New (to me) Comics

I finally managed to read some new comics. YAY!
So I guess I'm a little behind the times. I received (a few weeks ago... yes I'm bad) two amazing comics from my awesome pen pal. She highly recommended them to me and I FINALLY managed to sit down and read them. Miracles do happen.

The first of the two was Rat Queens by Kurtis J. Wiebe and Roc Upchurch. I have to admit it's been a while since I've read an Image Comic. I think at least 5 years. I used to love Image purely for the differences in art and story line. They are less about the LONG saga of comic and are great for new and starting comic lovers because they are less daunting. There are actual number one issues that don't have a ton of back lore and new readers can start with them or catch up pretty quickly, and usually I find them a little grittier than Marvel.

Rat Queens Issue 1 was a well done comic. I like the introduction to the characters and their slightly skewed personalities. I also liked the bantering between the four women. There is something awesome about a group of kiss ass women who are a variety of shapes and sizes, yet still know how to beat the boys in most things (from drinking to fighting to just being plain AWESOME). So I think this is one that I'm going to have to start reading regularly (and I'm already SO behind).

What's cool that I found online, and shows you I'm behind the times on this, is an article stating that Heavy Metal plans on making an animated TV series of Rat Queens. The article by Variety (dated June 2014, if that says how out of it I am) states that they are planning on working with the Weta team (you will know them from small things like the LORD OF THE RINGS... Gollum... my precious... I digress LOL) to make the animated show. I guess they are planning on developing a 30min show before pitching it to TV networks. I haven't been able to find any newer information on the TV plans but it's still a cool idea.

The other comic that I've read Issue 1 and thought it was pretty cool (also sent by an awesome Pen Pal) is SAGA.

Saga reminds me of a lot of War Torn futuristic books I've read over the years. It has romance and fighting and the first issue has a foreboding feeling of DREAD to it. I don't mind most "world ending" series, I always worry that they will be too depressing, but this one is one I will probably get the next few and see how it goes. So far it has a little humour and a lot of getting out of the way. As usual I'm way behind the times (heck it's been out for years) but as most Image comics it's not so far ahead that I can't find the ones I need in the series. I'm looking forward to seeing where they are going. Kind of a Romeo and Juliette story where they didn't kill themselves at the end but instead everyone else is trying to kill them. What I'm really liking is the infant daughter (Hazel) narrates some of the first book. It allows the reader to have some hope for the future, at least we know the baby makes it (which for me is a big deal and I may not have continues reading it if we weren't sure).

Either way both these Image comics are a great read... and the art is AWESOME. I love artistically done comics. I used to read an Image series called Aria, it was absolutely beautiful. The first few books in the series looked to be a mix of watercolours and ink... they had a softness in them that I couldn't point my finger at. As the series progressed the art went more conventional. I understood that production requires faster methods of art and the original must have taken a long time to create each board. I don't know if you can still find it but if you do you should totally check it out. That's one thing I have to say about Image, they are great at supporting new types of art in the comics and stearing away from DC's and some of Marvel's Triangle Man/Big Boobed art. There is nothing wrong with either but it's kind of refreshing to have a change in art every now an then.

Well, I hope you pick up some comics this week. Send me recommendations, I'm always looking for something new to read.

Until next time,
Keep on, Geekin' on.
Angie