Advance Reviews – Secret Society Comics

GOING TO THE CHAPEL Advance Review with Podcast and Preview

Just in time for #WeddingSeason, Action Lab Comics cordially invites us to Going to the Chapel.

The comic tells the story of Emily Anderson, a bride with cold feet whose wedding is hijacked by bank robbers, all wearing Elvis-themed masks and brandishing shotguns. Emily’s indecision about a lifetime of monogamy isn’t helping — and neither is her dysfunctional family.

David Pepose, the writer behind this twisted ceremony, says Going to the Chapel reads “like if Die Hard got hitched to Wedding Crashers, or if Tarantino had a baby with Arrested Development, and then those two bring that baby to a wedding. It’s tailor-made for fans of comics like Crowded, Assassin Nation, The Fix, or Sex Criminals.” So, yeah…buckle up.

Romantic comedy pioneer David Pepose is joined by Gavin Guidry on art, Liz Kramer on colors, and Ariana Maher plus Colin Bell on letters.

Review of GOING TO THE CHAPEL

The team behind Going to the Chapel delivers an air-tight story with funny dialogue, insightful commentary on relationships, and cinematographic art that adds emotion and depth to the storytelling.

David Pepose writes every character in a unique voice, which makes the story beats feel more authentic. Emily’s indecisiveness and nerves contrast her family’s assertive quirks and husband-to-be Jesse’s fundamental patience and goodness. In the scene where Emily is getting ready for the ceremony, we feel the distress percolating around her. Her father barks orders to caterers over the phone, while her grandmother advises getting a side piece because monogamy is “overrated.” All the while, her niece playing with fire in the background.

With the contrast between Emily’s family and Jesse (the poster boy for Mr. Right) Pepose explores how people seek out partnerships that feel different from what they know. He also implies that might not always be the best approach to a lifetime of love.

All of this characterization is enhanced by Gavin Guidry’s art. He excels at drawing emotive facial expressions (and eyebrows) that give the dialogue sound and feeling. His camera angles that frame these moments are worthy of praise. My favorite is on the first page, which includes a POV shot from one of the Bad Elvis gang’s binoculars.

One thing I’d like to see more of, however, is detailed backgrounds in close-up and extreme close-up camera angles. Even though the flat backgrounds create moments of stillness in an otherwise hectic plot, my eyes prefer to dance over details.

Liz Kramer adds depths to the lines with her stunning colors. Pinks and yellows dominate the pages, and create a romantic, sunset glow. Her use of light and shadow adds dimension to the page, especially when building textures like fabric and hair.

Ariana Maher and Colin Bell on letters make the longer word bubbles digestible, and are careful to differentiate sound-sources like the television and telephone from regular noise. Their sound effects are colorful and distinct, but fit seamlessly into the panel without disrupting the established color palette.

Rating: 9/10

Romantic Comedies and Comics

In the world of comics, familiar genres like action, noir, fantasy, Westerns, and horror have ruled for decades. But romantic comedies? I’m hard-pressed to come up with even one — that is, until I read Going to the Chapel.

David’s painfully aware of how romantic comedies are usually associated with film, and that’s precisely whey he’s introducing the genre to comics. Releasing this story in 2019 is a bold, calculated move, coming at a time when the #ComicsGate crowd is increasingly vocal against stories that don’t cater to the white, heterosexual, cisgender male demographic.

Hedging his bet that the comics community will embrace a new genre, David includes elements of more established tropes that a broad audience identifies with, like violent story beats, comedic dialogue, and Western themes. These traits come together to give Going to the Chapel a personality that just might establish Pepose as an auteur in the industry.

Interview with Writer David Pepose

David first reached out to me after I accidentally tagged him in a Newsarama review I was sharing from Secret Society Comics’ Twitter — which is @ssexclusives, for those of you who are making the regrettable/embarrassing mistake of not following us. He was courteous about the whole mishap, and saved face by saying he liked the reviews we post here on the site.

Since then, I’ve been following David’s successful career and five-time Ringo-nominated series, Spencer & Locke. I figured out that David really meant what he said when when he reached out to me about writing an advance review for Going to the Chapel.

Since I knew he was a classy gentleman and grassroots creator, I asked to interview him. We discussed not only his latest project, but also the comics industry at large.

David and I spoke about the idea behind Going to the Chapel, and what it’s bringing to the comics industry.

Preview Pages for GOING TO THE CHAPEL

Check out Action Lab’s pitch for Going to the Chapel here, or read on below.

“Say yes to distress in GOING TO THE CHAPEL #1, an action-packed romantic comedy from Ringo Award-nominated writer David Pepose (Spencer & Locke) and superstar artist Gavin Guidry (The Death Defying) at Action Lab: Danger Zone.

Emily Anderson’s big day was the wedding from hell — and that was before the bank robbers showed up. What do a conflicted bride, her dysfunctional family, a gang of Elvis-themed crooks, and one relentless sheriff have in common? They’re all about to discover love is the ultimate hostage situation. Fans of Crowded, Assassin Nation, The Fix, and Sex Criminals should say “I do” to GOING TO THE CHAPEL #1, available in comic shops and on digital devices September 4, 2019!”

$3.99 | 22 pgs. | Action Lab: Danger Zone | T+ | On sale SEPT. 4

STRAYED #1 by Dark Horse Comics: Advance Review

At roughly 55.5 million views, “Keyboard Cat” is one of the most popular videos on YouTube. Though it’s been over a decade since that glorious clip was uploaded, Keyboard Cat speaks to an enduring trait of American culture: we love to watch cute animals do cute things.

When cats are involved, people will pay attention. Just ask Lying Cat, from Brian K. Vaughan’s critically acclaimed Saga series. There is another promising addition to the “Cats in Comics” canon with Strayed, releasing on August 14 from Dark Horse Comics.

What’s STRAYED about?

(No spoilers.)

In the world of Strayed, a military-industrial complex fuels a relentless hunt for resources across the galaxy. This campaign is helmed by the “Infinite race,” who colonize planets and upend the lives of their native population in the process.

Strayed Variant Cover Dustin Nguyen Lou the Cat in outer space — Variant cover for issue one of *Strayed* by Dustin Nguyen.

In order to identify planets ripe for colonization, the Infinites enlist a cat named Lou for his powers of astral projection — which allows his mind to travel through space. He reports what he sees through a translation collar made by his loving owner, Dr. Kiara Rodriguez.

Both are working for the Infinites against their will, unable to leave until their mission is complete. For months, Lou and Kiara live in the confines of a top-secret military base somewhere in space as the Infinites pillage planets, kill innocents, and take what is not theirs. Unable to see each other freely, Kiara and Lou are essentially prisoners longing to be home where they can feel like family again.

The story climaxes when the Infinite leaders have found an alternate use for Kiara’s translation device. Will Lou and Kiara continue to work for the Infinites and be complicit in their crimes? Or will they risk their lives to break the chain?

The Writing in STRAYED

In issue one of Strayed, Carlos Giffoni’s writing gracefully balances violent depictions of colonialism with moving displays of love between a pet and his companion in life. There were so many tender, surprising, clever, frustrating moments that Giffoni wrote into issue one of Strayed.

Carlos Giffoni author of Strayed from Dark Horse Comics — Carlos Giffoni is a Venezuelan writer, musician, and video game creative director/producer currently living in LA.

Every debut comic needs to create an interesting world inhabited with compelling characters. Strayed does just that. Anyone who is passionate about their pet will attach themselves to Lou and identify with Kiara. Anyone who sees colonialism as a violent force of greed will want to rebel against the Infinites.

The Art in STRAYED

Artist and colorist Juan Doe’s unique style works perfectly in this outer space setting. (This was especially true during Lou’s vivid — and important — nightmare sequence in the middle of the book.) Lou’s face and eyes are highly emotive, expressing insight, fear, and love. The consistent palette of reds and greens make every gesture, feature, and detail pop, which enhances the reading experience.

Strayed Issue One Comic Cover Dark Horse — *Strayed* Cover A.

My favorite show of artistry in Strayed is the non-traditional panel structure used throughout. Rather than favoring a traditional grid layout, Doe draws panels that use symmetry or hierarchy of size to convey the narrative. For example, the two-page spread for Lou’s nightmare shows his face in the middle, as the jarring events of his dream swarm around his head in organically-shaped panels.

Matt Krotzer’s lettering in Strayed is also worthy of praise. Always capitalized, the letters have variations in style, weight, and size. Krotzer uses a different lettering style for Lou to instantly convey that he uses a translation device to communicate, setting a pitch and tone for his dialogue.

Strayed Comic Rating

9.5/10

In STRAYED, Giffoni, Doe, and Krotzer create an emotionally and intellectually engaging world of characters, metaphors, and themes. The story is personal and political, cute and horrifying, strange and serious, all at once.
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Advance Review of LEAVE ON THE LIGHT #1 from Antartic Press

The comics world is experiencing an onslaught of horror books. DCEASED and THE BATMAN WHO LAUGHS are just some of the popular titles satisfying and inspiring a bloodlust in comics fans, who are highly-anticipating ABSOLUTE CARNAGE on the horizon.
Recently, Bradley Golden has unleashed some bloodshed of his own. His new series, HORROR COMICS, debuted on May 29, sparking a lot of conversation among fans of violence and gore. His upcoming series, LEAVE ON THE LIGHT, keeps the horror craze alive…with a lot of death.

What’s LEAVE ON THE LIGHT #1 about?

“In a small town near New York, an undead serial killer has begun claiming the lives of children using the city’s electrical system.” This is the pitch sold to backers of Bradley Golden’s Kickstarter for LEAVE ON THE LIGHT, a supernatural horror comic published by Antarctic Press and the author-owned Second Sight Studios. This three-issue, 24-page horror mini series was supposed to debut on June 26, according to a recent interview with economics in comics, where Golden discussed his forthcoming series. According to a recent tweet from Golden, however, the launch date has been delayed until July 10.

Set in suburban New York, LEAVE ON THE LIGHT begins with the sudden, brutal murder of a little girl, Kassey, and her mother, Claire, the night before what would have been her daughter’s first day at a new daycare. The murderer is an escaped inmate wearing a prison uniform. He has gaping lesions on his face, electric currents pulsating from his body, and a heavy stream of drool oozing from his snarled mouth.

As police pore over the crime scene that night, we meet Detective Gary Marshall, assigned to look into the murder of the Maxeys. After some broody inspection and chain smoking, he thinks the dismembered bodies and crime scene look identical to those of Thomas Butcher Lassey, a child killer who was sentenced to death by electric current eight months ago.

Troubled by the resemblance of this crime scene to others, Detective Marshall and his partner, Sarah McKinney, begin their investigation. One of their lives is in danger by the end of book one.

The Writing

Generally, the story is intriguing, but the writing and art need more attention to detail.

Using well-timed moments of restraint, Golden makes you ask questions about multiple elements of the story to build demand for the next book. I found myself curious about characters’ pasts, and wondered if what I was seeing in the panels was real. To refrain from any spoilers, I’ll say that the killer is likely supernatural. It’s clear that Golden has an interesting plan for this tale of depravity and revenge.

Sometimes, the storytelling was interrupted by stiff dialogue in scenes where characters are alone. In one bit of dialogue, Detective McKinney talks about how she’s going to put down some toilet paper on the seat because the gas station bathroom is dirty. I think the author felt like he has to fill the silence in these necessary moments and convey something to the reader.

Bradley Golden is credited as the writer and editor of LEAVE ON THE LIGHT, and it shows. There were a few mistakes in the copy that I’m sure will be resolved by the launch date. (He does tell me, however, that he’s working with an editor before this book releases — and that he welcomes suggestions from fans.)

The Art

There are really well-drawn cars in this comic. There’s also expressive faces and moody color palettes. Props to penciler Alex Sarabia, inker Lehkem Amiyr, and colorist Shannon Smith. Letterer Hector Negrete adds to the composition with his evocative sound effects. Be on the lookout for a funny cameo they create together in a couple of panels toward the end of issue #1!

Some visual elements were confusing. For example, heavy speed lines made backgrounds less detailed, and they seemed to occur faster than the pace of the actual action. In my first reading, I thought the “VZZ” and “FZZ” lettering effects were cell phone vibrations when they were actually bursts of electric current that power the killer Thomas Lassey.

There were also some inconsistencies in the art. In one scene, the killer has large lesions on his face. In his second appearance, his skin is unblemished. (Perhaps this shows he’s getting more powerful and gaining strength? It wouldn’t be outside the realm of the supernatural. Still, it took me out of the moment.)

Rating

6.5/10

Kickstarter comics like Icarus and the Sun have been getting a lot of buzz lately. So has horror. Those two trends meet in LEAVE ON THE LIGHT from Antarctic Press.

Feels like a classic horror story with supernatural elements. Reminiscent of A Nightmare on Elm Street and Poltergeist.
The art and writing are limited in depth.
Because of good pacing, there’s lots of room for the story to developed.