Don't Go Without Me (Review)

Written and drawn by: Rosemary Valero-O’Connell
Published by: ShortBox

Available to purchase now

Don’t Go Without Me by Rosemary Valero-O’Connell is a collection of three separate stories; Don’t Go Without Me, What is Left, and Con Tremor, Con Ternura.  Each one of these tales takes a different look at connections formed between different people; exploring the ways we connect with others. In Don’t Go Without Me, the main character finds herself stranded in a parallel world, lost, and looking for her girlfriend. The world in which she finds herself is a perfect representation of the uncanny; the beings she runs into are a perfect blend of familiar and strange. In What Is Left, the lone survivor of a ship which ran on brainpower wonders through the memories of the woman whose brain was at its core. She never gets to interact with the person behind these memories, but still gets to know a sense of her through them. In Con Temor, Con Ternura a people who built their civilisation around a sleeping giant prepare themselves for the day that giant will wake up. They believe that this will bring about the end of the world, and in this end time they reach out for one another; for some final sense of closeness. 

It may be something of a cliche, but the word “bittersweet” is the most fitting way to describe the stories present in this collection. In Don’t Go WIthout Me the main character gradually loses all sense of herself, but is still moved forward by the strength of her connection to her girlfriend. In What Is Left, a woman lives on for just a bit longer after her death in the form of the memories she leaves behind; someone else is able to “see” her for the last time, but also the first. Finally, in Con Tremor, Con Ternura, a community of people react to their impending end by truly coming together as one. In each story there is a terrible situation and the characters involved feel a lot of pain, but there is a light which cuts through the pain, loneliness, and confusion each of the characters feel. That light is other people, and the connections we form with them. 

That’s what this book is about really; connection. Valero-O’Connell’s beautiful shows how important we are to one another, how we can inspire each other, and how we can comfort each other. Valero-O’Connell doesn’t spend time explaining the mechanics of how someone might get lost in another dimension, and the mechanics of “person’s brain powers spaceship” isn’t given much more than a paragraph; the reason being they aren’t what matter here. These concepts simply serve as the vehicle by which more intimate ideas are explored.

A sense of human connection breaking through darkness is further exemplified by the way that Valero-O’Connell has coloured the book. For the most part, each story is told in varying shades of one or two colours that are used predominantly, if not exclusively throughout each individual entry. Don’t Go Without Me is told in pink and grey. In What Is Left is coloured pink and blue. Con Temor, Con Ternura has the most variety in its colour scheme, but even if mostly sticks to a pink and blue format. The same character is coloured multiple ways to tap in to a variety of emotions to great effect. For example, in Don’t Go Without Me, the main character is lost and alone. By highlighting her in a different colour from the background she’s in, Valero-O’Connell pinpoints her sense of isolation. In What Is Left, the energy of the woman whose memories power the ship is drawn in pink, contrasting against the cold blue of her surroundings; a scheme which is perfectly fitting for a story about a character whose memory is kept alive in the vast expanse of space. In limiting the palette she has used,Valero-O’Connell is using colour to draw the reader’s attention to the thematic elements underpinning the book. It is a great example of how when it comes to colouring, sometimes less is truly more. 

Don’t Go Without Me is a beautiful book which is equal measures of sad, and uplifting. Valero-O’Connell utilises classic sci-fi/fantasy ideas such as parallel worlds, and spaceships to remind the reader that no matter how far into the unknown we go, what ultimately matters is how we relate to other people. The characters may be lost, their lives in danger, but this book never plunges into despair because of the relationships they build with other people. The end result is a book which is contemplative, earnest, and hopeful. 

High Heaven: The Austerity Gospel (Review)

Writer: Tom Peyer

Artist: Greg Scott

Colourist: Andy Troy

Letterer: Rob Steen

Publisher: Ahoy Comics

Why did the chicken cross the road? It's one of the oldest jokes that you might still hear told every now and then. The thing about this joke is that it's all set up. There are countless answers, and some of them are even funny, but the thing that matters most is the question itself. High Heaven is like that.

The set up for the story is perfect. David arrives in Heaven, only to find that it is just awful. His surroundings fail to meet the standards of even the worst motels, the staff are at best unsympathetic, and all the other inhabitants hate him. The early pages mostly involve David seeing just how disappointing Heaven is, and this is when the book is at its best.

Both the writing and the artwork do a great job of showcasing just how mediocre heaven is. The food is tiny, and nothing really works. The creative team achieve exactly what they set out to do in showing what it would be like if your eternal reward turned out to be just as disappointing as a bad package holiday.

High Heaven's problem is that, much like the question of why the chicken crossed the road, it eventually has to lead somewhere, and it isn't as good when it tries to have a plot. There is a side story set on Earth while the main story plays out in Heaven, and it doesn't amount to much. It involves something of a climax but it all proves to be insubstantial.

The main plot fares somewhat better, and the ending is fitting, but it doesn't feel like much has been achieved. It could be argued that this is the point, given the way it ends, but there is a difference between a story about someone who fails to achieve much ,and a story which fails to achieve much itself.

In all honesty it feels like the time that was spent on the conspiracy and David's personal quest could have been spent with the character just milling around heaven some more. Doing so would have allowed for more time for the character to interact with other people around heaven. They are all repeatedly shown to hate him, but none of them spend enough time in the book for that hatred to feel either deserved or understandable.

High Heaven is different. It takes the statement that "Hell is other people" and imagines what it would be like if that sentiment was just as applicable to Heaven. It is worth checking out to see its main character struggle with the reality of the afterlife, and it even has a few answers for why Heaven is the way it is. Unfortunately, just as with the chicken and the road, the question being asked proves to be more engaging than the answer the book ultimately provides. It's good; the writing is sharp, and the art manages both glamour and grime, but it definitely could have been better.

Captain Ginger: Volume One (Review)

Writer: Stuart Moore

Artist: Jane Brigman

Inker: Roy Richardson

Colourist: Veronica Gandini

Letterers: Richard Starkings & Comicraft's Jimmy Betancourt

Publisher: Ahoy Comics

Release Date: 18th June 2019

Captain Ginger is a comic book series about a crew of cat people. All of humanity has been wiped out, and the cats they left behind evolved to attain a more human like posture, and human levels of intelligence, and are now running the ship. This is a set up which should feel familiar to fans of long running British sitcom, Red Dwarf. 

On the comic's opening page the titular Captain Ginger tells one of his sergeants that if he doesn't report to the bridge he will have his "ass for a scratching post". It quickly becomes clear that this isn't the only reference that will be made to the cats' animal nature.

At first it seems like such nods are the only ways in which the fact that the characters are all cats will be explored. It quickly becomes apparent however that the conflict between the beings that the crew have evolved into, and the animals that their ancestors were born to be is forms the heart of the story.

Having the cats' struggle with their identity form such an important part of the narrative is what stops this book from being just another space comic which just so happens to have a lot of cat puns. It is noted at several points throughout the story that the cats don't know much about the people who left them behind, referring to them as "feeders", and one of the older cats even mentioned that it took them time to even learn how to operate the ship they live on. Not only does this provide some sense of mystery to how the humans died (though the culprit does announce themselves fairly early on in the book), it also gives the characters room to grow in terms of character development. It is a source of jokes, personal growth, character development, background, and plot developments all in one. What might have been just an excuse to make silly cat gags under another creative team is instead an effectively told story about a crew trying to figure out how to survive and find their place in the universe.

The key to this success is that the creative team have clearly thought out the problems that might arise in a ship full of cat people. Because cats give birth to full litters the ship's ever increasing population is something that the crew has to deal with. Because no humans were around to explain to the cats what a toilet is, they still use litter boxes (albeit much bigger litter boxes), and keeping the litter room clean and free of ammonia is a constant battle. Every aspect of how cats live has been considered in relation to how it would affect life both life on a ship and the ability of the cats who live on in to maintain their existence. When was the last time an anthropomorphic animal story that much thought put into the fact that its characters are still, on some level, animals?

The characters inhabiting Captain Ginger should be easily recognisable to fans of science fiction (especially Firefly fans). Captain Ginger struggles with leading a ship with a population who both turn to him in times of need and resent him when things aren't better. Sergeant Mittens has a rivalry with his captain, and resents his captain's authority. Other characters include a wise, but frail scientist, an engineer who starts the comic expecting a new litter, and a female scientist who is in charge of some of the more complex machinery that humanity left behind.

These characters may feel a little generic at times (Ginger, and Mittens being the most noticeable in this regard), but the book's core premise, Moore's writing, and Richardson's artwork all combine nicely to make these characters more than just stock archetypes.

Captain Ginger: Volume One is a comic book which skirts near the edges of some well worn space fiction tropes, but avoids falling into them by truly committing to its premise human like cats and fully exploring everything that it might entail. The result is a gripping tale which tackles the nature of legacy, and the challenges of survival. I look forward to seeing where the series goes next, and I wholeheartedly recommend this book.

Pumpkinhead (Review)

Writer: Cullen Bunn

Artists: Blacky Shepherd, Kyle Strahm

Colourists: Thiago Ribeiro, Arancia Studio

Letterer: Troy Peteri

Publisher: Dynamite Entertainment

Release Date: 23rd October 2018

Pumpkinhead is a comic book entry in the horror movie franchise of the same name. It is not based on any of the movies, instead telling its own story. The plot is simple, someone has called Pumpkinhead to avenge a death. Only this time the intended target also knows some witches and so Pumpkinhead not only has to kill its target, but also contend with an array of demons, each of which represent a different deadly sin.

The battle between the demons may be one of the biggest draws of this comic, but the majority of the book is instead spent with the different groups of human characters, each with different goals. There are certainly characters that will be more naturally sympathetic than others, but the writing mostly fails to come down on one side in terms of who it expects the reader to root for. There is a moral dilemma brought up in the book, and while I will refrain from spoiling it, it is given the weight it deserves, with no clearly right answer.

As with any continuation of a long established franchise there is the question of whether or not new readers will be able to pick up the book without knowledge of what exactly Pumpkinhead is. This is one way in which the book’s simple plot is advantageous. Pumpkinhead is a demon, Haggis is a witch who watches over it, pumpkinhead will not stop until it is finished. These are all simple, easy to convey and understand concepts that allow the new readers to get to grips with the comic as easily as older fans of the Pumpkinhead series.

This is not just a book for Pumpkinhead fans, but fans of gory horror in general. The art does not just depict gore, it does it with a griminess and a level of seediness that feels lifted directly out of the sort of horror movies that Pumpkinhead exemplifies. If there is any part of this which might disappoint horror fans it’s that the gore is not as plentiful as it could be.

Crucially for horror, the writing maintains a feel of helplessness in the human characters even as it shows them doing their best to fight back or survive with the aid of guns, or fast cars. This is a fight in which most of the main characters are very much caught in the middle of a battle between multiple forces that they clearly can not quite comprehend. No one is glorified here or comes out as some sort of badass, they are just afraid and doing their best.

Alongside the five issues that make up the main story, this collection also includes a backup story which sheds some light on Gluttony, one of the other demons. It delves a little into the dangers they pose even to those who might summon them, and works well as both a cautionary tale and as a chance to gain some insight into the character of Haggis.

This section of the book is in black and white. The paper has a brown tinge to it and the way it is done works with Strahm’s art work in a way makes this section of Pumpkinhead feel even more like an old horror movie.

Pumpkinhead succeeds at translating its subject matter to a new media while telling a new story.. The plot is simple, the characters are engaging, and the visuals are a strong representation of the subject matter, with creepy environments and an engaging cast of characters. This is a good title for horror fans to pick up.

Empress Charlotte 1. The Princess and the Archduke (Review)

Writer: Fabian Nury

Artist: Matthieu Bonhomme

Colourist: Isabelle Merlet

Publisher Europe Comics

Release Date: 17th October 2018

Historical fiction poses a unique problem. Writers who tackle this genre must balance the competing needs of telling the essential moments in a historical figure’s life and writing a story that reads as more than just a checklist of things that happened.

Fabien Nury’s script handles this issue in two ways. Firstly it is made clear in the pages before the book starts that this is a work of fiction, and the creators freely admit that “real incidents, conjecture, and pure invention are all freely interwoven here”. By adding embellishments to the plot the creators give themselves room to work with, and by doing it openly they avoid the usual criticisms of historical inaccuracy. Secondly, Nury’s script ties Charlotte’s character development into the development of the plot. The reader sees her go from being a scared, naive girl to a calculating, determined woman. Successive scenes are framed by what lessons they teach the young Charlotte, and the ways in which she reacts to those lessons. Framing separate events through the ways they change Charlotte stops Empress Charlotte 1. The Princess and the Archduke from feeling disjointed.  

Early on in the book, Charlotte meets the man who she will go on to marry. The two of them quickly develop a strong chemistry, and their conversations are pleasant. They mostly take place in ornate gardens and there is something of a period romance about them.

These interactions perfectly showcase who Charlotte is when the book starts, she is aware of the importance of matters of state, but she does not feel their presence in her life in the way she will as the story progresses.

Even the colouring of their first meeting is different. Isabelle Merlet covers the page in bright blues and pinks which imbue this portion of the book with a relaxed atmosphere that is not found in later pages.

In much the same way that growing up involves learning the realities of the world Charlotte finds out some harsh truths about what married life with the Archduke is actually like. The man who once seemed so charming and considerate gradually shows himself to be short tempered, prideful, and distant. The reality of Charlotte’s life as a whole is similarly disappointing.

This change is matched by Merlet’s colouring. The colours are rich, but the tone is dark, and there is a seediness to them that was not present in the happier parts of the book. Merlet’s work perfectly embodies the idea that Charlotte’s life only looks grand at first glance.

This duality between promise and reality is Matthieu Bonhomme’s art. Bonhomme is adept at utilising perspective to make the same character look sincere and thoughtful, or buffoonish and witless. Much of what a character is going through at any one moment is conveyed through Bonhomme’s work rather than being explicitly stated with words, with facial expressions telling the reader much about particular characters and setting the tone of each scene perfectly.

Anyone coming to Empress Charlotte 1. The Princess and the Archduke for the historical part of the historical fiction may be disappointed. Not knowing much about the era I could not say how faithful it is to the events as they are known.

However, what this book does have going for it is its interpersonal character dynamics, and its story of a young woman coming into her own in an arena where one wrong move could prove to be disastrous. Regardless of whether or not the history is true the fiction part of the equation is still compelling.

Empress Charlotte 1. The Princess and the Archduke is a strong start which a subsequent title in the series can build on. There is a clear arc for the central character, the art is strong, and the plot leaves at a point which serves equally well as an ending as it does as set up for a sequel. Despite the open presence of fictional events this is still a strong examination of what it is like for someone to live in a world where they hold great importance but still have little say over how things are run.

Comics I bought - September 2018

I get most of my comics in a delivery at the beginning of each month so once a month I will write a post having a quick look at all the books released the previous month which I read. They weren’t be full on reviews, more quick thoughts and impressions.

With that being said here is what I bought in September

Ghostbusters: Crossing Over #6

This title continues to do what it does best, showing how the personalities of the various Ghosbusters iterations interact. In particular this issue is a strong one for Garrett, who gets his time to shine in a battle of wills with a ghost.

There is also the return of a character who will be a familiar face to anyone who has read the comic before but might confuse newcomers.

Heroes in Crisis #1

Heroes in Crisis has been the subject of controversy recently, and it is easy to see why. The title was marketed as exploring the traumas behind its characters, and how they take care of their mental health but it starts with their mental health facility in ruins and several characters dead.

While I found the mystery being built up intriguing, it does feel like it de rails the title from what was the stated intent behind book. I’m still going to give the second issue a shot though. The sections were characters were talking about their mental health were fantastic and I still think it is possible that this book could stick the landing.

Justice League Odyssey #1

As this comic is a spin off of Justice League: No Justice it would be easy to feel like required reading was necessary before approaching, a concern I myself shared. Luckily, this comic manages to put such fears to rest with its opening issue.

Cyborg, Starfire, and Azrael are busting into the Ghost sector which is currently being guarded by Power Ring. This first issue serves to set up the status quo for the series, and it works well as the opening entry in its story. The group dynamics are quickly established, there is enough mystery to entice readers to see what happens next (especially with that last page reveal), and there are only one or two plot details which might confuse new readers (such as the existence and nature of the Ghost Sector).

Doctor Who The Thirteenth Doctor Volume 0: The Many Lives of Doctor Who

Titan comics has been hyping up their upcoming Thirteenth Doctor series with their FCBD issue, and the Road to the Thirteenth Doctor. This book is their last in this regard before the Thirteenth Doctor arrives properly in comic book form on 17th October.

The comic is an anthology of sorts, with different writers and artists creating mini stories set across all of the Doctor’s current lives, with the regeneration of twelve into thirteen serving as a framing device to connect them all.

None of the stories are especially long, lasting only a few pages a piece, but they all manage to give a sense of what can be done with that character and show off the strengths of the respective artists behind them.

This book is a both a great celebration and a great sampler of Who. I think it will also work to show people who haven’t read Doctor Who comics before just what they’ve been missing.

Catwoman #3

The highlight of this issue is the backstory of the comic’s first villain. We see her recount the story of her first marriage to her second husband, and it is a perfect example of how the visual elements of comics are well suited for telling a story with an unreliable narrator. The difference between the story that Raina tells her husband and the scenes which are presented to the reader with the artwork speak volumes about Raina’s character without her ever having to say it out loud.

Vagrant Queen #4

This issue fills out more of Elida’ backstory, offering brief glimpses at both her reign and how she escaped the revolution. It also sets up a new antagonist for the series, and shows the role he played in Elida’s overthrow.

This was a strong issue for the series. It explored the issues surrounding the monarchy which led to its downfall and it offered some insight into why Elida doesn’t wish to reclaim her crow. In some ways it serves as a better first issue for Vagrant Queen than its actual first issue did.

Strangers in Paradise XXV #6

#6 is my favourite issue of this series so far. We haven’t seen much of Francine and the kids so far, and this issue shows what they are going through while Katchoo is off chasing down Stephanie. The scenes with Francine and her children are sweet, reminding readers of the emotional heart of this story, and just what it is that Katchoo is trying to protect.

Meanwhile Katchoo’s story is starting to heat up, she has found the magguffin of the series, and she finds herself in more danger than she was already in.

At times it doesn’t feel like individual issues of this series advance the plot very much, but this issue is just about everything a single issue of such a title could be. It advances the story, it ups the stakes, and it gives the characters room to remind the reader why they should be checking in every month.

....................................

So those were the books I read in September. There were no issues I outright disliked as such but I think the strongest titles this month were Vagrant Queen #4 and Strangers in Paradise XXV #6

Aquicorn Cove (Review)

Writer & Illustrator: Katie O'Neill

Letterer: Crank!

Editor: Arl Yarwood

Publisher: Oni Press, Inc

Release Date: 16th October 2018

Aquicorn Cove is the story of Lana, a young girl who visits her aunt with her father in the wake of a storm which has devastated her aunt’s village. While there she befriends an unusual sea creature and learns more about her aunt’s past, all while learning to cope with the loss of her mother. .This is an environmentalist fable, a slice of life story, and a come of age tale.

It would be hard to review Aquicorn Cove without mentioning famed Dr. Seuss book, The Lorax. Much like The Lorax, Aquicorn Cove asks its central characters to examine the impact their actions have on the environment, and like The Lorax this is achieved with the aid of a magical creature who asks the human character to see the error of their ways.

Where this book stands out however, is in its emotional core. Far from being the greedy cliches of other environmentalist works, the human characters in this book have a clear, sympathetic reason for why they are doing what they are doing, despite the damage it is doing to the world on which they depend. This isn’t a tale of unchecked avarice, but of people simply trying to do the best they can to survive in a changing world. It isn’t a loss of profits they fear, but the loss of their homes, and their way of life. There are no villains here, and the book is all the richer for it. The sympathetic nature of the human cast allows the readers to root for these characters and hope they can find a way forward, even if it means that something has to change.

The environmentalist message at the heart of of Aquicorn Cove is backed up by a story line very personal to the character of Lana. Although an exact time frame is never given for when Lana lost her mother, it is clear that her loss still affects both Lana and her father very deeply. Lana is at a point where she is starting to find her place in the world, and she is becoming more and more aware of just what the loss of her mother means as she grows. This is a loss the character feels more keenly now that she is back at her mother’s home, and spending time with her aunt Mae, who in many ways takes on the role of mother figure.

Without going into specifics, the seemingly separate story strands of the concerns of the village, and Lana’s personal feelings of loss do come together in a way that is not only satisfying from a storytelling point of view, but also deeply touching. The culmination of the journey of the village as a whole is also the culmination of Lana’s journey, and the lessons that have been learned by the characters over the course of the book are perfectly encapsulated in how the lessons the village learns and the lessons Lana learns converge.

Katie O’Neill’s beautiful writing is matched perfectly by her illustrations. Aquicorn Cove features soft colouring which works perfectly with the expressiveness of the line art to capture the mood of every see, be it the wonder of the sea, Lana’s moments of joy or sadness, or the terror of the storms that befall the village. There are no sharp lines and the book feels all the richer for it.

Aquicorn Cove is a beautiful book. Not only is it visually stunning, but O’Neill deftly combines ideas of  personal and communal tragedy into a story about accepting the past and learning to let go so that you can move on into the future. O’Neill seamlessly integrates these different elements into a book which highlights the consequences of our actions, not with judgement, but with love.