Black River

Set in a post-apocalyptic world that no one is quite sure how it got that way a group of women, a single fella, and a pair of dogs make for a fabled town called Gattenburg. Gattenburg is rumored to have plenty of food, drink, shelter, and most importantly- ammo! But the road to Paradise is a journey through hell on earth.

  For some reason, I thought that Josh Simmons’ Black River was a Western. It was anything but. By the grim events of this graphic novel’s midpoint, I was seriously wondering just what the hell had I gotten myself into.

  Black River, while intriguing, is the type of work that after you read it, you feel like needing to take a shower. This is not a feel good and be cosy kind of read. Plus I highly doubt that this book would ever see the big screen as several scenes are beyond words.

  I'm really not sure why I finished this book. Maybe it was the promise of a brighter tomorrow for this band of survivors. I was not a fan though the twist ending brought my rating of Black River up a couple of notches… that is until Simmons decided to include a cryptic final scene of what appeared to be a wizard walking in the snow. There's no magic in this graphic novel, so what was that all about?

  Definitely not for kids and the faint of heart. Prospective readers, consider yourself duly warned.

  Not Worth Consuming.

  Rating: 4 out of 10 stars.

Armchair Puzzlers: Optical Teasers by Al Seckel

  

   This collection of optical illusions and visual puzzles is comprised of some classics (like the Duck/Rabbit) and some I've never seen before (like a negative spaced image of Christ.) It was a fun read that boasted solutions to brain  teasers such as which line is longer.
   
   Author Al Seckel is considered a leading expert in visual and sensory illusions. But I wish that the author would've spent a little more time explaining why things were as they seem.  One type of illusion I absolutely hate involves if one area of a picture is lighter or darker than another. The answer is almost always that thewy are the same color. Yet I just can't see it. It's tricks of the eye like that that I wish our resident expert on the field explained why I couldn't see the effects he describes.

   Trippy stuff that needs more to make it a truly enjoyable read. 

   Rating: 6 out of 10 stars.

Hawkeye, Volume 5: All-New Hawkeye

Jeff Lemire’s run on Hawkeye begins with this volume that explores Clint Barton's origin. As the Hawkeyes execute a mission for SHIELD, the situation which involves a trio of children exploited by Hydra experiments into becoming a weapon, things hit too close to home. As a result, Clint keeps flashing back to his early days in the circus and what led him to first become a villain.

Lemeie's story was epic, set in both the past, present, and maybe even the future. But what really sets this All-New Hawkeye apart from Fraction and Aja’s glorious series is the unique art by Ramon Perez. His art that takes place during the present is gritty and chaotic much like the world today. But when the story goes back in time, the artwork changes to an almost water-colored effect, symbolizing Clint's romanticizing of his childhood  which was anything but bittersweet at best.

  I had my reservations about the new team in charge of the Clint and Katie Hawkeye's and their odd relationship. But this volume has put me at ease! Long live the adventures of the all-new Hawkeye team of Lemire and Perez.

  Worth Consuming.

  Rating: 10 out of 10 stars.

Scooby-Doo Team-Up #15 (Family Comic Friday)

Talk about your 'fast food'-
see, the puns are the worst!

When Scooby and the gang assist the Flash in taking down a dragon assailing Central City, the action jumps to deepest darkest Africa. There the residents of Gorilla City have spooked by a ghost ape that warns of terrible doom if the citizens do not abandon the scientific marvel. The Flash and the Mystery Gang race to the scene already assuming who the mastermind behind this caper is- the treacherous Grodd who just escaped his prison cell yet again. However, all bets are off when the simian villain seeks out the Flash to keep the ghostly gorilla from haunting Grodd too!

  

Scooby-Doo Team-Up is one of my favorite comics. So much that I can't wait to find issues in the bargain bin. It's the only book that I buy off the shelf at my favorite used bookstore and LCS, Books Do Furnish A Room. I just hope with DC rebooting the look of the Scoobies that they don't cancel this fantastic series. (Since I love this title, it's days are probably numbered.)

   

 That being said, SDTU is the perfect combination of classic Hanna-Barbera, retro DC Universe and modern pop culture references. I loved when Fred told Flash that he deserves his own TV show! Both fun and funny, (though some of the puns are groaners) this is a great all ages read and at $2.99, friendly on the wallet.

   If you child loves mysteries, superheroes, and cartoons, you need to make this bimonthly book a regular part of their downtime reading!

Worth Consuming!

 
Rating: 9.95 out of 10 because of the bad jokes.

Haven't Been Around Much Lately...

    For some of you, it may seem like 2016 just isn't a certain Madman's year. My goal of posting a review everyday is seemingly a thing of the past. So what happened?

   I got a new job- my dream job actually. I teach culinary one night a week, professionally now at my alma mater. I'm the first in my department to actually come back to that locale and teach culinary to the next generation of budding chefs. 

   You may think teaching only one night a week would mean I was only missing one night's worth of reviews and you would be dead wrong. Every day I find myself grading papers, answering emails, putting out fires and I LOVE EVERY MINUTE OF IT! But it does eat into my reading time somewhat. But again, that's ok.

    So if it looks like I've fallen off the side of the earth- worry not! I'm just pursuing a dream of mine. I had thought that maybe my next step was to work in comics. But God seems to have had other plans. Plans that I couldn't be happier with. 

   So, stay tuned- I'll be posting in no time. Meanwhile, search through my archive because even though I don't have much time to read, I've been catching up a little on my archives from when I used to keep my reading journal on AllConsuming!

   Enjoy and happy reading!!!

Heroes of Sinclair

 

This collection of indy comics is perhaps the most obscure piece in my collection. I came across this book at one of my favorite places to stop when I visit Asheville, NC- Zapow Gallery. At Zapow, up and coming artists that specialize in pop culture, comics, and sequential art are given a chance to shine. It's like an art gallery for geeks and nerds! I love that place and I love this book!

    Heroes of Sinclair is written and illustrated by North Carolina native Gregory Dickens. A self-proclaimed lifelong scribbler, Dickens has currentl released 6 comics under the indy imprint Robot Wonderboy. But these aren't comics you can buy just anywhere. You either have to go to Asheville's epic comic shop Comic Envy, my beloved Zapow, or catch Gregory in person at cons in Western North Carolina or South Carolina. (You can also check out his online shop at his website!)

   So just what is Heroes of Sinclair? 

     Well, Sinclair is a fictional American town that isn't quite as big as your LA or New York City, but still has a need for superhero protection. Enter Spire, a sort of 911 operated by heroes. Their newest recruits are Focus, a hero with super strength and the ability to go intangible and Emma, an android Mixed Martial Arts champ who sees each foe as a challenge for her title belt. Then there's the non-super powered hero Sue Tonium, a former employee of Spire who becomes a roller derby star and a legend in her own right. Also assisting Spire are the members of the Jr. Spire program such as Armory, a young lad with a magical prosthetic arm and Parkour, a lad with boundless energy.

   It took a couple of chapters for this book to really connect with me. But once it did, things certainly got rolling. The art is a little rough and in black and white. But it's the Dickens' creativity that makes this such a fun read. Along with the unique swath of heroes and characters, Dickens wrote some compelling stuff. His origins of both Emma and Sue are worth the cover price alone. 

   This book carries a publication date of 2014. To my chagrin, it doesn't appear that any new Sinclair books have been issued unless I missed something on Dickens' webpage. This book ends with a tagline of 'To Be Continued' and that normally would tick me off. But the story that boasts this promise has a satisfying ending- only I didn't want this book to end! 

    Hopefully, Gregory Dickens has some new works coming out soon. But I'm not holding my breath on that hope! I understand that self-publishing isn't cheap. But maybe my word-of-mouth will inspire you, my dear readers, to give this book a shot! And then some new Sinclair stories will see the light of day...

   Worth Consuming

   Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Hawkeye, Volume 4: Rio Bravo (Marvel NOW!)

    Clint Barton's war with the Track Suit Bros comes to a head with the addition of Clint's brother Barney (AKA Trickshot) and a clown-faced assassin cum real estate lawyer. But the biggest shocker in a story line about things coming to an end is the epic run of writer Matt Fraction and artist David Aja. 

   Together Fraction and Aja reenergized the character of Hawkeye into a grittier more human character instead of a purple costumed buffoon. I hate to see them go. I am quite afraid that without Fraction this series is going to lose its heart. And without Aja, all of the unique art techniques and creative framing will be no more. 

   My wait will not be long. Along with this volume, I was able to get my hands on volume 5. I'm eagerly anticipating Jeff Lemire's run on Hawkeye as I really have enjoyed what he did with Justice League United. But replacing Fraction is with anyone, no matter how talented, is like substituting Jim Morrison for John Lennon. He's great but the Lizard King just wouldn't work as the lead man for the Fab Four. 

  Matt Fraction = unreplaceable!

  Worth Consuming

  Rating: 10 out of 10 stars.