There hasn’t been a shortage of Joker-related content this year. But there’s been a shortage of good films and comics about him. With Jeff Lemire behind the keyboard, “Joker: Killer Smile” is actually worthy of conversation.
I’ve been a fan of Lemire ever since I read A.D. After Death. (Not many people would agree with me on that one.) But to me, Jeff Lemire represents what comics is all about: the marriage of art and literature on the page, distributed to the masses for cheap.
Joker: Killer Smile Is a Beautiful Comic About Beauty
“Joker: Killer Smile” does just that. It’s a beautiful comic about beauty. Literary and artistic, “Killer Smile” hones in on how the Joker sees himself as a performance artist.
When you really think about it, though, the performance artists on display here are Jordie Bellaire (my favorite colorist) and Andrea Sorrentino (the line artist).
Andrea’s line work is substantial. It evokes noir with heavy shadows, extreme closeups, and uneasy camera angles that convey the paranoia of an Alfred Hitchcock movie. There’s no shortage of innovation in their collaboration. Cheekbones and shadows are evoked with color instead of crosshatching. The palette is washed out without being weak.
With plenty of room to breathe, the art carries the weight in this book. It helps that every word in the comic is meant to be there. It’s a relief to see a writer (especially a more experimental one) with the confidence and trust to let the art do the talking.
There are also some nods to Watchmen in “Joker: Killer Smile.” The therapist who brings his work home with him, to the disappointment of his wife. There’s an abundance of Rorschach imagery in the panels. There’s a story within the story, serving the same thematic purpose as “Tales of the Black Freighter” did back in 1986.
There’s Just One Downside to “Joker: Killer Smile”
Like nearly all Joker stories, the plot engine is extremely tired. The I’m A Therapist Who Will Fix Joker trope has been played out — just have your friend tell you about Harleen so you don’t have to spend money on it yourself. Still, this is a really successful interpretation of that premise that feels…different.
“Joker: Killer Smile” is a 9/10. This is a surreal comic that is actually digestible. (No unintelligible Azzarello escapades here.) Better yet, it’s like nothing you’ve ever seen before. Buy this book.
So, we’re getting a Bloodshot movie. If Vin Diesel delivers on what he is known for, we will have an action packed movie with lots of visual spectacle. Like him or not, the Fast and Furious and Riddick have had several movies made and have built quite a franchise.
Could this film mark the beginning of a Valiant Cinematic Universe at Sony? If so, what titles do we want to own before they are too hot to touch? But first, a little about Valiant…
The History of Valiant, from 1989 to Today
Where do we begin? Here is the fast version: after a failed attempt to purchase Marvel Entertainment (when the company fell on hard times financially), former Marvel Comics editor-in-chief Jim Shooter and lawyer/businessman Steven Massarsky founded Valiant Comics in 1989. In 1992, Valiant’s Editor-In-Chief Jim Shooter was given the Lifetime Achievement Award for co-creating the Valiant Universe, However, Shooter left Valiant by the end of 1992. According to Massarsky, “Jim had a different idea as to the direction of the company, and he was asked to leave.”
In 1994, American video game developer and publisher Acclaim Entertainment (based in Glen Cove, New York) purchased the company. But after some poor financial returns, they filed for chapter 7 bankruptcy in 2004.
In 2005, a group of entrepreneurs led by Dinesh Shamdasani and Jason Kothari raised financing and acquired the rights to the Valiant Comics library from Acclaim Entertainment’s estate, forming Valiant Entertainment. In 2007, Valiant hired former Valiant Editor-In-Chief Jim Shooter to write new short stories that would accompany hardcover reprints of classic Valiant Universe stories. Two of the three collections were named among “The Ten Best Collected Editions” of their respective years of publications.
In an event dubbed “The Summer of Valiant” in March 2012, Valiant Entertainment launched the Valiant Comics universe with four ongoing titles: X-O Manowar, Harbinger, Bloodshot, and Archer & Armstrong. Each one launched each month for four months. X-O Manowar premiered May 2, 2012, with the creative team of writer Robert Venditti and artist Cary Nord. The first issue of X-O Manowar received over 42,000 preorders, making Valiant the largest new publisher launch in over a decade.
In 2015, Valiant announced they had partnered with Sony Pictures to produce five films based on the Bloodshot and Harbinger comic books.
For the Summer of 2015, Valiant announced the event miniseries Book of Death, accompanied by one-shots Book of Death: The Fall of Bloodshot, Book of Death: The Fall of Ninjak, Book of Death: The Fall of Harbinger and Book of Death: The Fall of X-O Manowar and the miniseries Book of Death: Legends of the Geomancer. Book of Death was one of the best-reviewed comics of the year and the biggest selling independent crossover event of the decade. Spinning out from Book of Death, the ongoing series Wrath of the Eternal Warrior launched in November 2015.
DMG Entertainment made a huge investment in Valiant Comics in an effort to support their desire to build a cinematic universe based on their own comic book characters. It seemed like Sony Pictures would become the home for this cinematic universe since they picked up the rights to Harbinger and Bloodshot, and those two movies would eventually lead into a crossover event movie called Harbinger Wars. But unfortunately, it sounds like Sony has dealt a blow to yet another cinematic comic book universe.
What’s the Deal with Sony and Valiant?
While Sony Pictures still has a Bloodshot movie on the way in February 2020 with Vin Diesel in the lead role, they are selling off the rights to make a Harbinger movie to Paramount Pictures, and the key talent involved behind the scenes will follow.
There is still a possibility for a Valiant Universe without Bloodshot or possible character-sharing options — similar to what we see between Sony and Marvel with Spider-Man and the MCU. Regardless, this definitely feels like another stumble for the Valiant Universe.
Speculate on these Valiant Titles
As the publisher heats up again, here is a list of first appearances and mentionable books from the Valiant Universe for you to speculate on.
We want to focus on first appearances. If you have faith in Paramount, then the characters they have movie plans for are a good bet. Here are a few options:
RAI No. 0
Fun Fact:RAI #0 had a print run of 150,000 copies. Of those, 3,829 have been CGC graded and slabbed, and of those ONLY ONE “PERFECT 10” has ever been found!
Harbinger No. 1
Harbinger #1 was listed on the top ten list of Wizard Magazine for a record eight consecutive months and was eventually named “Collectible of the Decade” while Rai No. 0 appeared on Wizard’s top ten list for a new record nine consecutive months.
Harbinger #1 in CGC 9.8’s had 51 copies sold in 2019 with a High of $1,100 and a Low of $698. Current trending sales are around $700 this is the First appearance of Harbinger. This is a book that you want in 9.8. Also, make sure the mail away coupon is still intact.
Bloodshot No. 0, 6, and 7
Rai No. 0 is the first appearance of Bloodshot. We know this character is tied up with Sony, but if the first movie does well and we have millions of new Bloodshot fans, there is still potential for this book. I would only invest in this book in 9.8 condition, either the glossy or matte cover variation. There has been 292 CGC 9.8 sales in 2019 with a High of $400 and a Low of $75. This book has current sales in CGC 9.8 around $120.
Bloodshot #6 and #7 are the First appearance of Colin King and as Ninjak in costume. This is another book for investment purpose. Due to print run and availability, we want to focus on 9.8 condition. Issue #6 in CGC 9.8 condition has 82 sales in 2019 with a High of $90 and a Low of $30 with current sales at between $40 and $50. Issue #7 in CGC 9.8has 35 sales in 2019 with a High of $188 and a Low of $40 with current sales averaging between $40 to $60.
Archer & Armstrong No. 0
Archer & Armstrong’s first appearance is in issue #0 of their own self-titled book. This is rumored to be in development, and you can still grab 9.8 copies for a reasonable price. In 2019 there has been 28 sales of this book in CGC 9.8 with a High of $125 and a Low of $32 current sales are trending at $40 – $50
Only Time Will Tell What Happens with Valiant
The valiant Universe has even more characters to offer like Shadowman, Ivar Timewalker, and X-O Manowar. The question is will they ever get out in front of the world to really have the opportunity to be exposed to millions of viewers and acquire a new fan base? It would be amazing to see these characters back from the pages of 1990s comic books break into a new time and medium of story telling.
In March 1997, the world started to end with a little girl named Meg, and the tree branch that sprouted from her back.
Written by Jeff Lemire Illustrated by Phil Hester With Eric Gapstur and Ryan Cody
A Story About Family
If you’ve read Jeff Lemire’s comics, you know that family and childhood are big sources of inspiration for him. This excellent series debut from Image is no exception. obviously — I mean, it’s called Family Tree.
The dynamics between single mom Loretta, her troubled teenager Josh, and her naive daughter Meg make Family Tree #1 equally entertaining and heartbreaking.
The first issue focuses on Loretta’s worldview and the daily humdrum of her life. Panels showing the inside of her humble home resemble early-2000s episodes of Malcolm and the Middle, a sitcom about a low-income family who are looked down upon by their neighbors. (For the Malcolm in the Middle fans out there, Loretta works at a grocery store, just like Louis. Conspiracy or coincidence?)
Tone and Mood
Loretta narrates the story in a frank, introspective, tone that matches her no-bullshit personality and dry humor. As you flip through the pages, you see her triumph over the people who patronize her, which is, again, just like Louis from Malcolm in the Middle. It is immensely satisfying to see Loretta question her son’s bald principal “What would you know about a strong male presence?” when he implies that her parenting is the reason Josh got caught with weed in his backpack at school. Josh’s absent dad is just one of three big mysteries in Family Tree #1.
This is just one example of how the creators of Family Tree effortlessly foreshadow revelations about family history and the impending doom. Another example of this happens on panel when Loretta makes eye contact with a menacing man at the grocery who clearly isn’t there to buy ingredients for dinner. On the page, he overshadows three panels showing Loretta’s stern reaction to the uncomfortable situation.
Eerie and Economic Art
The dread is palpable on every page, between Loretta’s exasperated facial expressions of the increasingly severe “rash” progressing on her daughter’s arm. The character design and setting are 90s without being cloyingly nostalgic, lending some authenticity to the story. Dull greens, oranges, yellows, and purples reinforce the mood that something dark and sinister — but also strangely beautiful — is unfolding. White spaces within and between panels alleviate some of the emotional heaviness while also bringing important story elements into focus.
When such an intriguing concept is backed by concise writing and genre-defying art, it deserves attention.
Rating
8.7/10
Follow this family drama as it branches out into the mystery and action that Jeff Lemire and his collaborators planted in issue one.
“The extraordinary talent of Mirka Andolfo (Unnatural, DC Bombshells) brings to life a Heaven (and a Hell) filled with humor and lovable characters!
Angelina, a voluptuous angel, and Damiano, a mischievous devil, are madly in love. But, while she does not intend to give in to temptation, he would very much like to… This is the tale of their bizarre and spicy daily life!
A sex-positive–and incredibly funny–slice of life…full of angels, devils and gags!”
Angela Della Morte works for Dr. Sibelius, the most brilliant mind of the century. Using a new technology, Sibelius Labs are capable of separate soul from body. Using this tech Angela’s soul can get into other dead host and take control of their bodies in undercover missions. But as the souls travels the void to get into their new receptacles, they must elude a tenebrous lifeform. This creature feeds with the substance of which the soul is made. It is the most dangerous predator in this new ecosystem, and its name is: Death.
“From Narnia to Harry Potter, we’ve seen our hero leave the real world for a fantasy world-but in Ansel’s world of monsters and magic he’s haunted by visions of our world with tailored suits and modern technology!
Ansel embarks on his Quest to find the mysterious Folklords, hoping they can explain his visions…but looking for the Folklords is punishable by death. What will Ansel risk to find out about the world he has never truly belonged in?
Eisner Award-nominated writer Matt Kindt (Grass Kings, Black Badge) teams with acclaimed artist Matt Smith (Hellboy And The B.P.R.D.) challenge everything you know about the line between fantasy and reality in a new series for fans of Die, Middlewest and Fables.”
This November, New York Times bestselling writers SCOTT SNYDER (WYTCHES, A.D.: AFTER DEATH) and CHARLES SOULE (CURSE WORDS, the forthcoming novel Anyone) will team up with artists GIUSEPPE CAMUNCOLI (The Amazing Spider-Man, Darth Vader, Hellblazer) and DANIELE ORLANDINI (Darth Vader) and 2019 Eisner Award-winning colorist MATT WILSON (THE WICKED AND THE DIVINE, PAPER GIRLS) to embark on an epic adventure in the brand-new ongoing series, UNDISCOVERED COUNTRY!
In this special oversized first issue, readers will journey into the near future, and an unknown nation that was once the United States of America—a land that’s become shrouded in mystery after walling itself off from the rest of the world without explanation over thirty years ago. When a team seeking a cure for a global pandemic breaches U.S. borders, they quickly find themselves in a struggle to survive this strange and deadly lost continent!
Welcome to the second installment of Secret Society Comics’ Spec Deck! My motto here is that in the speculative comic market when you are not a month early, you are already a month late.
Let’s get to business and cover the comics you should you be keeping an eye out for next month! It’s an IDW heavy month, but that’s just because I dig their books.
Wellington #1
I don’t feel like it is too much of a stretch to say that most folks who listen to podcasts have heard of Lore. It is an extremely popular podcast about folk legends and tales of creatures, ghouls, and real life human atrocities. Aaron Mahnke is a master storyteller, which makes me feel as if this comic book has an extremely high level of potential. I don’t think it is unreasonable to compare this to a scriptwriter taking their skills to the comic world.
This book is either going to sell out or the print run will be more than enough to satiate the hardcore fans of the podcast leaving stacks of copies left behind. It is going to be one extreme or the other, all depending on print run. If the fans of the show catch on to this and the first print sells out, then watch for it to spike to $12-15 in no time at all and stay there for a considerable amount of time.
If it ends up sitting on the shelves gathering dust for a few months, I still suggest picking it up. This is one of those books that is going to have a cult following for years to come and there will come a time 10 or 15 years from now that it is not so easy to obtain because most of the original folks who bought it, did so because they want to own it, not because they can’t wait to sell it.
I Can Sell You a Body #1
The cover is incredible, the concept sounds unique, and IDW has been killing it recently with titles like Road of Bones and Canto. In major markets like NYC or Austin, there might be stacks on the shelf, but in smaller markets, this will be gone immediately. Copies on eBay will sell for between $8-12.
Though this isn’t one of those comics I think will become a TV show or movie, it will have real-honest-to-god reader buzz. That will compel folks to want to get in on the story and not just the speculation.
The Kill Lock #1
I want to read this freaking comic right now. I would also love to see this as a movie, and I am certain it would become a cult classic. I feel the same way about this book as I do about I Can Sell You a Body. The two of them will bump up within the first 2-4 weeks and go for slightly over cover price.
I see long term potential here. If this were to be translated to another media, I can see this being something like Men in Black or 30 Days of Night. Those are huge movies that were based on comic books, and while there aren’t a ton of us hunting for the original Men in Black comics any more, I can promise you that you’re not going to find them for cheap if you want them.
20XX #1
Beware of any book that starts with a description like:
“This [insert genre] for [single out a type of reader] imagines a [place any assortment of dystopia futures] of [use some catch phrase the kids dig].”
These books are made by committee, and maybe not literally, but the folks who came up with the pitch might as well have used an ad libs book and just released a dozen other similar stories to see which one takes off.
I think any comic is worth reading and that this certainly might be someones first and/or favorite comic ever and for that I give it praise even before it is released.
But, I just re-read the description again and it sounds like a bad joke. Stay away for speculation but if you pick it up for story let me know what you think — I could be wrong.
Seance Room #1
I really like the feel of this book and the author has another title called Beyond The Demon The Sea that sold out a couple weeks ago.
Source Point Press has been on a pretty solid streak recently with Samurai Grandpa, Love She Offered and Dead End Kids.
This doesn’t quite have that immediate success feel to it though. The question is, does it have long term potential?
I don’t know, the story sounds pretty freaking cool and any comic at any time could be optioned. My best guess is this comic will be available for cover price for a real long time.
However if the day ever arrives where a studio comes knocking, the price will skyrocket. The print run of these super indie labels has to be miniscule.
Kitty Pride — I mean Kate — is a badass. After the Central Park gate to Krakoa effectively punches her in the face (see below), she channels her frustration at being unable to portal to Krakoa into something productive. She’ll help those who can’t get to Krakoa get there, even if Kate herself can’t pass through* the gates, for reasons unknown.
(*It’s strange, because Kate can physically be on Krakoa, she just can’t conveniently travel to there through the gates.)
When Emma of the Hellfire Trading Company learns about Kate’s unique predicament, she naturally has a business proposition. After some mind-reading conversations, it’s decided that Kate will captain a massive ship, sail around the world, and liberate mutants who are unable to access the gates. It’s on these pages where the art really shines. Kate looks like a hologram/ghost as she discusses things over with Emma, with colorist Federico Blee responsible for that sucessful effect.
Most of the time, the mutants in this predicament are political prisoners of some kind. This issue focuses on Russian mutants who are under military capture. It takes a nine-page, highly choreographed (and weirdly patriotic) fight sequence to bring them down.
Like all of the books of Hickman’s X-Men universe, this issue is tacitly political. But because it’s a tie-in, the creators are allowed to have more fun with it. And writer Gerry Duggan and artist Matteo Lolli did just that. There’s plenty of banter and scrunched facial expressions to go around.
This series isn’t something I’d continue with, but if you like pirate-style adventures, zany X-Men characters, and watching mutants kick communist butt, then this is just for you. The story is about mutant liberation just as much as it is about Kate’s liberation; that is, becoming her own woman.
In 2019, it’s easy to say that a comic is about fascism, white nationalism, totalitarianism, communism, or whatever brand of worldview has captured the general population’s attention, for better or for worse. For Hickman’s work in “House of X” and “Powers of X,” this was especially true.
After all the buildup in those two prequels, “X-Men” #1 is decidedly not for or against any of those ideologies listed above. It doesn’t even allude to them. Instead, it shows people on two sides of a conflict making the best decisions they can to embrace life and protect the people who they love.
“X-Men” #1 focuses on Scott Summers, who has long been one of the most controversial characters in that world. Although he’s the most classically heroic of the X-Men bunch, he’s also had a lot of negative publicity. Issue #1 is told mostly through Scott’s perspective, meaning that you’re reading everything through rose-colored glasses.
In “X-Men” #1, you see the key moments in Scott’s journey from someone afraid to open his eyes to someone “choosing to spend [his] days focused on the things that make [him] want to live.” In the Summer House, situated on a Krakoan biome located adjacent to the Blue Area of the moon (with a bitching view of planet Earth), Scott, Cyclops, Wolverine, Jean, Vulcan, Havok, Calbe, and Rachel live together in an expansive mansion that also serves as a tactical base for mutants. This communal, family-oriented living situation harkens back to the living situations of immigrant families in America during the early 1900s.
Similarly, you have Director Devo, who controls the orchis Forge, humanity’s great doomsday weapon created to save them from extinction. Like Professor Xavier’s face, Devo’s is covered by a device that enhances his powers. In this case, Devo was born blind, but uses the headgear to see — much like Scott Summers.
Though the similarities mentioned above are mostly visual, they harken to some fundamental truth: both men are searching for a way to save their people. This is only possible if they believe in something bigger than themselves: whether that be the weapon that is a community of mutants, or a giant weapon floating in the sky.
“X-Men” #1 is all about finding the commonality between two opposing sides of a major conflict. It’s about discovering how fear, vulnerability, and hope can unite two very different kinds of people for the exact same reasons. And that’s why “X-Men” #1 one of most brave and potentially controversial comics of the year. You won’t want to miss this.
Your first New York Comic Con is the culmination of your investment in comics: literally. It’s an expensive event, and you want to make sure that it’s worth it. Here are some ways to stay sane so that you can extract maximum enjoyment from your time in the overcrowded Javits Center.
#1 Don’t Go to NYCC with a Hangover
The night before attending comic con, make your mom proud. Be the picture of innocence. Go to bed by 10pm at the latest.
Unless you’re a huge fan of Subway and their new Pit Smoked Brisket sandwich, there aren’t viable restaurant options near the Javitz Center, so it’s important to eat up before you shuffle around the conference floors for miles and miles. Eat a big breakfast, hydrate more than usual, and pee it all out before you subject yourself to the endlessly long bathroom lines at the Javits Center.
#2 Use the NYCC App
The app has its limitations — you can’t zoom in on photos of the conference floor to make out the microscopic booth numbers in Artist Alley — but what app doesn’t? Mark the panels that interest you in the weeks leading up to the event. The day of, the app will ping you with alerts in way advance so that you’ll have time to brush your way through the thousands of people standing between you and that Brian K. Vaughan panel.
#3 Read All of The Obnoxious Marketing Emails
You might have realized seven emails ago that THURSDAY BADGES ARE STILL AVAILABLE!!!!, but you can’t let the unrelenting spam drive you to the brink of insanity. These emails are seriously helpful. You’ll be the first to know of surprise guests or changes of plans. If you don’t read the emails, then you might never know how to activate your badge (which is surprisingly difficult).
#4 Go on a Thursday, Not a Saturday
Whether you’re an out-of-towner visiting for the weekend or hardened New Yorker, this rule rings true: NYCC is one of the most crowded, frustrating experiences you will ever have with mankind. Everyone is in your way. Everyone loves comics as much as you do. And no matter how excited you are, this day means a lot more to that loud nine-year-old kid who just cut you off.
Everyone presumes that Saturday will be the best day. The heart of the weekend! The most convenient day! I made this naive mistake, and the inconveniences were immense. This is Comic Con, after all, so why not take the day off work to enjoy one of America’s finest cultural traditions?
#5 Get There Early
Get there before the inevitable exhaustion kicks in and mass grumpiness ensues. The day is designed to be repetitive. Creators and publishers stand still for 10 hours, meeting thousands of people who admire them and their creations. Fans meander the floors, waiting for the chance to praise their favorite creators and publishers. Come in early while the energy levels haven’t been depleted, and there’s still oxygen in the Javits Center.
#6 Find out Where Your 5 Favorite Creators Will Be in Artist Alley
2 of your 5 favorite creators will only be at the booth for one hour that day, and they’ll most definitely be a line to meet them. If you’re at Comic Con, you’ve attained a level of fandom that more than likely means you read comics by more than just 5 creators.
#7 Avoid the Publisher Floor
You’ve been to a comic shop before, right? Unless you are seriously interested in buying overpriced merch or watching people stand in infinitely long lines, I assure you that you can get most of the stuff from NYCC at your local comic shop. So what if it doesn’t have NYCC 2019 branding? There’ll be plenty of hustlers outside selling an adorable knockoff for cheaper.
#8 Come with at Least $50 in Cash
The NYCC buy-in doesn’t stop after your years of patronage to the comics industry, or the hefty ticket price. You didn’t think it’d be that easy, did you? This annual spectacle is (mostly) cash only, sucker, so you’d better find some way to scrap together the bills to ball out at NYCC. Comics that are usually $3.99? Try $15.99. And look — that’s part of the fun! These are one-off comics that you can’t get outside of NYCC. Resell them on eBay! Frame them! Burn them in act of defiance! Whatever you do, just bring the money.
Written by Marco B. Bucci Art and Colors by Jacopo Camagni Letters by Fabio Amelia (Arancia Studio)
“Nomen Omen” #1 from Image Comics is a supernatural/fantasy/horror comic that is equally disturbing and confusing. Brought to life by a team of Italian creators, there were a few things lost in translation — and it’s not because of language differences. This is a comic that is too smart for its own good.
In typical Italian fashion, “Nomen Omen” #1 opens with a lusty pretext. (My grandmother immigrated to NYC from Sicily, so I am somewhat qualified to call Italians a lusty people.) Two young women hit the road after they were caught bathing in the moonlight, naked (of course). There’s some other confusing details about their families and plans for the future before they discover the car crash that will kickstart the story into motion.
I’m not here to give you a panel-by-panel recap of “Nomen Omen” #1. But I feel that these first four pages — arguably some of the most important pages in the first issue of a series — represent a larger problem of this story: all of the disorientation that Bucci creates makes it hard to invest in the characters and their story.
The story is punctuated with vague incantations talking about some ominous future, which can be exhilarating and leaving you wanting to know more. There’s some very sexual panels, and very violent ones. There is an entire page of poetry, framed inside a glowing moon, which spoke to the nerdy English major within me. If you’re patient enough to parse the verses, you’ll find some foreshadowing that can help you see through the fog in the coming pages.
Fabio Amelia’s letters bring the story to life. He uses variations in font size, word bubble outlines, color of sound effects to give this story an edge. In a double page splash that depicts the inciting incident in the story, his sound effects rhythmically guide your eyes across the page, and give the action a tribal quality with the repeated “tum” drumming sound. When the evil character speaks at the end of the book, his words are coated in black, outlined by a wobbly bubble that gives his speech a guttural, dark quality.
The art from Jacopo Camagni in “Nomen Omen” #1 has a unique interpretation of manga style, and some of the page/panel layouts are spectacular. The latter half of the book is predominantly black and white, with the exception of a bright, beating heart and pink fur in two consecutive pages. Camangi knows how to create a dramatic, disturbing sequence of action that really move the story forward in the direction Bucci is trying to guide it.
My favorite part about his art is all the attention to detail. In one panel inside the protagonist’s home, her photo wall reveals that she won the Google Science Fair and that her parents support the All Genders Matter movement. This quickly conveys characterization, with no dialogue or captions required. For all his attention to detail in bringing the story elements to life, Camangi barely did any crosshatching, which is a classic way to convey dimension in skin and fabrics. The lack of gritty, fine lines makes some panels fall flat, but Camagni’s expertise in using color for lighting/shadow while masterfully illustrating perspective makes up for that shortage.
And then there’s the incorporation of instagram in the story. I often feel that comic books (and the entertainment industry in general) haven’t found impactful ways to integrate technology into the plots of regular stories (in a more casual way than Black Mirror does). An entire page of the comic resembles an instagram feed, and at the bottom it displays the instagram handle @_nomen.omen_. There is no sign of these panels on that instagram page, and I’m perplexed as to how that account relates to the story — aside from the posts of the rainbow birthday cake, which was featured in the comic.
The artistic features of this story are truly something to behold, and if you’re patient enough, I think Bucci’s writing will find its footing in the issues to come.
Welcome to the first installment of Secret Society Comics’ Spec Deck! My name is Frank, and I will be your local resident comic book speculator. I’ve been collecting for 25 years and seen quite a few ups and downs in the secondary market. I love the story more than anything, but who doesn’t also like to know something they own holds value?
So with that in mind, take a gander at the official first five selections of Spec Deck.
Breathers #1
I really like simple but effective art, like what I am seeing here. I always feel like books with this style are bound to become cult classics.
I really dislike almost all comics that claim to take place in a dystopian world though. We get it, pretty much all possibilities at this point are bleak!
What gives this title a bit of an edge, though, is the extremely unique character dynamics that seem to be in play. Reading this description you truly get a feel for what you are about to be dropped in to.
I have a really good feeling about this comic. It will sell out and it will command between $20-$30 on the secondary market.
Folklords #1
Full disclosure, I went all in on Once & Future and Something is Killing the Children. (Like almost unhealthy amounts of effort were put in to getting every single last printing of the first issues.)
So you may be surprised to hear that I don’t see Folklords being the same kind of surprise hit as ‘Once’ and ‘Children’ were. Main reason being that we are all prepared for it this time.
BOOM! Studios: your local comic shop and every collector out there knows what just happened with ‘Once’ and ‘Children’ and no one wants to be caught with their pants down again.
I will be picking this book up for sure; it sounds like a fun read. But don’t look for it to spike in price at all any time soon. Additionally, even if it were to be optioned some day, there are going to be a lot of speculators picking it up to re-sell. If there ever is option news, the market will be saturated.
This will be an easy book to obtain for years to come.
Crone #1
This book is the hardest for me to gauge. I want to say it could be a breakout hit, but at the same time… that is how I felt about Unearth and Sea of Stars at one point.
Some books just look too good to be true. Almost designed to stimulate certain aspects of the brain at first glance. This one feels like a book that is going to be overordered.
I also don’t love any catchline that is “equal parts this and that.” I think this is a solid pass for me and honestly it looks like future dollar bin fodder.
I cannot stress enough though: if you think the story sounds cool, BUY IT! That is what comics are for. Speculating is just a fun side note.
Crow Hark the Herald #1
I love Tim Seeley, I love Hack/Slash, I LOVE The Crow and loved Crow Hack/Slash.
This book will not sell out and it will not go for any more than cover price any time soon. However, I cannot imagine a future world where The Crow isn’t resurrected as a successful franchise. There will be a day when The Crow merch, collectibles, and comics are a commodity.
I’m getting this book because I literally love everything about it. I don’t expect for it to ever be worth a fortune, but I do expect for it to hold its value or increase slightly in value over time, which is much more than most comics can say.
Rising Sun #1
Last but certainly not least is what could easily be the leader of the pack. You always have to watch out for slick Japanese inspired art, it sells copies without a doubt.
The description is short and sweet. I’m left wanting to know more. Sometimes you want to read an entire review of a comic or movie before jumping in to it. However with something like a kung fu flick or a horror movie, you just want the very basic plot without anyone else’s interpretation of it.
“Many monsters who are ravaging the country!”
You don’t need to over explain something like that, I am sold and I think alot of other people will be as well. This is a book to watch out for, I can definitely see it selling out and going for anywhere between $6-$12 on the secondary market.
Obviously long term potential is all about staying power.
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