Advance Review: "Bats in the Attic," #1

"Bats in the Attic," is set to be a three-part comic series from Blue Fox Comics, a publisher I am partial to as they have put out a number of great works. Set in 1898, it follows a maid named May who is tasked with maintaining the estate of a mysterious (and unnamed) owner and his deceased wife. The husband/master has moved out but keeps the house in great condition as he misses his wife/the mistress, and this requires a maid to live there solo and maintain everything. The comic is advertised as a Sapphic Gothic Vampire Noir story, so you already know that throughout the comic, there are hints that the mistress is not as deceased as she seems. 

As this is only the first part of the tale, a lot of time is spent foreshadowing the danger/possible excitement May faces. Writer and artist Nina Poulston does a fantastic job building up the intensity; the art especially imparts this as it is a stark black-and-white except for some splashes of red on various objects or the glimpses we see of the Mistress in paintings...or darting around within the house. Thanks the visuals, I could sense how lonely and claustrophobic May felt in the house, seemingly stuck by herself--and the terror that maybe she isn't alone.

"Bats in the Attic," has a fantastic first issue, and I look forward to reading parts two and three. A Kickstarter is launching soon, and you can follow any updates/back the comic at this link. I hope it is quickly funded!

5 out of 5 Stars.

Advance Review: "Lady Enigma," is Full of Exciting Supernatural Mysteries!

I had the chance to read an advance copy of, "Lady Enigma," from Blue Fox Comics. Written by David Braña and with art by Olga Carmona Peral, it has a great mix of supernatural storytelling with a police procedural vibe as well. Each chapter generally involves a mystery or something otherworldly that is investigated or figured out by Sarah or Brian Perkins. Sarah has paranormal abilities and Brian is a police inspector. They share in past familial trauma and both use their gifts/skills in Victorian-era London and it results in some great pieces within the book.

"Lady Enigma," isn't just little self-contained pieces; the over-arching plotlines slowly reveal themselves throughout the book and it makes for a rewarding read. Another element I appreciated was little nods and easter eggs for literary nerds (which I somewhat am). For example, one villain with a secret and murderous double-life goes by Dr. Jekyll--a nice little joke there. Also, a reference to, "The Picture of Dorian Gray," is quite humorous when it occurs in the book. One doesn't have to know these old stories by any means to enjoy, "Lady Enigma," but it just shows the care put into the story from big to small elements.

Throughout, "Lady Enigma," I especially enjoy the trippy segments when Sarah dreams/hallucinates/etc. as the art gets quite surreal. Olga Carmona Peral's illustrations are lovely during, "Normal," segments as well, of course. I was engaged throughout the whole book by her work and David Braña's superb plotting. This is labeled as being, "Volume One," and I look forward to more potential adventures with Sarah and Brian Perkins as we get quite a fun cliffhanger at the book's end. You can find the landing page for the, "Lady Enigma," Kickstarter campaign here so that you can pledge and secure yourself a copy in the near future--I suggest you do just that!

5 out of 5 Stars.

"One More Year," is an Intriguing Mix of the Supernatural and Slice-of-Life

Every year, in March, a woman named Ophelia has a strange man visit her farm with an offer from a mysterious boss. If she sells her soul she gets 5 million dollars. She always says no and, "One More Year," passes. Ophelia has been getting this offer for decades (for reasons the story slowly reveals) and has her own plans to deal with this mysterious force that sends the offer her way. In this story written by Simon Birks with art by Pietro, we witness an interesting blending of a quiet life on a farm mixed with this strangely supernatural gentleman with his clipboard full of notes about souls that have been sold. It gives the story a quirky little vibe that isn't spooky so much as showing how even selling your soul can be as mundane as filling out a questionnaire.

Throughout this 50-ish page original graphic novel the truth slowly unveils itself about why Ophelia keeps getting such a strange offer and how she intends to get what she truly wants from the unknown boss (whom one assumes is devilish in some manner). I quite enjoyed the little mystery at the heart of, "One More Year," and would encourage folks to back the upcoming Kickstarter campaign for the book from publisher Blue Fox Comics. I quite enjoyed the story and think others will too!

5 out of 5 Stars.

"Hexes: Four Breaths," is a Thoughtful Comic

"Hexes: Fourth Breaths," is an upcoming title from Blue Fox Comics with a big supernatural element and a bit of a psychological horror edge. A woman named Barbara has the ambulance taking her to the hospital get in an accident and as she and the paramedic, Tim, find themselves stuck she discusses the concept of, "Breaths," as they exist in a manner a bit different than our traditional understanding of breathing. 

Fantastically written by Simon Birks with gorgeous artwork by Majory Yokomizo--plus stellar letting by  Rob Jones, I really enjoyed my digital preview copy of, "Hexes: Foruth Breaths," as it will in the future have a crowdfunding campaign on Backerkit (a competitor of sorts to Kickstarter that has become quite popular these last few years). The metaphysical discussion of, "Breaths," and the lush artwork all synch up beautifully to tell a tale that's a bit sad, a tiny bit spooky, and very thoughtful.

Blue Fox Comics consistently puts out great books and has had a ton of successful crowdfunding campaigns with happy backers. I'd encourage you to keep an eye out for when, "Hexes: Four Breaths," launches and to back it so that you can have your own fantastic copy to read!

5 out of 5 stars.

"Wail," Comic Advance Review

I took the opportunity to read an advance digital copy of, "Wail," from Blue Fox Comics and it was quite creepy and sad--that's a good thing as this is a bit of a horror-themed tale! Written and drawn by Richard Fairgray, it follows a woman named Beth dealing with a lot of regret and unsaid things in life that she worries may be too late to tell--even with ghosts involved. This is a story of love, longing, and taking advantage of informing people how we feel while there is time. So yes, I enjoyed, "Wail," a lot.

Fairgray's art is fantastic, whether set in the present time where characters are sad and mourning, or in flashbacks that contain more enthusiasm and optimism. Once the supernatural aspects occur in the story his illustrations are perfectly creepy without being over the top--this isn't exactly a scary story so much as one that makes us fearful of opportunities missed during life. I appreciated the backmatter too where Fairgray discusses his belief in ghosts and artistic process. There will be a Kickstarter campaign for, "Wail," run by Blue Fox Comics in the near future so keep your eyes peeled and make sure to get yourself a copy of, "Wail."

5 out of 5 stars.

"Cornmother," is an Impressively Creepy Tale

I always love reading the latest upcoming releases from Blue Fox Comics and when they reached out to let me know about, "Cornmother." A Kickstarter campaign will launch soon for this 32-page one-shot by Alexandra Leda which draws upon ancient harvest superstitions. The comic follows a young girl named Ruth who observes a doll of some sort made out of corn in the barn. Then things get eerie as the cornfield seems to want Ruth for some ominous reason.

Leda does a superb job with this comic as a feeling of being ill-at-ease permeates the whole thing. The artwork in particular imparts a creepy vibe as cute little Ruth seems to encounter a dark force that could possibly mean her serious harm. The way the imagery of the cornstalks fill and shift around the pages feels as intrusive to us readers as if we were in an actual thick field of corn. It's impressive and scary!

"Cornmother," will have a Kickstarter to fund the comic that launches sometime this month (I am not sure of the exact launch date). I would highly recommend backing the comic once you have a chance as this is a superbly scary story worth checking out!

5 out of 5 stars.

The First Issue of, "Seventh Sister," Is Lovely and Fantastical

I had the opportunity to read a digital advance copy of, "Seventh Sister," #1. Written by friend of the blog, Simon Birks, the artwork and colors are by Majory Yokomizo. Rob Jones does the lettering. It's being published by Fox Red Comics, which is related to a publisher I greatly enjoy, Blue Fox Comics. Having finished the debut issue I really enjoyed it!

"Seventh Sister," focuses on a woman named Soraya who lives in a magical realm with her six other sisters. Her parents choose to sacrifice their least-liked daughter (Soraya) instead of themselves to a black hole so that everyone else can live for another thousand years. Soraya doesn't appreciate this and ends up fleeing to Earth--Scotland specifically. This first issue lays out the general plot, introduces a human who enjoys hunting ghosts (which Soraya is rumored to be by locals) named Jane, and makes it clear that Sorya is still in immense danger from the black hole and a chunk of her family.

Yokomizo's artwork is lush and beautiful. Her illustrations make each page a treat for a reader's eyes. You don't read, "Seventh Sister," so much as your optical nerves swim in the gorgeous artwork. Birks' writing is stellar too as usual, whether portraying the magical realms or when things are situated squarely upon Earth. I had a blast with the first issue of, "Seventh Sister," and you can read seven sample pages at this link to see why I dug it so much. I would encourage everyone to back its upcoming Kickstarter campaign--you can click this link to be notified of its launch!

5 out of 5 stars.

I Enjoyed Volume One of, "The InSpectres," From Blue Fox Comics!

I always enjoy reading new and upcoming releases from the publisher known as Blue Fox Comics. I had a chance to read their upcoming title, "The InSpectres: Volume One," and found it great! The plot is a little reminiscent of, "The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen," but taking authors who've actually existed and having them work together as opposed to their fictional creations.

The comic follows Arthur Conan Doyle, Harry Houdini, Bram Stoker, and a ten-year-old Agatha Christie as they work together in an effort to solve the mystery of who Spring Heeled Jack is--a murderous human with parlor tricks or some kind of supernatural monster? To figure this out a group founded by Charles Dickens, The InSpectres, finds itself reforming in the hopes of preventing loss of life.

Scripted by Jarod Hunter Roe and drawn by David R Flores, this piece of historical fiction is quite fun with its mix of fact and fiction. There is a healthy dose of humor and some action-packed fight scenes as well. I really enjoyed this first volume of, "The InSpectres," and look forward to when the Kickstarter campaign for it kicks off in February of 2023. Keep your eyes peeled for its launch!

5 out of 5 stars.

"Shed," is One of the Best Graphic Novels I Have Read This Year

"Shed," is a graphic novel currently being Kickstarted by my friends over at Blue Fox Comics. Written by Richard Fairgray and Lucy Campagnolo with Fairgray as the artist too, it is one of the best original graphic novels I have read this year. A mixture of a slice-of-life yarn in a small town but with a hefty dose of magical realism, "Shed," is about a 20-something named Amber who moves to her Father's hometown to take over his shop after his sudden passing (he literally fell in a hole and died). 

Amber gets embroiled in the drama between a woman named Fran and a group of women who like to think they run the town. All the while, the legend of a sea monster used to attract tourists looms large as a metaphor for whether it is more of an attraction or a warning about being stuck someplace with nowhere to go.

The words and art work together in beautiful unison. Whether it is a moment in the shop showing the sheer amount of stuff, the intricately wrinkled faces of the elderly women in town, or a surreal moment where water seems to flood into an intense conversation as if drowning both participants in their rage (it's a clever metaphor), it all is fantastic.

I really enjoyed, "Shed," and how it makes a variety of small-town squabbles carry a bunch of emotional weight and provides little twists and turns to the story that gives everything a slightly fantastical sensation when out-of-the-ordinary events occur. It's a fantastic book and one I'd recommend Kickstarting now while the campaign is ongoing or if you're reading this post after the book is published you can always buy it from Blue Fox Comics directly or request for your favorite comic shop/bookstore to order it. Anyway, as is obvious from my glowing review, I'd rate, "Shed," as being...

5 out of 5 stars.

The Third Issue of, "Clodagh," is Packed With Action

I enjoyed the horror vibe of the earlier issues of, "Clodagh," thanks to publisher Blue Fox letting me read them around the Kickstarter for the second issue. Now, the third issue will have a campaign in the future and I had a chance to read it in advance. Written by Simon Birks with art by Willi Roberts, this entry continues my enjoyment of the series by being quite action-packed! We see more of the evil witch who stole a child named Aine and her mother, named Clodagh as well as a man named Fillin trying to rescue Aine. Our heroes get closer to saving Aine in this issue after fighting all kinds of terrible creatures recruited by the witch. the battle scenes are gorgeously illustrated by Roberts and have an impressive kineticism.

The third issue of "Clodagh," is a great read and I look forward to when it launches the Kickstarter for this issue so that folks can back it and get a copy in their hands! In the meantime, I'd encourage you to visit the website for Blue Fox so you can follow all publishing news about, "Clodagh," and other great books!

5 out of 5 stars.

"Clodagh," #2 Review

Blue Fox Publishing consistently puts out great horror-influenced comics. With the second issue of, "Clodagh," they continue that trend! After a solid first issue that sets up the story of an evil witch stealing the child (named Aine) of a woman named Clodagh and a man named Fillin to give chase. This issue follows Fillin as he faces various challenges in pursuit of the witch and Clodagh as she prepares to join in the search for Aine. 

There are all kinds of creepy and hideous creatures under the influence of the witch and Willi Roberts illustrates and colors them with skill. The comic's writer, Simon Birks, gives everything a suitably eerie tone as well, with various supernatural occurrences building us readers unease throughout this issue.

I quite enjoyed the second issue of, "Clodagh," and would encourage folks to watch for when its Kickstarter campaign starts in February (which will bring opportunities to read the first issue as well so you can enjoy the whole story). Now, we just need to await issue #3 to resolve some cliffhangers at the end of this issue!

5 out of 5 stars.

"The Thing on the Doorstep Part One," Advance Review

I have enjoyed a number of titles from Blue Fox Publishing so when they asked me if I'd be interested in reviewing, "The Thing on the Doorstep Part One," I eagerly accepted the opportunity to post my thoughts. Having now read this first issue, I can say I quite enjoyed it and am intrigued to see what happens next.

The comic opens in the, "Present," as it were of 1933 with Daniel Upton shooting his (clearly former) friend, Edward Derby, who is currently in a mental institution. From there we jump back to the true start of the story as two adolescents become big friends even as one (Derby) seems to become increasingly off and fall in with a crowd interested in seemingly dangerous magical-type arts. A slow sense of horror creeps in throughout the comic with little moments of terrifying imagery keeping us readers on our toes and delightfully ill-at-ease. Simon Briks writes the tale and Willi Roberts does a fantastic job at illustrating it with Rob Jones lettering. They all make a fantastic team.

I found myself enjoying, "The Thing on the Doorstep Part One," very much and was drawn into its eerie World by the superb writing and art. I would recommend checking it out as the Kickstarter for it actually just started a smidgen ago and is already fully funded. You can add your support and get a copy to enjoy by following this link!

5 out of 5 stars.

"Hob's Lane," #1 is a Striking and Dread-Filled Debut Issue

Blue Fox Publishing/Comics consistently puts out great indie comics, many with a horror-bent. Their latest upcoming title which will be running a Kickstarter campaign in the near future is the first issue of, "Hob's Lane." Written by Martin Hayes, with art plus colors by RHStewart, and letters by Paul McLaren, I found this initial issue to be instilled with a great deal of fear, dread, and those kinds of things you'd want from a horror comic! 

A mysterious murder in a neighborhood causes London cop, Doug Kendal, to run into an old friend who lives near the scene of said crime, John Tate. Tate's wife was murdered three years ago in a mugging and since then he's fallen apart--metaphorically and as the comic goes on it seems somewhat literally. Things start a bit of a slow burn but then towards the end of the issue, the body horror really ramps up and gets fascinatingly disgusting. As this is just the first issue a lot of questions are raised with answers probably to come later.

"Hob's Lane," is a great first issue for a horror comic. It's scary, suspenseful, and has some nice gross moments to really jar the reader. I enjoyed it very much and look forward to the Kickstarter campaign!

5 out of 5 stars. 

"Powers Fearful & Divine, "#1 Advance Review

I always enjoy the stuff released by Blue Fox Comics, so when they reached out to ask if I wanted to read the first issue of, "Powers Fearful & Divine," I was excited to do so. It'll be launching a Kickstarter in August and the advance copy I read was quite fun.

"Powers Fearful & Divine," takes a variety of real-life historical figures and imagines them all interacting in a clever manner a bit like, "The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen," but with actual humans. Houdini and HP Lovecraft essentially team up to try and stop Arthur Conan Doyle and the Spiritualist movement from unleashing a deadly weapon on Earth--with Nikola Tesla possibly being the best hope to create a counter-weapon. It's all very clever and fun to see various historical figures working together (or at odds) and writer Cy Dethan does a great job emulating the, "Voice," of everyone, although considering how miserable a person HP Lovecraft apparently was, he comes off a bit too likeable here. Still, Dethan clearly did their research on everyone, spotlighting how Houdini was famous for trying to disprove anyone who claimed to actually have mystical powers as opposed to doing tricks and illusions.

RHStewart is the artist and their artwork works well for the story. Everything looks suitably, "In the past," as it were and the historical characters look like their real-life counterparts, which is always tricky for artists when they are drawing actual people. Sometimes the style is very minimalist, but it looks good overall. There is a lot of dialogue in the comic, but RHStewart always gives us something interesting to look at with the discussions.

"Powers Fearful & Divine," #1 is a great first issue and has me excited to see what future issues will hold for the historical mash-up of famous figures. It does a great job drawing from actual history and inventing other elements. I'd encourage you to check out Blue Fox Comics website so you can stay updated about when the Kickstarter launches!

5 out of 5 stars.

"Jimmy's Vendetta: Part One," Kicks-off a Supernatural Thriller With Style

Blue Fox Publishing will be launching a Kickstarter in late May or early June for their new comic, "Jimmy's Vendetta: Part One." I look forward to the campaign to help get it published as I quite enjoyed the first issue I was provided with a digital review copy of! It is written by Luca Palumbo with art by Christos Kyriacou and they make a phenomenal team.

The story centers on a mafia in the near future (2189) that suddenly finds itself losing members to a mysterious killer. That killer is in fact a former mobster named Jimmy who was killed by his own crew and has returned from the dead. Jimmy only vaguely remembers the faces of those who killed him and has no clue why he was killed or for what reason he's even back. What Jimmy does know is he wants revenge.

I really enjoyed, "Jimmy's Vendetta: Part One," with the futuristic setting being one aspect I loved as someone who adores sci-fi settings. Kyriacou's art expertly imparts the vibe of this city with its mixture of glitz and gutters, plus when Jimmy's half-alive corpse shows up it looks perfectly grotesque and terrifying. This isn't a man who has been brought back to life fully, he's a shambling pile of bones and flesh and looks it! Palumbo's writing gets across that the people Jimmy is hunting down are by no means good people, but also is careful to show Jimmy isn't a saint either. 

A lot of questions are raised as to why Jimmy may be back and whom it may benefit, but as this is the first issue its main focus is setting everything up and getting the story moving, which it does fantastically. I'd encourage you to check out the other works of Blue Fox Publishing on their site and keep an eye out in the meantime for when the Kickstarter campaign launches for, "Jimmy's Vendetta: Part One."

5 out of 5 stars.

"Busy Little Bees," #1 Starts its Supernatural Horror-Thriller Tale with Style

 

"Busy Little Bees," is a new upcoming comic from Blue Fox Publishing. I'm on their press list and they keep me updated about titles, with the first issue preview I read of, "Busy Little Bees," being fantastic. Written by Marielle Bouleau with art by Emiliano Correa, the comic centers on a girl named Myna who lives in an institution with other patients that her rich family owns. Her brother, Sebastian, is the only one who still visits her as her violent outbursts alienated the rest of the family. One of the nights that Sebastian visits is unique, however, as a strange meteor shower is happening too and causing all kinds of strange things to happen--with Myna becoming quite different too throughout the night.

"Busy Little Bees," has a deliciously foreboding vibe, with Correa's artwork making the everyday and supernatural moments all work perfectly in sync whilst Bouleau's writing keeps us readers on our toes. I quite enjoyed reading this first issue and would encourage you to check out the Kickstarter for, "Busy Little Bees" when it launches sometime in April or May!

5 out of 5 stars.