A Sasquatch, A Tale From the Farm and Some Lost Girls
By James Jobe
Is it time for another review column again already? Time seems to be blowing right by me these days. It becomes extremely evident when I look around my office to see the stacks of unread comics awaiting my return. Seeing it all has made me realize that I'll never be able to read every issue in my collection. I just keep buying more of them. I'm not sure that I'll ever be able to keep up. Worse things though have happened.
JOSH HOWARD PRESENTS: SASQUATCH
It’s finally here! I’ve been waiting for this one for some time now. I knew it was to be released this week, and thought I’d have to wait until Wednesday to see one. I was very surprised to see a review copy show up in the mail several days in advance! In the time since, I’ve had time to read the entire 256 page book, and have gone back to read some of the stories two and three times. A big fatty thanks to the guys at Viper for helping me get ahead of the game.
Here is Viper’s teaser:
Things are getting hairy this spring as Viper Comics releases Josh Howard Presents: Sasquatch, an anthology of stories based on the elusive big-footed beast written and drawn by some of the top talent in the indie comic world. Clocking in at a massive 256 pages, the highly anticipated Sasquatch features more than 20 tales of terror, fun, and fur.
In the Himalayas it's referred to as Yeti. North America calls the creature Bigfoot. Other cultures have labeled the elusive beast Mi-go, Kang Admi, or Chu-Teh, but no matter what name it's given, the humanoid legend has captivated imaginations for centuries. Now Josh Howard Presents Sasquatch, a book as big as the creature itself, seeks to highlight the lore surrounding the missing link as more than 30 of the hottest indie creators give their take on the big, bad ape man, including David Hartman, Martin Abel, Courtney Huddleston, Jason M. Burns, Wes Molebash and MORE!
“Sasquatch has proven to be a gigantic undertaking for us as a publisher, but make no mistake, the creators have delivered as expected and the end result is nothing short of amazing,” states Viper Comics President Jessie Garza. “A legend of urban folklore, it’s time for the world famous Bigfoot to finally step into the spotlight, and coming this April, fans of both the beast and good storytelling will find out why.”
Having read that, you’ll understand that there was a great many talents involved in this project (including PopThought’s own Alex Ness). This has allowed for many different takes on the same subject, and that alone for me makes a great anthology. We’re treated to comedy, drama, horror and more all in the same book. It is wonderfully refreshing to see this as it isn’t just the same old thing that so many other publishers put out every month. Both the stories and art are top notch in every last chapter.
The book begins with a five page story by Josh Howard himself. This story caught me by surprise as the villain isn’t who you’d think. The tale packs a quick punch, and is a perfect start for the anthology. Once you’ve started with that story, you’ll find that the book is impossible to put down as the pace kept throughout will draw you in over and over. As thick as the book is (for a mere $24.95) I was surprised at how quickly I read through it. I just couldn’t get enough!
I truly enjoyed the entire book, and sincerely hope that Viper will continue to undertake and publish projects such as this one. I’m honestly surprised no other publisher has done it before, and I commend Josh Howard and Viper Comics for beating them to the punch. Five stars for a job very well done. - 5 of 5
For more information on Josh Howard Presents: Sasquatch including a great number of previews so that you may judge for yourself before purchasing a copy, please visit the following websites:
ESSEX COUNTY Vol.1: TALES FROM THE FARM
Story and art by Jeff Lemire
My first glance at this book did not do it justice. I was not immediately won over by the artwork. Upon reading through it however, I became quite taken with it. I think that it is extremely appropriate for the story. The layout of every page allows the reader to understand exactly what the artist intended.
Anyone who has grown up reading superhero comics should see at least a little of themselves in the main character, a young lad named Lester. Lester has had a bit of misfortune in his life having lost his mother and never really having known his father. He’s been left to live with his uncle, and is not having the easiest time getting used to his new lot in life. He does manage though to find a new friend in the owner of the local gas station where Lester buys all of his new comics.
I’ll not say too much more about this wonderful tale (for fear of spoiling it for you) other than that it is something all comic fans should appreciate. I happily await the next volume in Lemire’s trilogy. – 5 of 5
For more information and some previews from Essex County Vol.1: Tales From the Farm, please visit this website: CLICK HERE
LOST GIRLS
By Alan Moore and Melinda Gebbie
Wow! I just had to say that right off the bat. This set of three wonderfully produced hardcover books takes the reader more places than some readers may be ready to go.
I can see why this collection has gotten the press that it has, both good and bad. Having read many of the various works by Alan Moore over the years, I was very pleased to see him take on a project that was very different from most everything that has come before it.
Labeled as erotic fiction, Lost Girls is a story of three women that readers should already be very familiar with. The first is Alice from Lewis Carroll’s classic work ‘Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland’. The second is Wendy from J.M. Barrie’s play, ‘Peter Pan’. The last of the trio is Dorothy from L. Frank Baum’s novel ‘The Wonderful Wizard of Oz’. The first two of them having been popularized by Walt Disney and the other being the main character of one of the most famous movies of all time ensures that readers will already have certain characterizations in mind. It just so happens that those characterizations are exactly what the reader will not get here. They are in fact quite possibly the exact opposite.
Using characters that are associated with children’s literature surely does not appeal to some, but I believe that allowing them to be extremely sexually adventurous is what makes this story so interesting. Once I started on the first chapter, I kept reading to see what could possibly come next. Let us just say that I did not fail to be surprised with each new chapter.
As familiar as I was with Moore’s previous works, I was however not familiar with the art of Melinda Gebbie. I was completely entranced at every page in all three volumes of this collection. Each panel is lavishly decorated in ways I’ve not seen used before in comic art. The colors alone are absolutely decadent. As wonderful as some of the coloring I’ve seen done in recent years with computers, I think many colorists could take note of what’s been done here. – 5 of 5
For more information and some previews from Lost Girls, please visit this website: CLICK HERE
FINAL THOUGHTS
Buy more comics. I'm going to.
I'm accepting any and all comic related submissions for review! Please e-mail me HERE for my policies and snail mail address. THANKS!
