March 2015 Comic Book Reviews

Possessions Volume 4: The Final Tantrum
Ray Fawkes
Oni Press
Street: 02.04
Weird is what Ray Fawkes does best, and Possessions is his whimsical take on saving the world with spirits and one strange man’s struggle to set things right in the world. It’s easy to recognize Fawkes’ beautiful menagerie of horror watercolor muck with the influence of Ralph Steadman, especially in his newer works Gotham By Midnight and Intersect, but not all of his work is so dreary. This final installment of his award-winning young adult Possessions series keeps its charm with just the right amount of black humor for someone who’s as young as 11. Gurgazon, the Pit Demon, begins her quest to annihilate the world by destroying cities and reciting bad prose, and now it’s up to a strange team of spirits led by the mysterious Mr. Thorne. There’s a tongue-in-cheek cuteness to the destruction and simplicity of the art with a clean color scheme of black, white, and shades of orange. If you dig Roman Dirge’s Lenore series, Possessions is in the same vein of cutesy sarcasm and darkness, plus there are slapstick severed heads, haunted jukeboxes, and an apocalypse to stop. It’s a quick read and is especially great for those young demons at home. –Taylor Hoffman

Suicide Risk: Volume 3
Mike Carey, Elena Casagrande, Jorge Coelho, Andrew Elder
BOOM! Studios
Street: 08.26.14
Usually I’d be bored at the idea of yet another superhero origin tale, but I find myself intrigued by Suicide Risk’s particular blend of the formula, specifically their take on the addition of science-fiction and Watchmen-esque cynicism. This, the third in the series thus far, finally begins to shed a little bit of light on the mystery surrounding the series. While the first two books were about the main character, police officer Leo Winters, and his super-powered ascension, it’s clear by this point in the series that there’s a lot more going on than a typical superhero saga. The third briefly gives focus to some much-appreciated backstory on a couple of previously minor characters before quickly diving right back into Leo dealing with the consequences of his newly awoken super-powered self as the unstable and damn near unstoppable Requiem. There’s something out there that doesn’t want the super-powered to awaken, but it doesn’t shed a ton of light on who or why, and the story is by no means wrapped up at the end. While I’m still confused as to what exactly is going on, the pacing of the unraveling mysteries has me interested enough that I want to read more. Bring on Volume 4!  –Matt Brunk

Wasteland: Last Exit for the Lost
Antony Johnston
Oni Press
Street: 06.18.14
This 10th volume of Wasteland is a bit strange because it’s actually a collection of previously scattered one-shot issues. It’s a weird publishing choice, but as someone who hasn’t read any of the series before, it’s quite an interesting way to jump into the world. Without knowing anything about the story, I could immediately understand why it’s so highly regarded. Antony Johnston (Umbral) is a master of subtle and steady world building, and it’s clear that this Western sci-fi post-apocalyptic world is carefully crafted. Each story is drawn here by a different artist and focuses on a different faction of humanity. There’s so much allure in the mystery of why anything is happening, but it all comes back to the cataclysmic event referred to as the Big Wet. Full of mutants and strange cults, there’s history in the making. Another amazing feature of this volume is the collection of the 52 short stories and journal entries from around the wasteland by Ankya Ofsteen that were in each individual issue. I’m going to skip owning this trade paperback, though, only because I want the beautiful hardcover Apocalyptic editions that will eventually include these lost stories. –Taylor Hoffman

Wayward, Volume 1: String Theory
Jim Zub
Image Comics
Street: 04.07
I started in on Wayward with some heavy skepticism. It reeked of its target audience—high school “outcasts” seeking a source of (supernatural) identity while cutting themselves in the bathroom. Honestly, if I had picked up the first two issues alone, I wouldn’t have bothered picking up more. However, as the book developed I found myself disappointed in only one regard: I have to wait for more of Jim Zub’s brilliant story telling. Zub dives straight into his self-created world, and wastes no time investing in his characters. The star of Wayward is little miss Rori Lane, a sweet girl, in new country, who isn’t afraid to play rough.  Rori travels to Japan to live with her mother after her parents divorce. Once she arrives, she immediately gets caught up fighting ancient evils, which resemble mean-as-hell Ninja Turtles. After her encounter, she begins rallying a troop of magic misfits to unravel the source of such villainous creatures.  John Rauch’s color mastery in conjunction with Steven Cummings’ delicate penciling create rich and powerful scenes. Each panel looks as though it could be a still from a Hayao Miyazaki (Howl’s Moving Castle, Kiki’s Delivery Service) film, capturing the beauty and intensity of Japan without needing to resort to the typical “night life” scenes. The tailoring of Wayward seems to be geared for young adult readers, with plenty of outwardly explicit symbolism (strangers tear off their faces and try to rape small children, even outcasts have a place, etc.) This fills a much-needed gap in the comic world, therefore receiving my golden seal of approval. –Andrea Silva