I recently published an interview of Nate Lindley of ACP.  In that piece, I promised to share my thoughts on some of the titles featured in their growing digital library!

Quick note--As I was literally getting ready to hit publish on this post, my doorbell rang, signifying the arrival of my mail!  I rushed to the door (to get a fresh breath of the outside world, whilst I'm not chasing my kids outside...) and my first package from backing ACP on Patreon arrived...so here's an unboxing and reveal of what their physical books look like!

I started with Oath #1 as it is the first book put out by Ashcan's founder Nate Lindley.  I enjoyed that it started with a brief Q and A about Nate's creative process, which is a good way to set the stage, instead of the typical back matter essay you see in a #1 issue.

The Oath story is billed as being part of the larger Myrrom Galaxy, which we don't learn anything about yet, but we learn how our protagonist becomes the titular character Oath.  We learn Dwaine's past, a man who enjoyed the normal trappings of life: the outdoors, art, and the experiences shared with the love of his life Ginelle.  But things come to an abrupt end as most heroic origins do...and we learn that Ginelle may have some sort of powers to attempt to make things right.

Book 2 continues with Dwaine's coming into his power.  Once he is saved by Ginelle, he has some sort of vision and then is awoken to his normal daily routine of wake-up, coffee, school (I can relate...well, pre-COVID I could), however, as he experiences the day, we discover everything is far from routine.

​I really enjoy what Lindley has going on here artistically. First, I can tell you this is a book I have to get physically, because I it would be the first black-and-white/grayscale comic I've read/owned.  Both issues have an eloquent yet gritty zine styling to them, and through simple usage of black, white, and shading we get every emotional high or ominous low.  What really stands out to me is his use of large-print words to convey dynamically what Dwaine/Oath is experiencing.  Here is an example of an image that sticks with me from Book 1:

No matter how many times I flipped through both books in writing this review, this is the image that stood out to me the most showing the range of what you see in both of Lindley's books from an artistic perspective.  I have a good feeling of if these are the first two books I've read, and I enjoy them this much, then there have to be good things in store for other titles!

This is one of the most recent offerings from ACP Studios, and the reason why I read this after Oath is because I was intrigued by Stonie Williams' interview on Comic Book Live.  While the website bills this as a "short story" there are some great full page spreads which help deliver the setting throughout.

The first note after reading this, I feel like Williams should take a page out of Tina Horn's playbook and offer a playlist that would perfectly accompany the reading.  All that played through my hand was Amon Amarth's album Berserker (if you are a viking metal fan and haven't heard this album....shame on you!).  

Chapter One introduces us to Vala a respected ship captain, warrior, and seer who is seen as a political threat, but her brother Orum defends her full range to any political rival.  As they are sailing, they spot a Kraken, and the images revealing both the Kraken and someone hacking off a tentacle with an axe help bring the battle to life (I want to print that image off as a page for me to color....for therapeutic reasons...I suck at art, ask my college theatrical design professors).  As the battle appears to be ending in the Kraken's favor, Vala's shield explodes with energy besting the Kraken, and no one on board has any explanation for what just happened...

I like a strong female protagonist, so this story hits with me from the start. Second, I think Williams' vivid imagery really helps bring the story to life (which is hard for me, since I am either reading Journal Articles, the News or comics) in a way that feels like I'm watching a film or reading a comic.  And again, the things I said about Lindley's art is also true in this title as well.  I did notice you can get a shirt that is the cover for Chapter #1, and I think I may have to indulge, because I think this story is so good!  My only complaint, is we only have one chapter, and I have to wait until JULY until chapter 2 =-(. 

The final type of offering listed on the ACP website is "flash fiction."  In not knowing what that means (and this was one of their first releases of the year) I figured this would be a great way to round out this first review of their web offerings (and when I get my print books in the mail, I'll make additional notes!).

Again, I enjoyed this, but offering a cogent review will be difficult.  This book is an anthology of several 3-page short stories all pre-empted by an amazing work of art, which is a good way to get the imagination working.  All of these writers work in different ways, and if they all have long-form offerings coming out through ACP Studios, I feel like this will be a great purchase you can make as a true "Publisher's Sampler" to survey all of their offerings in one shot.

Where I can tell I'll enjoy their offerings for quite some time, is everything appears to be unique in their own way, and you are not going to be bogged down in millennia of canon/lore/tradition to jump right in to any of these stories, and as I've noted in reviews of most Boom, Aftershock, Image, or Alterna titles this is a big sell to a reader like me who appreciates being able to dive right in without having to draft a masters thesis in the Marvel or DC universe to truly appreciate their product!

The owner of my LCS and I for the most part agree about books we think are good (when our interests align), however, I can remember one of our small disagreements, and it was after our podcast when Strange Adventures #1 was released. He had read the book before the podcast began, and it was in the middle of my stack.  He was not the biggest fan of SA, because it felt like it drug too much, or it was a potential lesser re-hash of Mister Miracle.  I went home that night, read Strange Adventures and didn't see the same problem Jason identified, but that is largely because I hadn't read Mister Miracle.  Shout out to my mom! She got me the TPB for my birthday, and I flew through it yesterday, and was so mesmerized I had to take a break before I wrote anything down about it. 

I am a huge Marvel stan.  I find myself preferring most Marvel runs over DC.  Maybe thats where my childhood is, maybe its the connection to the MCU.  That being said....I THINK THIS IS ONE OF THE BEST RUNS OF ANYTHING I'VE EVER READ. FULL STOP.

There are so many things that this book nails for me.  First, I want to talk about Mitch Gerads' art.  There are several bits from this book that just amaze me.  First, I am enthralled by the streaky/pixelated pages which are the first thing you see whenever you open the cover.  Each issue starts with one of these panels with 2-ish small sentences that really set the tone for each issue.  Second, as we deal with the reality distortions, from panel to panel, the different types of color-washing, environmental or character feature shifts blow my mind.  Finally, his facial expression work is great.  I love watching Scott say something and watching the low key shade Barda throws his way.  I also love his work on building the Baby's connection to everyone in the world.

In terms of the story: Essentially there is a battle between gods (similar to heaven and hell) and to bring their battle to an end and settle the peace the Highfather and Darkseid (is) they decide to exchange sons.  The story focuses on the Highfather's son (real name unknown) who is raised in Apokolips by Darkseid and Granny.  The opening pages of the trade show how the son attempts to escape Apokolips several times and fails (and eventually earns the nickname "Scott Free" which is the name he goes by).  He eventually escapes with Big Barda (his eventual wife), and works with an escape artist named "Mister Miracle."  When the original MM dies, Scott dons the suit, mask, and cape and continues the escape act alive.

Eventually we learn that the war between Apokolips and New Genesis resumes and Mister Miracle and Barda are called to New Genesis to serve.  

When everything begins to ramp up, shit really begins to hit the fan.  Miracle is accused by Orion (his "brother" who was raised by the Highfather) of Treason, His world is constantly distorted and he doesn't know what is real or not (he believes he is infected by Darkseid's Anti-Life equation), and Scott and Barda have to become folks who battle on a daily basis and raise a child.

I know this book is 2 years old, and I don't want to spoil anything, because I honestly think this is something everyone should read, if you haven't already. Aside from the battle of the gods, which we as mere mortals cannot understand, everything is relatable.  From dealing with depression and suicide, to dealing with having a child, and learning to balance your work/life obligations.

If you want a longer review with some spoilers revealed, check out this video from my guys over at the Comic Burrito Show.  Settle down with your favorite veggie tray, and give it a watch!

In short, even though Todd and I (Green Lantern shirt) agree on a lot and love so many things, He's wrong and Nick and Cole are right.... But, its an enjoyable read, I love their takes on books, and you should follow them on twitter!

I love this book so much.  Even if my guy Jason (from Chops Comics in lovely Lawrence Kansas) thinks that Strange Adventures is a partial rehash of the story telling methods from Strange Adventures, I think I'm ok with that for now.  If relationships get built in the same dynamic way as they did in Mister Miracle, then I believe Tom and Mitch are on their way to securing another Eisner Award!

I have both written and noted on the podcast at length that I'm not a big fan of books, movies, tv shows that offer their telling of a historical event with any degree of obscurity, because it feels too much like work for me (because I teach it...).  However, when you get into alternative history or what-if sorts of questions, that's the type of theorization I am intrigued by.  Superman Red Son is one of the trades my LCS sent my way when I was looking for things to read, and I'm glad that Jason from Chops Comics sent it my way.

To be honest, "What if Superman landed in the USSR" is not really a question that ever crossed my mind.  But, once I read the opening essay, the phrase "Truth, Justice, and the American Way" started ringing through my mind.  The premise immediately makes sense.  The ripple effects made by Kal-El's landing in Ukraine (and being groomed by Stalin) are immense.  Lois Lane is married to Lex Luthor.  Nixon wins his first election, is assassinated, and Kennedy follows him in succession.  The USSR lasts until 2001.  Jimmy Olson may head the CIA????  This is wild!  Additionally, Stalingrad becomes the new city in a bottle.  Hal Jordan becomes the Green Lantern because Lex gives him the ring (and ultimately creates the Green Marine Lantern Corps), and Wonder Woman sides with the USSR and eventually flips to the USA.

This book was enthralling for playing on both actual history and DC lore.  Watching Lex evolve from thinking he and Kal could be friends (if he was an American) to watching all possible avenues of failing to take the son of Krypton down is heart pounding.  Also, watching Superman evolve from someone who had no interest in party politics, to becoming the head of the Communist Party is also some amazing character development.

All-in-all, this was a thoroughly engaging read.  I know that Red Son was recently released by DC as an animated feature, and you better believe I'm buying myself an early birthday present tonight, and watching it when my wife and kids are asleep!

I have said many times, my preconceptions of how accepting the comic book community was wrong.  If you check out my first post ever one of the things I talked about was the fear of the fanboy (tell em' Steve Dave, or Simpsons Comic Book Man) stereotype.  While visiting my LCS for the first couple of times, that fear went away quickly.  But, as we all know, twitter can be the dumpster fire of the internet...But, as I started tweeting and posting my reviews, I lucked out and have found nothing but acceptance, kind words, and guidance on how to be better.  Either everyone in the community is this awesome, or I stumbled into the right place right time cluster of folks to chat with on Twitter.  

Either way, I got to thinking, for as much time as folks like us spend writing about comics, streaming about comics or just interacting with folks on Twitter/Instagram etc. sometimes, we don't get the opportunity to learn more about each other as people in the same way you get to know any of the actual comics creators in interviews.  So, one night when I was hiding from my family, I started putting together questions to ask folks so you can get to know your favorite reviewers on a personal level.

Across the next couple of days, I'll slowly post Q and A sessions with some of my favorite folks who said yes (Wes Greer, Lost'n Comics and Comic Burrito), so we can look behind the book, and find out what makes your favorite readers tick!

Barry Allen wakes is woken up from a nap at his desk before his boss arrives...and when he finally comes to, he quickly learns that something is off.  Citizen Cold is a hero?  What happened to Captain Cold the leader of the Rogues?  He needs to dash away to find answers.  But after discovering his ring is gone, and a brief tumble down the stairs....he is apparently the Flash no more.  Even more shocking to Allen, is the fact his mother is alive AND she has no clue who Superman is.  However, Batman is known, alive, and well...but something seems different.  

Cyborg has been vaulted to replace Superman's role as the savior of the planet, and we learn in a large meeting among both super hero and villain alike that Cyborg is attempting to assemble a team to intervene in the massive conflict between Aquaman and Wonder Woman. But what happened, why is everything massively different from the world Allen fell asleep in?

Throughout the 5 books in the main run its a dizzying adventure to discover what has happened to Allen's powers, what created the alterations in history, and what will happen in the building conflict between Aquaman and Wonder Woman?  This title felt both enormous and simple at the same time.  While there are intricacies of each character I may not get, it did not feel like a distraction from the title!

I also want to look into some of the additional titles which were released during this event, particularly "The World of Flashpoint," and the "World of Flashpoint featuring Wonder Woman." Has anyone read either of those and think I'd enjoy it? 

​Every time I'm about to write about a DC book, there is a little bit of trepidation because there are so many "unknowns" for me.  However, for the first time, I don't really feel that way after reading the Flashpoint trade since it is offering a "hard reset" to establish the through line for the "New 52" DC Storylines.  In the end, I can see all of the hype behind this book and the heavy reasons why everyone recommends it to me!