Whatcha Readin'? 5/22/06
May. 22nd, 2006 10:46 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
jkcarrier
Massive catch-up review post, including my SPACE haul, recent mainstream purchases, and a pile of random new & old comics that Laura Gjovaag sent me as a thank-you for helping sponsor her in a Breast Cancer Walk. I think I got just about everything, but if you've sent me a minicomic or something and I skipped it, give me a nudge and I'll be sure to rectify the error.
THE ADVENTURERS #1
John Yeo, Jr.
B&W minicomic
http://www.screamingmonkeycomics.com
An alien wiseman grants superpowers to group of young men and women in preparation for some impending crisis. A very traditional supers book, reminiscent of the '80s Teen Titans and other team books of the era. Lots of action and wisecracking humor. The art's a bit rough, but overall it's a pleasant enough nostalgia trip.
AFROPHIDIAN #1
Robert Upton
B&W minicomic w/color cover
robert_upton2002@yahoo.com
While visiting a shop full of African antiquities, young Hakim absorbs the power of an ancient mummy and becomes a superhero. Upton makes no bones about his agenda: To create a positive black role-model and contrast him to the gang-bangers infesting the inner city. Refreshingly, whites aren't demonized here. His main concern seems to be black-on-black violence, and Afrophidian's first "arch-villain" is likewise a black man. Whether he can deliver a compelling story over and above the worthwhile "moral" remains to be seen, but he's off to a pretty interesting start.
ALL-COMICS APA #7 & 8
Larned Justin and various
B&W Minicomic
candidcartoons@yahoo.com
A classic amateur press alliance -- each member contributes a couple pages of comics, which the central mailer then collates into an anthology mag. A lot of variety here -- adventure, humor, slice-of-life. Perhaps the most interesting strip is Larry Johnson's, where the artist himself falls into the world of comics and runs into characters he created as a child.
THE AMAZING CYNICALMAN #13 & 14
Matt Feazell
B&W Minicomic
http://www.cynicalman.com
Feazell points out the absurdities of everyday life, lampoons pompous politicians, and delivers one sharp punchline after another. Cynicalman is one of the most consistently funny strips out there.
ANTHEM #1
Roy Thomas and Daniel Acuna
Color full-size comic
http://www.heroicpub.com
In the middle of World War II, a group of volunteers (or were they?) undergo an experiment to give them superpowers. When they wake up, they find that it's a year later, and the Axis powers have managed to take control of both the East and West Coasts of the USA. It's an intriguing enough premise, and it's kind of cool to see "Roy the Boy" back in the saddle, clunky exposition and all.
THE ART OF UKO SMITH's SKETCHBOOK #1
Uko Smith
B&W Minicomic
http://www.ukosmith.com
Pretty much what it says... a collection of convention sketches, preliminary drawings from freelance projects, etc. Lots of pin-up girls in an Adam Hughes-ish style. Some nice work here, unfortunately the reproduction is kind of hit-or-miss, and many of the drawings are printed too small to really appreciate.
AS EAVESDROPPED #2
Suzanne Baumann
B&W Minicomic
http://www.fridge-mag.net
Strange conversations overheard at the office, the mall, conventions, etc. Some pretty funny stuff here.
ASTONISHING X-MEN #14
Joss Whedon and John Cassaday
Color full-size comic
http://www.marvel.com
Emma Frost, whom everyone thought had reformed, turns out to be a mole for the Hellfire Club. The plot's still taking it's sweet time getting anywhere, but at least we get some intriguing revelations about Scott Summers. Of course, this being a franchise book, they'll probably be completely ignored by whoever writes him next, but it's pretty cool nonetheless. Otherwise, the book is just a lot of ominous portents that Something Bad Is Gonna Happen. Hopefully we'll actually see some of it soon.
BATMAN YEAR 100 #1
Paul Pope and Jose Villarrubia
Color full-size comic
http://www.dccomics.com
In a future rigidly controlled by a fascist government, a rebel appears wearing the mantle of an old legend. The setup and execution are very reminiscent of Frank Miller's DARK KNIGHT and YEAR ONE, but Pope's lush and energetic style are all his own. And appropriately, this is probably the most intriguing and exciting Batman has been since Miller's heyday.
THE BEASTS OF BALL POINT
Suzanne Baumann
B&W Minicomic
http://www.fridge-mag.net
A sketchbook of weird critters with names like "D.J. Cohenbread" and "Peter Scrotumtail". Deeply strange and very fun.
THE BEST OF FRED 'N' MARVIN
Tim Corrigan
B&W paperback w/color cover
New Voice Publishing/P.O.Box 25/Houghton, NY 14744
A collection of strips that ran in various minicomic anthologies in the '80s. Fred is a grumpy comics publisher, Marvin is his long-suffering artist, and they have various silly misadventures. The humor is more cute than laugh-out-loud funny, but a few strips push the envelope a bit and get downright surreal (like the one about trying to dispose of King Kong's corpse after his famous fall).
BLINK: EXPERIENCING CREATIVE DIFFICULTIES
BLINK: SPACE TO BREATHE
Max Ink
B&W Minicomic
http://www.onwardstudio.net
Introspective slice-of-life stories with gorgeous artwork. No real "plot" to these stories, it's mainly just Blink and her friend Sam hanging out and pondering the meaning of life. A nice blend of humor, philosophy, and cute girls.
BRATH #7-13
Chuck Dixon, Andrea Di Vito, Roland Paris, and Rob Schwager
Color full-size comic
(published by the defunct CrossGen)
A Celtic warlord is betrayed by his rivals and turned over to the Romans, who send him to the gladiatorial arena. The series has some appealing aspects (I like the fact that Brath's wife doesn't just sit around and wait to be rescued), but it suffers the same problems as a lot of CrossGen's offerings: An excruciatingly slow pace, and a very generic feel. It takes forever for anything to happen, and when it does, it's stuff you've already seen in "Ben Hur", "Spartacus", and a thousand other sword-n-sandal epics. The art's pretty nice (the backgrounds in particular are lushly detailed), but overall it's just not a very compelling read.
CAVEWOMAN: JUNGLE TALES #3
Budd Root
B&W full-size comic w/color cover
http://www.amryl.com
After surviving her previous adventure, Meriem the Cavewoman explores the strange land she's trapped in. I'm a big fan of Root's cheesecake art and pulpy adventure stories, but this issue is kind of a mess. Half the pages look unfinished, and the whole thing seems like padding to set the stage for the (admittedly, kind of cool) cliffhanger. The other half of the book, "Blonde Medusa", seems even more haphazardly thrown-together, with most of the panels being the same piece of artwork, just cropped and modified slightly. Dunno what happened here, but hopefully things will get straightened out in time for the next release.
CLASSIC CARDINAL #2
K.J. Kolka
B&W full size comic w/color cover
http://www.thecardinal.org
An old-fashioned superhero comic with strong Christian themes. The stories try to address various "issues", with mixed results. The plotline involving the hero's girlfriend struggling with depression is well-done, but the one about school bullies seems simplistic and trite. The superhero aspect of the stories is kind of perfunctory -- it seems like the artist really just wants to talk about various social and moral issues, but feels obligated to throw in a couple of fight scenes or whatever. If he could get his plot and his theme to integrate a little more seamlessly, he'd probably have a pretty effective comic.
THE CLOUD...A FABLE
Dan Taylor
B&W Minicomic
taylordwt@aol.com
Interesting little tale about a guy suffering through a string of bad luck. A nice twist at the end, showing that happiness is as much a matter of internal attitude as it is external circumstances.
DAUGHTERS OF THE DRAGON #4
Jimmy Palmiotti, Justin Gray, Khari Evans, and Christina Strain
Color full-size comic
http://www.marvel.com
Two sexy bounty hunters get caught up in a fight between a group of b-grade supervillains and a powerful crime lord. Earlier issues have been pretty lighthearted, but things turn darker here, with a brutal confrontation between Misty and Ricadonna, which in turn dredges up painful memories from Misty's past. Even the goofy villain Humbug gets treated with a certain amount of dignity this time out. This series has been a pleasant surprise; it could have been totally cheesy and exploitive (and in some ways has been), but they keep pulling out smart little touches that elevate it above the average.
DESOLATION JONES #6
Warren Ellis and J.H. Williams III
Color full-size comic
http://www.wildstorm.com
The survivor of a horrific government experiment is now a detective specializing in cases involving other ex-intelligence agents. The first storyline concludes, and Jones does the traditional "gathering together the suspects" thing. Only Jones resolves the mystery in his own style, and it's almost funny in its brutal "cut through the bullshit" efficiency. And while you're still reeling from that, they throw another shocker into the epilogue, just for the hell of it. A powerful comic, with breathtaking artwork.
FIB #1
James Russo and various
B&W full size comic w/color cover
http://www.fibcomics.com
A humor anthology, with most of the stories related in some way to the town of Providence, Rhode Island. It's pretty funny stuff for the most part (aside from some Providence-specific references that I didn't get), with Tom Rebello's hilariously rude strips being a particular highlight.
FRANKENSTEIN #4
Grant Morrison and Doug Mahnke
Color full-size comic
http://www.dccomics.com
In the penultimate chapter of "Seven Soldiers", Frankenstein invades the realm of the Sheeda and confronts their queen. Lots of plot points from the earlier miniseries get expanded on or resolved, and the stage is set for what's sure to be a real barn-burner of a conclusion. These various mini-series don't really stand alone (as they were advertised to), but together they're forming an intriguing tapestry. I can't wait to see the finale, but I'm sure gonna miss it once it's done.
FURRY WIDDLE BUNNY #1
Sean Frost and Nate Higley
B&W minicomic w/color cover
http://www.hulacatcomics.com
Simon is an ordinary office drone who, via various silly circumstances, ends up targeted by an evil conspiracy. Wacky hijinx ensue, as the villains try one crazy scheme after another to wipe him out. It's a hoot. You gotta love a book with a supervillain named "President Evil".
G0DLAND #10
Joe Casey and Tom Scioli
Color full-size comic
http://www.imagecomics.com
An astronaut acquires cosmic powers, only to be kidnapped by a mad scientist. I picked this up after hearing a lot of good buzz about it. I couldn't totally follow it, but it's interesting enough that I'll probably pick up the trade paperback. I'm not a huge fan of Scioli's Kirby pastiches -- the dude needs to seriously develop a style of his own. But Casey at least provides an appropriate story, as loopy and full of weird-ass characters as one of Kirby's '70s books. Worth a look, at least.
THE GOON #17
Eric Powell
Color full-size comic
http://www.darkhorse.com
The only thing worse than an invasion of zombies -- an invasion of baby zombies! It's a typical Goon issue -- lots of smashing and bashing and thoroughly black humor. In some ways it looks like Powell might be heading for some kind of storyline closure... but on the other hand, he might just be trading one set of undead for another and keeping the cycle going. Either way, who cares? It's the Goon!
GREEN PIECE, GALACTIC DETECTIVE: ALMIGHTY THEN
Jason DeGroot and Adam Owen
B&W full size comic w/color cover
http://www.repercussioncomics.com
An alien policeman has to protect a witness -- a fanatical pacifist -- while tracking down a killer. There's some funny bits contrasting the cynical Green Piece with the idealistic Brother Ormony, but the plot just kind of runs around in circles until the inevitable "miracle" at the end. Still pretty fun, and the grayscaled, computer-enhanced art is really slick.
GUARDIANS GALAXIAL SPACEWAYS
Jason DeGroot and Jbrostudio
B&W full size comic w/color cover
http://www.repercussioncomics.com
A motley crew of slacker spacemen have to take on an evil enemy fleet. A very cute space-opera spoof, full of silly characters and slapsticky plot twists. This would make a great cartoon.
INDAVALLEY HIGH #1
Ronson Butler and Dan Kellaway
B&W minicomic
Ronson Butler/7450 N. Greenview #41/Chicago, IL 60626
Rollo, the most popular boy at Indavalley High, has a new pet... a miniature squid that likes to sit on top of his head. His girlfriend Rita is very jealous of this creature, and plots a scheme to separate them. Ronson Butler may be the only "Ameri-manga" artist who's work is as genuinely weird as the real thing! Indavalley is full of baby squids, killer ninjas, eyepatch-wearing cats and other oddities, but somehow it all seems perfectly natural. Dan Kellaway's inks add a nice polish to Ronson's unique style, and it's all very pleasantly strange.
JAY'S DAYS: RISE AND FALL OF THE PASTA SHOP LOTHARIO
JAY'S MINUTES FROM A DAY
Jason Marcy
B&W paperback w/color cover
http:www.jasonmarcy.com
More of Jay's autobiographical strips. RISE AND FALL centers around his wife's pregnancy and the birth of their son, with all the funny, dramatic, and scary moments that entails. Brutally honest and well-observed, Jay does a good job spinning his particular experiences into something universal.
JOHNNY DYNAMITE: UNDERWORLD
Max Allan Collins and Terry Beatty
B&W paperback w/color cover
Starts out as a traditional hard-boiled detective yarn, but takes a strange turn involving voodoo, zombies, and Satan himself. It would be easy for something like this to end up as a total farce, but Collins plays it totally straight, and you end up buying into the crazy premise because the characters are all so sincere about it. Beatty's 1950s-flavored art suits the tone and era perfectly.
JOHNNY PUBLIC #9 & 10
Sean Frost and Wendi Strang-Frost
B&W Minicomic w/color cover
http://www.hulacatcomics.com
The story of a man with a peculiar form of multiple personality disorder continues. A couple of new elements are added to the mix: a small town infested with zombies, and a mysterious woman named Margaret who is recovering from psychological traumas of her own. How all these elements tie together isn't evident yet, but it's fascinating watching it all fall into place. And the art, particularly the color covers, is just stunniing.
KEKIONGA BUG BOOK
Pam Bliss
B&W Minicomic w/color cover
A pair of charming short stories, set in the fictional midwest town of Kekionga. Superheroes, werewolves, aliens, and other oddities abound, but they're played with such deadpan matter-of-factness that they seem like just another quirk of small-town life. Pam's created a unique world, full of fascinating characters and gentle humor.
KITTY LITTER #4 & 5
Ryan Holgersen and Nathan Brewer
B&W Minicomic
http:www.webcomicsnation.com/slackmatic
The wacky adventures of Ryan, Nathan, and Sophie the sarcastic cat. Features trips to the vet, robots, vampires, zombies, and a rain of ketchup. Great goofy fun.
LAST OF THE INDEPENDENTS
Matt Fraction and Kieron Dwyer
B&W paperback w/2-color cover
http://www.ait-planetlar.com
A trio of small-time bank robbers accidentally run afoul of the Mafia. Car chases, gun-fights, and explosions follow. Plays out like a classic '70s action flick, with witty dialogue and well-staged action. Outstanding artwork as well.
THE LONE AND LEVEL SANDS
A. David Lewis and mpMann
B&W paperback w/color cover
A retelling of the Biblical story of Exodus, this time from the point of view of the Pharoah. The different perspective adds new drama to the familiar story, and we get a real sense of Ramses as a man caught between his sense of duty and this implacable supernatural force being hurled against him. A thought-provoking read, with bold & effective artwork.
LOVE AND ROCKETS #16
Jaimie Hernandez and Gilbert Hernandez
B&W full-size comic w/color cover
http://www.fantagraphics.com
Ray is caught between his current on-again-off-again relationship with Viv, and his longing for his old flame, Maggie. Guadalupe tries to keep Hector involved in his children's lives, without getting back together with him. Hopey is trying to make a new direction in her life, but still struggles with relationships and unresolved feelings. The Hernandez boys continue to weave complex stories about complex characters, wrapped up in beautifully understated artwork. It's taken me a while to warm up to Beto's current storylines -- I guess I never really forgave him for abandoning Palomar -- but he finally wore me down, and I enjoyed the latest installment quite a bit.
MAN OF STEEL #6
SUPERMAN #1
John Byrne, Dick Giordano, and Terry Austin
Color full-size comic
http://www.dccomics.com
Superman learns the truth about his origins, and is attacked by a Kryptonite-powered robot. The thing that strikes me most about these Byrne stories is how completely ineffectual Superman is. First Pa Kent has to save him from a malfunctioning hologram, then some off-panel deus ex machina is required to save him from Metallo. Some "world's greatest superhero" you are, hot-shot. It's also interesting to compare the style of these 1986 comics to what's being done now. There's a lot more dialogue-per-panel than you generally see today. On the other hand, you can detect the beginnings of modern "decompression", in that both of these issues are basically a lot of dangling loose ends that never resolve into anything.
NEXTWAVE #4
Warren Ellis and Stuart Immonen
Color full-size comic
http://www.marvel.com
The renegade band of misfit heroes take on a rogue cop who is slowly turning into a giant robot. Fast-paced, clever, and completely irreverent, this is the perfect antidote for all those ponderous superhero books that take themselves too damn seriously.
NOTHING LEFT TO LOSE
Josh Farkas
B&W paperback w/color cover
http://www.refreshingcontent.com
A guy named Joe is having vivid hallucinations about the end of the world. He ends up in a nursing home, where several other patients seem to be tied into the same syndrome? conspiracy? and things escalate from there. The story is very intense, and the layout and design of the pages really enhances the sense of encroaching madness. Inevitably, the weirdness is "logically" explained, which is a bit of an anticlimax, but there's a lot of really interesting and innovative stuff going on here.
OVERTIME FOR BUSINESS CHIMP
Sean Bieri
B&W Minicomic
http://themanwhojaped.blogspot.com
Funny but bittersweet one-panel gags, riffing on the quiet desperation of office workers. Sort of an existential "Dilbert".
OWLY: FLYING LESSONS
Andy Runton
B&W paperback w/color cover
Super-cute, kid-friendly funny animal stories with terrific artwork. There's no dialogue... the characters express themselves through little icons (for instance, a horseshoe = "Good luck!"). It's occasionally a little obscure, but deciphering the symbols is actually part of the fun.
PSYCHOZORT #13-17
Larry Blake
B&W Minicomic w/color cover
Larry Blake/69306 St. Rt. 124/Reedsville, OH 45772
Blake's one-man anthology, featuring his superheroine Nightstar and numerous other characters. Larry's work can veer from old-fashioned mainstream heroes to goofy humor to underground-influenced surrealism (and even his most conventional strips have a bit of a psychedelic edge). The later issues are interesting in that he's pulling together various old strips and characters into one big meta-continuity, pitting his utopian "Pax Force" against the dystopian "Afterworld".
SEX COMIC
Sean Bieri
B&W Minicomic
http://themanwhojaped.blogspot.com
A mix of short, funny strips and longer, more serious ones, all revolving around sex. Bieri plays around with a lot of different styles here... the painterly tonal effects on some of the longer strips is just gorgeous, and really adds to the smoky eroticism there. Great stuff.
SHAOLIN COWBOY #5
Geoff Darrow
Color full-size comic
http://www.burlymanentertainment.com
The Cowboy's desert odyssey continues, as he encounters a massive city carried on the back of an even more massive dinosaur. Equal parts hilarious and incomprehensible (love that faux-distressed cover!), this isn't a book you can really summarize or explain. Either you're along for the strange ride, or not. I'm on board.
SOLO #9
Scott Hampton and John Hitchcock
Color full-size comic
http://www.dccomics.com
An anthology comic spotlighting a different artist each issue. This time out it's Scott Hampton, showing off his beautiful painted style on a Batman tale, a creepy ghost story, a wicked comics industry spoof, an EC Comics homage, and other cool stuff. Great variety and great quality.
THE SPAZ
Aaron Trudgeon
B&W Minicomic
http://www.nofunfilms.com
A stressed-out stick figure guy freaks out when people say silly or obvious things to him. Crudely-drawn, but good for a chuckle.
STRANGETOWN #1
Chynna Clugston and Ian Shaughnessy
B&W full-size comic w/color cover
http://www.onipress.com
A mysterious young woman rents a room at a boarding house full of eccentric characters. I don't know if I'm sold on this one yet. Clugston's artwork is terrific as always, but the characters (aside from the lead) are so in-your-face, "look how wacky I am!" that's it's a little wearying. Of course, you could say the same about "Blue Monday", and I love that series... I dunno, maybe it just works better when all the spazzes are teenagers. But there's some interesting stuff going on here (including the implication that Vanora is some kinda mermaid or something), so we'll see how it goes.
TALES OF FANTASY #32
Larry Johnson
B&W minicomic w/color cover
http://groups.msn.com/LarryJohnsonart
A police detective investigating a stolen statue gets caught up in an ancient mystery involving goddesses and demons. Larry's stories often involve ordinary people who's lives become touched by the supernatural. He has a real knack for developing interesting and believeable characters, which makes the magical stuff easier to swallow (the scenes with Det. Kowalski and his nagging mother are both funny and very true to life). The artwork is very stylized (reminiscent of Steve Ditko in spots), but clean and clear.
TEENY BIKINI
Rob Ullman
B&W Minicomic
http://www.lurid.com
Drawings of nude and scantily-clad ladies. Cute and playful in a '50s pin-up vein.
THAT'S JUST SUPER
Rob Ullman
B&W Minicomic w/color cover
http://www.lurid.com
A funny love triangle involving a couple of superheroes and an ordinary shmoe. Plus a cool fight scene with a Kirbyesque monster. Ullman's "alt-comix meets Bruce Timm" style is very appealing.
THIEF GALLERY
Rene Blansette, Daniel Nauenburg, and Jesse Thomas
B&W full-size comic w/color cover
Rainbow Bridge Productions/P.O. Box 812/Louisville, KY 40201-0812
Pin-ups and a funny short strip, mostly centered around supporting character Adele the Paladin. If you're not already familiar with the "Thief" series, you probably won't get all the references, but Rene's elegant, clean-lined art is always a treat to see.
TOMORROW STORIES SPECIAL #2
Alan Moore and various
Color full-size comic
http://www.wildstorm.com
Moore's ambitious "ABC" line winds down, with short pieces featuring America's Best, Jonni Future, Promethea, and the First American. The FA story, a labored commentary on the Iraq war, drones on for too many pages, but the rest of the entries are a delight. I am really going to miss these characters, but without Alan or Steve Moore working on them, it wouldn't be the same.
TWELVE ANGRY LOVE POEMS
Nan Roberts
B&W minicomic
http://www.plasticfarm.com
I'm not much of a poetry buff, but I like the bluntness and general lack of pretention here. Some of the entries slip into flowery metaphor, but my favorite pieces are the straightforward, confrontational ones: "Don't touch my hair, don't kiss my lips, don't stroke my cheek, don't touch me - anywhere."
TWILIGHT SAMURAIS #2
Kathy Keeter, Judy Keeter, Steve Keeter, and Tony Lorenz
Young student Sami finds out that's she's really one of the "Twilight Samurai", warriors who defend the Earth against evil. The influences here are obvious -- Sailor Moon and other "magical girl" stories. But the Keeters pull off a fun pastiche/spoof/variation full of good humor and some cool character designs.
THE WANG: WHO'S YOUR DADDY?
Stan Yan
B&W paperback w/color cover
http://www.squidworks.com
Hapless stock broker Eugene Wang tries to track down the father he never knew. There's a nice mix of slapstick comedy and genuine mystery here, and Yan's artwork is top-notch. I was bugged by a couple of fake-out dream sequences -- it's like Yan wanted to do something really outrageous, but then chickened out and made the scenes "not real". But overall it's a great read.
WEIRD MUSE MINI COMIX #1 & 2
Dan Taylor
B&W Minicomic
taylordwt@aol.com
A collection of short strips and essays, many with political themes. A lot of variety in a few pages, and nicely assembled -- I like the centerfold collage, which contrasts serious current events with Hollywood's latest banalities.
X-STATIX PRESENTS: DEAD GIRL #4
Peter Milligan, Nick Dragotta, and Mike Allred
Color full-size comic
http://www.marvel.com
The Pitiful One is trying to pierce the veil between the lands of the living and the dead, and only Dr. Strange, Dead Girl, and a group of deceased heroes can stop him. The plot thickens as the two groups manuver against each other, the sweet-but-creepy romance between Dead Girl and Dr. Strange takes some interesting turns, and Guy and Edie's reunion doesn't quite go as planned. Milligan manages to keep both the drama and the black humor cranked up to "11", and gives us the best rendition of Dr. Strange in years.
ZOMBIE PRESCHOOL
Jim Coon
B&W Minicomic w/2-color cover
http://www.ebg.bizhosting.com
A series of gags involving -- you guessed it -- a preschool full of zombies. Darkly funny, if occasionally a bit gross.
ZOMBIE TALES: DEATH VALLEY #1 & 2
Andrew Crosby, Johanna Stokes, and Rhoald Marcellus
Color full-size comic
http://www.boom-studios.com
A zombie plague hits Los Angeles. The only ones not affected are a group of high school students, who have to fight their way out of the city. You could probably get either a really creepy horror story out of this, or a wacky teen comedy. Unfortunately, this book tries to do both, and ends up not doing either very well. The goofy-looking faux-manga art makes it hard to take the zombie threat seriously. On the other hand, the writing isn't really sharp enough to make the humor work. You end up with a lot of annoying, cliched teenagers running around, occasionally meeting a grisly (but silly-looking) demise.
THE ADVENTURERS #1
John Yeo, Jr.
B&W minicomic
http://www.screamingmonkeycomics.com
An alien wiseman grants superpowers to group of young men and women in preparation for some impending crisis. A very traditional supers book, reminiscent of the '80s Teen Titans and other team books of the era. Lots of action and wisecracking humor. The art's a bit rough, but overall it's a pleasant enough nostalgia trip.
AFROPHIDIAN #1
Robert Upton
B&W minicomic w/color cover
robert_upton2002@yahoo.com
While visiting a shop full of African antiquities, young Hakim absorbs the power of an ancient mummy and becomes a superhero. Upton makes no bones about his agenda: To create a positive black role-model and contrast him to the gang-bangers infesting the inner city. Refreshingly, whites aren't demonized here. His main concern seems to be black-on-black violence, and Afrophidian's first "arch-villain" is likewise a black man. Whether he can deliver a compelling story over and above the worthwhile "moral" remains to be seen, but he's off to a pretty interesting start.
ALL-COMICS APA #7 & 8
Larned Justin and various
B&W Minicomic
candidcartoons@yahoo.com
A classic amateur press alliance -- each member contributes a couple pages of comics, which the central mailer then collates into an anthology mag. A lot of variety here -- adventure, humor, slice-of-life. Perhaps the most interesting strip is Larry Johnson's, where the artist himself falls into the world of comics and runs into characters he created as a child.
THE AMAZING CYNICALMAN #13 & 14
Matt Feazell
B&W Minicomic
http://www.cynicalman.com
Feazell points out the absurdities of everyday life, lampoons pompous politicians, and delivers one sharp punchline after another. Cynicalman is one of the most consistently funny strips out there.
ANTHEM #1
Roy Thomas and Daniel Acuna
Color full-size comic
http://www.heroicpub.com
In the middle of World War II, a group of volunteers (or were they?) undergo an experiment to give them superpowers. When they wake up, they find that it's a year later, and the Axis powers have managed to take control of both the East and West Coasts of the USA. It's an intriguing enough premise, and it's kind of cool to see "Roy the Boy" back in the saddle, clunky exposition and all.
THE ART OF UKO SMITH's SKETCHBOOK #1
Uko Smith
B&W Minicomic
http://www.ukosmith.com
Pretty much what it says... a collection of convention sketches, preliminary drawings from freelance projects, etc. Lots of pin-up girls in an Adam Hughes-ish style. Some nice work here, unfortunately the reproduction is kind of hit-or-miss, and many of the drawings are printed too small to really appreciate.
AS EAVESDROPPED #2
Suzanne Baumann
B&W Minicomic
http://www.fridge-mag.net
Strange conversations overheard at the office, the mall, conventions, etc. Some pretty funny stuff here.
ASTONISHING X-MEN #14
Joss Whedon and John Cassaday
Color full-size comic
http://www.marvel.com
Emma Frost, whom everyone thought had reformed, turns out to be a mole for the Hellfire Club. The plot's still taking it's sweet time getting anywhere, but at least we get some intriguing revelations about Scott Summers. Of course, this being a franchise book, they'll probably be completely ignored by whoever writes him next, but it's pretty cool nonetheless. Otherwise, the book is just a lot of ominous portents that Something Bad Is Gonna Happen. Hopefully we'll actually see some of it soon.
BATMAN YEAR 100 #1
Paul Pope and Jose Villarrubia
Color full-size comic
http://www.dccomics.com
In a future rigidly controlled by a fascist government, a rebel appears wearing the mantle of an old legend. The setup and execution are very reminiscent of Frank Miller's DARK KNIGHT and YEAR ONE, but Pope's lush and energetic style are all his own. And appropriately, this is probably the most intriguing and exciting Batman has been since Miller's heyday.
THE BEASTS OF BALL POINT
Suzanne Baumann
B&W Minicomic
http://www.fridge-mag.net
A sketchbook of weird critters with names like "D.J. Cohenbread" and "Peter Scrotumtail". Deeply strange and very fun.
THE BEST OF FRED 'N' MARVIN
Tim Corrigan
B&W paperback w/color cover
New Voice Publishing/P.O.Box 25/Houghton, NY 14744
A collection of strips that ran in various minicomic anthologies in the '80s. Fred is a grumpy comics publisher, Marvin is his long-suffering artist, and they have various silly misadventures. The humor is more cute than laugh-out-loud funny, but a few strips push the envelope a bit and get downright surreal (like the one about trying to dispose of King Kong's corpse after his famous fall).
BLINK: EXPERIENCING CREATIVE DIFFICULTIES
BLINK: SPACE TO BREATHE
Max Ink
B&W Minicomic
http://www.onwardstudio.net
Introspective slice-of-life stories with gorgeous artwork. No real "plot" to these stories, it's mainly just Blink and her friend Sam hanging out and pondering the meaning of life. A nice blend of humor, philosophy, and cute girls.
BRATH #7-13
Chuck Dixon, Andrea Di Vito, Roland Paris, and Rob Schwager
Color full-size comic
(published by the defunct CrossGen)
A Celtic warlord is betrayed by his rivals and turned over to the Romans, who send him to the gladiatorial arena. The series has some appealing aspects (I like the fact that Brath's wife doesn't just sit around and wait to be rescued), but it suffers the same problems as a lot of CrossGen's offerings: An excruciatingly slow pace, and a very generic feel. It takes forever for anything to happen, and when it does, it's stuff you've already seen in "Ben Hur", "Spartacus", and a thousand other sword-n-sandal epics. The art's pretty nice (the backgrounds in particular are lushly detailed), but overall it's just not a very compelling read.
CAVEWOMAN: JUNGLE TALES #3
Budd Root
B&W full-size comic w/color cover
http://www.amryl.com
After surviving her previous adventure, Meriem the Cavewoman explores the strange land she's trapped in. I'm a big fan of Root's cheesecake art and pulpy adventure stories, but this issue is kind of a mess. Half the pages look unfinished, and the whole thing seems like padding to set the stage for the (admittedly, kind of cool) cliffhanger. The other half of the book, "Blonde Medusa", seems even more haphazardly thrown-together, with most of the panels being the same piece of artwork, just cropped and modified slightly. Dunno what happened here, but hopefully things will get straightened out in time for the next release.
CLASSIC CARDINAL #2
K.J. Kolka
B&W full size comic w/color cover
http://www.thecardinal.org
An old-fashioned superhero comic with strong Christian themes. The stories try to address various "issues", with mixed results. The plotline involving the hero's girlfriend struggling with depression is well-done, but the one about school bullies seems simplistic and trite. The superhero aspect of the stories is kind of perfunctory -- it seems like the artist really just wants to talk about various social and moral issues, but feels obligated to throw in a couple of fight scenes or whatever. If he could get his plot and his theme to integrate a little more seamlessly, he'd probably have a pretty effective comic.
THE CLOUD...A FABLE
Dan Taylor
B&W Minicomic
taylordwt@aol.com
Interesting little tale about a guy suffering through a string of bad luck. A nice twist at the end, showing that happiness is as much a matter of internal attitude as it is external circumstances.
DAUGHTERS OF THE DRAGON #4
Jimmy Palmiotti, Justin Gray, Khari Evans, and Christina Strain
Color full-size comic
http://www.marvel.com
Two sexy bounty hunters get caught up in a fight between a group of b-grade supervillains and a powerful crime lord. Earlier issues have been pretty lighthearted, but things turn darker here, with a brutal confrontation between Misty and Ricadonna, which in turn dredges up painful memories from Misty's past. Even the goofy villain Humbug gets treated with a certain amount of dignity this time out. This series has been a pleasant surprise; it could have been totally cheesy and exploitive (and in some ways has been), but they keep pulling out smart little touches that elevate it above the average.
DESOLATION JONES #6
Warren Ellis and J.H. Williams III
Color full-size comic
http://www.wildstorm.com
The survivor of a horrific government experiment is now a detective specializing in cases involving other ex-intelligence agents. The first storyline concludes, and Jones does the traditional "gathering together the suspects" thing. Only Jones resolves the mystery in his own style, and it's almost funny in its brutal "cut through the bullshit" efficiency. And while you're still reeling from that, they throw another shocker into the epilogue, just for the hell of it. A powerful comic, with breathtaking artwork.
FIB #1
James Russo and various
B&W full size comic w/color cover
http://www.fibcomics.com
A humor anthology, with most of the stories related in some way to the town of Providence, Rhode Island. It's pretty funny stuff for the most part (aside from some Providence-specific references that I didn't get), with Tom Rebello's hilariously rude strips being a particular highlight.
FRANKENSTEIN #4
Grant Morrison and Doug Mahnke
Color full-size comic
http://www.dccomics.com
In the penultimate chapter of "Seven Soldiers", Frankenstein invades the realm of the Sheeda and confronts their queen. Lots of plot points from the earlier miniseries get expanded on or resolved, and the stage is set for what's sure to be a real barn-burner of a conclusion. These various mini-series don't really stand alone (as they were advertised to), but together they're forming an intriguing tapestry. I can't wait to see the finale, but I'm sure gonna miss it once it's done.
FURRY WIDDLE BUNNY #1
Sean Frost and Nate Higley
B&W minicomic w/color cover
http://www.hulacatcomics.com
Simon is an ordinary office drone who, via various silly circumstances, ends up targeted by an evil conspiracy. Wacky hijinx ensue, as the villains try one crazy scheme after another to wipe him out. It's a hoot. You gotta love a book with a supervillain named "President Evil".
G0DLAND #10
Joe Casey and Tom Scioli
Color full-size comic
http://www.imagecomics.com
An astronaut acquires cosmic powers, only to be kidnapped by a mad scientist. I picked this up after hearing a lot of good buzz about it. I couldn't totally follow it, but it's interesting enough that I'll probably pick up the trade paperback. I'm not a huge fan of Scioli's Kirby pastiches -- the dude needs to seriously develop a style of his own. But Casey at least provides an appropriate story, as loopy and full of weird-ass characters as one of Kirby's '70s books. Worth a look, at least.
THE GOON #17
Eric Powell
Color full-size comic
http://www.darkhorse.com
The only thing worse than an invasion of zombies -- an invasion of baby zombies! It's a typical Goon issue -- lots of smashing and bashing and thoroughly black humor. In some ways it looks like Powell might be heading for some kind of storyline closure... but on the other hand, he might just be trading one set of undead for another and keeping the cycle going. Either way, who cares? It's the Goon!
GREEN PIECE, GALACTIC DETECTIVE: ALMIGHTY THEN
Jason DeGroot and Adam Owen
B&W full size comic w/color cover
http://www.repercussioncomics.com
An alien policeman has to protect a witness -- a fanatical pacifist -- while tracking down a killer. There's some funny bits contrasting the cynical Green Piece with the idealistic Brother Ormony, but the plot just kind of runs around in circles until the inevitable "miracle" at the end. Still pretty fun, and the grayscaled, computer-enhanced art is really slick.
GUARDIANS GALAXIAL SPACEWAYS
Jason DeGroot and Jbrostudio
B&W full size comic w/color cover
http://www.repercussioncomics.com
A motley crew of slacker spacemen have to take on an evil enemy fleet. A very cute space-opera spoof, full of silly characters and slapsticky plot twists. This would make a great cartoon.
INDAVALLEY HIGH #1
Ronson Butler and Dan Kellaway
B&W minicomic
Ronson Butler/7450 N. Greenview #41/Chicago, IL 60626
Rollo, the most popular boy at Indavalley High, has a new pet... a miniature squid that likes to sit on top of his head. His girlfriend Rita is very jealous of this creature, and plots a scheme to separate them. Ronson Butler may be the only "Ameri-manga" artist who's work is as genuinely weird as the real thing! Indavalley is full of baby squids, killer ninjas, eyepatch-wearing cats and other oddities, but somehow it all seems perfectly natural. Dan Kellaway's inks add a nice polish to Ronson's unique style, and it's all very pleasantly strange.
JAY'S DAYS: RISE AND FALL OF THE PASTA SHOP LOTHARIO
JAY'S MINUTES FROM A DAY
Jason Marcy
B&W paperback w/color cover
http:www.jasonmarcy.com
More of Jay's autobiographical strips. RISE AND FALL centers around his wife's pregnancy and the birth of their son, with all the funny, dramatic, and scary moments that entails. Brutally honest and well-observed, Jay does a good job spinning his particular experiences into something universal.
JOHNNY DYNAMITE: UNDERWORLD
Max Allan Collins and Terry Beatty
B&W paperback w/color cover
Starts out as a traditional hard-boiled detective yarn, but takes a strange turn involving voodoo, zombies, and Satan himself. It would be easy for something like this to end up as a total farce, but Collins plays it totally straight, and you end up buying into the crazy premise because the characters are all so sincere about it. Beatty's 1950s-flavored art suits the tone and era perfectly.
JOHNNY PUBLIC #9 & 10
Sean Frost and Wendi Strang-Frost
B&W Minicomic w/color cover
http://www.hulacatcomics.com
The story of a man with a peculiar form of multiple personality disorder continues. A couple of new elements are added to the mix: a small town infested with zombies, and a mysterious woman named Margaret who is recovering from psychological traumas of her own. How all these elements tie together isn't evident yet, but it's fascinating watching it all fall into place. And the art, particularly the color covers, is just stunniing.
KEKIONGA BUG BOOK
Pam Bliss
B&W Minicomic w/color cover
A pair of charming short stories, set in the fictional midwest town of Kekionga. Superheroes, werewolves, aliens, and other oddities abound, but they're played with such deadpan matter-of-factness that they seem like just another quirk of small-town life. Pam's created a unique world, full of fascinating characters and gentle humor.
KITTY LITTER #4 & 5
Ryan Holgersen and Nathan Brewer
B&W Minicomic
http:www.webcomicsnation.com/slackmatic
The wacky adventures of Ryan, Nathan, and Sophie the sarcastic cat. Features trips to the vet, robots, vampires, zombies, and a rain of ketchup. Great goofy fun.
LAST OF THE INDEPENDENTS
Matt Fraction and Kieron Dwyer
B&W paperback w/2-color cover
http://www.ait-planetlar.com
A trio of small-time bank robbers accidentally run afoul of the Mafia. Car chases, gun-fights, and explosions follow. Plays out like a classic '70s action flick, with witty dialogue and well-staged action. Outstanding artwork as well.
THE LONE AND LEVEL SANDS
A. David Lewis and mpMann
B&W paperback w/color cover
A retelling of the Biblical story of Exodus, this time from the point of view of the Pharoah. The different perspective adds new drama to the familiar story, and we get a real sense of Ramses as a man caught between his sense of duty and this implacable supernatural force being hurled against him. A thought-provoking read, with bold & effective artwork.
LOVE AND ROCKETS #16
Jaimie Hernandez and Gilbert Hernandez
B&W full-size comic w/color cover
http://www.fantagraphics.com
Ray is caught between his current on-again-off-again relationship with Viv, and his longing for his old flame, Maggie. Guadalupe tries to keep Hector involved in his children's lives, without getting back together with him. Hopey is trying to make a new direction in her life, but still struggles with relationships and unresolved feelings. The Hernandez boys continue to weave complex stories about complex characters, wrapped up in beautifully understated artwork. It's taken me a while to warm up to Beto's current storylines -- I guess I never really forgave him for abandoning Palomar -- but he finally wore me down, and I enjoyed the latest installment quite a bit.
MAN OF STEEL #6
SUPERMAN #1
John Byrne, Dick Giordano, and Terry Austin
Color full-size comic
http://www.dccomics.com
Superman learns the truth about his origins, and is attacked by a Kryptonite-powered robot. The thing that strikes me most about these Byrne stories is how completely ineffectual Superman is. First Pa Kent has to save him from a malfunctioning hologram, then some off-panel deus ex machina is required to save him from Metallo. Some "world's greatest superhero" you are, hot-shot. It's also interesting to compare the style of these 1986 comics to what's being done now. There's a lot more dialogue-per-panel than you generally see today. On the other hand, you can detect the beginnings of modern "decompression", in that both of these issues are basically a lot of dangling loose ends that never resolve into anything.
NEXTWAVE #4
Warren Ellis and Stuart Immonen
Color full-size comic
http://www.marvel.com
The renegade band of misfit heroes take on a rogue cop who is slowly turning into a giant robot. Fast-paced, clever, and completely irreverent, this is the perfect antidote for all those ponderous superhero books that take themselves too damn seriously.
NOTHING LEFT TO LOSE
Josh Farkas
B&W paperback w/color cover
http://www.refreshingcontent.com
A guy named Joe is having vivid hallucinations about the end of the world. He ends up in a nursing home, where several other patients seem to be tied into the same syndrome? conspiracy? and things escalate from there. The story is very intense, and the layout and design of the pages really enhances the sense of encroaching madness. Inevitably, the weirdness is "logically" explained, which is a bit of an anticlimax, but there's a lot of really interesting and innovative stuff going on here.
OVERTIME FOR BUSINESS CHIMP
Sean Bieri
B&W Minicomic
http://themanwhojaped.blogspot.com
Funny but bittersweet one-panel gags, riffing on the quiet desperation of office workers. Sort of an existential "Dilbert".
OWLY: FLYING LESSONS
Andy Runton
B&W paperback w/color cover
Super-cute, kid-friendly funny animal stories with terrific artwork. There's no dialogue... the characters express themselves through little icons (for instance, a horseshoe = "Good luck!"). It's occasionally a little obscure, but deciphering the symbols is actually part of the fun.
PSYCHOZORT #13-17
Larry Blake
B&W Minicomic w/color cover
Larry Blake/69306 St. Rt. 124/Reedsville, OH 45772
Blake's one-man anthology, featuring his superheroine Nightstar and numerous other characters. Larry's work can veer from old-fashioned mainstream heroes to goofy humor to underground-influenced surrealism (and even his most conventional strips have a bit of a psychedelic edge). The later issues are interesting in that he's pulling together various old strips and characters into one big meta-continuity, pitting his utopian "Pax Force" against the dystopian "Afterworld".
SEX COMIC
Sean Bieri
B&W Minicomic
http://themanwhojaped.blogspot.com
A mix of short, funny strips and longer, more serious ones, all revolving around sex. Bieri plays around with a lot of different styles here... the painterly tonal effects on some of the longer strips is just gorgeous, and really adds to the smoky eroticism there. Great stuff.
SHAOLIN COWBOY #5
Geoff Darrow
Color full-size comic
http://www.burlymanentertainment.com
The Cowboy's desert odyssey continues, as he encounters a massive city carried on the back of an even more massive dinosaur. Equal parts hilarious and incomprehensible (love that faux-distressed cover!), this isn't a book you can really summarize or explain. Either you're along for the strange ride, or not. I'm on board.
SOLO #9
Scott Hampton and John Hitchcock
Color full-size comic
http://www.dccomics.com
An anthology comic spotlighting a different artist each issue. This time out it's Scott Hampton, showing off his beautiful painted style on a Batman tale, a creepy ghost story, a wicked comics industry spoof, an EC Comics homage, and other cool stuff. Great variety and great quality.
THE SPAZ
Aaron Trudgeon
B&W Minicomic
http://www.nofunfilms.com
A stressed-out stick figure guy freaks out when people say silly or obvious things to him. Crudely-drawn, but good for a chuckle.
STRANGETOWN #1
Chynna Clugston and Ian Shaughnessy
B&W full-size comic w/color cover
http://www.onipress.com
A mysterious young woman rents a room at a boarding house full of eccentric characters. I don't know if I'm sold on this one yet. Clugston's artwork is terrific as always, but the characters (aside from the lead) are so in-your-face, "look how wacky I am!" that's it's a little wearying. Of course, you could say the same about "Blue Monday", and I love that series... I dunno, maybe it just works better when all the spazzes are teenagers. But there's some interesting stuff going on here (including the implication that Vanora is some kinda mermaid or something), so we'll see how it goes.
TALES OF FANTASY #32
Larry Johnson
B&W minicomic w/color cover
http://groups.msn.com/LarryJohnsonart
A police detective investigating a stolen statue gets caught up in an ancient mystery involving goddesses and demons. Larry's stories often involve ordinary people who's lives become touched by the supernatural. He has a real knack for developing interesting and believeable characters, which makes the magical stuff easier to swallow (the scenes with Det. Kowalski and his nagging mother are both funny and very true to life). The artwork is very stylized (reminiscent of Steve Ditko in spots), but clean and clear.
TEENY BIKINI
Rob Ullman
B&W Minicomic
http://www.lurid.com
Drawings of nude and scantily-clad ladies. Cute and playful in a '50s pin-up vein.
THAT'S JUST SUPER
Rob Ullman
B&W Minicomic w/color cover
http://www.lurid.com
A funny love triangle involving a couple of superheroes and an ordinary shmoe. Plus a cool fight scene with a Kirbyesque monster. Ullman's "alt-comix meets Bruce Timm" style is very appealing.
THIEF GALLERY
Rene Blansette, Daniel Nauenburg, and Jesse Thomas
B&W full-size comic w/color cover
Rainbow Bridge Productions/P.O. Box 812/Louisville, KY 40201-0812
Pin-ups and a funny short strip, mostly centered around supporting character Adele the Paladin. If you're not already familiar with the "Thief" series, you probably won't get all the references, but Rene's elegant, clean-lined art is always a treat to see.
TOMORROW STORIES SPECIAL #2
Alan Moore and various
Color full-size comic
http://www.wildstorm.com
Moore's ambitious "ABC" line winds down, with short pieces featuring America's Best, Jonni Future, Promethea, and the First American. The FA story, a labored commentary on the Iraq war, drones on for too many pages, but the rest of the entries are a delight. I am really going to miss these characters, but without Alan or Steve Moore working on them, it wouldn't be the same.
TWELVE ANGRY LOVE POEMS
Nan Roberts
B&W minicomic
http://www.plasticfarm.com
I'm not much of a poetry buff, but I like the bluntness and general lack of pretention here. Some of the entries slip into flowery metaphor, but my favorite pieces are the straightforward, confrontational ones: "Don't touch my hair, don't kiss my lips, don't stroke my cheek, don't touch me - anywhere."
TWILIGHT SAMURAIS #2
Kathy Keeter, Judy Keeter, Steve Keeter, and Tony Lorenz
Young student Sami finds out that's she's really one of the "Twilight Samurai", warriors who defend the Earth against evil. The influences here are obvious -- Sailor Moon and other "magical girl" stories. But the Keeters pull off a fun pastiche/spoof/variation full of good humor and some cool character designs.
THE WANG: WHO'S YOUR DADDY?
Stan Yan
B&W paperback w/color cover
http://www.squidworks.com
Hapless stock broker Eugene Wang tries to track down the father he never knew. There's a nice mix of slapstick comedy and genuine mystery here, and Yan's artwork is top-notch. I was bugged by a couple of fake-out dream sequences -- it's like Yan wanted to do something really outrageous, but then chickened out and made the scenes "not real". But overall it's a great read.
WEIRD MUSE MINI COMIX #1 & 2
Dan Taylor
B&W Minicomic
taylordwt@aol.com
A collection of short strips and essays, many with political themes. A lot of variety in a few pages, and nicely assembled -- I like the centerfold collage, which contrasts serious current events with Hollywood's latest banalities.
X-STATIX PRESENTS: DEAD GIRL #4
Peter Milligan, Nick Dragotta, and Mike Allred
Color full-size comic
http://www.marvel.com
The Pitiful One is trying to pierce the veil between the lands of the living and the dead, and only Dr. Strange, Dead Girl, and a group of deceased heroes can stop him. The plot thickens as the two groups manuver against each other, the sweet-but-creepy romance between Dead Girl and Dr. Strange takes some interesting turns, and Guy and Edie's reunion doesn't quite go as planned. Milligan manages to keep both the drama and the black humor cranked up to "11", and gives us the best rendition of Dr. Strange in years.
ZOMBIE PRESCHOOL
Jim Coon
B&W Minicomic w/2-color cover
http://www.ebg.bizhosting.com
A series of gags involving -- you guessed it -- a preschool full of zombies. Darkly funny, if occasionally a bit gross.
ZOMBIE TALES: DEATH VALLEY #1 & 2
Andrew Crosby, Johanna Stokes, and Rhoald Marcellus
Color full-size comic
http://www.boom-studios.com
A zombie plague hits Los Angeles. The only ones not affected are a group of high school students, who have to fight their way out of the city. You could probably get either a really creepy horror story out of this, or a wacky teen comedy. Unfortunately, this book tries to do both, and ends up not doing either very well. The goofy-looking faux-manga art makes it hard to take the zombie threat seriously. On the other hand, the writing isn't really sharp enough to make the humor work. You end up with a lot of annoying, cliched teenagers running around, occasionally meeting a grisly (but silly-looking) demise.
