Tag Archives: Fraser Campbell

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

Review: Comichaus #9

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.

Even some of the more obscure science fiction movies of the 1980s like Hardware, derives much of its story from Patty Mills stories in the storied magazine. The influence of those creators up to today can be seen in today’ s writers and artists, especially in indie comic magazines like Comichaus. In the latest issue, Homeopathos, James and Alan retrace their steps back to the mad scientist who abducted them in the first place, but unexpectedly must fight for their lives. In Mandy the Monster Hunter, Mandy has to train the children who were left as orphans due to the carnage of the monsters, as they become empowered to use their strengths to fight them.

In Cold, the survivors who are left over, try find some normalcy amongst each other, but just as they get adjusted the Colds, invade their quiet moment. In Splendid Grins, a criminal serving out his time taking out demons, finds a cult leader, whose is more than what he was told. In The Monochrome Kid, a mind melding being steals song ideas from a rival songwriter, causing chaos in his life. In Sandwiches, a demon uses people’s insecurities against them.

Overall, another strong installment for this epic series, as each issue is a fun trip. The stories contained prove that each writer are ones to watch. The art by each other artists are beautiful, especially the work done in Sandwiches. Altogether, a great issue, that proves Britain is still fertile soil for  new comics talent.

Story: Robin Jones, Michael Sambrook, Matt Warner, Liam Baldwin, Simon Birks, Fraser Campbell, Dave Bowling
Art: Gavin Fullerton, Vince Hunt, Liam Baldwin, Lyndon White, Iain Laurie, Rebecca Horner, Matthew John Soffe
Story: 9.0 Art: 9.0 Overall: 9.0 Recommendation: Buy