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25th April 2024

DG Stewart

DG Stewart is the editor of WCBR and is a content contributor. He completed a Bachelor of Arts majoring in literature at the University of Western Australia in 1989, and is an Adjunct Professor at Murdoch University in Australia.

Moon Knight #10 (Review)

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Moon Knight #10
Marvel Comics, March 2017
Writer: Jeff Lemire

American publisher Marvel Comics has engaged in deceptive behaviour with the cover of this issue. In the top right hand corner of the cover appears this red box:

What Marvel Comics actually mean is that this is issue one in respect of the story arc. It is actually issue ten of the series. Marvel Comics’ carpet bombing over the past few years of the American comic book market with first issues of new series indicates that the publisher understands that new readers are reluctant to jump into an ongoing title at mid-point. Some readers may even buy a first issue because of an apprehension that it has increased value as a collectible.

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Super Powers Part One (review)

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“Super Powers” Part One (the back-up feature to “Cave Carson Has a Cybernetic Eye” #1)
DC Comics, December 2016
Writer: Tom Scioli

Gerard Way, musician and writer of the extraordinary comic book title”The Umbrella Academy”, as we have previously discussed in our review of “Mother Panic“, is in an enviable place. Mr Way has been given the reins of American publisher DC Comics’ new “alt-rock” imprint, Young Animal.

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Honor and Curse #1 (review)

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Honor and Curse #1 (review)
Mad Cave Studios, 2016
Writer: Mark London

Writing historical fiction can be difficult, and particularly when dealing with a place which has a different language and culture from that of the writer. This title is set in sixteenth century Kyoto. As far as historical accuracy goes, this comic does not capture it, with its improbably green-eyed heroes sporting long Dragonball-esque pony-tails instead of chonmage (the traditional topknot worn by Japanese fighters in the Edo period). If this issue has any significant flaw, it is that the writer, Mark London (who we assume like the publisher, Mad Cave Studios, is based in Florida), did not take more care to ground the story in medieval Kyoto by reference to landmarks which exist to this day, like Kamigamo-jinja Shrine.

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The World Hates Jimmy #1 (review)

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The World Hates Jimmy #1 (review)
WP Comics Ltd, October 2016
Writer: DC Johnson

John Kricfalusi is the founder of a curious, zany comedy style characterised by manic extremes of emotion and visually disgusting concepts all sitting in the vehicle of a children’s cartoon. Examples of this style range from “The Ren and Stimpy Show” (1991-1995) to “Spongbob Squarepants” (1999-present).

This title sits firmly within Mr Kricfalusi aesthetic vision, and the writer, DC Johnson, is clearly Mr Kricfalusi’s acolyte.

The protagonist, Jimmy, has a girl problem. His long-standing crush Holly is murdered in an explosion by a psychotic female classmate, who ultimately kidnaps Jimmy, coerces him into a wedding, and guilts him into armed robbery, with the two reduced living in a cardboard box. If this grim scenario was a live action television show on Netflix it would have a mature rating.

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