Critiquing Comics #083: The Shepherd: Apokatastasis

The Shepherd

A man’s son unexpectedly dies of a drug overdose. The father senses that his son’s spirit hasn’t passed over to “the other side” and needs help, and the father goes to great lengths to help him — and also to avenge his death. Does the father — and the comic — go a bit off the rails? Tim and Mulele discuss Andrea Lorenzo Molinari, Roberto Xavier Molinari, Ryan Showers, and Heather Breckel’s The Shepherd: Apokatastasis!

Critiquing Comics #082: Life in Japan

Life in JapanThis time, a comic about something with which both Tim and Mulele are intimately familiar: Life in Japan! The comic is by Victor Edison, who Tim just talked with at the International Comics Festival a few weeks back. Now we get a closer look at his four-panel daily diary comic…

Critiquing Comics #081: Reckstar

ReckstarAn alien and his human are traveling through space. What does the alien do when his boss strongly suggests he should ditch the idiot human? Tim and Mulele discuss Joey Cruz and Michelle Nguyen’s Reckstar, as well as some realizations Mulele made about podcasts and comics. Oh, and, of course, Star Wars.

Critiquing Comics #080: Ugli Studios Presents #2

Ugli Presents 2Back in Critiquing Comics #25, we discussed the first issue of comics anthology mag Ugli Studios Presents. This time Tim and Mulele are looking at issue 2, finding some interesting ideas and art but some missed opportunities and places where crucial establishing shots don’t appear, leading to confusion. Maybe these creators just needed more pages to tell their stories?

Critiquing Comics #079: Hipster Picnic

Hipster PicnicIn Patrick Yurick’s Hipster Picnic, being a zombie serves as a metaphor for… what, exactly? Having anger issues? Does the metaphor work? Tim and Mulele discuss.

Critiquing Comics #078: Bullets and Angels

Bullets and Angels

What happens in Vegas may stay in Vegas… but how much is really happening in this comic that’s set there? Tim and Mulele discuss Bullets and Angels, by Brian Lee Byrd, Sarah Hollis, Saint Yak, Robert Nugent, and HdE.

Also up for discussion in this extended episode: Why are we having trouble lately finding new comics that we like?

Critiquing Comics #076: Blazing Quantum

Blazing QuantumRemember that time when…. No? You weren’t there? Or maybe you were there, but the memory just isn’t that special. It’s OK to draw on your memories for your story, but is it wise to simply make your memories be the story? Tim and Mulele discuss William Keops Ibanez’s Blazing Quantum. (More sample pages on Tumblr)

Critiquing Comics #075: Viking Sky Kings

Viking Sky KingsMichael Bangert’s Viking Sky Kings features a guy looking for work to support his wife and child. Each scene is a slice of life… but maybe a bit too thinly sliced. How do these slices fit each other? The site navigation of this Web comic is not helping matters… Tim and Mulele try to piece things together.