by Aaron Nash

Growing up in the UK through the 90s, it was 2000 AD that really got me interested in comics. It offered something generally unseen in publications at the time, a dark realism that was a refreshing change from the usual superhero reprints that we in the UK were getting. The most iconic character of the publication, the brilliantly designed Judge Joseph Dredd, wasn't exactly a hero in the classic sense. His moral compass was shaky at best, but he was always compelling to follow as he travelled the harsh streets of Mega-City One. Even though I loved the publication growing up, I eventually started looking back towards Marvel and DC for a change and kind of kept Dredd and company as a great memory of growing up.

by Aaron Nash

I am ashamed to say that before this I had read very little/next to nothing featuring Harley.  In fact, in recent years I haven’t really read any DC stuff apart from the odd Aquaman comic. With the whole New 52 thing and the big upcoming event convergence, I had no idea where to start. I’ve been tempted to read Harley after hearing some fantastic things, but at the same time I always thought that she looked like DC’s answer to Deadpool.  As I am not Deadpool’s biggest fan, I kind of put it off until I decided recently to just give it a try.

The first book comprises issues 0-8 of the New 52 Harley Quinn solo series and I guess it’s as good a place to start as anywhere. Issue 0 is kind of standalone and has a fantastic concept which surprisingly is done justice. We see Harley dreaming of what it would be like to have her own comic series. Each page is by a different artist with their own interpretation of her. It features some truly great writing and is genuinely funny, without having to resort to crass, infantile humour.  Very rarely does a great concept work as well as this, but this issue just goes to show how to do it right. 

by Aaron Nash

Created by Federico Bertolucci and Frederic Brremaud, the series Love aims to tell emotional tales with no dialogue or narration. Instead, they aim to convey the story and its raw emotional power through some carefully crafted artwork and a very simple (yet highly relatable) idea.

Each of the stories are standalone and do not require the reader to have read the previous book in the series Der Tiger. This one, (for those who don’t speak German) is entitled The Fox and follows the journey of a fox during an extreme environmental event. To explain any more would take away some of the power that the story has, so I will leave it there in terms of description. What I will say is that the book progresses at a fast rate and is constantly gripping. It may not be the longest of books, but I’d argue that it is of perfect length. Any longer and the story would have dragged a little. Any shorter and the stories development would have been sacrificed.

by Aaron Nash

So I had never heard of this title before when I came across it in the bargain bin of the local comic book store. The cover stood out as something that really shouldn’t appeal to a male in his late-twenties. I was clearly not in the expected target market so thought ‘what the hell!’ and threw it on the pile of regular comics I buy. I figured it would be a good test of whether the story works on a wider audience and not just the target age group of 12 year olds.

Weirdly, out of all of the comics I bought that day, this was the one that I was most curious about as it just looked… odd. Having been surprised recently with some of my stranger purchases I decided to dig in and see what the crack was.

by Aaron Nash

First things first. This is definitely not a title for children or anyone who’s squeamish. It features graphic violence and many very adult situations and themes.  As such, many of the topics I touch on here may focus on the same themes – you have been warned.

So…..

This is a little different in the fact that many have probably heard of this title (or the subsequent anime film) but have probably never read it. Some wouldn’t have read it on the basis that they can’t find a copy; others may be put off by the fairly adult nature of the subject matter. But it’s a lot deeper than you would expect.

by Aaron Nash

I knew nothing about this book before reading it, other than hearing on the side that it was a good bit of fun. After having a hard time trying to find a copy, I finally stumbled upon a copy of the complete series in a beautiful hardback collection.  From looking at the cover I knew that this was going to be something different and fresh. But covers can mislead, and some indie titles out there try too hard to seem like an AAA title that they fall flat. So, how did this pan out…

by Aaron Nash

Do you remember the time when comics came out and were simply there to be bought and read? I do and it doesn’t feel that long ago (but that could be because when I was young I didn’t see the over the top lengths some people would go to get a single issue). Either way I kind of miss those days.

For me a comic is meant to be read. That’s the purpose of one being written and released, is it not? Well these days it seems the line between those buying to read and those buying for profit is very much leaning towards the latter. Now, I can’t say I don’t collect older titles and variant covers (I’ll get onto these soon) but most of the ones I buy, I buy because they either remind me of my youth or they fall into criteria that I collect.  I rarely buy comics to turn around for profit. If I do sell issues that is either because I no longer enjoy them or I desperately need money. But even then I would prefer to sell a comic for a low price to someone I know would get enjoyment out of it, rather than someone who would just flip it again higher.

by Aaron Nash


Continuing from my opinion of the first issues of each of these series, I am going to look at how they are getting on after their second issues:

STAR WARS:

Is pretty easy to see, after reading my review of the first issue, that I really wasn’t too keen on the newest edition to the Star Wars comic universe. I’d go as far to say that I pretty much hated everything about it apart from the art. Still I thought I’d give the second issue a go and see if it got any better.  The good news is yes, it is superior to the debut comic, but it still has major problems which leave it trailing behind the countless other comics coming out each month.

The art is still consistently good and I’d go as far to say that it works better in this one, as there are some far grander set pieces that contain lots of action and details. These sections are great and the colours really pop out and grab the reader’s attention. The tiny details help elevate the artwork with bits of rubble flying everywhere and flecks of dirt on costumes.

by Aaron Nash

Squirrel Girl……. Just think about that name for a second. I bet you never thought a character with that name would:

1.)    Be literally unbeatable, having beaten Thanos, MODOK and even Uatu (the Watcher) in the past without really breaking a sweat.

2.)    Be a genuinely engaging heroine who has far more depth than most other ‘seriously’ written superheroes.

And…

3.)    Be the basis for one of the funniest and, arguably, cleverest comics Marvel would release in the last 20 years.

by Aaron Nash

This week I’ll be looking at the first issues of three new series that have come out in the last few weeks.

Wolverines #1:

Following hot on the heels of The Death of Wolverine and Legacy, Wolverines sets to continue the effects that Wolverine’s death has had on certain characters in the Marvel universe, while integrating the new characters introduced into a regular weekly comic format.

I wasn’t that big a fan of The Death of Wolverine story or Legacy, but I was intrigued by this as I have always like X-23 and have recently grown to really like Daken and Mystique. I wondered what the interaction between them all would be like in the wake of recent events, and am pleased to say that on the whole it kind of works.