Martian Comics #1
Martian Lit. 2013
Story by: Julian Darius & Kevin Thurman
Written by: Julian Darius
Illustrated by: Sergio Tarquini
Coloured by: R.L. Campos
Reviewed by: Steven Leitman
Summary: Izzy Montoya -- college student, disaffected, and possibly insane. She dreams of another life on Mars. Features the first three chapters of The Girl from Mars, plus The Galilean!
Review: I have to say that sometimes you come across something that sounds interesting and you think okay the premise is good and who doesn’t like these kinds of tales? A science fiction type story where Martians are real and unbeknownst to Earth’s population they are thriving and studying us. Not a war of the worlds type story this was more lets put our own people into situations so we can actually have a first hand experience being a human and living on the planet and see what type of beings they really are.
The story centers around Izzy Montoya a young woman going to college who dreams with rather increasing ferocity about Mars and of being a woman on the strange planet. As the story unfolds something odd happens and by the end of chapter one it’s pretty cleared up on why she’s having these dreams and the impact that realization has on her life. I was a little surprised to be honest and very pleasantly so.
One of the things that struck me about the writing here is how much more intelligent it is, see use of words normally not found, in the narration. I find it actually refreshing because it means this was done by someone who loves words and knows their meanings and can accurately use them so for a bibliophile like myself it’s lovely. On the plus side you can also learn a few new words or uses for them just by reading the story.
Izzy’s journey of new self discovery of who she is and her new home is pretty fascinating stuff. I love how she embraces this new life and starts to assert herself in new ways and even changes the terms she uses when in class. There are scenes that makes something of a decidedly adult nature, namely sexual encounters she’s experienced that detail how she feels about her life and having this numb feeling that she’ll go to extreme lengths just to experience some sort of feelings.
She is experiencing new feelings though and it’s because of who she is and where she finds herself and being able to use the knowledge she grew up with to gain some easy praise from teachers as well as discovering things new to her like Literature, Earth stories that are unlike anything she’s ever known. Her attempts to fully understand and enjoy her surroundings make for some incredibly awkward and fun situations. She does love college parties though and seeing them interact with one another and trying to figure it all out is fun for her.
I really do enjoy how the story is broken down by using chapters like in a novel, all done by the same folks so it’s incredibly uniform and flows like it should. The pacing goes faster than I was expecting and the story diverges in ways I never would have anticipated and that again is a huge bonus. So there’s plenty here that makes sense or doesn’t depending on your point of view. Suffice it to say the Martians have been involved with the Earth much longer than anyone ever thought.
Then interior artwork is what I’d expect from a small self-published company it’s good solid work with flashes of really fascinating stuff. I have to admit that the imagination required to bring Mars and the Martians to life was much more inspired than the ordinary people are but that’s harder to nail. I can see that if Sergio brings the passion to the humans he does to the Martians this will be exceptional work.
This is definitely worthy of your attention so find em on Comixology.
Martian Lit. 2013
Story by: Julian Darius & Kevin Thurman
Written by: Julian Darius
Illustrated by: Sergio Tarquini
Coloured by: R.L. Campos
Reviewed by: Steven Leitman
Summary: Izzy Montoya -- college student, disaffected, and possibly insane. She dreams of another life on Mars. Features the first three chapters of The Girl from Mars, plus The Galilean!
Review: I have to say that sometimes you come across something that sounds interesting and you think okay the premise is good and who doesn’t like these kinds of tales? A science fiction type story where Martians are real and unbeknownst to Earth’s population they are thriving and studying us. Not a war of the worlds type story this was more lets put our own people into situations so we can actually have a first hand experience being a human and living on the planet and see what type of beings they really are.
The story centers around Izzy Montoya a young woman going to college who dreams with rather increasing ferocity about Mars and of being a woman on the strange planet. As the story unfolds something odd happens and by the end of chapter one it’s pretty cleared up on why she’s having these dreams and the impact that realization has on her life. I was a little surprised to be honest and very pleasantly so.
One of the things that struck me about the writing here is how much more intelligent it is, see use of words normally not found, in the narration. I find it actually refreshing because it means this was done by someone who loves words and knows their meanings and can accurately use them so for a bibliophile like myself it’s lovely. On the plus side you can also learn a few new words or uses for them just by reading the story.
Izzy’s journey of new self discovery of who she is and her new home is pretty fascinating stuff. I love how she embraces this new life and starts to assert herself in new ways and even changes the terms she uses when in class. There are scenes that makes something of a decidedly adult nature, namely sexual encounters she’s experienced that detail how she feels about her life and having this numb feeling that she’ll go to extreme lengths just to experience some sort of feelings.
She is experiencing new feelings though and it’s because of who she is and where she finds herself and being able to use the knowledge she grew up with to gain some easy praise from teachers as well as discovering things new to her like Literature, Earth stories that are unlike anything she’s ever known. Her attempts to fully understand and enjoy her surroundings make for some incredibly awkward and fun situations. She does love college parties though and seeing them interact with one another and trying to figure it all out is fun for her.
I really do enjoy how the story is broken down by using chapters like in a novel, all done by the same folks so it’s incredibly uniform and flows like it should. The pacing goes faster than I was expecting and the story diverges in ways I never would have anticipated and that again is a huge bonus. So there’s plenty here that makes sense or doesn’t depending on your point of view. Suffice it to say the Martians have been involved with the Earth much longer than anyone ever thought.
Then interior artwork is what I’d expect from a small self-published company it’s good solid work with flashes of really fascinating stuff. I have to admit that the imagination required to bring Mars and the Martians to life was much more inspired than the ordinary people are but that’s harder to nail. I can see that if Sergio brings the passion to the humans he does to the Martians this will be exceptional work.
This is definitely worthy of your attention so find em on Comixology.
Unit 44 #1 (of 4)
Alterna Comics 2015
Written & Lettered by: Wes Locher
Illustrated by: Eduardo Jimenez
Reviewer: Steven Leitman
Summary: When Area 51 employees Agents Gibson and Hatch forget to pay the rent on the facility's off-site storage unit the secret contents are sold to a couple of backwoods rednecks at public auction. When an alien invasion threatens planet Earth the agents will have to recover an item from the locker if they hope to stop the extraterrestrial threat.
Review: This first issue was kind of fun, it’s got this Men In Black vibe mixed with Storage Wars and a good old fashioned Abbott and Costello friend act thrown in for good measure. Wes really manages to take a few things that don’t seem like they should be interconnected and weaves them into this fun story that works better than I thought it should. Eduardo has a very modern cartoon style artwork going on here, like something on the higher end of the Cartoon Network, thankfully not the “normal” stuff we see on the channel. This style really enhances the enjoyment factor for me, I don’t usually go for this but there’s a charm to it that I appreciate.
The story focuses on two agents who work at Area 51 who are notified that they will need the Hyper Ion Drive in order to proceed to phase two of a current project. So the senior agent tells the younger one to make the call to the offsite storage unit for retrieval. Only the kid hadn’t realized they still had that off-site storage anymore and well he hadn’t been paying the bill for it in the last eight months.
So this is where we get into the storage wars part of the story as the unit where the drive was stored is a normal storage unit type place and it was put up for public auction just like the television show where people buy it and try to make their money back and then some by selling the contents. Heck the auctioneer even looks like the guy from the show. Chester and Ike bought the unit and they, well they are quite the pair. Eduardo does a number on with Ike whose hairy ass doesn’t fit in his pants and we are privileged to see his hairy crack and belly. Of course Chester finds a box that is probably what they are looking for.
What happens next is the pretty typical blunder of errors that make for a good buddy comedy. The agents have to find the box and their boss? Well he’s none too happy with them but that’s par for the course. The dialogue is sharp, witty and entertaining, the story itself flows nicely and is humorous and the fact that a place like Area 51 would have a unit like this while seemingly ridiculous just adds to the humor of the situation and the privacy that no one would suspect them of using a place like that to begin with.
I have no idea what the wanted poster and the dude standing next to it was all about but okay let’s go with that just being there and hope that it is an egg in all this and not just some random funny thing happening. So after being at the unit our intrepid pair are looking for the bungling duo, it’s kind of like the blind chasing the blind here it’s over the top funny, tongue in cheek humor that is just plain old fashioned fun. Sure the government boys have gadgets and a license to use em but they are very non traditional types and the two stooges who had the box, well they are kind of inept it’s like Abbott and Costello chasing/teaming up with the Skipper and Gilligan set in a serious story.
This is fun, it’s nicely written, the characterization is solid, the story progresses at a nice pace, and the interior artwork fits the subject matter extremely well. It’s a nice look at the whole Area 51 aliens and conspiracy theory stuff that won’t make you shake your head in either disgust or disbelief because it really come across very tongue in cheek. Thankfully this isn’t stupid humor as it’s a thinking person’s humor and it’s worth your time to check it out.
Alterna Comics 2015
Written & Lettered by: Wes Locher
Illustrated by: Eduardo Jimenez
Reviewer: Steven Leitman
Summary: When Area 51 employees Agents Gibson and Hatch forget to pay the rent on the facility's off-site storage unit the secret contents are sold to a couple of backwoods rednecks at public auction. When an alien invasion threatens planet Earth the agents will have to recover an item from the locker if they hope to stop the extraterrestrial threat.
Review: This first issue was kind of fun, it’s got this Men In Black vibe mixed with Storage Wars and a good old fashioned Abbott and Costello friend act thrown in for good measure. Wes really manages to take a few things that don’t seem like they should be interconnected and weaves them into this fun story that works better than I thought it should. Eduardo has a very modern cartoon style artwork going on here, like something on the higher end of the Cartoon Network, thankfully not the “normal” stuff we see on the channel. This style really enhances the enjoyment factor for me, I don’t usually go for this but there’s a charm to it that I appreciate.
The story focuses on two agents who work at Area 51 who are notified that they will need the Hyper Ion Drive in order to proceed to phase two of a current project. So the senior agent tells the younger one to make the call to the offsite storage unit for retrieval. Only the kid hadn’t realized they still had that off-site storage anymore and well he hadn’t been paying the bill for it in the last eight months.
So this is where we get into the storage wars part of the story as the unit where the drive was stored is a normal storage unit type place and it was put up for public auction just like the television show where people buy it and try to make their money back and then some by selling the contents. Heck the auctioneer even looks like the guy from the show. Chester and Ike bought the unit and they, well they are quite the pair. Eduardo does a number on with Ike whose hairy ass doesn’t fit in his pants and we are privileged to see his hairy crack and belly. Of course Chester finds a box that is probably what they are looking for.
What happens next is the pretty typical blunder of errors that make for a good buddy comedy. The agents have to find the box and their boss? Well he’s none too happy with them but that’s par for the course. The dialogue is sharp, witty and entertaining, the story itself flows nicely and is humorous and the fact that a place like Area 51 would have a unit like this while seemingly ridiculous just adds to the humor of the situation and the privacy that no one would suspect them of using a place like that to begin with.
I have no idea what the wanted poster and the dude standing next to it was all about but okay let’s go with that just being there and hope that it is an egg in all this and not just some random funny thing happening. So after being at the unit our intrepid pair are looking for the bungling duo, it’s kind of like the blind chasing the blind here it’s over the top funny, tongue in cheek humor that is just plain old fashioned fun. Sure the government boys have gadgets and a license to use em but they are very non traditional types and the two stooges who had the box, well they are kind of inept it’s like Abbott and Costello chasing/teaming up with the Skipper and Gilligan set in a serious story.
This is fun, it’s nicely written, the characterization is solid, the story progresses at a nice pace, and the interior artwork fits the subject matter extremely well. It’s a nice look at the whole Area 51 aliens and conspiracy theory stuff that won’t make you shake your head in either disgust or disbelief because it really come across very tongue in cheek. Thankfully this isn’t stupid humor as it’s a thinking person’s humor and it’s worth your time to check it out.
Adam 12 #4
G. Botic Productions 2014
Written by Gigio Longo
Illustrated by Nick Suders
Reviewer: Steven Leitman
Summary: America is no longer a “free” country. Unable to sustain its debts, the United States is now “owned” by China. Adam Stairs -- a day-dreaming, low-ranking employee in Philadelphia’s housing department -- does his best to excel in a dim and oppressed world of bureaucrats. Adam's girlfriend left him, his boss hates him, he has an alcoholic/womanizing best friend, and he’s homeless. Everything in his life seems to be going the wrong way, but unbeknownst to him, Adam is about to get his 12th chance at life, love and leading humanity to the Garden of Eden.
Review: Adam’s dreams are beginning to get more intense, involved, and revealing though when he wakes he still isn’t quite sure what’s what. Still what a way to open up this issue with this spectacular look at his chance to change the world in WWII and trying to rescue Eve, a telling tale if you take a good look at Eve. The great storytelling here by Gigio for seeing both Adam and his counterparts being dispatched so it’s pretty much a level playing field. I really am impressed with the way this story has been unfolding getting more in depth and detailed as it moves towards it’s conclusion.
I’m really starting to wonder about Gianni and his connection to all this, the feather’s falling lead me to think he’s an angel but until the reveal we can’t be sure. Still he’s remarkably calm as he tries to calm down Adam now that they are with Vergil who is trying to fully unlock his memories of those past lives. Hence the dreams they are his past lives and this issue is pivotal to unlocking them if they are to save the world. The pacing of how this whole story is unfolding is done with a superb eye by Gigio and it truly is a delight to watch.
Vergil is a fantastic character, I love his gruffness and no nonsense approach, he doesn’t have time to coddle or move things along slowly as too much is at stake so he’s willing to go that extra mile to get things done now. Plus his explanation and history is explored more fully here giving the reader the full story of how the Primogenitor is needed to bring peace back. His inclusion to the story adds more background information and much needed explaining as to how Adam has been needed in the first place which as a reader was a bit of a surprise and yet one that I should’ve seen coming.
So while the city is on the lookout for Gianni, Adam and Vergil we see Adam’s past lives flood back to him. Also we get a look at what I’ll refer to as the resistance and their plans to get to Texas where the culmination of this story should take place. With Adam’s memories restored he has one request before heading to Texas though and that’s rescuing Eve. Eve however isn’t aware just yet who she is though if you’ve been paying attention you’ll know who she is at this point.
This really is one hell of a good story. The setting is wonderful and the opposing forces are portrayed extremely well with the bad seemingly having the upper hand and while Adam is important it would seem that they can use Eve as well. Adam however will move Heaven and Earth to get his beloved back and take down the bad guys in the process if he can. Can he save the world in his 12th incarnation or will he fail and a 13th be needed? We’ll find out in this action packed thriller.
It’s books like this that give me hope for small/independent press companies to thrive in the industry because of the level of work they do. The interior artwork has been steadily improving each issue and do wonders in helping enhance the storytelling and Nick’s imagination in showcasing his past lives really have been a standout for visual enjoyment.
G. Botic Productions 2014
Written by Gigio Longo
Illustrated by Nick Suders
Reviewer: Steven Leitman
Summary: America is no longer a “free” country. Unable to sustain its debts, the United States is now “owned” by China. Adam Stairs -- a day-dreaming, low-ranking employee in Philadelphia’s housing department -- does his best to excel in a dim and oppressed world of bureaucrats. Adam's girlfriend left him, his boss hates him, he has an alcoholic/womanizing best friend, and he’s homeless. Everything in his life seems to be going the wrong way, but unbeknownst to him, Adam is about to get his 12th chance at life, love and leading humanity to the Garden of Eden.
Review: Adam’s dreams are beginning to get more intense, involved, and revealing though when he wakes he still isn’t quite sure what’s what. Still what a way to open up this issue with this spectacular look at his chance to change the world in WWII and trying to rescue Eve, a telling tale if you take a good look at Eve. The great storytelling here by Gigio for seeing both Adam and his counterparts being dispatched so it’s pretty much a level playing field. I really am impressed with the way this story has been unfolding getting more in depth and detailed as it moves towards it’s conclusion.
I’m really starting to wonder about Gianni and his connection to all this, the feather’s falling lead me to think he’s an angel but until the reveal we can’t be sure. Still he’s remarkably calm as he tries to calm down Adam now that they are with Vergil who is trying to fully unlock his memories of those past lives. Hence the dreams they are his past lives and this issue is pivotal to unlocking them if they are to save the world. The pacing of how this whole story is unfolding is done with a superb eye by Gigio and it truly is a delight to watch.
Vergil is a fantastic character, I love his gruffness and no nonsense approach, he doesn’t have time to coddle or move things along slowly as too much is at stake so he’s willing to go that extra mile to get things done now. Plus his explanation and history is explored more fully here giving the reader the full story of how the Primogenitor is needed to bring peace back. His inclusion to the story adds more background information and much needed explaining as to how Adam has been needed in the first place which as a reader was a bit of a surprise and yet one that I should’ve seen coming.
So while the city is on the lookout for Gianni, Adam and Vergil we see Adam’s past lives flood back to him. Also we get a look at what I’ll refer to as the resistance and their plans to get to Texas where the culmination of this story should take place. With Adam’s memories restored he has one request before heading to Texas though and that’s rescuing Eve. Eve however isn’t aware just yet who she is though if you’ve been paying attention you’ll know who she is at this point.
This really is one hell of a good story. The setting is wonderful and the opposing forces are portrayed extremely well with the bad seemingly having the upper hand and while Adam is important it would seem that they can use Eve as well. Adam however will move Heaven and Earth to get his beloved back and take down the bad guys in the process if he can. Can he save the world in his 12th incarnation or will he fail and a 13th be needed? We’ll find out in this action packed thriller.
It’s books like this that give me hope for small/independent press companies to thrive in the industry because of the level of work they do. The interior artwork has been steadily improving each issue and do wonders in helping enhance the storytelling and Nick’s imagination in showcasing his past lives really have been a standout for visual enjoyment.
I Play the Bad Guy #5 (of 6)
Bliss on Tap Publishing 2014
Written by Andy Arnott
Illustrated by Alex Cormack
Coloured by Ashley & Alex Cormack
Reviewed by: Steven Leitman
Summary: The final act begins with Margret preparing to meet her estranged father after 10 long years. Lloyd and Crystal become teammates with a plan to escape the PROs HQ finding each other's powers very useful. Meanwhile, Frank and Eric arrive in Norfolk and knock at the PROs front door, leaving Major Sullivan struggling to get her soldiers back in order after following the wrong lead. Rose and Stern, the two MPs assigned to watch Crystal, end up having a very bad day. As our teams come together, the electricity increases with only one issue left!
Review: Well I have to say I really enjoyed the way this issue opened. Seeing a teenaged girl with some anger management issues towards her mother? Well yeah, it really does set the stage for some interesting characterization and to throw you off slightly as well. Yes you have to read the issue to discover for yourself why but trust me when I say it’s a nice development and Andy has continued to surprise me with how good this story has been.
Frank and Eric’s banter is extremely entertaining. Poor Eric has grown soft in his old age as he forgot what killing was like and while I suppose it’s like riding a bicycle he’s falling off and into the toilet. Still these men go way back and their honesty with one another is really nice to see. I do love Frank’s skunk trail on the side of his head and his gruff manner really does belie a softer side to the man that he thinks he hides well. The little cat and mouse game they play to get some U.S. Government plates for the car was cute and using Eric to play the foreigner who can’t speak english well yeah that was kind of cliche and perfectly played.
Well as if their little adventure wasn’t fun enough as it was we see that Frank is also relying upon Lloyd to help him out in getting inside as well. The plates for the car is like insurance not really necessary but a nice touch to keep someone from looking too hard. So we go inside with Lloyd and his young companion and again Andy’s ability for creating fun dialogue is fantastic!
The Major is a huge bitch and seriously I hope she dies before this is all over, and is just me or does Displined look wrong to the eye? Disciplined maybe but it just doesn’t seem like the right word to follow Elite. Her previous interactions with the young lady whose powers with computers are extraordinary will come back to haunt her here. Oh and Lloyd’s powers and age come into play beautifully in the process of locking the Major out with his granddaughter aged sidekick at the moment. I’m gonna go out on a limb and say Andy has a daughter or is close with a niece because being able to nail a little girl’s personality like this, trying to be grown up, and still be a kid at the same time is too well done for someone who isn’t around a girl of that age.
The ending was well played my friend well played indeed. Now that next issue ties this up and hopefully not too nicely as I’d love to hear that there’s a possibility that we’ll get another one down the road, as in maybe 6-8 months from now, okay I’ll settle for a year, because these characters are too awesome to be left with just a one and done. There’s a lot to explore here and they’ve managed to really create some memorable and interesting characters that as a reader I want to know more about.
Alex, man he’s come a long way in a short time, he’s been working tail his tail off and honing his abilities and it shows. When we get to the moment we see Lloyd jacking into the headphones for the password, yeah that’s amazingly well done and part of that goes to Ashley for colouring what we see of the eyes. Plus, I’m sorry but Lloyd and the girl steal the show and her facial expressions and his almost naivete go hand in hand together wonderfully.
Bliss On Tap has two incredibly strong books with this being one of them showing the world that great stories also come from small/independent press companies. I keep asking people to read stories like this because they grumble about the “big two” and keep at it because this is one those extremely enjoyable and incredibly well done series that deserves your attention.
Bliss on Tap Publishing 2014
Written by Andy Arnott
Illustrated by Alex Cormack
Coloured by Ashley & Alex Cormack
Reviewed by: Steven Leitman
Summary: The final act begins with Margret preparing to meet her estranged father after 10 long years. Lloyd and Crystal become teammates with a plan to escape the PROs HQ finding each other's powers very useful. Meanwhile, Frank and Eric arrive in Norfolk and knock at the PROs front door, leaving Major Sullivan struggling to get her soldiers back in order after following the wrong lead. Rose and Stern, the two MPs assigned to watch Crystal, end up having a very bad day. As our teams come together, the electricity increases with only one issue left!
Review: Well I have to say I really enjoyed the way this issue opened. Seeing a teenaged girl with some anger management issues towards her mother? Well yeah, it really does set the stage for some interesting characterization and to throw you off slightly as well. Yes you have to read the issue to discover for yourself why but trust me when I say it’s a nice development and Andy has continued to surprise me with how good this story has been.
Frank and Eric’s banter is extremely entertaining. Poor Eric has grown soft in his old age as he forgot what killing was like and while I suppose it’s like riding a bicycle he’s falling off and into the toilet. Still these men go way back and their honesty with one another is really nice to see. I do love Frank’s skunk trail on the side of his head and his gruff manner really does belie a softer side to the man that he thinks he hides well. The little cat and mouse game they play to get some U.S. Government plates for the car was cute and using Eric to play the foreigner who can’t speak english well yeah that was kind of cliche and perfectly played.
Well as if their little adventure wasn’t fun enough as it was we see that Frank is also relying upon Lloyd to help him out in getting inside as well. The plates for the car is like insurance not really necessary but a nice touch to keep someone from looking too hard. So we go inside with Lloyd and his young companion and again Andy’s ability for creating fun dialogue is fantastic!
The Major is a huge bitch and seriously I hope she dies before this is all over, and is just me or does Displined look wrong to the eye? Disciplined maybe but it just doesn’t seem like the right word to follow Elite. Her previous interactions with the young lady whose powers with computers are extraordinary will come back to haunt her here. Oh and Lloyd’s powers and age come into play beautifully in the process of locking the Major out with his granddaughter aged sidekick at the moment. I’m gonna go out on a limb and say Andy has a daughter or is close with a niece because being able to nail a little girl’s personality like this, trying to be grown up, and still be a kid at the same time is too well done for someone who isn’t around a girl of that age.
The ending was well played my friend well played indeed. Now that next issue ties this up and hopefully not too nicely as I’d love to hear that there’s a possibility that we’ll get another one down the road, as in maybe 6-8 months from now, okay I’ll settle for a year, because these characters are too awesome to be left with just a one and done. There’s a lot to explore here and they’ve managed to really create some memorable and interesting characters that as a reader I want to know more about.
Alex, man he’s come a long way in a short time, he’s been working tail his tail off and honing his abilities and it shows. When we get to the moment we see Lloyd jacking into the headphones for the password, yeah that’s amazingly well done and part of that goes to Ashley for colouring what we see of the eyes. Plus, I’m sorry but Lloyd and the girl steal the show and her facial expressions and his almost naivete go hand in hand together wonderfully.
Bliss On Tap has two incredibly strong books with this being one of them showing the world that great stories also come from small/independent press companies. I keep asking people to read stories like this because they grumble about the “big two” and keep at it because this is one those extremely enjoyable and incredibly well done series that deserves your attention.