Merry Xmas. Ratings out of 5 stars. Marvel comics courtesy of Absolute Comics (Plaza Singapura). I bought my own copy of The Resident Tourist Vol 7, as you should, yeah? After all, it’s only Christmas.
The Resident Tourist Vol 7
Story/Art: Troy Chin
Math Paper Press
Just in time for Xmas. More than a year in the making, Troy continues to chronicle his life in public, something he has been doing for the past eight years since his return from NYC. He did well in school, went to U. Penn to do business studies, landed up in a dream job with a major record label. But he got depressed, started seeing a psychiatrist who advised him to draw. He returned to Singapore and drew comics.
Troy is still unsure of himself, despite winning the Young Artist Award and meeting the president, and representing Singapore with other artists at the Angouleme Comic Festival in France. Life is still dreary and Troy can be whiny at times, but he is getting more kwai lan as his life progresses in this volume. More tales of army days, Geylang and Orchard Towers and ang mohs who chased Asian women in Singapore. The 2011 General Elections and the issue of foreigners are featured as well. I wonder what Troy thinks of the 2015 elections. We have to wait to find out.
(4 stars)
Venom Space Knight #2
Story: Robbie Thompson
Art: Ariel Olivetti
Marvel Comics
Who would have though Flash Thompson, the high school jock who gave Peter Parker a hard time way back in Amazing Fantasy #15 in 1962 would become Venom and be a Guardian of the Galaxy today? And he is now popular enough to have his own space-spinning series. He helped out a helpless alien race in this issue and got tested and validated by his own kind, the Klyntar species. He also has a new enemy on his back. Hardcore Venom fans (and there are many out there) will be pleased.
(3 stars)
Star-Lord #2
Story: Sam Humphries
Art: Javier Garron
Marvel Comics
I’m surprised they did not do this earlier, especially when the Guardians of the Galaxy movie became such a big hit when it came out last year. Year One of Peter Quill or how he became the legendary Star-Lord and the best space pirate in the universe. Well, you got to learn from the best first and this issue details his first encounter with his ‘mentor’, Yondu and the rest of the Ravagers. It is hard to shake off images of Michael Rooker who took on the role of Yondu in the movie. After all, this is Henry of Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer, and Merle Dixon from The Walking Dead. Read this while you wait patiently for the next Guardians movie to be out.
(3 stars)
Angela Queen of Hel
Story: Marguerite Bennett
Art: Kim Jacinto and Stephanie Hans
Marvel Comics
Marguerite Bennett is burning up the pages with some hot and heavy over at Aftershock’s Insexts. She continues with some transgressions in this mainstream title – it features LGBT characters in a post-Secret Wars Marvel universe. Since the Age of Ultron, Angela from the Spawn series is now fully entrenched in the Marvel stable. She is the sister of Thor and Loki and currently the Queen of Hel, a post she usurped from Hela in order to save her lover, Sera. Being a queen is not easy and by this issue’s end, she is confronted by Balder the Brave, Tyr, the God of War and Skurge the Executioner. If you are a bit lost by all these, that’s because Angela requires some background reading and catching up of other series for this to make sense.
(3 stars)