"72\" Name=\"Colorful List Accent 1\"\/\u003E  \u003Cw:LsdException Locked=\"false\" Priority=\"73\" Name=\"Colorful Grid Accent 1\"\/\u003E  \u003Cw:LsdException Locked=\"false\" Priority=\"60\" Name=\"Light Shading Accent 2\"\/\u003E  \u003Cw:LsdException Locked=\"false\" Priority=\"61\" Name=\"Light List Accent 2\"\/\u003E  \u003Cw:LsdException Locked=\"false\" Priority=\"62\" Name=\"Light Grid Accent 2\"\/\u003E  \u003Cw:LsdException Locked=\"false\" Priority=\"63\" Name=\"Medium Shading 1 Accent 2\"\/\u003E  \u003Cw:LsdException Locked=\"false\" Priority=\"64\" Name=\"Medium Shading 2 Accent 2\"\/\u003E  \u003Cw:LsdException Locked=\"false\" Priority=\"65\" Name=\"Medium List 1 Accent 2\"\/\u003E  \u003Cw:LsdException Locked=\"false\" Priority=\"66\" Name=\"Medium List 2 Accent 2\"\/\u003E  \u003Cw:LsdException Locked=\"false\" Priority=\"67\" Name=\"Medium Grid 1 Accent 2\"\/\u003E  \u003Cw:LsdException Locked=\"false\" Priority=\"68\" Name=\"Medium Grid 2 Accent 2\"\/\u003E  \u003Cw:LsdException Locked=\"false\" Priority=\"69\" Name=\"Medium Grid 3 Accent 2\"\/\u003E  \u003Cw:LsdException Locked=\"false\" Priority=\"70\" Name=\"Dark List Accent 2\"\/\u003E  \u003Cw:LsdException Locked=\"false\" Priority=\"71\" Name=\"Colorful Shading Accent 2\"\/\u003E  \u003Cw:LsdException Locked=\"false\" Priority=\"72\" Name=\"Colorful List Accent 2\"\/\u003E  \u003Cw:LsdException Locked=\"false\" Priority=\"73\" Name=\"Colorful Grid Accent 2\"\/\u003E  \u003Cw:LsdException Locked=\"false\" Priority=\"60\" Name=\"Light Shading Accent 3\"\/\u003E  \u003Cw:LsdException Locked=\"false\" Priority=\"61\" Name=\"Light List Accent 3\"\/\u003E  \u003Cw:LsdException Locked=\"false\" Priority=\"62\" Name=\"Light Grid Accent 3\"\/\u003E  \u003Cw:LsdException Locked=\"false\" Priority=\"63\" Name=\"Medium Shading 1 Accent 3\"\/\u003E  \u003Cw:LsdException Locked=\"false\" Priority=\"64\" Name=\"Medium Shading 2 Accent 3\"\/\u003E  \u003Cw:LsdException Locked=\"false\" Priority=\"65\" Name=\"Medium List 1 Accent 3\"\/\u003E  \u003Cw:LsdException Locked=\"false\" Priority=\"66\" Name=\"Medium List 2 Accent 3\"\/\u003E  \u003Cw:LsdException Locked=\"false\" Priority=\"67\" Name=\"Medium Grid 1 Accent 3\"\/\u003E  \u003Cw:LsdException Locked=\"false\" Priority=\"68\" Name=\"Medium Grid 2 Accent 3\"\/\u003E  \u003Cw:LsdException Locked=\"false\" Priority=\"69\" Name=\"Medium Grid 3 Accent 3\"\/\u003E  \u003Cw:LsdException Locked=\"false\" Priority=\"70\" Name=\"Dark List Accent 3\"\/\u003E  \u003Cw:LsdException Locked=\"false\" Priority=\"71\" Name=\"Colorful Shading Accent 3\"\/\u003E  \u003Cw:LsdException Locked=\"false\" Priority=\"72\" Name=\"Colorful List Accent 3\"\/\u003E  \u003Cw:LsdException Locked=\"false\" Priority=\"73\" Name=\"Colorful Grid Accent 3\"\/\u003E  \u003Cw:LsdException Locked=\"false\" Priority=\"60\" Name=\"Light Shading Accent 4\"\/\u003E  \u003Cw:LsdException Locked=\"false\" Priority=\"61\" Name=\"Light List Accent 4\"\/\u003E  \u003Cw:LsdException Locked=\"false\" Priority=\"62\" Name=\"Light Grid Accent 4\"\/\u003E  \u003Cw:LsdException Locked=\"false\" Priority=\"63\" Name=\"Medium Shading 1 Accent 4\"\/\u003E  \u003Cw:LsdException Locked=\"false\" Priority=\"64\" Name=\"Medium Shading 2 Accent 4\"\/\u003E  \u003Cw:LsdException Locked=\"false\" Priority=\"65\" Name=\"Medium List 1 Accent 4\"\/\u003E  \u003Cw:LsdException Locked=\"false\" Priority=\"66\" Name=\"Medium List 2 Accent 4\"\/\u003E  \u003Cw:LsdException Locked=\"false\" Priority=\"67\" Name=\"Medium Grid 1 Accent 4\"\/\u003E  \u003Cw:LsdException Locked=\"false\" Priority=\"68\" Name=\"Medium Grid 2 Accent 4\"\/\u003E  \u003Cw:LsdException Locked=\"false\" Priority=\"69\" Name=\"Medium Grid 3 Accent 4\"\/\u003E  \u003Cw:LsdException Locked=\"false\" Priority=\"70\" Name=\"Dark List Accent 4\"\/\u003E  \u003Cw:LsdException Locked=\"false\" Priority=\"71\" Name=\"Colorful Shading Accent 4\"\/\u003E  \u003Cw:LsdException Locked=\"false\" Priority=\"72\" Name=\"Colorful List Accent 4\"\/\u003E  \u003Cw:LsdException Locked=\"false\" Priority=\"73\" Name=\"Colorful Grid Accent 4\"\/\u003E  \u003Cw:LsdException Locked=\"false\" Priority=\"60\" Name=\"Light Shading Accent 5\"\/\u003E  \u003Cw:LsdException Locked=\"false\" Priority=\"61\" Name=\"Light List Accent 5\"\/\u003E  \u003Cw:LsdException Locked=\"false\" Priority=\"62\" Name=\"Light Grid Accent 5\"\/\u003E  \u003Cw:LsdException Locked=\"false\" Priority=\"63\" Name=\"Medium Shading 1 Accent 5\"\/\u003E  \u003Cw:LsdException Locked=\"false\" Priority=\"64\" Name=\"Medium Shading 2 Accent 5\"\/\u003E  \u003Cw:LsdException Locked=\"false\" Priority=\"65\" Name=\"Medium List 1 Accent 5\"\/\u003E  \u003Cw:LsdException Locked=\"false\" Priority=\"66\" Name=\"Medium List 2 Accent 5\"\/\u003E  \u003Cw:LsdException Locked=\"false\" Priority=\"67\" Name=\"Medium Grid 1 Accent 5\"\/\u003E  \u003Cw:LsdException Locked=\"false\" Priority=\"68\" Name=\"Medium Grid 2 Accent 5\"\/\u003E  \u003Cw:LsdException Locked=\"false\" Priority=\"69\" Name=\"Medium Grid 3 Accent 5\"\/\u003E  \u003Cw:LsdException Locked=\"false\" Priority=\"70\" Name=\"Dark List Accent 5\"\/\u003E  \u003Cw:LsdException Locked=\"false\" Priority=\"71\" Name=\"Colorful Shading Accent 5\"\/\u003E  \u003Cw:LsdException Locked=\"false\" Priority=\"72\" Name=\"Colorful List Accent 5\"\/\u003E  \u003Cw:LsdException Locked=\"false\" Priority=\"73\" Name=\"Colorful Grid Accent 5\"\/\u003E  \u003Cw:LsdException Locked=\"false\" Priority=\"60\" Name=\"Light Shading Accent 6\"\/\u003E  \u003Cw:LsdException Locked=\"false\" Priority=\"61\" Name=\"Light List Accent 6\"\/\u003E  \u003Cw:LsdException Locked=\"false\" Priority=\"62\" Name=\"Light Grid Accent 6\"\/\u003E  \u003Cw:LsdException Locked=\"false\" Priority=\"63\" Name=\"Medium Shading 1 Accent 6\"\/\u003E  \u003Cw:LsdException Locked=\"false\" Priority=\"64\" Name=\"Medium Shading 2 Accent 6\"\/\u003E  \u003Cw:LsdException Locked=\"false\" Priority=\"65\" Name=\"Medium List 1 Accent 6\"\/\u003E  \u003Cw:LsdException Locked=\"false\" Priority=\"66\" Name=\"Medium List 2 Accent 6\"\/\u003E  \u003Cw:LsdException Locked=\"false\" Priority=\"67\" Name=\"Medium Grid 1 Accent 6\"\/\u003E  \u003Cw:LsdException Locked=\"false\" Priority=\"68\" Name=\"Medium Grid 2 Accent 6\"\/\u003E  \u003Cw:LsdException Locked=\"false\" Priority=\"69\" Name=\"Medium Grid 3 Accent 6\"\/\u003E  \u003Cw:LsdException Locked=\"false\" Priority=\"70\" Name=\"Dark List Accent 6\"\/\u003E  \u003Cw:LsdException Locked=\"false\" Priority=\"71\" Name=\"Colorful Shading Accent 6\"\/\u003E  \u003Cw:LsdException Locked=\"false\" Priority=\"72\" Name=\"Colorful List Accent 6\"\/\u003E  \u003Cw:LsdException Locked=\"false\" Priority=\"73\" Name=\"Colorful Grid Accent 6\"\/\u003E  \u003Cw:LsdException Locked=\"false\" Priority=\"19\" QFormat=\"true\"    Name=\"Subtle Emphasis\"\/\u003E  \u003Cw:LsdException Locked=\"false\" Priority=\"21\" QFormat=\"true\"    Name=\"Intense Emphasis\"\/\u003E  \u003Cw:LsdException Locked=\"false\" Priority=\"31\" QFormat=\"true\"    Name=\"Subtle Reference\"\/\u003E  \u003Cw:LsdException Locked=\"false\" Priority=\"32\" QFormat=\"true\"    Name=\"Intense Reference\"\/\u003E  \u003Cw:LsdException Locked=\"false\" Priority=\"33\" QFormat=\"true\" Name=\"Book Title\"\/\u003E  \u003Cw:LsdException Locked=\"false\" Priority=\"37\" SemiHidden=\"true\"    UnhideWhenUsed=\"true\" Name=\"Bibliography\"\/\u003E  \u003Cw:LsdException Locked=\"false\" Priority=\"39\" SemiHidden=\"true\"    UnhideWhenUsed=\"true\" QFormat=\"true\" Name=\"TOC Heading\"\/\u003E  \u003Cw:LsdException Locked=\"false\" Priority=\"41\" Name=\"Plain Table 1\"\/\u003E  \u003Cw:LsdException Locked=\"false\" Priority=\"42\" Name=\"Plain Table 2\"\/\u003E  \u003Cw:LsdException Locked=\"false\" Priority=\"43\" Name=\"Plain Table 3\"\/\u003E  \u003Cw:LsdException Locked=\"false\" Priority=\"44\" Name=\"Plain Table 4\"\/\u003E  \u003Cw:LsdException Locked=\"false\" Priority=\"45\" Name=\"Plain Table 5\"\/\u003E  \u003Cw:LsdException Locked=\"false\" Priority=\"40\" Name=\"Grid Table Light\"\/\u003E  \u003Cw:LsdException Locked=\"false\" Priority=\"46\" Name=\"Grid Table 1 Light\"\/\u003E  \u003Cw:LsdException Locked=\"false\" Priority=\"47\" Name=\"Grid Table 2\"\/\u003E  \u003Cw:LsdException Locked=\"false\" Priority=\"48\" Name=\"Grid Table 3\"\/\u003E  \u003Cw:LsdException Locked=\"false\" Priority=\"49\" Name=\"Grid Table 4\"\/\u003E  \u003Cw:LsdException Locked=\"false\" Priority=\"50\" Name=\"Grid Table 5 Dark\"\/\u003E  \u003Cw:LsdException Locked=\"false\" Priority=\"51\" Name=\"Grid Table 6 Colorful\"\/\u003E  \u003Cw:LsdException Locked=\"false\" Priority=\"52\" Name=\"Grid Table 7 Colorful\"\/\u003E  \u003Cw:LsdException Locked=\"false\" Priority=\"46\"    Name=\"Grid Table 1 Light Accent 1\"\/\u003E  \u003Cw:LsdException Locked=\"false\" Priority=\"47\" Name=\"Grid Table 2 Accent 1\"\/\u003E  \u003Cw:LsdException Locked=\"false\" Priority=\"48\" Name=\"Grid Table 3 Accent 1\"\/\u003E  \u003Cw:LsdException Locked=\"false\" Priority=\"49\" Name=\"Grid Table 4 Accent 1\"\/\u003E  \u003Cw:LsdException Locked=\"false\" Priority=\"50\" Name=\"Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 1\"\/\u003E  \u003Cw:LsdException Locked=\"false\" Priority=\"51\"    Name=\"Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 1\"\/\u003E  \u003Cw:LsdException Locked=\"false\" Priority=\"52\"    Name=\"Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 1\"\/\u003E  \u003Cw:LsdException Locked=\"false\" Priority=\"46\"    Name=\"Grid Table 1 Light Accent 2\"\/\u003E  \u003Cw:LsdException Locked=\"false\" Priority=\"47\" Name=\"Grid Table 2 Accent 2\"\/\u003E  \u003Cw:LsdException Locked=\"false\" Priority=\"48\" Name=\"Grid Table 3 Accent 2\"\/\u003E  \u003Cw:LsdException Locked=\"false\" Priority=\"49\" Name=\"Grid Table 4 Accent 2\"\/\u003E  \u003Cw:LsdException Locked=\"false\" Priority=\"50\" Name=\"Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 2\"\/\u003E  \u003Cw:LsdException Locked=\"false\" Priority=\"51\"    Name=\"Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 2\"\/\u003E  \u003Cw:LsdException Locked=\"false\" Priority=\"52\"    Name=\"Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 2\"\/\u003E  \u003Cw:LsdException Locked=\"false\" Priority=\"46\"    Name=\"Grid Table 1 Light Accent 3\"\/\u003E  \u003Cw:LsdException Locked=\"false\" Priority=\"47\" Name=\"Grid Table 2 Accent 3\"\/\u003E  \u003Cw:LsdException Locked=\"false\" Priority=\"48\" Name=\"Grid Table 3 Accent 3\"\/\u003E  \u003Cw:LsdException Locked=\"false\" Priority=\"49\" Name=\"Grid Table 4 Accent 3\"\/\u003E  \u003Cw:LsdException Locked=\"false\" Priority=\"50\" Name=\"Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 3\"\/\u003E  \u003Cw:LsdException Locked=\"false\" Priority=\"51\"    Name=\"Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 3\"\/\u003E  \u003Cw:LsdException Locked=\"false\" Priority=\"52\"    Name=\"Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 3\"\/\u003E  \u003Cw:LsdException Locked=\"false\" Priority=\"46\"    Name=\"Grid Table 1 Light Accent 4\"\/\u003E  \u003Cw:LsdException Locked=\"false\" Priority=\"47\" Name=\"Grid Table 2 Accent 4\"\/\u003E  \u003Cw:LsdException Locked=\"false\" Priority=\"48\" Name=\"Grid Table 3 Accent 4\"\/\u003E  \u003Cw:LsdException Locked=\"false\" Priority=\"49\" Name=\"Grid Table 4 Accent 4\"\/\u003E  \u003Cw:LsdException Locked=\"false\" Priority=\"50\" Name=\"Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 4\"\/\u003E  \u003Cw:LsdException Locked=\"false\" Priority=\"51\"    Name=\"Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 4\"\/\u003E  \u003Cw:LsdException Locked=\"false\" Priority=\"52\"    Name=\"Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 4\"\/\u003E  \u003Cw:LsdException Locked=\"false\" Priority=\"46\"    Name=\"Grid Table 1 Light Accent 5\"\/\u003E  \u003Cw:LsdException Locked=\"false\" Priority=\"47\" Name=\"Grid Table 2 Accent 5\"\/\u003E  \u003Cw:LsdException Locked=\"false\" Priority=\"48\" Name=\"Grid Table 3 Accent 5\"\/\u003E  \u003Cw:LsdException Locked=\"false\" Priority=\"49\" Name=\"Grid Table 4 Accent 5\"\/\u003E  \u003Cw:LsdException Locked=\"false\" Priority=\"50\" Name=\"Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 5\"\/\u003E  \u003Cw:LsdException Locked=\"false\" Priority=\"51\"    Name=\"Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 5\"\/\u003E  \u003Cw:LsdException Locked=\"false\" Priority=\"52\"    Name=\"Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 5\"\/\u003E  \u003Cw:LsdException Locked=\"false\" Priority=\"46\"    Name=\"Grid Table 1 Light Accent 6\"\/\u003E  \u003Cw:LsdException Locked=\"false\" Priority=\"47\" Name=\"Grid Table 2 Accent 6\"\/\u003E  \u003Cw:LsdException Locked=\"false\" Priority=\"48\" Name=\"Grid Table 3 Accent 6\"\/\u003E  \u003Cw:LsdException Locked=\"false\" Priority=\"49\" Name=\"Grid Table 4 Accent 6\"\/\u003E  \u003Cw:LsdException Locked=\"false\" Priority=\"50\" Name=\"Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 6\"\/\u003E  \u003Cw:LsdException Locked=\"false\" Priority=\"51\"    Name=\"Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 6\"\/\u003E  \u003Cw:LsdException Locked=\"false\" Priority=\"52\"    Name=\"Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 6\"\/\u003E  \u003Cw:LsdException Locked=\"false\" Priority=\"46\" Name=\"List Table 1 Light\"\/\u003E  \u003Cw:LsdException Locked=\"false\" Priority=\"47\" Name=\"List Table 2\"\/\u003E  \u003Cw:LsdException Locked=\"false\" Priority=\"48\" Name=\"List Table 3\"\/\u003E  \u003Cw:LsdException Locked=\"false\" Priority=\"49\" Name=\"List Table 4\"\/\u003E  \u003Cw:LsdException Locked=\"false\" Priority=\"50\" Name=\"List Table 5 Dark\"\/\u003E  \u003Cw:LsdException Locked=\"false\" Priority=\"51\" Name=\"List Table 6 Colorful\"\/\u003E  \u003Cw:LsdException Locked=\"false\" Priority=\"52\" Name=\"List Table 7 Colorful\"\/\u003E  \u003Cw:LsdException Locked=\"false\" Priority=\"46\"    Name=\"List Table 1 Light Accent 1\"\/\u003E  \u003Cw:LsdException Locked=\"false\" Priority=\"47\" Name=\"List Table 2 Accent 1\"\/\u003E  \u003Cw:LsdException Locked=\"false\" Priority=\"48\" Name=\"List Table 3 Accent 1\"\/\u003E  \u003Cw:LsdException Locked=\"false\" Priority=\"49\" Name=\"List Table 4 Accent 1\"\/\u003E  \u003Cw:LsdException Locked=\"false\" Priority=\"50\" Name=\"List Table 5 Dark Accent 1\"\/\u003E  \u003Cw:LsdException Locked=\"false\" Priority=\"51\"    Name=\"List Table 6 Colorful Accent 1\"\/\u003E  \u003Cw:LsdException Locked=\"false\" Priority=\"52\"    Name=\"List Table 7 Colorful Accent 1\"\/\u003E  \u003Cw:LsdException Locked=\"false\" Priority=\"46\"    Name=\"List Table 1 Light Accent 2\"\/\u003E  \u003Cw:LsdException Locked=\"false\" Priority=\"47\" Name=\"List Table 2 Accent 2\"\/\u003E  \u003Cw:LsdException Locked=\"false\" Priority=\"48\" Name=\"List Table 3 Accent 2\"\/\u003E  \u003Cw:LsdException Locked=\"false\" Priority=\"49\" Name=\"List Table 4 Accent 2\"\/\u003E  \u003Cw:LsdException Locked=\"false\" Priority=\"50\" Name=\"List Table 5 Dark Accent 2\"\/\u003E  \u003Cw:LsdException Locked=\"false\" Priority=\"51\"    Name=\"List Table 6 Colorful Accent 2\"\/\u003E  \u003Cw:LsdException Locked=\"false\" Priority=\"52\"    Name=\"List Table 7 Colorful Accent 2\"\/\u003E  \u003Cw:LsdException Locked=\"false\" Priority=\"46\"    Name=\"List Table 1 Light Accent 3\"\/\u003E  \u003Cw:LsdException Locked=\"false\" Priority=\"47\" Name=\"List Table 2 Accent 3\"\/\u003E  \u003Cw:LsdException Locked=\"false\" Priority=\"48\" Name=\"List Table 3 Accent 3\"\/\u003E  \u003Cw:LsdException Locked=\"false\" Priority=\"49\" Name=\"List Table 4 Accent 3\"\/\u003E  \u003Cw:LsdException Locked=\"false\" Priority=\"50\" Name=\"List Table 5 Dark Accent 3\"\/\u003E  \u003Cw:LsdException Locked=\"false\" Priority=\"51\"    Name=\"List Table 6 Colorful Accent 3\"\/\u003E  \u003Cw:LsdException Locked=\"false\" Priority=\"52\"    Name=\"List Table 7 Colorful Accent 3\"\/\u003E  \u003Cw:LsdException Locked=\"false\" Priority=\"46\"    Name=\"List Table 1 Light Accent 4\"\/\u003E  \u003Cw:LsdException Locked=\"false\" Priority=\"47\" Name=\"List Table 2 Accent 4\"\/\u003E  \u003Cw:LsdException Locked=\"false\" Priority=\"48\" Name=\"List Table 3 Accent 4\"\/\u003E  \u003Cw:LsdException Locked=\"false\" Priority=\"49\" Name=\"List Table 4 Accent 4\"\/\u003E  \u003Cw:LsdException Locked=\"false\" Priority=\"50\" Name=\"List Table 5 Dark Accent 4\"\/\u003E  \u003Cw:LsdException Locked=\"false\" Priority=\"51\"    Name=\"List Table 6 Colorful Accent 4\"\/\u003E  \u003Cw:LsdException Locked=\"false\" Priority=\"52\"    Name=\"List Table 7 Colorful Accent 4\"\/\u003E  \u003Cw:LsdException Locked=\"false\" Priority=\"46\"    Name=\"List Table 1 Light Accent 5\"\/\u003E  \u003Cw:LsdException Locked=\"false\" Priority=\"47\" Name=\"List Table 2 Accent 5\"\/\u003E  \u003Cw:LsdException Locked=\"false\" Priority=\"48\" Name=\"List Table 3 Accent 5\"\/\u003E  \u003Cw:LsdException Locked=\"false\" Priority=\"49\" Name=\"List Table 4 Accent 5\"\/\u003E  \u003Cw:LsdException Locked=\"false\" Priority=\"50\" Name=\"List Table 5 Dark Accent 5\"\/\u003E  \u003Cw:LsdException Locked=\"false\" Priority=\"51\"    Name=\"List Table 6 Colorful Accent 5\"\/\u003E  \u003Cw:LsdException Locked=\"false\" Priority=\"52\"    Name=\"List Table 7 Colorful Accent 5\"\/\u003E  \u003Cw:LsdException Locked=\"false\" Priority=\"46\"    Name=\"List Table 1 Light Accent 6\"\/\u003E  \u003Cw:LsdException Locked=\"false\" Priority=\"47\" Name=\"List Table 2 Accent 6\"\/\u003E  \u003Cw:LsdException Locked=\"false\" Priority=\"48\" Name=\"List Table 3 Accent 6\"\/\u003E  \u003Cw:LsdException Locked=\"false\" Priority=\"49\" Name=\"List Table 4 Accent 6\"\/\u003E  \u003Cw:LsdException Locked=\"false\" Priority=\"50\" Name=\"List Table 5 Dark Accent 6\"\/\u003E  \u003Cw:LsdException Locked=\"false\" Priority=\"51\"    Name=\"List Table 6 Colorful Accent 6\"\/\u003E  \u003Cw:LsdException Locked=\"false\" Priority=\"52\"    Name=\"List Table 7 Colorful Accent 6\"\/\u003E  \u003Cw:LsdException Locked=\"false\" SemiHidden=\"true\" UnhideWhenUsed=\"true\"    Name=\"Mention\"\/\u003E  \u003Cw:LsdException Locked=\"false\" SemiHidden=\"true\" UnhideWhenUsed=\"true\"    Name=\"Smart Hyperlink\"\/\u003E  \u003Cw:LsdException Locked=\"false\" SemiHidden=\"true\" UnhideWhenUsed=\"true\"    Name=\"Hashtag\"\/\u003E  \u003Cw:LsdException Locked=\"false\" SemiHidden=\"true\" UnhideWhenUsed=\"true\"    Name=\"Unresolved Mention\"\/\u003E  \u003Cw:LsdException Locked=\"false\" SemiHidden=\"true\" UnhideWhenUsed=\"true\"    Name=\"Smart Link\"\/\u003E \u003C\/w:LatentStyles\u003E\u003C\/xml\u003E\u003C![endif]--\u003E\u003C!--[if gte mso 10]\u003E\u003Cstyle\u003E \/* Style Definitions *\/  table.MsoNormalTable \t{mso-style-name:\"Table Normal\"; \tmso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; \tmso-tstyle-colband-size:0; \tmso-style-noshow:yes; \tmso-style-priority:99; \tmso-style-parent:\"\"; \tmso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; \tmso-para-margin-top:0in; \tmso-para-margin-right:0in; \tmso-para-margin-bottom:8.0pt; \tmso-para-margin-left:0in; \tline-height:107%; \tmso-pagination:widow-orphan; \tfont-size:11.0pt; \tfont-family:\"Calibri\",sans-serif; \tmso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; \tmso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; \tmso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; \tmso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;} \u003C\/style\u003E\u003C![endif]--\u003E \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-dDoD-pfq1pg\/YEaUcxISZfI\/AAAAAAAAFys\/EGnLJ7QiykM7v906GtU0eKdLmE33xnQTwCLcBGAsYHQ\/s1107\/AGGRETSUKOMHF_1COVERASOLICITWEB_720x.webp\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"1107\" data-original-width=\"720\" height=\"400\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-dDoD-pfq1pg\/YEaUcxISZfI\/AAAAAAAAFys\/EGnLJ7QiykM7v906GtU0eKdLmE33xnQTwCLcBGAsYHQ\/w260-h400\/AGGRETSUKOMHF_1COVERASOLICITWEB_720x.webp\" width=\"260\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/p\u003EI’m a big fan of the anime \u003Ci\u003EAggretsuko \u003C\/i\u003Ethat’s about a red panda named Retsuko who works as an accountant at a large corporation in a Japanese city. She’s a young woman\/red panda with dating problems, money problems, and a burning desire to quit her office job. Her boss is sexist and demeaning, and he delights in overworking all of his employees, especially Retsuko. \u003Cspan style=\"mso-spacerun: yes;\"\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003EPartially out of social mores and partially out of anxiety, Retsuko takes pains not to stand out. She presents a mild-mannered persona to the world and uses death metal karaoke sessions to vent. The comic \u003Cb\u003EAggretsuko: Meet Her Friends\u003C\/b\u003E published by Oni Press is an anthology of three short stories about Retsuko, her coworkers, and her friends. \u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003EI’m going to focus this review on my favorite of the stories, the second story, “Fenneko’s Grand Plan” which was written by Arielle Jovellanos, and illustrated and colored by Diigii Daguna with lettering by Crank! Retsuko is being blackmailed by a coworker who’s threatening to send everyone in the company a video. In the video, Retsuko is ambushed on the street and asked what two plus two equals. Rattled, Retsuko replies, “twenty-two.” Because she’s an accountant, there is a chance that if her boss, Director Ton, sees it, she could be fired. That’s where Fenneko, the fennec fox, comes in. Fenneko reminds me a lot of Daria Morgendorffer from the MTV cartoon \u003Ci\u003EDaria\u003C\/i\u003E (huh, I’m really dating myself here, aren’t I?). Like Daria, she is sardonic, intelligent, and judgmental. She is able to read people well and though she has no problem making fun of Retsuko, she actually cares a lot about her. Fenneko hatches an elaborate heist-like operation to neutralize the blackmailer. Like all good capers, multiple people are needed to use their various skills at different points. The dialogue feels true to the characters and the plan itself is really quite clever and fun to read.\u003C\/p\u003E \u003Cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-aZz0MYPSTfw\/YEaUcnKwGAI\/AAAAAAAAFyo\/80s58XdZhQktQIaSbYU3x8SdsPyo4iYjgCLcBGAsYHQ\/s1080\/Aggretsuko%2BMeet%2BHer%2BFriends.jpg\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"1080\" data-original-width=\"1080\" height=\"320\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-aZz0MYPSTfw\/YEaUcnKwGAI\/AAAAAAAAFyo\/80s58XdZhQktQIaSbYU3x8SdsPyo4iYjgCLcBGAsYHQ\/s320\/Aggretsuko%2BMeet%2BHer%2BFriends.jpg\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003EThe art and colors by Diigii Daguna use subtler, more muted colored pencil-like drawings than the other stories in the collection. \u003Cspan style=\"mso-spacerun: yes;\"\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003EThe linework is softer and less precise, which really works with characters who are (generally) very cute animals. The office is illustrated with darker, grimmer tones, sometimes directly opposite sunlit skies. I appreciated how the internal thoughts of the characters are drawn in a simplified manner as if they've been too beaten down by their office jobs to daydream in more than one color. Retsuko's heavy metal interludes, by contrast, are drawn with passion, attitude, and 80s awesomeness. I could see “Fenneko’s Grand Plan” being made into an episode of the anime, and since I quickly consumed the third season when it came out, I was glad to spend more time with Retsuko and her friends (and enemies).\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-brofpIXcS9M\/YFANkEkekMI\/AAAAAAAAF60\/1P-Hjdfq-EUMLnaE4lF252TOcE11cHgvACLcBGAsYHQ\/s2048\/AGGRETSUKO%2BMHF_InteriorArt_Page_1.jpg\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"2048\" data-original-width=\"1365\" height=\"320\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-brofpIXcS9M\/YFANkEkekMI\/AAAAAAAAF60\/1P-Hjdfq-EUMLnaE4lF252TOcE11cHgvACLcBGAsYHQ\/s320\/AGGRETSUKO%2BMHF_InteriorArt_Page_1.jpg\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E "},"link":[{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8675936740079831063\/posts\/default\/8422556922729143884"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8675936740079831063\/posts\/default\/8422556922729143884"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.panelpatter.com\/2021\/03\/quick-hit-aggretsuko-meet-her-friends.html","title":"Quick Hit - Aggretsuko: Meet Her Friends"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Rachel Lapidow"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/07953309876689728459"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"16","height":"16","src":"https:\/\/img1.blogblog.com\/img\/b16-rounded.gif"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-aZz0MYPSTfw\/YEaUcnKwGAI\/AAAAAAAAFyo\/80s58XdZhQktQIaSbYU3x8SdsPyo4iYjgCLcBGAsYHQ\/s72-c\/Aggretsuko%2BMeet%2BHer%2BFriends.jpg","height":"72","width":"72"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8675936740079831063.post-5843837342926900448"},"published":{"$t":"2021-03-23T08:30:00.002-04:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2021-03-23T10:19:06.624-04:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"boom"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"catch-it"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"dark horse"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"image"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"jk"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"rbm"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Catch It at the Comic Shop March 24th, 2021"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003EWelcome to Catch it at the Comic Shop, where the Panel Patter team looks  at what's coming out at your favorite store or digital device this  week. Each one of us that participates picks up to five items due out  this week, with a little bit about why we like them. (NOTE: We use  solicitation material for this, so if we miss creators, \u003Cb\u003E\u003Cu\u003Eplease talk to your publisher\u003C\/u\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E!)  Sometimes we might only have a few items to share, other weeks, keeping  it to five will make for hard choices. Here's what the team wanted to  highlight this week...\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003ERob's Picks:\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"1500\" data-original-width=\"975\" height=\"400\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-3Fj2xfP6wR0\/YFlUlmig6QI\/AAAAAAACSr0\/hWeSbECOBqoVhmqkPkBuA9nxVeXYKxoIQCLcBGAsYHQ\/w260-h400\/STL180581.jpg\" width=\"260\" \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cb\u003EHaHa #3 by Roger Langridge and W. Maxwell Prince, published by Image\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EIt's tough being a mime in the best of times, but try being one in *this* economy, am I right? Our pantomime protagonist is down on his luck until a literal dumpster dive lands him a robot companion who takes his act to a new level. Everyone's a critic, however, as we see in this comedy collaboration between one of my all-time favorite creators and one of my new favorites in Prince. These two make an excellent pair, with Langridge able to emote everything in his linework, allowing the moments when we do get language to feel really powerful. Prince's darkness really shines here even as the illustrations look bright and sunny, and some of the panel constructions are simply amazing. I'd love to see Roger guest on an Ice Cream Man story. In the meantime, make sure you get out of your invisible box and pick up this issue.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Ca name='more'\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"1800\" data-original-width=\"1171\" height=\"400\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-aVcV8G6Xgkw\/YFlUlaQWEyI\/AAAAAAACSrs\/NbDJPPW-7gIXWjPivcBGBQYZL0C-Lr3VgCLcBGAsYHQ\/w260-h400\/STL157713.jpg\" width=\"260\" \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cb\u003ELady Baltimore #1 by Mike Mignola, Christopher Golden, Bridgit Connell and Michelle Madsen, published by Dark Horse\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EWorld War II's evils extend to the magical realm as Hellboy Universe readers know all too well. With Lord Baltimore dead, a new heroine must rise up to carry on his work--without destroying herself in the process. I don't know a ton about this one yet, but it's the excellent Mignola-Golden combo, and the promo text promises \"witches, vampires, and Nazis on the march\" --exactly the kind of horrible combo that makes these stories so good to read. Brigit's work on Brother Nash, which I loved a ton, should be perfect for this world, as she's able to mesh real world with the mysterious with ease. I'm really impressed with the 2021 work coming from the halls of Hellboy so far. This looks to be no exception.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"1500\" data-original-width=\"975\" height=\"400\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-G8voTPf4NkM\/YFlUlW39uxI\/AAAAAAACSrw\/WDtAbSucaNMNvDe43Ws1qLza8gN0vNeKgCLcBGAsYHQ\/w260-h400\/STL180612.jpg\" width=\"260\" \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cb\u003EBitter Root #11 by David F. Walker, Sanford Greene, Chuck Brown, Sofie Dodgson, and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou, published by Image\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EAfter the events of the prior issues showed that the fight the\u0026nbsp;Sangerye Family finds themselves in is unlike any they've faced before, it's time to take stock of the situation in this issue that's a bit more recap and stage-setting than I'm used to from this series but really lays out just how fractured everyone is, as the literal representation of hatred and bigotry drives everyone to the brink. Once that pattern forms, it's easy to see the strategy of the structure here, with Greene doing a great job mixing pastiche with moving forward the visual narrative. Things look impossibly bleak and I'm starting to think that maybe, just maybe, there's not going to be a happy ending at the end of this story. And given the world we live in, that depressing but honest message might be the right direction as we all face the reality this comic uses magical creatures to highlight. We must all be like the\u0026nbsp;Sangeryes, battling as best we can.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003EJames' Picks:\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"462\" data-original-width=\"300\" height=\"400\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-P5tH-k_LEeU\/YFan-NNzM4I\/AAAAAAACSps\/Fa8J4EokIRYG5KUfIf-Q8fT_--F9jN3HACLcBGAsYHQ\/w260-h400\/3005900.jpg\" width=\"260\" \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cb\u003EBarbalien: Red Planet #5 by Jeff Lemire, Tate Brombal, Gabriel Hernandez Walta, Jordie Bellaire, and Aditya Bidikar, published by Dark Horse\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EI've really loved almost everything that's come out of Jeff Lemire's \u003Ci\u003EBlack Hammer\u003C\/i\u003E universe. It started as a weird superhero mystery story (and in some way remains that) but it's branched out into a number of different stories, and different types of stories. These stories involve a lot of analogues for Marvel and DC characters, but telling stories that those publishers might not tell. Case in point is the story of \u003Ci\u003EBarbalien: Red Planet\u003C\/i\u003E. Barbalien (Mark Markz) is a shape-shifting Martin who came to Earth years ago and assumed the identity of a police officer in Spiral City, as he held a similar role on Mars.\u0026nbsp; But he was banished from Mars for being gay. Unfortunately Mars doesn't appear to be any more enlightened than Earth as far as letting people love who they want to love. But \u003Ci\u003EBarbalien: Red Planet \u003C\/i\u003Eis telling a very specific story set in a very specific time and place. It's the 1980's and AIDS is ravaging the gay community. People are standing up and fighting back. Mark is torn between his obligations as a police officer, and his secret identity as a superhero, and his identity as a gay man, whether human or martian (shape-shifter characters are a great mechanism for telling stories about identity). He grapples with his own identity, and his place in the world, and what he owes to himself and others. It's a really lovely, profound story.\u0026nbsp; With incredible art from Gabriel Walta and Jordie Bellaire. This is a definite must-read.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"1528\" data-original-width=\"994\" height=\"400\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-46_5YPljIXg\/YFaoXLM0bXI\/AAAAAAACSp0\/LjaE4nd3qMogi4I3f0pJ3ItATtDpOytbgCLcBGAsYHQ\/w260-h400\/STL177310.jpg\" width=\"260\" \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cb\u003EWe Only Find Them When They're Dead vol. 1 TP by Al Ewing and Simone Di Meo, published by Boom! Studios\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cb\u003EWe Only Find Them When They're Dead\u003C\/b\u003E (\u003Cb\u003EWOFTWTD\u003C\/b\u003E, for short)  has a recipe for comics that I can't resist -  heady, thought-provoking ideas, a compelling plot, interesting  characters, and absolutely astounding, gorgeous artwork. Like some of  the very best science fiction stories set in the distant future or on a  far-off world, it's got imaginative and original ideas that also serve  as perfect allegory for the world we're living in right now. It's the story of a future where resources are scarce, and humans compete to mine the corpses of dead space gods. So, come  for the intriguing ideas and stunning visuals, and stay for the  trenchant critique of late-stage capitalism. \u003Cb\u003EWOFTWTD \u003C\/b\u003Eis many things, but it is first and foremost a stunning  work of art thanks to the gorgeous work of Simone Di Meo. Di Meo has a style that’s incredibly accessible and appealing. It feels  very reminiscent (to me) of classic Japanese animation from my childhood  (\u003Ci\u003ERobotech, Voltron, Star Blazers\u003C\/i\u003E). Di Meo’s line work is clean, and his panel layout feels very cinematic,  such that you could easily imagine this comic on a huge movie screen. \u003Cb\u003EWOFTWTD \u003C\/b\u003Eis a great series full of drama, gorgeous visuals, and big ideas.\u0026nbsp; \u003C\/div\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8675936740079831063\/posts\/default\/5843837342926900448"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8675936740079831063\/posts\/default\/5843837342926900448"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.panelpatter.com\/2021\/03\/catch-it-at-comic-shop-march-24th-2021.html","title":"Catch It at the Comic Shop March 24th, 2021"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Panel Patter"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/12354673590872893078"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"16","height":"16","src":"https:\/\/img1.blogblog.com\/img\/b16-rounded.gif"}}]},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8675936740079831063.post-1336999825712543033"},"published":{"$t":"2021-03-18T09:00:00.003-04:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2021-03-22T09:59:41.276-04:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"cells at work"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"kodansha"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"manga"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"rl"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Cells at Work: Baby! Volume 1"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-3cCYFltDaOc\/YEbhwVziOzI\/AAAAAAAAFzU\/0pPr7Z-L8bYRS0H1juq2nff4yfyAVVfdACLcBGAsYHQ\/s675\/CellsAtWorkBABY_01-450x675.jpg\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"675\" data-original-width=\"450\" height=\"320\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-3cCYFltDaOc\/YEbhwVziOzI\/AAAAAAAAFzU\/0pPr7Z-L8bYRS0H1juq2nff4yfyAVVfdACLcBGAsYHQ\/s320\/CellsAtWorkBABY_01-450x675.jpg\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003EThis past summer, I was searching for a new show to watch on Netflix and the algorithm suggested Cells at Work! I figured I’d give it a try. One episode in and I was hooked. One of the biggest reasons why I love the anime and the manga that the anime is based on is because I have learned so much about human biology. As a kid and preteen, I loved educational shows like \u003Ci\u003EBill Nye the Science Guy\u003C\/i\u003E and The \u003Ci\u003EMagic School Bus\u003C\/i\u003E. However, in high school and college, I only took a handful of science courses and only a couple of those were in biology. Still, I thought that I had a pretty decent understanding of how the human body works. But with each episode of the anime or issue of the manga, I would learn more and more about the immune system, red blood cells, cancer, bacteria, etc.  Another thing that I really appreciate is how much teamwork is demonstrated. It doesn’t matter how brave or determined an individual cell is if the rest of the cells don’t also pull their own weight. Without teamwork, the body wouldn’t survive.\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003ELike the main series \u003Ci\u003ECells at Work! \u003C\/i\u003Ecreated by Akane Shimizu, \u003Cb\u003ECells at Work: Baby!\u003C\/b\u003E—which is written and illustrated by Yasuhiro Fukuda—all takes place inside of one human body. Dr. Naoya Hashimoto, a Japanese pediatrician, serves as the book’s medical supervisor. The body in this case is a baby who is about to be born. All of the baby’s cells are depicted as toddlers who don’t fully understand their respective jobs. Often instead of doing their jobs, the cells prefer playing with blocks or running around. The main red blood cell is a pig-tailed girl who has a lot of curiosity but is lacking a bit when it comes to finding her way inside the body. Her friend, F-niichan (niichan is a term of endearment used to indicate that the speaker sees the addressee as an older brother), is a red blood cell bearing hemoglobin-F, and he’s able to more easily carry oxygen. He takes a sibling-like interest in her and tries to encourage her to deliver oxygen on her own without getting lost or distracted. Many of the adventures in the book start with red blood cell getting distracted by a new sight in the body or by her wanting to meet new cells.\u003Cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003EThe art by Yasuhiro Fukuda is similar enough to the flagship line while also being distinct. The cells here are cuter, the violence that can get quite gory in the other series has been toned down, and the body seems appropriately smaller and less complex compared to the adult bodies that are the settings for \u003Ci\u003ECells at Work! \u003C\/i\u003Eand \u003Ci\u003ECells at Work: Code Black! \u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"mso-spacerun: yes;\"\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003EThe character’s expressions are often a bit more exaggerated, and that totally makes sense as these cells aren’t old enough yet to become jaded or bored. \u003C\/p\u003E \u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-3tRwKYBQypU\/YEbhwqWMv0I\/AAAAAAAAFzY\/p-GwYq7EOcc7I0PQo3Z8ri3e5e4ZjwiRgCLcBGAsYHQ\/s1822\/Cells%2Bat%2Bwork%2Binner%2Bpage.jpg\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"1822\" data-original-width=\"1280\" height=\"593\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-3tRwKYBQypU\/YEbhwqWMv0I\/AAAAAAAAFzY\/p-GwYq7EOcc7I0PQo3Z8ri3e5e4ZjwiRgCLcBGAsYHQ\/w417-h593\/Cells%2Bat%2Bwork%2Binner%2Bpage.jpg\" width=\"417\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003EEach of the organs is depicted differently. The placenta looks a bit like a large conference center that’s been decorated to look like a preschool. The mother’s adult red blood cells hand over oxygen and nutrients to the baby’s childish red blood cells through a series of windows that look like a bank teller’s station. Because the mother’s blood and the baby’s blood don’t intermingle, the placenta acts as a meeting ground for both bodies’ red blood cells to exchange oxygen and nutrients. The umbilical cord is a long, tall tunnel with linoleum tiles and muzak playing in the background. The lungs appear to be composed of a series of large geodesic domes connected to massive vents. The small intestine looks like a mix between an oil refinery and an assembly line at a food manufacturer. The stomach, when it is first shown, is a dry, empty wasteland. The brain is a mix of NASA’s mission control room and a children’s library filled with information from the genes. \u003C\/p\u003E \u003Cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003EThe book is listed as 16+ on Kodansha’s website, but I think it would be appropriate for middle grade readers. There’s no talk of sex or conception, no nudity, and the violence is pretty tame. I think that this would be a great series to give to a young reader, especially one who is starting to learn about the human body. By giving the different cells distinct personalities, it makes it easier for readers to differentiate between white blood cells, red blood cells, etc. And there are also helpful tips throughout the book for expectant parents and caregivers. A preteen who’s about to become a big sibling would likely get a lot out of this book. Heck, I got a lot out of this book!\u003C\/p\u003E \u003C\/div\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8675936740079831063\/posts\/default\/1336999825712543033"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8675936740079831063\/posts\/default\/1336999825712543033"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.panelpatter.com\/2021\/03\/cells-at-work-baby-volume-1.html","title":"Cells at Work: Baby! Volume 1"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Rachel Lapidow"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/07953309876689728459"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"16","height":"16","src":"https:\/\/img1.blogblog.com\/img\/b16-rounded.gif"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-3cCYFltDaOc\/YEbhwVziOzI\/AAAAAAAAFzU\/0pPr7Z-L8bYRS0H1juq2nff4yfyAVVfdACLcBGAsYHQ\/s72-c\/CellsAtWorkBABY_01-450x675.jpg","height":"72","width":"72"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8675936740079831063.post-8202370068500032324"},"published":{"$t":"2021-03-17T09:00:00.098-04:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2021-03-17T09:00:01.912-04:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"fanfare ponent mon"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"jiro taniguchi"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"manga"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"review"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"sc"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"A Compassionate Time of Mourning in Jiro Taniguchi's A Journal of My Father"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-1C7PudxTQAs\/YE__jRW_F3I\/AAAAAAAAv14\/UH4r8BfPa7g1QgvmjSGs-RmZL2OcGlb9gCNcBGAsYHQ\/s1000\/A%2BJournal%2Bof%2BMy%2BFather%2Bcvr.jpg\" style=\"display: none;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"1000\" data-original-width=\"716\" height=\"320\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-1C7PudxTQAs\/YE__jRW_F3I\/AAAAAAAAv14\/UH4r8BfPa7g1QgvmjSGs-RmZL2OcGlb9gCNcBGAsYHQ\/s320\/A%2BJournal%2Bof%2BMy%2BFather%2Bcvr.jpg\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-lrw5eO3IAs0\/YE_89XWaymI\/AAAAAAAAv1o\/wH_f1MtV4ooQegO-b-ywyoz2QjbD6oTzgCNcBGAsYHQ\/s3253\/IMG_1048.jpeg\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"2291\" data-original-width=\"3253\" height=\"451\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-lrw5eO3IAs0\/YE_89XWaymI\/AAAAAAAAv1o\/wH_f1MtV4ooQegO-b-ywyoz2QjbD6oTzgCNcBGAsYHQ\/w640-h451\/IMG_1048.jpeg\" width=\"640\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003EJiro Taniguchi drew his comics with so much kindness in his images.\u0026nbsp; \u003Cb\u003EA Journal of My Father tells \u003C\/b\u003Ethe story of Yoichi and Takeshi, a son and his father Takeshi who both let their pride rob them of family and of time.\u0026nbsp; After getting the phone call of his father’s death, Yoichi returns to his hometown of Tottori after spending most of the last 10 years in Tokyo.\u0026nbsp; His return to his childhood home is more out of obligation and duty than out of a desire to honor his father.\u0026nbsp; Yoichi’s wife has to practically push him out of their house. In Tottori, he finds a changed city but begins to recognize the streets and the people.\u0026nbsp; It’s the same for his family as they gather the night before the funeral: they are changed but recognizable. And he is to them as well.\u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp;Seeing his sister, his stepmother, and his uncle brings back the memories of his childhood that Yoichi has tried to escape during his self-imposed exile from his home.\u0026nbsp; Taniguchi explores the pain of when a family can’t live up to their own expectations, whether it’s a wife and a husband or a father and a son.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EEarly in the book, we see \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.fireengineering.com\/leadership\/tottori-japan-nearly-destroyed\/#gref\" target=\"_blank\"\u003Ethe 1952 fire which ravaged Tottori \u003C\/a\u003Eand destroyed Yoichi’s home.\u0026nbsp; Yoichi’s memory of life before the fire are brief and very general.\u0026nbsp; He remembers his father’s barbershop and the way that the sun shone through the window and warmed up the place.\u0026nbsp; There are not many memories about what his mother or his father were like before that but that may be due to his young age.\u0026nbsp; But returning to Tottori after getting the call about his father’s passing, he describes the sensation of returning to his childhood hometown as “a strange feeling of time moving backwards…”\u0026nbsp; Taniguchi drops this little nugget early in the book. At this point, we’re moving through two distinct time periods with Yoichi; the present as he has to reconcile his conflicted feelings about his father and the past as Yoichi has to remember what caused the divides between the two men. Time in this story ebbs and flows, moving forward and backward while Yoichi tries to remember what his father was like.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-gIHJv3cUix8\/YFACQjB2MrI\/AAAAAAAAv2U\/1eyP_685JFEvDmPjekNNtDvKCvdQujb-QCNcBGAsYHQ\/s2954\/IMG_1051.jpeg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"2589\" data-original-width=\"2954\" height=\"560\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-gIHJv3cUix8\/YFACQjB2MrI\/AAAAAAAAv2U\/1eyP_685JFEvDmPjekNNtDvKCvdQujb-QCNcBGAsYHQ\/w640-h560\/IMG_1051.jpeg\" width=\"640\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cp\u003EYoichi’s memories of life before the fire are simple and innocent. But the fire burned that innocence away, even if it would be years before he could acknowledge that.\u0026nbsp; As his family tried to rebuild their life after the fire, his parent’s relationship was one of the casualties of that event.\u0026nbsp; At the memorial the night before the funeral, Yoichi’s uncle Daisuke, his mother’s brother, provided an older and more aware recounting of those days. Even as an adult, Yoichi finds it difficult to let go of his perception of the past or to accept his own limited memories of the time.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EEven as Yoichi’s whole childhood and teenage years were colored by the fire and breakup of his family, Taniguchi never approaches the story in black and white terms.\u0026nbsp; It is never about who was right and who was wrong.\u0026nbsp; Taniguchi is far more compassionate in his storytelling than that.\u0026nbsp; To balance out Yoichi’s one-sided memories, Daisuke provides another perspective on those days, trying to get his nephew to understand what both of his parents were going through.\u0026nbsp; It’s a perspective of Yoichi’s childhood but it can see more sides of what really happened.\u0026nbsp; As both men share their memories with us, we get to see a family like so many other families struggling to hold on to something.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMaybe Yoichi’s parents’ separation was inevitable.\u0026nbsp; They fought to get married against the wishes of her parents, built a life together. But that life just couldn’t survive the fire.\u0026nbsp; The pressure of rebuilding the life that they had was too much and she eventually left.\u0026nbsp; For young Yoichi, it was far easier to blame the parent who stayed, his father, for everything that was happening.\u0026nbsp; Just a child, he could only frame the dissolution of his family in terms of whose fault it could be.\u0026nbsp; And to him, it was his father’s fault.\u0026nbsp; His mother’s abandonment of her family set Yoichi on the path of eventually leaving his home and not looking back.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThere’s no malice in Taniguchi’s characters, just misunderstanding.\u0026nbsp; Even during the separation, there’s no sense of intentional malice or even anger in their actions.\u0026nbsp; There’s confusion.\u0026nbsp; There’s pain. There’s misunderstanding but there’s no spite in their actions.\u0026nbsp; Any spite comes from Yoichi, a child who doesn’t know any better.\u0026nbsp; His older sister has a greater awareness of the events but for the young boy, his mother leaving his father created this rift in Yoichi’s life that he struggled with all the way up through his father’s death.\u0026nbsp; Taniguchi’s storytelling captures the complexity of the situation as well as the child-like reactions to it.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-5lzVi2Py4YQ\/YFAAFIwbW5I\/AAAAAAAAv2E\/Bb9k1X-H2K8NoNOeegtZS2JDOI671gTJACNcBGAsYHQ\/s3186\/IMG_1050.jpeg\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"2436\" data-original-width=\"3186\" height=\"491\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-5lzVi2Py4YQ\/YFAAFIwbW5I\/AAAAAAAAv2E\/Bb9k1X-H2K8NoNOeegtZS2JDOI671gTJACNcBGAsYHQ\/w640-h491\/IMG_1050.jpeg\" width=\"640\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor many of us, this story covers family events from nearly 70 years ago and on the other side of the world.\u0026nbsp; Based on that alone, this should feel like a very foreign story. Exploring the pain of lost time, Taniguchi forms this image of a world that doesn’t look all that different than what we know. While he’s very specific in setting the scene of this family’s mourning, he wisely focuses in on the human impact of everything that happened.\u0026nbsp; Setting and tradition may be strange but the way that these people react feels very familiar and natural.\u0026nbsp; This story could as easily be set in St. Paul, Minnesota instead of Tottori, Japan.\u0026nbsp; Sure some of the details would shift but the emotions that Yoichi and his father have to deal with would be the same.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EJiro Taniguchi comics make the world feel smaller than it really is.\u0026nbsp; Distance disappears between life in Japan and life wherever you may be. \u003Cb\u003EA Journal of My Father\u003C\/b\u003E transports us to Tottori to experience this new culture and to get a glimpse into this broken family’s life.\u0026nbsp; But the emotions that Taniguchi explores, the complete relationships, and the healing that’s needed in mourning are universal.\u0026nbsp; There is a connection that we all share that Taniguchi brings to life, making these faraway events personal and intimate to those of us who are so far away from those times and those lands.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-QOJ_W3wUzVw\/YFAAOcd0f9I\/AAAAAAAAv2M\/pCy9P5w8hdYqDQqRjYpIN2QfrckpboaEACNcBGAsYHQ\/s1000\/A%2BJournal%2Bof%2BMy%2BFather%2Bcvr.jpg\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"1000\" data-original-width=\"716\" height=\"400\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-QOJ_W3wUzVw\/YFAAOcd0f9I\/AAAAAAAAv2M\/pCy9P5w8hdYqDQqRjYpIN2QfrckpboaEACNcBGAsYHQ\/w286-h400\/A%2BJournal%2Bof%2BMy%2BFather%2Bcvr.jpg\" width=\"286\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003EA Journal of My Father\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003EWritten and Drawn by Jiro Taniguchi\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003ETranslated by Kumar Sivasubramanian\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003EPublished by \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.ponentmon.com\/comic-books-english\/english-catalogue.html\" target=\"_blank\"\u003EFanfare Ponet Mon\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8675936740079831063\/posts\/default\/8202370068500032324"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8675936740079831063\/posts\/default\/8202370068500032324"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.panelpatter.com\/2021\/03\/review-jiro-taniguchis-journal-of-my-father.html","title":"A Compassionate Time of Mourning in Jiro Taniguchi's A Journal of My Father"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Scott Cederlund"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/07184941142922866755"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"31","src":"\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-DehEk7os008\/XoUCQ5LNV1I\/AAAAAAAAqZ0\/XxxWrY44lCw3tOhBqrMU2D3kAgYMwgnKQCK4BGAYYCw\/s116\/Rickles3.PNG"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-1C7PudxTQAs\/YE__jRW_F3I\/AAAAAAAAv14\/UH4r8BfPa7g1QgvmjSGs-RmZL2OcGlb9gCNcBGAsYHQ\/s72-c\/A%2BJournal%2Bof%2BMy%2BFather%2Bcvr.jpg","height":"72","width":"72"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8675936740079831063.post-6521466074496499168"},"published":{"$t":"2021-03-16T08:30:00.003-04:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2021-03-16T12:21:20.791-04:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"bnv"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"catch-it"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"dark horse"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"dc"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"image"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"jk"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"marvel"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"mmc"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"rl"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Catch It at the Comic Shop March 17th, 2021"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cp\u003EWelcome to Catch it at the Comic Shop, where the Panel Patter team looks  at what's coming out at your favorite store or digital device this  week. Each one of us that participates picks up to five items due out  this week, with a little bit about why we like them. (NOTE: We use  solicitation material for this, so if we miss creators, \u003Cb\u003E\u003Cu\u003Eplease talk to your publisher\u003C\/u\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E!)  Sometimes we might only have a few items to share, other weeks, keeping  it to five will make for hard choices. Here's what the team wanted to  highlight this week...\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003EBeth's Pick:\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"1968\" data-original-width=\"1280\" height=\"400\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-flY6x8QYFhA\/YE0vJZC3GJI\/AAAAAAACSnE\/uakXGQdiFDECIi2JEEoCR6SN5F2ctsrbgCLcBGAsYHQ\/w260-h400\/924597._SX1280_QL80_TTD_.jpg\" width=\"260\" \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cb\u003ENightwing #78, by Tom Taylor, Bruno Redondo, Adriano Lucas, Wes Abbott and Skan, published by DC Comics \u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe  various Injustice series by Tom Taylor have been one of my favorite  pandemic entertainment binges. I don’t want to spoil anything if you  haven’t read Injustice (and you should, because it is great fun), but  Dick Grayson’s storyline is absolute genius. Thus, I’m looking forward  to Taylor’s run on Nightwing’s solo series. I dropped the book during  the whole mucky Ric Grayson amnesia arc, but plan on making this one of  the few DC books post Future State I’ll pick up in print. The previews  for give off a definite Matt Fraction-era Hawkeye vibe, complete with a  canine companion, and that is most certainly a good thing. Bruno  Redondo’s art is dynamic, and Ardriano Lucas is using a bright color  palette highlighting the fact Nightwing is not mired in the gloom of his  mentor.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ca name='more'\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003EJames' Picks:\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"1500\" data-original-width=\"976\" height=\"400\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-clbcIV_ovT8\/YE0vJSmb5iI\/AAAAAAACSm8\/S689Z91woMQy7wX2ooYnvvvX1pOnW7VKwCLcBGAsYHQ\/w260-h400\/914088._SX1280_QL80_TTD_.jpg\" width=\"260\" \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cb\u003EUltramega #1 by James Harren and Dave Stewart, published by Image Comics\/Skybound\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EJames Harren is a stunningly good artist. Particularly if what you want to see is monsters and weirdness and action. I adored his work on Rumble, and I'm thrilled to see him take on writing and art duties in this new supersized first issue of \u003Ci\u003EUltramega\u003C\/i\u003E, with colors from the master Dave Stewart. Dave Stewart makes good artists look great and great artists look even better, so I'm thrilled with this creative team.\u0026nbsp; I only read the first few pages of this 60(!) page first issue, but it was enough to get me hooked. There's a terrible disease that will seemingly turn people into Kaiju at random, and the only ones who are able to fight them seem to be profoundly lonely or damaged people who can turn into an \u003Ci\u003EUltraman\u003C\/i\u003E-type character.\u0026nbsp; Is it weird? Hell yeah. I'm thrilled to read more. Harren's gritty, cartoony-but-visceral style is perfect for bringing the extraordinarily weird to life, and I'm thrilled for this one. \u003Cbr \/\u003E \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"1955\" data-original-width=\"1280\" height=\"400\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-_N5HC52albU\/YE0vJRxkl_I\/AAAAAAACSnA\/Zk8LkibYU-oa1XNfyjWcr0K7V5xFVU5lQCLcBGAsYHQ\/w263-h400\/911691._SX1280_QL80_TTD_.jpg\" width=\"263\" \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cb\u003EIron Man vol. 1: Big Iron by Christopher Cantwell and CAFU, published by Marvel Comics\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIf you're at all interested in Tony Stark, you should absolutely be reading the new \u003Ci\u003EIron Man\u003C\/i\u003E series from writer Christopher Cantwell and artist CAFU. Tony decides to take a slightly lower-tech, back-to-basics approach in his life, which goes fine until he starts running into all sorts of weird foes. But who's behind these various bad guys? I won't say. But what I will say is that Cantwell has a great handle on Tony's voice and I feel like he's exploring some interesting ideas.\u0026nbsp; The wonderfully unexpected co-star of this series is Patsy Walker, Hellcat. I didn't know I needed her in my life again, but she's a great, complex character, wonderfully brought to life by Cantwell and CAFU. CAFU is really incredible at remarkably detailed work that is realistic but doesn't feel stiff. This is a great book all around. \u003Cb\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003EMike's Picks:\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/lh3.googleusercontent.com\/-ITAffR8WzBE\/YE_0lJkSYgI\/AAAAAAAALQg\/w-KrrbUMnfQD95uSlizMwxwX1HmifMrbQCLcBGAsYHQ\/image.png\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg data-original-height=\"291\" data-original-width=\"192\" height=\"400\" src=\"https:\/\/lh3.googleusercontent.com\/-ITAffR8WzBE\/YE_0lJkSYgI\/AAAAAAAALQg\/w-KrrbUMnfQD95uSlizMwxwX1HmifMrbQCLcBGAsYHQ\/w263-h400\/image.png\" width=\"263\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; font-weight: bold; text-align: left;\"\u003ESuperman: Red and Blue by John Ridley, Clayton Henry, Brandon Easton, Steve Lieber, Marguerite Bennett, Jill Thompson, Dan Watters, and Dani, published by DC Comics\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; font-weight: bold; text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: left;\"\u003EI'm all about superhero anthology as a form, and I'm even more in tune with DC turning the idea of Batman: Black and White on its head with this Superman: Red in Blue series. I've always thought Superman lends himself best to the anthology format - short stories that allow the creative team to get to the heart of what makes the Big Boy Blue Scout tick while avoiding getting bogged down by the sheer majesty of his existence. The first issue boasts a remarkable creative team, but I'm most intrigued to see who Dani, who wowed me with the deconstructed aesthetic she brought to \u003Ci\u003ECoffin Bound\u003C\/i\u003E, approaches the optimism of Superman.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"1500\" data-original-width=\"976\" height=\"400\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-D6_vG4yf91U\/YFABxjaxkxI\/AAAAAAACSnc\/2rEewq8z8xcW3TDrKFFRdeRu6bT9E4YFwCLcBGAsYHQ\/w260-h400\/914088._SX1280_QL80_TTD_.jpg\" width=\"260\" \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003EUltramega 1 by James Harren, Dave Stewart, and Rus Wooton, published by Image\/Skybound\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: left;\"\u003EOn this book, Harren's style occupies the nexus of Jack Kirby, Phil Hester, and Scott McCloud with a healthy heaping of ultraviolence. This issue is wild and over the top in all the ways you want a Kaiju homage to be. Harren's story is deliberately manic, and his art is an exact complement for his story - grounded just enough in realism to make the insane in your face panels that much more expressive and weird.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: left;\"\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003ERachel's Pick:\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"1968\" data-original-width=\"1280\" height=\"400\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-FbKiY0RV9_8\/YFAC4sM8GpI\/AAAAAAACSnk\/viLBp5jEvXEvZrfYn-EaWFab0TVvvsG5gCLcBGAsYHQ\/w260-h400\/919292._SX1280_QL80_TTD_.jpg\" width=\"260\" \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cb\u003ENorse Mythology #6 (Dark Horse) by Neil Gaiman, P. Craig Russell, Lovern Kindzierski, David Mack, Jill Thompson, Galen Showman\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cp\u003EI recently rewatched Thor: Ragn\u003Ci\u003Earök\u003C\/i\u003E,  one of my favorite comic book movies of all time, and I again  appreciated the relationship between Chris Hemsworth’s Thor and Tom  Hiddleston’s Loki. A similar energy is apparent in the latest issue of \u003Ci\u003ENorse Mythology \u003C\/i\u003E#6  story and words by Neil Gaiman, script and layouts by P. Craig Russell,  art and colors by Jill Thompson, and lettering by Galen Showman.  Despite not having read the earlier volumes in this series, I wasn’t at  all confused about the plot or motivations, which is a credit to all  involved. \u003Cspan\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003EThor’s hammer, Mjolnir has been stolen by Thrym,  lord of the ogres. To get it back, Freya must marry him. Of course,  Freya wants no part in this plan. So, it’s up to Loki and Thor to figure  out some way to trick Thrym and retrieve Mjolnir. Unlike the MCU’s  Avenger member, this Thor is a bit dense and occasionally needs things  spelled out for him. Loki, however, remains the sneaky and snarky  trickster god we know and love.\u003Cspan\u003E\u0026nbsp; \u003C\/span\u003EHe continuously takes  pleasure in seeing Thor cut down to size. The art by Jill Thompson  builds the world of the gods. Her facial features are especially nice  and do a lot to add to the humor of the story. I’ve been a fan of Neil  Gaiman for years, and his writing here is filled with his characteristic  wit, sarcasm, and underlying darkness. \u003C\/p\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8675936740079831063\/posts\/default\/6521466074496499168"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8675936740079831063\/posts\/default\/6521466074496499168"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.panelpatter.com\/2021\/03\/catch-it-at-comic-shop-march-17th-2021.html","title":"Catch It at the Comic Shop March 17th, 2021"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Panel Patter"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/12354673590872893078"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"16","height":"16","src":"https:\/\/img1.blogblog.com\/img\/b16-rounded.gif"}}]},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8675936740079831063.post-5335431788894652334"},"published":{"$t":"2021-03-09T08:30:00.001-05:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2021-03-09T08:30:02.420-05:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"albatross"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"boom"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"catch-it"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"dc"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"image"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"jk"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"kce"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"kodansha"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"marvel"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"mmc"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"rbm"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Catch It at the Comic Shop March 10th, 2021"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cp\u003EWelcome to Catch it at the Comic Shop, where the Panel Patter team looks  at what's coming out at your favorite store or digital device this  week. Each one of us that participates picks up to five items due out  this week, with a little bit about why we like them. (NOTE: We use  solicitation material for this, so if we miss creators, \u003Cb\u003E\u003Cu\u003Eplease talk to your publisher\u003C\/u\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E!)  Sometimes we might only have a few items to share, other weeks, keeping  it to five will make for hard choices. Here's what the team wanted to  highlight this week...\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003EKelli's Pick: \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"1255\" data-original-width=\"865\" height=\"400\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-g7iKE4ECoh4\/YEVV4s79ElI\/AAAAAAACSUs\/AVcShYiWtvUdaPFODdMRZ4Ko6SKBOa2EQCLcBGAsYHQ\/w276-h400\/IMG_0151%25281%2529.jpg\" width=\"276\" \/\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cb\u003ESaint Young Men Vol.5  [print release] by Hikaru Nakamura, Translated by: Alethea \u0026amp; Athena Nibley, Release date: March 9 2021, Published by Kodansha \u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ESaint Young Men is the type of manga that I turn to at the end of a long frustrating day, usually right before bed.  I find that it is just the right dose of quiet humour to wash away the detritus of the work day.  Nakamura’s story of Buddha and Jesus taking an extended vacation on Earth is strangely relaxing. Collectively Buddha and Jesus have been working in the Heavens for over 2 millennia, so they kinda deserve the break.  Broke and with only a tiny stipend from their respective orders, the two end up renting a one room flat in a suburb of Tokyo. While trying to keep their divine status under wraps, they attempt to fit into everyday Japanese society with varying degrees of success. Nakamura manages to make these two larger than life figures super relatable. Jesus might be the Son of God and Buddha the Enlightened one, but in Saint Young Men, they are just two sweet boys who are trying to make their way in the world’s most populous city.  Buddha is a frugal, coupon cutting hausfrau, focused on making their allowance last to the end of the month. No small feat when there is the material temptation of Tezuka manga and his housemate keeps ordering stuff off Amazon.  Jesus is an avid gamer and blogger, who’s stigmata open up whenever he gets stressed.  Most of the laughs come from the ridiculous situations these two find themselves in.  I mean, who won’t laugh at Jesus being mistaken for the young boss of a yakuza dynasty?  He does have all those scars after all. Nakamura’s brand of humour is distinctly Japanese.  Saint Young Men relies on a heavy dose of wordplay, as well as absurdist situations to elicit laughs. All of it is conveyed well in English due to the hard work of the translation team, and they work hard. Every chapter has its own set of detailed translation notes.  I am super excited to see what kind of nonsense the duo get up to in volume 5. Post Plague Year, I am sorely in need of a spiritual cleanse.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Ca name='more'\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cp\u003E \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003EJames' Picks:\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"1528\" data-original-width=\"994\" height=\"400\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-m5pKE3__dnw\/YEVV8IlkL9I\/AAAAAAACSUw\/BsX00mvgS4oJn8TVB7jPlIf0mwPPrK8wACLcBGAsYHQ\/w260-h400\/ProctorValleyRoad_001_Cover_A_Main.jpg\" width=\"260\" \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cb\u003EProctor Valley Road #1 by Grant Morrison, Alex Child, Naomi Franquiz, Tamra Bonvillain, and Jim Campbell,\u0026nbsp; published by Boom! Studios\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/p\u003EI don't know a ton about this series going in. But here's what I do know: it's a period horror story (the 1960's-1970's) involving four teenagers who must slay monsters in a small town, and are trying to get to a rock concert. And it's co-written by Grant Morrison, with colors by Tamra Bonvillain.\u0026nbsp; I look forward to reading the story and learning about the other creators involved, but honestly, that's enough for me to go on. Grant Morrison (see \u003Ci\u003EAll-Star Superman\u003C\/i\u003E and a whole lot of other stuff) has written some of my favorite comics ever, and Tamra Bonvillain is a next-level-good colorist (go read \u003Ci\u003EOnce \u0026amp; Future\u003C\/i\u003E). Anyway, this sounds like a good scary time, and that sounds great to me.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"1821\" data-original-width=\"1200\" height=\"400\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-orljI-rNqcw\/YEVYHk1lJuI\/AAAAAAACSU8\/n8fvfH_jI3IQogQ19dbXwKb28YdOry-4ACLcBGAsYHQ\/w264-h400\/APR200822.webp\" width=\"264\" \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cb\u003ENon-Stop Spider-Man #1 by Joe Kelly and Chris Bachalo, published by Marvel Comics\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIt's a Spider-Man comic written by Joe Kelly nd drawn by Chris Bachalo. Honestly, that's really all I need to hear. It's apparently going to be N\u003Cspan\u003EON STOP ACTION!!! Which sounds good to me. I'm not a current reader of the main Spider-Man book but I am always up for a fun, entertaining Spidey story. So I'm sure this will be one worth checking out. \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"1968\" data-original-width=\"1280\" height=\"400\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-BUpKCZeIlnM\/YEVZWjjrH-I\/AAAAAAACSVE\/-SeASJZHkP8ptEr3ZdTyk0QgxwPASIXZQCLcBGAsYHQ\/w260-h400\/924672._SX1280_QL80_TTD_.jpg\" width=\"260\" \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cb\u003EAmerican Vampire 1976 #6 by Scott Snyder, Rafael Albuquerque, and Dave McCaig, published by DC Comics\/Black Label\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis series is where I first encountered the work of writer Scott Snyder, and it's still my favorite work of his. Snyder's written a lot of fantastic (and some less fantastic) superhero comics over the years, mostly excellent ones. But when I read something like this story, it reminds me that his roots are in horror and horror is where he excels. Thankfully he continues to have an incredible partner in crime in the spectacular Rafael Albuquerque, who draws some of the freakiest $%^t you've ever seen. This story isn't necessarily a great starting point, so I would just strongly encourage you to dive into the world of \u003Ci\u003EAmerican Vampire\u003C\/i\u003E. \u003Cb\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003ERob's Picks:\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"2048\" data-original-width=\"1349\" height=\"400\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-RfoQvFA60PU\/YEb2-VsbrHI\/AAAAAAACSVY\/eUJcTBsOOMQGjUIQ3WxtuGqSalpj4b5ywCLcBGAsYHQ\/w264-h400\/STL173494.jpg\" width=\"264\" \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003EConan the Barbarian #19 by\u0026nbsp;Jim Zub, Cory Smith, Roberto Poggi, Israel Silva, and Travis Lanham, published by Marvel Comics\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003ENo stranger to being caught in a bad situation, Conan usually knows how he got there. But after a battle with a cursed sword, he's stuck as a prisoner of a cruel army detachment, ironically belonging to the very people he'd hoped to seek out before the curse began. While life still breathes in Conan, though, he'll never give up, but that life is looking pretty short as this new arc of Zub's really cool run of the Robert E. Howard character kicks off with a new art team. I've written before about Jim's ability to be modern while still keeping the general atmosphere, topics, and feeling of the pulp era, which is no mean feat. When Conan growls about how he expresses his faith, it's pure Howard (and also Zub's spiritual predecessor, Roy Thomas). Cory Smith's art is big and bold, which fits the character well, and he's not afraid to show folks dying in the brutal manner of the text pieces. Smith also really nails the looks in Conan's eyes. When your main character isn't talkative, the art has to add the depth, and Smith does that well here. The coloring is still a little too modern for me, but that's a minor issue, when everything else down to Lanham's letters are pitch-perfect. I'm looking forward to seeing where this goes, and wouldn't be shocked to find this series among my favorites list again.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"911\" data-original-width=\"600\" height=\"400\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-zO5nKi9Oz-E\/YEb2-UaBTcI\/AAAAAAACSVQ\/45RUhCsFFV8GQ12w24JL_4fRbIp8ppnPgCLcBGAsYHQ\/w264-h400\/STL166963.jpg\" width=\"264\" \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003EThe Goon #13 by Eric Powell, published by Albatross Funnybooks\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003EAs if the Goon doesn't have enough trouble on his hands, his creator Eric Powell returns to write and draw this issue. Poor Goon! What did he ever do to deserve that? Powell isn't the only one returning. Dr. Alloy's maniacally mad mind is back to his old, destructive ways and of course that means our favorite tough guy is going to end up in the crosshairs. I admit I haven't kept close track of the Goon since things started back up again, but I've always enjoyed the world and its irreverent crassness, which is something I'm not normally on board for. Powell's art is spectacular, too, with a very distinctive style that's one part Kirby, one part Chuck Jones. This is a great place to sample and see what you think of the Goon. My bet (which I better win, or Goon'll take out my kneecaps) is that you'll be back for more.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"1528\" data-original-width=\"994\" height=\"400\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-Gg6Oni8Xwyc\/YEb2_T-8T6I\/AAAAAAACSVc\/nbde_2up-LAdocMsRCqSnn4PsCJ3t93WQCLcBGAsYHQ\/w260-h400\/STL180071.jpg\" width=\"260\" \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003EProctor Valley Road #1 by Grant Morrison, Alex Child, Naomi Franquiz, Tamra Bonvillain, and Jim Campbell, published by Boom! Studios\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003EFour young women need to make money quick or they won't get to see Janis Joplin in concert. Scheme after scheme fails until they hit on something everyone pays for--getting scared shitless. There's just one problem--the fake horrors might just be real in this period horror piece. Being honest, I've been a bit burnt out on Grant Morrison stories, so I approached this one with trepidation. But this has his sense of the supernatural, great characters, and a solid air of fun that I've found lacking for quite some time. Maybe he's far enough away from Big Two work to be refreshed, or maybe it's co-scripter Alex Child, but I quickly grew attached to August, Rylee, Jennie, and Cora. They're oddballs who just want to go to a concert and quickly get over their heads, and we're just in issue one. Franquiz's art works well with the script, keeping the menacing stuff back until just the right moment. The overall style is very much in keeping with Boom's BoomBox! titles and while it doesn't stand out, Franquiz ensures we can tell how each character is feeling, especially with their expressions. (As you have noticed over the years, expressions are important to me as a reader.) And Tamra's use of subdued but varied coloring helps make this feel more like a period piece than just the clothing choices. I expect this to get really gory really fast, so I'll be biting my nails as these women try to stay alive--and that's the sign of a good story.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"733\" data-original-width=\"477\" height=\"400\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-MXbGX8qxrHo\/YEb2-WMpiSI\/AAAAAAACSVU\/NyIhjfmiwREEyejJTqifydXuR3e4XfZTgCLcBGAsYHQ\/w260-h400\/STL180028.jpg\" width=\"260\" \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cb\u003ELuna #2 by Maria Llovett, published by Boom! Studios\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003ETeresa's in over her head as the repercussions of her tryst with Lux mean she may have no choice but to stay in this false paradise that's already showing its cracks and potentially deadly flaws. As things break down, Theresa is increasingly drawn to a link between Lux and her dreams in this second issue that quickly ups the ante on the danger. One of the things I like about Llovett beyond her amazing artistic talents is that her stories don't drag. She could easily linger across dangling plots while framing panels in flowers and leaves and drawing in that not-quite-abstract style that gives a sense of dreaminess to each page. Instead, Llovett goes for the throat here (literally, as a matter of fact) in showing there's trouble in paradise on multiple fronts while moving the supernatural angle of the plot along with an amazing sequence where she apes early travelogue illustrations, complete with wonders not known to man or beast. It's a tour de force of creativity, as the tension, sexual and otherwise, ramp up and we leave on a cliffhanger that will find you counting down the days to issue three, even as you re-read the series so far to pick up on the little art flourishes and panel constructions that make her one of the best working in comics right now. Boom! is killing it right now with great horror books and I hope they keep it up all year.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003EMike's Picks:\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Cimg alt=\"\" data-original-height=\"1528\" data-original-width=\"994\" height=\"400\" src=\"https:\/\/lh3.googleusercontent.com\/-CwgKxQg6pWI\/YEbf1-cy_TI\/AAAAAAAALP4\/UOCfDXNHYlM7IC-W5xQLJCrxBEqSMda8QCLcBGAsYHQ\/w260-h400\/image.png\" width=\"260\" \/\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cb\u003EProctor Valley Road #1 by Grant Morrison, Alex Child, Naomi Franquiz, Tamra Bonvillain, and Jim Campbell, published by Boom! Studio\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis is one of those odd books in that I'm categorically inclined to all things Grant Morison, and I frequently sing the praises and admire the versatility of both Tamra Bonvillain and Jim Campbell, but I'm only a little bit familiar with Naomi Franquiz, and I'm entirely unfamiliar with Alex Child. This book is also notable in that it's launching a new imprint that partners BOOM! and NBC Universal, answering the perpetual question - when will another media company decide to mine comicdom for more IP. The thing is, even when major media comes calling, Morrison still has more than enough chops to make the content meaningful and deep. Rob talks about Morrison and Child's scripting above, so I'll dive more into Franquiz and Bonvillain's art. Tamra's colors land somewhere between the syrup of her work on Doom Patrol and the darker tones of Once and Future, expertly complementing Franquiz's lines that captures a throwback vibe to exemplify the 70s setting, while incorporating a cartoon-esque aesthetic that adds a little youth to the tone.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cimg alt=\"\" data-original-height=\"2048\" data-original-width=\"1332\" height=\"400\" src=\"https:\/\/lh3.googleusercontent.com\/-CtddagZauzQ\/YEbgHohhd_I\/AAAAAAAALQA\/3xURe2aYtpoDNrjuPc4WrHjD4gpgIM3YQCLcBGAsYHQ\/w260-h400\/image.png\" width=\"260\" \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cb\u003ENon-Stop Spider-Man #1 by Joe Kelly and Chris Bachalo, published by Marvel Comics\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EI don't know too much about what this actual series will entail, and I'm a little behind on the main Spidey series, but I'm a simple man who lives my life by basic rules, and one of those rules is that I will blindly purchase any Joe Kelly superhero book. Add Chris Bachalo, whose work has mesmerized me since my youth, point the duo at Spider-Man, and honestly I've kind of lost track of what I'm writing because I'm getting excited.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cimg alt=\"\" data-original-height=\"1500\" data-original-width=\"975\" height=\"400\" src=\"https:\/\/lh3.googleusercontent.com\/-Tv1RMbXk8tY\/YEbgN0D4--I\/AAAAAAAALQE\/EW64TN74ElItES_pRNfhxCXWb0kqLIbxACLcBGAsYHQ\/w260-h400\/image.png\" width=\"260\" \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cb\u003EHome Sick Pilots 4 by Dan Watters, Casper Wijngaard, Aditya Bidikar, and Tom Muller, published\u0026nbsp;by Image Comics\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EThings have truly started to pick up for the Home Sick Pilots and their eponymous series. Last issue started to bring the threads together, as the mythology Watters established through the first three issues. But the exposition is giving way to the action in issue four. The Pilots reunite, but they've been through a series of changes, and Wijngaard perfectly captures the new status quo. This issue is some gnarly stuff.\u003C\/div\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8675936740079831063\/posts\/default\/5335431788894652334"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8675936740079831063\/posts\/default\/5335431788894652334"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.panelpatter.com\/2021\/03\/catch-it-at-comic-shop-march-10th-2021.html","title":"Catch It at the Comic Shop March 10th, 2021"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Panel Patter"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/12354673590872893078"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"16","height":"16","src":"https:\/\/img1.blogblog.com\/img\/b16-rounded.gif"}}]},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8675936740079831063.post-3869853847159862562"},"published":{"$t":"2021-03-08T09:00:00.001-05:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2021-03-08T09:00:04.144-05:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"alex de campi"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"interview"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"khai krumbhaar"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"scc"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"true war stories"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"True War Stories: Interview with Alex de Campi \u0026 Khai Krumbhaar"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cp style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ctable align=\"center\" cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" class=\"tr-caption-container\" style=\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\"\u003E\u003Ctbody\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-MBS8LaIMGcQ\/YD7HrNahwxI\/AAAAAAAACD4\/KIqqwCar268L4pCYKmtrG32Xfbg3Tqe1gCLcBGAsYHQ\/s680\/9D5AB41C-671F-45A2-9B7D-F8B1983118DF.webp\" style=\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"481\" data-original-width=\"680\" height=\"283\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-MBS8LaIMGcQ\/YD7HrNahwxI\/AAAAAAAACD4\/KIqqwCar268L4pCYKmtrG32Xfbg3Tqe1gCLcBGAsYHQ\/w400-h283\/9D5AB41C-671F-45A2-9B7D-F8B1983118DF.webp\" width=\"400\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd class=\"tr-caption\" style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cspan face=\"\u0026quot;Maison Neue Book\u0026quot;, \u0026quot;Helvetica Neue\u0026quot;, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif\" style=\"-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(105, 105, 105); color: dimgrey; font-size: 14px; font-style: italic; text-size-adjust: auto;\"\u003ECover of True War Stories. Art by Richard Johnson\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\u003C\/tbody\u003E\u003C\/table\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EBack in September of last year I was part of the successful Kickstarter campaign run by Alex de Campi and Khai Krumbhaar by way of \u003Ci\u003EZ2 Comics\u003C\/i\u003E and it gave the latter half of a pandemic year something to be proud of. The overwhelming support that the campaign received validated the passion project for it's two coordinators, and gave me something to look forward to. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EFast forward a few months, with book now in hand, and I’ve read through the war stories a few times already. These stories are not what you’d necessarily expect at face value from a book sporting a tank on it’s cover while calling itself \u003Cb\u003ETrue War Stories\u003C\/b\u003E. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThis is an anthology book at heart. It is a collection of memories of actual war veterans, told by war veterans, and illustrated by some of the comic industries top talents. Unfortunately, the chance to earn bragging rights for being an early adopter through Kickstarter have long passed. But you can now get a copy at your local bookstore, as well as online. As I learned during the interview, the charities benefiting from the sales of the book receive the most money if purchased direct from the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ci\u003EZ2 Comics \u003C\/i\u003Eweb store online. You can do so by following the link\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/z2comics.com\/products\/true-war-stories-graphic-novel\" target=\"_blank\"\u003Ehere\u003C\/a\u003E. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EI had the pleasure of participating in a brief conversation with Alex and Khai, the editors of \u003Cb\u003ETrue War Stories\u003C\/b\u003E, and they were kind enough to share some behind-the-scenes action as well as some possible future plans for the book.\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003ESean\u003C\/b\u003E: So, Alex and Khai, did you know each other before this collaboration and where’d this great idea for compiling a war story anthology come from? \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EKhai\u003C\/b\u003E: We met at a friend’s house, where we were both staying during San Diego Comic Con. I don’t usually trot out war stories around civilians, but we got to talking and for some reason I told her the story that would eventually become “Rebels of Macadamia” [in the book]. She [Alex] had always wanted to do a war book. I assumed she was just throwing out ideas, but a while later she emailed and said, \u003Ci\u003E“Hey, for real though, let’s make this happen.”\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EAlex\u003C\/b\u003E: The book took forever to make! I mean, that was probably 2015 or 2016 when we met in San Diego. It was a really slow process, mostly because we were absolutely determined that both the writers and the artists would get paid a decent rate for their work, which a lot of publishers weren’t willing to do. All the book’s profits go to veterans’ charities, but that doesn’t mean the people working on the book should work for free. The contributors needed to be treated with respect. I was really worried Khai would think I was a flake or unable to get the book together, like, here I am, this weirdo friend-of-a-friend showing up and going \u003Ci\u003E“hey, tell me your story, and we should get more stories like this.”\u003C\/i\u003E We were super lucky to get \u003Ci\u003EZ2 Comics\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/i\u003Eon board because not only did they give us page rates for the artists and writers, they said, \u003Ci\u003E“as soon as the book covers its costs, let’s give all the profits to charity,”\u003C\/i\u003E and that was amazing. So we had our writers pick five veterans’ charities they liked, and all the book’s moneys go to that.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cb\u003ESean\u003C\/b\u003E: That's pretty amazing that \u003Ci\u003EZ2 Comics\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;went in the same direction with proceeds as you were intending without any nudge whatsoever! But, tell me, why do you think these aren't the stories that end up getting told to non-military people? I feel like these are the ones that transcend any preconceived stance on war in general. I mean.. even a pacifist can come away from reading this with enjoyment so why hold back, you know?\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cb\u003EKhai\u003C\/b\u003E: Well.. when the opening for a war story comes up people are looking for a certain kind. Their reaction when you tell the one you want (instead of the one they expect) can shut you right down. It sucks to share what you think is a really good story and be met with confusion, disappointment, or even contempt. That happens a few times and you learn to just tell the \"safe\" ones. Then no one gets to hear the real ones. Which is a shame, because those are the best stories.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; caret-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); color: white; font-family: \u0026quot;Helvetica Neue\u0026quot;, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; text-size-adjust: auto;\"\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cb\u003ESean\u003C\/b\u003E: Absolutely, they are the best ones! I can attest to that as having read this collection already. In retrospect (and to confirm what you just said) I noticed that all the stories in the book are literally not what you’d expect from someone telling a war story. Some are sad and others are quirky, but they all have a charm to them that make them feel intimate and personal; as if you’re having a beer with the one telling it while sitting with them in their living room. How’d you track down all of these veterans to tell such vulnerable stories?\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EKhai\u003C\/b\u003E: For this book, it really came down to personal connections. Again, these aren’t the stories we usually tell non-military people, so it took a certain level of vulnerability for our contributors to share these with us. We had some personal ties to all our contributors, and they knew there was a veteran on the team, so they trusted us enough to believe we weren’t going to spin this somehow when they were done. They really took a leap of faith on us, and I think it paid off.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EAlex\u003C\/b\u003E: Yeah, this was definitely friends and friends-of-friends. And we told everyone\u0026nbsp;\u003Ci\u003E“tell the story you think about most”\u003C\/i\u003E, and that was it. Every writer chose what story of theirs they wanted to share. And one of the reasons this book exists is these are the stories you hear if you have friends and family in the military. Books of autobiographical military stories are so often heavily filtered through a propaganda lens (and a ghostwriter), focusing on moments of Great Heroism and… nobody actually tells those tales to their friends. It’s bragging. We wanted to show just the diversity of everyday experience on deployment, and some of it’s hilarious, some of it’s sad, some of it’s very philosophical. I do feel like we failed a little, in that we didn’t have a poop story. (Every soldier has a poop story; google “Rip-It Ranger” and be warned.)\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003ESean\u003C\/b\u003E: Were there any stories that didn’t get included due to time or money constraints? If yea, throw me a bone and give me the gist of each one of your favorites..\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EKhai\u003C\/b\u003E: We had one author drop out for real world reasons. I really wish we’d gotten her story, and I hope we can entice her back if we do another volume. Also, somehow we don’t have one single poop story in here. Everyone who’s deployed has a story about the time they pooped their pants (or the time their friend pooped their pants, but you know it’s really them). One of our authors has one that makes me cry laughing. It was a stretch goal to add that one, but we didn’t quite hit it. You can bet it will be there next time.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EAlex\u003C\/b\u003E: Yea, I do feel like we failed a little, in that we didn’t have a poop story. (Every soldier has a poop story; google “Rip-It Ranger” and be warned.) But, yeah, we actually had a couple of folks who didn’t end up being able to finish their stories, and I’m hoping they’ll be willing to be involved for Volume 2. Our door is always open. And, Tyson’s story about winning hearts and minds via drinking unpasteurized milk and the, uh, explosive gastrointestinal results…\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003ESean\u003C\/b\u003E: [bookmarking \u003Ci\u003ERip-It Ranger\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;Google results on my phone] ..so, I really enjoyed the range of stories you included. Nearly every emotion on the spectrum is involved here. The one that made me curl up in laughter was “Overboard”. That one felt like a story Grandpa would tell as soon as Grandma left the room. At what point did you realize you were making a book for the coffee table rather than the relic room?\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EKhai\u003C\/b\u003E: I think we always knew we wanted this to be a book that was read and reread and shared. War stories- the real kind, not the shiny Hollywood ones- are something we tell over and over amongst ourselves. A new guy shows up to the unit and everyone wants Sergeant Sachs to tell the story about the mule, that kind of thing. So that’s intentional. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EAlex\u003C\/b\u003E: Oh yeah, from the beginning we wanted like \u003Ci\u003EHumans of New York\u003C\/i\u003E, but military. And honestly, if you’re friends with someone who deployed and you’re sitting around having a beer and you ask them to tell you a story, it’s probably going to be something funny and absurd. Or a poop story. This book’s about people, not institutions. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003ESean\u003C\/b\u003E: Hoe was the experience of doing this as a Kickstarter with \u003Ci\u003EZ2 Comics\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/i\u003Elike for you both compared to just doing it traditionally?\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EKhai\u003C\/b\u003E: Real talk, my main interest in the Kickstarter was covering as many costs as we could so there would be more profit from the retail sales for our charities. I know it was a good publicity move too, but anything that helps us raise more [money] makes me happy.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EAlex\u003C\/b\u003E: Yeah, same. Doing a Kickstarter in the middle of a pandemic when stuff has been a nightmare to get stuff from the printer and ship out has been an experience, but most folks have been really patient. The USPS has been losing so many books, like fully 10% of our books were lost or destroyed in the postal system. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003ESean\u003C\/b\u003E: Yikes! Mine came on time and in great shape. So no complaints here.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EAlex\u003C\/b\u003E: Great! But if you like engaging with people, and you’re super organized, Kickstarters are great. I just like the book earning out before it even comes out in shops. That’s crucial for me. And honestly right now? Anything to get books in people’s hands. You can’t rely on shops because a lot of folks still aren’t going to any. (Speaking of which, if you want to buy \u003Cb\u003ETrue War Stories\u003C\/b\u003E and also want to maximize the amount of money from your purchase that goes to the five veterans charities our writers picked out, buy it from the \u003Ci\u003EZ2 \u003C\/i\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/z2comics.com\/products\/true-war-stories-graphic-novel\" target=\"_blank\"\u003Eweb store\u003C\/a\u003E. More than double the money goes to charity than if you buy it through \u003Ci\u003EAmazon\u003C\/i\u003E.)\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003ESean\u003C\/b\u003E: Good to know. I'll remember that for future also. Let's switch gears and talk the creative process for a minute. How did you handle pairing war veteran authors with the different artists? Did they choose or did you?\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EKhai\u003C\/b\u003E: Finding artists was all Alex! She asked some people she’d worked with before, and also put up an advertisement for the book. Then we’d match the artist to the story, introduce them to the author, and see how everyone felt. We did have to switch someone out at one point because it just wasn’t fitting the story, but overall, everyone seemed really happy with their team. The artists were very patient about endless \u003Ci\u003E“wait that patch is wrong, the incoming unit had THESE patches”\u003C\/i\u003E edits.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EAlex\u003C\/b\u003E: Yes, I’m lucky enough to know a lot of great artists and since the longest story is only 26 pages long, we could grab a little space here and there in people’s schedules even though our page rate wasn’t, like, a Marvel or DC rate. The true hero of the book is Kelly Fitzpatrick, though, who coloured about 75% of the stories and managed to choose a different, unique colour style for each one. And also Peter Krause, for stepping in at the last minute to draw a second story when the original artist was unable to complete it. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ctable align=\"center\" cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" class=\"tr-caption-container\" style=\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\"\u003E\u003Ctbody\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-5jcrZNPKqrI\/YD-u7FK_yjI\/AAAAAAAACEA\/tl23H0Ezxd8TkwB11Bz2Dev40jpiVOvWACLcBGAsYHQ\/s1945\/29DF102F-48B4-447C-960E-7AF150E81BA9.jpeg\" style=\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"1945\" data-original-width=\"1284\" height=\"640\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-5jcrZNPKqrI\/YD-u7FK_yjI\/AAAAAAAACEA\/tl23H0Ezxd8TkwB11Bz2Dev40jpiVOvWACLcBGAsYHQ\/w422-h640\/29DF102F-48B4-447C-960E-7AF150E81BA9.jpeg\" width=\"422\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd class=\"tr-caption\" style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003EPage from \"Rebels of Macadamia\" by Khai Krumbhaar, Jeff McComsey \u0026amp; Dee Cunniffe\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\u003C\/tbody\u003E\u003C\/table\u003E\u003Cb\u003ESean\u003C\/b\u003E: So.. Khai.. was your rat story intentionally put in the three spot? Because where I come from that is the track listing for the hit single! Seriously though, how hard was it to navigate the reading experience? I don’t find it coincidental that the book begins with a quick heavy hitter and ends with a tear-jerker that’ll make you want to phone home. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EKhai\u003C\/b\u003E: We did go over the story order a few times to get the pacing right. I’m lucky to have had Alex’s experience for this part. She wanted “Roadside” at the end for that sense of closure. I think it worked out better than ending on a laugh, which was my first impulse.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EAlex\u003C\/b\u003E: Wait, I thought you suggested \"Roadside\" for the end? I was thinking about \"Brothers\" but then you said \"Roadside\" was better because it brings our soldier home from deployment, and you were right! The story listing was like making a mixtape. We wrote all the titles down and then we stared at it. Some of it was predetermined, like we didn’t want the two Vietnam stories right next to each other, and we wanted to spread out the branches of service represented so there wasn’t like four Army stories to start out, or a big bunch of Marines stories together, et cetera. We also needed to spread out engagements so it was clear that this wasn’t just a bunch of Afghanistan stories or Iraq stories. We put Motorpool first because it’s the sort of story everyone thinks the book will be about (the author also has a really funny poop story, by the way), and then go the other way with the rather more freewheeling \"My Vietnam Blast\" which is both dramatic and funny and was an Air Force story, then Khai’s story because again, we wanted to make sure one of our two women veterans’ stories was up front… there were a lot of considerations in placement.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003ESean\u003C\/b\u003E: Since you brought up mixtapes, I gotta ask.. in the editor’s room, was there a preferred background noise? Kim Gordan, Tom Petty, Dave Grohl.. or do you prefer splicing panels in silence?\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EKhai\u003C\/b\u003E: Uh-oh. If I try to be cool about this, anyone I served with will rat me out in a second. My musical tastes have been described as “weird or relentlessly cheerful, plus classic rock”. So you’re as likely to hear me bopping along to Gogol Bordello as belting out “I’ll Make A Man Out Of You”. In my defense I was raised in Florida and Disney runs in our blood there. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EAlex\u003C\/b\u003E: There’s a panel where two Scout Snipers in Haiti are singing Madonna in their nest and it’s one of those Very True panels. I lettered the book mostly in silence because my 2008 (!!) Macbook Pro was thiiis close to dying the entire time and if I even \u003Ci\u003ETHOUGHT \u003C\/i\u003Eabout opening another application or asking it to stream something it would have been \u003Cb\u003EGame Over\u003C\/b\u003E. (I finally bought a new secondhand one in November; it’s from 2019!). \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003ESean\u003C\/b\u003E: Alex, I could be way off base here, but I felt like this was more than a business proposition for you. During the whole Kickstarter campaign I could almost feel the energy that suggested it a passion project for you, and not just selling comics. Who’s the veteran in your family?\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EAlex\u003C\/b\u003E: My dad; he was Navy. We had a lot of cool family stuff happen around the book — both our Vietnam stories were father\/daughter partnerships; the artist on \"My Vietnam Blast\", Dave Acosta, wants to get a story from \u003Ci\u003EHIS \u003C\/i\u003Edad’s Vietnam tour if we do a Volume 2. Telling these stories started a lot of positive discussions among families. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EKhai\u003C\/b\u003E: Not directed at me, but as a fun note I have a family full of veterans. Father, mother, stepfather (my dad), grandparents, sister, uncles… it’s one of the \"Officially Approved Vocations\" in my family. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003ESean\u003C\/b\u003E: That's so awesome that the making of the book brought real life families together like that! Khai-- it was your first time as editor of a book, right ? You up for some more? I’d be down for part two of whatever you got kicking around up there, more rats or whatever else you got.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EKhai\u003C\/b\u003E: I had so much fun with this, and I learned a lot. The hardest part is wanting to go back to the first story (my own) and pick it apart at the end, but I think it holds up. I’m hoping we get to do another volume after this one. And- well, the rats really did stop coming for us, but I do have other stories. A really sad one about a cat, a funny potty humor one, and one that’s Very Good Stuff but I would probably need to check with S2 (security) about it before I told it. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EAlex\u003C\/b\u003E: I really want this book to sell well so we can persuade \u003Ci\u003EZ2 \u003C\/i\u003Eto do a Volume 2. And Khai was an amazing co-editor. We took stories in any form the authors gave us — sometimes a comic script, sometimes a ramble in an email, sometimes a highly organized PDF with photo references. And [Khai] fully adapted half those stories to comic script, which kept me from going insane while I did the other half, and lettered the book. And she was the eye for military detail, along with our authors, who had approvals every step of the way. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003ESean\u003C\/b\u003E: I definitely see an opportunity here for an ongoing passion project; Volume 2 and beyond. You both have hinted already at the desire for Volume 2 or something similar. What’s that look like for both of you? I’m sure there’s thousands of war stories worth telling, and I’m sure plenty of people interested in reading them.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EKhai\u003C\/b\u003E: The dream would be we do one every year, and that year’s authors choose the charities. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EAlex\u003C\/b\u003E: Yep! But like I said, we need Volume 1 to be a success. I’d like to pay the creators more next time, too. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003ESean\u003C\/b\u003E: Great! So basically keep telling people to hit up \u003Ci\u003EZ2\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;at their web store to buy the book. Say no more. Well.. this has been great. Thank you both for spending the time to do this. I wish you the best and I hope these stories bring a smile to everyone’s face as big as the one it gave me. \/it really is a good read! Let’s end things by fantasy casting your own war story.. who draws, who colors, and who letters your comic?\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EAlex\u003C\/b\u003E: Oh wow. I did a fictional story for the BATTLE annual in the UK this year with Glenn Fabry, who I love. Keith Burns painted cover… It’s hard to say, I got to work with so many of my favourite artists on TRUE WAR STORIES… Tonci Zonjic, I guess. I’d letter it myself, Tonci does his own colours\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EKhai\u003C\/b\u003E: For me.. I doubt they’d do a war book because they mainly do fantasy work, but it would be fun to use Kendra Wells for a lighter story. They have a real humor to their art that I think would be unexpected. Also, I liked working with Dee Cunniffe on colors… but I’d like to try Kelly Fitzpatrick who did “Airman Jennings The Impaler.”\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003ETrue War Stories is out now and available at all retail and online places where books are sold. Maximize proceeds benefiting war veteran chosen non-profits by visiting the Z2 Comics webstore at\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/z2comics.com\/products\/true-war-stories-graphic-novel\" target=\"_blank\"\u003Ez2comics.com\/products\/true-war-stories-graphic-novel\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cp style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ctable align=\"center\" cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" class=\"tr-caption-container\" style=\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\"\u003E\u003Ctbody\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-8hAxk2Ai0lc\/YD-vS1-mJCI\/AAAAAAAACEI\/gdNnxQBFkT419XumlG3K193dIyr2gxFHwCLcBGAsYHQ\/s1942\/E94A61A5-33F1-4202-A14C-E9848DF5C64F.jpeg\" style=\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"1942\" data-original-width=\"1284\" height=\"640\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-8hAxk2Ai0lc\/YD-vS1-mJCI\/AAAAAAAACEI\/gdNnxQBFkT419XumlG3K193dIyr2gxFHwCLcBGAsYHQ\/w424-h640\/E94A61A5-33F1-4202-A14C-E9848DF5C64F.jpeg\" width=\"424\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd class=\"tr-caption\" style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003EPage from \"Airman Jennings the Impaler\" by Brandon Davis Jennings, PJ Holden \u0026amp; Kelly Fitzpatrick\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\u003C\/tbody\u003E\u003C\/table\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8675936740079831063\/posts\/default\/3869853847159862562"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8675936740079831063\/posts\/default\/3869853847159862562"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.panelpatter.com\/2021\/03\/true-war-stories-interview-with-alex-de.html","title":"True War Stories: Interview with Alex de Campi \u0026 Khai Krumbhaar"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Sean Cohea"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/07662024169569787722"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"24","height":"32","src":"\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-DXKNlYtDJLU\/Xz6QMUI4BAI\/AAAAAAAABVk\/oQRQAwW3nmY-OZJjzAhnfh3VgR72KdqzgCK4BGAYYCw\/s113\/1798ACAF-1300-473D-AAC6-F2D214D8F395.jpeg"}}]},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8675936740079831063.post-3074655809957949542"},"published":{"$t":"2021-03-04T09:54:00.012-05:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2021-03-04T10:22:49.433-05:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"AfterShock"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"charles pritchett"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"georges jeanty"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"juancho!"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"peter calloway"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"rl"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"single-issue review"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Shadow Doctor #1 by Peter Calloway and Georges Jeanty"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cp class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"1968\" data-original-width=\"1280\" height=\"400\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-FptLLNkjjbI\/YED1F4OtLbI\/AAAAAAAAFwc\/FxIvV7QPAQIZPaFJSVYgmr9q-48Ou-SQACLcBGAsYHQ\/w260-h400\/Shadow%2BDoctor.jpg\" width=\"260\" \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003EShadow Doctor #1\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EWritten by Peter Calloway\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EArt by Georges Jeanty\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EColor by Juancho!\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003ELettering and Backmatter Design by Charles Pritchett\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EPublished by AfterShock Comics\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E \u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003EShadow Doctor, \u003C\/i\u003Eis\u003Ci\u003E \u003C\/i\u003Ebased on the true story of writer Peter Calloway’s grandfather Nathaniel Calloway. Nathaniel is a Black man who worked with the mob in Chicago during Prohibition and the Great Depression. Nathaniel is narrating his story from his hospital bed in 1979 to his son David. After surviving an ambush while helping to run whiskey, Nathaniel vows to go to medical school and become a doctor so that he might make a better life for himself. The problem is no hospital would hire him and no bank would loan him money to start a clinic. There’s no question that this is because he’s Black. The hiring managers and loan officers, each of whom is a white man, tell Nathaniel that it isn’t personal, they’re just following the rules. Eventually, it becomes clear to him that his only chance is to turn to the mob for help.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"1968\" data-original-width=\"1280\" height=\"640\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-VyJVSC43Byo\/YED57zTEHvI\/AAAAAAACSUg\/Ux21veeyG70BoBJOHbC-U5acxYphx-h1ACLcBGAsYHQ\/w416-h640\/3f4518d10c90420565258e5f4f7f89c1._SX1280_QL80_TTD_.jpg\" width=\"416\" \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E \u003Cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ca name='more'\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003EWhile Nathaniel is depicted as determined, brave, and smart, Peter Calloway avoids lionizing his grandfather by showing that Nathaniel was willing to do some morally gray things in order to realize his dream. As Nathaniel explains to his son, “Most decisions are quiet things, born of an idea, a moment of contemplation. But the ones born from desperation—they aren’t quiet things.” That sense of desperation permeates each page set in the ’20s and ’30s.\u003C\/p\u003E \u003Cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003EThe art has a watercolor feel to it and Georges Jeanty is able to convey the different eras quickly and effectively. This isn’t surprising since Jeanty worked on \u003Ci\u003EThe American Way, \u003C\/i\u003Ewhich was set in the 1960s. The characters’ expressions in particular are well done, conveying both Nathaniel’s determination and desperation as well as the bigotry of many of the white characters, some of whom have no problem letting Nathaniel know that their horrific treatment of him is personal. Jeanty’s use of light and shadows in the scenes of Depression-struck Chicago are particular stirring. Juancho!’s muted color palate and red-tinged sky help draw the reader in. This is a series that I plan to continue reading. \u003C\/p\u003E "},"link":[{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8675936740079831063\/posts\/default\/3074655809957949542"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8675936740079831063\/posts\/default\/3074655809957949542"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.panelpatter.com\/2021\/03\/shadow-doctor-review.html","title":"Shadow Doctor #1 by Peter Calloway and Georges Jeanty"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Rachel Lapidow"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/07953309876689728459"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"16","height":"16","src":"https:\/\/img1.blogblog.com\/img\/b16-rounded.gif"}}]},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8675936740079831063.post-6683121293663375720"},"published":{"$t":"2021-03-03T09:00:00.002-05:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2021-03-03T09:54:44.457-05:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"birdcage bottom"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"kickstarter"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Check This Out: 2021 Publications from Birdcage Bottom Books Kickstarter "},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-8LFylQnzRLQ\/YDtE1-GBWQI\/AAAAAAAACC4\/mBPRrTbBtG0126q3GdlgADPGH0qh1k43wCLcBGAsYHQ\/s1284\/B37E1B48-2E25-47BC-A44F-A8BD97B1F0B6.jpeg\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"735\" data-original-width=\"1284\" height=\"229\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-8LFylQnzRLQ\/YDtE1-GBWQI\/AAAAAAAACC4\/mBPRrTbBtG0126q3GdlgADPGH0qh1k43wCLcBGAsYHQ\/w400-h229\/B37E1B48-2E25-47BC-A44F-A8BD97B1F0B6.jpeg\" width=\"400\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003EToday we bring attention toward a Kickstarter from Birdcage Bottom Books. It just started last weekend and before the weekend was up it nearly hit the 40% funded mark. Publications from the Birdcage brand are a house favorite among the Panel Patter crew and we are always excited to see their new lineups each year.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EKickstarter link \u0026gt;\u0026gt;\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.kickstarter.com\/projects\/birdcagebottombooks\/2021-publications-from-birdcage-bottom-books\" target=\"_blank\"\u003E2021 Birdcage Bottom Books\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAt the beginning of each year the Birdcage crew join forces to bring us top notch comic content and give readers the chance to crowdfund the year’s publications. This year is no different. Here is your chance to find this years titles. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe comics this year from Birdcage include a punk rock anthology, the initial volume of an unlikely superhero, and a handful of mini-comics that’ve come to be what we expect from the folks at Birdcage Bottom Books. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ETheir publications this year include:\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cp style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: medium;\"\u003ETOO TOUGH TO DIE: An Aging Punx Anthology\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-JWRru4JS_kg\/YDxrxCyda1I\/AAAAAAAACDA\/9bH5jUlh5Dc8WRoJsk_IEYMyy030Qr5tgCLcBGAsYHQ\/s1020\/88CF52F8-D743-42F5-928A-B741C66015A8.webp\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"1020\" data-original-width=\"680\" height=\"400\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-JWRru4JS_kg\/YDxrxCyda1I\/AAAAAAAACDA\/9bH5jUlh5Dc8WRoJsk_IEYMyy030Qr5tgCLcBGAsYHQ\/w266-h400\/88CF52F8-D743-42F5-928A-B741C66015A8.webp\" width=\"266\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003EThis punk anthology has a whole host of creators coming together to tell personal stories as told through various perspectives of an aging punk rocker. The underground music scene and the underground comics scene have always had their crossing, and this anthology pays tribute to it. With a top-tier cast of creators I anticipate this being a contender for anthology of the year. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E6” x 9”, 260+ pages. \u003Cbr \/\u003EFull-color covers with b+w interior. Perfect-bound.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cp style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: medium;\"\u003E\"Everything Is Super\" by Captain Rottsteak\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-Lgy7KJ-LSJs\/YDxsAy10StI\/AAAAAAAACDI\/UdxUa6jURv4cYRUPdaM-NWrvfXgktvvsQCLcBGAsYHQ\/s1010\/CD12952B-5CD2-4406-A09C-88F111E04FC0.webp\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"1010\" data-original-width=\"680\" height=\"400\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-Lgy7KJ-LSJs\/YDxsAy10StI\/AAAAAAAACDI\/UdxUa6jURv4cYRUPdaM-NWrvfXgktvvsQCLcBGAsYHQ\/w269-h400\/CD12952B-5CD2-4406-A09C-88F111E04FC0.webp\" width=\"269\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003EHere is a book for those of us who are hungry for more superhero stories.. but want our superheroes to be.. mis-adventurous. Lloyd the Human Hemorrhoid Herman is one such hero and this collects issues 1-4. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E6” x 9”, 120 pages.\u003Cbr \/\u003EFull-color covers and interior. Perfect-bound.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cp style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: medium;\"\u003E\"Comfort Creatures\" by Robert H. Stevenson\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-5-Yzx6lQ6hk\/YDxsL_td2nI\/AAAAAAAACDM\/U1VYRo4eMaI1PFv2mjyeRytBUlaaH3bTwCLcBGAsYHQ\/s926\/CA8D60D7-2000-47EE-9C77-392B932705F7.webp\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"926\" data-original-width=\"680\" height=\"400\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-5-Yzx6lQ6hk\/YDxsL_td2nI\/AAAAAAAACDM\/U1VYRo4eMaI1PFv2mjyeRytBUlaaH3bTwCLcBGAsYHQ\/w294-h400\/CA8D60D7-2000-47EE-9C77-392B932705F7.webp\" width=\"294\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003EHaunting, dripping, messy monsters... made from things that we.. love? Sounds intriguing. I must know what this transforms into.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E5.5” x 8.5”, 24 pages.\u003Cbr \/\u003EBlack cardstock with white ink covers with b+w interior.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cp style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: medium;\"\u003E\"Flop Sweat #2, #3, \u0026amp; #4\" by Lance Ward\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-BOzdNTJimdI\/YDxtQQ0BA3I\/AAAAAAAACDY\/3IuQ5ssBLvwFdepp4bgdAakmwyw47tStQCLcBGAsYHQ\/s639\/0291CAB3-D401-4CDE-BE4C-0499B9902626.jpeg\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"358\" data-original-width=\"639\" height=\"224\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-BOzdNTJimdI\/YDxtQQ0BA3I\/AAAAAAAACDY\/3IuQ5ssBLvwFdepp4bgdAakmwyw47tStQCLcBGAsYHQ\/w400-h224\/0291CAB3-D401-4CDE-BE4C-0499B9902626.jpeg\" width=\"400\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003EThe ongoing serialization of Lance Ward gains traction this year as 3 more issues of his autobiographical comic series is published by Birdcage Bottom Books. (Issue 1 was printed last year by Birdcage and it is so easy to add that I was able to do it by just a click of a button).\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E5.5” x 8.5”, 28 pages each issue. \u003Cbr \/\u003EFull-color covers and interior.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EKickstarter link \u0026gt;\u0026gt;\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.kickstarter.com\/projects\/birdcagebottombooks\/2021-publications-from-birdcage-bottom-books\" target=\"_blank\"\u003E2021 Birdcage Bottom Books \u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ENow. Since this is a Kickstarter. There’s the inevitable (and coveted) reward options. And this Kickstarter has got tons of punk rock rewards to be had. There’s original art from the Too Tough To Die anthology, there’s mock-up show flyer commissions options, there’s punk album cover art recreations, and punk self (or pet) portraits, ska-sona portraits, and even some coveted Lance Ward original artwork from the Flop Sweat series. There’s even a limited-edition comic option from Kyle Bravo. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EIf you dig indie comics and you’re looking for some new comic loot and rewards then I highly recommend checking out and backing this Kickstarter campaign. Birdcage Bottoms Books comes with a Kickstarter reputation that upholds itself as one to settle in as a repeat customer. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EDo as I did and head over to Kickstarter to find the campaign level that best suits you. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E(I picked the Yost punk portrait and personally I cannot wait for him to turn me into a train hopping skate punk rocker.)\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EKickstarter link \u0026gt;\u0026gt;\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.kickstarter.com\/projects\/birdcagebottombooks\/2021-publications-from-birdcage-bottom-books\" target=\"_blank\"\u003E2021 Birdcage Bottom Books\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8675936740079831063\/posts\/default\/6683121293663375720"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8675936740079831063\/posts\/default\/6683121293663375720"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.panelpatter.com\/2021\/03\/check-this-out-2021-publications-from.html","title":"Check This Out: 2021 Publications from Birdcage Bottom Books Kickstarter "}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Sean Cohea"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/07662024169569787722"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"24","height":"32","src":"\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-DXKNlYtDJLU\/Xz6QMUI4BAI\/AAAAAAAABVk\/oQRQAwW3nmY-OZJjzAhnfh3VgR72KdqzgCK4BGAYYCw\/s113\/1798ACAF-1300-473D-AAC6-F2D214D8F395.jpeg"}}]},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8675936740079831063.post-1128758346303466634"},"published":{"$t":"2021-03-02T08:30:00.006-05:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2021-03-03T18:35:41.231-05:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"AfterShock"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"archaia"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"bnv"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"boom"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"catch-it"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"dark horse"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"dc"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"idw"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"image"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"jk"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"kce"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"kfm"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"marvel"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"mmc"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"nps"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"oni press"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"peow"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"rbm"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"scc"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"vault"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Catch It at the Comic Shop March 3rd, 2021"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cp\u003EWelcome to Catch it at the Comic Shop, where the Panel Patter team looks  at what's coming out at your favorite store or digital device this  week. Each one of us that participates picks up to five items due out  this week, with a little bit about why we like them. (NOTE: We use  solicitation material for this, so if we miss creators, \u003Cb\u003E\u003Cu\u003Eplease talk to your publisher\u003C\/u\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E!)  Sometimes we might only have a few items to share, other weeks, keeping  it to five will make for hard choices. Here's what the team wanted to  highlight this week...\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003EBeth's Picks:\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"1050\" data-original-width=\"1050\" height=\"400\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-WLziyFeMZIo\/YDroyPrO9xI\/AAAAAAACSTI\/Y_nKzaIk9wQJxnbxSudYWPoA3UCabTGuACLcBGAsYHQ\/w400-h400\/Girlsplaining_HC_Cover.jpg\" width=\"400\" \/\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cb\u003EGirlsplaining: A (Sorta) Memoir, by Katja Klengel, published by Archaia, division of a BOOM! Studios \u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThis  graphic novel from German cartoonist Katja Klengel will most certainly  resonate with a female audience, and it should be read by any human  interested in what it feels like to navigate the world as a woman.  Klengel jokingly says near the beginning that her goal is to be the  “Carrie Bradshaw of the comics scene,” but she surpasses that with her  extremely realistic and relatable writing. As someone who has often  wondered what idiot first decided it was attractive for women to be  hairless like dolphins, “The Ghost of the Rusty Razor Blades”  particularly resonated with me. The page where she tells off a boyfriend  who complains about her leg hair — “My body, my business! Now change  the channel, ‘Sailor Moon’ is on.” — is one of my new all-time  favorites.\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Ca name='more'\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"1500\" data-original-width=\"975\" height=\"400\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-R0yYbb4OleU\/YDR9wyAqGlI\/AAAAAAACSSE\/fKKnzaVa9x0RHFD4rjHB-neXnmH3DV0LwCLcBGAsYHQ\/w260-h400\/STL179938.jpg\" width=\"260\" \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cb\u003ENocterra #1, by Scott Snyder, Tony S. Daniel and Tomeu Morey, published by Image \u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThis is a promising debut issue for this series, set a decade after the world has been plunged into everlasting night. In this new reality, aside from it being difficult to get a tan, people also have to worry about turning into monstrosities called “shades” if they stray too far from artificial light. The pacing of the story feels cinematic as it follows Val Riggs, a trucker or “ferryman” who transports goods and people through the night for a price. Scott Snyder and Tony Daniel know how to tell a big tale with a strong emotional pull, and this creator-owned book feels like (pun intended) a bright spot in the darkness.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003ENeil's Pick:\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"2048\" data-original-width=\"1349\" height=\"400\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-Qn5I-pSDNkU\/YDR9xPyHeqI\/AAAAAAACSSI\/3Npyxtp7f_0JoQNew2QB_v8pgQ5pTVwiQCLcBGAsYHQ\/w264-h400\/x-men%2Bdemon.jpg\" width=\"264\" \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cb\u003EDemon Days: X-Men#1 by Peach Momoko, Published by Marvel Comics\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EIt's only taken 9 weeks to break my rule of trade only reading in 2021 but when I saw Demon Days promo art my heart skipped a beat. The art, like a style plucked straight out of 80’s Japan and a story catering for my passion of samurai\/Japanese based story telling I just had to break my rule. I’ll be honest and say Peach Momoko is someone that I didn’t have on my radar but I’m glad I now do. Nice to see that this is Peach's own universe when it comes to the X-Men so I look forward to seeing how she plays with that.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003EKelli's Pick:\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"2048\" data-original-width=\"1619\" height=\"400\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-5XAlW-kh5pI\/YD2MpQ5IgdI\/AAAAAAACSTs\/-gS-BcCZvXQgcPsI1qrm-5sbCxHokKqkgCLcBGAsYHQ\/w316-h400\/exmag_vol3_cover.jpg\" width=\"316\" \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cb\u003EEx.Mag. Vol.3  Crumbling Kingdom\u003Cbr \/\u003EEd. by Wren McDonald \u003Cbr \/\u003EFeaturing  the work of Tarmasz, Patrick Crotty,  Al Gofa, Delfina Pérez Adán,  Valentin Seiche, Jake Terrell, Hanna K, Linnea Sterte, Geov Chouteau. \u003Cbr \/\u003EPublished by Peow.\u003Cbr \/\u003ERelease date: March 1 2021\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EI’ve  never been a big anthology fan, but Peow Studio’s Ex.Mag series might  covert me. I demolished their first offering Ex.Mag 1: Full Metal  Dreamland in one sitting. It was just so crushable. Ex.Mag’s first  volume is a hard act to follow, but Ex.Mag 3:  Crumbling Kingdom does a  pretty good job. The theme for vol.3 is dark fantasy.  There’s an  allegorical quality to the stories. Greed, vengeance, and unbridled  desire are some of the underlying themes.  Despite the dark fantasy  genre there is humour to be found between the pages.  Some of the  stories were great, others meh.  That’s the thing about anthologies, you  might not like every contribution, but if you’re lucky, you’ll walk  away having discovered a creator that totally resonates with you. For me  it was Linnea Sterte.  I’ve already got their independent work Stages  of Rot on order at my local comic shop. Sterte’s contribution to Ex.Mag  3, An Arrow for a King, was so my jam. Their drawing gives off some  serious Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind vibes.  I’m talking the manga  here not the anime.  Although Sterte’s work was the stand out of the  collection, I also really enjoyed Hanna K’s The Gargoyle Temple and  Tarmasz’s Soldiers of Fortune.  Peow Studio started out as a Risograph  printing house, and expanded to publishing comics.  The goal of the  studio is to represent unknown artists working on the fringes of the  industry.  So if you are looking for fresh voices sing a little bit out  of tune check out the Ex.Mag anthologies.\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cspan face=\"Avenir-Book\" style=\"font-size: 11px;\"\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003EKirk's Pick: \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"2048\" data-original-width=\"1332\" height=\"400\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-lfJWqTiaXjk\/YD2NGy1ivGI\/AAAAAAACST0\/vbvatd--ky09nyD1H4cfshCoNsL6jEm8QCLcBGAsYHQ\/w260-h400\/0121DC019.webp\" width=\"260\" \/\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cb\u003ESwamp Thing #1 by Ram V, Mike Perkins and Mike Spicer, published by DC Comics\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EIt's exciting to see DC finally taking a chance on new talent and watching it stick these last few months. Ram is in the club of writers that can write deeply personal stories (whether it's personal to him or to the characters he's penned) that have a lasting effect on the entire world he's playing in. Spinning out of the Infinite Frontier event, this 10-issue Swamp Thing series introduces Levi Kamei as the new keeper of The Green. Now if he's the new Swamp Thing, or if they are building off the ideas Alan Moore set during his run that there are multiple Swamp Things is still yet to be seen. In any case, this gives Ram and his team a fresh start to tell their own tale after coming off the excellent self-contained Catwoman #9 issue and taking over the Justice League Dark series mid-story arc. For casual readers that might be intimidated by the heavy lore and writing pedigree that come with picking up a Swamp Thing book, this starting point just might be the ticket while being a gateway to Ram's compelling indie published work. \u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003EJames' Picks:\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: small;\"\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: small;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"922\" data-original-width=\"600\" height=\"400\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-p1-E98tyDvY\/YDR_opnmTxI\/AAAAAAACSSU\/D_zsbntj-R8QFGQ_nzbDuR99dPWyBBIOwCLcBGAsYHQ\/w260-h400\/3005326.webp\" width=\"260\" \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cb\u003EDead Dog's Bite #1 by Tyler Boss, published by Dark Horse \u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EI'm a huge fan of the work of artist Tyler Boss. He drew the absolutely wonderful 4 Kids Walk Into a Bank, which is an incredible, heartfelt, hilarious, and poignant story (and one of my \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/#\"\u003Efavorite books\u003C\/a\u003E of the decade). This is a new story that is both written and drawn by Boss, and I'm very excited to see what story he is going to tell. From the solicits, this sounds like it shouyld be a really interesting read. It's a missing persons story with a whole bunch of weirdness to it. I'm sure that whatever the story, Boss will bring his incredible eye for detail and visual humor and storytelling to the book.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"1800\" data-original-width=\"1186\" height=\"400\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-dqoV-ZwZB7A\/YDR9w94ZQLI\/AAAAAAACSSA\/SW4zEHC6CnEF4aZbFnHUCav1SHISy_eEACLcBGAsYHQ\/w264-h400\/STL169635.jpg\" width=\"264\" \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cb\u003ETransformers '84: Secrets \u0026amp;Lies TP by Simon Furman and Guido Guidi, published by IDW Entertainment\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis story was a real delight. I was a Transformers fan since the very beginning, all the way back to the Spring of 1984. The first comic I ever read that really made me fall in love with comics was Transformers #1.\u0026nbsp; And while I know IDW has a history of many excellent Transformers comics over the years, they always seemed a little impenetrable to me (which I'm sure is just on me). I was excited about this comic, because it did not require me to know years of back story. This story is set immediately before the events of the original Transformers comic, and the art is absolutely evocative of that 1980's story, in the best possible way. This is an interesting and engaging story that fills in a lot of the behind the scenes and therefore adds to the original story. I loved this, and this may be my entry into more Transformers comics. \u003Cb\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"1215\" data-original-width=\"800\" height=\"400\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-s_V_ksxnLl4\/YDwXQHGp7VI\/AAAAAAACSTU\/5a9NYBEOTRE69UzJbucJLZ8yCrr5sBJBQCLcBGAsYHQ\/w264-h400\/STL167004.jpg\" width=\"264\" \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cb\u003EThe Plot #8 by Tim Daniel, Michael Moreci, Joshua Hixson, Kurt Michael Russell, and Jim Campbell, published by Vault Comics\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Plot is a totally unsettling, terrifying series and I have absolutely loved it (my review \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.panelpatter.com\/2020\/01\/the-plot-series-review.html\" target=\"_blank\"\u003Ehere\u003C\/a\u003E). It's in the category of \"there's something very wrong with the house\" stories, but it's a lot more than that. It's a story about family, and legacy, and what we pass on, good or bad, down the line. And about the inevitability of certain fates. The art from Joshua Hixson with colors from Jordan Boyd is absolutely freaky and terrifying. Seriously, there's some unsettling stuff, but scary in the best possible way. If you enjoy being scared and entertained, you'll love this series. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"930\" data-original-width=\"605\" height=\"400\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-JbREDZy0N1E\/YDwYGfIbbTI\/AAAAAAACSTc\/oqii0nWtwHAnzmjXsk2-bDzz2i1tDRLRACLcBGAsYHQ\/w260-h400\/STL179726.jpg\" width=\"260\" \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cb\u003EUndone by Blood: The Other Side of Eden #1 by Lonnie Nadler, Zac, Thompson, Sami Kivela, Jason Wordie, and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou, published by AfterShock Comics\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EUndone by Blood was a terrific series published last year (my review \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.panelpatter.com\/2020\/03\/review-undone-by-blood-or-shadow-of.html\" target=\"_blank\"\u003Ehere\u003C\/a\u003E) that told a crime story in two different time periods. There was the story in the 70's, and then the story in the old Western novel that the main character was reading. I really enjoyed the juxtaposition between the two stories. It looks like there will be different sets of character, and different settings here, but that the same general idea will be there. A story set in the 1930's, and another one set in the Old West. Nadler and Thompson are great writers and I totally trust them, as I do with respect to the entire creative team. Sami Kivela is a fantastic, detailed, engaging artist whose style works perfectly for these crime stories. Wordie colors each setting in a perfectly distinctive way that suits the time period, and Otsmane-Elhaou is a highly skilled letterer whose detail adds a lot to the storytelling. I'm sure this'll be a great read. \u0026nbsp; \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003ERob's Picks:\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"1800\" data-original-width=\"1350\" height=\"400\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-Ap2hQg8-jPo\/YD2PLevbpoI\/AAAAAAACST8\/D7YvaC2GHOU-DgcopnSQ91WXtdaPWC4ZgCLcBGAsYHQ\/w300-h400\/STL174156.jpg\" width=\"300\" \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003EMike Mignola: The Quarantine Sketchbook by Mike Mignola, published by Dark Horse Comics\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003EI've been looking forward to this one for a long time now. Mignola's so good at capturing an image and making it memorable from years of cover work and his Hellboy stories. It's a talent that serves him well and makes Mignola a perfect candidate for a special sketchbook. Making our days a little brighter, Mike posted sketches to his Twitter account in the darkest days of 2020 and then auctioned them off to support World Central Kitchen. It was a no-brainer to collect the sketches and now even more funds can be donated to the same charity and we get an amazing collection of characters compiled in Mignola's signature style. It's for a good cause so I'd be supportive anyway, but this is a must-have book for art and comics fans.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"2048\" data-original-width=\"1332\" height=\"400\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-lPGIkIIZ-Kk\/YD2PPb9rwqI\/AAAAAAACSUA\/5eoVh3qa2AMBRnCOn9sSFL3DO5lpzbu2QCLcBGAsYHQ\/w260-h400\/NOCETRRA%2B%25231%2Bcover%25281%2529.jpg\" width=\"260\" \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003ENocterra #1, by Scott Snyder, Tony S. Daniel and Tomeu Morey, published by Image\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\"The Sun Will Come Up Tomorrow\" is a cruel lie in Val's world, where something not only made the sun go away but also turns anyone who stays in the darkness too long into a hideous creature. Survivors like Val and her brother Em wear as much light as possible and try to keep the forces of darkness at bay. When Em gets ill, only a risky venture for an urban legend sanctuary can save him. It's a bleak future that's well-crafted by Snyder and Daniel.\u0026nbsp; Both are long-time Batman veterans getting a chance to team up on an indie horror book, and both of their styles are on full display here. Snyder’s very talkative, explaining as much as possible as this first issue rushes together. Meanwhile, Daniel's linework is still in superhero mode, and I'm hoping his and Morey can morph from slick lines to more creepy, atmospheric pages. That's a minor complaint, though--the art makes good scene choices and of course the monsters are scary as all hell. Once the team settles in, this has a good shot at being one of the best horror books of 2021.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003ESean’s Picks:\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cp class=\"p1\" style=\"font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;\"\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"930\" data-original-width=\"605\" height=\"400\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-PUD9JyX1wws\/YD2XZKeFiHI\/AAAAAAAACDk\/_LUMddeHYTc3T6NT1CmVfZbZlR_aJ97oACLcBGAsYHQ\/w260-h400\/EA266D8D-CB33-42F7-A16F-D917DA870C55.jpeg\" width=\"260\" \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003EUndone by Blood Other Side of Eden #1 by Lonnie Nadler, Sami Kivela, published by Aftershock \u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/p\u003EGeorge Carlin once said that when he was a kid, if a guy got killed in a western he always wondered who got his horse. For me.. in the \u003Cb\u003EUndone by Blood\u003C\/b\u003E comic saga.. I wonder who winds up with the paperback. In the first.. series? ..season? ..arc? Oh, I give up. I don’t know what to call these things anymore. In this latest chapter (ah, yes.. there’s the descriptor) of the \u003Cb\u003EUndone by Blood\u003C\/b\u003E story we follow yet another vengeful mission guided by a clenched western paperback. Last time we saw events unfold as Ethel Grady Lane strolled through a town looking to solve the murder of her family. It was told alongside prose that acted in itself as character to the plot with our Ethel holding that very book along the way. This time we are introduced to Silvano, a man on a mission yo get back what was taken—- all while holding that western on his side. This unique brand of storytelling in the genre of a western caught me by complete surprise the first time, and I am without hesitation queuing myself up for this one. And if you don’t also then.. we’ll give you a fair trail, Pilgrim, followed by a first class hangin’.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"1821\" data-original-width=\"1200\" height=\"400\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-V4zhsreWIfk\/YD2XReeqLDI\/AAAAAAAACDg\/6N3JJNeAiwsi_qcqwE4u5LOpTopbkozIACLcBGAsYHQ\/w264-h400\/DAD993B1-837E-443D-AEFD-95144402AAA6.jpeg\" width=\"264\" \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003EDead Dog’s Bite by Tyler Boss, published by Dark Horse\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/p\u003EThe solicits call this one \u003Cb\u003ETwin Peaks\u003C\/b\u003E meets \u003Cb\u003ELady Bird\u003C\/b\u003E and that all but seals the deal for me on this debut from \u003Cb\u003EDark Horse\u003C\/b\u003E.  Upon discovery of it being a comic written and illustrated by Tyler  Boss I had no more energy left to resist temptation. Strap me in and tap  the vein, I’m \u003Ci\u003Every\u003C\/i\u003E ready for the next thing from the illustrator and co-creator of \u003Cb\u003E4 Kids Walk into a Bank\u003C\/b\u003E.  It’s a story of a lost person and how to go about finding them when no  one seems to have the desire—- or so it seems. I anticipate the art to  be usual Ty Boss but the narrative is where I’m unsure. Sharpening his  chops as writer for the first time, I expect this miniseries to hit  hard\u0026nbsp;and hit fast.\u0026nbsp; \u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003EMike's Picks:\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; font-size: x-large; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cimg alt=\"\" data-original-height=\"1830\" data-original-width=\"1200\" height=\"400\" src=\"https:\/\/lh3.googleusercontent.com\/-I9v_QDhanqo\/YD2a75yChFI\/AAAAAAAALOM\/Eq5_V18_q6QDUeMZllEXaMMiF0zYoaJqgCLcBGAsYHQ\/w262-h400\/image.png\" width=\"262\" \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003EAmerica Chavez: Made in the USA by\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cb\u003EKalinda Vazquez and Carlos E. Gomez, published by Marvel Comics\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003EIn a better world, we'd have more \u003Cb\u003EAmerica Chavez\u003C\/b\u003E\u0026nbsp;comics, so I think we can all agree that whatever \u003Cb\u003EAmerica Chavez\u003C\/b\u003E\u0026nbsp;comics do arrive on stands are required reading. To be fair, I have absolutely no idea what this series is \"about,\" but I'm here for it.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cimg alt=\"\" data-original-height=\"2048\" data-original-width=\"1332\" height=\"400\" src=\"https:\/\/lh3.googleusercontent.com\/-HXyFD8A2eWw\/YD2dD1C84oI\/AAAAAAAALOU\/nLBThQRigGsUBkbPARzmo5s55E7DTFCEgCLcBGAsYHQ\/w260-h400\/image.png\" width=\"260\" \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cb\u003ESwamp Thing 1 by Ram V, Mike Perkins, and Aditya Bidikar, published by DC Comics\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003EWe have been fortunate to get some previews of what Ram's \u003Cb\u003ESwamp Thing\u003C\/b\u003E\u0026nbsp;would be, starting with his run on \u003Ci style=\"font-weight: bold;\"\u003EJustice League Dark\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;that featured Swampy as a part of the ensemble cast, but it was this fall's \u003Ci style=\"font-weight: bold;\"\u003ESwamp Thing Halloween Special\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;anthology anchored by Ram and Perkins that focused on the mythology of the \u003Cb\u003ESwamp Thing\u003C\/b\u003E\u0026nbsp;while still emphasizing his existential burdens that would hint most at what the duo would explore in both the \u003Cb\u003EFuture State\u003C\/b\u003E\u0026nbsp;mini and this new ongoing. Ram has been on a hot streak for a while, and Mike Perkins has a style that recalls classic \u003Cb\u003ESwamp Thing \u003C\/b\u003Eartists like Bernie Wrightson and Rick Veitch while feeling more refined and modern. And that's what I'm most down for in this series, the idea of a \u003Cb\u003ESwamp Thing \u003C\/b\u003Eseries that embraces the roots of the character and charts a new territory.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cimg alt=\"\" data-original-height=\"2048\" data-original-width=\"1332\" height=\"400\" src=\"https:\/\/lh3.googleusercontent.com\/-g6KPUT0RM98\/YD2iUV-NbII\/AAAAAAAALOc\/ckNjSclEKRI09buiHgjgjhVdhE3YFgpGACLcBGAsYHQ\/w260-h400\/image.png\" width=\"260\" \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cb\u003ERick and Morty: Jerryboree! by Grace Thomas and Gina Allnat, published by Oni Press\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003EIs Jerry the best character on \u003Cb\u003ERick and Morty\u003C\/b\u003E\u0026nbsp;or the worst? Or both? At the same time? Jerry is all of us and yet none of us, confined to the fringes while at at the center of it all. Oni's \u003Cb\u003ERick and Morty\u003C\/b\u003E\u0026nbsp;comics have been fantastic and offer a great dose of the show during the time between seasons. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8675936740079831063\/posts\/default\/1128758346303466634"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8675936740079831063\/posts\/default\/1128758346303466634"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.panelpatter.com\/2021\/03\/catch-it-at-comic-shop-march-3rd-2021.html","title":"Catch It at the Comic Shop March 3rd, 2021"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Panel Patter"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/12354673590872893078"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"16","height":"16","src":"https:\/\/img1.blogblog.com\/img\/b16-rounded.gif"}}]},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8675936740079831063.post-6836598892999765713"},"published":{"$t":"2021-03-01T09:00:00.001-05:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2021-03-01T09:00:09.321-05:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"bnv"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"dc comics"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"future state"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Jen bartel"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"joelle jones"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"jordie bellaire"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"wonder woman"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"The Wonder Women of Future State"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"923\" data-original-width=\"600\" height=\"400\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-sAmQYQeAMa0\/YDF9syGV-NI\/AAAAAAAAXxs\/aWEOgB0GMWct7azdJMXVhU20M8zXXBvzACLcBGAsYHQ\/w260-h400\/large-5627663.jpg\" width=\"260\" \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003EFuture State: Immortal Wonder Woman\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003Eby Becky Cloonan, Jen Bartel, Pat Brosseau, L.L. McKinney,\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003EAlitha Martinez, Mark Morales, Emilio Lopez and Becca Carey\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003Epublished by DC Comics\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOne of my pandemic projects has been sorting through years of accumulated comics. It showed me how enthusiastically I’ve bought into — with my dollars, if not always my heart — DC’s special events.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ca name='more'\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: left;\"\u003ESeeing literal boxes upon boxes of event-related comics that I had no emotional attachment to (and honestly, not much mental recollection of either) made me less than enthusiastic about Future State. Nope, I said. No, no, no. Not gonna buy ANY of em’. I’ll wait to read them on DC Universe Infinite. I do NOT need to own them.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: left;\"\u003EAnd then, two things happened. The first is that I saw the previews, and gosh darn it if some of these books didn’t look good. Really good. And hey, if Yara Flor is the next big thing, her first appearances should be part of my collection.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"1316\" data-original-width=\"860\" height=\"400\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-LS6mIJzTV4E\/YDF-kmY5NTI\/AAAAAAAAXx8\/ij3DoHB7Z-c-6MsMUrP-ubF5en_Qr1yygCLcBGAsYHQ\/w261-h400\/Screen%2BShot%2B2021-02-20%2Bat%2B4.26.19%2BPM.png\" width=\"261\" \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003EFuture State: Wonder Woman\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003EBy Joelle Jones, Jordie Bellaire and Clayton Cowles\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003EPublished by DC Comics\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: left;\"\u003EThe second thing? Wonder Woman 1984. After the letdown of this movie, I needed a palate cleanser for the character, something to remind her why Diana was one of my all-time favorite fictional heroes.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: left;\"\u003ESo, I committed to a limited Future State budget of the titles featuring everyone’s favorite Amazon: Wonder Woman, Immortal Wonder Woman, Justice League and Superman\/Wonder Woman. (Oh, and on impulse Harley Quinn (which was fun, but didn’t really present anything unexpected.)\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: left;\"\u003EIn Immortal Wonder Woman, writers Becky Cloonan and Michael W. Conrad nail the portrayal of Diana as a strong warrior at the end of her days who has lost so much but never gives up hope. The art by Jen Bartel is simply stunning — on almost every page there is a panel worthy of framing. The coloring adds an ethereal quality that elevates the already beautiful images.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: left;\"\u003ENubia co-headlines the book with Diana, in stories written by L.L. McKinney with art by Alitha Martinez, Mark Morales and Emilo Lopez. She is pitted against Grail and Circe in a tale that is action packed but still full of character development, with hints of an intriguing family backstory. Here’s hoping Nubia features prominently in the next phase of the DCU.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: left;\"\u003EYara Flor is the main Wonder Woman of Future State, and it’s a promising introduction for the character. Rather than wading tentatively through an origin story, we’re immediately dropped into her world as she battles a hydra. It’s no surprise that Joelle Jones can write and draw strong women, and Future State: Wonder Woman has a gleeful sense of energy.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"923\" data-original-width=\"600\" height=\"400\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-j2EVW1IlYh8\/YDF--OEtiAI\/AAAAAAAAXyI\/n9NZ1mQqZBEFxtG1t4fj80LhpEgX0_BPwCLcBGAsYHQ\/w260-h400\/large-4955458.jpg\" width=\"260\" \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003EFuture State: Justice League\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003EBy Joshua Williamson, Robson Rocha, Daniel Henriques,\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003ERomulo Fajardo Jr,\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cb\u003ETom Napolitano, Dan Mora, Ram V,\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003EMarcio Takara,\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cb\u003EMarcelo Maiolo and Rob Leigh\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003Epublished by DC Comics\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: left;\"\u003EYara’s appearances throughout the Future State titles feel cohesive, which is no small feat in a crossover. Her friendship with Jon Kent mirrors Diana and Clark’s bond, and feels authentic. There’s a sense of fun throughout. Before reading these books, I was annoyed that I’d have to buy the main Justice League title to keep reading Ram V.’s wonderful JL Dark. But now, if the new Justice League is anything like this fast-forward, I’ll gladly plunk down my money each month.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: left;\"\u003EOverall, these books make me feel optimistic for the next incarnation of the DC Universe, which isn’t always something I’ve felt able to write in the last few years. And that — pun intended — is a \u003Ci\u003Ewonder\u003C\/i\u003E-ful thing.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"923\" data-original-width=\"600\" height=\"400\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-zpLOwW392Ww\/YDF_f7zMaUI\/AAAAAAAAXyQ\/HZqPa212thAT4CE7Yr6X1y1LewsOby2UgCLcBGAsYHQ\/w260-h400\/large-6378363.jpg\" width=\"260\" \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003ESuperman\/Wonder Woman\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003EBy Dan Watters, Leila Del Duca,\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003ENick Filardi and Tom Napolitano\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003EPublished by DC Comics\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8675936740079831063\/posts\/default\/6836598892999765713"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8675936740079831063\/posts\/default\/6836598892999765713"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.panelpatter.com\/2021\/03\/the-wonder-women-of-future-state.html","title":"The Wonder Women of Future State"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Beth Negus Viveiros"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/07651471099394509383"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"16","height":"16","src":"https:\/\/img1.blogblog.com\/img\/b16-rounded.gif"}}]},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8675936740079831063.post-66995239416694667"},"published":{"$t":"2021-02-25T20:40:00.006-05:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2021-03-04T10:14:27.676-05:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"david garcia cruz"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"idw"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"jim zub"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"max dunbar"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"neil uyetake"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"quick hits"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"rl"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"sebastian cheng"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"single-issue review"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Quick Hit: Dungeons and Dragons: Infernal Tides from Zub and Dunbar"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003Cb\u003E\u003Ci\u003E*Editor's Note - Welcome aboard, Rachel! This is her debut piece for the website, and we're incredibly happy to have her aboard.\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-ebBsKH5EP7A\/YDPXgdUL8WI\/AAAAAAAAFuw\/qSU9BObnpygrvWLAEZCek7wJ2PdlwyrKgCLcBGAsYHQ\/s1722\/D%252526D%252BInfernal%252BTides.jpg\u0026amp;source=gmail\u0026amp;ust=1614305376155000\u0026amp;usg=AFQjCNEJynUhWswM84CzHY14asJHA1XnrQ\" href=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-ebBsKH5EP7A\/YDPXgdUL8WI\/AAAAAAAAFuw\/qSU9BObnpygrvWLAEZCek7wJ2PdlwyrKgCLcBGAsYHQ\/s1722\/D%2526D%2BInfernal%2BTides.jpg\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\" target=\"_blank\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" class=\"CToWUd\" height=\"400\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-ebBsKH5EP7A\/YDPXgdUL8WI\/AAAAAAAAFuw\/qSU9BObnpygrvWLAEZCek7wJ2PdlwyrKgCLcBGAsYHQ\/w264-h400\/D%2526D%2BInfernal%2BTides.jpg\" width=\"264\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003EDungeon \u0026amp; Dragons: Infernal Tides\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr style=\"-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;\" \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; display: inline; float: none; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;\"\u003EWritten  by Jim Zub, art by Max Dunbar, colors by Sebastian Cheng, additional  colors by David Garcia Cruz, letters by Neil Uyetake\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cu\u003E\u003C\/u\u003E\u003Csub\u003E\u003C\/sub\u003E\u003Csup\u003E\u003C\/sup\u003E\u003Cstrike\u003E\u003C\/strike\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003EPublished by IDW\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EAfter reading and giving up on a couple of other comics, I saw that \u003Cb\u003EIDW\u003C\/b\u003E had a \u003Cb\u003EDungeons \u0026amp; Dragons\u003C\/b\u003E comic out, and I thought, “why not?” I wasn’t expecting to love it as much as I did, which shows how snooty I was being. Just because a comic is based on an existing property doesn’t mean it can’t be fun, exciting, and gorgeous. And any comic that includes a line of dialogue like, “My hamster senses great danger!” is automatically worth a read in my opinion. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe party featured in this story is made up of the massive, fearless-bordering-on-stupid human ranger Minsc (and his hamster Boo); sorceress moon elf Delina, who has to deal with occasional magical flareups; Nerys a human cleric who makes great use of the spiritual weapon spell; Shandie, a halfling rogue who knows how the world works and is able to think several steps ahead; and Krydle a half-elf, half-human rogue who likes to call both himself and Shandie urban scouts and, much to Krydle’s dismay, has a fondness for puns. They meet up with Aubree Lucent, a young human woman who is a paladin in training. She was on a mission with her father Alistair to retrieve a box that was stolen from the leader of their city of Elturel. When we meet the pair, Haruman, knight of the devil Zariel, is in literal hot pursuit of them on his fiery mount. Zariel is able to spirit away Alistair, but Aubree still has the box. Without giving any spoilers, all you need to know is that a big part of the plot revolves around the seemingly endless war between devils and demons. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-95aiaBZDcUY\/YDkIBYVoU7I\/AAAAAAAALN0\/SOLoxMj1oCIC85mlgDuQOPVUCyW2FsC5QCLcBGAsYHQ\/s2048\/image.jpeg\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"1584\" data-original-width=\"2048\" height=\"496\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-95aiaBZDcUY\/YDkIBYVoU7I\/AAAAAAAALN0\/SOLoxMj1oCIC85mlgDuQOPVUCyW2FsC5QCLcBGAsYHQ\/w640-h496\/image.jpeg\" width=\"640\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Ca name='more'\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EThe art by Max Dunbar with colors by \u003Cb\u003ESebastian Cheng\u003C\/b\u003E and additional colors by \u003Cb\u003EDavid Garcia Cruz\u003C\/b\u003E is really great and the characters, creatures, and landscapes are appropriately fantastical. Places like Avernus, a plane in Hell, are drawn with more gloomy, intense shades and you can practically feel the heat coming off the page. The city of Baldur’s Gate and fortress-library of Candlekeep in the material world are drawn with brighter colors. I’m reminded of the lovingly detailed art for \u003Cb\u003EFab\u003C\/b\u003Eles. Animals make frequent appearances including Boo, Minsc’s hamster, and tressyms (adorable winged felines about the size of a housecat). Battle scenes have an epic scale to them. The architecture, like the fortress-library of Candlekeep and the merchant buildings of Baldur’s Gate, are another place where the art is used effectively to convey size and culture. The writing is quick paced but provides enough exposition to those who aren’t familiar with all the ins and outs of D\u0026amp;D. There are tons of funny lines of dialogue, but there’s also the suspense of not being sure if all of the party members are going to make it out alive. If you enjoy sword and sorcery fantasies, regardless of whether or not you're familiar with \u003Cb\u003EDungeons \u0026amp; Dragons\u003C\/b\u003E, pick up a copy of \u003Cb\u003E\u003Ci\u003EInfernal Tides\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"yj6qo ajU\"\u003E\u003Cdiv aria-expanded=\"false\" aria-label=\"Show trimmed content\" class=\"ajR\" data-tooltip=\"Show trimmed content\" id=\":17k\" role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003E\u003Cimg class=\"ajT\" src=\"https:\/\/ssl.gstatic.com\/ui\/v1\/icons\/mail\/images\/cleardot.gif\" \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8675936740079831063\/posts\/default\/66995239416694667"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8675936740079831063\/posts\/default\/66995239416694667"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.panelpatter.com\/2021\/02\/dungeons-dragons-infernal-tides.html","title":"Quick Hit: Dungeons and Dragons: Infernal Tides from Zub and Dunbar"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Rachel Lapidow"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/07953309876689728459"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"16","height":"16","src":"https:\/\/img1.blogblog.com\/img\/b16-rounded.gif"}}]},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8675936740079831063.post-6907612294991101671"},"published":{"$t":"2021-02-25T10:00:00.001-05:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2021-02-25T10:00:00.626-05:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"bianca xunise"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"black history month"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"danny lore"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"ebony flowers"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"jamal igle"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"joel christian gill"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"kwanza osajyefo"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"spike trotman"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"steenz"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"vita ayala"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"whit taylor"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Panel Patter Celebrates Black History Month - 2021"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cbr \/\u003E We at\u0026nbsp;Panel\u0026nbsp;Patter are always out looking for the next big up-and-coming creator, and with this month being Black History Month I thought it’d be in good faith to highlight a few Black creators. Some in this list are on the rise, some are writing mainstream titles (and making waves doing it), while others are so new that you may not have even heard of them yet.\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EBy no means is this list meant to be all-inclusive for it is instead meant to be a reminder that white men in their 30s are not the only ones out there making phenomenal comics. Gender and race often unfairly determine legitimacy, and this is an attempt to speak directly to that injustice by naming a few Black creators who we love.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EUse these names as a springboard into your own journey and discover someone new in your search for the creator today that everyone will be talking about tomorrow.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EIn no particular order, in honor of Black History Month, here are some of Panel Patters go-to content creators:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cp style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003EChristopher Priest \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-g56nW6sC8xI\/YDGJZcdxWZI\/AAAAAAAAB-U\/Scyfe-7-2oIIcEuWDnj9-gFkddp4QYPbACLcBGAsYHQ\/s960\/89F1285B-5C91-4F49-BAE7-69D95F884778.jpeg\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"960\" data-original-width=\"702\" height=\"400\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-g56nW6sC8xI\/YDGJZcdxWZI\/AAAAAAAAB-U\/Scyfe-7-2oIIcEuWDnj9-gFkddp4QYPbACLcBGAsYHQ\/w293-h400\/89F1285B-5C91-4F49-BAE7-69D95F884778.jpeg\" width=\"293\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003EYou could arguably make the case that we never see the version of Black Panther within the MCU that we have come to take for granted if it were not for Priest and his iconic run with the character. Spanning from late 1998 to 2003 Christopher Priest was quietly refurbishing a character in real time and no one was noticing. Today people look back on it as the run that defines the character. As impressive as this is in itself, Priest elevates himself into legendary status when you realize that his writing Black Panther as the main writer marked the first time a Black writer did such a thing for Marvel (or DC); in turn breaking the color barrier in comics. He spent time writing comics for characters such as Spider-Man, Batman, Deadpool, and Powerman \u0026amp; Iron Fist, but none of these compare to his classic run with the King himself, T'Challa.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EShopping Links:\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.barnesandnoble.com\/s\/christopher%20priest\/_\/N-w\" target=\"_blank\"\u003EBarnes \u0026amp; Noble\u003C\/a\u003E,\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/bookshop.org\/books?keywords=christopher+priest\" target=\"_blank\"\u003Ebookshop.org\u003C\/a\u003E,\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Christopher-Priest\/e\/B00LM2T7V8?ref_=dbs_p_pbk_r00_abau_000000\" target=\"_blank\"\u003EAmazon\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cp style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003EKwanza Osajyefo\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-wLa-EKI1tvU\/YDGLkoqF_AI\/AAAAAAAAB-g\/l0nxSA-9CCs4WuWK6xQv0CKAnOeuNpIggCLcBGAsYHQ\/s1500\/2412E387-F46B-46B4-A6A1-536728D7480E.jpeg\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"1500\" data-original-width=\"1500\" height=\"400\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-wLa-EKI1tvU\/YDGLkoqF_AI\/AAAAAAAAB-g\/l0nxSA-9CCs4WuWK6xQv0CKAnOeuNpIggCLcBGAsYHQ\/w400-h400\/2412E387-F46B-46B4-A6A1-536728D7480E.jpeg\" width=\"400\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003EThere have been a handful of attempts at writing stories where superpowers are defined and distributed based on race, but none have had the lasting success that Kwanza Osajyefo’s \u003Cb\u003EBlack\u003C\/b\u003E has experienced. Largely considered as his biggest accomplishment to comics thus far with momentum only solidifying that as true. What started as a Kickstarter campaign blew up to eventually be a \u003Cb\u003EBlack Mask Studios \u003C\/b\u003Estaple as more stories began pouring out adding to the already expansive universe. The second installment of a planned trilogy of stories, entitled \u003Cb\u003EWhite\u003C\/b\u003E,\u0026nbsp;is planned for an April 2021 release date and is expected to be a quick sell. Physical copy enthusiasts should set their alarms and get over to the Black Mask website as near to its release as you can. Or just do as I did and place a pre-order.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EFollow his Twitter\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/kwanzer?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor\" target=\"_blank\"\u003E@kwanzer\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;and check him out at the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.humanoids.com\/y_user\/author\/id\/5784\" target=\"_blank\"\u003EHumanoids\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;website.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EShopping Links:\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/bookshop.org\/contributors\/kwanza-osajyefo\" target=\"_blank\"\u003EBookshop.org\u003C\/a\u003E,\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.comixology.com\/Kwanza-Osajyefo\/comics-creator\/45053\" target=\"_blank\"\u003EcomiXology\u003C\/a\u003E,\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/blackmaskstudios.com\/black\/\" target=\"_blank\"\u003EBlack Mask Studios\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cp style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003EWhit Taylor\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-I1TDjcF5r0A\/YDGMvp8WzEI\/AAAAAAAAB-s\/7oMy3lvZXc0WBPEBPSI-2nOIxuYZHaWGgCLcBGAsYHQ\/s960\/86A37CC0-DE52-4BE2-AB97-D4CFA81AF968.jpeg\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"960\" data-original-width=\"960\" height=\"400\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-I1TDjcF5r0A\/YDGMvp8WzEI\/AAAAAAAAB-s\/7oMy3lvZXc0WBPEBPSI-2nOIxuYZHaWGgCLcBGAsYHQ\/w400-h400\/86A37CC0-DE52-4BE2-AB97-D4CFA81AF968.jpeg\" width=\"400\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003EWhit Taylor, a friend and past contributor to the site, is an award winning cartoonist and currently a contributing editor for \u003Cb\u003EThe Nib\u003C\/b\u003E. She has self published several of her own comics as well as having had her work published by \u003Cb\u003ERadiator Comics\u003C\/b\u003E, \u003Cb\u003ENinth Art Press\u003C\/b\u003E, and \u003Cb\u003ESparkplug Books\u003C\/b\u003E among others. Most recently, her series \u003Cb\u003EFizzle\u003C\/b\u003E was nominated in the 2020 Ignatz Awards for best series and won. (Hooray!!) \u003Cb\u003ERadiator Comics \u003C\/b\u003Ecurrently has the series available for purchase on their website. She is a self-proclaimed enthusiast for public health and social science and enjoys pairing it with her love for making comics.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EVisit Taylor's website at\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.whittaylorcomics.com\/\" target=\"_blank\"\u003Ewww.whittaylorcomics.com\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EFollow her on the web\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/WhitTaylorComix?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor\" target=\"_blank\"\u003E@WhitTaylorComix\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;and\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/whitltaylor\/?hl=en\" target=\"_blank\"\u003E@whitltaylor\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003ECheck out the Ignatz award winning series Fizzle by shopping at\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.radiatorcomics.com\/creator\/whit-taylor\/\" target=\"_blank\"\u003ERadiator Comics\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003ERead her stuff at\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/thenib.com\/author\/whit-taylor\/\" target=\"_blank\"\u003EThe Nib\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cp style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003EChristina “Steenz” Stewart\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-6AlWyH803dU\/YDGVv61RYmI\/AAAAAAAAB-4\/-TAclPkp9xAr8L-32H6-B2cpfKsi5QwhwCLcBGAsYHQ\/s400\/72291C0D-F23C-4809-BA96-E6617BA5E589.jpeg\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"400\" data-original-width=\"400\" height=\"400\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-6AlWyH803dU\/YDGVv61RYmI\/AAAAAAAAB-4\/-TAclPkp9xAr8L-32H6-B2cpfKsi5QwhwCLcBGAsYHQ\/w400-h400\/72291C0D-F23C-4809-BA96-E6617BA5E589.jpeg\" width=\"400\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003ESteenz has been a very active member in comics behind the scenes and in front of them since 2017. In just 4 short years she has managed to succeed in being the cartoonist, writer, as well as an award winner, instructor, and editor; an ever expansive resumé that is destined to continue growing. Currently editing titles for \u003Cb\u003EMad Cave Studios\u003C\/b\u003E, after having spent time as editor with \u003Cb\u003ELion Forge\u003C\/b\u003E she works earnestly to get diversity on the pages of comic books. Hard at work she doesn’t forget to also create stories of her own with \u003Cb\u003EArchival Quality\u003C\/b\u003E, the winner of the 5th Annual Dwayne McDuffie Award For Diversity in Comics in 2019. In May of last year she took over writing and illustrating the syndicated strip \u003Cb\u003EHeart of the City\u003C\/b\u003E, an ongoing story of a middle-school student and his experiences in everyday life. Currently, we can look forward to the upcoming release of a graphic novel depicting the history of tabletop role player gaming as co-creator and illustrator. Lots of stuff upcoming from this powerhouse editor and content creator.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EFollow Steenz on the web\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/oheysteenz?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor\" target=\"_blank\"\u003E@oheysteenz(twitter)\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;and\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/oheysteenz\/\" target=\"_blank\"\u003E@oheysteenz(instagram)\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EFor all things Steenz visit\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.oheysteenz.com\/\" target=\"_blank\"\u003Eoheysteenz.com\u003C\/a\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003ERead all the latest strips from \u003Cb\u003EHeart of the City\u003C\/b\u003E at\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.gocomics.com\/heartofthecity\" target=\"_blank\"\u003Egocomics.com\/heartofthecity\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EGo check out \u003Cb\u003EMad Cave Studios\u003C\/b\u003E at\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/madcavestudios.com\/about-us\/steenz\/\" target=\"_blank\"\u003Emadcavestudios.com\u003C\/a\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EPurchase the award winning story \u003Cb\u003EArchival Quality\u003C\/b\u003E at\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/bookshop.org\/books\/archival-quality\/9781620104705\" target=\"_blank\"\u003EBookshop.org\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cp style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003EDaniel Barnes\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-Gts6yNGX--4\/YDGY35HhDzI\/AAAAAAAAB_E\/boiL6vwfJsAojzGA5ctbrx8xgJ7VlGK9gCLcBGAsYHQ\/s960\/8B4D785C-B638-4CC8-BA3B-20AC9DDAB78B.jpeg\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"960\" data-original-width=\"766\" height=\"400\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-Gts6yNGX--4\/YDGY35HhDzI\/AAAAAAAAB_E\/boiL6vwfJsAojzGA5ctbrx8xgJ7VlGK9gCLcBGAsYHQ\/w319-h400\/8B4D785C-B638-4CC8-BA3B-20AC9DDAB78B.jpeg\" width=\"319\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003EA recent Panel Patter favorite, \u003Cb\u003EThe Black Mage\u003C\/b\u003E, was co-created by Barnes with fellow Black comic creator and illustrator D.J. Kirkland. Solicited as Harry Potter meets Final Fantasy, this story of breaking the color barrier in wizardry is a story every kid should read. We look forward to what these creators have in store for us, collectively and on their own, and we see nothing but a bright future for both.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EFollow Barnes on the web at\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Danny8bit?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor\" target=\"_blank\"\u003E@Danny8bit\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EVisit his website at\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.dannybarnes.net\/\" target=\"_blank\"\u003Ewww.dannybarnes.net\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EPurchase The Black Mage at\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/bookshop.org\/books\/the-black-mage-volume-1\/9781620106525\" target=\"_blank\"\u003EBookshop.org\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;or at\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Black-Mage-Daniel-Barnes\/dp\/1620106523\" target=\"_blank\"\u003EAmazon\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;and\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.comixology.com\/Daniel-Barnes\/comics-creator\/222174\" target=\"_blank\"\u003EcomiXology\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cp style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003EVita Ayala\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-5T9BmuexFzg\/YDGZ7S_QuuI\/AAAAAAAAB_U\/NiWaajjlMzEQyyNQtFGLo5hsdXtCj8_6gCLcBGAsYHQ\/s498\/B711CCFE-8B4E-495A-AFDA-F351CD9E15F0.jpeg\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"498\" data-original-width=\"400\" height=\"400\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-5T9BmuexFzg\/YDGZ7S_QuuI\/AAAAAAAAB_U\/NiWaajjlMzEQyyNQtFGLo5hsdXtCj8_6gCLcBGAsYHQ\/w321-h400\/B711CCFE-8B4E-495A-AFDA-F351CD9E15F0.jpeg\" width=\"321\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003EHailing from the flagship \u003Cb\u003EMarvel\u003C\/b\u003E title of \u003Cb\u003EMorbius\u003C\/b\u003E,\u0026nbsp;and now currently on the team writing \u003Cb\u003EFuture State: the Next Batman\u003C\/b\u003E, Ayala is positioning themself as one of the fiercest writers in comics. Not only are they breaking down glass ceilings of gender, but barriers of race is also being broken down. With a whole onslaught of titles to chose from, I pick the \u003Cb\u003EVault\u003C\/b\u003E miniseries from a couple years ago titled \u003Cb\u003ESubmerged\u003C\/b\u003E to share as something not to miss by Ayala. It’s a story of complicated family dynamics while it delves deep into the underworld within the subway tunnels of New York City. Backdrop to the story is a catastrophic storm that traps characters in the maze underground and the only way out is to tackle the inner demons that plague the past that she was unaware of before. Rising superstar and a name that everyone should be aware of is Vita Ayala. There will be many more quality stories coming from them in the future.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EFollow Vita on the web at\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/definitelyvita?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor\" target=\"_blank\"\u003E@definitelyvita\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003ECheck out Vita's work at\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.comixology.com\/Vita-Ayala\/comics-creator\/103563\" target=\"_blank\"\u003Ewww.comixology.com\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EBuy \u003Cb\u003ESubmerged \u003C\/b\u003Eat\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.barnesandnoble.com\/w\/submerged-vol-1-vita-ayala\/1129206403\" target=\"_blank\"\u003EBarnes \u0026amp; Noble\u003C\/a\u003E,\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Submerged-Vol-1-Vita-Ayala\/dp\/1939424429\" target=\"_blank\"\u003EAmazon\u003C\/a\u003E,\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/bookshop.org\/books\/submerged-vol-1\/9781939424426\" target=\"_blank\"\u003EBookshop.org\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cp style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003EJoel Christian Gill\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-owytMs-Yesw\/YDGbLGH6uWI\/AAAAAAAAB_k\/Kl7NWDjCu1wDBH0aEYNK3c5DLu0pYH8AACLcBGAsYHQ\/s480\/B13CEDA5-72C7-481E-9637-8721F26B7EB7.jpeg\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"480\" data-original-width=\"405\" height=\"400\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-owytMs-Yesw\/YDGbLGH6uWI\/AAAAAAAAB_k\/Kl7NWDjCu1wDBH0aEYNK3c5DLu0pYH8AACLcBGAsYHQ\/w338-h400\/B13CEDA5-72C7-481E-9637-8721F26B7EB7.jpeg\" width=\"338\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003EAnother friend of the site, Joel Christian Gill, has been creating comics that positively impact his readership for years. As a cartoonist and historian he uses his stories to capture the audience and not let them go until they have fully realized the reason for the story.  His award winning graphic novel series \u003Cb\u003EStrange Fruit: Uncelebrated Narratives from Black History\u003C\/b\u003E is one we would recommend as a first dive into his work. Another would be his 2020 graphic memoir, \u003Cb\u003EFights: One Boy’s Triumph Over Violence\u003C\/b\u003E from \u003Cb\u003EOni Press\u003C\/b\u003E. The former would be choice for those seeking graphic history, whereas the latter is a fictional memoir about how children are faced with the pressures and unavoidable truths of abuse, trauma and violence. Gill’s TED talk of the subject matter is also worth a look and so are any of his other titles from his body of work.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003ECheck out Joel's website at\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.joelchristiangill.com\/\" target=\"_blank\"\u003Ewww.joelchristiangill.com\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EFollow him on the web at\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/jcg007?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor\" target=\"_blank\"\u003E@jcg007(twitter)\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;and\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/joelchristiangill\/\" target=\"_blank\"\u003E@joelchristiangill(instagram)\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003ESupport by shopping at\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.barnesandnoble.com\/s\/%22Joel%20Christian%20Gill%22;jsessionid=6633EE4C601E9816B4733DF114B33A72.prodny_store02-atgap08?Ntk=P_key_Contributor_List\u0026amp;Ns=P_Sales_Rank\u0026amp;Ntx=mode+matchall\" target=\"_blank\"\u003EBarnes \u0026amp; Noble\u003C\/a\u003E,\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Joel-Christian-Gill\/e\/B00JGTXJW2%3Fref=dbs_a_mng_rwt_scns_share\" target=\"_blank\"\u003EAmazon\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;or\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/bookshop.org\/contributors\/joel-christian-gill\" target=\"_blank\"\u003EBookshop.org\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EWatch his TED talk here:\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=5J6p61ibhkk\" target=\"_blank\"\u003ETEDtalk\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cp style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003ERodney Barnes\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-jYXo2WTOsJU\/YDGb9wujX8I\/AAAAAAAAB_s\/lnsrg_pBdb4ljvVR3Dol67zxx8LNHofaACLcBGAsYHQ\/s1280\/41E2B8BE-902D-4BC7-97A5-899B25574C2B.jpeg\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"1280\" data-original-width=\"1024\" height=\"400\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-jYXo2WTOsJU\/YDGb9wujX8I\/AAAAAAAAB_s\/lnsrg_pBdb4ljvVR3Dol67zxx8LNHofaACLcBGAsYHQ\/w320-h400\/41E2B8BE-902D-4BC7-97A5-899B25574C2B.jpeg\" width=\"320\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003ESome guys get all of the things, and Rodney Barnes is one such guy. As a veteran award-winning producer and screen writer, he also lends his knack for dialogue to comics. With books such as \u003Cb\u003EKilladelphia\u003C\/b\u003E, \u003Cb\u003ELando: Double or Nothing\u003C\/b\u003E, and \u003Cb\u003EFalcon\u003C\/b\u003E we could definitely benefit from some more stories in comics from the long-standing Hollywood pillar for content that centers on Black voices.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EVisit Rodney's website at\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/rodneybarnes.com\/\" target=\"_blank\"\u003Erodneybarnes.com\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EFollow him on twitter at\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/TheRodneyBarnes?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor\" target=\"_blank\"\u003E@TheRodneyBarnes\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003ESupport by shopping at\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Books-Rodney-Barnes\/s?rh=n%3A283155%2Cp_27%3ARodney+Barnes\" target=\"_blank\"\u003EAmazon\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;or\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/bookshop.org\/contributors\/rodney-barnes\" target=\"_blank\"\u003EBookshop.org\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cp style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003EBianca Xunise\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-XE1CfYZntZ8\/YDGdIh9Y-CI\/AAAAAAAAB_4\/3TzCwZbWmvA_NK7GckYhatff-BL1MeUoQCLcBGAsYHQ\/s2048\/7855491C-1696-4283-BCDD-493DB1EBAC56.jpeg\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"1025\" data-original-width=\"2048\" height=\"200\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-XE1CfYZntZ8\/YDGdIh9Y-CI\/AAAAAAAAB_4\/3TzCwZbWmvA_NK7GckYhatff-BL1MeUoQCLcBGAsYHQ\/w400-h200\/7855491C-1696-4283-BCDD-493DB1EBAC56.jpeg\" width=\"400\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003EA 2018 Ignatz Award winner in the “Promising New Talent” category for her self-published book \u003Cb\u003ESay Her Name\u003C\/b\u003E was what turned the cartoons onto a profession. Now, as the second Black woman to be nationally syndicated in a daily strip, she has become a member of the \u003Cb\u003ESix Chix\u003C\/b\u003E. With still a lot to be said in the thread of racial and gender inequality look for more comics to be coming out by following her twitter page and frequenting her store. I anticipate many more great things from them.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EVisit Bianca's website at\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.biancaxunise.com\/\" target=\"_blank\"\u003Ewww.biancaxunise.com\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EFollow her on the web at\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/biancaxunise?lang=en\" target=\"_blank\"\u003E@biancaxunise(twitter)\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;and\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/biancaxunise\/?hl=en\" target=\"_blank\"\u003E@biancaxunise(instagram)\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003ECheck out her work at\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/thenib.com\/author\/bianca-xunise\/\" target=\"_blank\"\u003EThe Nib\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;and \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.comicskingdom.com\/six-chix\" target=\"_blank\"\u003ESix Chix\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003ESupport her work by shopping at\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/gumroad.com\/biancaxunise\" target=\"_blank\"\u003EGumroad\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cp style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003EDanny Lore\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-MssaRMvqAfQ\/YDGefdm8baI\/AAAAAAAACAE\/7wS0WwwhVNcWQxtYmOFQr_pBCJWTT8cxwCLcBGAsYHQ\/s2048\/2921585E-4804-4BC7-9D47-D184CF456DFF.jpeg\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"2048\" data-original-width=\"1536\" height=\"400\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-MssaRMvqAfQ\/YDGefdm8baI\/AAAAAAAACAE\/7wS0WwwhVNcWQxtYmOFQr_pBCJWTT8cxwCLcBGAsYHQ\/w300-h400\/2921585E-4804-4BC7-9D47-D184CF456DFF.jpeg\" width=\"300\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003EDanny Lore is a comic writer and editor with a handfuls of works to mention. They have contributed works for several publishers, including \u003Cb\u003EVault\u003C\/b\u003E, comiXology and \u003Cb\u003EBlack Mask Studios\u003C\/b\u003E. Mostly written in worlds of contemporary fiction, fantasy and science fiction, they also have the title of editor to be proud of as they are esteemed as the acquiring editor for \u003Cb\u003EFIYAH Literary Magazine\u003C\/b\u003E. Additionally, Lore has also helped co-write some issues of \u003Cb\u003EIronheart 2020\u003C\/b\u003E with Vita Ayala for \u003Cb\u003EMarvel\u003C\/b\u003E. The \u003Cb\u003EVault\u003C\/b\u003E title, \u003Cb\u003EQueen of Bad Dreams\u003C\/b\u003E was heard talked about in the halls of Panel Patter and was what initially brought our attention to their work. Expect lots of engaging stories from them in the coming years.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EVisit Danny's website at\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/dannylore.com\/\" target=\"_blank\"\u003Edannylore.com\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EFollow them on the web at\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/weredawgz?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor\" target=\"_blank\"\u003E@weredawgz(twitter)\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;and\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/weredawgz\/?hl=en\" target=\"_blank\"\u003E@weredawgz(instagram)\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003ESupport their work by shopping at\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.comixology.com\/Danny-Lore\/comics-creator\/209671\" target=\"_blank\"\u003EcomiXology\u003C\/a\u003E,\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/bookshop.org\/contributors\/danny-lore\" target=\"_blank\"\u003EBookshop.org\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;or at\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/s?i=digital-text\u0026amp;rh=p_27%3ADanny+Lore\u0026amp;s=relevancerank\u0026amp;text=Danny+Lore\u0026amp;ref=dp_byline_sr_ebooks_1\" target=\"_blank\"\u003EAmazon.com\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003ECheck out the work at FIYAH at\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.fiyahlitmag.com\/\" target=\"_blank\"\u003Ewww.fiyahlitmag.com\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cp style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003EJamal Campbell\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-Gagy8it_JvQ\/YDGf_CTLdJI\/AAAAAAAACAQ\/1diMOakuqvQ0v6_0H2of-8gqOkxk7gcZACLcBGAsYHQ\/s567\/5C007AD5-8482-4E4D-AE25-B137113452FB.webp\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"567\" data-original-width=\"425\" height=\"400\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-Gagy8it_JvQ\/YDGf_CTLdJI\/AAAAAAAACAQ\/1diMOakuqvQ0v6_0H2of-8gqOkxk7gcZACLcBGAsYHQ\/w300-h400\/5C007AD5-8482-4E4D-AE25-B137113452FB.webp\" width=\"300\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003ECampbell is probably most known for drawing \u003Cb\u003EFar Sector\u003C\/b\u003E with writer N.K. Jemisin for \u003Cb\u003EDC\u003C\/b\u003E. He has also done other incredible work for \u003Cb\u003EDC\u003C\/b\u003E in the \u003Cb\u003ENaomi\u003C\/b\u003E series with David F. Walker as well as a number of \u003Cb\u003EMarvel\u003C\/b\u003E titles including \u003Cb\u003EThe Prowler\u003C\/b\u003E. Jamal’s fresh and clean illustrating style will definitely keep him high on the list of sought after artists by major publishers looking for something that packs a comic book punch.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EVisit Jamal's website at\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.jamalcampbell.com\/\" target=\"_blank\"\u003Ewww.jamalcampbell.com\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EFollow him on the web at\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/_pryce14?lang=en\" target=\"_blank\"\u003E@_pryce14(twitter)\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;and\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/pryce14\/?hl=en\" target=\"_blank\"\u003E@pryce14(instagram)\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;and \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/pryce14.tumblr.com\/\" target=\"_blank\"\u003Epryce14.tumblr.com\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003ESupport his work by shopping at\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/s?i=stripbooks\u0026amp;rh=p_27%3AJamal+Campbell\u0026amp;s=relevancerank\u0026amp;text=Jamal+Campbell\u0026amp;ref=dp_byline_sr_book_2\" target=\"_blank\"\u003EAmazon\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;and\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.barnesandnoble.com\/s\/%22Jamal%20Campbell%22;jsessionid=62D9D39E56A52A7D082EC3EA81C29034.prodny_store02-atgap01?Ntk=P_key_Contributor_List\u0026amp;Ns=P_Sales_Rank\u0026amp;Ntx=mode+matchall\" target=\"_blank\"\u003EBarnes \u0026amp; Noble\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;and\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.comixology.com\/Jamal-Campbell\/comics-creator\/41066\" target=\"_blank\"\u003EcomiXology\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cp style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003ECharlie “Spike” Trotman\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-oZosx-YH_9M\/YDGiJVTnG3I\/AAAAAAAACAo\/bsQKy5XhueMon4D73GZtp27CXcWfa61DQCLcBGAsYHQ\/s1080\/A4B90C97-8DDA-42FF-8554-37A1461F7545.jpeg\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"810\" data-original-width=\"1080\" height=\"300\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-oZosx-YH_9M\/YDGiJVTnG3I\/AAAAAAAACAo\/bsQKy5XhueMon4D73GZtp27CXcWfa61DQCLcBGAsYHQ\/w400-h300\/A4B90C97-8DDA-42FF-8554-37A1461F7545.jpeg\" width=\"400\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003EBeing the voice for the voiceless; that is what Spike does for the underrepresented in comics with the publishing company she founded and owns: \u003Cb\u003EIron Circus Comics\u003C\/b\u003E. As a cartoonist notably known for the webcomic \u003Cb\u003ETemplar, Arizona\u003C\/b\u003E, she uses her passion to promote the unprompted to assist others and fills the world with highly acclaimed and award-winning comics. As a similar mantra to those of us here at Panel Patter, we find solidarity in this mission.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EFollow Spike on the web on twitter at\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Iron_Spike?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor\" target=\"_blank\"\u003E@Iron_Spike\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003ESupport her work by checking out and shopping at\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/ironcircus.com\/\" target=\"_blank\"\u003Eironcircus.com\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;or\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/C.-Spike-Trotman\/e\/B00L0CPANE%3Fref=dbs_a_mng_rwt_scns_share\" target=\"_blank\"\u003EAmazon\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003ERead \u003Cb\u003ETemplar, Arizona\u003C\/b\u003E at\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.templaraz.com\/\" target=\"_blank\"\u003Ewww.templaraz.com\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cp style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003EJamal Igle\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-2ex3TpDcVIc\/YDGhRoh--1I\/AAAAAAAACAc\/5d8a8At9Daod_3UKxeJLMFRihOsdNQ95QCLcBGAsYHQ\/s400\/D811EB14-40C1-4888-B8C1-805C1D508A1F.jpeg\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"400\" data-original-width=\"400\" height=\"400\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-2ex3TpDcVIc\/YDGhRoh--1I\/AAAAAAAACAc\/5d8a8At9Daod_3UKxeJLMFRihOsdNQ95QCLcBGAsYHQ\/w400-h400\/D811EB14-40C1-4888-B8C1-805C1D508A1F.jpeg\" width=\"400\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003EAnother Panel Patter friend that we are pleased to introduce is Jamal Igle. Who are we kidding? You all know this guy. He’s the illustrator for such things as \u003Cb\u003EThe Wrong Earth\u003C\/b\u003E from \u003Cb\u003EAhoy\u003C\/b\u003E \u003Cb\u003EComics\u003C\/b\u003E, and \u003Cb\u003EBlack Mask Studios\u003C\/b\u003E’ \u003Cb\u003EBlack\u003C\/b\u003E. He is also the writer, artist, and creator for the \u003Cb\u003EAction Lab\u003C\/b\u003E series \u003Cb\u003EMolly Danger\u003C\/b\u003E and co-creator of \u003Cb\u003EVENTURE\u003C\/b\u003E. In 2011 he won the Inkpot Award for outstanding achievement in comic art and his nearly 3 decades of experience in the industry have no signs of slowing down. Look for more of his work with \u003Cb\u003EAhoy\u003C\/b\u003E, as \u003Cb\u003EThe Wrong Earth\u003C\/b\u003E continues being a hit for the publisher. Also, he has the follow up to \u003Cb\u003EBlack\u003C\/b\u003E later this year when the second piece to the planned trilogy hits stores called \u003Cb\u003EWhite\u003C\/b\u003E.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EVisit Jamal's website at\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/jamaligle.com\/\" target=\"_blank\"\u003Ejamaligle.com\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EFollow him on the web at\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/JAMALIGLE?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor\" target=\"_blank\"\u003E@JAMALIGLE(twitter)\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;and\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/jamal_igle_artist\/?hl=en\"\u003E@jamal_igle_artist(instagram)\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003ESupport his work by shopping at\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/bookshop.org\/contributors\/jamal-igle\" target=\"_blank\"\u003EBookshop.org\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;or\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Jamal-Igle\/e\/B019ZRJITW%3Fref=dbs_a_mng_rwt_scns_share\" target=\"_blank\"\u003EAmazon\u003C\/a\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003ETreat yourself to some original art drawn by Jamal over at\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/cadencecomicart.com\/artist.php?artist=14\" target=\"_blank\"\u003ECadence Comic Art\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cp style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003EDavid F. Walker\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-8HHqrCE3AqE\/YDGjrYqyP2I\/AAAAAAAACA4\/qOUOgZ5kFh0Ci7zGtSi82RFXJBodoc77QCLcBGAsYHQ\/s576\/F8A09E92-7BA7-4E2A-BA60-4AE6AB0EC7FC.jpeg\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"576\" data-original-width=\"432\" height=\"400\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-8HHqrCE3AqE\/YDGjrYqyP2I\/AAAAAAAACA4\/qOUOgZ5kFh0Ci7zGtSi82RFXJBodoc77QCLcBGAsYHQ\/w300-h400\/F8A09E92-7BA7-4E2A-BA60-4AE6AB0EC7FC.jpeg\" width=\"300\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003ECritically acclaimed and award-winning comic book writer, author, journalist filmmaker and educator, Walker spends most of his time in comic creation these days alongside Sanford Greene and Chuck Brown making the hit \u003Cb\u003EImage\u003C\/b\u003E book \u003Cb\u003EBitter\u003C\/b\u003E \u003Cb\u003ERoot\u003C\/b\u003E. Also an educator at Portland State University, Walker uses his vast knowledge of African-American cinema to infuse today’s youth with gems in black culture from the past. With handfuls of titles to his name, the aforementioned \u003Cb\u003EBitter Root\u003C\/b\u003E, \u003Cb\u003EMarvel’s\u003C\/b\u003E \u003Cb\u003EPower Man and Iron Fist\u003C\/b\u003E, and \u003Cb\u003ENaomi\u003C\/b\u003E with Jamal Campbell \u0026amp; Bendis are ones to seek out.. just to name a few.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EVisit David's website at\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/davidfwalker.com\/\" target=\"_blank\"\u003Edavidfwalker.com\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EFollow him on the web at\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/DavidWalker1201?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor\" target=\"_blank\"\u003E@DavidWalker1201(twitter)\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;and\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/davidf.walker\/?hl=en\" target=\"_blank\"\u003E@davidf.walker(instagram)\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003ESupport his work by shopping at\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/bookshop.org\/contributors\/david-f-walker\" target=\"_blank\"\u003EBookshop.org\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;and\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.comixology.com\/David-F-Walker\/comics-creator\/11057\" target=\"_blank\"\u003EcomiXology\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;and\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/kindle-dbs\/entity\/author\/B0053UBDXA?_encoding=UTF8\u0026amp;node=283155\u0026amp;offset=0\u0026amp;pageSize=12\u0026amp;searchAlias=stripbooks\u0026amp;sort=author-sidecar-rank\u0026amp;page=1\u0026amp;langFilter=default#formatSelectorHeader\" target=\"_blank\"\u003EAmazon\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cp style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003EEbony Flowers\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-koJWcq9yObA\/YDGkmLucqZI\/AAAAAAAACBE\/MY3BvKHRy-MLH1pV3jwse3_7a-rSVCJ5gCLcBGAsYHQ\/s2048\/FC6302BC-50EC-4DE0-A14A-AB0D214979E4.jpeg\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"2048\" data-original-width=\"1536\" height=\"400\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-koJWcq9yObA\/YDGkmLucqZI\/AAAAAAAACBE\/MY3BvKHRy-MLH1pV3jwse3_7a-rSVCJ5gCLcBGAsYHQ\/w300-h400\/FC6302BC-50EC-4DE0-A14A-AB0D214979E4.jpeg\" width=\"300\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003EEisner, Ignatz and YALSA award winning Ebony Flowers is a well-versed and educated PhD of the arts. Her short story, \u003Cb\u003EHot\u003C\/b\u003E \u003Cb\u003ECombs\u003C\/b\u003E, garnered notable attention and won her the 2020 Eisner award for Best Short Story. This achievement made her the first Black woman the Eisner for that particular category! The list of nominations Flowers holds is seemingly endless, and with her recent acknowledgement through subsequent awards it seems safe to assume that the best is yet to come from a rising black voice. She is setting down feet for a journey all her own. Educating readers and listeners everywhere the importance of self-worth and esteem while creating stories impactful for those that look like her as well as administering a learning curve of which we should live by for those of us who do not.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EVisit Ebony's website at\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.ebonydrawsflowers.com\/\" target=\"_blank\"\u003Ewww.ebonydrawsflowers.com\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EFollow her on twitter at\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/ebonydraws\" target=\"_blank\"\u003E@ebonydraws\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003ESupport her work by purchasing \u003Cb\u003EHot Combs\u003C\/b\u003E at\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/bookshop.org\/contributors\/ebony-flowers\" target=\"_blank\"\u003EBookshop.org\u003C\/a\u003E,\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Books-Ebony-Flowers\/s?rh=n%3A283155%2Cp_27%3AEbony+Flowers\" target=\"_blank\"\u003EAmazon\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;or direct from \u003Cb\u003ED\u0026amp;Q\u003C\/b\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/drawnandquarterly.com\/hot-comb\" target=\"_blank\"\u003Ehere\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cp style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003EBrandon Thomas\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-Y4xrTmBcRLU\/YDGmAU3aN5I\/AAAAAAAACBQ\/S17jxnYHUaMU0NUtjcZmZ9xsWB1wGds3gCLcBGAsYHQ\/s365\/3B25EC04-09B3-43C3-AB28-553958ADEF52.jpeg\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"365\" data-original-width=\"365\" height=\"400\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-Y4xrTmBcRLU\/YDGmAU3aN5I\/AAAAAAAACBQ\/S17jxnYHUaMU0NUtjcZmZ9xsWB1wGds3gCLcBGAsYHQ\/w400-h400\/3B25EC04-09B3-43C3-AB28-553958ADEF52.jpeg\" width=\"400\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003EAlthough I have not personally read \u003Cb\u003EExcellence\u003C\/b\u003E from \u003Cb\u003EImage\u003C\/b\u003E \u003Cb\u003EComics\u003C\/b\u003E, I know plenty of folk who have and they always have the same reaction. And it is something similar to: \u003Ci\u003E\"What?! You need to get on this series, like now!\"\u003C\/i\u003E. In it, Thomas and series artist, Khary Randolph, are mapping a story about secret societies and Black magicians that is proving to be one of the must reads from \u003Cb\u003EImage\u003C\/b\u003E these days. Aside from this seies, Thomas has also written another \u003Cb\u003EImage\u003C\/b\u003E series titled\u0026nbsp;\u003Cb\u003EHorizon\u003C\/b\u003E, and is also currently writing \u003Cb\u003EFuture State: Aquaman\u003C\/b\u003E for \u003Cb\u003EDC\u003C\/b\u003E.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EVisit Brandon's website at\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.brandonthomaswrites.com\/\"\u003Ewww.brandonthomaswrites.com\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EFollow him on twitter at\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/bwrites247?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor\" target=\"_blank\"\u003E@bwrites247\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003ESupport him by shopping at\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/bookshop.org\/books?keywords=brandon+thomas\" target=\"_blank\"\u003EBookshop.org\u003C\/a\u003E,\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Brandon-Thomas\/e\/B004MM1KUQ%3Fref=dbs_a_mng_rwt_scns_share\" target=\"_blank\"\u003EAmazon\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;or\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.comixology.com\/Brandon-Thomas\/comics-creator\/3816\" target=\"_blank\"\u003EcomiXology\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cp style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003EBen Passmore\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-_R8VUM-OSzg\/YDGmmnrOsDI\/AAAAAAAACBY\/lq2YQwQLcoQ057qDwnJlWxrmjJ7g4suDQCLcBGAsYHQ\/s400\/3CD18802-0FEB-4A49-B533-F47AFFF8F05A.jpeg\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"400\" data-original-width=\"400\" height=\"400\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-_R8VUM-OSzg\/YDGmmnrOsDI\/AAAAAAAACBY\/lq2YQwQLcoQ057qDwnJlWxrmjJ7g4suDQCLcBGAsYHQ\/w400-h400\/3CD18802-0FEB-4A49-B533-F47AFFF8F05A.jpeg\" width=\"400\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003EWith titles such as \u003Cb\u003EYour Black Friend\u003C\/b\u003E, \u003Cb\u003EBttm Fdrs\u003C\/b\u003E, and last years one shot, \u003Cb\u003ESports is Hell\u003C\/b\u003E, Ben Passmore finds his place comfortably as a cartoonist and a social and political activist. The latter finds itself represented often within the former and readers have become to expect the blunt and honest renditions of truth in his work. If just learning about Passmore then \u003Cb\u003EYour Black Friend\u003C\/b\u003E is where I would call \u003Ci\u003E“a good place to start”\u003C\/i\u003E would be. It’s an anthology of brief moments all pieced together by Passmore with a single mission to illustrate what it means to be a Black man in a White world.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EFollow Ben on the web at\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/daygloayhole?lang=en\" target=\"_blank\"\u003E@daygloayhole(twitter)\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;and\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/daygloayhole\/?hl=en\" target=\"_blank\"\u003E@daygloayhole(instagram)\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003ESupport his work by becoming a member to his\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.patreon.com\/daygloayhole\" target=\"_blank\"\u003EPatreon\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;and by shopping for his books at\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/bookshop.org\/contributors\/ben-passmore\" target=\"_blank\"\u003EBookshop.org\u003C\/a\u003E, directly from the publishers, or all in one place at\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/store.silversprocket.net\/collections\/ben-passmore\" target=\"_blank\"\u003ESilver Sprocket\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cp style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003EJohnnie Christmas\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-izRXfhxclEo\/YDGnXmbYRvI\/AAAAAAAACBg\/6WCUI-eZ10YbvN3psj1FuuqQVxhxgfrNgCLcBGAsYHQ\/s626\/BBAD9F84-1ACC-402A-818C-AB3D957E8B82.webp\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"527\" data-original-width=\"626\" height=\"336\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-izRXfhxclEo\/YDGnXmbYRvI\/AAAAAAAACBg\/6WCUI-eZ10YbvN3psj1FuuqQVxhxgfrNgCLcBGAsYHQ\/w400-h336\/BBAD9F84-1ACC-402A-818C-AB3D957E8B82.webp\" width=\"400\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Ci\u003EThe New York Times\u003C\/i\u003E best-selling graphic novelist, Johnnie Christmas, is on quite the upward trend currently with his ongoing \u003Cb\u003EImage\u003C\/b\u003E title \u003Cb\u003ETartarus\u003C\/b\u003E, and the ComiXology Original from last year, \u003Cb\u003ECrema\u003C\/b\u003E. Also known for his adaptation of William Gibson’s lost \u003Cb\u003EAlien 3\u003C\/b\u003E screenplay into graphic novel of the same name all on the heels of his critically acclaimed co-created series \u003Cb\u003EAngel-Catbird\u003C\/b\u003E. With such a long list of acclaimed titles to his name we are excited to learn that he has three middle-grade graphic novels currently in the works for for the \u003Cb\u003EHarperAlley\u003C\/b\u003E imprint of \u003Cb\u003EHarperCollins\u003C\/b\u003E. Look for those in the coming years.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EVisit Johnnie's website at\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/johnniechristmas.com\/\" target=\"_blank\"\u003Ejohnniechristmas.com\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EFollow him on the web at\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/j_xmas?lang=en\" target=\"_blank\"\u003E@j_xmas(twitter)\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;and\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/johnniexmas\/?hl=en\" target=\"_blank\"\u003E@johnniexmas(instagram)\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;and \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/jchristmas.tumblr.com\/\" target=\"_blank\"\u003Ejchristmas.tumblr\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003ESupport him by purchasing his work at\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/bookshop.org\/books?keywords=johnnie+christmas\" target=\"_blank\"\u003EBookshop.org\u003C\/a\u003E,\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.comixology.com\/Johnnie-Christmas\/comics-creator\/13233\" target=\"_blank\"\u003EcomiXology\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;and\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Comics-Graphic-Novels-Johnnie-Christmas-Books\/s?rh=n%3A4366%2Cp_27%3AJohnnie+Christmas\" target=\"_blank\"\u003EAmazon\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003ETreat yourself to some of his original art by checking out what is for sale at\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.comiconart.com\/artist\/Johnnie-Christmas\" target=\"_blank\"\u003EComiconart\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cp style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003EMelody Cooper\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-0LjUIcbFeHc\/YDGoBKNEC9I\/AAAAAAAACBo\/AFJj29SovPQmVIJgq3KZzsQuEFuUKqhkACLcBGAsYHQ\/s512\/518CF1C4-126A-4664-9125-10B6BD036140.jpeg\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"336\" data-original-width=\"512\" height=\"263\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-0LjUIcbFeHc\/YDGoBKNEC9I\/AAAAAAAACBo\/AFJj29SovPQmVIJgq3KZzsQuEFuUKqhkACLcBGAsYHQ\/w400-h263\/518CF1C4-126A-4664-9125-10B6BD036140.jpeg\" width=\"400\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003EAs no stranger to creating stories, Melody Cooper is a playwright, and tv and film writer\/director with many projects to list. Currently she is developing an \u003Cb\u003EHBO\u003C\/b\u003E tv pilot and is a story editor for \u003Cb\u003ENBC’s\u003C\/b\u003E \u003Cb\u003ELaw \u0026amp; Order: SVU\u003C\/b\u003E. Cooper adds to an already impressive resume by being added to the \u003Cb\u003EHumanoid\u003C\/b\u003E series to write the second volume of \u003Cb\u003EOmni\u003C\/b\u003E, because when you need to further impress a fan base—- then, comics. As a genre writer raised by activists and educators who excels at bringing social issues and female protagonists to the forefront, Cooper pens a voice in comics that is fresh, dense, and exciting.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EVisit Melody's website at\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.melodymcooper.com\/\" target=\"_blank\"\u003Ewww.melodymcooper.com\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EFollow her on the web at\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/melodyMcooper?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor\" target=\"_blank\"\u003E@melodyMcooper(twitter)\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;and\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/melodycooperfilm\/?hl=en\" target=\"_blank\"\u003E@melodycooperfilm(instagram)\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003ERead about her addition to \u003Cb\u003EOmni\u003C\/b\u003E\u0026nbsp;at\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.humanoids.com\/y_user\/author\/id\/6982\" target=\"_blank\"\u003Ewww.humanoids.com\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cp style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003EDwayne McDuffie\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-bv_3kuP5Wv8\/YDGorsqHtXI\/AAAAAAAACBw\/5FyII9MY6ZIbHNtcCEFkS34twpQL4ZAJwCLcBGAsYHQ\/s992\/CEBAD96D-88D5-48C2-A3B4-8DDD41349797.jpeg\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"992\" data-original-width=\"800\" height=\"400\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-bv_3kuP5Wv8\/YDGorsqHtXI\/AAAAAAAACBw\/5FyII9MY6ZIbHNtcCEFkS34twpQL4ZAJwCLcBGAsYHQ\/w323-h400\/CEBAD96D-88D5-48C2-A3B4-8DDD41349797.jpeg\" width=\"323\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003ELast, but most definitely not least, we have the man that paved the way for those to follow, Dwayne McDuffie. McDuffie is a legend. He was the iconic voice for the voiceless. Beginning his career as an assistant to an editor, he worked himself toward cofounding \u003Cb\u003EMilestone Media\u003C\/b\u003E as a place for multicultural sensibility. McDuffie went on to to create and co-create several characters with this \u003Cb\u003EDC\u003C\/b\u003E imprint. His first major work was a comic series about a fictitious company who appeared after the hustle and bustle that seemingly follows every caped and cowled persona in comics and thus proceeded to clean up after them. Do some homework of your own if you haven’t already and find out why there is a highly sought after award named after him. There’s a lot to be said about what’s worth reading and what’s worth passing by, let this name in comics history be one you sit with for awhile. His impact for all the creators mentioned prior (and those not mentioned, but still successfully creating content) is massive and not something to take for granted.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003ERead about the McDuffie Award\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/dwaynemcduffie.com\/\" target=\"_blank\"\u003Ehere\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003ECheck out his personal twitter page\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Dwayne_McDuffie\" target=\"_blank\"\u003E@Dwayne_McDuffie\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;and the memorial one\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/dmcduffiepage?lang=en\" target=\"_blank\"\u003E@dmcduffiepage\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EEducate yourself about the life of McDuffie on the AALBC website at\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/aalbc.com\/authors\/author.php?author_name=Dwayne+McDuffie\" target=\"_blank\"\u003Eaalbc.com\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;or at the African American Registry website at\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/aaregistry.org\/story\/dwayne-mcduffie-super-hero-writier\/\" target=\"_blank\"\u003Eaaregistry.org\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EBrowse around and maybe make a purchase or two over at\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/milestone.media\/\" target=\"_blank\"\u003Emilestone.media\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8675936740079831063\/posts\/default\/6907612294991101671"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8675936740079831063\/posts\/default\/6907612294991101671"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.panelpatter.com\/2021\/02\/panel-patter-celebrates-black-history.html","title":"Panel Patter Celebrates Black History Month - 2021"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Sean Cohea"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/07662024169569787722"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"24","height":"32","src":"\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-DXKNlYtDJLU\/Xz6QMUI4BAI\/AAAAAAAABVk\/oQRQAwW3nmY-OZJjzAhnfh3VgR72KdqzgCK4BGAYYCw\/s113\/1798ACAF-1300-473D-AAC6-F2D214D8F395.jpeg"}}]},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8675936740079831063.post-263949926739833441"},"published":{"$t":"2021-02-23T08:30:00.319-05:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2021-02-23T12:14:56.167-05:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"AfterShock"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"ahoy"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"bnv"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"boom"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"catch-it"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"dark horse"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"dc"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"image"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"jk"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"rbm"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"scc"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Catch It at the Comic Shop February 24th, 2021"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"Welcome to Catch it at the Comic Shop, where the Panel Patter team looks at what's coming out at your favorite store or digital device this week. Each one of us that participates picks up to five items due out this week, with a little bit about why we like them. (NOTE: We use solicitation material for this, so if we miss creators, \u003Cb\u003E\u003Cu\u003Eplease talk to your publisher\u003C\/u\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E!) Sometimes we might only have a few items to share, other weeks, keeping it to five will make for hard choices. Here's what the team wanted to highlight this week...\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003EJames' Picks:\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"1500\" data-original-width=\"975\" height=\"400\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-rdEgCqRW3pY\/YCybiO1kQuI\/AAAAAAACSQo\/8LAjsc0e888--OZGz28aGn-R7NmCfvijwCLcBGAsYHQ\/w260-h400\/dept%2Bof%2Btruth.jpg\" width=\"260\" \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cb\u003EDepartment of Truth Vol. 1 TP by James Tynion IV, Martin Simmonds \u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Cb\u003Eand Aditya Bidikar\u003C\/b\u003E, published by Image Comics\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cb\u003EDepartment of Truth\u003C\/b\u003E feels like a comic that has captured the zeitgeist\u0026nbsp;better than just about anything else right now, and it's a book I absolutely love (my full review \u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.panelpatter.com\/2020\/11\/department-of-truth-issues-1-3-by-james.html\" target=\"_blank\"\u003Ehere\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E).\u0026nbsp; The idea behind the comic is that belief influences reality in a tangible, meaningful way, and that belief can be manipulated in order to change reality. This is causing conspiracies to come true.\u0026nbsp; the Department of Truth is a government agency that is tasked with keeping reality real.\u0026nbsp; It's a really smart, intense, engaging book, that's not always an easy read because of the subject matter.\u0026nbsp; I absolutely loved this book, and so much of that comes from the stunning, next-level work done by Martin Simmonds on art and Aditya Bidikar on letters. I've always enjoyed Simmonds' work but his pages in \u003Cb\u003EDepartment of Truth\u003C\/b\u003E are a revelation.\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Ca name='more'\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"1500\" data-original-width=\"927\" height=\"400\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-ewQAibzzWJg\/YCybiNJW9CI\/AAAAAAACSQg\/iaQkk8v33qQXbcvqn9oGq47zPIWC5dhOwCLcBGAsYHQ\/w248-h400\/november4.jpg\" width=\"248\" \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cb\u003ENovember Vol. 4 HC by Matt Fraction, Elsa Charretier, Matt Hollingsworth, Kurt Ankeny, published by Image Comics\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EThis is the fourth and concluding volume of the \u003Cb\u003ENovember \u003C\/b\u003Eseries of hardcover crime stories.\u0026nbsp; It's all one big excellent story (Matt Fraction at his best, telling very human stories), and it should presumably come together with a bang in this final volume.\u0026nbsp; I've loved the prior volumes (review \u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.panelpatter.com\/2020\/04\/catch-up-at-comic-shop-for-april-1-2020.html\" target=\"_blank\"\u003Ehere\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E) and I'm sure that this fantastic creative team will stick the landing.\u0026nbsp; This is a series of intersecting stories of people who are lonely and scared and desperate, and all of them intersect in meaningful and surprising ways. Else Charretier is absolutely amazing on art; she conjures a classic noir feel in a relatively modern setting, and is beautifully colored with wonderful atmospheric work from Matt Hollingsworth. The hand-lettering from Kurt Ankeny is also first rate.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003ESean's Picks:\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"1480\" data-original-width=\"963\" height=\"400\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-RGymforYiqM\/YDG2xVer7gI\/AAAAAAAACCc\/g-ddc0x48GMEqpS13YOlEb_ljHyruqMywCLcBGAsYHQ\/w260-h400\/58FA9432-908F-4AEC-A0F4-08E408CD1728.webp\" width=\"260\" \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: bold;\"\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cb\u003ENuclear Family #1 by Stephanie Phillips, Tony Shasteen, JD Mettler and Troy Peteri, published by Aftershock\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/p\u003EI always look forward to new titles from\u0026nbsp;\u003Cb\u003EAftershock\u003C\/b\u003E. They seem to have a good formula for quality stories that oftentimes involve something traumatic or downright scary AF. This one in particular first piqued my interest by being written by Stephanie Phillips. Her work lately has been noteworthy and I would be doing everyone disservice to not say something to that fact. Put those thoughts with the amazing talents of Tony Shasteen on illustrations about a story based on a Phillip K. Dick short story and I’m hands-to-the-sky all-in. Premise: it’s after the Cold War and dynamics are tested with a Korean War vet and his family as a nuclear attack erupts on US soil. This ultimately causes everyday\u0026nbsp;life to be forced underground, living among the bunkers trying to survive an unending nuclear war. I am totally onboard for this one!\u0026nbsp;\u003Cp class=\"p1\" style=\"font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"591\" data-original-width=\"384\" height=\"400\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-PRPr6fG6apU\/YDG2coS9hUI\/AAAAAAAACCU\/gw0aBg48HlMGa2oSbXAAbyanALJcNThQgCLcBGAsYHQ\/w260-h400\/D989C19B-427A-473D-B1CE-3F580ECC2560.jpeg\" width=\"260\" \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003EDepartment of Truth v.1 TP by James Tynion IV, Martin Simmonds and Aditya Bidikar, published by Image Comics\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/p\u003EThe first arc to a story so dense that without chewing long enough on each page you may choke on it’s premise. Truth’s are subjective and conspiracy is omnipresent in a story that is scary good and flat out horrifying with how timely it’s existence is. References to Qanon and real world conspiracies drive the narrative through a story that makes true what we’ve all been terrified of entertaining this whole time: What if a collective thought, no matter how untrue, could shape the perceived existence of actual real life? That’s the take here. That’s the massive undertaking that this creative team are doing here (and who are all literally at the top of their games). Strap in folks, this is gonna be one hell of a wild ride and I see this mindfuck of the fiction to a non-fictional foundation lasting for quite some time. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"900\" data-original-width=\"585\" height=\"400\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-Q1kPt4sPURs\/YDG2GVhVY0I\/AAAAAAAACCI\/P2V6Tg3BNZ4NePswyhMWth7MeibHLs7XQCLcBGAsYHQ\/w260-h400\/1801C0E8-0F67-486B-B1D5-1DC4ECA31E52.jpeg\" width=\"260\" \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003EIce Cream Man #23 by W. Maxwell Prince, Martin Morazzo and Chris O’Halloran, published by Image Comics\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/p\u003EBy now I must seem like a broken record. \u003Cb\u003EIce Cream Man\u003C\/b\u003E is one of the best books out there right now. Each issue needn’t be read with having any preconceived knowledge of the rest, but having read them in sequential order you’ll be best suited as sitting down as these stories have no rest for the weary. Just when we may have figured out the format and stylistic delivery that Maxwell and Morazzo have perfected, they go and turn their own format upside down, throwing it to us completely sideways. The 23rd issue, out this week, won’t be one for everyone. It’s not a traditional comic in the sense of what it means to be traditional in an industry of word bubbles and thought balloons, but this issue will absolutely have longstanding fans of the series stand up to their feet and say “hell yes!” because it takes storytelling to a new height. Mixing prose with splash pages and casting playwrights would have pissed me right off if you were to tell me that were to be the format of a comic out soon. Grab ICM23, open it up, digest it’s contents, and then I’ll slap myself stupid for knocking it before I tried it. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"1800\" data-original-width=\"1162\" height=\"400\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-VI21d5bm9LA\/YDG1h5eptuI\/AAAAAAAACB8\/p2IGdjbJ6c41gDNK6zN03HjhFceRNKoSwCLcBGAsYHQ\/w259-h400\/89A88B5B-AB78-4E9D-8688-D300998CC1BD.jpeg\" width=\"259\" \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003ECrimson Flower #2 by Matt Kindt, Matt Lesniewski and Bill Crabtree, published by Dark Horse\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003EThe first issue of this new collaboration of Kindt with rising star Matt Lesniewski was a hit as far as I’m concerned. Kindt is peak Kindt right now, and Lesniewski is next-level with his linework and illustrative creativity. A folkloric sequence of events unfold as it tells a story alongside another. Telling a story to tell another one sounds awkward and, frankly,\u0026nbsp;pretentious, but Kindt finding his own way to deliver it is both palatable and enjoyable. Like the ones before this one, grab this Kindt miniseries and enjoy the ride.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003EBeth's Picks:\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"2048\" data-original-width=\"1332\" height=\"400\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-N-CB26eq9nQ\/YDHsOLwDn6I\/AAAAAAACSRY\/Zfn2rL5a9hsXL8r_kdeGWnIzAEFQ1AkbQCLcBGAsYHQ\/w260-h400\/STL175797.jpg\" width=\"260\" \/\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cb\u003EBuffy the Vampire Slayer:  Faith #1, by Jordie Bellaire, Eleonora Carlini, Kevin Wada, Joe  Quinones, Dani Strips, published by Boom! Studios\u0026nbsp; \u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003C\/b\u003EBecause of recent news that has come to light about Joss Whedon, like many Buffyverse fans I’ve been reexamining how I feel about the shows he created. Yes, certain aspects of Whedon franchises that I always found somewhat troublesome (I’m lookin’ at you, Connor and Cordelia in season 4 of Angel and just about everything in Dollhouse) feel even more icky now. But just as Harry, Hermione and Ron now belong to the world and not J.K. Rowling, so too do the slayers belong to the fans. So far, the recent comics from Boom! have done a fantastic job of re-imaging them for a new generation. In this one-shot, we’re promised the origin of Faith as a slayer. We’ve seen inklings that she might not follow the same moral code as Buffy, and I look forward to where this issue will take her. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"2040\" data-original-width=\"1320\" height=\"400\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-v1IH4z-6i6g\/YDHsONdQX_I\/AAAAAAACSRU\/4lWMUahbjqk-Tdne_lJn6FSxUL7abYSJgCLcBGAsYHQ\/w259-h400\/STL176287.jpg\" width=\"259\" \/\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003EEdgar Allan Poe’s Snifter of Blood #5, by Paul Cornell, Kek-w, Greg  Scott, Alberto Ponticelli, Alan Robinson, published by AHOY Comics\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: left;\"\u003E As Stefon might say, this issue has everything. Sherlock Holmes. Dental  fetishism. Ennui. Bad plumbing. Nudity. Boats. CGI toasters. Musty  aromas. It’s bonkers, and pretty dang amazing. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003ERob's Picks:\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"930\" data-original-width=\"605\" height=\"400\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-wWs_RJBkaao\/YDRc-KIacEI\/AAAAAAACSRs\/G12eCY_5SjkS2EgLj1z3jokXG0475JE_QCLcBGAsYHQ\/w260-h400\/STL175901.jpg\" width=\"260\" \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003ENuclear Family #1 by Stephanie Phillips, Tony Shasteen, JD Mettler and Troy Peteri, published by Aftershock\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: left;\"\u003EWhat if the bomb actually goes off in the 1950s? Tim McLean must find a way to help his family deal with their most feared reality while experiencing literal philosophical questions about what really constitutes living. Given that we're living through a new wave of Cold War-era paranoia where anything we dislike or distrust is a Russian Operation (or fill in your most feared country here), this story about the potential horror of a USA-USSR conflict by Philip K. Dick, one of my favorite prose writers, gets a comic adaptation from one of my favorite comic writers, Stephanie Phillips. Aftershock's model of short, five-issue series should work well for this, and I look forward to seeing how Shasteen and Mettler portray the bleak future outlined by Dick, and how Phillips gives the family a little more room to breathe and exist as characters versus the limits of a short story.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"1366\" data-original-width=\"900\" height=\"400\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-gcoh9G1wXTk\/YDRc-Odbb8I\/AAAAAAACSR0\/El1IJhXEjWweg9sPA8cH2TTnELcr70HQgCLcBGAsYHQ\/w264-h400\/1220DC067.webp\" width=\"264\" \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cb\u003EBatman Black and White #3 by Tim Seeley, Kelley Jones, Nick Dragotta, Bilquis Evely, Olivier Copel, and others, published by DC Comics\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: left;\"\u003EYet another issue of this periodically reoccurring anthology that's jam-packed with creators I really dig. The lede here for me is Seeley and Jones working together on a new horror-themed look at the Legend of the Dark Knight. Jones just keeps getting better as a storyteller and Seeley's style of horror matches mine almost perfectly. Cursed to be forever haunted by Batman, eh? Can't wait to see how that plays out. Plus, Nick Dragotta, one of Hickman's best collaborators, gets Mecha, and Bilquis Evely brings Bats back to medieval times, which is always fun no matter who writes it. This series just knocks it out of the park, issue in and issue out.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"1500\" data-original-width=\"975\" height=\"400\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-8bKTx365LVg\/YDRc-GVlatI\/AAAAAAACSRw\/wtmqLP_bmDQKZHd5sAH2sOzbtkQevjF5ACLcBGAsYHQ\/w260-h400\/STL177463.jpg\" width=\"260\" \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003ETwo Moons #1 by John Arcudi, Valerio Giangiordano, Dave Stewart, and Michael Heisler, published by Image\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: left;\"\u003EIn the thick of the Civil War, a Native American starts to see supernatural visions that make him question his sanity. When the bullets start flying, a crucial decision changes the life of Virgil Morris, putting more than just the Devil at the his heels in a new series that gets off to a strong start. I'd be lying if I didn't suspect that the original plan for this was to make it integrated into the Hellboy Universe, given Arcudi's long-running partnership with Mignola, and some of the way it's structured definitely shows the links between the two creators. But it's a really cool idea (what if you could see supernatural evil within your own ranks?) and at least so far, Arcudi seems to be respectful of the source material he's used to create the world. (Again, no surprise there.) Giangiordano's art does a great job of showing the chaos of battle and realistic wounds, and he juggles panel construction well. I'm looking forward to seeing where this one goes and anyone who likes historical horror should definitely check it out.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8675936740079831063\/posts\/default\/263949926739833441"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8675936740079831063\/posts\/default\/263949926739833441"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.panelpatter.com\/2021\/02\/catch-it-at-comic-shop-february-24th.html","title":"Catch It at the Comic Shop February 24th, 2021"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Panel Patter"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/12354673590872893078"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"16","height":"16","src":"https:\/\/img1.blogblog.com\/img\/b16-rounded.gif"}}]},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8675936740079831063.post-1992651329699975046"},"published":{"$t":"2021-02-22T09:00:00.057-05:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2021-02-22T09:31:17.997-05:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Candlewick Press"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"F. Scott Fitzgerald"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"K. Woodman-Maynard"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"review"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"sc"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"The Carelessness of Desire- a look at K. Woodman-Maynard's The Great Gatsby"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-eBXbZB5Jb6c\/YDLcFycL-5I\/AAAAAAAAvy0\/_nrRQ_ijfRc_98R13UF06cLrgOn_w4z6QCNcBGAsYHQ\/s1820\/Screen%2BShot%2B2021-02-21%2Bat%2B4.15.32%2BPM.png\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"1396\" data-original-width=\"1820\" height=\"490\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-eBXbZB5Jb6c\/YDLcFycL-5I\/AAAAAAAAvy0\/_nrRQ_ijfRc_98R13UF06cLrgOn_w4z6QCNcBGAsYHQ\/w640-h490\/Screen%2BShot%2B2021-02-21%2Bat%2B4.15.32%2BPM.png\" width=\"640\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cp\u003EToo often, \u003Cb\u003EThe Great Gatsby\u003C\/b\u003E gets reduced to the realms of English term papers and students trying to wrestle with lives that they have yet to live.\u0026nbsp; The green lights of East Egg or the billboard eyes of Doctor T.J. Eckleburg become what we take out of the book because those are the surface and easy parts of the mystery of Gatsby, Daisy, Tom, Nick, and Jordan.\u0026nbsp; So many school-day essays have been written trying to glean some insight into these characters through these artifacts of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s original novel.\u0026nbsp; It’s the New York City around these characters that Fitzgerald depicted which becomes an extension of the characters and their states.\u0026nbsp; The green light “means” something because it means something to Gatsby.\u0026nbsp; The eyes on an optometrist’s billboard “mean” something because it means something to NIck as he sees the billboard on a train trip into the city, watching over the actions of all of these people.\u0026nbsp; So it is these symbols in the book that we remember because we had to decipher them, make guesses about what they could mean, and then get graded on those guesses.\u0026nbsp; We were asked falsely to put ourselves in Fitzgerald’s position, trying to his intentions behind these symbols and the book’s meaning instead of listening to it, listening to these characters, and trying to hear what they were trying to tell us about love, about desire, and about carelessness.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn adapting this almost 100-year old novel, cartoonist \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.woodmanmaynard.com\/\" target=\"_blank\"\u003EK. Woodman-Maynard\u003C\/a\u003E includes most of the details of Fitzgerald’s novel but her adaptation regrounds the story in the characters.\u0026nbsp; She allows the characters to reclaim the importance of this narrative over the symbolism of it.\u0026nbsp; By making \u003Cb\u003EThe Great Gatsby\u003C\/b\u003E a visual story, she takes the original text and makes it a more immersive experience. Her cartooning restores the vibrancy of this story, a vibrancy that became somewhat tarnished and staid after decades of scholarship and other adaptations (mostly cinematic) that never quite captured the spirit of the novel.\u0026nbsp; \u003Cb\u003EThe Great Gatsby\u003C\/b\u003E has become a symbol of some historical jazz age and the character have morphed into its avatars instead of existing as living, breathing characters who speak to us now as they did to their original audience.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESo this story about love (and maybe that should be “desire” instead of “love’) in the time of jazz and parties shows it not as a kind, benevolent force but as a destructive storm.\u0026nbsp; It begins innocently enough, as midwestern Nick moves to New York City, more specifically Long Island, to begin a job of numbers and finance. It’s a safe choice for a man of his age and his background\u0026nbsp; It’s the beginning of summer and its long night which allows Nick’s neighbor to throw even longer parties.\u0026nbsp; In Long Island, he finds old acquaintances- his school chum Tom and Tom’s wife Daisy (who’s also Nick’s second cousin.)\u0026nbsp; The should be a connection to Nick’s past, a continuation of it but Nick calls them “old friends whom I scarcely knew at all.”\u0026nbsp; They’re a part of his past but a tenuous one.\u0026nbsp; Tom is more than a bit of a jock, a bully, and a racist.\u0026nbsp; Daisy, the wife, and the cousin, is a flighty personality, both in love and not in love with her husband. These aren’t people that Nick sought out and they were not looking for him.\u0026nbsp; It is fate and circumstance that brought them together.\u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-kk3AfXSthd8\/YDLcaDyLDtI\/AAAAAAAAvzE\/GuekXtQby7Eg1KP0_hq1QyFA-33-WDDoACNcBGAsYHQ\/s1254\/Screen%2BShot%2B2021-02-21%2Bat%2B4.14.58%2BPM.png\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"1254\" data-original-width=\"1216\" height=\"458\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-kk3AfXSthd8\/YDLcaDyLDtI\/AAAAAAAAvzE\/GuekXtQby7Eg1KP0_hq1QyFA-33-WDDoACNcBGAsYHQ\/w444-h458\/Screen%2BShot%2B2021-02-21%2Bat%2B4.14.58%2BPM.png\" width=\"444\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor a love story, \u003Cb\u003EThe Great Gatsby \u003C\/b\u003Espends a lot of time with characters who are both in love and not in love with one another. Nick’s neighbor, the titular Jay Gatsby is a man from Daisy’s past well before she met Tom, and the two of them had the greatest love of all time.\u0026nbsp; Or at least that’s how they both want it to be.\u0026nbsp; As you look at what these characters are doing and what they’re saying, the story becomes about trying to force these things, to try to impose our will on something as almost random as falling in love with a person.\u0026nbsp; Love makes all of these characters careless and that’s what brings all of these people together; their carelessness and unintentional meanness that comes out of infatuation.\u0026nbsp; \u003Cb\u003EThe Great Gatsby\u003C\/b\u003E is definitely not a book to model any kind of healthy relationship on. Fitzgerald seems suspicious of “true love” in this book, instead showing these people treating it as something that they have control over instead of the desire that totally consumes their lives.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EK. Woodman-Maynard bathes this story in these lightly applied watercolors.\u0026nbsp; The beginning is bright and lively, like an early summer lazy day.\u0026nbsp; Sunlight glimmers through the atmosphere in her paintings.\u0026nbsp; This seems like a dreamlike world full of potential and possibility.\u0026nbsp; The art invites us into this seemingly endless and carefree summer.\u0026nbsp; Fitzgerald’s novel practically defined the jazz age but what Woodman-Maynard gives it is a warmth of these days and nights where you can begin to believe that these characters are bigger than life.\u0026nbsp; Even the way that Woodman-Maynard weaves the words into the visuals, whether it’s Daisy’s lilting dialogue or the exposition that finds nooks and crevices to be in, she imbues an airiness into the story.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGatsby is the personification of this airiness but also the corrupting agent in it.\u0026nbsp; If it wasn’t for Gatsby, Nick could have had a nice, flirty summer with his old chums and their friends.\u0026nbsp; It could have been a taste of the good life for Nick instead of what it turned out to be.\u0026nbsp; But Gatsby, for all of his pretentiousness and his “old sport” affectations, is the person who doesn’t really belong in this world.\u0026nbsp; Gatsby is such a product of what he thinks that Daisy wants that all his big, empty mansion becomes the perfect symbol for him (see, there is more symbolism-- right up there with the green lights and eyes on a billboard.)\u0026nbsp; Gatsby has created this life, this wealth, this artifice in the hopes of giving Daisy what he thinks she wants but his understanding of her is only a surface-level and shallow reading of her that demonstrates just how little he understands her or other people.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-wNZ-c44lPq0\/YDLcuAp6RXI\/AAAAAAAAvzQ\/B9HqxtLOkvQdhdq8QfNqxxPD_KIKtrSlQCNcBGAsYHQ\/s1542\/Screen%2BShot%2B2021-02-21%2Bat%2B4.15.52%2BPM.png\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"1528\" data-original-width=\"1542\" height=\"443\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-wNZ-c44lPq0\/YDLcuAp6RXI\/AAAAAAAAvzQ\/B9HqxtLOkvQdhdq8QfNqxxPD_KIKtrSlQCNcBGAsYHQ\/w447-h443\/Screen%2BShot%2B2021-02-21%2Bat%2B4.15.52%2BPM.png\" width=\"447\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cp\u003EEven though Nick and Jordan are carrying on some kind of affair, Daisy is the center of these mens’ lives.\u0026nbsp; Through Daisy, Tom, Nick, and Gatsby are brought together on this collision course, where each of them has their own unhealthy infatuation with Daisy.\u0026nbsp; She is the center who cannot hold the weight of this summer together.\u0026nbsp; There’s her marriage, her daughter (unceremoniously mentioned and then forgotten by the characters and the book,) and her own inability to be able to have any kind of agency in her story.\u0026nbsp; She is perfectly content with the life of being Tom’s wife until Gatsby shows up again, unbalancing this precarious little domestic life that Daisy thinks she has.\u0026nbsp; Her innocence in this story only goes so far, having this choice thrust upon her instead of it being a choice that she accepts.\u0026nbsp; But her inability to decide turns into one of the greatest sins in the book.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBringing out a deeper reading of these characters in \u003Cb\u003EThe Great Gatsby\u003C\/b\u003E, K. Woodman-Maynard takes this story of life 100 years ago (just think about that for a minute-- the novel originally came out in 19245!) and shows the timelessness of it.\u0026nbsp; This doesn’t read like a story of our great-grandparents and great-great-grandparents lost years.\u0026nbsp; Maybe it says something about our society that people’s carelessness of 2021 is the same carelessness of 1925 but Woodman-Maynard’s concentration on how these characters interact shows us how this recklessness in relationships is such a part of us.\u0026nbsp; Fitzgerald recognized this when he wrote the novel and Woodman-Maynard gives it a renewed life in her adaptation.\u0026nbsp; So much of who we are today is still defined by the early 20th century.\u0026nbsp; Fitzgerald was a prophet of his age that way.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-vo8hq0_hOzA\/YDLcPF_1tiI\/AAAAAAAAvy8\/Iv-8gGbwPSMJvdT0TQkj3q8AMPgNFKH7gCNcBGAsYHQ\/s648\/1536216763.jpg\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"648\" data-original-width=\"456\" height=\"400\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-vo8hq0_hOzA\/YDLcPF_1tiI\/AAAAAAAAvy8\/Iv-8gGbwPSMJvdT0TQkj3q8AMPgNFKH7gCNcBGAsYHQ\/w281-h400\/1536216763.jpg\" width=\"281\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003EThe Great Gatsby\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003EWritten and Drawn by K. Woodman-Maynard\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003EBased on the novel by F. Scott Fitzgerald\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003EPublished by \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/candlewick.com\/cat.asp?mode=book\u0026amp;isbn=1536216763\u0026amp;browse=Illustrator\" target=\"_blank\"\u003ECandlewick Press\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8675936740079831063\/posts\/default\/1992651329699975046"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8675936740079831063\/posts\/default\/1992651329699975046"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.panelpatter.com\/2021\/02\/the-carelessness-of-desire-look-at-k.html","title":"The Carelessness of Desire- a look at K. Woodman-Maynard's The Great Gatsby"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Scott Cederlund"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/07184941142922866755"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"31","src":"\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-DehEk7os008\/XoUCQ5LNV1I\/AAAAAAAAqZ0\/XxxWrY44lCw3tOhBqrMU2D3kAgYMwgnKQCK4BGAYYCw\/s116\/Rickles3.PNG"}}]},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8675936740079831063.post-4703398704361323892"},"published":{"$t":"2021-02-18T08:30:00.002-05:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2021-02-18T11:34:37.762-05:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"brian joines"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Doug Garbark"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"jake elphick"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Jim Campbell"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"oni press"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"rbm"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Around the Timestream in 180 Pages: Backtrack from Oni Press"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-mUBJv-JqpnU\/YCn6GgZfzQI\/AAAAAAAAOYY\/v8M0oNe_HcI9Uhb1JPosWFDG-r7bjqF_QCLcBGAsYHQ\/s2048\/BACKTRACK_1_-_COVER_A_SOLICIT_WEB.jpg\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"2048\" data-original-width=\"1332\" height=\"640\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-mUBJv-JqpnU\/YCn6GgZfzQI\/AAAAAAAAOYY\/v8M0oNe_HcI9Uhb1JPosWFDG-r7bjqF_QCLcBGAsYHQ\/w416-h640\/BACKTRACK_1_-_COVER_A_SOLICIT_WEB.jpg\" width=\"416\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003EWritten by Brian Joines\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003ELine Art by Jake Elphick\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003EColor Art by Doug Garbark\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003ELetters by Jim Campbell\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003EPublished by Oni Press\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003EDespite the fact that I never had a desire to personally own or drive a race car, I love stories about car races or high-speed chases, the sillier the better. From \u003Ci\u003ECannonball Run \u003C\/i\u003Eto \u003Ci\u003EBaby Driver\u003C\/i\u003E to \u003Ci\u003EThe Fast and the Furious\u003C\/i\u003E, anytime there's a movie about people getting into hijinks in their Honda, I'm all about giving it a try. When I was a kid, I'd make my Matchbox cars race and even kept statistics about who was better. Ironically, though, I never really got into NASCAR, with the Indy 500 being the only real race I ever watched semi-regularly.\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Ca name='more'\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003EAlso ironic is the fact that we don't see more stories about car races in comics. I am sure there are a few out there, but I am hard-pressed to think of any titles off the top of my head. There's plenty of comics where cars (or space ships) feature prominently in the plot, often with a high-speed chase. But a series or graphic novel centering around a race itself? It's an odd hole in the comics world, one that \u003Cb\u003EBacktrack\u003C\/b\u003E aims to fill. And it does a pretty good job of showing how this genre of story could be done in the future, too.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003EAlyson Levy, once among the best drivers when you need a wheelman, is a shadow of her former self, broken beyond repair. She's made too many mistakes, the \"last\" one fatal. She wants a chance to reset history, but that's impossible, so she's drinking herself into oblivion. Enter Casper Quellex, who claims to be able to reverse history, but only for the winner of a car race that pits Alyson against the top drivers in the world. It's impossible, but she's got nothing to lose.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"1200\" data-original-width=\"780\" height=\"640\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-XedRhHIf-Uo\/YCs1SPKl19I\/AAAAAAAAOZA\/kqbTU4XzkRIU7fK07DiAA8GlzHhQ_DYLQCLcBGAsYHQ\/w416-h640\/back10.jpg\" width=\"416\" \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003ENow if the high concept stopped there, I'd have enjoyed myself immensely. But Casper isn't lying--he can manipulate time, and in this race, each leg is in a different era, starting with outrunning dinosaurs and careening to bloodthirsty pirates, evil communists in East Germany, and oh yeah, a race against a historical natural disaster, just to name some of them. So instead of just high-stakes, illegal racing, we get different time periods, different perspectives on the idea of these cars showing up out of nowhere, and, best of all, we get a level of threat that can and will kill off major characters. Starting off as competitors, the group, as it whittles down, has to learn to fight off the threats thrown in their way by Quellex together as their only means of survival.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003C!--more--\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"1024\" data-original-width=\"666\" height=\"640\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-aPj3cYxkOhM\/YCs0uEa1zdI\/AAAAAAAAOY4\/rXU3xNyAKEwckCNAU6_xkhhqhBoDWubdwCLcBGAsYHQ\/w416-h640\/dino.jpg\" width=\"416\" \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003EBut only one person can win, and there's always a time when someone is going to decide it's to their advantage to fly solo. Especially when we see just how much of a manipulative bastard Quellex is. You see, this isn't his first race--he's been pulling people from our era for his own amusement (and illicit profit) for quite some time now. The difference is he's not met Alyson Levy--and her desire for the top prize--before. It's a press your luck situation that comes to a huge climax as winning the race isn't the only resolution readers get by the time we get to the closing pages.\u003C\/div\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003Cdiv\u003EThe pages are jam-packed with subplots and secrets, and if I had one complaint, it's that Joines tried a little too hard to make things intricate and complex, adding depth to the characters by sometimes shoe-horning it in at the edges. Given the size of the cast and the number of issues, I think it would have been okay to jettison a few details so we could just revel in the broad strokes at times. It's admirable, but every once in a while I found myself wishing we didn't know quite so much about the Inspector or some other character. It was hard to keep up, especially given the pacing.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EOne of the things that might hamper more stories like this is giving the comic a sense of motion. Fortunately, Jake Elphick's line art gives a good roadmap* for how to do so, and I hope other artists take note. Comics are always about making the reader think about the actions. When Batman throws a punch at the Joker, the artist can't show every part of it. They have to select the moment or moments that most make the reader imagine the rest. Elphick really made me think the cars were driving at top speed, and I could easily picture how this race might look if the story were animated. That's not to imply a storyboard feel, far from it. Instead of stills, it felt to me like we were racing across the page with the characters, stopping only briefly to have some non-driving scenes that gave the story its beats.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003ETo accomplish this, Elphick doesn't try to make everything look perfect or proportioned. His lines are loose and thin, akin to \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.panelpatter.com\/search\/label\/matteo%20scalera\"\u003EMatteo Scalera\u003C\/a\u003E, but with perhaps a bit more of a manga influence. He's not afraid to make a slap to the face look as though the person got hit by a two-by-four. Cars remain familiar boxes, but they can morph a bit to aid the visual picture. The panels are rarely straightforward, opting to flow into one another or scatter about the page to highlight details in a close-up.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"2048\" data-original-width=\"1332\" height=\"640\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-dwsOkuA_msw\/YCs0MtPh2tI\/AAAAAAAAOYs\/CBLj68HtEu0xY4bi0iplEym6wNsB5lJrQCLcBGAsYHQ\/w416-h640\/panels.jpg\" width=\"416\" \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EWithin those panels, the characters don't have to stand upright all the time (one of my biggest gripes about modern-era artists), and frequently they are leaning at odd angles. When you combine this with some of the best use of vanishing points to make the reader think that the people\/animals\/cars are going to warp their way into our reality or to make it feel like they're covering a huge distance in a single panel, it's very easy to make this race rev to its high-octane finish.**\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EAiding all of the above is the use of speed lines that get dynamic coloring from Doug Garbark. It's one thing to simulate motion with the linework. When you work in harmony with the colorist to ensure that the visual tricks are enhanced, it really sings. I especially like how Garbark makes the coloring very specific, allowing the free-flowing lines to stand out. Sometimes artists with a similar style get let down by colors that muddy things so much that you lose the details, making it look more like a sloppy art project instead of something people are paying money to read.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"1137\" data-original-width=\"740\" height=\"640\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-8pfEHwZtCb4\/YCszzRJ9_1I\/AAAAAAAAOYk\/bhrhSvPtpDE1BxzDB7q1PQLJmjzXaNUOACLcBGAsYHQ\/w416-h640\/backtrack%2Bcolor%2Bexampe.jpg\" width=\"416\" \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EIn this comic, Garbark ensures that not only do we get background hues, but the background characters featured there have a distinctive color scheme, even if it's just the shade of a hat. There's even a moment where there's a tiny color splotch inside an ink line to show that a person's sword might just be fresh with blood. That's the level of detail that separates a good coloring job from an okay one. It's also a big part of why I enjoyed this comic so much.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"1537\" data-original-width=\"1000\" height=\"640\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-e2fodFz6Bl4\/YCs1i_P_ylI\/AAAAAAAAOZI\/kk9Go_3h7a4SDCPdPH7IpGfEV4C-y1sCwCLcBGAsYHQ\/w416-h640\/sword.jpg\" width=\"416\" \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EI admit that \u003Cb\u003EBacktrack\u003C\/b\u003E is a comic that plays to almost all of my personal preferences (ludicrous premise, random acts of T-Rex, scrappy main character, and even a thumb-to-the-nose about time travel mechanics), but even still, it's a really well-done story that wraps up well without feeling rushed. The entire creative team should take a victory lap*** for how well this came together. Despite a few issues, this is a really fun romp that should appeal to anyone who likes self-contained sci-fi adventures and isn't too worried about the science, which is my favorite kind of sci-fi story. I'm not sure if this had enough eyes on it to merit a big trade push, but it's exactly the type of hidden gem that I started Panel Patter to write about. I'd love to see it get some more attention, and I look forward to what this creative team works on next.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E*You're really lucky I didn't use more puns than just this one.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E**Okay, two puns. It's my site, I can do that if I want to!\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E***\u003Ci\u003EThat's three, McMonigal. You're really pushing it. - Scott****\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Ci\u003E****\u003C\/i\u003EI get it, Scott. I'll pump the brakes.*****\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E*****\u003Ci\u003ESorry, everyone, I give up. - Scott\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8675936740079831063\/posts\/default\/4703398704361323892"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8675936740079831063\/posts\/default\/4703398704361323892"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.panelpatter.com\/2021\/02\/ Backtrack-review-Brian-Joines-Jake-Elphick.html","title":"Around the Timestream in 180 Pages: Backtrack from Oni Press"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Unknown"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"16","height":"16","src":"https:\/\/img1.blogblog.com\/img\/b16-rounded.gif"}}]},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8675936740079831063.post-7189922442761472478"},"published":{"$t":"2021-02-17T09:12:00.001-05:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2021-02-17T09:12:59.779-05:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"kce"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"quick hits"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"review"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"rumiko takahashi"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"viz"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Mermaid Saga (Ningyo Shirīzu) Vol. 2 by Rumiko Takahashi "},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"1725\" data-original-width=\"1200\" height=\"400\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-XXYx_szwXCs\/YCBkGnZXzSI\/AAAAAAACSOI\/1t1gYK_oJ5A8q_qe9X6rWLBL_tbrup2kACLcBGAsYHQ\/w279-h400\/mermaid.jpg\" width=\"279\" \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003EMermaid Saga (Ningyo Shirīzu) Vol. 2 \u003Cbr \/\u003EWritten and Illustrated by Rumiko Takahashi \u003Cbr \/\u003EPublished by Viz Media\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E \u003Cbr \/\u003ETakahashi fans rejoice. Viz has reissued Rumiko Takahashi’s \u003Cb\u003EMermaid Saga\u003C\/b\u003E and volume 2 drops this week. Fans of Takahashi might be surprised to discover that she wrote a horror manga; actually she wrote two.  A year before writing \u003Cb\u003EMermaid Saga\u003C\/b\u003E, she penned the one shot \u003Cb\u003EThe Laughing Target\u003C\/b\u003E, a short story about the doomed arranged marriage between two cousins.  \u003Cspan\u003E\u003Ca name='more'\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/span\u003ETakahashi is probably best known in the West for her series \u003Ci\u003EInuYasha \u003C\/i\u003Eand \u003Ci\u003ERanma 1\/2\u003C\/i\u003E. They are sprawling epics that span over 56 \u0026amp; 38 \u003Ci\u003Etankōbon \u003C\/i\u003Evolumes respectively.  Both series are representative of what she is best known for, historic fantasy and romantic comedy. \u003Cb\u003EMermaid Saga\u003C\/b\u003E is neither of these.  There is a hint of her humour in the banter between the characters at times, but overall it is darker and more somber than her other long form works. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EMermaid Saga\u003C\/b\u003E originally ran from 1984-1994 in weekly \u003Ci\u003EShonen Sunday\u003C\/i\u003E.  It is the story of a young man who consumes the flesh of a mermaid and is blessed\/cursed with immortality.  Viz tags it as horror, but it might be more accurate to describe it as a study in depravity.  \u003Cb\u003EMermaid Saga\u003C\/b\u003E is filled with ruthless people.  A man so obsessed with a woman that he kills her, resurrects her with mermaid ash and keeps her as mindless doll locked away on his estate. There is a woman who uses the mermaid’s flesh to punish her twin sister. Then there are the mermaids themselves, who sacrifice their own in order to keep human form.  Many brutally kill to obtain this elixir of immortality, but transformation into an immortal is not always guaranteed.  It’s a high odds gamble, more often than not the person who consumes the flesh of a mermaid becomes a disfigured, mindless, immortal monster.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cp class=\"p2\" style=\"-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 19.1px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22.8px; text-size-adjust: auto;\"\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"s1\" style=\"font-size: 19.08px;\"\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"1523\" data-original-width=\"2048\" height=\"476\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-zq1QARl6C3o\/YCbTOVWJ5kI\/AAAAAAAABLs\/zVHNA3V7dUwyv2xNqangL2hrY84j3naIACNcBGAsYHQ\/w640-h476\/2C70784E-8829-4088-8FFF-D57A6982AD60.jpeg\" width=\"640\" \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe story opens with Yuta who is looking for a mermaid to break his spell of immortality. He ate a piece of mermaid’s flesh his friend brought him one day, because hey, why not?  He’s been looking for a mermaid ever since, hoping that finding one will end his curse of immortality. We find out early on that this isn’t possible. Yet he continues to wander Japan with Mana, a young woman he saves, in tow looking for mermaids. Yuta’s only ambition is to be able to grow old and die. To live the life of a normal human.  He’s been alive for 500 years and has been killed multiple times. Each death and resurrection painful. Mana’s motive for following Yuta is a little unclear.  She’s been in chains her entire life, unable to walk, bred to be sacrificed in a cannibalistic ritual. She declares in the first story that she intends to live, even if it is as an immortal. She struggles to survive despite being woefully equipped to defend herself as she is threaten with mutilation, rape, and death. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cp class=\"p1\" style=\"-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center; text-size-adjust: auto;\"\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"1535\" data-original-width=\"2048\" height=\"480\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-QZjBmZcOl5w\/YCbRtR6figI\/AAAAAAAABLU\/qpMKTDXRabU87NNYS1GtCRtYxgJe7QjCwCNcBGAsYHQ\/w640-h480\/5604CCA4-B4B7-48F2-9CF0-4B14F45F1DB9.jpeg\" width=\"640\" \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003EIt will be interesting to see where Takahashi will take the story in the final book of the series.  It opens with a graphic aftermath of a suicide. Or is it murder?  We follow a strangely calm child as he moves around the body of his mother, cleaning blood and glass off the floor. The blood cleared away, and the child freshly showered, he returns to the room and sits to stare into the eyes of his dead mother. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe story jumps between modern Japan and ancient Japan as we follow Yuta on his 500 year long quest to find living mermaids.  It can feel a little episodic and it is difficult to see to the element that ties each arc together other than Yuta himself.  A deeper plot might be revealed in volume 2, but even if the story continues to be a loosely connect series of events, it’ll still be an entertaining ride. \u003Cp class=\"p1\" style=\"-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-size-adjust: auto;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\"p1\" style=\"-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center; text-size-adjust: auto;\"\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"1352\" data-original-width=\"2048\" height=\"422\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-hHiA1OchBrA\/YCbSfUnKcSI\/AAAAAAAABLg\/AnHEoDFdpI4LIpC_sIKpM4N_cu6BgSDygCNcBGAsYHQ\/w640-h422\/1EB9869D-7FF6-4D88-AEEA-9824E6295423.jpeg\" width=\"640\" \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe Viz collector edition of \u003Cb\u003EMermaid Saga\u003C\/b\u003E comes in a large trim format and has 12 colour pages.  The colour pages are beautiful reproductions of Takahashi’s watercolours for the series. You can even see the grain of the watercolour paper on some of the pages. The art is typical Takahashi, with that trademark late 80s early 90s aesthetic.  You know it, that high puffy hair, rendered in flat black, with little to no highlights.  Snubbed nosed, heart shaped faces. I have never seen Takahashi at work, but you can tell that she uses brushes as well as nib-pens to ink her panels. At times the people populating the manga can suffer from same face. That phenomenon where the mangaka seems to draw the same face but with a different hair style and outfit to help differentiate characters. It is, however, a pleasure to watch the range of emotions that cross these faces.  With a few pen stokes she can covey anger, fear, remorse, desire, apathy, joy and longing.  Takahashi isn’t heavy handed with screentone.  She actually uses quite a bit of line work to shade and create texture. This helps keeps her action sequences light and easy to follow.\u0026nbsp;\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003ETakahashi fans will definitely want to pick up this edition of \u003Cb\u003EMermaid Saga\u003C\/b\u003E, it’s a beautiful reissue. \u0026nbsp;The first English translation was flipped so that it read left to right, Viz has released this edition in it’s original right to left orientation. If you are new to Takahashi this could be the perfect series to start with. It is pretty short when compared to her other works, and although it lacks her brand of wacky humour, it’ll still give you a taste of her fantastical style of story telling. \u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAs a side note if you are interested in reading any of Takahashi’s one shot manga they have been collected into three volumes called \u003Ci\u003ERumic World Trilogy\u003C\/i\u003E.  Kind of hard to find but perhaps worth it if you would like to check out stories like \u003Ci\u003EThe Laughing Target\u003C\/i\u003E and \u003Ci\u003EFire Tripper\u003C\/i\u003E.  \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8675936740079831063\/posts\/default\/7189922442761472478"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8675936740079831063\/posts\/default\/7189922442761472478"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.panelpatter.com\/2021\/02\/mermaid-saga-ningyo-shirizu-vol-2-by.html","title":"Mermaid Saga (Ningyo Shirīzu) Vol. 2 by Rumiko Takahashi "}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Kelli Ewing"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/15030857363708576185"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"16","height":"16","src":"https:\/\/img1.blogblog.com\/img\/b16-rounded.gif"}}]},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8675936740079831063.post-2073823674512301353"},"published":{"$t":"2021-02-16T08:30:00.037-05:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2021-02-17T14:14:01.786-05:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"catch-it"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"comixology"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"dark horse"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"first second"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"jk"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"kodansha"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"marvel"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"rbm"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"vault"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Catch It at the Comic Shop February 17th, 2021"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;Welcome to Catch it at the Comic Shop, where the Panel Patter team looks  at what's coming out at your favorite store or digital device this  week. Each one of us that participates picks up to five items due out  this week, with a little bit about why we like them. (NOTE: We use  solicitation material for this, so if we miss creators,\u0026nbsp;\u003Cu\u003E\u003Cb\u003Eplease talk to your publisher\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/u\u003E!)  Sometimes we might only have a few items to share, other weeks, keeping  it to five will make for hard choices. Here's what the team wanted to  highlight this week...\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003ERob's Picks:\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"2048\" data-original-width=\"1337\" height=\"400\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-MDYv5L9rHW0\/YC1JKrJSUWI\/AAAAAAAAB-A\/18zCeF3NPqkS-_zOBTSklHxjHkauthN6ACLcBGAsYHQ\/w261-h400\/853ACA60-956F-4BFE-AE9E-B2F32264B7D1.jpeg\" width=\"261\" \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003EChobits 20th Anniversary Edition Vol 1 by CLAMP, published by Kodansha\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003ESexy computer personal assistants in humanoid form dominate the landscape, but if you're a poor young man, it's unlikely for you to get one, let alone a mysterious model capable of anything. But hey, what's a certain style of manga without an unlikely schlub surrounded by hot women and humanoids? This was one of the first manga I remember reading and while I admit some of my picking this one is nostalgia, the story itself is still a classic of the comedic sex farce, if a bit creepy along the edges. The main draw, as always with this art studio, is the stunningly gorgeous art by the CLAMP collective. Their pages are almost all works of art suitable to put up on the wall, thin and achingly beautiful. I'm really happy to see that publishers like Kodansha and Viz are following their western cousins' tradition of keeping classics in print.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Ca name='more'\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"2048\" data-original-width=\"1339\" height=\"400\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-t8yEEj6kMo4\/YCre02J2F3I\/AAAAAAACSQE\/_WqsWTsGBTMD-z1_Xup6CO4SILZyKVH_QCLcBGAsYHQ\/w261-h400\/STL175104.jpg\" width=\"261\" \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cb\u003EAmerican Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang, published by First Second\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cspan\u003ESpeaking of classics that should never be out of print, comics superstar Gene Luen Yang's breakout story is still just as good as when it was first published. If you haven't read this one yet, either, it's about a young man who is determined to reject his cultural heritage no matter the personal cost. The self-loathing is achingly hard to read at times, but Yang's amazingly ability to show a wide range of conflicting emotions that you can see in Boxers\/Saints, New Superman, and other books really begins here. The art isn't as strong of course, but it backs the plot and often packs an emotional punch. See where things began for Yang or enjoy the comfort of an old favorite.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"1800\" data-original-width=\"1171\" height=\"400\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-w_uhwY96kUU\/YCrfFxyRjwI\/AAAAAAACSQU\/s8n_UJBqEEQEFqGJdPEsWFo8tvkNcPlSACLcBGAsYHQ\/w260-h400\/STL177811.jpg\" width=\"260\" \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EYoung Hellboy The Hidden Land #1 by Mike Mignola, Thomas Sniegoski, Craig Rousseau, Dave Stewart, and Clem Robbins, published by Dark Horse\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EIt's a road trip for the rambunctious red guy in his formative years, as he and his adopted father head for an archaeological expedition and get marooned when a religious fanatic tries to kill them. They wash up on an island, but it might be even more dangerous than trying to swim home among giant, killer crabs. This has a very Atomic Robo feel to it in terms of the premise and the dialogue, and I consider that a big complement. Hellboy as a combination of Bart and Lisa Simpson (impish and extremely smart) is a great way to show him as a younger character and after how dark a lot of the Hellboy Universe has gotten, I'm glad to have a breath of fresh air. Craig Rousseau's linework is of course very different from Mignola, but it works here because he keeps the blockiness while still being just a tad on the exaggerated side, and Dave Stewart shows he can do bright colors, too, when the time calls for it. This was just a joy to read, especially on a crappy weather weekend. Can't wait to see what's to come in what I hope will be some recurring series from this time period.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"1215\" data-original-width=\"800\" height=\"400\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-iamMeE1nFXs\/YCreT46QQVI\/AAAAAAACSP8\/L7JvFiaq6qMn8dWwzB5ZlDX_zXWGzWBcgCLcBGAsYHQ\/w264-h400\/STL167248.jpg\" width=\"264\" \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EBleed them Dry Vol 1 TP by Hiroshi Koizumi, Eliot Rahal, Dike Ruan, Miquel Muerto, and Andworld, published by Vault\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EThis one's called a Ninja Vampire Tale, and really, you're either going to love that premise or scoff and move on to something more serious, because you are boring. Okay, that's not entirely fair. Not everyone enjoys the same things. Still, this is a high-concept, bloody-as-hell romp that provides just enough breather space to give the reader's eyes a rest between all the many action lines and short, choppy panels. In a future where vampires and humans co-exist, someone is trying to upset the apple cart, leaving a detective in the crosshairs of a fight for the future. Ruan's art gets a little muddy at times but overall works well here. I'd definitely read more in this world, if Vault and the creators are so inclined.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003ESean’s Pick:\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"2048\" data-original-width=\"1332\" height=\"400\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-dtnku44tijY\/YCrD2P5T2qI\/AAAAAAAAB90\/dSQRkH3gmOQEqBQSwsc32LURyVFpFHmqwCLcBGAsYHQ\/w260-h400\/1FF4BDBF-70ED-4758-9AFA-2E94BD54B595.jpeg\" width=\"260\" \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003ESecond Coming: Only Begotten Son #2 by Mark Russell, Richard Pace, Leonard Kirk, Andy Troy \u0026amp; Rob Steen, published by Ahoy\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/p\u003EI really need to be honest here: I’m pretty sure this comic series was written with me specifically in mind. Russell \u0026amp; Co. join forces to tell the untold story of Christ alongside Sunstar in a world not too far removed of our own. The hilarious first season of the sacrilegious (is it though?) story originally rejected by a mainstream publisher has proven to have life beyond the controversy. \u003Cb\u003ESecond\u003C\/b\u003E \u003Cb\u003EComing\u003C\/b\u003E speaks to the hypocrisy of the modern religious, the blindly organized, and the corporate theological elite. While the first season spent most pages dissecting the eventual (?) second coming amid our current hyper religious tribalistic present, this second season focuses again on Christ’s predictable disappointment with human behaviors but also with God’s second go at divine offspring. This title is more than a story of Christ in a world similar to our own. It is instead criticism on a portion of society who deems themselves morally sovereign while everything about their existence proves otherwise. And all of this narrative comes from the creative team known for their satiric perspective. This one is no different. Followers of Christ who find this story offensive are either unwilling to self-reflect or were created in His image but lack the sense of humor He gave in abundance to those of us who know no limit for the rewatching of old episodes of The Office. Conversely, followers of Christ who find this series as a breath of fresh air... you and I are probably long lost bff’s and I look forward to better knowing you. \u003Cb\u003EAhoy\u003C\/b\u003E has a hit here, and I beg you all to read this series that has just begun.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Cspan\u003ENeil's Pick:\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"1215\" data-original-width=\"800\" height=\"400\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-I3ScmCNFt7U\/YCrdkOLFxqI\/AAAAAAACSPo\/qpYH6YkJjt0YrnWhP9Zk-fs0nYWHy76AQCLcBGAsYHQ\/w264-h400\/STL167248.jpg\" width=\"264\" \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cb\u003EBleed Them Dry TPB by Hiroshi Koizumi, Eliot Rahal, Dike Ruan and Miquel Muerto, published by Vault Comics\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EHaving decided that this year is the year I go fully trade and collected stories only, it’s a pleasure to find something I was reading in single issues in 2020. I read the first 2 issues of Bleed Them Dry and found it to be an interesting read but felt it would be better in collected form. Set so far in the future, the year 3333, that surely no-one can compare the actual year 3333 as we did in 2019 with both Blade Runner and Akira. Vampires now live alongside human beings in a Japanese mega-city called Asylum but when vampires start being targeted by a lone killer, Detective Halloway and her vampire partner Atticus Black must stem a growing worry from the vampire population. Bleed Them Dry looks to be a very strong detective story and yes vampire stories have been done to death but adding that they can now live happily alongside humans is a great addition. Oh and did I mention there is a fantastic limited cover by Yoshitaka Amano, the illustrator behind the Vampire Hunter D series\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003EJames' Picks:\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"1968\" data-original-width=\"1280\" height=\"400\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-zrIDTNdq9dY\/YCrdkI8XLjI\/AAAAAAACSPs\/ztPKWP9Bg2cSIiRaBGSMQUTqIjtU5LIBQCLcBGAsYHQ\/w260-h400\/907402._SX1280_QL80_TTD_.jpg\" width=\"260\" \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cb\u003ESnow Angels #1 by Jeff Lemire and Jock, published by ComiXology Originals\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EI've read this first issue and thought it was a very strong debut for this series. It's a story of a cold, lonely world. It seems like what is left of humanity just lives in an icy trench. You can never leave the trench, the trench is never-ending. So, all people living in this world ever see is the trench, in either direction. It's a grim story, and let's just say that bad stuff starts to happen in this debut issue. It's a very cool premise, and the execution is top notch so far. Jock is an amazing artist, and any new Jock artwork is always a treat. He draws desolation and existential loneliness better than just about anyone these days. Those themes are in plentiful supply here, as the trench can be read as a horror\/sci-fi story, or an allegory for life right now, but definitely Jeff Lemire is an artist who knows how to tell great genre fiction and also plumb the emotional depths to do so.\u0026nbsp; \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"2048\" data-original-width=\"1349\" height=\"400\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-azHVign-hms\/YCrdkAsL0fI\/AAAAAAACSPw\/0wNQOGH1WuIVssoCuNA9wxSSezTLjdteQCLcBGAsYHQ\/w264-h400\/STL173763.jpg\" width=\"264\" \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cb\u003EImmortal Hulk Flatline #1 by Declan Shalvey, published by Marvel Comics\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThere have been a few of these \u003Ci\u003EImmortal Hulk\u003C\/i\u003E one-shots, and they've al been terrific.\u0026nbsp; There was one written by Jeff Lemire and drawn by Mike Del Mundo that was excellent, and this new one is written and drawn by Declan Shalvey.\u0026nbsp; I've loved Shalvey's work since I first encountered it in \u003Ci\u003EMoon Knight \u003C\/i\u003E(written by Warren Ellis). Since then, I've loved his work as an artist (\u003Ci\u003EInjection\u003C\/i\u003E) and also really been interested to see his development as a writer (\u003Ci\u003EBog Bodies\u003C\/i\u003E). I think he's an excellent, detailed storyteller, and I'm excited to see what he brings to the already-amazing \u003Ci\u003EImmortal Hulk\u003C\/i\u003E mythos. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003EMike's Picks\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; font-size: x-large; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/lh3.googleusercontent.com\/-R0PEgnCId4A\/YCsdrqj_HqI\/AAAAAAAALNI\/h9CjsfLxzxowt8ZmHCo4JIvVreWCx4hEwCLcBGAsYHQ\/image.png\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg alt=\"\" data-original-height=\"1215\" data-original-width=\"800\" height=\"400\" src=\"https:\/\/lh3.googleusercontent.com\/-R0PEgnCId4A\/YCsdrqj_HqI\/AAAAAAAALNI\/h9CjsfLxzxowt8ZmHCo4JIvVreWCx4hEwCLcBGAsYHQ\/w263-h400\/image.png\" width=\"263\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003EThe Picture of Everything Else 2 by\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cb\u003EDan Watters, Kishore Mohan, and Aditya Bidikar, published by Vault Comics\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: left;\"\u003EIssue one of this story was all about the exposition, how to turn the idea of Wilde's \u003Ci style=\"font-weight: bold;\"\u003EDorian Gray\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;into a Victorian murder mystery, and I'm excited to see how Watters and Mohan build the story from that premise. Watters tends to jump directly into stories - not necessarily en media res, but he usually starts and cycles back for some of the necessary exposition as the plot unfolds.\u003Ci style=\"font-weight: bold;\"\u003E\u0026nbsp;The Picture of Everything Else\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;is different in that Watters is working with a kernel of an established story and building from there. But the first issue whetted my appetite enough, and Mohan's painterly style is perfectly suited for a Victorian scene.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/lh3.googleusercontent.com\/-GazvOvTfpXM\/YCsfZRTTGhI\/AAAAAAAALNU\/fxFz8zsILlUxR1HDACBRPSg_qw0Q0DOSQCLcBGAsYHQ\/image.png\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg alt=\"\" data-original-height=\"1500\" data-original-width=\"975\" height=\"400\" src=\"https:\/\/lh3.googleusercontent.com\/-GazvOvTfpXM\/YCsfZRTTGhI\/AAAAAAAALNU\/fxFz8zsILlUxR1HDACBRPSg_qw0Q0DOSQCLcBGAsYHQ\/w260-h400\/image.png\" width=\"260\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003EHaha 2 by W. Maxwell Prince and Zoe Thorogood, publsiuhed by Image Comics\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both;\"\u003EPrince's new anthology series uses the trope of clowns to explore mental health, and he has paired with the perfect artist for such an exploration in Zoe Thorogood. More than anything else, what sells this issue for me is the way Thorogood can draw eyes that betray the faces. In her superb debut,\u0026nbsp;\u003Ci style=\"font-weight: bold;\"\u003EThe Impending Blindness of Zoe Scott\u003C\/i\u003E, there was a light in the eyes of her characters, a glimmer of optimism in the face of crippling reality. In Haha, though, Thorogood captures blankness. This issue is about a person's break with reality, and the reader gets to see that break in a way that is exactly as haunting as Prince intends it to be.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8675936740079831063\/posts\/default\/2073823674512301353"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8675936740079831063\/posts\/default\/2073823674512301353"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.panelpatter.com\/2021\/02\/catch-it-at-comic-shop-february-17th.html","title":"Catch It at the Comic Shop February 17th, 2021"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Panel Patter"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/12354673590872893078"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"16","height":"16","src":"https:\/\/img1.blogblog.com\/img\/b16-rounded.gif"}}]}]}});