Tag Archives: pippa bowland

Ancestral Recall #1 kicks off a trippy mystery

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Ancestral Recall #1

Black History: For painter Melvin Waring, it’s an actual super power! When Melvin’s wife mysteriously disappears, he must call on the most important Black figures of all time to help him in his search. Ancestral Recall #1 is a hell of a start mixing a trippy mystery with a dash of sci-fi and social commentary.

Written by Jordan Clark, Ancestral Recall #1 is a solid first issue. We’re introduced to Melvin, an artist struggling with his latest piece of art. Then, there’s his wife June, who is recovering from recent surgery and seems to be the grounded aspect in Melvin’s life. Melvin seems to float through time seeing the past, present, and future, as ideas float through him.

After a night’s sleep, Melvin awakens to find his wife is no longer next to him. Where did she go? Clark delivers a hectic frenzy as Melvin attempts to find his wife, a rush of emotion, fear, confusion, readers can feel it drip off the page.

Clark delivers a lot of mystery to it all in a neighbor of Melvin who has noticed neighbors going missing and new individuals moving in. Ancestral Recall #1 teases a take on gentrification and feels like what sci-fi and horror does really well, explore our world.

The art by Atagun Ilhan is solid and really nails down the chaotic aspect of the comic. There’s a visual feel to the comic that matches Melvin’s life really well, reflecting what’s teased he’s going through. Pippa Bowland‘s color and Rob Steen‘s lettering adds to the experience of it all. The style reminds me a bit of Sam Kieth’s The Maxx a bit (a good thing).

As it’s an AHOY comic, it features two extra stories by Bryon Ackerman and Dave Giarrusso with art by Ed Catto and Chris Giarrusso. Both are bonuses to an already solid comic that stands on its own.

Ancestral Recall #1 is a solid start to the series that leaves us wanting more. It feels like it does what sci-fi does really well, tell an intriguing story while also delivering something more underneath. It’s a great debut and we’re excited to see what the second issue brings.

Story: Jordan Clark, Bryon Ackerman, Dave Giarrusso Art: Atagun Ilhan, Ed Catto, Chris Giarrusso
Color: Pippa Bowland Letterer: Rob Steen
Story: 8.5 Art: 8.5 Overall: 8.5 Recommendation: Buy

AHOY Comics provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

Purchase: Zeus Comics – Kindle

Exclusive Cover Reveal: Host Mortem by Kevin Shinick, Damien Torres, and Andrea Schiavone

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Kevin Shinick used to have all the answers. Before he was an acclaimed comic writer on titles like W.E.B. of Spider-Man and The Flash, before he was an Emmy Award-winning writer on Robot Chicken, before he was a bestselling novelist (Star Wars: Force Collector), before he was an Annie award-winning producer (MAD), Kevin Shinick had all the answers — as the TV gameshow host of Where In Time Is Carmen Sandiego? Now Shinick is writing Host Mortem, an all-new tongue-in-cheek, time travel metafiction mystery in which he appears (as himself!), along with Greg Lee (the host of Where In The World Is Carmen Sandiego?). When the two former gameshow hosts are transported to the year 1947 by a time portal at Comic-Con, they find themselves enmeshed in a murder mystery involving Humphrey Bogart’s legendary noir film The Big Sleep. When one of the stars winds up dead, Kevin and Greg’s knowledge of random trivia might be the key to solving this Hollywood caper. The graphic novel is coming soon to Kickstarter and you can sign up now for the prelaunch page.

After honing my craft as a writer on comics for Marvel and DC, I am super excited to present Host Mortem! My one-of-a-kind, years-in-the-making graphic novel that combines the best of my talents, the depths of my interests and the quirkiness of my career as a television game show host. No where else will you find a more unique and meta murder mystery than at the crossroads of hosting, humor and homicide. And with a creative team as incredible as Damien Torres, Andrea Schiavone, Pippa Bowland and Taylor Esposito, I expect the real mystery will be how did we not do this sooner? Fans can finally find out for themselves whether hosts are actually smart, or if they simply just have the answers. Will readers solve the mystery before fellow host Greg Lee and I? I’m excited to see them try, because the story will keep you guessing, the art will keep you gasping and the random trivia will leave you in stitches. Providing the coroner doesn’t do it first.

— Kevin Shinick

This one-of-a-kind thriller is illustrated by Damien Torres (Marvel Crisis Protocol) and Andrea Schiavone (Gangsters Versus Monsters), colored by Pippa Bowland (Judge Dredd, Project Cryptid), and lettered by Taylor Esposito (Red Hood and The Outlaws). The 180-page graphic novel will be told in four chapters from four different characters’ point of view. Kevin Shinick, Greg Lee, their fast-talking receptionist, and a surprise mystery narrator will guide readers through the epic, time travel adventure. Each chapter will have a distinct look and will be available collected in a gorgeous slipcase drawn by Jesse Larson (Hades Speaks!). Host Mortem is being crowdfunded on Kickstarter and will be released by Clover Press.

Kickstarter tiers include original art from the book, critical evaluation of work-in-progress comic books, offers of voice over narration on your next animated project, and striking covers by Tony Foti, Timothy Anderson, and Damien Torres. 

Fans can sign up to the HOST MORTEM prelaunch page to be notified when the campaign launches and get an exclusive fist look at the covers below. 

Preview: The Mammoth

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The Mammoth

(W) Paul Tobin (A/CA) Arjuna Susini (C) Pippa Bowland (L) Charles Pritchett

Something is wrong in the deep forests of Broke Tree Valley. Something deadly. Something mammoth. The legends speak of something larger than human comprehension…A monstrous phantom that disappears for decades at a time. Now, it’s back, and things are about to go Very Bad if four people-Olivia, Jess, Kokoro, and Mason, scientists who have come to the small city of Kasbro to investigate a bizarre series of seismic activities in this heavily forested valley-can’t put the Mammoth to rest. One real problem with this is… Olivia’s dead.

The Mammoth

Preview: The Mammoth #4

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The Mammoth #4

(W) Paul Tobin (A/CA) Arjuna Susini
(C) Pippa Bowland (L) Charles Pritchett

Trapped in a basement with Sheriff Hirly Maple’s raving zombie of a boyfriend, Jess—along with her undead girlfriend Olivia, and her very much still living friends Mason and Kokoro—learn about the hidden supernatural history of Broke Tree Valley and the Mammoth. Unfortunately, none of this newfound knowledge will help if they can’t put a stop to the sheriff’s sinister plan. Olivia seems to know the path to the Mammoth…but does she know a way out of this one?

The Mammoth #4

Preview: The Mammoth #3

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The Mammoth #3

(W) Paul Tobin (A/CA) Arjuna Susini (C) Pippa Bowland (L) Charles Pritchett

Faced with a lake of the dead and memories of her mother, Jess isn’t sure which she wants to escape more. A desperate drive through the endless forest solves one of them for Jess and the others, but the eerie Broke Tree Valley isn’t going to let them off that easily, because although Olivia seems to know the way, that path leads not only straight to the very real problem of some felons with guns but a supernatural entity, the titanic ghost in the forest known as the Mammoth.

The Mammoth #3

Preview: The Mammoth #2 (of 5)

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The Mammoth #2 (of 5)

(W) Paul Tobin (A/CA) Arjuna Susini
In Shops: Jul 17, 2024
SRP: $4.99

Road trip with a dead friend! Olivia is dead. But Olivia is back. And she wants to go somewhere? But… where? In the vast forest of Broke Tree Valley, something supernatural is waiting. Something monstrous. Something mammoth. Only a car full of fools would drive into the fog and mystery of those deep dark forests, or toward the deeper darker lake, but that’s just what Jess and the others are doing, only to find that the eerie secrets at the bottom of the waters are about to surface.

Mammoth #2 (of 5)

The Mammoth #1 delivers a hell of a creepy start

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The Mammoth #1

Something is wrong in the deep forests of Broke Tree Valley. Something deadly. Something mammoth. The legends speak of something larger than human comprehension… A monstrous phantom that disappears for decades at a time. Now, it’s back, and things are about to go Very Bad if four people-Olivia, Jess, Kokoro, and Mason, scientists who have come to the small city of Kasbro to investigate a bizarre series of seismic activities in this heavily forested valley-can’t put the Mammoth to rest. One real problem with this is…Olivia’s dead. The Mammoth #1 is a hell of a start that hits you in unexpected ways.

I’m not much of a fan of the horror genre. There’s some that I enjoy but overall, it’s not one I go to for entertainment. So, it always excites me when I find something in that space that I do like. The Mammoth #1 falls into that category.

Written by Paul Tobin, The Mammoth #1 is interesting in that it subverts things in some ways. It focuses on four members who are brought to an area to study strange phenomena. As presented, they come off as the ghost hunters, trying to figure out the cause of everything in some mystical way. But, it turns out, they’re the skeptics. That’s part of the charm and what stands out about the story Tobin crafts. It sucks you in fully expecting these four to be the ones who claim ghosts, when they’re the ones that think those stories are crazy.

But, beyond that, Tobin gives us a story of loss. Though the story starts with four, a freak accident leads to the untimely death of one of them which then leads to the funeral, a police investigation, and then reminiscing over their friend. Tobin takes us through some grief showing the survivors as human and allowing us to connect with them through their empathy and grief. We get stories shared that grounds each of them as very normal people, not the supernatural obsessed we expect going into the story.

The art by Arjuna Susini is good. With color by Pippa Bowland and lettering by Charles Pritchett, there’s a nice mix of teasing what’s going on, delivering some gore, but mostly focusing on the emotion of it all. Susini and the team do a really good job of showing the reactions of the survivors as they process what has happened. The comic also does an excellent job of giving just enough gore and scares to not distract and makes the reader question what the hell has happened.

From someone who doesn’t like horror, The Mammoth #1 is a hell of a start. It has a Blair Witch vibe about it, not just with the story (which deals with the woods) but in how it’s presented and what’s teased. It delivers some emotion and loss and then hits you at the end in unexpected ways. It has me excited to come back for more and see what happens next.

Story: Paul Tobin Art: Arjuna Susini
Color: Pippa Bowland Letterer: Charles Pritchett
Story: 9.0 Art: 7.8 Overall: 8.6 Recommendation: Buy

Mad Cave Studios provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

Purchase: Zeus Comics – Kindle

Unearth the chilling secrets of Broke Tree Valley… in The Mammoth

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Mad Cave Studios has announced The Mammoth, the forthcoming Teen+ series written by the celebrated horror comic creative team Paul Tobin and artist Arjuna Susini; including two exciting variant covers by Jessica Fong and Kevin Wada “Pride”.

Something is wrong in the deep forests of Broke Tree Valley. Something deadly. Something mammoth. The legends speak of something larger than human comprehension…A monstrous phantom that disappears for decades at a time. Now, it’s back, and things are about to go Very Bad if four people—Olivia, Jess, Kokoro, and Mason, scientists who have come to the small city of Kasbro to investigate a bizarre series of seismic activities in this heavily forested valley—can’t put the Mammoth to rest. One real problem with this is…Olivia’s dead.

Those who like Bunny Mask won’t want to miss The Mammoth #1, which drops in shops June 5th. Colors by Pippa Bowland with letters by Charles Pritchett, edited by James Emmett.

The Mammoth #1

Saucer Country: The Finale wraps things up for long time fans but is fun on its own too

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First there was Saucer Country, a dark thriller that blended UFO lore and alien abduction with political intrigue, all set in the hauntingly beautiful Southwest. The story continued in Saucer State… and now, the series reaches its long-awaited conclusion in this special one-shot, as co-creators Cornell and Kelly present the final story of alien abductee Arcadia Alvarado’s campaign to be US President… and her search for the truth of what happened to her!

Story: Paul Cornell
Art: Ryan Kelly
Color: Pippa Bowland
Letterer: Simon Bowland

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.

Zeus Comics

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

Review: Naughty List

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His real name is Nicholas Sinterklass, and this is the story of what happens when you steal his Naughty List. Nick is on a mission to get the list back.

Story: Nick Santora
Art: Lee Ferguson
Color: Juancho!, Pippa Bowland
Letterer: Dave Sharpe, Simon Bowland

Get your copy in comic shops! 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.

TFAW
Amazon
comiXology/Kindle

AfterShock Comics provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review
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

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