Tag Archives: john lees

ComixTribe’s Sink #2 Has Already Sold Out

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ComixTribe is an indie publisher that has been one to watch when it comes to their marketing and their series regularly sell-out resulting in hard to find comics. The publisher has announced that Sink #2 has already sold out before it’s released November 8.

Sink #1 was released late last month and the comic solid out through the first printing (which caused retailers to reach out about exclusive special edition variants). The comic was released AFTER the order for Sink #2 were due, so, combine an under the radar comic with a first issue sell-out and a convoluted ordering system and you get a hot comic. Mix in a low print run and you’ve got a comic that’s often harder to find than the first.

Due to buzz from the first issue an a big advance order for Sink #2 has already come in and that’s that, the first printing is sold out. There’s still a few issues for retailers to order through their distributor though.

Long story short, if you want Sink #2 it’s best to hit up your comic shop and place one in your pull box.

Review: Sink #1

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sink_001-coverAccording to the press release, Sink will be a series of standalone offbeat crime stories all linked by the location; that of Sinkhill, a forgotten East End district of a warped funhouse mirror vision of Glasgow, Scotland. Sinkhill is a hive of crooks, deviants and killers, and ordinary folk unfortunate enough to live among them.

There’s something refreshing about reading a standalone story that’s somewhat exhilarating, especially one such as this because you don’t know if you’re ever going to come across these characters again in another story, or if this is their one and only appearance, and that adds a genuine level of tension to the story in the series debut issue.

Sink #1 isn’t typically the kind of comic that I’d normally gravitate toward, but there was something about the setting that drew my attention, and I’m glad that it did.

John Lees crafts a fantastic story that touches on the twisted underbelly of Glasgow, with some characters that feel just like they walked off the streets (well in some cases, at least). Alex Cormack‘s art couldn’t be better suited to this comic, and his ability to bring forth the grim uneasiness that pervades Sinkhill’s streets really gets the comic under your skin.

If you’re looking for an excitingly fresh, albeit brutal, story then you need look no further than Sink. 

Story: John Lees Art & Colours: Alex Cormack
Story: 8.75 Art: 8.25 Overall: 8.75 Recommendation: Buy

ComixTribe provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review.

Review: Sink #1

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sink_001-coverAccording to the press release, Sink will be a series of standalone offbeat crime stories all linked by the location; that of Sinkhill, a forgotten East End district of a warped funhouse mirror vision of Glasgow, Scotland. Sinkhill is a hive of crooks, deviants and killers, and ordinary folk unfortunate enough to live among them.

There’s something refreshing about reading a standalone story that’s somewhat exhilarating, especially one such as this because you don’t know if you’re ever going to come across these characters again in another story, or if this is their one and only appearance, and that adds a genuine level of tension to the story in the series debut issue.

Sink #1 isn’t typically the kind of comic that I’d normally gravitate toward, but there was something about the setting that drew my attention, and I’m glad that it did.

John Lees crafts a fantastic story that touches on the twisted underbelly of Glasgow, with some characters that feel just like they walked off the streets (well in some cases, at least). Alex Cormack‘s art couldn’t be better suited to this comic, and his ability to bring forth the grim uneasiness that pervades Sinkhill’s streets really gets the comic under your skin.

If you’re looking for an excitingly fresh, albeit brutal, story then you need look no further than Sink. 

Story: John Lees Art & Colours: Alex Cormack
Story: 8.75 Art: 8.25 Overall: 8.75 Recommendation: Buy

ComixTribe provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review.

A New Nightmare from the Creators of And Then Emily Was Gone

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ComixTribe has announced that the creative team of it’s hit series And Then Emily Was Gone – writer John Lees, artist Iain Laurie, colorist Megan Wilson and letterer Colin Bell – have reunited for Quilte, a horror one-shot which will make its worldwide debut at Edinburgh Comic Con.

Quilte tells the story of Dr. Karla Quite, a revered psychologist who uses her unique gifts to treat patients afflicted with recurring nightmares. But when tasked with helping troubled young Adam Whitlock, her journey into his mind leaves her facing forces far more malevolent than bad dreams.

Edinburgh Comic Con will be taking place at The Exchange at EICC on April 2nd-3rd.

Quilte

Review: Oxymoron: The Loveliest Nightmare

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stk693188The serial killer Oxymoron takes center stage in ComixTribe’s Oxymoron: The Loveliest Nightmare, and it’s right where he wants to be. Writers Tyler James and John Lees pull no punches with the story, and Alex Cormack’s art makes the reader feel the weight of Oxymoron’s gruesome actions. Oxymoron: The Loveliest Nightmare collects issues #1-4 of the comic of the same name.

Though Oxymoron was first a character in James’ The Red Ten, this story stands well on its own and doesn’t force the reader to work too hard to figure out the villain. Oxymoron’s character has all the showiness and brutal tendencies of Heath Ledger’s Joker, but with more restraint and a hard R rating. This particular arc doesn’t delve into Oxymoron’s past and decidedly focuses on the events at hand, though a little more insight to the character would certainly be interesting. However, the plot survives well without it, and consequently isn’t bogged down by backstory. 

The first pages of this arc introduce Mary Clark, a Swanstown police with a shot of her lying on the ground next to a man who has been shot in the head. The story immediately jumps ahead six months to Mary’s return to the force, but doesn’t get any less brutal in the coming chapters. Readers only get glimpses of Mary outside of her life at the S.P.D., and part of the fun and suspense of the comic is trying to figure out not only Oxymoron’s next move, but Mary’s, as well.

The Loveliest Nightmare has all the blood and guts of a slasher and all the slow reveal of a good psychological horror story. The pacing plays up the psychological aspect, and the tension doesn’t slow its build until the climax, resulting in a story that leaves the reader guessing until the very last panel. It might be beneficial to read with a stress ball in hand.

There are two elements to this comic that really distance The Loveliest Nightmare from nearing the realm of “Joker copycat.” Firstly, Oxymoron recognizes and often states that he is a terrible person doing terrible things. While this is glaringly obvious to Mary, the people he has murdered, and hopefully the reader, it serves as a built-in criticism of this type of character that isn’t always present in other stories. Secondly, the story prioritizes ordinary people as the heroes. James and Lees make an effort to include different types of characters who don’t normally see much narrative space in Mary and Deborah (a disabled woman of color and a lesbian, respectively).

Cormack does a great job of bringing every vicious detail of the story into reality. Oxymoron himself is creepy and sinister, with a terrifying and omnipresent grin that may take clown phobias to a new level. Cormack’s dynamic illustrations will haunt readers indefinitely–or at least until the comic returns with a new and equally twisted arc.

Story: Tyler James and John Lees Art: Alex Cormack
Story: 9.0 Art: 8.5 Overall: 8.75 Recommendation: Read 

ComixTribe provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

The Loveliest Nightmare Begins in August

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ComixTribe announced today the upcoming release of Oxymoron: The Loveliest Nightmare, a new monthly crime/ horror series debuting in August. Writers John Lees and Tyler James are joining forces with Alex Cormack to tell a cop versus contradiction-obsessed killer thriller in the vein of Hannibal and Se7en.

The Loveliest Nightmare tells the story of Mary Clark, an afflicted detective suffering from a debilitating chronic illness, and reeling from a demotion back to street cop after her partner’s death. She hates being in uniform, resents her young, wide-eyed partner, and is persona non grata with the rest of the police department. She’s sleepwalking, but the Oxymoron case wakes her up.

When what appears to be a lone nut job in a mask jumping off a skyscraper turns out to be the opening gambit in a killer’s master plan to cleanse a corrupt city of its many contradictions, Mary sees taking him down as a chance to prove herself and earn back her Detective badge.  But once the true severity of the Oxymoron’s plan is revealed, she realizes there are much higher stakes than her career in play.

Each issue of the series features a standard cover by Alex Cormack and a variant cover by industry superstars and upcoming talent, including Charles Paul Wilson, III, Iain Laurie, Joe Mulvey and more.

Oxymoron The Loveliest Nightmare 1 cover a Oxymoron The Loveliest Nightmare 1 cover b

ComixTribe Releases a Trailer for And Then Emily Was Gone

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On the even of the direct market debut of And Then Emily Was Gone #1, ComixTribe has released a full trailer for horror mini-series before its world-wide debut July 30.

Greg Hellinger is a man who sees monsters. A former detective driven to the brink of madness by terrifying apparitions, he is tasked with finding a missing girl named Emily. Hellinger’s search takes him to a remote community in the Scottish Orkney Islands, where strange and terrifying things are happening…

A 5-part monthly comic event, And Then Emily Was Gone is created by award-winning creators John Lees and Iain Laurie and features variant covers by comic superstars Riley Rossmo, Nick Pitarra, Garry Brown, and more!

NYCC 2013: Oxymoron: The Loveliest Nightmare – The Contradiction-Obsessed Killer Returns

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On the final day of the 2013 New York Comic Con independent comic book publisher, ComixTribe, announced Oxymoron: The Loveliest Nightmare, the fourth of four new titles to be released in 2014 revealed at the convention.

Oxymoron: The Loveliest Nightmare, a new series written by Tyler James and John Lees and illustrated by Alex Cormack, will be a new take on The Red Ten villain. Suffering from a chronic illness, and reeling from a demotion after her partner’s death, Detective Mary Clark finds herself on the trail of a serial killer obsessed with contradiction, who is painting a bloody canvass of carnage with the entrails of politicians and powerbrokers in Swanstown.

“While the Oxymoron has been a scene stealer in The Red Ten, and the star of a successful hardcover anthology, I’m thrilled with the prospects of letting him cut loose in his own mini-series,” said James.

Co-Writer John Lees is also excited to get his hands on this character once again. “As far as I’m concerned, Oxymoron: The Loveliest Nightmare is the biggest comic project I’ve ever been part of.  In The Red Ten, Tyler James and Cesar Feliciano created an instantly iconic villain who has quickly built up a cult following, and it’s intimidating to now come in and try to add to that legacy. Tyler and I have a story worked out that is going to take readers to some dark, twisted places. Alex Cormack is an incredibly gifted artist who is going to make this one of the most horrifyingly gorgeous (an oxymoron!) books on the stands. If you liked the Oxymoron Volume 1 anthology, you’re going to love this, and you’re going to be horrified, too. Life’s full of contradictions!”

James says that Oxymoron: The Loveliest Nightmarewill explore new territory for the character, “This will be a take on the Oxymoron that we haven’t seen before. Oxymoron: The Loveliest Nightmare is a cerebral serial killer police procedural in the vein of Hannibal or Seven. It’s the perfect jumping on point for new readers, especially fans of smart crime and horror,” he said.

Alex Cormack, who will illustrate this series, says the series is a welcomed opportunity to reunite with the Oxymoron character, “I’ve loved the character since I read the first issue of THE RED TEN, and drawing him in the Oxymoron Volume 1 anthology was a blast! It’s great to be working working with this psycho again!”

James seems enthusiastic about the dynamic of this creative team, “In the Oxymoron Volume 1 anthology, I worked with John Lees on the delightfully nasty short, Selfless Man. John has a great grasp of the character, and as he’s showing with star-making work on his horror series And Then Emily Was Gone, he is right at home in this genre. Collaborating with him on this was a no-brainer.”

James went on to say, “Likewise, Alex Cormack draws one hell of a creepy Oxy, and his storytelling has grown leaps and bounds over the past few years. I’m thrilled to be working with Alex on this.”

Oxymoron: The Loveliest Nightmare will be a new mini-series debuting in 2014. A second Oxymoron anthology is also in the works for next year.

BookAnnouncements_OxyLN

Boston Comic Con 2013: ComixTribe Announces SCAMthology!

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At this weekend’s Boston Comic Con, ComixTribe announced SCAMthology, a new project expanding Joe Mulvey‘s Scam universe, featuring top and up-and-coming comic talent telling thirteen new stories featuring super-powered con-men taking Vegas for all she’s worth.

The full roster of SCAMthology creators includes Joe Eisma, Ben McCool, Nick Pitarra, Paul Allor, Brian Shearer, Tyler James, Adam Masterman, Rich Douek, Daniel Logan, John Lees, Doug Hills, Aaron Houston, Kirk Manley, Josh Flanagan, Alex Diotto, Jonathan Rector, Jamie Gambell, Amy Chu, Nolan T. Jones, Steve Colle, Ryan K Lindsay, Alex Cormack, Steve Forbes, and Daniel Picciotto.

That’s thirteen teams, all tasked with developing the Scam mythos. And that’s an impressive line-up.

The first four-issue Scam mini-series concludes this November with a double-sized final issue, and SCAMthology will follow directly after.  ComixTribe has created a special SCAMthology Tumblr Page that will feature frequent teasers and more details about the project over the next few months. SCAMthology is set to be released in early 2014.

SCAM_COVERS_Scamthology2

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