Metaphase

Ollie’s dad is a superhero, and much like any other boy, he wants to grow up to be just like his old man.  The only problem is that Ollie was born with Downs Syndrome and congenital heart defects.  What’s a kid to do when he is faced with seemingly insurmountable obstacles like this?  He take shortcuts, just like all of us do when faced with a goal that seems otherwise unreachable.  The only problem is that he may be putting his family at risk to realize his dream.

Metaphase is a heartfelt, tender coming of age story that will resonate with anyone who ever dared to dream.  The story starts out with Ollie’s birth and early years.  The trials and hardships that he and his family face just to keep him alive and healthy.  These are things that most people take for granted, but Ollie can’t.   It’s unclear, at first, whether this is worse for him or his super-powered father.  Then Ollie sees a commercial for a company that claims they can bestow superpowers on anyone by unlocking their DNA.  It’s the equivalent of the serpent from the garden of eden dangling the forbidden fruit, except in this case the apple is a tooth containing his father’s DNA.  Enter the evil mastermind who uses the DNA of the Sentinel to bestow himself with powers rather than Ollie, to rival the mighty sentinel.

Even the most casual reader can not escape what a powerful story Metaphase is.  We all have dreams like Ollie, and we all know that shortcuts can lead to disaster, but we are still tempted to take them nonetheless.  Reece’s story is an epic unto itself.  It is full of hope.  It is full of ill conceived desires to be more than you are.  It is also touching and all too human.  Without a doubt, this is a great book that is worth more than one read.   The art of Kelly Williams is understated, and just perfect for the concept, being larger than life when needed, and intimate when it really matters.  My one complaint is that the writer take a few short cuts to get the meat of the story out there.  The evil company, the fact that Ollie finally gets the powers he wanted, trying to protect his father.  Given the start of the tale I would have enjoyed a more complex and innovative source of conflict and resolution.

Beyond that however, this is a great comic that exceeds the simplicity of its genre, a must have labor of love from an imaginative writer.  Metaphase is yet another example of what an independent creator can do with the right backing.  This is a comic that is worth 5 times the cover price to read and enjoy.  It also enjoys a great pin-up gallery from other artists, giving a few different takes on the characters.

To get your copy of Metaphase or other great titles from Alterna Comics, point your browser to Alterna Comics

Geek-o-Rama received a copy of this book for the purpose of this review. All thoughts, comments and opinions are those of the individual reviewer.

Mother Russia 2

The next chapter in FUBAR's first stand alone tale. Caught out in the middle of the zombie apocalypse, Svetlana must make an uneasy alliance if her and the child hope to live through the day.

An ex-ballerina turned sniper, a toddler, a German intelligence officer who looks a little twitchy, and a german shepherd who got caught in the middle.  Our band of survivors have made it to relative safety without dying or killing each other and now are faced with the decision of what to do next.

The second installment of Mother Russia fills in a little background on the mysterious German Wehrmacht officer who rescues Svetlana and her new charge from certain death at the gnashing teeth of the living dead.  HIs name is Otto Steiner, a former intelligence officer, who gives Mother  a little detail into how the Germans perceived the zombie occupation of Stalingrad.  There is little here that the reader doesn’t expect, it pretty much follows the normal zombie apocalypse formula.  We do, however, get the impression that Otto doesn’t hold human life in high regard, and is all too willing to “sever” ties with anyone he doesn’t believe is helping him.  Foreshadowing alert.  His dog’s name is Brunhilde, who according to him, doesn’t appear to have much in the way of National Socialist leanings.

As a reader, I was a little disappointed that Otto wasn’t a little more interesting, outside of his machiavellian humor.  He is not nearly as interesting as Svetlana, and it’s clear from the outset that he is just using Mother to get what he can out of her.  He makes it plain that he didn’t save Svetlana and the child, the dog did, and he saved her.  The good news, is that they are safe in Otto’s refuge, the bad news is that he is out of food.  Together, they hatch a tenuous plan, to make their way back to Svetlana’s supplies in the tower.  This issue is mostly filler, and doesn’t show the same kind of panache, as the first installment of Mother Russia, mainly just setting the mood for the next issue.  I would have liked to merge issue one and two, and have more of the backstory interspersed with the action, but backstory is somewhat necessary for any zombie apocalypse story.  Take it or leave it at that.  This issue also features a sneak peak into Fubar’s new project Fubar Declassified which features zombie stories in other military engagements.  This one, is a short piece showing a zombie outbreak in the Viet Cong, dealt with by a well timed airstrike, that yielded much zombie flambe.  

This issue could certainly have been fleshed out a little more, mind the groan worthy pun.  Mother is still interesting, and remains in character, the dialogue is well played, I just would have preferred a bit more plot complication.  The bonus story lacked the human element of Mother Russia.  It was sufficient for an anthology, but certainly not as involving as Mother Russia.  That being said, Fubar is still young and we look forward to seeing how it develops.  Stay tuned for issue three, the last installment in this mini-series, it promises to have some shocks, thrills, and most important ZOMBIE HEADSHOTS!  

One final note, this is an independent creation, so if you enjoy it, please show your support in every way that you can.  Creating independents is tough for creators and publishers both.  They don’t have the same resources of Disney and Time Warner.  Buy the comics. Share them with your friends.  Keep an eye out for kickstarters and fundraisers from your favorite publishers and creators.  Finally, let your favorite retailers know that you want MORE of this kind of comic in their shops.

For more information about Mother Russia, please visit Fubar Press and Alterna Comics.

Geek-o-Rama received a copy of this book for the purpose of this review. All thoughts, comments and opinions are those of the individual reviewer.

Mother Russia 1

Stalingrad. 1943. One baby. One rifle. Two million zombies.

A soviet sniper risks her life to protect something she hasn't seen in a long time: A perfectly healthy two year old boy who has just stumbled right into the middle of the zombie apocalypse.

It’s The Walking Dead meets Enemy at the gates, Svetlana Gorshkov is one of the last living Russian soldiers after living dead zombies have overrun Stalingrad at the tail end of World War II.  They call her Mother Russia, and with good reason.  Her aim is deadly accurate.  Despite the fact that the city has been overrun by the living dead, she continues to pelt away at them, day in and day out from afar.  Is she still alive?  Or is she just another kind of walking dead?  It looks like she doesn’t even know until she spots a child milling among the dead, through her scope.

Mother Russia then risks what’s left of her life to bring the child of safety, all looks bleak as the mass of shambling dead, overwhelm her, until she gets help from a very unlikely source.  At the end of issue one, Svetlana is forced to make a choice.  Who is her real enemy in Stalingrad, the dead, or the living enemy she was to protect the city from.

This is a story for true comic fans everywhere.  It’s fast moving.  It’s gut-wrenching.  It features a flawed heroine, who is more dead than living at the beginning of the tale.  Finally, the enemy that she faces is overwhelming, there aren’t enough bullets in the world to kill them all.  Mother Russia is the kind of book that asks: would you go on, when there seems to be no reason to go on.  This story is cleverly plotted, with a pace that will leave you turning pages as fast as your eye can digest the words and art.  The visuals are crisp and snappy, making use of the black and white medium to its full extent.

The art of the book is another win.  Although a bit sparse on detail Jeff McComsey captures the tone with a bullet to the head, or rather lots of bullets to the head.  On the panels that are left unscripted, he lets his art do the talking, and it speaks volumes.  Harsh lines and explosions of action set a tone that no zombie movie could match.  The covers are heroic and stirring.  Don’t miss this book.  You will regret.  It shows all the promise of being a breakaway hit.  This title has limited distribution through Alterna Comics so your best bet is to order it from the site, or visit your favorite shop and demand they carry it, in fact visit all of your shops, and let them know what an amazing book this will be.  Mother Russia is an example of the kind of great stories that are coming from independent, self published creators.  Less than two thousand backers pledged $95.000 on kickstarter to bring this to life.  That should speak volumes.

For more information about Mother Russia, please visit Fubar Press and Alterna Comics.

Geek-o-Rama received a copy of this book for the purpose of this review. All thoughts, comments and opinions are those of the individual reviewer.

Snarl

Something sinister is killing people in a Washington State Park. Is it animal? Is it Supernatural? When all the evidence points to the unexplained a veteran detective will have to go against all of his training to solve the unsolvable before it’s too late!

“I guess when the facts don’t add up, you need to open your mind to other possibilities.”

Kids, I would like to talk with you for a minute here. I know technology is hard. I know we’re all trees, and we need to return to nature. That said, you never left nature. You don’t need to go out into the middle of nowhere because your cell phone makes you sad. You know who’s worth listening to? Native Americans. They’re pretty cool, I mean we stole this land from them, sent them Small Pox blankets, and they’ll still talk to us. They have every right to take this land back.

So have your precious Burning Man. Go into the wilderness and do drugs. Just be careful, because drugs are scary and there’s a lot of shit out there that we as humans can’t really process yet.

What I’m saying is, watch out for that Snarl! True change must come from within, look at yourself deep. But for God’s sake, be careful.

This was a really cool comic book, and I look forward more issues! Kelly, Bender, Jensen, and Myers all got together and made something cool. Their combination of names also sounds like a song. KellyBenderJensenMyersJinglehimerSchmidt, his name was my name too! And whenever I go out, the people always shout there goes…you know the rest.

Alterna comics publishes comic books, they picked a name so clever that Google keeps trying to guess “alternative press”. Look at their website.

Geek-o-Rama received a copy of this book for the purpose of this review. All thoughts, comments and opinions are those of the individual reviewer.

The Dolridge Sacrament 1+2

Something awaits inside the ball room of The Dolridge House and it's becoming impatient. A traveler has come to tip the fragile balance Father Dolridge has tried so hard to maintain and The Witness is tired of waiting for his debt to be paid. But someone else is stalking Father Dolridge from the shadows and it may be something closer and far more insidious than any demon.

I haven’t come across a whole lot of horror comics as of late, and that void has been filled nicely with my newest read.  Throughout these first two issues of The Dolridge Sacrament, it was like falling further and further into the depths of this horrific creation.  And I have to say, getting lost in this madness was quite a hell of a ride.

We find our story set in a bed and breakfast, host to an assortment of “guests” so to speak.  It seems these unfortunate souls aren’t all that interested in staying, yet it doesn’t appear they have much of a choice.  Admittedly, the exact direction the story is going in is lost on me, but that is actually part of the appeal oddly enough.  There’s obviously an evil power working from within this quaint house in the woods, but what isn’t so obvious is who – or what – that power is

This sort of tale requires a certain unnerving appearance to the artwork, and it’s been pulled off well.  I’ve always said that black and white is a great approach for horror, and it was used very effectively here.  Although there’s not a whole lot of gruesome happening (yet?), there are some really good panels that still make you squirm.

I know this title is only planned to be a miniseries, but I’m definitely curious to see what more is to come in the remaining issues.  If you’re looking for a good horror that has you feeling uneasy, this is the place to go.  I’ll be eagerly awaiting the terror to continue in issue 3, so come and join in on the insanity deep in the woods of Maine.

For more information on The Dolridge Sacrament, check out Alterna Comics.

Billy the Pyro 1

Billy the Pyro is a not-so-normal coming of age story. Having to deal with his abusive and troubled past, Billy tries to just get by any way he can. That’s all about to change though as Billy soon finds out that he has been genetically altered by a government research institute called GAPRI (Genetic Alteration and Pyrokinesis Research Institute). Now able to produce and control fire, Billy teams up with GAPRI to help fight and protect those from past experiments gone wrong.

More often than not, having superhuman powers doesn’t always come with a glorious back story.  You’re usually just a regular person, dealing with your life as best you can.  Then all of a sudden BAM, you can walk through walls or fly.  We definitely get an unfortunate history with Billy the Pyro, as the life he struggles through is certainly less than glorious.  Only time will tell whether the unexpected change that occurs will make it any better.

The book starts off as an average story of a troubled teen in an abusive household, but rapidly picks up.  Billy also just happens to be a pyromaniac on top of all his domestic issues.  Throw in a mysterious agency looking guy and the realization that you can create fire, and you have the formula for an interesting first issue.  One has to wonder though, was it pyromania all this time or just his powers trying to reveal themselves?

With a story involving superpowers, particularly involving fire, you’d expect the artwork to be strong and vibrant.  That’s exactly what we are kindly given in the book, with very clean lineart and bright colors.  This is especially true of scenes depicting flames, and in some cases, infernos.

I’ve always enjoyed superhumans and special powers as much as the next fan.  Sometimes it just needs a slightly different approach like they've done here to draw in the curiosity of the reader.  This title shows promise if they keep it up, and should be one to keep your eye on.

For more information on Billy the Pyro, check out Alterna Comics.

Geek-o-Rama received a copy of this book for the purpose of this review. All thoughts, comments and opinions are those of the individual reviewer.

Noctua

The year is 2051.  A new strain of virus has mutated 5% of the Earth’s population into creatures of the night.  “Vampires,” as they’re called by their detractors, tentatively co-exist alongside humans thanks to Aeternus Eternus, a synthetic form of sustenance created by Biotech giant Imago Labs.  But for some, nothing can truly replace the taste of fresh blood...fresh human blood.  As the illegal blood trade rises, a new predator takes to the streets.  One which even the Vampires themselves fear.  Those who have seen him and lived to tell about it can only utter one word to describe the winged avenger, hell-bent on ridding the world of their people.  “NOCTUA.”

Vampires and humans living together?  Yes, you’re reading that right.  Granted, it’s not the first time it’s been done, I know.  Luckily, the story of Noctua takes the premise and heads in a different direction.  This is definitely a welcome change for me, as the vampire genre tends to be oversaturated these days.  Best of all, these vampires don’t sparkle.

With a virus driven source of blood suckers, our so to speak vampires here are not the traditional creatures of the night from lore.  This proves to be one of the book’s strengths, adding to the struggle of them living side by side with the humanity.  Regardless of what created them, our anti-hero Noctua wants them all dead in his quest for revenge.  As you can imagine, this sets up for a rather violent story.  But what else would you expect from a vampire story?

Like any good horror creation, you need to create the proper environment.  With such a gritty story like this, the rough and dark artwork used throughout was a good fit.  Even with the darker feel to the art, it had quite a varied color palette between multiple panels which worked.

The story that we are introduced to in the first issue has set a good foundation for more.  Revenge and vampires seems like a winning formula in my mind.  If the series continues like this, it will likely prove to be the case.  Horror fan or not, I would suggest giving this a look and see how it pans out.

For more information on Noctua, check out Alterna Comics.

Geek-o-Rama received a copy of this book in exchange for this review. All thoughts, comments and opinions are those of the individual reviewer.