This month’s issues of the comics I’ve been reading are out (or have been for up to a few weeks), so it was high time I dropped into Sydney’s Kings Comics to pick them up! Pictured above is the first issue of 'Kill or Be Killed' I bought. What caught me was the idea of a dude going around killing people. I wanted to know why.
One could argue that I should be supporting my local comic shop - not Sydney's largest. The trouble is, I still read and buy paper comics even when I can read them for free electronically, because I appreciate the whole experience. I take enormous delight in the whole experience of taking the time to travel up to Sydney (split between my EV and a shortened train ride) to peruse action figures and a huge range of comics that I'm not ever going to buy. Walking down the road to look in a shop a quarter of the size without any of the comics I'm currently reading just doesn't have much appeal. It makes it even harder when I know the owner of the local store. Ouch.
I'm feeling guilty. Maybe I should buy an issue or two from them. I'd have to set up a standing order. And they're not big enough to get incentive covers like Kings.
Seriously, don't put me through this.
Why am I still reading paper?
It's not about the portability for me. I understand how that has it's appeal for some people, but being able to sit and turn pages is akin to giving someone a hug compared to interacting on Skype. A message is still coming across, but something special is missing. Believe me, I have wrestled with this idea for sometime, due to the cost, storage limitations and environmental impact.
I do limit how many comics I buy in paper form, while reading the others online. I just don't want to eliminate paper comics entirely from my life. At least not while we can still cut down trees and print pretty pictures on their cellulose body-parts. How's that for environmental imagery, huh?
What happened to 'I Hate Fairyland'?
I have been reading Skottie Young’s I Hate Fairyland for over a year it seems (maybe eighteen months?) and I’ve written about how much I love the art and the comical gore. The vibrancy of the colours, not to mention the setting, which facilitates the use of such iridescence on paper, makes for a perfect combination.
All this being said, I haven’t been reading that much about how the cranky and cantankerous ‘young lady’ of Fairyland is further along in solving her problem of how to escape. I think I’m feeling a sense of staleness to the story. It’s not Skottie. I promise you.
It’s one of those, “It’s not you. It’s me” routines. As a result, I haven’t got much of an interest lately. I’ll keep reading previews online, and if I’m liking a new arc, it may redeem itself.
Let's get on with talking about the haul, shall we?
The Walking Dead - Robert Kirkman and Charlie Adlard
Well, this year marks FIFTEEN years of The Walking Dead.
So much has gone down, of course. A million characters have come and gone. But this new story arc looks VERY promising. The team find themselves in 'The Commonwealth' and we have a very special reunion in this arc, 'New World Order'. I'm not going to spoil it if you haven't been following along. It's not too late to join the party. This month is # 177. You only need to start from # 175. I'll even throw a link to where you can find a preview.
Just do the creative team a favour and throw them a bone, once you're hooked, alright?
Dry County - Rich Tommaso (yeah, he's that good he did both the story and art)
I've only read a small section of DC, so this is more of an initial impressions.
Within the first page or so, Tommaso sums up my late teens clubbing. I was there because apparently that's what everyone does. I didn't really enjoy it. I mean, I liked most of the pop music that was played, but the people there weren't my kind of people. If you love vibrancy, you'll appreciate the simple, pop art style that Tommaso employs. It's simple, but it still comes up with the goods. Sometimes less is more, and when it comes to art, extremely fine line art can distract from the story. I'm looking forward to getting further into this crime book.
Kill or Be Killed - Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips
Ed Brubaker is a fekking genius and Phillips may as well be Da Vinci.
Since boarding this train at #15, I've gone on to read the first five issues or so and they're all very bad-ass. Like, 'holy-crap, shouldn't this be in a restricted area in the shop?' bad-ass. Phillips' art is nuanced and crisp. Brubaker just does wonders at taking you to places you're afraid to go. You'll remember his work for a while.
My journey into Dylan's head (a pretty messed up college student) and subsequently, his serial killing escapades, gave me a little more than I bargained for. Dylan's reasons for killing are as dark as they come. And you're not going to want to put this title down.
Gideon Falls - Jeff Lemire and Andrea Sorrentino
I read the preview to Gideon Falls online and I couldn't stop. When I'm enjoying an issue, I'll just read the first couple of pages, then leave the rest for when I have it in my hands. GF was an exception.
I couldn't stop reading. This title centres on the town of, you guessed it, Gideon Falls. There's a dude going through the garbage trying to make sense of artifacts he comes across. Meanwhile, the church loses their minister (he dies) and the lady who greets the out-of-town newbie cleric doesn't want to talk about it. She's a weird one, that lady. You'll enjoy those panels of squeamishness as Father Wilfred tries to nicely tell her to rack off. Also we see a creepy-ass ghost. Issue one - GHOST. Yay. Not for children. None of these are, right?
30 Days of Night (IDW) - Steve Niles and Piotr Kowalski
This particular cover is a retailer incentive. It was the last one on the shelf and wouldn't be available at my local retailer.
I haven't yet sunk my teeth into number 4. I can't wait to. Our characters are trapped in the Alaskan town of Barrow. And there are a bunch of psychopathic, blood-thirsty fiends with filed teeth plotting their deaths. Stella, the town's deputy, is holding up pretty strong considering her husband was killed in the first issue.
I really think I have an obsession with comic settings in the Winter. In Australia where I am from, our Winters are so mild. No snow. Just the odd bit of rain and temperatures nowhere near zero. I love seeing snow. I suppose because it's so alien to me. If you love snow (and scary vampire creatures), you'll enjoy 30 Days of Night. You could also read Peanuts. There's snow in that, too occasionally.
Later this week, I will be revealing my number ONE comic for 2018 so far. You might also be graced with my runner up.
And some tips.
Lucky you, reader. Lucky you.
All the best,
Nick.
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