"Wrestle Heist," #1 is a Love Letter to Both Wrestling and High-Stakes Burglary

Wrestling and heist tales are both forms of entertainment full of stories. In wrestling, you have operatic tales of good and evil, the hero and the villain (sometimes one is revealed to be the other via heel-turn or such too), and lots of over-the-top fights. With a heist yarn, you've got someone down on their luck or done wrong who assembles a team and gets back at a nefarious party by stealing cash or something of value--in the name of justice and getting a little cheddar. "Wrestle Heist," marries these two storytelling concepts expertly. 

Both wrestling and heist stories can have lots of drama and be a bit silly, something writer-artist Kyle Starks knows in showing us the downfall of Sterling Steele--a pro wrestler who plans to leave one agency for another and is intentionally badly hurt by his former boss as retribution. The issue concludes with the announcement of the plan for a heist, and the promotion for the second issue outright says how next we'll have the exciting part of the crew getting together--"Wrestle Heist," isn't avoiding any genre tropes as opposed to having a lot of fun with them! The big Thanksgiving wrestling showcase of, "Fightsgiving," is Steele's target, and enough people clearly have been done wrong by Buddy that he'll be able to get some accomplices.

I've talked about the stealing, but what about the wrestling? Well, Kyle Starks is superb at illustrating the kinetic scenes of, "Fighting," whether it is the orchestrated aspects or when Steele is genuinely betrayed and hurt by real violence in the ring, made to look like an accident. Starks has always excelled at showing readers intense action scenes with his art, and "Wrestle Heist," serves as another great showcase for his abilities--other reviewers agree it is a superb read as well. This is a comic by someone who knows how to be critical of the industry of professional wrestling, but clearly adores the artform as well. I loved this first issue and can't wait to see how Steele and his friends pull off their caper!

5 out of 5 Stars.

"Where Monsters Lie: Cull-De-Sac," Should be an Exciting Sequel!

Some time ago, I wrote about how much I enjoyed the debut issue of, "Where Monsters Lie," and the whole mini-series ended up being quite a treat. Focused on a secret gated community where slasher-type folks lived when not out doing crimes, it was a hilarious dark comedy. The series ended with the community found by the authorities and destroyed, but a cliffhanger revealed there was another subdivision called, "Site B." Now, it has been announced that, "Where Monster's Lie: Cull-De-Sac," is coming around this Halloween! The extra, "L," makes for a nice pun.

The latest mini-series will be four issues in the same manner as the debut run. I'm pleased this features the original creative team of writer Kyle Starks and the stellar artist Piotr Kowalski as both are fantastic. I can't wait to see what the new horror-inspired location will have in store for us readers and I eagerly look forward to the first issue this October!

The First Two Issues of, "Peacemaker Tries Hard," Are a Hoot

"Peacemaker Tries Hard," is a comic that will appeal to a variety of people. If you like the work of the very talented writer (and artist, but not on this comic) Kyle Starks, you're in for a treat. Should you be a fan of legendary artist Steve Pugh, you'll have fun. Perhaps you enjoyed the most recent, "Suicide Squad," movie and/or its, "Peacemaker," spin-off sequel? Well, this nails almost the exact same tone in its story of Chris Smith (his civilian name) struggling to make friends and otherwise feel appreciated for his unending quest for peace via extreme violence.

The second issue came out this week and between the debut and this follow-up, I'm simply having a blast with this mini-series. It is under DC's Black Label so it doesn't shy away from swear words, violence, and otherwise being over-the-top in its action while managing to feel a bit melancholy and grounded as its apparent despite all his bluster, Peacemaker really just wants a buddy. The first issue has him finding a dog who enjoys his company, but then Bruce Wayne (that's the dog's name) ends up kidnapped by a funny villain with an elaborate plan and things get increasingly zanier. The entire time Steve Pugh's art is just gorgeous so I tip my hat to him for such beautiful illustrations. Between how funny Stark's writing is and the beauty of Pugh's art this mini-series has been a treat already. I can't wait for the next issues!

5 out of 5 stars.

"Where Monsters Lie," #1 is a Clever Take on the Mythology of Horror

Occasionally someone will jokingly ask a question along the lines of, "What does Jason do when it isn't a Friday the 13th?" or, "Wouldn't someone be suspicious of Jigsaw when he buys all the zany supplies for his deathtraps or needs help setting them up? Well, "Where Monsters Lie," takes that question head-on, bringing us the story of a gated community for serial killers, supernaturally powerful slashers, and there is obviously at least one murderous clown. Welcome to Wilmhurst.

It isn't clear exactly why this community exists and why it helps the killers stay shielded from society, plan their sprees, and buy the occasional snacks at the supermarket so they don't spook the locals, but hints are dropped about serving evil/Satan and plenty of ground is covered in this debut issue so I imagine future ones will lay things out even further. Whether arguing about messy trash cans being an HOA violation or who gets to go slaughter a local fair, there is a dark humor to the comic as it both lovingly alludes to horror tropes (the community is who helps sneak the seemingly-dead killers away anytime they're caught and allegedly killed) and deconstructs them--can a monster lose its edge and find more joy in gardening than slicing-up teenagers at a Summer camp?

Kyle Starks writes the comic and balances the macabre and silly with skilled ease. Piotr Kowalski's artwork is something I have been a big fan of since I first discovered his work on the seemingly-on-an-eternal-hiatus series, "Sex," with Joe Casey, and he continues to impress here. The colors by Vladimir Popov are a treat too, giving the seemingly serene setting of Wilmhurst a calm and muted tone while the killers seem to, "Pop," more against their seemingly benign homesteads. Everyone makes for a fantastic creative team and based on a surprising cliffhanger at the end of the issue which hints Wilmhurst might find its quiet days already coming to an end, I'm curious where the comic might be going as Starks could've spent tons of issues just exploring the day-to-day at Wilmhurst. However, after the debut issue, he seems to already be blowing up any hinted-at status quo. I would say, "Where Monsters Lie," is required reading for anyone who enjoys horror movies or clever explorations of them.

5 out of 5 stars.

"Space Jam," Meets, "Fright Night," in a New Comic Title, "Old Head," by Kyle Starks and That Sounds Awesome

Kyle Starks is a fantastic comic creator whether he's writing, drawing, or doing both. He has a new original graphic novel titled, "Old Head," coming in August (published by Image) that sounds like a real treat. The press release for it says, "Perhaps best described as Space Jam meets Fright Night, this hilarious new story follows a former basketball star when he returns home for his mother’s funeral. What he doesn’t expect is to learn of her mysterious past, his destiny, and to find himself embroiled in a decades-long blood feud with Dracula himself." 

Starks goes on to say within the release, "I'm really excited for folks to finally get to read, 'Old Head,' an examination of legacy and toxic masculinity viewed through the lens of a father and daughter fighting sex monsters." An exploration of toxic masculinity? Sex monsters? Yes, please! I'll be keeping an eye out for, "Old Head," and would encourage you to ask your favorite comic-book store/bookshop to get you a copy!

Attend the Micro Con Next Sunday!

A week from today STL Comics will be holding their latest Micro Con! Yes, Sunday at 10AM through 3PM there will be (as the banner says) comics, toys, and artists. One big guest at the show is none other than Kyle Starks who at a different previous convention drew me a stellar Moon Knight. He's super-talented and quite nice, so it is awesome he will be there. In addition, other guests such as Jeff Ewards and my friend Lorenzo Lizana will be at the show with a whole lot of fantastic vendors. The show will take place at the Manhattan Antique Marketplace (10431 Saint Charles Rock Road, Saint Ann, Missouri 63074), and is completely free to attend. I look forward to the show and hope to see you there!

April Brings Showers, and Links!

April Brings Torrential Rain

We are into early-April now, and based on all the flooding issues affecting people here in Missouri, clearly there have been plenty of, "April Showers," in addition to the downpours we got at the end of March (so much for it coming in a like and lion and leaving like a lamb). I've got an assortment of interesting news and links so let's just dive-into them as opposed to swimming in one of the overflowing rivers, shall we?

A Sampling of News

The whole time Bioware was promoting, "Anthem," it just sounded a bit like an unclear concept of a game that was going to be a mess. It has not done well critically or commercially since its release and according to this big article from Kotaku (where they spoke with a number of developers under the condition of anonymity) that's because for quite a lot of its development the game was a shambling mishmash of ideas and half-formed concepts. Yeah, I have no desire to play it.

It is depressing to learn a comic creator I liked, Jai Nitz, has turned out to be a serial harasser of women who forces his unwanted affections upon them. Whenever I spoke with him via Twitter a few times or met him at a Wizard World show in the past he was perfectly pleasant and polite with me--but then again, I'm a 30-year-old male, and Nitz apparently really likes to creep on barely-legal or just-of-drinking-age women. As more women have come forward Nitz has stated he plans to leave comics and seek counseling for his behavior.

Considering how much my wife and I enjoyed the first season of, "The Umbrella Academy," it is great news to hear the show is officially renewed for a second season on Netflix with everyone having re-signed on for 10 more episodes of zany madness. Plus, this means Gerard Way and Gabriel Bá will have to keep making more comics to give the show further material to draw from, so it is a win-win all around for us fans of the printed and streamed versions!

A random 49-second video of lights being tested.

There is a strangely-fascinating website that loads only Youtube videos with the default filename--e.g. they are watchable by the public but were uploaded more for one person to watch or just to send to the uploader's friends. This results in an assortment of random filmed pieces. When I used it I witnessed a dog running-through an obstacle course as its trainer hollered directions, a man giving a speech at a Turkish-American community center about cultural identity, an adorable little-kid dance recital, 7 minutes of someone's cat eating dry-food and then grooming itself, and some grainy footage of fireworks over a lake. As someone who has always been intrigued by the kind of odd-stuff found on Public Access channels or the more esoteric cable stations, this is the kind of thing I find quite interesting.

A woman who quite possibly could be a foreign spy was able to infiltrate President Donald Trump's favorite hideaway, Mar-a-Largo, with all kinds of tech equipment including a thumb-drive loaded with Malware. How did she get into what was supposed to be an extremely secure area considering Trump was there golfing (not shocking) as she wandered about? She lied about having a reason to be on the property. That's it, she lied and people took her word for it until she got her story mixed-up and a receptionist called the cops upon realizing something was amiss. What the Hell, people? Is this a case where Trump's resort needs more security or has our President's incompetence simply worn-off onto Secret Security as well?

I want to watch Jordan Peele's new take on, "The Twilight Zone," as soon as possible, having seen it getting reviews that range from, "Good," to, "Amazing," depending on what reviewers think of particular episodes. It is annoying as Hell however that I might have to buy a subscription (however brief) to CBS All-Access in order to get to watch the damn show beyond its premiere (which can be streamed for free, for now at least). Maybe when I have some free time to binge the show after all the episodes are released I'll take advantage of the free trial-week and attempt to engulf the whole season before I have to pay any cash.

I haven't reviewed it yet as I wanted to read another issue or two so as to really get a handle on the direction of the series, but, "Assassin Nation," by Kyle Starks and Erica Henderson had a stellar first issue I loved, and I look forward to the above-pictured second issue due April 17th. I look forward to more of who I already feel is the breakout character, "Fuck Tarkington."

For those who have been following, "The Immortal Hulk," you may know it has become a smash-hit series with earlier issues now fetching a pretty penny as well as there money being made off issues from previous series that feature characters now playing a role in the comic. One thing that many people had debated was if Bruce Banner's on-again-off-again girlfriend Betty Ross would manifest any kind of Hulk-powers as the general theme of the comic has been a person who once had Hulk-abilities can develop them again without warning. The problem was people didn't know if Betty would turn into Harpy or Red She-Hulk, having been one decades ago and the other a handful of years in the past. This resulted in everybody buying/selling Betty's first appearances as Harpy AND Red She-Hulk in a panic. Well, today's release of #16 of, "Immortal Hulk," revealed that after almost getting mortally wounded in an earlier issue Betty has turned into...a Red Harpy. I find this fun as it means everyone wins in their predictions, kinda!

Lastly, the trailer for the upcoming, "Joker," movie was released and it looks quite different from any other DC film that has been released lately. This is not necessarily a bad thing considering just how much damage Zack Snyder arguably did to the brand before DC realized it was okay to lack an interconnected Universe of flicks and just make interesting movies instead.

Have a Great Month!

I hope we all enjoy April as it has a lot going on (for me especially) and that everyone manages to stay dry.

Issue #2 is Already Out, but Here is a Glowing Review of, "Mars Attacks," #1!

I am a big fan of Kyle Starks, enjoying both his writing and art-work. He was kind enough to make me an amazing sketch of Moon Knight when I last saw him at a local Wizard World, and I've continued to follow his projects with enthusiasm. He is the writer for the latest, "Mars Attacks," comic published by Dynamite and Chris Schweizer contributes the great artwork, resulting in a new comic I already love.

"Mars Attacks," for those only vaguely familiar with the brand, was a trading-card series released by Topps that developed a cult following, later had further cards released as well a comics by Topps (they published comics for a bit some years ago), was made into a Tim Burton-directed movie that I think is charmingly weird, but tragically was a box-office bomb, and has continued to enjoy a cult-style popularity thanks to its mixture of sci-fi and dark humor. Kyle Starks' writing style fits this perfectly as his past projects would show, and Chris Schweizer's art is pitch-perfect for the book as well. The majority of this issue follows a young man visiting his father at a retirement home as they learn about the alien invasion and proceed to try and escape--with the book then pivoting to displaying what is going on at a National-scale as an issue-closer. The comic is loaded with humor, discussing how the martians kind of look like walking testicles, discussion of how an elderly woman name Shirley who cheats at bingo arguably deserves the vaporization she receives, and things generally are wacky and hilarious.

I am thankful that Topps, despite no long doing comics themselves, licensed Dynamite the rights to make a, "Mars Attacks," series, and I'm double-thankful such a fantastic creative team for this property, Starks and Schweizer, are making this book. The 2nd issue just recently came out and I'm going to be sure to grab it, and I would encourage you to purchase these initial issues as well!
5 out of 5 stars.

Stuff I Got--Wizard World Saint Louis 2018

Getting the Goods!
When I visit a con I always am excited to see what treasures I'll find to buy or trade my own stuff for. This year I did not get too many items as I've been downsizing my collection more than anything to make space for Clarkson and all of his stuff. That said, there were still some good finds at the show I wanted to share about.

The Stuff
Signed Books
At this year's Wizard World I was pleased to have multiple creators sign comics featuring their work. Kyle Starks was generous enough to do a little sketch on my copy of, "Rock Candy Mountain #1," as you can see:

Plus Jai Nitz signed his new comic, "Chasing Hitler," for me:

Lastly, the talented Jamie Tyndall signed a variant cover of, "Danger Doll Squad #0," I brought to the show:

Bought Stuff
At this years show I tried and loved the, "Swamp Dragon Hot Sauce," so I bought a sampler pack of all four flavors:

Also, Dan Killeen of Happy Fun Books had his latest publication, Robert and the Robots for sale, so I eagerly bought that to read to my son, Clarkson:

Bill Thade traded one of my old indie comics for one of his, so I was able to pick-up this copy of Richard Corben's book, "Fantagor," to enjoy:

Then, I was super-pleased that Kyle Starks was willing to let me pay for him to draw me a sketch of Moon Knight. It came out amazing and is proudly displayed in my house with all my other Moon Knight stuff now. He really did a stellar job--for example, you may notice how his shadow is a crescent like the moon:

Great Mementos
I did not buy a lot this year, but what I did purchase I am very pleased with, and I also greatly appreciated the creators who signed my books. I have some great mementos from this year's show for sure!

The People I Saw--Wizard World Saint Louis 2018

Always Cool People
Anytime I go to Wizard World I see all kinds of neat vendors, artists, and general snazzy folk. I wanted to share about the individuals I especially enjoyed chatting with and shall present them in alphabetical order by either their company name, or last name.

The List

Ryan Callahan
Chef Ryan Callahan was at the show with his award-winning book, "Chef Ryan's How-To-Cook Handbook," that is a combination of a comic, cookbook, and coloring book! It is designed to appeal to kids but has information useful to adult who is only so-so at cooking like myself. Readers can draw themselves into the book, learn all about cooking, and make various recipes. I looked through the book at the show and found it really neat! You can learn more about Chef Ryan and his book here.

Caesar Crawford
I'd actually met Caesar at a previous comic-con a long time ago when he worked for a magazine, but since then he has gone on to become a comic-creator with all kinds of stellar work coming out from his imprint, Revil Comics. He's a great artist and super guy as well. His site is here.

Scott Drummond
Mr. Drummond was at Wizard World promoting the two volumes that have come out so far for his comic series, "Nightsmoke." It sounded look a cool read with its story of a young boy and girl who acquire powers (he can relax his molecules and turn to air, she can focus her molecules and be rock-solid) and have to deal with all the havoc that causes. You can learn more about, "Nighsmoke," here.

Chris Ehnot
I enjoyed chatting with Chris Ehnot about his work creating cover illustrations for everyone from Zenescope to Coffin Comics. As we are both nerds for things like the kind of paper-stock used on business cards or prints we spent a good chunk of time talking about the printing process for the prints he makes of his work and how he keeps them looking glossy without it wearing off. Anyone who walked by us having this conversation probably thought we were either weird, crazy, or boring. I swear after speaking with Chris I'm sure we are just weird and crazy. You can visit his website and see his work here.

Comic-Con Store
I had a great time talking with Joseph of the, "Comic-Con Store," at Wizard World. He had a bunch of awesome collectibles and Funko Pops. You can visit his site here.

End Zone Collectibles
I had a great time chatting with End Zone Collectibles as its founder and I both have lived in (or in his case, currently live in) the state of New York. He had a variety of stellar toys and action figures for sale and you can view many of his wares on their website.

Fearless Readers
Bill Thade of, "Fearless Readers," was at the show with a ton of awesome comics for sale, and a sizable collection of cool indie and underground books. If you ever want to contact bill about his wide-range of titles email him here.

Fine Comic Collectibles
There were a number of people selling products to store your comics, Funko Pops, and so forth at the show, but I was most impressed with Fine Comic Collectibles. The retailer at the booth was a super nice guy named Russel whom I talked with about comics, anime, and all kinds of geeky subjects. I did not feel pressured at all to buy stuff, with him saying how he isn't someone to do a, "Hard-sell," as he feels his prices speak for themselves--and he had some stellar prices. You can visit Fine Comic Collectibles on the internet here.

François le Foutre
Mr. Foutre was at the show in full pirate regalia with his boks that are a part of, "The Seaman Sexology," or as he put it, "Gay pirate romance adventures." The books are very funny, clearly erotic, and I was impressed with how Mr. Foutre's table had a bunch of old-timey pirate stuff and even more impressed with how he managed to make almost everything he said a hilarious and dirty pun. You can learn more about his books here.

Gateway Superfriends
The Gateway Superfriends are a popular Saint Louis cosplay group dedicated to charity work. Whether it is visiting kids in hospitals, assisting with big fundraising events, or anything else. They are a great group of people who really care a lot. You can find their Facebook page here.

Happy Fun Books/Dan Killeen
Dan Killeen of Happy Fun Books was at Wizard World, and I of course always enjoy his books. He was there with his latest publication, "Robert and the Robots," which I eagerly bought and am excited to read to my son, Clarkson. Check-out Happy Fun Books here!

Keith on Da Beat
I chatted with the folk at the booth for local radio station, 104.9, and greatly enjoyed my conversation with Keith, or Keith on Da Beat, if one is referring to his DJ persona. He was great to chat with and can be found on twitter here.

Kingdom Comics
Brian C. I. Bradley of, "Kingdom Comics," was at the show selling copies of his ongoing series, "The Anointed 7," a religion-themed series. It is up to issue #25, which is an impressively high number for an indie book! You can learn more about, "Kingdom Comics," and their books here.

Jai Nitz
I am a big fan of a variety of Mr. Nitz's comics and he was kind enough to sign a number of them for me! He is known for a wide assortment of works, including El Diablo. You can say hello to him on Twitter here.

Online Starlets
I saw a booth with some cosplayers handing out cards, which isn't abnormal for professional cosplayers. I also saw they had prints for sale of them in various outifts, which again is common. The more surprising thing was they were handing out cards for a website that appears to specialize in softcore-ish cosplay-themed pornography. I don't have anything against porn, and it is fascinating to think how geek culture has grown so much in popularity there are now whole websites dedicated not just to women in various states of undress, but getting naked while dressed as assorted super-heroes. Their site is here, and obviously not safe-for-work.

 Shorething Collectables
The folk from Shorething had so, so many Funko Pops at the show. It was amazing to look at the wide variety and they had almost anything I asked about in stock. Visit their website here!

Spike
"Spike," is the name of the man also known as, "That Lost in Space Guy," who sells classic toys and comics. He was fantastic to chat with and had some good books for sale at the show! His website is here.

Kyle Starks
Mr. Starks is behind a number of stellar comics, such as, "Sexcastle," "Rock Candy Mountain," and he is currently writing (and sometimes illustrating), the massively-popular, "Rick and Morty," comic. He was a hoot to talk with at the show and kind enough to let me commission him to draw me a stellar Moon Knight picture, which I'll share in my later post about the cool stuff I got at the show. Kyle Starks' website is located here.

Swamp Dragon Hot Sauce
I was intrigued when I heard about Swamp Dragon as their hot sauce does not use vinegar as a preservative, which can give hot sauce a, "Meh," taste. Instead they use trace amounts of alcohol which gives the sauce a nice smooth flavor. They have four flavors, Tequlia, Rum, Bourbon, and Vodka. I got the four-pack of all the flavors as they all were stellar. You can order some for yourself online here.

Jamie Tyndall
Jamie Tyndall makes awesome-looking comic covers with his neat faux-magazine style. I always enjoy seeing him at shows and chatting. His stuff can be found online here.

Wayne Kent Comics
My good chum Justin of Wayne Kent comics was at Wizard World with a smorgasbord of books. He also had an old, "Captain America," title a friend who I explored the show with Friday wanted so they were able to cut a deal! Wayne Kent comics is on Facebook here.

Wild Bill's Soda
The old-fashioned soda of Wild Bill is always tasty!

So Many Awesome Folk!
I got to either meet or see again a number of cool people. It was fantastic chatting with everyone and my next post will cover the cool stuff I got at the show!