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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…
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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…
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Review: Book of Void by Viktor Hachmang
The UK-based publisher Landfill Editions is best known in the USA for its anthology series Mould Map, but they also publish a selection of shorter works. I recently picked up a copy of Viktor Hachmang’s debut comic Book of Void. This is a 20-page comic with jet-black dust jacket and an obi band, and is printed mostly…
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Review: Snotgirl, vol. 1, script by Bryan Lee O’Malley, art by Leslie Hung, colors by Mickey Quinn, and letters by Maré Odomo
Snotgirl is Bryan Lee O’Malley’s latest project, and his first monthly comic book. I heard the hubbub about the book when the first issue came out, but I recently picked up a copy of the first trade paperback to see how the story held up. I enjoyed Seconds, ’Malley’s latest graphic novel, but I find myself…
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Quick Picks #6 – Witches, Spirits, and Songs
Quick Picks is an occasionally written series of microreviews of books I’ve read over the past two weeks. Here’s a selection of manga I’ve been reading recently. Flying Witch #1 – Vertical Inc.’s big Spring debut, this series started its life in the USA with a relatively popular anime adaption. Vertical later picked up the title,…
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Review: Draw Blood by Ron Hotz
Last year at TCAF, I met up with cartoonist Ron Hotz and he handed me a copy of Draw Blood. Draw Blood is a 68+ page graphic novella published in 2016. Ron writes a webcomic called Best Day Evr! that’s been running since 2014. Best Day Evr! is a high school drama featuring anthropomorphic characters and Draw…
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Review: Ancestor by Matt Sheean & Malachi Ward
Imagine a world where the internet lived inside your head – where you would see a person’s name and their life history in your visual field as you were introduced, where you can share memories with a thought, and you can run programs to perform physical tasks to the utmost perfection. This is the introduction…
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Comic Review: A Zoo In Winter by Jiro Taniguchi
A little over a month ago, reports from Japanese sources announced the passing of Jiro Taniguchi. Taniguchi was a master draftsperson and cartoonist whose work has been championed by the small publisher Fanfare (in partnership with Spanish publisher Ponent Mon). They have been publishing his work since the mid-00s. Taniguchi’s best-known works have been characterized…
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Comic Review: Starseeds by Charles Glaubitz
I took last week off to recover from a nasty cold, which gave me the chance to catch up on some reading, including an advance copy of Charles Glaubitz’s Starseeds from Fantagraphics. Glaubitz, a Mexican multimedia artist, is known for his art and illustration work, and Starseeds is Glaubitz’s first graphic novel. In it, the mystical Starseed Children…
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Review: Insel Paradies II by William Edmonds
I’ve been working through some work that I recently picked up outside of the convention circuit. There are a few US-based stores and distributors that carry books from Hato Press, and I was lucky to pick up a few things from the publisher in early winter. I’ve been reflecting on Insel Paradies II by William Edmonds (aka…
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Review: Michael by Stephen Maurice Graham
Space Face Books was fairly quiet in 2016, but one of its few releases last year was a collection of Stephen Maurice Graham’s Michael comics, originally published online at Vice.com. It’s clear that the folks at Space Face and Graham put some thought into the design of the book – Michael is a 56-page full color paperback…
