"Now," #14 is a Stellar New Entry of the Anthology Series

It's been over two years since the last issue of, "Now," hit the market for our greedy little eyes to enjoy. I say, "Greedy," because this latest issue is thick, and after reading it, I still wanted more! Yes, as you all know, I have always been a fan of comic anthologies. They're a great way to get a sampling of various creators' styles and, "Vibe." Plus, if you don't like one story it usually only is going to be a few pages before you're on to the next one. Fantagraphics was kind enough to provide a copy for me to review when I emailed them/threw a brick through their window with a note attached stating, "Gimmie the book!" I appreciate that as I quite loved the mix of stories and artistry on display in this newest entry. There's some sexy and raunchy humor in Iris Hautaniemi's strip, "Bangable," where a couple about to engage in sex get sidetracked discussing the woman's bangs and if they're great or need work. Kayla E. brings us a terribly depressing tale of childhood longing for parental love and affection wrapped up in a darkly quirky and humorous faux-vintage comic strip style. Scott Marvel Cassidy's piece, "Dear Phony," starts out seeming like a slice-of-life piece before increasing more and more in absurdism. It's good stuff.

My personal two favorite stories were, "Always Good to Catch Up," by Ben Horak and, "A Monty," by Zak Sally. It is interesting how much I loved the two comics, as they couldn't be more different. "Always Good to Catch Up," starts out as a piece about a woman out jogging having to put up with the unending rambling of a male acquaintance she happens to run into whilst in the woods. Things take a turn when a monster appears from the shrubbery, however, and she has to balance running for her life with still trying to acknowledge the unending rambling of her, "Friend," also sprinting alongside her. 

As for, "A Monty," it is an autobiographical story by Sally discussing when he was growing up in the middle of nowhere decades ago. He writes and illustrates how it could be both fun, thanks to an assortment of friends, but difficult due to how his friends (and sometimes him too despite his worries of his own issues) would pick on another boy named Monty who appeared to have some kind of learning disability. It's a meditation on the cruelty of children, adults, and such.

I won't say this 14th issue of, "Now," is utterly perfect, but even the stories I would say were a, "Miss," for me are well done. For example, I've read a number of works by Josh Simmons, and his contribution here, "Working its Way Through Your Guts," is an ominous tale about some kind of contagious illness or creature that just kind of... ends. It almost feels more like the first chapter of a longer story before suddenly stopping. Also, a number of strips by Charles Guthrie are sprinkled throughout this issue and his art style is superb, but his comics are simply a bit weird. Not good or bad, just plain odd. When reading them, I feel like there is some joke I should get, but I'm missing. That said, these are still good comics, even if they didn't please me as much as, say, Maggie Umber's gorgeously bizarre, "Jonsey." It has a cat and wacky waving inflatable tube figures; how can I say no to that?

"Now," #14 goes on sale at all finer comic shops/bookstores/seedy back alleys today. I quite enjoyed this issue and imagine anyone else who gives it a read will find at least one or two tales they really connect with too. If you don't have a local place to get a copy, you can always visit the Fantagraphics site and grab this new issue. I just hope the wait isn't as long between issues this time, because I'm ready for more!

5 out of 5 Stars.

James Gunn and Peter Safran (Mostly) Out of Power at DC/Skydance

I got up this Monday, dragging a bit. The kiddos took forever to get to sleep; I kept getting woken up by various stuff, I needed some coffee. While the pot was brewing, I opened up the usual general and pop-culture news sites I like to check, and it seems James Gunn and Peter Safran are out at DC? What? Forget the coffee, I have questions! I mean, just a month ago it seemed everything was peachy-keen! Now, Jeremy Latcham is stepping into the role of Chief Creative Officer and President of DC Studios AKA all the films and shows DC's been making. Latcham is someone who had a significant role with the MCU up until 2017, when he struck out on his own with Latcham Pictures; it went on to produce a variety of films that ranged in quality and success to a degree where I, personally, don't think it is easy to guess what Latcham is thinking for the DCU. I mean, he has worked on cool stuff like the, "Dungeons and Dragons," film but also was heavily involved in, "Meh," stuff like, "The Breadwinner." Latcham's Marvel history involves a lot of, "Phase 1," stuff from before, "Avengers: Endgame," which afterwards gave us a shakier-in-success MCU. Perhaps Skydance wants some of that, "Earlier MCU,"-styled magic. How did all this happen, though?

James Gunn has said in a public statement that he had a wild four years and is still working on a, "Superman," sequel and writing something else that is unannounced. It all sounds perfectly amicable, but did Gunn want out due to Skydance acquiring everything? Was he fired? A seismic shift such as this with a company's whole film and show slate wouldn't just happen on a whim...would it? At this moment, anyone who knows exactly what's up ain't talking. David Ellison very well could have seen future ideas Gunn and Safran had before going, "Nah." Gunn could have been told what DC's new owner, Skydance, expected, and he and Safran were the ones declining plans. We're still geting, "Man of Tomorrow," with Gunn in the director's chair, allegedly, but how much of it will be tweaked and changed now for whatever new future plans exist for DC's cinematic franchises? What's Peter Safran going to get up to now? All of this just happened today, so I'd think more will be revealed over time. Right now, however, it is a mess.

Early November 2026? Time for a Fun ToyMan Show

The ToyMan Show is always great fun to attend. It is stuffed to the metaphorical gills with comics, toys, DVDs, CDs, VHS, Funko, trading cards, and all kinds of collectibles. I often plan to just go for a brief bit in the morning and end up staying longer than intended due to losing track of the time browsing all the great wares and chatting with the many awesome vendors!

As soon as doors opened, the show got healthily busy.

Clarkson came along with me and enjoyed riding in his cart. We started the show off by saying hello to our friend Spike from Lost in Space Toys and Collectibles. We also chatted with John from Bigfoot Comics and caught up with Tim Metzger. Jack from Fortress Comics had a bunch of cool older books, and we discussed how he'd been doing. I ran into the awesome folks of Go Getter Gamez; we discussed how remakes and remasters have been especially popular lately. They were kind enough to pose for a picture with some of their snazzy wares:

Next, I saw some of the superb folk from Tatertot; they are always a treat! In the upstairs area was the show's special guest, Karen Whitfield, the Bronze Age Batgirl. "From 1978–1985, Karen toured with the legendary Adam West, Burt Ward, and the Caped Crusaders, bringing the excitement of Batman to live audiences," as her official bio shares. As we continued tooling around the show, I saw Kerry O'Brien, and he told me how he had a new book out--a memoir titled, "Emotional Graffiti." Speaking of books, I picked up the latest release from Jacqueline James, "A Thru Z Day at the Zoo." I showed it to Gibson later that day, and he loved saying the alphabet and seeing what letters went with which animals! Here is a photo of my copy:

Other author friends of mine were present as well. I had a lovely time talking with Jessica Mathews about how the family and I had been, then Lindsay Hornsby told me about her recent attendance at SLICE and agreed to draw her interpretation of Moon Knight for me on a sketch card--she'll be in touch in the next day or two with the finished project, and I can't wait! Before heading out from the show, we said hi to Cayden of Tri Fox Shoppe, and he filled us in on how life had been and which keychains and stickers had been selling well versus which had not. It was a cool way to hear about what kind of fandoms seemed to be trending/bigger than others lately. Right before walking out the door, I was able to grab a pretty crisp copy of, "Uncanny X-Men," #221. It's a personal favorite issue of mine thanks to the awesome cover featuring Havok and how it contains the first full appearance of the ever-zany Mr. Sinister. Here's a pic of that:

This ToyMan Show was spectacular. I talked with old friends, made some new ones, browsed a metric ton of nerdy goodies, and Clarkson enjoyed seeing all the items and hanging out in his cart as well. The next show is December 13th, and the December show is always a massive one. I'll see you there at the Machinist Hall (12365 St. Charles Rock Rd, Bridgeton, MO 63044)!

Another Happy Birthday to Samii!

 I wanted to wish my wife, Samii, a happy birthday! We had a fun afternoon going out with our boys, eating some grub, and playing arcade games. She is a wonderful mother to Clarkson and Gibson, in addition to being a caring and hardworking individual in general! Happy birthday, Samii, we love you!

Go Check Out the Autumnal Hobby Street Market on November 15th!

Endless Comics, Games, and Cards are some great folks with snazzy stores and they're helping do a cool event in a smidgen over a week! That's right, not this coming Sunday (it's the next one), there will be the Autumnal Hobby Street Market! There will be a whole mix of folks selling their hobby items, from board games to toys, dice, video-games, comics, and more! It'll be held from 11AM to 2PM on the 15th at 440a Rue Saint Francois in Florissant. It should be a fun time, and I look forward to stopping by!

Two New Horror-Themed Comics From DC Are Quite Fantastic

DC's Absolute line is getting lots of attention lately, but the, "Main," universe hasn't been slouching either! That's especially the case with two newer horror-focused titles that both happen to feature a sole individual as the writer and artist! The books are, "The Demon," by James Harren and, "Jonah Hex and the Shadow of Death," by Michael Walsh. 

"The Demon," is full of mysticism, following Jason Blood as he struggles to contain the power of Etrigan the Demon and stop a supernatural threat involving a desperate Morgaine le Fey, captive Merlin, and all kinds of magical creatures. Harren gives a seemingly, "Normal," Gotham City a fantastical vibe and throws in a nice bit of humor into everything as well, adding some levity to the tale. The two issues that have been released so far are a little scary, but a lot of fun. Meanwhile, the new Jonah Hex comic is a straight-up Western-themed nightmare.

"Jonah Hex and the Shadow of Death," features a retired-from-killing Hex working to forget his violent past on the outskirts of a small town named Ashecott. The problem is, something twisted and evil is working to infect the region under a guise of religious love and vague offers of eternal life. Walsh illustrates the horrors of Hex's mind as they mix with the frights of reality, creating a general eerie concern that everyone is in a whole lot of danger. The first two issues have been gruesome, creepy, and superb.

I'm not sure if, "The Demon," is set to be a mini-series, maxi-series, or ongoing; it is rad enough that I'd say the more the better! "Jonah Hex and the Shadow of Death," was solicited as a six-issue mini-series, but considering it took about a decade and a half since the last Hex-starring series, I'd be perfectly content for this to keep rolling along as well because it is so great! Plus, a bit of Western horror mixed in with all the superhero floppies provides a nice dash of variety.

The Demon (first two issues): 5 out of 5 Stars.

Jonah Hex and the Shadow of Death (first two issues): 5 out of 5 Stars.

"The Myth of 8-Opus," is a New Sci-Fi Comic by Tom Scioli? Yeah, I'm Down for That!

 

Tom Scioli's ability to craft amazing comics results in my considering him a modern master of the art form. Hence, when Image announced a new ongoing series titled, "The Myth of 8-Opus," that got my attention. The man can write, draw, do colors, lettering...I mean, Tom Scioli does it all. As for the plot:

"For centuries, intergalactic peace was kept by the warrior known only as 8-Opus! Ten years ago, he disappeared and chaos reigned supreme. Buried in a techno-cosmic sarcophagus, within a crimson pyramid on a hellish grailworld, kept alive by a combination of science, sorcery, and spite, 8-Opus breaks free, vowing revenge on whoever put him there. If he's going to survive, 8-Opus will have to fight a host of demi-gargoyles, old foes, and even the old friends who've abandoned him to his fate."

That sounds cool, but what's really got me ready to buy this is Scioli's amazing art. He could make a story about how to craft a club sandwich, and I'd probably be enraptured. The first issue of, "The Myth of 8-Opus," is set to hit stores in February of 2027. That's a bit of time away, but for Scioli's great creations, I can wait!

Philbo Distribution Has Plans to Keep Growing

I've written before about how Philbo Distribution exists as a great option for indie and small-press comic companies to get their stuff out to comic shops. To assist the companies making comics and the stores buying them, Philbo has announced a variety of new plans and initiatives. There will be flat 50% off retail pricing for stores (many distributors have order levels for discounts), no minimum order amounts, a shorter FOC (30 days instead of 60 so stores can wait a bit longer for any last-minute orders), and a physical retailer catalog will be available. A limited return program was announced as well (the Direct Market generally has no returns, so that's quite intriguing). 

The printed catalog launches in January, which I imagine will help draw some more eyes to their varied offerings of cool-but-oftentimes-overlooked comic-makers. PRH and Lunar have been great for the, "Big Dogs," of comic-books and some smaller companies, especially since Diamond's outright demise, but having another option for those publishers who are really small or, "Micro-press," if you will, is great too! I wish Philbo Distribution continued growth and success in 2027!

Wait, America, I Have Some Optimism For You?

Well, I started today in a good mood. You see, I've written plenty of times about my views of Donald Trump, his fascist tendencies, and a GOP too scared of him to do anything. As long as Trump could be seen as, "Winning," and getting support, the Republican Party would put up with his outrageous statements, rude behavior, and so forth. Polls showed Republicans could be in trouble in many Midterm contests, but many people disregard polls as overly optimistic/pessimistic. I don't think many polls predicted just how strong of a showing Democrats would have nationwide. Texas has a new Democratic senator, elected a Democratic Governor. Michigan elected Abdul El-Sayed to the Senate--an incredibly smart man who happens to be Muslim and who faced a horrible smear campaign. Democrats took back the Senate and House! In Missouri, we shut down an attempt to re-ban abortion and voted against basically anything our state's GOP tried to push on the people. My district has been stuck with Ann Wagner for years as our person in the House of Representatives, and she lost to Fred Wellman, a Democrat who a number of pundits at first discounted as too progressive or liberal. 

America seems to be seeing that Trump's empty promises of lowering costs, avoiding wars, and otherwise making America great are lies. The rich have funds pouring in while gas is crazy-pricey, groceries suffer, "Shrinkflation," and yelling about how we need the GOP to protect us from those terrfying Transgender people has become apparent as a distraction that scapegoats a minuscule portion of the population. I mean, a transwoman or transman didn't make you pay $100 at the pump just to fill up your car. Many people across America did not vote for Democrats; they voted against Republicans. The Democratic Party excels at screwing things up when stuff has otherwise seemed to be going their way, so while I am shocked to have some optimism, for once, regarding America's future, it comes with trepidation too. The Democrats need to listen to the people who chose them. It is time to deliver on promises of holding Trump accountable for his B.S. as well as prioritizing helping the 99% of the population who don't have millions (or more) in cash sitting in their bank account.

These midterms were a repudiation of Trump. Things are maybe going to get better, but he is only going to get worse. He'll scream, he'll rage-post, and he'll flail about for anyone to blame for how badly the GOP lost when he isn't denying reality and claiming this is somehow an epic level of fraud. The one part of all this that could improve is the GOP maybe, just maybe, realizing Trump has turned into more of a hazard than an asset. If he can't help you win, why grovel at his feet? Why pay him much attention, at all? He's about to have a long two years as a, "Lame Duck," President and for all his bluster and the powers he does have as the Executive Branch, he's been weakened. He has a cult of personality that worships him as an orange God, but they aren't enough anymore. Enough people have shifted away and are thinking for themselves that it truly is a cult--a small, isolated, and admittedly dangerous group...but one with little ability to impact too much change (at least anymore). Trump wants adoration and attention more than anything. This election illustrated he's losing the former and quite possibly now will get a lot less of the latter. I'm not sure Trump feels many emotions, but he doubtlessly is full of fear at the idea of being rendered irrelevant and forgotten. 

We've been living in an American nightmare ever since Trump's second term started. It looks like America maybe, just maybe, woke up to an astonishing degree. Plenty of things can still go wrong, but for once, there is a chance for improvement. A little bit of hope can go a long way, and for the first time in a long time, much of America seems to have aspirations for improvement. We've got a long way to go, but yesterday's Midterms were an integral first step.

Check Out Comic-Book Podcast, "Short Box Dads," Run by Two of my Friends

My friends Austin and Mark recently started doing a podcast focused on comics. Titled, "Short Box Dads," you can find it on Amazon Music, Spotify, and so forth! I just recently finished listening to the fourth episode where the topic of variant and ratio covers was discussed. I quite enjoy SBD as it feels like you're sitting there with Austin and Mark chatting about comics with two enthusiastic guys. I've heard too many podcasts where the host/hosts sound bored with their subject, so I'm glad that isn't the case here. Between Austin being the slightly wackier one and Mark trying to keep things organized and not going too, "Off the rails," it's a stellar show to tune into. Try them out and see what you think!