On Free Comics...

Happy Free Comic Book Day everyone!  If you have a local comic shop I hope you took advantage of the free stuff/sales/artist meet ups.  I also hope you didn't have to stand in line for too long.  In years past I remember feeling like I was trapped in an elevator with about 60 other people, but this year the crowds weren't too bad.  I don't know if this was because of the rainy weather or if the cashiers have speedy checkout lines down to a science after so many years of experience.  Possibly a combination of the two.

My local store had their first ever costume contest!  I didn't participate.  Found out about the contest too late to whip anything together.  I considered making a black mask and going as Man Without Fear/Netflix Season One Daredevil, but ultimately decided 'Nope.'  I enjoyed seeing others in costume, however.  Present and accounted for were DC comics 'Bombshells' Wonder Woman, The Riddler, Han Solo, and a family of T-Rex and Godzilla.

As well as my free comics, I picked up 'Wolf Moon' by Cullen Bunn of 'The Sixth Gun' and 'Harrow County' fame, and the first two volumes of the Steampunk series 'Lady Mechanika'.

The free comics and sales are nice, but the best part of the experience - and this is coming from a super reclusive introvert - is rubbing shoulders (perhaps literally) with like-minded nerds.  In the year since last FCBD I'd forgotten the sense of energy radiating from the community.  If you missed this year, be sure to catch it the first Saturday of May next year.

-Geekboy.

Why You Should Read: The Tooth

The Tooth is a Graphic Novel written by one of my favorites, Cullen Bunn, working in collaboration with writer Shawn Lee and artist Matt Kindt.  This quirky story is a love letter to Horror and Superhero Comics of  a bygone era.

The titular Tooth is a gigantic beast of great strength that can shrink down to the size of a fang and fit in the mouth of a host.  The Tooth forms a symbiotic relationship with his host, in this case our mere mortal of a protagonist named Graham.  Whenever Graham is threatened - which happens quite often over the course of the story - The Tooth springs from his mouth in a Hulk like rage and rips the threat limb from limb.

This may sound pretty straightforward so far, but The Tooth is a comic within a comic.  There are fictional retro-style advertisements and a letters page that alludes to a massive continuity of the character 'The Tooth,' the many hosts that came before Graham, and a Rouges Gallery of Super Villains that we never get to meet within the pages of the Graphic Novel.

I'd like to take a minute to talk about Matt Kindt's art style.  At first glance it seems rather simplistic, almost childlike, but if you take a closer look you can tell Mr. Kindt knows what he's doing.  There are some really strong panel compositions here.  Matt Kindt's loose style really adds to the charm of this book.

As well as paying homage to comics as a storytelling medium, there are several visual nods to Ray Harryhausen (such as a guest appearance of the Mechanical Owl form Clash of the Titans, and Graham mentioning that the Dragon of Ares 'Sounds like something from a Harryhausen movie' the very next page) Which is appropriate as Harryhausen is the one who helped popularized stories about two monsters punching each other in the face.  It's also appropriate since The Tooth's origin is rooted in Greek Mythology.

There's a moment towards the end of the graphic novel that I really like: The Tooth Graham, and his ally Sheriff Turnbull are attacked by a hoard of Vampire women (who are wearing skimpy red dresses and black knee-high boots as a nod to 70's horror comic icon Vampirella) and Graham tries to ward them off by putting two sticks together to form a cross.  He is informed that he doesn't have enough faith to repel a Vampire.  So the Sheriff whips out his badge and drives off the Vampire using his faith in the law.  This is exactly the sort of thing I mentioned before on this blog about symbolism getting lost in modern day Vampire fiction.  It's not the cross that drives away a Vampire, but Faith in what the cross represents.

This book is a ton of fun, and comes from a creative team that clearly loves comics.  I consider The Tooth one of the gems of my collection, and I encourage you to give it a read if you have the chance.  It's quirky and fun and has big monsters punching each other.  You won't regret it.

-Geekboy.

Why You Should Read: Harrow County

I've been a fan of Cullen Bunn  for a couple of years now.  If that name rings a bell, you may have heard it from the fantastic ongoing title "The Sixth Gun" from ONI press.  Earlier this year I picked up volume one of "Harrow County" from my local comic shop, and I was just gifted volume two for my Birthday.  Harrow County is published by Dark Horse Comics, written by Cullen Bunn, and illustrated by Sixth Gun guest artist Tyler Crook.

If I had to describe Harrow County, I would say that it's a bit like artist Norman Rockwell tried his hand at writing Lovecraftian horror, or perhaps H.P Lovecraft was attempting to paint Americana.  This is a tale of horror that takes place in a quaint backwoods American town.

Brief disclaimer: If horror isn't your cup of tea, you may not want to read this.  It does have some freaky gross stuff, including disembodied human skin, the owner of afore mentioned skin, and a individual who is shown consuming raw maggot infested meat.  If that ISN'T a turn off, however, this may be the book for you.

I'm not really sure how to give a synopsis of the story so far without delving into some mild spoilers, but I also can't do the book justice without delving into the story.  So, if you really really hate spoilers, just take my word for it that this book is awesome and stop reading now.

Still here?

Okay.

Our heroine is Emmy, a young woman coming of age and developing strange otherworldly powers.  She soon discovers that she is the direct descendant of Hester Beck, a very evil woman dabbling in witchcraft, who had been lynched by the townsfolk years before.  The townspeople aren't too keen on the prospect of another witch in town, so naturally Emmy's life is in danger when her abilities are discovered.

After a time the townsfolk grow a fear and respect for Emmy, even though she tries to make it clear that she is nothing like Hester Beck.  She is uncomfortable with gifts and peace offerings, and flat out refuses to use her powers for evil, as shown when one of the villagers asks her to place a hex on somebody he doesn't like.

And that's what I love about the story so far.  The first two volumes are a great picture of how we don't have to be defined by our past, our roots, or the evil we may be born into.  It's so encouraging to see an upright individual who chooses good when everyone expects them to be bad.  And we can all make that choice.  Let's all be an Emmy.