Find #1 One Shot
ComixTribe 2015
Story by: Sam Read
Art by: Alex Cormack
Letters by: Tyler James
Reviewer: Steven Leitman
Summary: When young Teddy Chance stumbles upon a strange, otherworldly object while out exploring, so begins a night of peril and excitement that will alter the course of his entire life.
Review: Well I love ComixTribe and it’s books like this one that remind me as a reader on why I love comic books. Do you remember when you were a kid and your imagination knew no bounds, the trees were places to play and building a fort protected you from enemies and monsters, and an adventure happened just because you walked out the door on a summer day? We get jaded as we get older and the rules that kind of hamper our fun and make us conform to society’s standard, whatever that is, diminishes the imagination some. Why is that? I mean why does growing up mean we have to lose that part of ourselves?
I adore how this book opens with an old man talking about his past, the time he was a boy, a sidekick, and friend to Captain Splendid. Who of course is a comic book character and not real, but he dreams of a life as exciting as that. However he has a (well what I consider typical childhood), one where he feels he’s underappreciated and unnoticed by his parents and this let’s him be adventurous on his own. And quite possibly a little more mature than other kids his age who have those doting and always present parents.
You can’t help but like Teddy Chance, he’s a good kid, listens to his parents, and yet has that independent streak and still comes across as a lonely little boy. Sam’s crafted a really wonderful story here and the progression of events actually helped me realize how much of my inner child I still have tucked away. And reminded me of why I still love comics and the feeling you have when discovering something new.
From the kitchen window Teddy sees a meteor hit not far away and goes off to investigate. Gotta love his parents reaction when asked if he can go out, boy I’m not sure where I would’ve fallen into all that but it’s just a part of his story and helps better understand him. Can you imagine a young boy who loves comic books finding a meteor that turns out to be a space craft with what looks like another boy inside? Oh man this is the part where you think back to being a kid and wish it had happened to you.
With the help of a comic book as a way of communicating, Teddy’s in for the biggest and best adventure of his life. I got a sense of pure joy from reading this, it was delightful and kind of helps unlock those feelings that there are still adventures to have and it only takes a spark of imagination to unleash it. Also you’ve got to hand it to Alex because his rendition of Teddy and the Alien are simply wonderful. There’s a great contradiction on Alex’s work that could go either way in viewing the alien and once you see it through Teddy’s eyes it’s incredible. We see Teddy and his new friend encounter a deputy who doesn’t see his friend the way he does. He’s too much of an adult to be anything but scared by it. It’s a shame but a valuable point to the story.
Teddy doesn’t see the alien again till a much later point his life. And we see what his life was like after that encounter and how it changed his life and how he viewed things afterwards. This is a story that we should all read, because it’s just so much of who we are and what we’ve lost growing up and the possibilites of letting that sense of awe, wonder, and adventure back in.
Already this is the one shot story to beat for the remainder of the year.
Editor's Note: To find out how you can acquire your very own copy of Find #1 (One Shot), head here!
ComixTribe 2015
Story by: Sam Read
Art by: Alex Cormack
Letters by: Tyler James
Reviewer: Steven Leitman
Summary: When young Teddy Chance stumbles upon a strange, otherworldly object while out exploring, so begins a night of peril and excitement that will alter the course of his entire life.
Review: Well I love ComixTribe and it’s books like this one that remind me as a reader on why I love comic books. Do you remember when you were a kid and your imagination knew no bounds, the trees were places to play and building a fort protected you from enemies and monsters, and an adventure happened just because you walked out the door on a summer day? We get jaded as we get older and the rules that kind of hamper our fun and make us conform to society’s standard, whatever that is, diminishes the imagination some. Why is that? I mean why does growing up mean we have to lose that part of ourselves?
I adore how this book opens with an old man talking about his past, the time he was a boy, a sidekick, and friend to Captain Splendid. Who of course is a comic book character and not real, but he dreams of a life as exciting as that. However he has a (well what I consider typical childhood), one where he feels he’s underappreciated and unnoticed by his parents and this let’s him be adventurous on his own. And quite possibly a little more mature than other kids his age who have those doting and always present parents.
You can’t help but like Teddy Chance, he’s a good kid, listens to his parents, and yet has that independent streak and still comes across as a lonely little boy. Sam’s crafted a really wonderful story here and the progression of events actually helped me realize how much of my inner child I still have tucked away. And reminded me of why I still love comics and the feeling you have when discovering something new.
From the kitchen window Teddy sees a meteor hit not far away and goes off to investigate. Gotta love his parents reaction when asked if he can go out, boy I’m not sure where I would’ve fallen into all that but it’s just a part of his story and helps better understand him. Can you imagine a young boy who loves comic books finding a meteor that turns out to be a space craft with what looks like another boy inside? Oh man this is the part where you think back to being a kid and wish it had happened to you.
With the help of a comic book as a way of communicating, Teddy’s in for the biggest and best adventure of his life. I got a sense of pure joy from reading this, it was delightful and kind of helps unlock those feelings that there are still adventures to have and it only takes a spark of imagination to unleash it. Also you’ve got to hand it to Alex because his rendition of Teddy and the Alien are simply wonderful. There’s a great contradiction on Alex’s work that could go either way in viewing the alien and once you see it through Teddy’s eyes it’s incredible. We see Teddy and his new friend encounter a deputy who doesn’t see his friend the way he does. He’s too much of an adult to be anything but scared by it. It’s a shame but a valuable point to the story.
Teddy doesn’t see the alien again till a much later point his life. And we see what his life was like after that encounter and how it changed his life and how he viewed things afterwards. This is a story that we should all read, because it’s just so much of who we are and what we’ve lost growing up and the possibilites of letting that sense of awe, wonder, and adventure back in.
Already this is the one shot story to beat for the remainder of the year.
Editor's Note: To find out how you can acquire your very own copy of Find #1 (One Shot), head here!
GFT Presents: Robyn Hood #6
Zenescope Entertainment 2014
Written by: Pat Shand
Illustrated by: Jaime Salangsang Jr.
Colours by: Slamet Mujiono
Reviewer: Steven Leitman
Summary: Ever since leaving Myst, Marian's magic hasn't been the same. As Robyn examines her own dangerous temper, Marian seeks help from a mysterious source... but she may not like the answers that she gets. A new journey for the hooded archer and her companions begins now!
Review: Alright, I’m not gonna lie. I was a little disappointed in this issue, mainly because I thought it was a Maid Marian mystery and well it didn’t really feel like it was one to me. And there was as much focus on Robyn as there was her. Once getting past that, it was a wonderful book for characterization and plot development.
I like that we start off with Marian doing her thing and listening to her inner musings about her new home. It gives a great sense of who she is now and why she likes being here on Earth. Her connection to Myst where her magic was strong and now here, where it’s more tenuous and takes her longer but the feeling she gets of being special.
Oh, and I’m a big fan of the interior artwork here too. Just watching the cats play with one another gives it this homey feel that you don’t expect but find heartwarming. Oh, and yeah the girls look fantastic, as does the dream of Will and his morphing into Marian. The Glamour Lens is a nice touch too, it’s the little details that make his work stand out here. Plus there is something about the Peacemaker and George Dupre, and as well as the creature that attacks Robyn that really showcases a great imagination at work.
I like how we see their own personal situations unfolding at the same time, with each one facing something difficult for them, hence them wanting to keep it from the other and going it alone regardless of how close their relationship is. While Robyn’s is more straightforward, it’s Marian’s that captures your attention. Her relationship with the woman who trained her wasn’t honest with her and her magic isn’t as light as she believes and she’s more connected to Avella than she could have possibly known.
While the Peacemaker is full of answers and she’s really got this look and air to her that is kind of mesmerizing there’s something off, not quite right about what’s going on. I just get the sense that she’s pushing Marian in the wrong direction trying to scare her and make her believe something that isn’t true. Call it a hunch but I don’t trust her.
At the Mesopotamia we see our masked friends discussing Robyn and what she did to the lurker sent after her, the encounter happened in her session with George Dupre, who Red recommended she talk to. So these seemingly random encounters on both girls' parts are now more connected and part of the scheme to determine how big a threat these two pose to them. Okay, I knew I couldn’t trust the Peacemaker even with Sam’s endorsement. Unless i’m mistaken and the white haired woman isn’t her.
I like how Pat is able to take a story focusing on downtime and weave it into something more with future ramifications. This isn’t your typical Zenescope title, it’s the wave of the future with intricate and complicated storytelling using the character's strengths and weaknesses to fully define them as individuals.
Zenescope Entertainment 2014
Written by: Pat Shand
Illustrated by: Jaime Salangsang Jr.
Colours by: Slamet Mujiono
Reviewer: Steven Leitman
Summary: Ever since leaving Myst, Marian's magic hasn't been the same. As Robyn examines her own dangerous temper, Marian seeks help from a mysterious source... but she may not like the answers that she gets. A new journey for the hooded archer and her companions begins now!
Review: Alright, I’m not gonna lie. I was a little disappointed in this issue, mainly because I thought it was a Maid Marian mystery and well it didn’t really feel like it was one to me. And there was as much focus on Robyn as there was her. Once getting past that, it was a wonderful book for characterization and plot development.
I like that we start off with Marian doing her thing and listening to her inner musings about her new home. It gives a great sense of who she is now and why she likes being here on Earth. Her connection to Myst where her magic was strong and now here, where it’s more tenuous and takes her longer but the feeling she gets of being special.
Oh, and I’m a big fan of the interior artwork here too. Just watching the cats play with one another gives it this homey feel that you don’t expect but find heartwarming. Oh, and yeah the girls look fantastic, as does the dream of Will and his morphing into Marian. The Glamour Lens is a nice touch too, it’s the little details that make his work stand out here. Plus there is something about the Peacemaker and George Dupre, and as well as the creature that attacks Robyn that really showcases a great imagination at work.
I like how we see their own personal situations unfolding at the same time, with each one facing something difficult for them, hence them wanting to keep it from the other and going it alone regardless of how close their relationship is. While Robyn’s is more straightforward, it’s Marian’s that captures your attention. Her relationship with the woman who trained her wasn’t honest with her and her magic isn’t as light as she believes and she’s more connected to Avella than she could have possibly known.
While the Peacemaker is full of answers and she’s really got this look and air to her that is kind of mesmerizing there’s something off, not quite right about what’s going on. I just get the sense that she’s pushing Marian in the wrong direction trying to scare her and make her believe something that isn’t true. Call it a hunch but I don’t trust her.
At the Mesopotamia we see our masked friends discussing Robyn and what she did to the lurker sent after her, the encounter happened in her session with George Dupre, who Red recommended she talk to. So these seemingly random encounters on both girls' parts are now more connected and part of the scheme to determine how big a threat these two pose to them. Okay, I knew I couldn’t trust the Peacemaker even with Sam’s endorsement. Unless i’m mistaken and the white haired woman isn’t her.
I like how Pat is able to take a story focusing on downtime and weave it into something more with future ramifications. This isn’t your typical Zenescope title, it’s the wave of the future with intricate and complicated storytelling using the character's strengths and weaknesses to fully define them as individuals.
The Woods #10
BOOM! Studios 2014
Created & Written by: James Tynion IV
Illustrated by: Michael Dialynas
Coloured by: Josan Gonzalez
Reviewer: Steven Leitman
Summary: The more the crew finds out about the woods, the deeper the mystery gets. With Clay and the Duke teaming up to try and force the school into servitude for the New London army, the kids need to think up a plan to save their peers, and fast. Can they escape New London and make it back to the school in time to warn everyone? And with Adrian uncontrollable and on the loose, no one knows what his next move will be.
Review: This has to be one of the best books to come out of 2014, definitely in the top 5. I love that we started off with an entire high school being transported to this moon in another solar system. We saw the dissent and the best and worst of human nature in the school, and that group of kids who ventured out into the woods to discover where they were and how to get home. This inadvertently leads them not only finding the local wildlife, and by wild, I mean WILD! And other people who have formed the city of New London, who have been brought here periodically over the years.
Suddenly a larger back story has been revealed concerning the moon itself and the role certain individuals who are more in-tune with this place have. This goes a long way to explaining what’s happened to one of their own as well once they found a Pyramid and he began to see the patterns and hear the voices. Adrian’s control of what’s happening to him is greater than Lydia’s, she seemed to succumb to the madness in my view and let it envelop her. Whereas Adrian, his ego doesn’t seem to be in fear of letting that happen.
What started off as something so simple has become so complex, vast, and encompassing and it’s wonderful. As James keeps getting deeper and deeper into the history of both the Moon, the Aliens who talk to Adrian, and the Dukes who've run New London and their policies the story takes on another life. As a reader it just impresses me to no end on how these characters and this world has to come life.
Sometimes you forget as an adult that kids are smarter than we give them credit for, and when faced with something that is inherently wrong they’ll do what they can to change that and we consider this a rebellious streak. But men are ultimately stubborn and refuse to see reason if it doesn’t suit them. They have a need to be in control and think they know more than they do instead of embracing something and letting nature run it’s course, so they fight it. So what this place wants and why it keeps bringing people to this place while remaining a mystery seems to be coming to the forefront.
With some expert characterization and a myriad of different characters not only struggling to survive but find themselves in all this. Such as Issac and his struggling sexuality and the budding romance he’s finding with a boy who likes him versus a boy who doesn’t. As well as the others who are finally coming into their own under Sanami’s guidance, it seems these kids will either be the downfall of this New London or it’s saviors. I look forward to seeing how it all plays out.
Michael manages to bring this to life in an almost all ages style of artwork that really works well here. He gets to use his imagination with the local wildlife and his people are expressive and distinctive. Plus his use of backgrounds and perspective give the reader such a better view of this world and us a better understanding of it.
I love this series, it’s possibly one of the most unique and original to come along in the past decade.
BOOM! Studios 2014
Created & Written by: James Tynion IV
Illustrated by: Michael Dialynas
Coloured by: Josan Gonzalez
Reviewer: Steven Leitman
Summary: The more the crew finds out about the woods, the deeper the mystery gets. With Clay and the Duke teaming up to try and force the school into servitude for the New London army, the kids need to think up a plan to save their peers, and fast. Can they escape New London and make it back to the school in time to warn everyone? And with Adrian uncontrollable and on the loose, no one knows what his next move will be.
Review: This has to be one of the best books to come out of 2014, definitely in the top 5. I love that we started off with an entire high school being transported to this moon in another solar system. We saw the dissent and the best and worst of human nature in the school, and that group of kids who ventured out into the woods to discover where they were and how to get home. This inadvertently leads them not only finding the local wildlife, and by wild, I mean WILD! And other people who have formed the city of New London, who have been brought here periodically over the years.
Suddenly a larger back story has been revealed concerning the moon itself and the role certain individuals who are more in-tune with this place have. This goes a long way to explaining what’s happened to one of their own as well once they found a Pyramid and he began to see the patterns and hear the voices. Adrian’s control of what’s happening to him is greater than Lydia’s, she seemed to succumb to the madness in my view and let it envelop her. Whereas Adrian, his ego doesn’t seem to be in fear of letting that happen.
What started off as something so simple has become so complex, vast, and encompassing and it’s wonderful. As James keeps getting deeper and deeper into the history of both the Moon, the Aliens who talk to Adrian, and the Dukes who've run New London and their policies the story takes on another life. As a reader it just impresses me to no end on how these characters and this world has to come life.
Sometimes you forget as an adult that kids are smarter than we give them credit for, and when faced with something that is inherently wrong they’ll do what they can to change that and we consider this a rebellious streak. But men are ultimately stubborn and refuse to see reason if it doesn’t suit them. They have a need to be in control and think they know more than they do instead of embracing something and letting nature run it’s course, so they fight it. So what this place wants and why it keeps bringing people to this place while remaining a mystery seems to be coming to the forefront.
With some expert characterization and a myriad of different characters not only struggling to survive but find themselves in all this. Such as Issac and his struggling sexuality and the budding romance he’s finding with a boy who likes him versus a boy who doesn’t. As well as the others who are finally coming into their own under Sanami’s guidance, it seems these kids will either be the downfall of this New London or it’s saviors. I look forward to seeing how it all plays out.
Michael manages to bring this to life in an almost all ages style of artwork that really works well here. He gets to use his imagination with the local wildlife and his people are expressive and distinctive. Plus his use of backgrounds and perspective give the reader such a better view of this world and us a better understanding of it.
I love this series, it’s possibly one of the most unique and original to come along in the past decade.