Tag Archives: manifest destiny

Review: Manifest Destiny #16

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md016Manifest Destiny has been one of the bigger surprises in comics in recent years, and mostly because of its underlying concept.  Comics tend towards a variety of different easily recognizable genres, but this series has mostly defied any single easy definition.  It is an apocryphal anachronistic historical horror that looks at the Lewis and Clark expedition in a completely different light, throwing in zombies, buffalo minotaurs, man eating frogs and a variety of other unconventional threats to the famous duo.  The series has succeeded because of this unconventional approach but underlying the entire experience is that of a complete lack of explanation as to why this happens other than the appearance of the arches.

The previous issues introduced the Fezrons, strange bird like humanoids that also speak English somehow.  The single Fezron was captured but then leads the expedition to a bigger collection of his kind, and they find them ready to eat the expedition’s scout.  A bargain is worked out as the humans agree to help the Fezrons in exchange for the return of their man, but they do so only after having the story of the Fezrons explained to them.  This kind of fits into earlier storytelling of comics, primarily the science fiction anthologies of the 1950s and 1960s when every alien species ever encountered was able to discuss with humans through some form of telepathy or some other convenient trick.  Something similar is alluded to here and perhaps finally giving some actual explanation as to why so much has changed in this version of history.

This series has survived thus far with its fair share of horror, which the crew has either had to fight off or occasionally even had some fun with.  Underlying the horror though was the question of how it was even possible, and with any series built around some underlying suspense or unanswered question, the resolution of that question will probably be the highlight of the series but also its inevitable downfall.  This is the first issue of the series which indicates that there is finally an answer coming to the question of these strange happenings, and true to form, it is of a better quality than previous issue, even if it might also signify the eventual end of the series.

Story: Chris Dingess Art: Matthew Roberts
Story: 8.6 Art: 8.6 Overall: 8.6 Recommendation: Buy

Image provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review.  

Graphic Policy’s Top Comic Picks this Week!

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Justice League #43Wednesdays are new comic book day! Each week hundreds of comics are released, and that can be pretty daunting to go over and choose what to buy. That’s where we come in!

We’re bringing back something we haven’t done for a while, what the team thinks. Our contributors are choosing up to five books each week and why they’re choosing the books.

Find out what folks think below, and what comics you should be looking out for this Wednesday.

Brett

Nanjing: The Burning City HC (Dark Horse) – This is one of those weeks where I could have easily chosen 20 different comics to put on my picks. Narrowing it down to five was very difficult, but this book is absolutely on top. A graphic novel taking place in Nanjing during the Chinese occupation/attack during the second Chinese/Japanese war. The atrocities committed are staggering, and this graphic novel is a nice introduction that will hopefully get people more interested in this genocide and destruction.

Hip Hop Family Tree #1 (Fantagraphics) – If you missed it, the praised Fantagraphics graphic novel series is being released as monthly comics with extra material, so perfect for new readers and old readers like. The series is an amazing recounting of the rise of hip hop music.

Oxymoron: The Loveliest Nightmare #1 (Comix Tribe) – I love Comix Tribe’s releases, though their release schedule can be a bit spotty at times. This new series, spinning out of The Red Ten, which is being released a week early, focuses on the supervillain the Oxymoron. Comix Tribe is a publisher that absolutely deserves more eyes on their releases.

Princeless: Raven, the Pirate Princess #2 (Action Lab Entertainment) – Jeremy Whitley’s Princeless has been both entertaining and destroying comic tropes and stereotypes at the same time. This new series, which spun out of the last volume, focuses on Raven as she builds a pirate crew to take on her brothers. This issue is amazing, and there’s one sequence in particular that’ll get you laughing and thinking.

Young Terrorists #1 (Black Mask Studios) – A fascinating read that I’m still digesting. It gets Black Mask Studios back to its political roots, taking on corporations, governments, really, society as a whole.

 

Edward

Top Pick: Justice League #43 (DC Comics) – The ending to the previous issue, with Batman taking on the role of Metron, is one of the big type of developments that Geoff Johns loves in his storytelling.  Where this story arc goes from here is anyone’s guess, but it is going to be something big.

Manifest Destiny #16 (Image Comics) – This series continues with the unexplained mysteries of America’s interior, as was seen by a different Lewis and Clark.  The revelations of the previous issue seem like they will have a big impact going forward.

Secret Wars: Secret Love #1 (Marvel) – Romance comics are an important part of the history of the medium of comics.  It is nice to see a romance inspired tie-in to Secret Wars, though it will be interesting to see exactly where they take it.

Silk #6 (Marvel) – There are still a few Marvel monthlies that are moving along somewhat unbothered by Secret Wars, and Silk is one of them.  This fun series never got a good chance to gain a decent fan base but continues to impress.

Van Helsing Vs. Dracula #1 (Zenescope) – Dracula is probably the most widely used villain in comics, not in terms of appearances, but in terms of how many companies have published stories with him.  Liesel Van Helsing is a steampunk heroine that has never made the connection with readers.  Putting the two together seems like it might work though.

 

Elana

Top Pick: Princeless: Raven the Pirate Princess #2 (Action Lab Entertainment) –  Everyone loves Princeless, the feminist, funny, exciting all-ages fantasy comic staring women of color and a dragon. Raven the Pirate Princess is not just a spin-off series, it is the next step of maturation for the adventure/fantasy world Jeremy Whitley is building. While both series are all-ages this one is aimed at slightly older kids. It very effectively lampoons real world sexism in ways that I want to put on freaking flyers and hand out at conferences.

Just as important, it features young women flirting with each other. So you get pirate ships and also ‘shipping in one family-friendly, queer positive, comic book featuring mostly people of color.

Marvel, DC, take note.

Which brings us to….

Top Pick: Secret Wars: Secret Loves #1 (Marvel) – Jeremy Whitley, creator of the feminist all-ages fantasy comic dynamo that is Princeless is finally writing something for Marvel. It’s a romance story featuring Danny Rand and Misty Knight! If that wasn’t enough in this comic we get Kamalah Kahn and Robbie Reyes together. Marvel should probably publish a full time romance series again. Other then X-Men.

Black Canary #3 (DC Comics) – Last issue ended on a cliff hanger. Who’s Dinah’s ex in the covert-ops suit? And how does that mysterious kid play guitar like that? And when will someone buy me an Annie Wu commission? Her art here is killer.

Island #2 (Image Comics) – Bored of comics? Want something new? Buy this. All of the art is unlike any of the other comics art you have. Unless you read a lot of Brandon Graham stuff in which case the Brandon Graham stuff will be familiar. And by familiar I mean awesome.

Power-Up #2 (BOOM! Box/BOOM! Studios) – Magical girls for everyone! Magical girls for construction workers with beards! For Mom’s in station wagons with irritable teenagers! For tiny gold fish! And for under-employed retail workers. Cute and heartfelt. Read the review I wrote for issue 1.

Secret Six #5 (DC Comics) – Gail Simone’s original run on Secret Six is one of my favorite comics of all time. It’s taken a while to get this new volume up and running properly. But the last issue marked a major upswing in the series. It’s harkening back to the twisted humor, over the top violence and drama between members of a found family of fucked-up people that made readers fall in love with the original series.

Wolf #2 (Image Comics) – Urban fantasy is a dime a dozen right now but Ales Kott’s new series Wolf stands out. The story is completely unpredictable. This series has a David Lynchian vibe I haven’t felt in anything else I read. It’s reminiscent in tone Mulholland Drive in particular. The series is genuinely creepy and a little confusing. But I love Mulholland Drive for those very reasons. So consider that praise for this book too.

 

Mr. H

Top Pick: Justice League #43 (DC Comics) – Forget Age of Ultron and Ant-Man, this has been the cinematic adventure of the year for me! I love how Johns has taken the old cliché of “Bat-God” and turned it literal. Awesome stuff. His reinterpretation of Darkseid and his Apokolips horde is fantastic.  I don’t see it slowing down. Waiting at the bus stop for the next Boom Tube!

Amazing Spider-Man: Renew Your Vows #4 (Marvel Comics) – Peter finally gets his daughter back and she fights by his side. I don’t think anything more needs to be said. Thwip this one up quick Webheads!

House of M #1 (Marvel Comics) – What’s better than one rule under Doom? Try Magneto. I am very glad they are revisiting this story. Was great when it was originally published. However what could Wanda wish away this time? How about hoping she utters the words “No More Reboots.”

Superman/ Wonder Woman #20 (DC Comics) – Continuing the Truth story, I’m eager to see what became of Lana Lang but if this month doesn’t turn it around, this might be it for me on this title. Big fan of Mahnke but not sure his art can save me on this. Hope I’m wrong.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #49 (IDW Publishing) – One more issue till the big one. This is where it hits the fan! Turtles, Shredder, Splinter, Bebop, Rocksteady, Metalhead, Karai. I am eagerly awaiting the showdown. Rumor is one of the Turtles may not survive..

Image Reinvents the Mississippi

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When one thinks of the Mississippi River it is evocative of many things.  Some will think of the cities along the river which have given rise to so much southern culture.  Other will think of the passage of the river through vasts tracts of wilderness and farmland, given rise to much of the nation’s green space.  Others still will think of the same passage as that of the route of trade, a superhighway on the water which bisected the interior of the country long before there were railway lines or motor cars.  Others still might think back to its early days and its association with the frontier legends and myths which came to dominate American culture.

What often doesn’t happen to the Mississippi though is that it is used as the setting for stories or fiction.  It is true that there are lots of stories that use the Mississippi River as a backdrop in the cities in which they transpire, but the river itself is mostly ignored when it comes to fiction, save for the works of Mark Twain.  The massive river often just exists as what it is, a body of water that is always moving but not often changing.

miss002In terms of its treatment in fiction, little has changed, except indirectly Image Comics might be challenging that in a small way.  It is hard to say that Image is making a conscious decision to challenge the nature of this river, for Image as a comic company has effectively no control over the creative decisions of its series.  Rather the company puts comics into wide release which are of a certain quality which might otherwise be hard for most comic fans to find.  Nonetheless at the moment the Mississippi does factor into two separate Image series, and neither of them are in the slightest way related.

The river serves as the Eastern boundary of the Carlyle clan in Lazarus.  In this future dystopian series, a series of families have taken over control of the world in place of the former states.  It has returned the people of Earth to a system of semi-feudalism, and where individuals running corporations run large, it can be expected equally that the environment is degraded in unacceptable ways.  As the border between two families, the river is maintained by neither of them and is instead a black moving cesspool, which is swum across at one point by one of the characters, even though the thought of doing so disgusts him.

miss001The other Image series dealing with the river is one which puts it in the spotlight almost all the time.  Although it is often not identified specifically as such, the river forms the route by which Lewis and Clark lead their men after the Louisiana Purchase.  This series is very much different from what we know from the history books, rather it is a fantasy/horror retelling of the adventures of the two American heroes.  Instead of charting the wilderness of the United States, they are forced to fight off against giant mosquitoes, plants that turn people in zombies, buffalo-minotaurs and various other creatures.  It thus becomes not a story of discovery but rather one of survival as the team members die one by one, succumbing to the inexplicable threats.

The Mississippi is a piece of Americana, and as the world’s fourth longest river, it does serve as an emblem of what is so large and vast about the American interior.  Equally though, the river is often untouched when it comes to fiction, more often than not simply reduced to the idyllic slice of life from the time of Mark Twain.  Authors often ply their craft simply be reimagining that which is a symbol, and in the case of the two Image series, they are at least challenging what we think about this great river.

Preview: Manifest Destiny #15

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Manifest Destiny #15

Story By: Chris Dingess
Art By: Matthew Roberts
Art By: Owen Gieni
Cover By: Matthew Roberts
Cover By: Owen Gieni
Price: $2.99
Diamond ID: JAN150693
Published: June 17, 2015

Lost in America’s heartland, the expedition strikes a bargain with new friends, and encounters a strange visitor that’s like nothing else on Earth…

ManifestDestiny15_Cover

Review: Manifest Destiny # 15

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manifestdestiny015There is something about Manifest Destiny which defies a certain amount of logic.  Although it is ostensibly a semi-historical story about the Lewis and Clark expedition into the American interior, it is also re-imagined with the this wilderness being full of crazy creatures, zombie inducing plants and structures that look suspiciously like the St. Louis Arch showing up all over the place where there seems to be some sort of new danger.  While the stories contradict either what we have found in history books or in the fossil record, it obviously also requires some suspension of disbelief, and generally speaking it has been worth it to read the amazing stories that could have been written out of early books from the American West.

While that suspension of disbelief is needed throughout, there are in this issue some which are even a bit much, and even go back to the campy sci-fi serials of the 1950s in terms of how they operate.  As the team works through the most recent disappearance of a team member, they also have to come to terms with the Fezron, the strange almost human like blue bird animal that they encountered in the previous issue.  It is the Fezron which drives the plot forward in this issue, acting equal parts as comic relief and to keep the story line going.  It is also the Fezron where the story kind of falls apart.  While some of the other bizarre encounters in this wilderness have seemed plausible in a certain way, this one seems too far fetched through its basic design.

The series is still one which deserves a look as it embodies what can be great about this medium, that imagination knows no real bounds in comics.  Equally this issue is not the best representation of the series.  A first time reader might be confused with the obvious plot gimmicks to make this move along so quickly, and only readers of the series as whole will probably think of this issue as a must read.  It is still entertaining enough, but not up to the level of some others in the series thus far.

Story: Chris Dingess Art: Matthew Roberts and Owen Gieni
Story: 7.7 Art: 7.7 Overall: 7.7 Recommendation: Read

Image provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review.  

 

Preview: Manifest Destiny #14

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Manifest Destiny #14

Story By: Chris Dingess
Art By: Matthew Roberts
Art By: Owen Gieni
Cover By: Matthew Roberts
Cover By: Owen Gieni
Price: $2.99
Diamond ID: DEC140742
Published: April 22, 2015

One of the crew goes missing as the men make first contact with an unbelievable new civilization…

ManifestDestiny14_Cover

Graphic Policy’s Top Comic Picks this Week!

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Realist_coverWednesdays are new comic book day! Each week hundreds of comics are released, and that can be pretty daunting to go over and choose what to buy. That’s where we come in!

We’re bringing back something we haven’t done for a while, what the team thinks. Our contributors are choosing up to five books each week and why they’re choosing the books.

Find out what folks think below, and what comics you should be looking out for this Wednesday.

Brett

Top Pick: The Realist (Archaia/BOOM! Studios) – Israeli cartoonist Asaf Hanuka’s weekly strips commenting on everything from marriage to technology to social activism through intimate moments of triumph and failure.

Divinity #3 (Valiant Entertainment) – Valiant I think has the best superhero universe right now in comics. It helps that they’re willing to try new things as far as the characters, tone, and direction series go. This one is one of their more audacious comics to date, and it has been a wonderful read so far.

Drones #1 (IDW Publishing) – Two former predator drone operators face insurgency and insanity on the Las Vegas Strip in the surreal surroundings of the world’s first terrorism-themed hotel!

Kaptara #1 (Image Comics) – A space expedition goes horribly wrong because if it didn’t there would be no story! Reluctant explorer Keith Kanga and his crew crash land on KAPTARA, a world filled with danger and weird danger and dangerous weirdos! And if he can’t survive, then Earth, the place where YOU live, is doomed! From Chip Zdarsky, do you need another reason to check it out?

Transformers: Windblade Combiner Wars #2 (IDW Publishing) – IDW has been knocking it out of the park when it comes to their latest Transformers events which brings worlds together, as well as Transformers.

 

Edward

Top Pick: Suicide Risk #24 (BOOM! Studios) – This series should be at the top of every comic fan’s list.  Its version of the superhero genre is astounding.

Little Mermaid #3 (Zenescope) – Zenescope’s under the radar series has veered a bit towards the expected, but it is still a fresh take on the fairy tale.

Manifest Destiny #14 (Image Comics) -The strange adventures through middle America continue, but will Sacajawea reveal something soon?

Postal #3 (Image Comics) –  The series has managed to be extremely gripping in its first couple of issues.  Secrets abound in the town of criminals.

Satellite Sam #13 (Image Comics) – The medium’s standout crime noir title returns with possibly some answers to the questions on the way.

 

Elana Levin

Top Pick: Convergence: New Teen Titans #1 (DC Comics) – The original Wolfman/Perez run of New Teen Titans was glorious soapy teenage hero wonder.   And now we get more of it and with Nicola Scott on pencils– a fantastic artists whose work I first fell for when she drew Secret Six. She draws attractive people but with real characterization and “acting” shining through in a way very few artists do. I don’t care about Tangent universe, which provides the characters they are fighting. But this old school Titans line-up and combination of classic and new talent have me sold.

I’d hazard to guess that fans of Claremont’s X-Men & the various Young Avengers series would enjoy the young characters’ soapy exploits if these books are anything like the original.

Velvet #10 (Image Comics) – Stylish as ever and unique. Complex, sexy and mature female characters are still rare in comics, and anywhere. Velvet is always a pleasure. A film version of her would make Brubecker a wealthy man and would be doing the world a favor. We need Velvet!

Lazarus #16 (Image Comics) – Lazarus is the scifi dystopia our world needs. Smart work that goes where no others dare. I should’ve proposed a session on this series for Left Forum or maybe get Jacobin Magazine to do an in depth review. I’d have ranked this higher but the story works better in tradepaperback.

The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl #4 (Marvel) –  Adorable, zany and feminist as hell. I love the way Erika Henderson draws Galactus.

 

Nevada

Top Pick: Harvey Kurtzman: The Man Who Created MAD & Revolutionized Humor in America (Fantagraphics) – I’m a fan of MAD and can’t wait to read this fascinating account of Mr. Kurtzman’s life and work, from the founding of MAD and then his early departure, to an investigation with the FBI during the McCarthy Era and beyond.  Packed with interviews by friends and family, this promises to be a revealing look at a great American humorist.

MAD Magazine #533 (Mad Magazine) – Speaking of MAD, I’ll have to catch this issue featuring Weird Al Yankovic along with Alfred E. Neuman on the cover. Whether you remember Weird Al’s work from the ‘80’s or you’re just now discovering his genius, this pairing on the April cover is truly inspired!

Miami Vice Remix #2 (IDW Publishing) – Oh, speaking of the ‘80’s, if you weren’t around to experience the fashion/ cultural/ musical phenomenon that was the original TV show, Miami Vice, here’s a Remix! This looks great—and quite bad-ass! Read this comic-book update and check out the original show that’s been playing on Esquire and Cozi networks and pretty soon you’ll be rolling up the sleeves of your pastel blazer and sporting a five o’clock shadow (guys), or slipping into a leather mini-skirt and double-processing your hair (chicks).

The Cartoon Introduction to Philosophy (Hill & Wang) – A canoe trip with Heraclitus through the great debates of Western thought? Sounds like the cruise of a lifetime and a fun way to try and wrap your head around the mysteries of life and the universe, or vice versa.

Unbeatable Squirrel Girl #4 (Marvel) – I’m new to Squirrel Girl comics but this looks like a winner! I always knew squirrels were clever, agile, resourceful, and brave; add to that true Girl-Power and Squirrel Girl has to be an unbeatable addition to the super hero pantheon.

Preview: Manifest Destiny #13

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Manifest Destiny #13

Story By: Chris Dingess
Art By: Matthew Roberts
Art By: Owen Gieni
Cover By: Matthew Roberts
Cover By: Owen Gieni
Price: $2.99
Diamond ID: NOV140663
Published: February 18, 2015

NEW STORY ARC! Venturing deeper into the heartland, the expedition discovers another arch, which can only signal new trouble, while Sacagawea experiences complications with her pregnancy…

ManifestDestiny13_Cover

Around the Tubes

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It was new comic book day yesterday! Anyone have issues getting theirs due to the snow?

Around the Tubes

Lifehacker – Career Spotlight: What I Do as a Comic Book Artist – Nice to see!

AZ Central – Phoenix mom and pop comic shop ‘forced out of lease’ – BOOOOO!

 

Around the Tubes Reviews

Comic Vine – All New Captain America #4

Bleeding Cool – Batgirl #39

Comic Vine – Batman and Robin #39

Bleeding Cool – Bitch Planet #3

Comic Vine – Goners #5

Comic Vine – Justice League #39

Comic Vine – Legendary Star-Lord #9

Comic Vine – Manifest Destiny #13

Comic Vine – Miles Morales: Ultimate Spider-Man #10

Comic Vine – Moon Knight #12

Comic Vine – The Multiversity: Mastermen #1

Comic Vine – Rumble #3

CBR – Secret Identities #1

Comic Vine – She-Hulk #12

Talking Comics – Silk #1

Comic Vine – Silk #1

Comic Vine – Uncanny X-Men #31

Comic Vine – The Valiant #3

Review: Manifest Destiny #13

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mf13While there are often series that people find compelling for a variety of reasons, there are other series which fit into a different category.  They are classified by a simple phrase – “I wish I had thought of that.”  Throughout its entire run, this series has taken an interesting idea and run a gauntlet of incredulous happenings at it.  Whereas a fictionalized account of Lewis and Clark’s expedition across the Louisiana Territory would be interesting in itself, in this version the characters are tasked with facing unexpected threats, which ties this series into something closer to the horror genre at times.  This issue incidentally serves as a decent jumping on point for readers that might have missed a chance to read the first dozen issues.  In talking about the road ahead, the characters in this issue take a moment to look at the road behind.

In the course of their usual exploration of the land, the ragtag group of adventurers finds yet another arch, and for the first time an explanation of what the arches role might be is explored.  It does not last long as the crew is once again thrown into the same problem of facing a semi-supernatural foe with no precedent.  In this case it is the animal partially visible on the cover, an avian like creature which first seems innocent but in fact might pose a threat.  At the same time, this issue is missing a bit compared to other issues in the series thus far.  There is not as much tension for the outcome of events, nor are there any other goings-on among the group save for a disorderly drunken soldier.  Of course to maintain the edge on the series means that there has to be a down issue or to to build up from but that means that this issue still lacks a little bit of the edge that other issues have had.

What this ends up as is a strange combination of a good jumping on point, though not really a highlight of the series thus far.  It is still an amazing concept, and expertly realized through a combination of different story telling techniques (such as switching between the narrative of the journals to the regular action.)  The issue at least does what it needs to, as although it introduces neither what seems to be a particularly dangerous creature, nor advances much of the plot in any other way, it still grips the reader in one of the most unconventional and innovative successes of a series in the past few years.

Story: Chris Dingess Art: Matthew Roberts and Owen Gieni
Story: 8.0 Art: 8.0 Overall: 8.0 Recommendation: Read

Image provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review.  

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