Sequential State – the comics criticism archive of Alex Hoffman

Month: May 2017

  • Comic Review: T by Bailey Sharp

    Comic Review: T by Bailey Sharp

    Up and coming cartoonist Bailey Sharp sent over a new comic to review in November last year and I just recently got around to reading it. This should tell you how far behind I am on my reading (it’s bad folks); the book was one of the comics included in Short Box #2, the international…

  • Manga Review: Dreamin’ Sun, vol.1 by Ichigo Takano

    Manga Review: Dreamin’ Sun, vol.1 by Ichigo Takano

    Ichigo Takano is building a reputation in the United States as a mangaka of note. Takano’s comic orange was published in two omnibus editions by Seven Seas Entertainment and was nominated for an Eisner this year in the Best U.S. Edition of International Material—Asia category. This is Seven Seas’ first Eisner nomination, and orange garnered quite a bit of…

  • Review: Spookytongue by Hetamoé

    Review: Spookytongue by Hetamoé

    Review: Spookytongue by Hetamoé I recently ordered a slew of comics from Ediciones Valientes, a Valencia-based Spanish publisher known best in the US for publishing the work of Martín López Lam. I’m not certain what the structure of Ediciones Valientes looks like – it’s possible that López Lam is also the publisher. Regardless, Ediciones Valientes…

  • Truth Zone Antics: Thoughts on Portrait and Simon Hanselmann’s Recent Feud/Roast Comics

    Truth Zone Antics: Thoughts on Portrait and Simon Hanselmann’s Recent Feud/Roast Comics

    Truth Zone Antics: Thoughts on Portrait and Simon Hanselmann’s Recent Feud/Roast Comics Simon Hanselmann is one of alternative comics’ foremost gossipmongers and roasters; his Truth Zone comics, using his Megg, Mogg, and Owl characters, are comics as criticism; they show his take on recent events, his opinion on specific creators and their work, and goings-on…

  • Review: The Fever Closing by Liam Cobb

    Review: The Fever Closing by Liam Cobb

    It’s hard to stay current with all of the independent comics scenes across the English-speaking world, but I have recently been keeping track of Liam Cobb, a UK-based cartoonist whose stock seems to be on the rise. Cobb has done quite a few self-published books over the last two years, but The Fever Closing is…

  • Review: Diana’s Electric Tongue by Carolyn Nowak

    Review: Diana’s Electric Tongue by Carolyn Nowak

    Review: Diana’s Electric Tongue by Carolyn Nowak Carolyn Nowak’s comic Radishes won a 2016 Ignatz award and was one of my favorite comics from SPX 2015. Now Nowak is back with a new 70 page full color comic, originally released with a special cover through the international ShortBox comics box program and now out self-published from…

  • Review: Decelerate Blue by Adam Rapp and Mike Cavallaro

    Review: Decelerate Blue by Adam Rapp and Mike Cavallaro

    I recently found a copy of Decelerate Blue at the local library, and picked it up on a whim. I have the habit of doing this for First Second books, which are often in abundant supply in the graphic novel-centric public library space. The book is 200+ pages long, mostly black and white with some color pages…

  • Review: Angel of a Rope by Adam Buttrick

    Review: Angel of a Rope by Adam Buttrick

    Review: Angel of a Rope by Adam Buttrick I recently got a copy of Angel of a Rope from Domino Books, the publisher and distro run by Austin English. English’s comics are  quite dense, and it wasn’t a surprise to find that the books he distributes are similarly inclined. Adam Buttrick’s work recently came to my attention…