Hey, remember when I reviewed three awesome indie comics from the publisher 2dcloud back in March? Well, they have some new books out that they offered to let me review, and you know I said, "Of course!" I always enjoy their output and couldn't wait to check out some comics from them. With that in mind, let's dive in...
"Girls Gone Wild," #1 by Katie Lane
Don't let the saucy title make you think this is a straightforward smut comic (although those can be fun too)! Instead, "Girls Gone Wild," and its ethereal pencils and inks give everything a weird otherworldly vibe as we witness various relationships and their dramas. A couple arguing about having sex, a phone call from a parent that raises stress levels, and so forth. Lane's ear for dialogue and surreal framing of the comic results in a fascinating piece I quite enjoyed. My only criticism would be sometimes the art and lettering gets so metaphysical that it can be a bit tricky to read the text--possibly this is intentional, but just something I wanted to point out as my sole minor quibble.
5 out of 5 Stars.
A snazzy anthology of comics, featuring some more work by the above-discussed Katie Lane, as well as other interesting pieces. This comic contains a lot of quite abstract pieces with a cool interplay of text, art, and it is extremely experimental stuff. I enjoyed those entries, but my favorite comic was actually a more, "Straightforward," piece by Clair Gunther. It focuses on a musician who is asked by a grandparent to play music at the church--with them agreeing as long as the relative keeps up their end of an unsaid bargain. As the comic continues to the church and the pastor (who is also the grandparent) begins a hateful sermon why our protagonist wants to walk out of the church and escape the awful rhetoric. It is a bit of a, "Slice of life," we can relate to, of being in uncomfortable situations where we feel suck in spaces that are unwelcoming to us for one reason or another. A great piece in a snazzy comic.
5 out of 5 Stars.
Mirror Mirror #4; edited by Airplane Mode with Entries by Various Creators
Another comic anthology, which in this case also features interviews and reviews of various works. I loved all of these publications, but, "Mirror Mirror," #4 was possibly my favorite thanks to some amazing comics. From the stark front and back cover evoking the imagery of a plane hitting the Twin Towers, to some thoughtful interior comics, it is an edgy, provoking work--and I mean that as the highest praise. "What We Do We Learned From You," by Morgan Vogel starts out as a raunchy tale of people taking some drugs and getting sexual before it swerves quite violently into trippy horror--I dug it!
An essay with various paintings by Inés Estrada about how we understand and view reality--especially with mental health issues--is thoughtful and gorgeous too. A manga entry, "Apocaylpse Blues," is at the back of the book and reads right-to-left as manga should and features some eye-catching art by Junichiro Saito as we follow a weird yarn about a magical bear and woman fighting in a strange city. These are just some of the highlights of, "Mirror Mirror," #4 and I eagerly recommend reading it as well as the other books I just reviewed! I wan to thank 2dcloud for keeping me updated on their superb publications and wish them continued success! Visit their site to get these rad comics!
5 out of 5 Stars.
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