Tag Archives: jamie me

Review: Start Again #1

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In it’s simplest form, Start Again is a boy meets girl story, except the boy is really a superhero who doesn’t tell the girl and she finds out during their one-night stand. Set in the United Kingdom the series creates a unique twist with the inclusion of paparazzi, something that’s not quite as big as a thing here in the United States. That aspect is original in a lot of ways as the intersection of superherodom and celebrity isn’t something that’s explored a lot in the world of comics.

In Start Again, Ajay Verma and Natalie Brown meet in a Nightclub in Leeds city centre and from there they really get to know each other. Unfortunately, it looks like Verma has a little PTSD and freaks out which leads to the nation to catching a bit more of a look at him than spandex allows. There’s solid comedy to that and writer Jamie Me digs into that a little, but mainly focuses on the dramatic aspects of it all, with some good laughs too.

What happens when the world catches a hero in his birthday suit? It’s something we see with celebrities and the first issue touches on the shark-like attitude and voyeuristic tendencies of the public when presented with such a situation. The first issue can only give so much but this first issue spends a lot of time discussing the aftermath. While the comic features a superhero in spandex there isn’t a lot of superheroing going on. It’s more focused on the fallout of everything in the I’m staying at home and eating a pint of Ben and Jerrys while I wallow in my misery. It’s relatable in that way and also a nice change from spandex battles.

The art by Toni Doya and colors by Sean Callahan is solid with some great sequences and good amount of detail. The comedic moments are played well and the more introspective moments have a bit of a down vibe to it. In other words, the art nails the mood of the scenes and does so in a way that it enhances it all. It’s also nice to see a non-white superhero in the lead as well as full frontal male nudity. The comic is equal in that department.

Start Again #1 is a solid debut and is a comic I want to read more of. It’s a nice break from traditional superhero comics and goes in a direction we’re not really seeing elsewhere. It’s original, fun, entertaining, and stands out from a crowded market of spandex and punching.

Story: Jamie Me Art: Toni Doya Colors: Sean Callahan
Story: 8.0 Art: 8.0 Overall: 8.0 Recommendation: Buy

Graphic Policy was provided with a FREE copy for review

Review: Queen #1

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queen-cover-web-1I love politics, it’s my day job, so not much of a shock there. When a comic dives into the subject it usually piques my interest and gets on to my list of ones I absolutely want to check out. Queen is a political thriller starring Emily Green, the Deputy Prime Minister, in a United Kingdom set in an alternate universe. The mother of one is beginning to question the choices she has made in life, and her role in the Conservation party.

Rumors of corruption swirl around the current leadership who is having issues connecting with the people of their country. Enter a mysterious individual who feels a bit like the shadowy individuals who manipulate politicians, but with a tech spin to it all.

Written by Jamie Me, the first issue is a solid start setting up the politics of the nation and the key characters involved. There’s a grounded reality about it, and as someone who works in politics, there’s a lot it gets right and feels about as authentic as you can get. I could relate in other words, and that’s a solid thing. While the situation is a bit over the top in how it plays out, that is the point of a story like this. But, even with that over the top aspect, it still actually is grounded in many ways mixing a lot of recent events into one narrative.

Bernard Gita‘s art is solid giving us a realistic look of characters in many ways and each character having their own personality in style. No one is over the top in that and with a political thriller like this, it’s not like there’s tons of action, but still Gita keeps you focused on the art as much as the story.

Political thriller, comic, I was sold on the concept, and can’t wait to see what the second issue is like. It’s a solid comic for folks who like this particular genre and if you are, you won’t be disappointed. In a year where political reality is stranger than fiction, this comic still entertains and is full of surprises.

Story: Jamie Me Art: Bernard Gita
Story: 8.1 Art: 7.9 Overall: 8.1 Recommendation: Buy

Graphic Policy was provided with a FREE copy for review

Kickstarter Spotlight: Start Again

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start-again-cover-no-logoby Jamie Me

Valentine’s Day 2015 marked the release of British comic creator Jamie Me’s latest comic Start Again, a superhero boy meets girl story, on popular crowdfunding platform Kickstarter. The title is created, written and lettered by the Yorkshire born Me, and features art by Toni Doya with the colours done by Sean Callahan.

“Start Again is a love letter to British comedy, and to the comic industry in which superheroes play such an iconic role. I wanted to fuse those two elements together, and explore themes of anxiety and social pressure too.” Explains Jamie Me.

Creator Jamie Me is a big fan of his home country’s comedy shows, and he even runs a NSFW webcomic. Start Again draws inspiration from such TV shows as Peep Show & Catastrophe.

“I wanted to create something that was fun, serious and just British to the core. I drew inspirations from my own real life experiences to do with being in an interracial relationship, having a ton of anxiety and, which some may find hard to believe, having a fear of social media.”

Three years ago Jamie Me, as he explained in a development diary for his last comic Queen, was diagnosed with Obsessive Compulsive Behaviour. He underwent therapy for the condition, and this saw him addressing his anxieties and ritualistic behaviours surrounding cleanliness, a fear of going outside, and additional fears about getting targeted on the internet.

“It was a rough time in my life. The cleanliness stuff was tough, but I never really explained the internet side of things. Some people once made a cartoon video mocking me, and they spread it around online. I found out on Christmas day from a mate, and at the time I didn’t realise how much it affected me. I became deeply paranoid about putting myself out there creatively. It sucked, people can be incredibly cruel on online.”

Start Again is live on Kickstarter, and you can read 6 preview pages right now. The reward tiers also include the opportunity to read Jamie’s other comic Queen, a British political thriller, and a range of unique one-off rewards such as drawings of backers with the main characters.

You can view the project here.

 

 

 

 

While we’re no longer picking crowd funding projects to spotlight on our site, we’re allowing project creators to make their case for their project on our platform. We remind individuals, we don’t endorse any of these projects, and that by supporting any crowd funding project, you’re taking any risks associated with doing so. – the Management

It’s Start Again Week. Check out a Page a Day.

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cover-textThe 8th of February marked the start of Start Again week for comic creator Jamie Me. He is debuting an unorthodox reveal of his latest graphic novel, Start Again, in the form of publishing a page a day until this Sunday, Valentine’s Day. The project features art by Toni Doya, and colors by Sean Callahan who also teamed with the creator on his other project Queen #1.

Start Again will tell the story of a chance encounter between protagonists Ajay and Natalie in a nightclub in Leeds city centre. The lives of a superhero and a web designer will become intertwined as themes such as anxiety, social pressure and interracial relationships based on Jamie Me’s life experiences are explored.

This is all a lead up for the Start Again Kickstarter, which launches this Sunday, will also feature the creators last comic, Queen. The political thriller is based on an alternate reality where the 2015 General Election, in the UK, sees the murder of the Prime Minister, Daniel Camden. Backers will have the opportunity to choose tiers that feature the comic digitally and in print.