In our Fresh Friday Features, we will take a closer look at four comics that feature questionable heroes. We will explore the unique characteristics and motivations of these characters, and delve into the themes and issues that they address. Through these examples, we will see how comic books can offer a nuanced and thought-provoking portrayal of heroes who exist in the gray area between good and evil.
This week, Shane from Comic Book Squares and ArtCrumbs have picked out four titles that they feel deserve more reads! In our line-up this week, we've got one comic from each category to give you a varied list of must-reads for your weekend!
- Comic - THUNDERBEAST: Unyielding in mind and body, Em’s blood-soaked quest to return home will take her beyond the doors of death itself.
- Comic - Good Boy: John Wick, but with dogs instead.
- Manga - Moontachi Gaiden: A chef gets a ragtag team involved in his shady schemes, determined to make a name for themselves.
- Webcomic - Through a series of cosmic events, Shiloh is tasked with helping a demon names Danior adjust to life on earth among humans.
THUNDERBEAST, 97 pages - Published by Wesley Griffith Comics, (cc/ @wesgriff1)
Martial arts champion Em retires to live peacefully in her desert home and raise her younger brother Barry. That peace is shattered in the roar of motorcycle engines, gunfire, and the appearance of Deathking Ra, the demon god of broken bones. Thrown through time and marked for death by Ra, Em’s only hope for survival is with the help of her two incarnations from past lives. Unyielding in mind and body, Em’s blood-soaked quest to return home will take her beyond the doors of death itself.
Story and Art by Wesley Griffith Comics
Comments from Shane @comicbooksquares:
An exciting new female lead with incredible fighting skills on what appears to be a different planet.
Since reading Grotesk (see previous review), I’m on a bit of a Wesley Griffith kick. I absolutely love his art style and the way he tells a story. He is the epitome of what an indie comic creator is supposed to be (in my humble opinion). His art is free flowing and clean. It honestly reminds me of my old days in art school when we would do continuous line drawings. Where you look at an object and then draw it without letting your pencil off the paper. You ended up with a very unique look to the drawing.
This book lays a lot of groundwork, just like you’d expect from a first issue. You’re immediately drawn into this world and the new characters. Each character is established in a way that makes you curious about their past and where they are going. There are also questions about where each character lives. I get the sense that one character, a rough and tumble boxer working for the mob, lives on Earth. And I get the feeling that the other character, our protagonist, lives off-world, although I could be wrong.
The action sequences are fun and fast and stand out from the more dialog heavy portions. I love how he portrays movement in his art. He’s also not afraid to get a little gory in the action and in the aftermath of the action, which I absolutely love.
If you dig original ideas and fun characters, you should check this one out.
Good Boy, 339 pages - Published by Source Point Press, (cc/ @TravisM)
Set in a world where humans and dogs are equals, Good Boy is a thrill-packed treat for anyone who loves action, dogs, and good stories.
Story and Art by Source Point Press
Comments from Shane @comicbooksquares: John Wick, but with dogs instead.
I absolutely LOVED this book. I did something I rarely do when reviewing these books, I immediately read the second issue, even before I wrote this review. I have zero idea why this book is not on everyone's lips, it’s incredible! The art is fantastic, it’s rough and gritty. The colors are vibrant and pop off the page. Even the lettering is amazing. Every single thing about this book is fantastic.
Imagine the world of John wick but instead of John going after everyone, it’s the dog that goes for revenge. That’s the premise of this series. I never gave a second thought to telling a story from that angle and never realized how much I needed this in my life.
If you enjoyed the John Wick films, stop whatever you’re doing and go read this book. Garrett Gunn and Christina Blanch are an amazing writing duo and they breathe so much life into this story. I’m 100% invested and I’m chomping at the bit to read the next issue.
Moontachi Gaiden, 208 pages - Published by Suncoast Ent, (cc/ @SuncoastEnt)
(Please read from left to right) When the sun leaves, the moon shall rise! One fateful summer, a chef gets a ragtag team involved in his shady schemes. Determined to make a name for themselves, our heroes become aggravated as unexpected factors enter into the conflict. Yet with all the crazy problems they face, everything comes tied towards one goal; a treasure waiting to be uncovered.
Story and Art by Suncoast Ent
Comments from @ArtCrumbs:
This manga was a wild ride! I read the first two chapters, and it's one of the more creative stories I've seen in regards to character design for villains. I loved seeing a while variety not just in looks, but in abilities. Character consistentcy for the main characters is also pretty solid, as well as lettering is pretty well done too.
We get a sort of mythology intro at the beginning, but it's full of action, not a text dump, which is so incredibly refreshing for a story so lore focused. Our heroes feel a little typical for a shounen, which isn't a bad thing, it feels very natural for the story. We finally get to see more of their individual personalities as they start their training and more fighting in the second chapter, so I'm going to keep reading. I'm very curious with the fun and diverse villains, it really makes me want to keep reading.
The art itself is also very good, the creator doesn't shy away from backgrounds, dynamic panels, and more, so that's fantastic. I think there are some refinements to the perspective needed at times, it can make the anatomy feel a little off, but it's so minor that I really didn't notice it until my second read through.
Keep up the great work @SuncoastEnt, I'll do my best to catch up over the weekend!
My Demon Rescue, 65 pages - Published by dilfsinlove, (cc/ @dilfsinlove)
For Shiloh and his friends, the night of the comet was supposed to be a once in a lifetime view. In a way it was- as they watched it crash land in a local horse pasture. Turns out, the comet was a fallen angel turned demon, named Danior. Through a series of cosmic events, Shiloh is tasked with helping Danior adjust to life on earth among humans. Will Danior find his home with the humans around him, or will more sinister forces stray him from the path? Updates Monthly!
Story and Art by dilfsinlove
Comments from @ArtCrumbs:
Like big webcomics of divine proportions? Look no further than My Demon Rescue. I loved the beautiful color work, not shying away from backgrounds, very diverse cast, and absolutely wonderful lettering and panel flow. All of it is handled skillfully and beyond that we have an entrancing story to boot!
Diving into the story, we meet Shiloh, a young boy and his friends rescuing a dog from a clearly neglectful owner. The humor is appropriate, even in a tense situation such as this and the friends clearly have bonded together over time. I'm really curious to get to know each of these characters a little bit better. The friendship and jokes feel natural, like any friend group. After a successful rescue, they decided to catch a once-in-many-lifetimes comet, but it doesn't go as planned!
It lands on earth, setting fire to the land, and Shiloh doesn't hesitate to jump in to save horses that are trapped in the blaze. That's not the only danger though, a mysterious being lurks within, and soon, Shiloh is confronted by it and a divine warrior. I'm not going to spoil too much, but this divine warrior and Shiloh's interaction (and deal) was absolutely stunning art and lettering wise. It's insanely creative, masterfully done.
I couldn't really find much on this one to say as for improvement, except that sometimes it felt like I had to scroll a lot to get to the next action. It felt a little slow in terms of pacing for me, but that is probably since I'm not used to reading a lot of vertical format. I was so sucked into reading though, that I just kept going.
Fantastic job @dilfsinlove! I can't wait to read more! It's definitely on my weekend list.
That's all for now, but we'll have another set of Fresh Friday reading recommendations next week. If you're looking for more recommendations, make sure to opt-in for our weekly reading list email! You can find that in your User Profile Notification settings. You can also browse through our Featured Comics news section!
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