48 pp
black and white
A5 (Digest)
‘Mature’ Content
Check out the site to get a free copy –you only have to pay postage!
The contents of this, the first issue I’ve seen, are “Assassin Geisha” by Stella From Austria. “Grey Days” Nik Neocleous –there’s a name from the past! “Bego” Ononwae Batara; “Zero Man” by Joie Simmons, “Rooftop Battle” by Adam Wilson and Beatus Vir; “Pictures Don’t Lie” by Knut Knutsen and Dave Windett; “Soda King” by Elvis Brillotto; “The Suicider” by Rafael Wambier dos Santos and Kewber Arruda; “Classifieds” (no credit); “KB OUT” (No credit) and “Demon” by Harley Price.
This is a somewhat international publication with contributors from Brazil, the United States, Indonesia, Norway and Italy. The art quality varies as does the story-line. Nik Neocleous produces a nice little two-pager with a punch-line –I always wondered what happened to him after Harrier Comics.
What happened to Assassin Geisha –it ain’t on page 1 but, then, Grey Days is not on page 5!! “Bego” I am in two minds about. Not the rough art style but the point –I am not going to criticise too harshly because it would be nice to see a strip by Ononwae with a bit more story, this is more a two page “try out”.
“Zero Man” and the storyline is not original but, then, very little is in comics and it depends how you use what you have. I think the artist needs to define space more by having a more solid line to his figures and vary the line for background as this seemed all just too flat. But there are quite a few pages so I guess Joie will learn with more experience.
“Roof Top Battle” has a more Manga style but since Beatus Vir is from Indonesia that does not surprise me. Art okay but a bit more expansion on the story…?
“Pictures Don’t Lie” could be said to be an every day story of modern times. I was surprised to see the artist is Dave Windett who drew Count Duckula amongst many others. Nice work.
“Soda Ninja” –artwork basic but the gag…obviously someone knows of supermarket soda ninjas!
“The Suicider” can be said to have nice-ish art but that was its only redeeming feature. Party. Coke head gets a girl in the bedroom and drugs her to rape her. His mates, bringing him drugs “have a turn” –all four of them. Suitably coked up, the first guy rapes her again but then realises the others have gagged and then tied up the woman and jumps out of a window. “WTF?!??” was what I asked myself. Firstly, I went over the strip but it made no sense why he jumped from the window. I then realised that the tiny family portrait in panel one had a blonde woman –the character’s mother we guess- the multiple rape victim has changed to a blonde after the gang raped her. The obscenities roll out like they were written by one of those British creators who seem to think it essential.
This was badly written and for a shock ending we need to have it clearly shown why it is a shock ending. It’s just so vague as is the “anti-hero” who I assumed somehow got rid of the first rape victim and substituted the main characters mother!??
Comics appears to have adopted the policy that rape is entertainment if in a storyline. It is not. Hey, he raped his mother. The point being…? AWFUL.
Ah, I just realised that there is NO Assassin Geisha strip –that is the cover which should be credited as “cover illo”. Confused?
Apart from that strip this was an interesting read so don’t let my negativity on one strip put you off.
As a free issue I’d say get a copy.
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