If you created and published or were published by someone else, a comic and have a pdf of the series, I will consider it. If you contact me and send me a hard copy version, I will review it.
My email address is Alexanderness63@gmail.com and I answer serious emails. Hatemail not so much.
I am going to semi regularly post reviews of books that have been on the shelf a while, that I think are either more popular than they deserved to be, or never received the attention they should have received. They will be books I bought or somehow acquired, and are not sent to me from publishers or talent. These offerings will likely still skew to the positive, as I don't buy copies of tpbs I didn't expect to enjoy, and don't keep in mind books that didn't move me. However, over time we'll discover some works that didn't work for me.
BLACK ORCHID
By Neil Gaiman, Dave McKean Published by DC Comics
The Black Orchid was a character who represented a great many possibly good character good ideas, but was rarely ever been done in a way that is worthy of her concept. This was a work that was very in line with the modernization of DC characters found in the later 80s, and was a work I wanted to read when I heard about it from the very beginning. For those who are not familiar, up until the currently considered mini series, Black Orchid had powers that were ill defined, and varied from all powerful to being simply mysterious and without definition or limits. When Neil Gaiman wrote the character in the mini series he gave her a new raison d'etre, a new concept entirely of being. She is a form of a spirit of nature, who perceived herself as such, but had human memories. The story fleshes out and gives reason for all her powers, and it includes solving her own murder, or her human form's murder. She is far more powerful in ways, but also less so, since by defining her powers writers thereafter had to work within a limit.
I should say, one reason I bought this is because I really did enjoy the character, however poorly done in prior comics. In this work I loved the art by Dave McKean. And I mostly liked the story. But, in certain ways I'll not describe since they are part of the character's new story and you should read it yourself, she is given a new life but it is similar in ways to the Swamp Thing of Alan Moore. And while I thought it was done well, I honestly liked the lack of origin, so giving it a form and aim, I felt less love for her. The story itself was fine. The art was glorious. So, if you come into the series without pre-knowledge of her, I think you'd love it. However, that wasn't my experience.
DOMOVOI
By Peter Bergting Published by Dark Horse Comics
The Domovoi are powerful, sometimes malevolent spirits, and they threaten Stockholm, Sweden. A cat and its friendly humans walk through their world and become aware of the world they cannot directly see. Over time the characters encounter delightful but also demonic spirits and beings, and there is a sort of fantasy tale here that attempts to show a collection of chapters that tell stories and unite at the end of the reading to create a world, similar to our own, but different. There is here a sort of fantasy tales coming true, but, I'd suggest that we might be seeing a fantasy version of Stockholm too. (I don't know, just saying it might be.)
I love the artwork of Peter Bergting. I also enjoy his story telling but, his dialogue is somewhat difficult. He is Swedish writing an English language book and I suspect the Swedish version is perfect. If you are a story first and art second sort of reader, it might feel like it didn't succeed as a straight forward work. I think it worked, and if not perfect in flow or dialogue, I could follow it quite well. I should also say, I realize that even if the images and story telling flow of them are perfect, having difficulty with the dialogue could derail a person's enjoyment. One last thing, you might think fairy tales must be for children, or if you are familiar with the form realize there is a darkness in most, and adults are the real target audience with the original sorts. It has a feel that is one thing but delivers another, and while I had no issues with that, I am certain others might well have.
LORE
Ashley Wood, T.P. Louise Published by IDW
"In times past, the world was full of mythical creatures — creatures long since banished and held at bay by the secret society of Shepherds. But when the generational line of Shepherds is broken, a reluctant hero finds her life threatened from every quarter. And the creatures are coming back..."
This work is a tale that mixes two distinct worlds, one of dark fantasy and supernatural, the other of normal and every day reality. It has a X-Files feel, but it also has a feeling of Pan's Labyrinth and various original or vintage fairy tales written hundreds of years ago. A group keeps humanity safe from the dark creatures, but, at the same time there are intrusions showing that the perimeter isn't safe, and who knows when the next attack or breakthrough will occur. The main protagonist is a person who sees themselves as a normal everyday person, but the narrative requires a hero, and so, much like Byronic heroes, a self perceived flawed hero steps forward at a cost to her self.
Just as with every book presented here, the reception of this book was highly divided between the haters and lovers of it. Those who love Ashley Wood's art tended to forgive a hard to follow narrative, while those who needed straight forward story telling regardless of the quality of art needed something more simple, more easy to follow. I am in neither camp. I liked the story, and I loved the art. I had no problem with following it, and think people hunger for easy answers when if they'd just read it, instead of depending on visual cues, famous in comics, they'd absorb a deep, moving story. But, I should note, whether I loved it or not doesn't matter. If I am writing this for the enjoyment of others, I'd say if your thing is superheroes and black and white morals, you'd probably find this a mess. If you like DC/Vertigo offerings or comics from the more alternative and independent side, you will probably like this. I was asked once when speaking about it if it is like the comic Fables, and it kind of is. But whereas I read Fables and thought it was ok, the book Lore moves me.
PLASTIC FORKS
By Ted McKeever Published originally by Epic/Marvel Comics
The quick description would be that the world found in Plastic Forks is one where scientists work to replace human parts with machinery, a goal in the future to be able to extend life with human made parts. But in reality, this is a dystopia wherein science tries to replicate life, not with machines, but with its very own creations. As with Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, the premise is not what was done, but the idea that, who are we, as humans, to try to replace natural existence with our own mechanical constructs. Human flesh is to be replaced by artifice and to the extent that this happens, they take it one step further, trying to replace sex organs with machines that are meant to create a new sort of human. The title Plastic Forks could have more meaning than this, but, I think it is a reference to the use and discard world humans were only beginning to create in the era in which this was written/created.
I know people who absolutely despised this work, for the story but mostly those who hated it was for the non photo real art. There are reasons I get this, after all, comics are meant to entertain and for most stories there is a distinct need to be clear in image. This was a story that challenges the mind and perhaps our world views, and it did so in a style of art that is not, for some, easy to digest. However, as you might have suspected by the fact I said I know people, instead of saying I despised this, I loved it. Jackson Pollock one of my favorite artists once said the modern art is meant to reflect the emotions and ideas of humans. How can art capture the reality of the nuclear bomb, or massacres or the death camps of World War Two? It is done by showing the distortion and abstraction found in this style. McKeever might have been reaching too far for some, I know many people who couldn't figure out what the book was about. But if you think about things, you might like it, or, it might drive you mad. One way or the other, you'll have a response.
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