Tag Archives: Joamette Gil

The Final Girls, a darkly comedic superhero drama, arrives from comiXology Originals on March 30

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The Final Girls #1

The world’s most popular superheroes have come and gone. The year is 2030 and most of the glamorous American superheroes of the last era have been wiped out, leaving only a handful to deal with the world’s crises. Welcome to The Final Girls.

The Final Girls is written by Cara Ellison, making her creator-owned comic book writing debut, with art by Sally Cantirino, colors by Gab Contreras, and lettering by Joamette Gil. The five-issue series is available beginning March 30, 2021, from comiXology Originals. The series is edited by Katie West and features covers by Cantirino and a selection of star-studded guest cover artists, including Annie Wu, Audrey Mok, Tula Lotay, and Olivia Stephens.

Partdark comedic superhero drama, part dystopian political thriller, The Final Girls is set six years after the hero collective the Scottish tabloids named “The Final Girls” —Kogarashi, Bavanshee, Selkie, and Ash—left civil service and disappeared into the less fraught alleyways of Scotland. When Scathach, the world’s most powerful working hero, asks her retired peers for help, they secretly agree to deal out punishment on another hero in the public eye. When the weapon of publicity is wielded, it threatens to kick up all of their personal traumas, past and present. What does justice look like when violence isn’t enough?

Part of the comiXology Originals line of exclusive content, The Final Girls will be available upon release, at no additional cost, for members of Amazon Prime, Kindle Unlimited, and comiXology Unlimited, and for purchase on Kindle and comiXology. Prime Reading offers all Amazon Prime members a rotating selection of thousands of top Kindle books, magazines, short works, comic books, children’s books, and more. Kindle Unlimited offers over 1 million titles, thousands of audiobooks, and select current issues of popular magazines for just $9.99 a month with a 30-day free trial. ComiXology Unlimited offers over 25,000 comics, graphic novels and manga for just $5.99 a month with a 30-day free trial.

Review: Nottingham #1

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Nottingham #1

The story of Robin Hood has been told many times and in many ways. In my experience, there are three stand out versions and everyone has their favorite. There’s the animated Disney version with the anthropomorphic animals. There’s Prince of Thieves with Costner, Freeman, Slater, and Rickman. Or there’s Mel Brooks’ seminal Men in Tights. Regardless of which version you think is best (*fake cough* Costner), get ready to add a new favorite into the mix. This March, Mad Cave Studios plans to tell Robin Hood’s story in a new and unique way with Nottingham #1.

In Nottingham, series writer David Hazan gives readers a dark, grittier version of the characters with which we’re all familiar. I was lucky enough to get a sneak peek at the first issue. Normally, I save my recommendation until the end of the review, but I just can’t wait. This is a title you’ll want to add to your pull list before it releases on March 3rd. One of Hazan’s many unique spins on the classic Robin Hood tale is that the story is told from the perspective of the Everard Blackthorrne, the Sheriff of Nottingham.

The entire first issue had the feel of a detective story and the Sheriff has all the qualities one would expect. He’s astute, stoic, and has a bit of an attitude. He also has a history of dealing with extremists, having fought in the crusades. All of Blackthorne’s skill and clout will be tested as he tries to track down a band of killers called the Merry Men, and their leader the mysterious Hood. The search for Hood and the Merry Men starts off rather slow but by the end of the issue, I was hooked by equal doses of action and intrigue.

Artist Shane Connery Volk’s illustrations truly transport the reader to twelfth-century England. He takes the time to draw every uneven brick in the walls of castles and buildings. There’s a scene set in the pouring rain where the raindrop hatch marks add a level of complexity to what’s drawn on the page. However, the characters’ faces are rather diminutive, especially compared to how richly drawn the comic’s setting is. Many of the faces look carelessly drawn, almost as if they were an afterthought. Colorist Luca Romano rectifies this to some extent by adding shading and shadow to the faces, but most of the time they still look like they were drawn by a child and not a professional comic book artist. These simplistic faces really threw off my reading, pulling my attention away from the scenes themselves.

This March, David Hazan begins a new chapter in the Robin Hood mythos with Nottingham #1. One filled with murder plots, zealous intrigue, and an element of mystery. Although the pacing of this first issue was a little slow, it picks up toward the end and it finishes with an exciting conclusion. The ending left me wanting to know more about this version of Robin Hood’s world. Volk’s artwork hits a lot of high points but the low points, namely the level of detail put into the characters’ faces, make it hard to stay completely engaged in the story. The world Volk draws feels real though, even when the character’s faces look off. Despite my criticisms, this is a series you’ll want to have on your radar, if not in your personal collection.

Story: David Hazan Art: Shane Connery Volk
Color: Luca Romano Letterer: Joamette Gil
Story: 8.0 Art: 8.0 Overall: 8.0 Recommendation: Buy

Mad Cave Studios provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

Purchase: comixology – TFAW

Review: Girl Haven

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Girl Haven

There’s a good chance you see a title called Girl Haven and assume you’re about to read a story about girl power. In a way, you’d be right, though Girl Haven doesn’t explore this concept in the way many readers would expect. To quote author Lilah Sturges, “Girl Haven is a story about gender. [It’s] mainly about one type of gender experience, [but] it’s central message is true for everyone: Your story is your own.” From the touching preface through an uplifting story, this graphic novel from Oni Press, is as timely as it is entertaining.

Girl Haven is a very cute story with light-hearted humor. The friendship and emotional bond between the characters is obvious and makes the reader love and root for them as the plot moves forward. The story follows four friends who are transported to the magical land of Koretris, a place for girls only, where no boys are allowed. This presents a problem for the graphic novel’s protagonist, Ash, because he’s a boy. Luckily, his friends are all female-identifying and along for the ride through this mystic realm. During their adventure, they see wondrous things, help Ash make a personal discovery, and come together to save Koretris.

The story starts off a little slow, but then picks up into a thrilling adventure story. Admittedly, if you’ve read a lot of fantasy, the plot and dialogue are very predictable. However, that doesn’t stop Girl Haven from being a really fun read. This graphic novel is a stellar example of representation in comic books. Within only a few panels of meeting Ash’s friends, we learn that they are all queer but none of them is ever defined by their sexuality. They all have distinct personalities that make them stand out from their counterparts, giving each character their own unique voice. This is the first YA graphic novel I’ve ever read that acknowledges that a person’s perception of their gender is fluid and can change as they learn more about themselves. This is an important message for all readers, and especially young adults.

“Girl Power” is on full display in one aspect of this graphic novel in the form of its all-female creative team. The three ladies work together seamlessly to create the wonderful world and characters of Girl Haven. Meaghan Carter’s artwork reminds me of Henry and June from Nickelodeon’s animated variety show KaBlam! It is the perfect style to capture Girl Haven’s magic and warmth. Even though her style is simple, Carter does a great job rendering the scale of the characters and their surroundings. Often, everyone in a comic book is drawn at more or less the same height. That’s not the case in this graphic novel. The accurate scale to which Carter draws helps make Koretris look real and helps transport the readers there, right alongside Ash and his friends.

Love is stronger than fear. That’s the central theme of Girl Haven and it’s a message from which we can all learn. I didn’t get this written in time to make the pre-order cut-off, but this is a graphic novel you’re going to want to check out when it releases on February 17th. It’s a book with something for almost everyone and is especially appropriate (and important) for young readers. This fantasy adventure story is well written if a bit derivative. The graphic novel is drawn in a fun and coherent style, and the characters are representative of people not featured often enough in comic books. Grab yourself a copy and get ready to journey through Koretris.

Story: Lilah Sturges Art: Meaghan Carter Letterer: Joamette Gil
Story: 9.0 Art: 9.0 Overall: 9.0 Recommendation: Buy

Oni Press provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

Purchase: comiXology – Amazon – Kindle – Zeus Comics – TFAW

Advance Review: Girl Haven

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Girl Haven

There’s a good chance you see a title called Girl Haven and assume you’re about to read a story about girl power. In a way, you’d be right, though Girl Haven doesn’t explore this concept in the way many readers would expect. To quote author Lilah Sturges, “Girl Haven is a story about gender. [It’s] mainly about one type of gender experience, [but] it’s central message is true for everyone: Your story is your own.” From the touching preface through an uplifting story, this graphic novel from Oni Press, is as timely as it is entertaining. Girl Haven is set to release on February 10th.

Girl Haven is a very cute story with light-hearted humor. The friendship and emotional bond between the characters is obvious and makes the reader love and root for them as the plot moves forward. The story follows four friends who are transported to the magical land of Koretris, a place for girls only, where no boys are allowed. This presents a problem for the graphic novel’s protagonist, Ash, because he’s a boy. Luckily, his friends are all female-identifying and along for the ride through this mystic realm. During their adventure, they see wondrous things, help Ash make a personal discovery, and come together to save Koretris.

The story starts off a little slow, but then picks up into a thrilling adventure story. Admittedly, if you’ve read a lot of fantasy, the plot and dialogue are very predictable. However, that doesn’t stop Girl Haven from being a really fun read. This graphic novel is a stellar example of representation in comic books. Within only a few panels of meeting Ash’s friends, we learn that they are all queer but none of them is ever defined by their sexuality. They all have distinct personalities that make them stand out from their counterparts, giving each character their own unique voice. This is the first YA graphic novel I’ve ever read that acknowledges that a person’s perception of their gender is fluid and can change as they learn more about themselves. This is an important message for all readers, and especially young adults.

“Girl Power” is on full display in one aspect of this graphic novel in the form of its all-female creative team. The three ladies work together seamlessly to create the wonderful world and characters of Girl Haven. Meaghan Carter’s artwork reminds me of Henry and June from Nickelodeon’s animated variety show KaBlam! It is the perfect style to capture Girl Haven’s magic and warmth. Even though her style is simple, Carter does a great job rendering the scale of the characters and their surroundings. Often, everyone in a comic book is drawn at more or less the same height. That’s not the case in this graphic novel. The accurate scale to which Carter draws helps make Koretris look real and helps transport the readers there, right alongside Ash and his friends.

Love is stronger than fear. That’s the central theme of Girl Haven and it’s a message from which we can all learn. I didn’t get this written in time to make the pre-order cut-off, but this is a graphic novel you’re going to want to check out when it releases on February 17th. It’s a book with something for almost everyone and is especially appropriate (and important) for young readers. This fantasy adventure story is well written if a bit derivative. The graphic novel is drawn in a fun and coherent style, and the characters are representative of people not featured often enough in comic books. Grab yourself a copy and get ready to journey through Koretris.

Story: Lilah Sturges Art: Meaghan Carter Letterer: Joamette Gil
Story: 9.0 Art: 9.0 Overall: 9.0 Recommendation: Buy

Oni Press provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

Pre-Order: comiXology – Amazon – Kindle – Zeus Comics

They Fell From The Sky #1 Gets a Trailer

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Tommy Murphy is just an ordinary kid. He goes to school, hangs out with his friends, and fanboys over his favorite TV show. But when a chance encounter in the woods thrusts him into an unlikely friendship with an otherworldly creature, he is forced to navigate bullies, family squabbles, and tween woes… all while trying to prevent an interplanetary war!

They Fell From the Sky #1 debuts February 3 in comic shops from writer Liezl Buenaventura, artist Xavier Tarrega, colorist DJ Chavis, letterer Joamette Gil, and editor Chris Sanchez.

The creative team on this consists of Mad Cave Studios’ Talent Search winners; Liezl Buenaventura and Xavier Tarrega.

Advance Review: Nottingham #1

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Nottingham #1

The story of Robin Hood has been told many times and in many ways. In my experience, there are three stand out versions and everyone has their favorite. There’s the animated Disney version with the anthropomorphic animals. There’s Prince of Thieves with Costner, Freeman, Slater, and Rickman. Or there’s Mel Brooks’ seminal Men in Tights. Regardless of which version you think is best (*fake cough* Costner), get ready to add a new favorite into the mix. This March, Mad Cave Studios plans to tell Robin Hood’s story in a new and unique way with Nottingham #1.

In Nottingham, series writer David Hazan gives readers a dark, grittier version of the characters with which we’re all familiar. I was lucky enough to get a sneak peek at the first issue. Normally, I save my recommendation until the end of the review, but I just can’t wait. This is a title you’ll want to add to your pull list before it releases on March 3rd. One of Hazan’s many unique spins on the classic Robin Hood tale is that the story is told from the perspective of the Everard Blackthorrne, the Sheriff of Nottingham.

The entire first issue had the feel of a detective story and the Sheriff has all the qualities one would expect. He’s astute, stoic, and has a bit of an attitude. He also has a history of dealing with extremists, having fought in the crusades. All of Blackthorne’s skill and clout will be tested as he tries to track down a band of killers called the Merry Men, and their leader the mysterious Hood. The search for Hood and the Merry Men starts off rather slow but by the end of the issue, I was hooked by equal doses of action and intrigue.

Artist Shane Connery Volk’s illustrations truly transport the reader to twelfth-century England. He takes the time to draw every uneven brick in the walls of castles and buildings. There’s a scene set in the pouring rain where the raindrop hatch marks add a level of complexity to what’s drawn on the page. However, the characters’ faces are rather diminutive, especially compared to how richly drawn the comic’s setting is. Many of the faces look carelessly drawn, almost as if they were an afterthought. Colorist Luca Romano rectifies this to some extent by adding shading and shadow to the faces, but most of the time they still look like they were drawn by a child and not a professional comic book artist. These simplistic faces really threw off my reading, pulling my attention away from the scenes themselves.

This March, David Hazan begins a new chapter in the Robin Hood mythos with Nottingham #1. One filled with murder plots, zealous intrigue, and an element of mystery. Although the pacing of this first issue was a little slow, it picks up toward the end and it finishes with an exciting conclusion. The ending left me wanting to know more about this version of Robin Hood’s world. Volk’s artwork hits a lot of high points but the low points, namely the level of detail put into the characters’ faces, make it hard to stay completely engaged in the story. The world Volk draws feels real though, even when the character’s faces look off. Despite my criticisms, this is a series you’ll want to have on your radar, if not in your personal collection. Check out Nottingham #1 when it releases on March 3rd, 2021.

Story: David Hazan Art: Shane Connery Volk
Color: Luca Romano Letterer: Joamette Gil
Story: 8.0 Art: 8.0 Overall: 8.0 Recommendation: Buy

Mad Cave Studios provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

Pre-order: Find your local comic shop

Check out the Hugo Award’s “Best Graphic Story or Comic” Nominees

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Hugo Awards

The nominees for “Best Graphic Story or Comic” for this year’s Hugo Awards have been announced. Normally, the winners are announced at Worldcon but with the event this year canceled due to COVID-19, it’s unknown when the winners will be announced.

The nominees were announced on April 8 and were decided from 1,584 valid nominating ballots with a total of 27,033 nominations. Members nominated up to five works/people in each category, and the top six works/people in each category were shortlisted as finalists.

Check out all of the Hugo nominees and the comic nominees below:

  • Die, Volume 1: Fantasy Heartbreaker, by Kieron Gillen and Stephanie Hans, letters by Clayton Cowles (Image)

Purchase: Amazon – Kindle – comiXology – TFAW – Zeus Comics

  • LaGuardia, written by Nnedi Okorafor, art by Tana Ford, colors by James Devlin (Berger Books; Dark Horse)

Purchase: Amazon – Kindle – comiXology – TFAW

  • Monstress, Volume 4: The Chosen, written by Marjorie Liu, art by Sana Takeda (Image)

Purchase: Amazon – Kindle – comiXology – TFAW

  • Mooncakes, by Wendy Xu and Suzanne Walker, letters by Joamette Gil (Oni Press; Lion Forge)

Purchase: Amazon – TFAW

  • Paper Girls, Volume 6, written by Brian K. Vaughan, drawn by Cliff Chiang, colors by Matt Wilson, letters by Jared K. Fletcher (Image)

Purchase: Amazon – Kindle – comiXology – TFAW – Zeus Comics

  • The Wicked + The Divine, Volume 9: “Okay”, by Kieron Gillen and Jamie McKelvie, colors by Matt Wilson, letters by Clayton Cowles (Image)

Purchase: Amazon – Kindle – comiXology – TFAW – Zeus Comics

On top of the comics above, Avengers: Endgame and Captain Marvel are nominated in “Best Dramatic Presentation, Long Form,” and Watchmen: “A God Walks into Abar” and Watchmen: “This Extraordinary Being” are nominated in “Best Dramatic Presentation, Short Form.”

This post contains affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of the product links and make a purchase, we’ll receive a percentage of the sale. Graphic Policy does purchase items from this site. Making purchases through these links helps support the site

Review: Immortal Souls

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It has been years since I watched The Craft, but I still remember how mesmerized I was at it. First of all, I had a crush on Rachel True, as everything about her, kept my eyes on the screen. Second, I knew girls like the ones in the movie, and I remember them being completely obsessed about the movie, and this was years before the internet. Since then, the entertainment industry has depicted witches on conflicting ends of the spectrum, but none of them quite as authentic as what was in that movie.

Jaomette Gil’s first book about witches reminded me of that film, Power & Magic, which was quite immersive, and mind blowing, as the tales told in that volume, were all excellent and belong with the best in the genre. So, when I heard that she put to gather a sequel, Immortal Souls, I wanted to see what creators and stories she would gather and curate for the sequel, and I was not disappointed.

In the first story,” Magical Girl Crisis,” a young witch who is necromancer doesn’t want to sacrifice who she is for what is she meant to be. In “Heirloom”, a young witch’s obsession with curses go too far and she may lose everything with one curse.

In “Mahk Ichi,” a witch ashamed of her heritage learns its true beauty through dance. In “Mu,” a fortune telling witch makes a man pay for his past sins in the most nightmarish way. In “Admonitions,” a girl enlists a witch to find her friend who just so happens to be amongst a spirit plain, leaving her and the witch forever changed. In “An Unexpected Sister,” witch who does exorcisms help a young woman who is being haunted, but finds out the demon thought she was helping her. In “The Woman Who Waits,” probably the eeriest story of the anthology, a woman makes a deal with a witch which lasts ore than lifetime but ultimately ends in tragedy. In “Hungry,” the grief of losing a parent causes a young lady to cast a necromancy spell but it is not what she thought it would be. In “Requiem,” a nurse who is also witch during wartime uses her powers to protect patients when soldiers were killing anyone in their sight. In “Bon Voyage, My Chains,” in a world where witchcraft is prohibited ad witches are actively hunted, one young witch has to hide her ability of clairvoyance, but breaks it to save a life which leads her and her family to go on the run.

Overall, an excellent sequel, which continues in the same vein as the first book but elevates in so many ways. The stories by the different creators, are funny, scary, smart, and entertaining. The art by the creators are gorgeous. Altogether, an excellent installment to a series which highlights creators color, features character of color and has fun doing it.

Story: Patdag, Clara Em, Sunny Ochumuk, Yeon Kyung Cha, Amber Huff, Francis Quintero, Lira Kraunik,  Joamette Gil, Ayanni C. Hanna, Sonia Liao
Art: Patdag, Clara Em, Ani Mackie, Yeon Kyung Cha, Amber Huff, Francis Quintero, Nyka, Joamette Gil, Melanie Tingdahl, Sonia Liao
Story: 10 Art: 10 Overall: 10 Recommendation: Buy

Puerto Rico Strong to Benefit Hurricane Maria Victims

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In September we reported about a comic anthology to raise money for those impacted by Hurricane Maria. Just over two months since the hurricane plowed through Puerto Rico with a destructive force that left island residents desperate for survival or forced to flee to the U.S. mainland, the island is still struggling to rebound. Yesterday, more details were announced as Lion Forge Comics has announced their commitment to relief efforts by publishing Puerto Rico Strong!

Puerto Rico Strong is a comics anthology that explores what it means to be Puerto Rican and the diversity that exists within that concept, from today’s most exciting Puerto Rican comics creators. All profits will go to towards Disaster Relief and Recovery Programs to Support Puerto Rico. Puerto Rico Strong is co-edited by Lion Forge’s own Desiree Rodriguez, alongside Marco Lopez, Neil Schwartz, and Derek Ruiz.

Puerto Rico Strong features art and writing by Rosa Colón, Vita Ayala, Naomi Franquiz, Javier Cruz Winnick, Sabrina Cintron, Tristan Tarwater, Fabian Nicieza, Joamette Gil, and many more!

Puerto Rico Strong will be released at finer comic shops and bookstores everywhere in March 2018.

Review: Power and Magic: The Queer Witch Comics Anthology

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power-and-magic-coverIn the world of the paranormal fiction, witches tend to be rather pretty centerpiece, as they play a major part, but rarely drive their own stories. Of course, there some notable exceptions, such as Charmed , Salem and Sabrina The Teenaged Witch, which are strong popular examples, but rarely does it prove to be scary. Then came Scott Snyder’s Wytches, which was not only scary as “small town with a big secret” scary, but bone chilling. In these examples, they rarely show any type of diversity.

I know the most classic example of diversity, is the constant popping up of Tituba, in historical records but throughout fiction dealing with the Salem Witch Trials, to include the soon ending Salem. As the question of diversity is constantly being redefined and reexamined, diversity not only includes race, but sexuality and disability. Because of the ever-changing definition, our fiction has reflected and refracted this in the most beautiful ways. A great example of this is the Power and Magic Anthology, which challenges every concept of what a witch is supposed to act and look like as well as the mythology, which makes this book, essential to all speculative fiction fans.

In Convolvere, characters share a secret, one that connects this group of friends in such an endearing fashion. In Your Heart is an Apple, tells a heartbreaking story of one would call a “muggle”, who falls in love with a witch, with a surprise twist. In After the Dust Settles, a grimoire is passed down from mother to daughter, and the love that connects this family women comes through their magic. In Te Perdi, the very question of what one would do for love, is challenged, as a witch goes literally through hell for her love. In Def Together, a battle between two witches takes center stage with sometimes hilarious results. In The Shop That never Stays, a witch has a pretty interesting “Quantum Leap” situation, which only infuriates her and entertains the reader.In As The Roots Undo, true love blooms when a witch leaves the walls she was taught never to leave. In The Songbird for a Vulture, a witch finds her coven after a terrible tragedy destroys her family.

Overall, a strong book that should be in everyone”s 2017 reading list, as it is not only engaging but truly some excellent storytelling. The stories contained shows exactly why every writer was chosen. The art although different in style by each artist, possess a synergy, which unearths the true magic contained within. Altogether, an excellent book that challenges societal norms of race, love, and mythology.

Story & Art: Aatmaja Pandya, Ann Xu, Arianne Hokoki, Coco Candalario, Fydbac, Gabrielle Robinson, Hannah Lazarte, Jema Salume, Joamette Gil, Juliette G. De M.Medina Lopez, Maria Llorens, Devaki Neogi, Naomi Franquiz, Natasha L. Barredo, Nivedita Sekar, Veronica Agarwal, Vexingly Yours
Story: 10 Art:10 Overall:10 Recommendation: BUY NOW!

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