A little over a year ago I saw THIS BLOG POST on a little unpublished graphic novel titled FAR ARDEN. Actually, “unpublished” is a bit of a misnomer – the artist had shelled out money for an intensely limited 100-copy print run of the book, to hand out to press and possible industry folks to help garner interest in a possible bigger release. By the time I stumbled upon the GN’s existence, Kevin Cannon had already given so many away for free he was then charging for evey copy – no matter what – so he could break even on the printing costs. Honestly, the book looked SO bloody interested I paid $20 just to nab a review copy (and Kevin was kind enough to sign it and put a custom sketch inside, which is arguably worth $20 in and of itself).
I wrote THIS TWO-PART INTER-REVIEW (a review and interview in one! PART ONE. PART TWO.) to help FAR ARDEN get a little notice. Well, yee-haw, it’s been picked up by TOP SHELF. I feel so proud. As with any decently-done visual entertainment, words fail, so here’s a sneak peak:
In his search for the mythic arctic paradise Far Arden, Army Shanks fights off numerous obstacles such as the half polar bear man in this preview of Far Arden by Kevin Cannon. The book will be released by Top Shelf on May 29.
Continue reading about FAR ARDEN to be Published by TOP SHELF
From General Jinjur Productions comes a brand new graphic novel epic, a nifty damn twist on an otherwise cliche cliche (yes, that’s a cliche turned so cliched it becomes a cliche as an overused cliche!)
Originally written for and posted on BROKEN FRONTIER dot com – here’s my very honest review of these upstart newcomers:
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Charlatan: Preludes GN |
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Original graphic novels are forever mixed blessings: it’s a big chunk of comic book entertainment in one fell swoop, no waiting a month or two or three or four before the next meager 22-page sequel; on the other hand, if it’s bad, it’s a big chunk of super-horrid badness that cannot be denied or forgiven, neither for the price (which is usually less than the combined cost of single issues, but psychology being what it is, we forgive anything that outlasts our ADD emotional response time) nor the fact that so much effort was put forth by both artist and writer to produce something inexplicably, fundamentally worthless. My bad habit, which has biblically plagued me for 1,000 years of solitude (or so it seems) is that I fish-jump at the offer to procure a new meaty tome of four-color splendor, then instantaneously regret, the remembrance of things past settling into my stomach, my head, often my eyes (they start to hurt, sense memory kicking in) as I recall such monstrosities of GN justice as…well, I won’t name names, but there are many OGNs I’ve never reviewed. Even though I was supposed to.
I am really happy that Charlatan: Preludes does not fall into this category (obviously, since you’re reading this!). Like a boulder rolling down a mountain, that mountain being the overwrought and overdone “Chosen One” savior-of-the-universe paradigm, creators Gil Lawson and Eliseu “Zeu” Gouveia heedlessly (almost recklessly) hurl themselves through what should be death-dealing heights and sail themselves over treacherous-deep gorges, avoiding every pitfall and, surprisingly, for once, descend down perhaps the sole unpopulated side remaining to this highly inhabited monument of subgenre. So assured are these creators, that Charlatan offers something worthwhile and different, that they charge in with pure pastiche and emerge on the other side with a story unique unto itself, yet charged with an energy and classicism culled from everything mainstream readers adore about spandex, space opera, and fantasy books.
Continue reading about CHARLATAN: PRELUDES Graphic Novel – Review
I recently “Inter-Reviewed” writer Robert M. Heske on his earlier Cold Blooded Chillers collections—single-issue anthologies dedicated to suburban-based horror yarns in the slasher, thriller, monster (and more) genres—and now he’s gone and published his third and (for the time being) final installment. And this one is weird with a capital “wuh”.
Earlier issues dealt with mundane (literally – as in “down to earth”) 
matters such as serial killers, haunted houses, things easy to wrap one’s head around albeit often Heske tossed in a deft little twist to keep things interesting. However CBC #3 is out-and-out Twilight Zone material, the final story in fact a lengthy finale very much worth (and possibly even requiring) a second reading to understand its many minutiae. Which isn’t to say the suburbia-angle is missing: Heske kicks off inside (what is for him) familiar territory with a pedophilia-focused short, although things swiftly shift from gritty realism to surreal paranormality (not a word, but it should be). Then we segue into story #2, dealing with, on the surface, a haunted Aquarium, though only one security guard seems to notice its existence. Thematically, it’s this second story that drives home the symmetry of CBC #3 as a whole: it’s a bizarrely perfect inverse to story #1, a completely different approach to telling, cleverly, the exact same story only with new faces and a switcheroo in roles.
All well and good, I was truly digging the issue by the end of story #2, and Olympic-dove head-first into the third and last…and man, if anyone else out there can tell me what the heck was going on in this last of the last, please dear god email me and let me know! All you Grant Morrison fans out there who actually understood the last issue of The Invisibles and Final Crisis, this one’s for you. Help a brother out. Though to caveat: it’s certainly the most ambitious story Heske has attempted inside the whole CBC repertoire, roping together numerology, Mayan Myth, aliens, other dimensions, multiple lifes, and, I think, even more—it’s a bit of a smorgasbord, an all-you-can-eat weird-end-of-the-genre buffet. It’s therefore the longest and most epic story told in CBC to boot. Heske expertly paces his oddity; and for all my confusion, I was sucked right in, dying to understand every nuance, and discover the ultimate destination the story was leading to. Sadly, after two thorough reading, I haven’t a clue to what the final pages inferred. There’s a “Forum” section up above (you’ll see the tab). Read CBC #3. Go to the Forums. Go to “Reviews”. Find “Cold Blooded Chillers #3” in “Reviews” in “Forum”. Give me your take on this one. I’d be very curious to know.
Continue reading about Cold Blooded Chillers #3 from Heske Horror – REVIEW!
New Review (well, kinda old actually – I’m late in posting this) of Brian Andersen’s REIGNBOW AND DEE-VA One-Shot
Published by Andersen’s own CBG Comics, this is the second series of his I’ve critiqued, with a third and fourth to come (soon, promise).
Here we go!
Reignbow and Dee-Va #1
Review by Dave Baxter, posted February 09, 2009
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So Super Duper was Brian Andersen’s first comic work, which I rave-reviewed here, and it’s a book that has since begun serialization online at the Newsarama blog (you can read the ongoing SSD adventures by clicking this – updates every Tuesday and Thursday). Looking to stretch his wings beyond the SSD universe, though this might easily (and perhaps does) fit within the already-established framework despite its “one-shot” and “stand-alone” 
status, Andersen scripted Reignbow and Dee-Va. It’s a book that is, believe it or not, even more whimsical, irreverent, and charmingly unselfconscious than what has come before.
Working with Studio 407 – as I do now – one of the more interesting subjects to arise from our pairing is handling the PR (or some of it – the gig’s only part-time) for the upcoming SMUGGLING SPIRITS HC GN slipcase edition, which also happens to be an extended “Director’s Cut” version of the work with 12 additional pages fleshing out the ending to what the creators envisioned in the first place.
This is “interesting” because SMUGGLING SPIRITS, by writer Ben Fisher and jaw-dropping artist Mike Henderson, used to be with online digital publisher, Ambrosia Publishing, and way back when I did a hefty write-up on Ambrosia and – even then – had singled out SMUGGLING SPIRITS as the most promising property the company was then carrying. Now, approximately a year and a half later, after my first review of the book, it’s seen a two-volume printing via Ambrosia, to critical acclaim but little fan or reader fanfare, shouldered through the collapse of Ambrosia (though the publisher says he’ll be back, and hopefully soon, and hopefully with a better game plan than he had originally), and now the book lies in the hands of the impressive newcomer STUDIO 407. And I call them “impressive” not because I work for them, but rather reverse that – I work for them because I call them “impressive”.
The third of my NYCC coverage articles, as taken from the Broken Frontier NYCC blog:
So every news site covers Panels when heading to a major Comic Convention, always reporting the big news from the big companies. But what about the little guys? Those who don’t have the pull or pocket change to roll out an hour long multi-media-enhanced Q&A to let the world know what’s going on and what fans can expect?
Well, time to report on the New York Con’s Panels without Panels – small press and indy announcements gathered up by walking the floor and chatting up those tables that were findable, approachable, and (ideally) both.
First up is Alterna: after a breakout year of Diamond distribution for their Novo Volumes 1 and 2, Fomera Volumes 1 and 2, Mr. Scootles, American Terror: Confessions of a Human Smart Bomb, The Chair, and fan-favorite Jesus Hates Zombies, Alterna is gearing up for the release of the second volume of American Terror, a second volume of JHZ (sub-titled Lincoln Hates Werewolves) and an outstanding new book called Dead Beat, which is “a ‘slice of super life’ graphic novel revolving around a down on his luck former superhero and his estranged daughter as they come to terms with one another and the events that drove a wedge between them years ago.”
Next up, I moved to….
Continue reading about NYCC Coverage #3: Panels without Panels
All the wonderful announcements from the hallowed halls of Idea + Design Works (IDW Publishing)
IDW unveiled its plans for both their 10th Year Anniversary celebration and beyond, offering glimpses of projects planned for the start of their second decade of publishing.
The anniversary will kick-off with a special slipcase hardcover featuring a collage/cover constructed of every cover IDW has published over the past ten years. Inside, then, fans will find a larger collection of the same covers, original stories set in the Fallen Angel universe and the Locke & Key universe, the former written by Peter David and art by JK Woodward, the latter by Joe Hill and Gabriel Rodriguez. Also a new Zombies vs. Robots vs. Popbots by Chris Ryall and Ashley Wood. Also the slipcase will include a life-sized model “Key”, to scale with those in the Locke & Key world, a key that can unlock hidden things, only this key will sport the IDW logo on its head – a key to unlock the doorway to the IDW universe, if you will.
Brian Lynch announced an small onslaught of new Whedon-verse material, including a book co-written by Angel series co-star Juliet Landau, a Spike series that takes place after the character’s death in After the Fall, and a mini titled Angel: Blood and Trenches written and drawn by John Byrne.
In addition, Peter David spoke about Fallen Angel’s new publishing schedule….
Continue reading about NYCC Coverage #2: IDW Panel – 10 Years Gone, 10 More to Come
Back from NYCC – and lots to share. So let’s get started!
One of the reasons I hit the Con was to be a good little BROKEN FRONTIER reporter, and my first professional Panel coverage was the PUBLISHER’S WEEKLY panel (see below):
Calvin Reed, co-founder of the Comics arm of Publisher’s Weekly, hosted a panel of professionals in the publishing field, including Kuoyu Liang of Diamond Distributors, James Killian of Barnes & Noble, Judith Hansen of Hansen Literary Agency (American Born Chinese), and and John Cunningham of DC Comics.
The group spoke about the place of print publishing in the world of “new media”, digital books and comics included though only tertiarily so. Reed opened the panel by saying: “I don’t need to you that the economy today is unprecedented. Pop Culture is usually resistant to downturns, but this isn’t the case anymore.”
Kuoyu Liang mentioned that the “downturn” in pop culture isn’t as simple and widespread as it seems: “Some titles are up, some titles are down. Some companies are up, some companies are down. Some countries are up, some countries are down.” He concluded with the statement that international sales were way up, by 35% in the UK, and significant leaps in Germany, Japan, and Sweden. US sales were the numbers that were truly down, US product finding it difficult to gain a foothold in foreign markets, while international material experiences a surge of popularity in the States.
Continue reading about And we’re back! NYCC Coverage #1: Publisher’s Weekly Panel
Probably the best horror OGN I’ve ever read. By Gabriel Hardman, the artist of THE WIND RAIDER (see this previous post), and scripted by Corinne Sara Bechko, writer of the ZUDA COMICS entry “THE CROOKED MAN” (also drawn by Hardman), I’d like to take a moment to rave about HEATHENTOWN.
Here’s the cover:
As can be seen from the cover, and, oh, from these little snippets…
Real impressive new comic came out this Wednesday (January 20th – that’s 2009 if you’re reading this way in the future, or way in the past using a time machine no one even today, your future, knows about) from APE ENTERTAINMENT. #1 is an over-sized issue of genre love that kicks off the first three-issue mini of a much grander epic – THE WIND RAIDER.
Not only is the story impressive – nothing ground-breaking but nevertheless it’s a unique blend of eastern/western, Star Wars meets Sojourn (for you comic buffs who remember Crossgen) or let’s call it FIST OF THE NORTH STAR meets LORD OF THE RINGS. Which sounds bloody awesome, doesn’t it? I won’t give anything away, but needless to say, the story is highly…