Alex and Joe are joined by Markisan Naso and Jason Muhr, writer and artist of Voracious, By The Horns,and By The Horns: Dark Earth to chat about unicorn buttholes, cats, emails, and the consistently brilliant work they’ve been putting out together.
Check out the By The Horns Kickstarter for an exclusive hardcover of the first volume of By The Horns: Dark Earth.
You can reach Alex and Joe can be found on Twitter respectively @karcossa and @FirstRonin4 if you feel the need to tell them they’re wrong individually, or by email at ItsThose2Geeks@gmail.com.
This is a column that focuses on something or some things from the comic book sphere of influence that may not get the credit and recognition it deserves. Whether that’s a list of comic book movies, ongoing comics, or a set of stories featuring a certain character. The columns may take the form of a bullet pointed list, or a slightly longer thinkpiece – there’s really no formula for this other than whether the things being covered are Underrated in some way. This week: Voracious: Diners, Dinosaurs & Dives.
Markisan Naso, Jason Muhr and Andrei Tabucaru have a new comic coming out in 2021, By The Horns. Because of the fact that these three have created one of my all time favourite series, I’m going to revisit the three volumes over the next couple of months starting with the one that kicked it all off: Diners, Dinosaurs & Dives.
This is an older column from 2017, but seeing as how I stand by what I wrote then, I’m rerunning it.
This week I wanted to take a look at a series that I think epitomizes what this column is about: a great comic book series or story that too few people have read. Published by Action Lab, Voracious is written by Markisan Naso and drawn by Jason Muhr, with the co-creators being joined by colourist Andrei Tabucaru, and can usually grab your attention with the shortest of descriptions: “time travelling chef makes dinosaur sandwiches.”
It sounds awesome, right? Well, that’s because it is.
In an ideal world, that’s really all you would need to rush out and buy the two trade paper back collections (Diners, Dinosaurs & Dives and Feeding Time), but it can be tough to buy two trades wholly on those words – I get that. I really do. Look, it’s no secret that Voracious is one of my favourite series to come out in the last couple of years (you can find the reviews for most of the comics in the two miniseries under this search), and it’s one of the few that I’ll buy in floppy form after reading the review copies – and it’s the only one that I also buy the TPBs as well.
You see, I put my money where my mouth is because Voracious is a wonderful breath of fresh air in an industry that has been choking on relaunches and rehashes; the five issues that make up Feeding Time are some of the highest scored comics that I have reviewed for Graphic Policy. Voracious does have an awesome elevator pitch, but that’s not what draws me into the series (though it certainly helped).
After only nine comics (technically ten, but the first issue was a double sized comic) Markisan Naso has become one of Those writers who has earned my complete and utter trust; I will probably buy anything that he puts out from this point on. Aside from having an excellent music taste, Naso has an ability to give a unique voice to his characters that when combined with Jason Muhr’s artistic ability allows you to understand all you need to know about a character within a page or two at most. Yes, there are deeper layers to the people you’re watching navigate their lives on the page, and they’re expertly revealed as the series progresses in a way that you’re never really subjected to an-out-of-left-field moment that takes you out of the story because of a character’s actions because of how well developed they are; you won’t be shocked at the actions of the people in the comic because it all seems so in character for them once you understand their motivations.
As with any well written story featuring time travel you hope the visuals measure up to the intricacies of the story, and oh boy do they ever.
Jason Muhr is a brilliant visual story teller; there are so many brilliant double page spreads where his talents shine, and yet some of my favourite moments are the ones where Muhr focuses in on the emotions playing across the face of the character he is drawing; obviously I want to avoid significant spoilers so I’m not showing you as many pages from later issues, which is a disservice to both you and Muhr because as the series progressed he really found his groove.
If you’re tired of reading about superheroes fighting each other and you want a story to take you across the emotional spectrum without the use of glowing rings then you need look no further. While the comic is about a time traveling, dinosaur hunting chef, it’s also a powerful look into what makes us who we are and how. It’s a story about mistakes and loss, and most importantly coping with those things.
Voracious is the best comic you’ve never read, so change that. I haven’t heard a singe person I’ve made read the book complain in anyway. This story is what comics are all about; a masterpiece of visual story telling that couldn’t be told any other way even half as effectively as it is in comic form.
Now, excuse me while I go and read both trades again.
If you want more Voracious, then you can check out the episode of GP Radio where we talked all about the dinosaur sandwiches with both Markisan Naso and Jason Muhr.
Unless the comics industry ceases to exist this week, Underrated will return next week.
In By The Horns: Dark Earth #7, stranded in the northern tundra of Ataraxy after narrowly escaping death, a weary Elodie and her team travel toward the Arctic Sleep to face the sorceress, Feng Po. But are they already too late to stop her from stealing all the magic on the continent?
It’s always a good day when a new By The Horns issue hits my inbox. What I wasn’t really expecting, or indeed prepared for, was an issue quite like this.
Naso and Muhr have structured the comic in such a way that it’s an illustrated journal from Evelyn’s perspective. It’s a book that highlight’s the companion’s journey through Evelyn’s, uh, point of view (I wanted to say “eye” but she’s a giant eyeball so that felt a bit too on the nose with an accidental pun), whilst also serving as a really good jumping on point for new readers to By The Horns as a full series; the brilliant part is that despite catching you up, it doesn’t actually spoil the previous events any more than it absolutely must. The issue also acts as a great refresher for those of us who have been reading since the beginning given the break between the sixth and seventh issues.
Writer Markisan Naso, artist Jason Muhr, and colorist Steve Canon deliver an absolutely flawless comic. While the only voice heard this issue is Evelyn’s, through her Naso delivers a powerful message of love and support for those going through dark times. We read how Evelyn, now in a better place, reflects back upon her past and admits the struggles she went through; indeed, there are times where you know she knows what she’s doing, but through Naso’s writing there’s a genuine sense of her being unable to do anything about it. She’s stuck. She doesn’t know what to do or how to get out. It’s here that we see the impact Elodie, Sajen and the unicorns Rigby and Zoso have had on Evelyn’s life, and the hope that they bring her. It’s a story that’ll resonate with those who have felt alone, or that there’s a weight bearing down on them. It’s a story about finding the light in the people who love you.
Because the story is told by way of a journal, Muhr has free reign to draw… whatever it is he wanted to draw, which allows him to draw some stunning vistas of a new continent, and this being a fantasy comic, there are so many wonderful things to look at in this book that it really deserves a third reading just to absorb Muhr’s artwork. As good as Muhr is, though, it’s Steve Canon’s colouring that makes the pages pop. Night skies are vibrant, the grasses are verdant and the violence bloody. The artwork matches the beauty of the story, if not the exact events being recounted. Frankly, it’s stunning.
By The Horns: Dark Earth #7 is one of the best comics I have read in a long time, and whether you’re reading this as a standalone story (which you can), or as part of the full series… either way you’re in for an absolutely amazing time.
Story: Markisan Naso Art/Lettering: Jason Muhr Colors: Steve Canon Story: 10 Art: 10 Overall: 10 Recommendation: Buy
Scout Comics provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review. Alex also purchased a physical copy of all comics referenced within the review.
Check out the By The Horns Kickstarter for an exclusive hardcover of the first volume of By The Horns: Dark Earth.
Elodie, Sajen, and Evelyn land on the continent of Yalastra and reunite with their unicorn friends Zoso and Rigby. While they hug and prepare to track down pure magic in the Modtlomb jungle, the blight continues to spread on Solothus. Haru, concerned about the possible resurrection of the Augernaut, makes a rogue decision to take the fight to Yun Ma in the Middle Fields, despite resistance from the people of Wayfarer.
I somehow missed reviewing the last issue of By The Horns: Dark Earth, and only honestly noticed this when I picked up the physical copy at my LCS a week or two after it had been released (I had a hectic month, and so didn’t make it down on release day – and usually don’t know what I’m picking up till I actually get the issues in hand), and so I ended up reading both the 5th and 6th issues in one sitting.
Which was glorious.
Writer Markisan Naso, artist Jason Muhr, and Colorist Steve Cannon haven’t missed a beat with this series. The sixth issue is a vibrantly beautiful issue that underscores the point that comics don’t need to eschew colours in order to tell a story that has darker undertones, and Cannon pulls out all the stops to help Muhr’s artwork pop all the louder across each and every page. I can’t understate just how colourful By The Horns #6 is; this is a comic that really stands out against others when you flick through the pages (whether that’s the preview pages, or the comic itself when you’re holding it in your hands at you LCS).
Naso’s story is a freight train this issue as it flows from scene to scene without leaving any room for filler; this issue sees the reuniting the original cast of characters, pulling together an antagonistic crew of folks who have very legitimate and believable reasons for wanting to stop Elodie from her quest to return magic to Solothus. There’s a lot more to the comic than this brief summary thing, and I don’t want to go too far into it because it’s worth experiencing somewhat blind, so suffice it to say that Markisan Naso’s writing has been consistently brilliant throughout the series and that he remains one of the few writers whose work I’ll buy without question.
At the risk of sounding like a broken record, you REALLY can’t go wrong with this series; it’s so much fun – and yet emotionally heavy at the same time. With the next issue coming out in March, the wait is going to be a long one.
Story: Markisan Naso Art/Lettering: Jason Muhr Colors: Steve Cannon Story: 9.0 Art: 9.3 Overall: 9.2 Recommendation: Buy
Scout Comics provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review. Alex also purchased a physical copy of all comics referenced within the review.
By the Horns returns with “Dark Earth“. Magic is draining from the world leaving crops failing, monsters attacking, and Elodie and her friends tasked with saving the day.
In By The Horns: Dark Earth #2, we find out some might be ok with magic draining and aren’t fans of Elodie.
Story: Markisan Naso Art/Lettering: Jason Muhr Colors: Steve Cannon
Get your copy now! To find a comic shop near you, visit http://www.comicshoplocator.com or call 1-888-comicbook or digitally and online with the links below.
This post contains affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of the product links and make a purchase, we’ll receive a percentage of the sale. Graphic Policy does purchase items from this site. Making purchases through these links helps support the site
“Some of us believe this world must be cleansed of filthy magic.” The words that Owlslin Captain Shanora Zel spoke in the snow hills of Ataraxy still burn hot in her mind as she recovers from her brutal fight with Elodie and plots to avenge the Tiger Fang Enchantress, Feng Po.
What I thoroughly enjoyed about this issue is that it’s largely told from the perspective of one of the villains/antagonists from the previous series. The series writer Markisan Naso flexes his creative muscles and has you empathizing with Shanora Zel by the end of the issue – will you root for her as much as Elodie and the rest of the eclectic cast of characters we’ve been following since By The Horns #1? No, probably not, because we’ve nearly a dozen issues with those folks, but you definitely get an understanding of Shanora Zel, and you can’t help but understand where her mind is at. By The Horns: Dark Earth #4serves almost as an interlude to the series because of its focus on Shanora Zel, emphasizing the length of our main characters’ journey across the ocean, but it’s also another layer to the story being woven by Naso and artist Jason Muhr, and one that’s bound to pay off in the next couple of issues.
This isn’t the most action packed issue of the series, instead the pages being dedicated to fleshing out the character of Shanora Zel, explaining certain choices that are made (this is a really vague way to avoid spoilers, because the reveal wasn’t entirely unsurprising but nonetheless fantastically done), with her story and motivation mirroring Elodie’s. I’m not going to call this a fill in issue, because it’s far from it, but it is a nice interlude to the main story. And it’s an interlude that actually drives the story forward.
At the risk of sounding like a broken record, you REALLY can’t go wrong with this series; it’s so much fun – and yet emotionally heavy at the same time.
Story: Markisan Naso Art/Lettering: Jason Muhr Colors: Steve Cannon Story: 9.1 Art: 9.3 Overall: 9.2 Recommendation: Buy
Scout Comics provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review. Alex also purchased a physical copy of all comics/trades referenced within the review.
Elodie, Sajen and Evelyn set sail for the continent of Yalastra aboard Captain Alkeb’s ship, the Wavesplitter. But their journey to the unicorns’ homeland doesn’t go quite as smoothly as they hoped in By the Horns: Dark Earth #3.
I was somewhat surprised to see the third issue of By The Horns: Dark Earthrelease the week after the second issue, though it does make a pleasant surprise for when I can finally head to my LCS tomorrow (Wednesday) to pick up both physical copies after being housebound last week because of the ‘rona. After last week’s brain fog, it was actually quite lovely to get to read this comic and be able to take it all in within the first read or two (unlike the four or five it took me last week), and it shouldn’t need to be said at this point, but the book didn’t disappoint.
As I said with the two previous reviews; there’s going to be very minor spoilers for this issue after this paragraph, so the condensed version of the review is (once again): go buy this book, the two previous issue, add the rest to your pull list, and then buy the first volume in trade.
This issue takes place almost entirely on the water, and the vibe of the comic is distinctly different than the previous issue; there’s a lot more blue hues within the pages of this issue, which you would expect given that it’s a comic with pirates on the open ocean, but colourist Steve Cannon has an almost photorealistic quality to some of the more turbulent scenes. The comic is like a blend between Finding Nemo and Waterworld (before you judge me for that, I actually liked the movie but am specifically referring to the aesthetics of Costner’s film), with both a vibrancy and an emptiness that’s hard to quantify.
Markisan Naso and Jason Muhr prove once again why they’re a team to keep an eye on. The writer and artist respectively have yet to put out anything even close to an average comic book, with By The Horns: Dark Earth #3 showcasing what they can do when the story calls for what is essentially a water based chase scene – typically nothing too visually exciting will come from this without some form of obstacle, for a glorious three page sequence with some really fun layouts, Naso and Muhr buck the trend.
At the risk of sounding like a broken record, you REALLY can’t go wrong with this series; it’s so much fun – and yet emotionally heavy at the same time.
Story: Markisan Naso Art/Lettering: Jason Muhr Colors: Steve Cannon Story: 9.2 Art: 9.4 Overall: 9.3 Recommendation: Buy
Scout Comics provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review. Alex also purchased a physical copy of all comics/trades referenced within the review.
Elodie, Sajen, and Evelyn return to the port city of Lycus, where they hope to book passage on a ship to Yalastra, a continent that may hold the key to stopping the dark blight ravaging their homeland. But first, they’ll have to deal with some dangerous locals, who are none too happy with Elodie.
I had been saving this book to read, despite having it in my meaty (digital) hands for awhile until closer to its release date, and then I caught Covid-19 and any hope of me reading it in time to get the review ready and published in time was out the window. My brain felt like it has had a fog placed over it the last few days – not unlike a mild concussion – and yet for the most part my symptoms haven’t been too bad. All that said, there’s a reason I bring this up, because reading a comic by Markisan Naso and Jason Muhr (writer and artist/letter respectively) is always going to be a highlight in my to read pile, and despite this one taking me a bit longer to get to, By The Horns: Dark Eath #2was just what I was hoping it would be; slightly depressing, and yet entirely wonderful.
As I said with the last review; there’s going to be very minor spoilers for this issue after this paragraph, so the condensed version of the review is (once again): go buy this book, add the rest to your pull list, and then buy the first volume.
Elodie and the world saving gang of wonderful misfits arrive in Lycus, a settlement that feels both horribly familiar to any who have ever lived in towns, or cities, that have fallen on hard times. Muhr’s designs for the streets look like could be taken from almost any modern town, minus the obvious (the denizens of Lycus), which builds on the uncomfortable sense you get from reading the book. The bleakness of the visuals exacerbates Naso’s script; this story is set after the world was saved, and yet… was it really saved?
The second issue of By The Horns: Dark Earth hits in ways I wasn’t quite expecting – granted, I was hoping that we’d see more of the stakes at, uh, stake…. (I don’t know what I was trying to say with that sentence, but I left it there because it kinda makes me chuckle in my fogged haze so I figured it may make you chuckle to. Or it might not. Either way) …now that Elodie has to save the world again; although this time she’s arguably saving it from her own actions which adds an interesting level of complexity to the situation that she and the gang find themselves in. This time she’s not out for revenge, but for more altruistic reasons.
Markisan Naso and Jason Muhr continue to go from strength to strength as a creative force, and are one of the few teams I’ll pick up anything they put out (and I literally mean that – despite being given review copies, I own the floppies and trades of their previous works). By The Horns: Dark Earth #2 is awesome – a chapter that’s going to work beautifully in the collected edition, but one you shouldn’t wait to read. This series is fresh, exciting, and head and shoulders above anything else on the racks right now.
Story: Markisan Naso Art/Lettering: Jason Muhr Colors: Steve Cannon Story: 9.4 Art: 9.4 Overall: 9.4 Recommendation: Buy
Scout Comics provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review. Alex also purchased a physical copy of all comics/trades referenced within the review.
By the Horns returns with Dark Earth. Magic is draining from the world leaving crops failing, monsters attacking, and Elodie and her friends tasked with saving the day.
Story: Markisan Naso Art/Lettering: Jason Muhr Colors: Steve Cannon
Get your copy now! To find a comic shop near you, visit http://www.comicshoplocator.com or call 1-888-comicbook or digitally and online with the links below.
This post contains affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of the product links and make a purchase, we’ll receive a percentage of the sale. Graphic Policy does purchase items from this site. Making purchases through these links helps support the site
By The Horns: Dark Earth #1 takes place six months after the hellacious battle in the sky with the evil sorceress, Feng Po. Elodie and Sajen are back in Wayfarer, reluctantly settling into their new lives as… farmers?! But their days spent tilling the land in overalls proves short-lived when a mysterious blight devastates the continent of Solothus and forces them to take up a new quest.
It’s always an exciting day when I get a copy of a book by Markisan Naso and Jason Muhr (writer and artist/letter respectively) in my inbox. The new chapter to the second arc of By The Horns is every bit as awesome as the previous arc; my average score per issue for that series would have been at least a 9.5, but I’m not sure exactly what because I haven’t gone back to check – suffice it to say that the trade, which is out now, is one of the best reads you’ll have this summer.
There’s going to be very minor spoilers for this issue after this paragraph, so the condensed version of the review is (once again): go buy this book, add the rest to your pull list, and then buy the first volume.
Picking up the story six months after the conclusion on the previous arc, The Wind Rises, we find that monster hunter and all around bad ass Elodie has hung up her sword and picked up the instruments of a farmer as she tries to adjust to life without an enemy to fight.
Of course, things rarely go to plan, and it isn’t long before Elodie drops the plow and has to take up the sword again; now while this is technically a minor spoiler, realistically you can’t expect anything less given that there’s a new arc beginning for the series. What I enjoyed more about the transition from farmer to warrior again was in how Naso pulls it off. There’s no real sudden switch, no immediate threat that shows up, but a slow build to the realization that she needs to fight for Solothus once again. I enjoyed the way Naso opens the story, and while it’s certainly a slower opening than the second and third arcs of his previous series Voracious, I think it actually works a lot more effectively in hooking you into the story.
It should come as no surprise to those who have followed his work, but Jason Muhr’s art has been trending upward in terms of quality; he’s consistently on, and I genuinely don’t remember a time where I haven’t been able to read the story purely from his visuals. Long time collaborator Andrei Tabacaru isn’t providing the colours this time, instead colourist Steve Cannon is fleshing out the pages of By The Horns: Dark Earth; in terms of quality and consistency, you’ll have a hard time noticing based on this issue, but I’m curious what Cannon will bring to the following issues.
Markisan Naso and Jason Muhr are probably my favorite writer/artist combination in comics, and at this point they’ve earned my trust when it comes to whatever new series they’re putting out, and this comic just reinforces that trust. You’re doing yourself a disservice if you’re not reading By The Horns. The next issue of By The Horns: Dark Earth will come out in July – and while I’ve already got it on my desktop, I still can’t wait to get my hands on the physical copy.
Story: Markisan Naso Art/Lettering: Jason Muhr Colors: Steve Cannon Story: 9.4 Art: 9.4 Overall: 9.4 Recommendation: Buy
Scout Comics provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review. Alex also purchased a physical copy of all comics/trades referenced within the review.
