Critiquing Comics #220: “Amazing Tales” #5

Amazing Tales 5

This time, we critique the fifth installment in David Dye‘s “Amazing Tales” anthology series. In the main story, we again join the troops of Dropship Fifteen, in a story that gets a bit harrowing… but not without some humor. Adam joins Tim to talk through the issue.

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Critiquing Comics #219: “Rougarou” and “The Poet and the Flea”

Rougarou-Flea

This week, a Critiquing Comics double feature:

During the U.S. Civil War, a confederate soldier is changed into a dangerous creature by a mysterious woman. His comrade, now a marshal, tracks him after the war as he takes more innocent victims. But is everything as it appears? Tim and Jason enjoy the twist in Rougarou, by Giles Clark and Jose Rondon.

Our second entry takes us further back in history, to 1790, when poet-painter William Blake claims to have met a horrific lizardlike creature, the Ghost of a Flea. GE Gallas’ The Poet and the Flea presents a take on Blake’s work and experiences. Emmet joins Tim to school all of us in Blake. What kind of image does it give us of Blake, and is it accurate? And, is this comic of interest to non-Blake fans?

Everyone is Tulip got an Eisner nomination! Hear our review and creator interview here.

Noel Fielding: Ghost of a Flea’s birthday song

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Critiquing Comics #218: “A Lungful of Brine”

A Lungful of Brine

This time, Jason introduces us to his former student Dan Tappan‘s first Kickstarter project, a nautical horror anthology with the appropriately horrifying title A Lungful of Brine. Tim joins him for a review.

Critiquing Comics #217: “Scion of Night” #1

Scion of Night

A man in Portland, Oregon, finds himself turning into some kind of neck-biting monster (a blue vampire who doesn’t mind sunlight?), but he can’t remember anything about who he is. What’s causing this? Past drug use? Psychiatric issues? Tim and Jason discuss Tatu Heikkinen‘s Scion of Night #1: “The City of Roses.”

Critiquing Comics #216: “Bran Bionic: The Sable Peril”

Bran Bionic

Longtime web cartoonist Don Ahé has asked us to look at his new story Bran Bionic: The Sable Peril, about a boy with some bionic body parts who’s stranded on an island. Tim and Adam looked around on the rest of his site and found both gag-a-day and serialized work in his Road Apples Almanac strip, and some nice art and good comic timing.

Critiquing Comics #215: “Usher of the Dead” #1

Usher of the Dead

Blood Moon Comics has sent us another of their titles: Usher of the Dead #1 by Keith Rommel and Samir Simao. Will Tim and Jason find as many problems with it as they did with Blood Moon’s previous entry? Or will they be pleasantly surprised? Listen and find out!

Critiquing Comics #214: “The 9 Circles” #1

The 9 CirclesA drifter in the Old West gives confession to an alcoholic priest. Demons attack and the drifter, who has special powers, dispels them. That’s the opening to The 9 Circles: Marshal Law Issue One from Jaimie Engle, Kool as Heck, and Kristal Sayers. But is this really the best opening for the story? Tim and Jason find that the second part of this issue has somewhat more going for it. Here’s their critique.

Critiquing Comics #213: “Bric-A-Brac”

Bric-A-BracThis time, a Christmas-themed comic. Isn’t it a little late for that? A seasonal comic may be a rather odd choice, especially one that has more military maneuvers in it than good cheer. But it’s appropriate for kids, and looks great! It also raises the question “What makes a good cliffhanger?” Tim and Adam take off in a one-horse open sleigh to critique “Bric-A-Brac” by Ryan Haack, Rafael Sam, Toben Racicot, and Milton Aguiar.

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Critiquing Comics #212: “Second Place”

Second Place

Weight training is very big in space. At least, on the planet Cankee, where Earth-style weightlifting has caught on like wildfire. That’s the setup for Second Place, by Ben Goldsmith, Ed Smith, and Jay P. Fosgitt. Ryan Cecil Smith joins Tim to discuss in which categories it gets the trophy, and in which ones it doesn’t even place.

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Critiquing Comics #211: “Thready”

Thready

Thready is a comic about a week in the life of a character who is bipolar. That’s him in the picture, although we suspect that appearance is symbolic of how he feels. This time, Tim and Jason discuss the first issue of a promising comic.