Rattle of Bones & Other Terrifying Tales. Robert E. Howard (Writer). Gabriel Rodriguez (Art). Ted Adams, Elizabeth Nee (Editors). Clover Press (2020)

 

A beautifully made collection of top notch stories by Robert E. Howard. The book itself in a very handsome physical item, the illustration on the front cover and the stamp on the back cover are lovely. The paper is a pleasure to touch and the whole presentation declares the time and attention to detail that Clover Press have given to the project.The illustrations by Gabriel Rodriguez  are astonishing, they are beautiful to look at ans capture the elements from the stories with vivid detail.

In the Forest of Villefere. A man is making a journey through a forest from one town to the next, the forest is menacing, and he finds himself glad for the company of a stranger. The stranger has an interesting story to tell as he guides the man through the forest. A dangerous encounter follows.

Wolfshead.  There is an annual celebration at the plantation of a slave trade in Africa, his guests are there to enjoy themselves and have a good time. There is something nasty going on and guests are attacked in their bedrooms and killed in a very brutal fashion. Suspicions run wild and trouble arrives from another direction before the final showdown.

Sea Curse. Two rowdy sailors return to their village between voyages and bring the whiff of far away places and danger with them. One seduces a local girl, and both find themselves in trouble with her mother. Revenge is delivered in the most forceful way.

Rattle of Bones. Solomon Kane and a fellow traveller arrive at an inn with a very curious name late at night. Secrets are revealed in a bloody confrontation that brings long foretold vengeance it its wake.

The Touch of Death. A night vigil beside the body of a recently dead man becomes a trial of terror for the watcher.

Dig Me No Grave. Fulfilling the last wishes of a dying man proves to be very much more complicated and dangerous than expected. The dead man had lived a strange life and his debts were going to be collected.

People of The Dark. An enraged suitor follows his rival to local haunted caves to kill him and finds that both have been there before. The enemy they found there the first time has not vanished.

The House of Arabu. A barbarian general leading the armies of a city state finds himself haunted by a curse for killing a priest in a temple. He must act swiftly to save himself against a supernatural enemy.

All the stories are beautifully crafted, the creeping dread in The Touch of Night is gripping and the return of the sailor in the Sea Curse is powerful and menacing. My favourites are Rattle of Bones as I am a Solomon Kane fan and the proto Conan The Barbarian People of the Dark which uses a plan that Robert E. Howard used in other stories. The writing is lean and wonderfully melodramatic, the stories move fast and grip the reader tightly. The collection beautifully showcases the huge talent of Robert E. Howard, a treasure box for readers.

 

Beyond the Adventures of Sherlock Holmes Volume 1. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (Writer) Brian & Derrick Belanger (Editors) Belanger Books (2020)

 

 

A very engaging and enjoyable collection that uses a very smart idea. The collection has three original Sherlock Holmes stories written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle these stories have sequels provided by other writers.

A Scandal in Bohemia. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (Writer).

The Adventure of the Solicitor’s Wife. Naching T. Kassa (Writer). Irene Adler comes to Sherlock Holmes for help with solving the murder of her husband. A very engaging story unfolds including a lovely nod to another, non-Sherlock Holmes story by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

The Sheriff of Dunsinane. Derrick Belanger (Writer). A very nicely oblique take on the original story, the context is clever and unexpected, the cast is engaging. Irene Adler demonstrates why she is truly “the woman”.

The Red-Headed League. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (Writer).

The Pawnbroker’s Apprentice and The Priceless Painting. Roger Riccard (Writer)

Using the unfortunate Mr Jabez Wilson and a well known member of the Baker Street Irregulars to create the opening knot of this very enjoyable story, Richard Riccard develops an engaging and nicely surprising story that packs a lot of story into a short space without ever being crowded or rushed.

The Adventure of the Magician’s Blind. Ronald Rowe, Eric Blake (Writers).

Following a very engaging opening a smart story unfolds that brings together several characters from the original stories. They are brought into the story with skill and the correct level of menace.

The Revenge of the Red-Headed League. Cara Fox. (Writer). Thoroughly unexpected and well set up, this displays Sherlock Holmes talents very nicely. The plot is clever and the reverberations from the original story are placed with skill.

Tableau of Death. Brenda Seabrooke (Writer). A very sharp story that gives a serious depth to a very dangerous man and lands a conclusion that is dark and very satisfying.

The Reformation of the Red-Headed League. Paul Hiscock (Writer). A superb reconfiguration of the original story that sets up the reader perfectly and delivers a excellent conclusion.

A Case if Identity. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (Writer).

The Adventure of a Flight of Angels. Robert Perret (Writer). This is my favourite story in the collection. Teasing and charming, revenge is delivered with such care and attention to detail that I fell completely into the story and just enjoyed every detail.

Reading the original stories in always a pleasure, the sequels increase that pleasure, they stand firmly in their own right and as reflections on the originals. A pleasure to read.

 

Return to Sender. Issue 1. David Summey, Roger L. Boyes, Mark Freeman (Writers), David Summey, Vincent Atkins (Art), Andrew Pate (Colours), Jerome Gagnon (Letters). RMD Comics (2020)

 

Very enjoyable and entertaining supernatural western. An unnamed Post Officer delivers the mail on the frontier in the United States, he also pursues the problems that lie behind mail marked Return to Sender. There are many supernatural forces and creatures that are preying on the settlers as the move into the depths of the country and the Post Officer has the work of finding and dealing with them. Return to Sender post from the town of Cedarwood leads the Post officer there and he finds and empty saloon and blood. There are marks on the wall written on blood and then trouble arrives in full force. The reveals are very well set up, the action is up close and fierce and the conclusion a hook to bring the reader to the next issue

The writers have arrived at a great balance of supernatural and western, the boundaries of each genre are respected, and the cross overs are vivid and never throw off the story. The supernatural arises naturally from the western context, the way it is fought supports the requirements of the genre. A lone rider coming into town to tackle trouble is a classic western set up and it is delivered with force and energy.

The art by Vincent Atkins is engaging and frames and moves the story with care and skill. The page layouts give the action the wise spaces it needs, and the up-close focus bring the tension to the suitable point. The cast are expressive and full of energy. The Post Officer is a lone hero in a great tradition, he is not a cowboy which is a nice shift given the mountainous context. The lone civilians do their duty with energy, and credible motivation.

The colouring by Andrew Pate is lovely, it brings out the details if the art and the story very nicely, it gives the cast a depth and solid physical presence hat adds greatly to the story.

Jerome Gangon’s lettering is really nicely framed in the narration boxes, picking up on the post theme without beating the reader on the head, the dialogue flows naturally in the art and never distracts.

Fetch Travis Gibb (Writer), David Summey (Art), Jason Finestone (Colours), is a short back up story that shows that the Post Officer’s experienced eye is vital. A theft has been committed and the Post Officer acts to recover what has been stolen. The story is a very nice additional light on the story universe, it expands it neatly and economically.

A very enjoyable comic and a very inviting introduction to a series.

Dungeons & Dimwits. I Rolled a 1. James Mascia (Writer), Kodaris (Art). Dren Productions (2020)

 

A charming, funny series of cartoons that o experience with playing RPG games is required to greatly enjoy.

James Mascia strokes a very smart balance between having fun with possible situations that arise in game play and the all too human responses of the players themselves. The running gag of the title where a throw of the dice brings disaster is delivered with a great variety of situations that are nicely plausible and happily absurd. A favourite shows a masked burglar picking the lock of a burning building, they rolled a 1 and are stuck with completing the task.

The rest of the cartoons vary between having fun with gameplay and the players responses, the cover illustration of a dragon using a castle tower in a most unexpected way is a shining example. James Mascia clearly really enjoys playing RPG games and relishes the possibilities for absurdity as much as adventure. He nicely captures the responses of the players themselves, the spot-on response to the remark about hiding in the shadows.

Kodaris deliver lovely, friendly art that just bursts with energy, humour, and detail. The cast are vividly expressive, the monsters are both funny and threatening. The varieties of adventurers are given the chance to be clearly committed and deeply capable of misunderstanding each other and the possibilities of the game.

Dungeons & Dimwits. I Rolled a 1. Is clearly made by enthusiastic fans of the genre, they are knowledgeable and experienced enough to provide game dungeons and artifacts at the end of the book. The jokes are very affectionate and never cutting or bitter. They gently celebrate the fun of the activity, remind everyone that it is possible to be too serious and that disaster is just a roll of the dice away for everyone.  A great fun read.

The Hated, Issue 1. David Walker (Writer), Sean Damien Hill (Art), MX Struble (Colour), Becca Carey (Letters & Design), Solid Comix (2020)

 A brilliant alternative history western that makes sharp and serious points as part of a superbly told story.

The United States Civil War has ended in a truce that left the Union States of America and the Confederate States as two mutually hostile entities.  Southern Raider cross over to the Union states to kidnap free black as slaves, Northern Liberators venture into the Confederate states to liberate slaves. A small scale, continuing conflict that is steadily moving deeper and deeper into the territory of each. Araminta Free is a liberator arrives in the town of Harmony, Kansas with the body of a raider and some bad news, the presence of the raider so far inside Union territory. At the same time a Confederate group, Morrison’s Raiders are attacking an isolated farm. The stage has been set and the story does not shy away from following it.

With a bold move David F. Walker has taken the western and used it is an unexpected way that still wholly honours the conventions of the genre. Having a tough as nails female as the lead is a good start, it is the context that give the story its power and passion. The conflict is genuinely existential one for both sides, there is now peace in a truce, there must be a complete victory to settle the causes of the conflict. Sean Damien Hill’s art is exceptional, it captures the nuances of the western with care and detail, the faces, clothes and the landscape are everything they should be, For a western fan this is just the work to make them relax utterly into the story confident that they are deeply, talent hands. There is a single panel that demonstrates without shouting the brutal lifelong assault that slavery is and gives the story the force and passion that burns through it.

The colours by MX. Struble are washed out, the colours capture the details of the art and the nuances of the story with subtle skill and bring them out for the reader without ever pushing forward and upsetting the balance in the comic.

Becca Carey’s lettering is quiet, never drawing attention to itself and flowing naturally with the art.

The Hated is a great western and a great comic, what a pleasure to read.

The Many Harold Holts of Space and Time. Ryan K. Lindsay (Writer), Louie Joyce (Art), Nic J. Shaw (Letters). (2014)

 

A very engaging short comic that has a great idea and executes it smartly in a great example of compressed storytelling.

Harold Holts, Australian Prime Minister goes missing at sea after going swimming, eighty years later he returns in the most wonderfully unexpected way.  Ryan K. Lindsay uses a great science fiction idea in a different way to create a very short, funny, and thoroughly entertaining story. It packs enough ideas and unexpected twists in a few pages to have easily expanded a considerable length without stretching the fabric of the story to breaking point. What Ryan K. Lindsay has done is significantly more difficult, he has compressed the story and not lost any of the coherence or necessary information.  Carefully picking the relevant highlights and allowing them to carry the weight of the story the whole epic is delivered in the minimum space needed.

Louie Joyce rises to the challenge with the pulp style art that captures the story dynamics with detail and flair, Harold Holts is give every ich of his due as his strange fate plays out. The cast are vivid and expressive, their body language is clear and gives the force needed to the action. The colours highlight the details of the art and give the cast a strong physical solidity.

Nic j. Shaw’s letters are clear and easy to read, they flow naturally with the art and help the story.

A short treat of a comic.

Tart Vol. 1 Adrift. Kevin Joseph (Writer), Ludovic Salle (Pencils, Inks, Colours, Letters) Kechal Comics (2013)

 

A hugely engaging and enjoyable story about a supernatural agency that fights demons across time and space. A young woman come awake in an alley in New York wondering when and where she is, seeing a headline about a missing boy she realises why. She gets going on the job and it does not quite go the way she or the reader might have anticipated. She is then abruptly sent to a new location where the problem is significantly bigger, and the hints of the larger context and story are revealed.

Kevin Joseph is a wonderfully confident writer; he starts the story without any scene setting and proceeds to set up the story without any delay. The story is intriguing enough to pull in the reader, the reveals are vey well staged and the wide sweep of the story is a pleasure to engage with.

Ludovic Salle’s art is just astonishing, it is both beautiful to look at and a pleasure to read it also creates a superb tension with the story, overturning readers expectations in the best way. 

The lead character, Tart Acid, the demon hunter is a young woman with costumes are vividly appropriate to a fashion-conscious young woman. Tart Acid looks like a young woman who has little on her mind. A classic stereotype, that Kevin Joseph neatly undermines.

Kevin Joseph avoids the superhero hack of a secret identity, Tart Acid is who she is, and she dresses the way she likes, she is forceful and capable in a party dress or a snow suit. This confident subverting continues across the four episode of the volume 1 as Tart proves to be vulnerable, resourceful, capable, and empathic. This appealing mix draws in the reader to the story and the unfolding context is a subtle and understated way, the art just captures and exploits this mix with wonderful detail.

The superpowers are constantly delivered in a most un-superheroic way, the action is delivered with stylish panache that amplified the elements of the story. The colours are powerfully expressive, they are soft and expressive, they deliver the emotional tones of the story without ever shouting.

The short story at the end of the volume is destined to be a Christmas classic, it is just a little slice of seasonal perfection.

The volume ends with an indication that there is a significant context to be revealed in future issues, not a typical cliff-hanger just an open invitation to follow and get further into this most appealing universe. Tart is a superb comic.

Tales of Humidity. A transcribed interview with Derrick Tanner (17.12.2019), T.N.M.G. (Art), Zach West (Editor, Printer). ALLOUT, Narwhal Comics, Primer Publishing.

 

A hilarious story of a time of an evening that went very wrong. Sixteen year old Derrick Tanner is at his girlfriend’s house, her annoying younger brother has been put to bed and the two start to make out when a noise alerts the girl that her parents have returned way before they were expected.  A brilliantly told farce follows.

No one is injured or hurt, there is a strong awareness that the events of the evening could easily have taken a much more dangerous turn. The danger is just enough to be hilarious in the retelling and felt strongly at the time.

The art by T.N.M.G. takes the story and delivers it with wonderful care and attention, the little extras are just perfect. The lines of the art are so expressive they give life and energy to the cast, they take the words and infuse them with an extra layer of comedy that is a pleasure to read.

This is a very short little comic, a simple story told with such flair and accuracy that it just resonates. It will remind any reader of uncomfortable episode in their own lives that has managed to become distant enough to be funny.

 

Sherlock Holmes. A Three-Pipe Christmas. Sherlockian Stories and Commentary. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Vincent Starrett, August Derleth (Writers). Dan Andriacco (Editor). Belanger Books (2020)

 

A glorious treat from any Sherlock Holmes fan. Starting with an original Sherlock Holmes story by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle there are two other stories that play of it and each other. There are three essays following each story that pick up on the themes of each story and add to the overall pleasure of the book.

The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle is the first story, a Sherlock Holmes adventure by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle it is a brilliant example of the stories and the reasons for their enduring popularity. A seemingly minor event leads to a much more significant one. This story includes one of the best and most sparkling examples of Sherlock Holmes displaying his powers of observation and deduction based on a simple object. When the plot moved the action is very engaging and the conclusion deeply satisfying.

The three essays that follow takes very different approaches to the story, they are insightful and considered. Reading them adds to the pleasure of the original story as they pick up unseen threads.

The Unique Hamlet by Vincent Starrett is considered to be one of the finest Sherlock Holmes pastiches written to date. Opening with a nice call back to one of the original stories it moves nicely onto an intriguing mystery. Holmes and Watson pursue the matter using the methods they should, and the reveal is beautifully staged. As is noted in one of the following essays the author’s own view of the story changed over time as the public response strongly identified one aspect of the story over the other.

The following essays are engaging and informative, they provide views of the interest tension in the story arising from the twofold intent of the author and why it has developed the reputation that it has.

The Adventure of the Unique Dickensians. By August Derleth is a Solar Pons story. Solar Pons is August Derleth’s response to being told by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle that he would not be writing ant more Sherlock Holmes stories and that neither could August Derleth. It clearly and deliberately plays off The Unique Hamlet and includes a very nice Dickens flavour that is never overdone. A client come to Solar Pons about an annoying incident and it leads very nicely to a very satisfying conclusion.

The essays that follow nicely pick up the Sherlock Holmes and Dickens threads in the story and celebrate them.

Dan Andriacco has created a most unexpected treat, the stories are well worth reading on their own, combining them together so that that the connections between than can be revealed and adding engaging and informative essays is a masterstroke. Casting new light on the familiar, allowing it to be appreciated anew is a gift to a reader completely in line with the seasonal link in the stories.