SCC's Comics Talk

Shipment was delayed and only came on Thursday. Ratings out of 5 stars. The mainstream stuff are available at Absolute Comics (Plaza Singapura).   Second Sight #1 Story: David Hine Art: Alberto Ponticelli AfterShock Comics I’ve been looking forward to this new baby by David Hine. The British writer tells one hell of a ghastly story. Check out his cult book, Strange Embrace and his adaptation of Victor Hugo’s The Man Who Laughs. Second Sight is about Ray Palmer, a psychic who can see bad things happening. He calls it ‘remote viewing’. 20 years ago after his first sighting, he is divorced, his ex-wife had taken out a restraining on him, his daughter is running a blog exposing society’s elites and getting into trouble. For the life of me, I don’t know why he has the same name as the Atom, but Ray looks like the burnt out hippie who runs...

Ratings out of 5 stars. The mainstream books are available at Absolute Comics (Plaza Singapura). It’s the CNY weekend, go read more and something different.   Rosalie Lightning Story/Art: Tom Hart St Martin’s Press The death of a child – the most devastating book you will read this year. People have been talking about Rosalie Lightning and it will be in 2016 year’s end lists. But the accolades are secondary. It is the well of emotions that is evoked in you when you painfully turn the pages that you will remember. I didn’t know Tom Hart is married to Leela Corman. I didn’t know they named their child after a Brian Eno song. I didn’t know she died before she turned two. In December 2000, I spent a cold winter month in NYC and interviewed cartoonists, and how hard it was to make it there as an artist. The opening chapters...

Ratings out of 5 stars. The mainstream stuff is available at Absolute Comics (Plaza Singapura).   ODY-C #9 Story: Matt Fraction Art: Christian Ward Image Comics So Matt Fraction wants to write his version of The Odyssey for his young daughter to read. I doubt that will happen anytime soon as this is some badass take on that old Homer yarn. Things are turned around as the gender of the heroes and villains are reversed and the whole odyssey thing takes place in space. I found the first few issues hard to follow if you do not have detailed knowledge of the original text, but Christian Ward's splashes more than make up for it. Fraction continues his panel layout innovations from Hawkeye. Some said it's nothing new if you have read Chris Ware and all. But if you steal from the best and bring it to a new mainstream/superhero/SF audience, that's...

Ratings out of 5 stars. Comics available at Absolute Comics (Plaza Singapura) except for The World Is So Big - go buy it from Basheer Books at Bras Basah Complex. Run, don't walk.   Secret Wars #9 Story: Jonathan Hickman Art: Esad Ribic Marvel Comics The comic event of 2015. This last issue was much delayed and it came out last week. But I didn’t want to review it until I read the whole series in one sitting to see how well it holds up.  Well, Jonathan Hickman has held up his side of bargain in telling one hell of a Marvel Universe ‘end of the world’ story that started with his Avengers/New Avengers run in 2012. The secret Avengers (The Illuminati) learned that the world is ending. The multiverse is clashing with each other. To save their universe from being destroyed during an Incursion, Black Panther, Namor, Dr Strange, Mr...

It’s been a crazy week. Ratings out of 5 stars. Comics available at Absolute Comics (Plaza Singapura).   Insexts #2 Story: Marguerite Bennett Art: Ariela Kristantina AfterShock Comics Reading is contextual. Reading Insexts #2 a few hours after the terrorist attack in Jakarta is especially poignant because you know the ideas and freedom that allowed such a daring comic like Insexts is under threat by fundamentalism. The right to buy and read a comic like Insexts should not be taken for granted. It should be protected. Putting the politics aside, this second issue continues the winning streak of AfterShock Comics. One awaits the next issue with abated breath…Btw, the artist of Insexts, Ariela Kristantina, who is based in Jakarta, is safe and sound. (4 stars)     The Walking Dead #150 Story: Robert Kirkman Art: Charlie Adlard Image Comics The Walking Dead reaches the landmark 150th issue. Who would have taught in...