Sequential State – the comics criticism archive of Alex Hoffman

Category: Features

  • Manga Worth Reading #2: Gangsta.

    Manga Worth Reading #2: Gangsta.

      This week I’m featuring another seinen title – this time a little more traditional than A Bride’s Story.  Gangsta. (Japanese: ギャングスタ) is a comic that follows two “handymen,” Worick and Nic, two guys who are willing to do any job for a price. The first volume opens to finds the two of them closing down a…

  • Kickstarter Feature #1: Strong Female Protagonist In the world of Kickstarter: Molly Ostertag (monstertag on tumblr) and Brennan Lee Mulligan are hoping to print a the first volume of their webcomic, Strong Female Protagonist. The series focuses on 20 year-old Alison Green, a former superhero, Mega Girl, who is now trying to change the world…

  • Fun Comix #1

    I’ve spent some time the past week reading “serious” comics, books like Asterios Polyp, that while beautiful, are also a bit emotionally challenging. Comics as a medium has a great range in tone, and this week I wanted to highlight some books that were just plain fun to read. Mini reviews, covers, and links to…

  • Transmissions from: TCAF 2014

    This was my first TCAF. It was the big promise I made to myself earlier this year when the indie comics crowd started rumbling. I was hooked when I read con reports of TCAF 2013, but hadn’t admitted it to myself. I drove in from Cleveland. It was about 4.5 hours + 2 hours sitting…

  • Review: The Lizard Laughed, by Noah Van Sciver (I’m recovering from TCAF, which was this weekend. I got plenty of great comics, but I haven’t had any time to read them yet, so this review is from work I read prior to the show. It was great to meet so many talented artists and publishers!)…

  • My 2014 Comics Journey (so far)

    Subtitle: How I started reading Asterios Polyp at the same time as Hawkeye: Little Hits and Tezuka’s Message to Adolf. (I’m heading to TCAF today, so instead of a review or booklist, I’m putting up a more personal piece. Hope to see you in Toronto!) Today, in the mail, I got a copy of The…

  • Manga Worth Reading: A Bride’s Story by Kaoru Mori

    Manga Worth Reading: A Bride’s Story by Kaoru Mori

    Manga is a tricky type of comic. There’s a higher barrier to entry due to the flipped pages, cultural cues that may not be easily understood or explained, and there’s a lot of chaff available on the market. It’s hard to know where to start. With this in mind, Sequential State will be putting out…

  • Charles Forsman has a way with disaffected teens. The two major projects I’ve read of his work, The End of the Fucking World and Celebrated Summer use teenage characters to tell stories that explore identity, relationships, and the small crises that make up everyday life. Luv Sucker is Forsman’s newest work, and I got a…

  • How do you read Chris Ware’s Building Stories?

    Building Stories is one of the most celebrated comics from 2012. Calling it a “work” is a bit vague; it would be more accurate to call it a collection or a box. In the Building Stories box are 14 separate installments with no insight into what each piece is and where it starts or ends. Some…

  • TCAF is rapidly approaching, which means a first look at books that are making their debut at the show. Here are a few that I’m very interested in getting my hands on: 1. This One Summer, by Jillian Tamaki and Mariko Tamaki – a slice-of-life story about two friends on summer vacation; Jillians’ beautiful artwork combined with smart…

  • Transmissions from: SPACE 2014

    Being more involved in comics means actually going to conventions. This year, a buddy of mine and I decided to hit up SPACE in Columbus Ohio. Sadly, I did not have the presence of mind to bring a camera or take pictures with my phone. We met up Sunday morning at the Ramada Hotel. It’s…