Review: Comichaus #10
Anthology shows are a thing these days, as increasingly networks are considering the format, because of the flexibility. As the rigors of telling a story, but conventional means, has stifled not only creators but also audiences. One such example of unconventional storytelling is the popular This Is Us, where the story is not only told form two timelines but also various characters, all interconnected, and each story sharing the same message of that episode. During all this, the story evokes all senses and emotions, form laughter to tears, the show reaches us every viewer.
A genre show, which does the same thing, but adds some scares, is the almost undefinable Room 104, which has just about touched every genre since it has entered popular media. The very fist episode, manipulated viewer’s understanding of multiple personalities and lets the audience know of the costs of not identifying it. In the tenth issue of Comichaus, each creator brings their “A game,” as some conclude their stories and others bring it to a climax. In the fourth part of Homeopaths, our heroes eventually defeat the evil Doctor, and though they are a bit scarred from what she did to them, they both could now finally get a good night’s sleep.
In the conclusion to “Mandy The Monster Hunter,” our heroine soon finds out that no tall monsters are bad, and peace can have attained without killing each other. In “Splendid Grins,” a man of the law finds himself at odds, as he questions his reason for being. In the conclusion to “Cold,” our heroine ends the evil that destroyed her life for the last time. In the last story, “The Lost Legionnaire,” a group of Roman soldiers gets trapped in a forest full of supernatural creatures, before meeting their fate.
Overall, a strong group of stories which not only anchor this issue but makes this one of the premiere books for all readers. The stories by the creator are strong, smart and most of all, entertaining. The art by the creators more than complement the stories. Altogether, another strong installment in what is an excellent series.
Story: Sambrook/Jones, Matt Warner, Fraser Campbell, Simon Birks, Gary Welsh
Art: Gavin Fullerton, Vincent Hunter, Iain Laurie, Lyndon White, Gary Welsh, Robin Jones
Story: 9.6 Art: 9.4 Overall: 9.8 Recommendation: Buy
Having just watched the documentary Future Shock, one epiphany I had is the indie scene in for comics is huge in England. I learned a few things about how those first creators at 2000AD changed the way we see the future, not only in comics, but largely throughout popular culture. The recent boom in dystopian fiction, can be attributed to these creators, too many to name but include in their ranks are the creators of Watchmen, Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons. Denzel Washington’s dystopian rogue movie, Book Of Eli, has heavy influences from Judge Dredd’s Cursed Earth storyline.
I recently read in an article where they interviewed Charlie Adlard of Walking Dead fame with his thoughts on comics. He had been recently named, the United kingdom’s Comics laureate, an honor, which befuddles me why America has not adopted this title to honor our greatest comic creators. In the interview, what I felt most, was not only love of his craft, but his passion of comics. He even mentioned how the French, call comics, the “Ninth Art”.
I have been an avid reader of Mad Magazine ever since I can remember, as have aunts that still ask do I read as they remember I read it back when I was seven. I was also a reader of Cracked Magazine. In my humble opinion, both magazines were funny, and asking me to choose one is better is nonsense. To me, it is like comparing Star Wars to Star Trek, as there really is no comparison, as both are deserving of their fanbases.
I remember the very first time I picked up Epic Illustrated and how cool I thought it was. My Dad did not want me to read Heavy Metal magazine, because he thought it was crazy like the movie, and looking back he was right to some respect. This is where I first read Silver Surfer before he went on his galaxy trotting adventures in the Marvel Universe. He was a completely different character then, a much more serious figure that felt more like X-O Manowar of Valiant Universe, than his current incarnation.
When it comes to creating something new, creators have hard time letting go of their influences completely. Most cannot, as this is the very reason they get into comic books in the first place, as what they enjoy is usually what they write/draw. So, to ask a creator to be completely free of their inspirations, is truly impossible. The creators at ComicHaus, have created some powerful evocative stories, that only get better with each issue.