Market Day by James SturmI have a hard time describing the experience of reading this book. It was a good story, the art was well done, but I feel like the format was working against it. This is a short read, maybe 20 minutes, and thatâs what bothered me when I finished it.
I feel I came into the middle of a story, then was abandoned before the end. Itâs an enjoyable read, just one that felt truncated in some way. I felt unfulfilled as I closed the book. Re-reading it to examine the artwork is a pleasant diversion on the bus, but it doesnât grab you so much youâd come back to it on a lazy Saturday. (Which is my personal criteria for recommending a comic.) I donât want to not recommend Market Day, because itâs nice, but it's not something I have a great desire to add to my collection.
Other Lives by Peter BaggeThis book came out too late. It feels like it was set in the dying days of the Bush administration. The specter of surveillance and the new fad of Second Life taking center stage in this story of four fucked-up 30-somethings. And oh is everyone full of fucked-upedness. Thereâs Otis, a paranoid schizophrenic who âworksâ for the government; Vader, a writer who canât get over his daddy issues; Woodrow, a leering jackass and gambling addict; and finally Ivy, a needy and confused girl. Ivy doesnât get as much of a motivation as the three guys, it feels likes sheâs just there to cause conflict between a Vader and Woodrow. None of these are people you would want to get to know, and it doesnât seem like any of them really like each other.
Even with the unappealing characters, I would recommend this for anyone who enjoys comics. The art isnât the style I typically pick up at the store. Very reminiscent of Crumb, which turns me off with its over-realistic/unrealistic style. But being a free book from Slog Happy I wanted to stretch my comfort level and I was rewarded for it by a thoughtful, if simplistic story. The epilogue saved the story from being a nihilistic tract, and I think thatâs the only reason I feel comfortable with it. I donât need a happy ending, but some hope for the future is welcome.
The Chill by Jason StarrA little noir style brain candy for your rainy evening, The Chill takes us from Ireland and an ancient Druid legacy to the gritty streets of New York and the corruption of that legacy. A father/daughter serial killer team is terrorizing the city and itâs up to an old cop from Boston to stop them, the man that just so happens to have been there when the daughterâs powers first awoke.
Lots of sex and blood to keep you entertained, plus a little Celtic history thrown in to make it interesting. A fun and quick read.
Thanks, Enigma, for the reviews. Hopefully, she'll bring those comics to a future Slog Happy so the books can get another go-round. If any of these sound like something you'd like to own, you should head out to a comics shop tomorrow for Free Comic Book Day. You'll leave with an Enigma-approved comic, plus a bonus comic or two for free.
And if you've read a Slog Happy book, be sure to send me your review.