Tag Archives: roughneck

Around the Tubes

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It’s new comic book day tomorrow! What’s got everyone excited? Sound off in the comments below! While you decide, here’s some comic news and reviews from around the web.

The Comichron – January estimates find Doomsday Clock steady, Hawkman soaring; Comichron adds on-sale dates to comics charts – For those who enjoy the horse race.

IGN – Secret X-Men Movie ‘143’ Reportedly in the Works – Intriguing.

Newsarama – Sony Signs Wizard World Deal To Target Con Attendees – Will this save the struggling conventions?

The Beat – As The Crow Flies and Roughneck win at ALA Awards – Well deserved.

 

Reviews

Talking Comics – Armstrong and the Vault of Spirits #1

ICv2 – X-Men: Grand Design

Comic Attack – Xenoglyphs Vol. 1

Around the Tubes

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Embargoes have been lifted and the reviews of Doomsday Clock #1 are in! Are you checking them out? Are you excited for the series? Sound off in the comments below! While you decide on that, here’s some comic news and reviews from around the web in our morning round.

The Beat – C.B. Cebulski’s appointment as EiC signals that the old Marvel is dead – Some good info here.

Kotaku – Marvel Heroes Players Are Demanding Refunds For In-Game Purchases – A very good question. What happens to your digital goods when a game shuts down?

KHOU – Dad creates comic book character with Down syndrome for his son – This is fantastic. More of this please!

The Beat – Wizard World shuts down publishing plans – Yeah…

 

Reviews

Talking Comics – Ninja-K #1

Atomic Junk Shop – Roughneck

Review: Roughneck

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When I was in grade school, it was the first time, history class caught my attention. I was not like most students, who gravitated towards classes like Math or gym, as I did enjoy those as well, but history was my first obsession. It was something instilled in me from an early age, as the stories I heard from both sides of my family, always triggered my need to find out more. I even remembered when I read a book about anything history related, I would eventually look up the books that are referenced in the book.

The one part of history, that got me to hate an American President, was the trail of tears.  From what I read, I could not believe an American president would subdue America’s own indigenous peoples to such a grave injustice. As I eventually found out through my research, is that he was not the only one, and America is not the only country to treat their native peoples like second class citizens. The long-term effects of this history, can be seen on their descendants, which is the story Jeff Lemire lays out in Roughneck.

In the town of Pimitamon, a county in the wilderness of Canada, mostly populated by Canada’s indigenous tribes, we meet Derek Ouelette, a former professional hockey player, who is an alcoholic with an anger problem and who feels his best days are behind, as he works as a janitor, for the local ice rink. His sister, Bethy, comes back to town, running away from an abusive boyfriend, who is a drug addict, and whose life doesn’t seem to have shaped the way she thought it was going to. As this brother and sister, deal with their own personal demons, and trying to support each other in some semblance of what they feel a family is, they eventually hide out in a cabin, as her boyfriend is getting closer to where she is. By book’s end, a fight between Derek and Bethy’s boyfriend happens, but Derek is saved by the local police before things get dire.

Overall, a tear-jerking and enthralling book that will have the reader rooting for Derek and Bethy to love each other and love themselves. The story by Lemire is powerful and heartfelt. The art by Lemire is beautiful. Altogether, a book that although the world is unfair, love still finds a way.

Story: Jeff Lemire Art: Jeff Lemire
Story: 10 Art: 10 Overall: 10 Recommendation : Buy

Around the Tubes

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It’s new comic book day! What are you planning on getting? What looks good? Sound off in the comments below! While you wait for shops to open, here’s some comic news and reviews from around the web in our morning roundup.

Around the Tubes

Vice – Take That, Adolf! How Comics Mocked the Nazis and Fueled Racism – A really interesting article on some comic history.

The Beat – A Year of Free Comics: Lee Lai’s lovely advice – Free comics folks! Take advantage!

The Guardian – Harper Lee estate endorses To Kill a Mockingbird graphic novel – Very interesting and a little surprising this hasn’t happened sooner.

The Beat – Chris D’Lando lands at ReedPOP to work on C2E2 – A great hire by ReedPOP!

 

Around the Tubes Reviews

The Beat – Roughneck

Around the Tubes

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It’s new comic book day! What’s everyone excited for? What’s everyone getting? Sound off in the comments below! While you wait for shops to open, here’s some comic news and reviews from around the web in our morning roundup.

Around the Tubes

Publisher’s Weekly – C2E2 Attendance Grows, But Graphic Novel Sales Fall – Some interesting takeaways.

CBLDF – CBLDF Leads Defense of Manga in Idaho Middle School – Excellent. Good to see the defense of comics.

ICv2 – Mark Millar Returns to ‘Secret Service’ Comic – Not too surprising.

Kotaku – The cool but short Batman Arkham VR game released for PlayStation VR last year is now out for Oculus – Interesting. Has anyone tried this?

 

Around the Tubes Reviews

Talking Comics – Night Owl Society #1

Talking Comics – Redneck #1

ICv2 – Roughneck

Review: Roughneck

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Derek Ouellette’s glory days are behind him. His hockey career ended a decade earlier in a violent incident on ice, and since then he’s been living off his reputation in the remote northern community where he grew up, drinking too much and fighting anyone who crosses him. When his long-lost sister Beth shows up, on the run from an abusive boyfriend, the two escape to a secluded hunting camp in the woods. There, living off the land, they reconnect with each other, the painful secrets of their past, and their Cree heritage…and start to heal. But Beth’s ex-boyfriend is hunting them. As he circles closer, he threatens to shatter this newfound peace and pull both Derek and Beth back into the world of self-destruction they’ve fought so hard to leave behind. Touching and harrowing, this is a deeply moving and beautifully illustrated story about family, heritage, and breaking the cycle of violence.

Jeff Lemire writes and provides art in this new graphic novel which defies expectations and presents a story about family and an abusive past. The story isn’t flashy, it’s about family drama and an individual’s choice as to how they deal with what’s in front of them.

At its heart, Roughneck is a story about abuse, and by setting it in Canada, Lemire layers the story on top of the history of abuse faced by people of the First Nations in Canada. The story itself is a discussion of the cyclical nature of things and the abuse faced by those individuals by the colonizing white individuals. In this case, the microcosm is Derek and his sister Beth, and the abuse by their father.

At first read, the story is about two individuals and their adversity, but when you dive deeper into it Lemire creates an allegory for history and the reverberation that’s felt today by some of the people of Canada. As a whole, the story is a haunting one that leaves the reader in a funk, like a depressing drama, but its ability to create emotion in the reader is a sign at the talent of Lemire who is one of the most consistent writers in the comic business.

The art by Lemire matches the haunting nature of the story with a minimal use of color in Lemire’s distinct style. I absolutely love his art in general and find myself lingering on every page to catch all of the detail. Lemire is one who only puts what’s needed on the page, and in some cases some of that transcends the graphic novel with works of art that deserve to be hung on walls to be admired.

While set in Canada, Roughneck is enjoyable by all with a story that focuses on the pain of two individuals. But, beneath that Lemire explores the abuse of a nation towards its people. Easily one of the best graphic novels released this year so far.

Story: Jeff Lemire Art: Jeff Lemire
Story: 10 Art: 10 Overall: 10 Recommendation: Buy

Gallery 13 provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

Graphic Policy’s Top Comic Picks this Week!

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Wednesdays 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.

Joe

Top Pick: Batman #21 (DC Comics) – Ohhhhh yeah, it’s here! The famous button tease we’ve been given since DC Rebirth started. I’m hoping for this and The Flash to deliver on a big reveal or at least push us toward one soon.

Super Sons #3 (DC Comics) – What a fun book that features two young boys who are constantly competing, oh and they also are super heroes. But seriously, at it’s core, this book is the coming of age of two young boys finding themselves, and friendship in each other, as they try to live up to the massive legacies of their dads.

Moon Knight #13 (Marvel) – I love this comic, and we only have two more issues left, this being one of them. I really hope we get somewhat of an answer in this or the next comic, so it goes out with a bang. Lemire and Smallwood have been phenomenal on this run.

The Wild Storm #3 (DC Comics/WildStorm) – Three issues into the relaunch with Ellis and I’m in. I loved the first issue, and while the second issue felt a bit wordy after the action of the first, I bet that was mostly for world building with a bunch of the core characters, and trying to get that out of the way. I am excited for this run!

Superman #21 (DC Comics) – I’m always looking forward to a Superman book, especially since Rebirth began. This and Action Comics have been spectacular.

 

Alex

Top Pick: Ninjak #26 (Valiant) – I fell in love with this series last issue – it is currently one of my favourites from Valiant… if you like your Batman with a touch of Nightwing, James Bond and swords, then you may like this too.

God Country #4 (Image) – There’s a lot of personal reasons why this series is striking a cord with me, but the stubborn humanity of the series protagonist in the face of overwhelming odds is what’s pulled me in the farthest.

All-Star Batman #9 (DC Comics) – It’s Scott Snyder and Batman. I will always be excited for this.

 

Paul

Top Pick: Secret Empire #0 (Marvel) – So Captain America is running Hydra and he and his Nazi squad are poised to spread across the world, bringing to life their idea of a ‘perfect’ world. Yeah, ok. And yes, Hydra ARE Nazi’s, I don’t care what back peddling some writers have put out there to smooth things over. If you read that awful Civil War II tie in ‘The Oath’ is was clearly laid out what Steve sees for the future of the world…and you’re going to tell me those images didn’t look exactly like what the Nazi’s have done in the past? Ok, rant over…I am looking forward to seeing how this unfolds and to watch the super heroes kick Hydra’s ass.

Super Sons #3 (DC Comics) – I am so glad I took people’s advice and read this book. It’s only on issue #3 but it has been an incredible start and it just keeps getting better. I love this pair up of Superboy and Robin; how different they are leads to some great banter and the action has been great. And I’m really interested in finding out more about this Kid Amazo. Pick this one up if you haven’t, you will not be disappointed.

U.S.Avengers #5 (Marvel) – This title has been hit or miss with me. It hasn’t totally wowed me, but it does have it’s moments. I’m mostly looking forward to seeing how this SHIELD based team reacts to Steve Rogers new, Hydra influenced direction. And I’d love to see Sunspot and Cannonball team up to kick his Hydra loving ass…wishful thinking.

 

Shay

Top Pick: Black Panther: World of Wakanda #6 (Marvel) – The arcs keep getting better and the creative team shows no signs of slowing down the awesome train.

Batwoman #2 (DC Comics) – Kate Kane is facing frenemies , her own personal demons and, the bioweapon Monster Venom on the renegade heavy isle of Coryana.

Harley Quinn #18 (DC Comics) – Harley Sin is hunting a new victim and Harley Quinn is trying to find them first. It’s like Spy vs Spy, if the spies were bad ass ladies and interesting.

Nick Fury #1 (Marvel) – Nick Fury vs Frankie Noble on the French Riviera. Got Popcorn?

 

Brett

Top Pick: Roughnek (Gallery Books) – A brother and sister who must come together after years apart to face the disturbing history that has cursed their family. If that doesn’t sound interesting enough, it’s all by Jeff Lemire. That should easily sell this alone.

Descender #21 (Image Comics) – Amazing science fiction that’s as awesome to look at as it is to read. This is a series to check out if you haven’t yet.

Hellboy: Into the Silent Sea (Dark Horse) – Mike Mignola and Gary Gianni team up for a fantastic graphic novel.

Monsters Unleashed #1 (Marvel) – I got more sold on this series the longer the mini-series went on. I’m really intrigued to see where it goes from there.

Shaolin Cowboy: Who’ll Stop the Reign #1 (Dark Horse) – Geof Darrow, nuff said.