Life is a complex and multifaceted experience, and the razor's edge of existence is a recurring theme in literature, philosophy, and art. In this article, we explore this concept through four comics that showcase the duality of life - its joys and sorrows, light and darkness, and hope and despair. The comics in our Fresh Friday Features, provide a unique perspective on the human experience and offer insight into how we navigate the ups and downs of life.
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 - These.damn.kids: There have been reports of parents being attacked by the very children they raised, and a a young rookie cop has to get to the bottom of the chaos.
- Comic - Schism: The only light that remains are behind the walls of Olot. Adriana Solero Hunter serves as a guardian beyond the walls but is she a slave or a master of her own destiny?
- Graphic Novel - Yanikeke: The fairy and the lumberjack: A lumberjack named Keke is devastated by the passing of his daughter. Yani, the fairy of Magua must stop the grumpy lumberjack before he destroys everything.
- Manga - Apocrypha: A roguish youth named Desmonde is appointed to the protection of the naïve prince, Claude. Through their battles to defend the kingdoms from the forces of Hell, Desmonde will unlock the truth of his origins and much, much worse.
These.damn.kids, 28 pages - Published by SECOND SIGHT PUBLISHING, (cc/ @Secondsightpublishing01)
In a small town in Vicksburg, Mississippi, the children have been acting strange. There have been reports of parents being attacked by the very children they raised. Some have even gone to school to try and kill the teachers and faculty. The town sheriff has brought in a young rookie cop to get to the bottom of the chaos.
Story and Art by SECOND SIGHT PUBLISHING
Comments from Shane @comicbooksquares: A dark twisted mix of Seven and Children of the Corn.
What an absolute treat this was. I just got done watching Something is Wrong with the Children, and honestly I was bored. This is the story I was hoping that was going to be. This is gruesome and disturbing and glorious.
The story is fast-paced and jumps right into the action. We immediately know who all our main characters are in a short period of time, which is wonderful. We’ve got a hard-nosed detective who chain-smokes, and he’s just moved to the town with his wife. And with a bang, things are happening. Horrible terrible things.
The art is absolutely beautiful and works perfectly for the story. I love the cool blue grays. If this was in color, I honestly don’t think it would have the same impact. There is a painterly style in the art, on the close-ups of the faces you can see what appear to be paint marks as if they were made with a blade. Add to that the inky dark blacks, and you have the makings of a perfect pairing of art and story.
If you’re a fan of Seven mixed with Children of the Corn, then this is going to be right up your alley. I’m really happy I checked this one out.
Schism, 30 pages - Published by Mark Abnett Comics, (cc/ @MarkAbnett)
Spain has been blighted by war and ruin. The only light that remains are behind the walls of Olot. Adriana Solero Hunter serves as a guardian beyond the walls but is she a slave or a master of her own destiny? This is the story of how she reclaims her life. This is the story of her Death. 28 PAGES Colour INTERIOR Words by Mark Abnett Art by Chris Connelly Letters By Rob Jones
Story and Art by Mark Abnett Comics
Comments from Shane @comicbooksquares: A spiraling story of an apocalyptic future.
Every so often you discover a book that’s a bit of a fever dream and for this week's review that is what I uncovered. I’m honestly not a hundred percent sure what I just read. It felt a bit like Jacobs Ladder in the way it jumps forward and backward in time.
There are panels of stark white and limited dialog that lead me to believe it might be near the moment of death. I can’t be certain though.
The story also jumps from 2055 to 2070 to another time that feels farther into the future. The jumping in time is a bit disjointing and oftentimes I could not tell where we were. All of this might seem a bit negative and I’m probably not doing a great job of selling you on this book, that could not be further from the truth though. It’s my belief that all of this is intentional and the writer Mark Abnett is setting up a world for you to sink your teeth into.
Jacobs Ladder is one of my favorite films, because it’s not your stereotypical journey, and the same can be said for this story. If you’re okay going on a ride that is a little more off the beaten path, this could be the book for you.
Yanikeke: The fairy and the lumberjack, 51 pages - Published by Alpha Eve, (cc/ @AlphaEve)
In the magical forest of Magua, a Lumberjack named Keke, is devastated by the passing of his daughter, now the lumberjack only focuses on his work without caring about the damage he causes to the creatures and the forest, Yani, the fairy of Magua must stop the grumpy lumberjack before he wipes out the entire forest.
Story and Art by Alpha Eve
Comments from @ArtCrumbs:
Adorable artwork that has a very nice finished feel to it. It's bright, it's colorful, and attractive to look at. It's a sad story about grief and loss on both sides. It was interesting reading this and seeing how unhealthy the lumberjack, Keke, was handling his emotions after loss. We see a similar reaction when Yani is unable to save the forest she loves and then reacts with rage. I'm not going to reveal too much more, but I found the ending to be satisfying. I also really enjoyed the concept art and bonus materials at the end! I wish more comics and graphic novels shared that sort of work.
It did make me think though, as someone who has experienced a lot of loss in my own life. I'm also showing a lot of this in my own manga, and I wonder as a society why we don't talk more about this. It's a short story, but I think that it's important to talk about these topics in a healthy way.
Great job team, I really did enjoy it as a topic I find myself dwelling on from time to time.
Apocrypha, 19 pages - Published by Studio V2, (cc/ @StudioV2)
A roguish youth named Desmonde finds an unlikely opportunity to fulfill his dreams of becoming a great demon hunter. Accidently appointed to the protection of the naïve prince, Claude, it's through their battles to defend the kingdoms from the forces of Hell he will unlock the truth of his origins, his unnatural abilities and the truth behind the end of the world of Eden.
Story and Art by Studio V2
Comments from @ArtCrumbs:
Stellar art, fantastic paneling. It's funny, it's smashing and crow-bar-tastic? An interesting weapon of choice from an even more interesting set of characters. I really enjoyed the lax, easy going Desmonde (Dezzy) and seeing how it approached the big baddy we get to see in this first chapter. The artwork and dynamic quality to it is just amazing, and if the cover doesn't grip you, the art sure will!
I've followed this comic elsewhere for a bit, and I'm super excited to see it on GlobalComix.
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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