To the Top of the Mountain. Arne Dhal (Writer), Alice Menzies (Translator). Harvill Secker (2014)

A hugely engaging and enjoyable Swedish crime story. The killing of a football fan in a bar and the death by explosion in a prison are each investigated by ex-members of a special police investigative team, disbanded after a disastrous case. When a robbery that uses explosives and leaves six dead provides threads a link both the team is reassembled. As the investigation develops it becomes clear that there is something very serious happening and that the team have a significant task to stop it. The investigation is superbly set up, the threads of the story twist together in a nasty, very satisfactory way and the bleakest justice is served.
The plot mechanics are superb, Arne Dhal sets up multiple threads in the story and each one follows  to an intersection with the others in its own time and is never forced. The reveals are set up with great skill and complicate as much as they reveal. When the knots start to tighten, the suspense is steadily increased until;l the very bitter and utterly satisfactory conclusion is reached.
Arne Dhal manages a large cast with confident skill and discipline, each cast member gets enough time to fully establish themselves and then develops further as the interactions between plot and cast make them collide with each other. All of them demand attention from the reader, none are decorations or simple plot devices, they make their way through the story bursting with life, doubts, confidence and energy. This is the third book in a series, continuity is used with a light hand, the shared history is suggested without ever being required to understand and enjoy everything.
Alice Menzies translation is transparent, the cast and context are entirely natural, it is uncompromisingly Swedish and wholly at home in English. Strongly recommended
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Modern Testament. Anthology of the Ethereal. Frank Martin (Writer & Publisher) Kickstarter (2018)

A deeply engaging collection of stories that draw on an powerful source in unexpected and striking ways. Biblical creatures and concepts are so much part of the history and imagination of the Western world that it is very difficult to think of them in a fresh way. Until someone does. Frank Martin has the confidence and craft to take on the challenge of giving new, vibrant life to longstanding icons. The approach is simple, elegant and happily unexpected, Frank Martin takes the creatures and ideas at face value and gives them a new context to show their undiminished power. Never metaphors, but entities in their own right they emerge as sharp , striking characters fully in charge of their own stories.  The following are some of the stories contained within this great collection, all of the stories deserve and reward the reader's time and attention.
"The Great Hunt" Igor Chakal (Art), Stanislaus Leonov (Colours). A couple arrive on game reserve looking to hunt a creature that apparently has killed other hunters. Naturally they ignore the warnings from the warden and head out on their way to capture their prey. It does not end well.  Frank Martin includes some details to give the considerably more weight and impact. The reason the couple are hunting the creature is simple and strong and the final pay off effective.The set up seems to deliver stock characters in a well worn situation, the motivation for the trip pulls them directly to life just in time to encounter the Behemoth.
Igor Chakal's art captures the feel of old films about reckless white big game hunters who were lead by arrogance out of their depth in the bush. This is exactly what the straight lines of the story needs, the momentum that leads to the confrontation. When it arrives it is delivered with great force and impact. The details are every bit as bloody and brutal as they need to be. Stanislaus Leonov's colours are a bright and bold as the reserve should be, when the switch comes to night time, the lighting is not dimmed to hide the action. Stanislaus Leonov manages something difficult, the nighttime is important, still the details of the attack have to be vivid and the sequence works without feeling absurd on either count.
"Down with the Sickness" Joaquin Gr,(Art) Matej Stasko (Colours), Kel Nuttall (Letters). A dying man uses his pharmaceutical company as his personal resources when he becomes terminally ill. When he meets the source of his illness his problems become more clearly defined. Embodying an idea is always a tricky proposition, how to balance the requirements of both aspects. Frank Martin makes it look easy as Pestilence jumps from the comic with vivid, baleful life and sharp personality. A nasty sense of humour and a brutally frank approx to his  work, make him fascinating. Joaquin Gr, manages the equally difficult task of making Pestilence human enough to be easily read and foreign enough to be powerful and threatening. Looking like a green almost corpse possessed of enormous energy is a brilliant way to solve the problem. the details of the context give the story a very strong physical anchor that allows the ideas to operate successfully. Matej Stasko's colours capture the two elements of the story, the mundane story of a rich man's fear of death and the resources he uses to fight it and the triumphant march of his unstoppable enemy. The colours give lift and strength to both aspect of the story.
Kel Nuttals letters are consistently subtle, easy to read and change to support the story with care and focus. The sound effects are a joy, they give the emphasis just where it is needed. The ideas never push out the stories and the stories never overwhelm the ideas, a extraordinary balance of precision and force by very talented creators who have delivered a great comic.
"At Death's Door"  Anthony Pugh (Art), Julian Dominguez (Colours), Ken Nuttall (Letters) is the stand out story in this collection, sharp, blackly funny and with a brilliant set up and stunning pay off, it is a serious pleasure. Death is despondent and Cain has been sent to check on him and get him back on track. Frank Martin has taken a wonderfully imaginative and unexpected angle that nicely plays with reader expectations. Anthony Pugh's friendly art sells the story idea with understated confidence, using a very familiar setting to capture and control readers expectations with subtle skill and a wonderfully expressive cast. Julian Dominguez uses the colours to anchor the action with care, amplifying the emotional tones of the story and bring out every nuance the writing and art.Ken Nuttals letters are natural and unassuming , the sound effects are perfect they give the force required when required.
"The Abandoned"  Francesco Conte (Art) , Macerena Cortes (Colours), Kel Nuttall (Letters). An argument between a son and his mother gains heat and volume as the absent father is included in the mix. What is really impressive about this story is the way the argument feels old, it has been had many times before, it is also fresh each time, the emotions are never less than raw. The development of the argument strongly suggests one conclusion before a wonderfully convincing one is given instead. It is sign of the strength of the writing that the weight of the story can be so convincingly turned in a tiny space without cheating the reader or unraveling the story.  Francesco Conte has a considerable task to accomplish with the art, the context is very confined and there are just two members in the cast, the action is emotional rather than physical. The tension is developed fully as the cast respond to the changing dynamics of the argument and the balance of forces shift. The impact of rage is caught with subtlety and force as is the abrupt shift as the fight alters its tone. Macerena Cortes' colours give definition and depth to the context and the cast, they capture the shifting intensity of the emotions as they spill and roar. They are slightly muted which allows the real force of the words to come out loud and clear.
And finally, "God Complex."  Martin Szymanski (Art), Miguel Marques (Colours), Ken Nuttall (Letters). A scientist issues invitations to a conference without revealing the topic, he has enough of a reputation to bring a crowd, he makes a breathtaking announcement and finds that an unexpected attendee has a problem with that. A claim to know everything could annoy someone who does in fact know everything. In a wonderfully bold and unexpected story God is not amused and it does not end well. Martin Szymanski solves a really difficult problem , what does God look like? Martin Szymanski makes an entirely logical choice within the context of the story that confidently strikes out away from the most familiar versions. Cosmic action is delivered with the same attention to detail as a conversation, the move from one to another is entirely natural and controlled. The clever shifts of the story are captured and framed perfectly. Miguel Marques bring bright colours to the story managing to capture the emotional tones and context of the story with pin point accuracy,even at its harshest God's actions will always be full of light. Ken Nuttall's letters make a story with a lot of text light and easy to read.
Frank Martin and the talented team of creators have proved again that there are simply no rules for talent, which is always a deep pleasure to find out again at first hand. What a great comic.
Chief Wizard Note: This is a review copy very kindly sent by Frank Martin. He is running a Kickstarter for the book, give yourself the unbounded pleasure of that only a great comic can deliver and get a copy for yourself.

Wretches No. 1. James E. Roche (Writer), Salomon Farias (Art), Chunlin Zao (Colours), Jamie Me (Letters). JAMESEROCHE.COM (2016)

A very engaging and enjoyable full tilt science fiction comic. The story open by plunging right into the action, a chase that nicely play with reader expectations before smoothly moving into a wide open space opera. Shea and Sean, brother and sister, are humans and they clearly have a on going fight with robots, the robots are as happy to bring the fight back to Shea and Sean in turn.
James Roche has created a great set up and provided enough action and splinters of context to have the reader really want to know how it will continue. The cast are dramatically introduced and the plot mechanics are fully engaged. Space opera is by its nature a huge canvas for a story and James Roche has taken the genre requirements to heart and delivered them with confident bravado. Interplanetary travel, multiple species, a upfront conflict that is clearly part of a much bigger wide spread issue, all nicely fitting together without knocking out the balance of the story.
From the opening splash panel Salomon Farias's demonstrates a astonishing mastery of space opera art, a crowd scene that instantly places the read into the context and makes it clear that they can instantly relax into the story, they are in safe hands. The cast are physical and dynamic, the action is fast and has weight and impact. They are expressive and engaging, the walk on parts are given the same attention so that the all important context is consistently solid and convincing. There is an abundance of detail in the art that never seems crowed or fussy, it just anchors the reader and allows them enjoy the full depth of the story.
Chunlin Zao's colours are wonderful, they are the colours of a space opera action story, they give depth and definition to the details and the cast, they capture the emotional tones and nuances of the story with subtle care.
The letters by Jamie Me are quiet and unobtrusive, they  fit into the art and are easy to read. The sound effects on the other hand are exactly as loud, obtrusive and dominating as they should be, they give the scenes the extra dimension they need to really pop out.
Comics are a natural home for epic science fiction, that does not make it easy to execute, the creative team here embrace the possibilities and give reader a deep thrill and a powerful reason to come back for more.

A Nightmare On Egg Street. Chris Allen (Writer, Colours, Letters), Juan Fleites (Art) Swampline Comics (2018)

A poultry based parody of A Nightmare On Elm Street that hits the sweet spot with force and accuracy. Teenagers on Egg Street are beginning to be afraid of falling asleep as Freggy Kruger is coming to kill them in their dreams. The story unfolds as it should, following the outline of the film while neatly and cleverly undercutting it. No familiarity with the film is required, the jokes work very effectively on their own, in particular the Johnny Depp jokes which are as sharp as Freggy's razor claws.
Chris Allen has delivered a story which captures the gruesome thrill of the film and successfully makes fun of it at the same time without ever undermining either. The slasher moments work effectively and give an extra lift to the jokes. The humour points up the horror by lowering the tension before it whips back at the reader.
 Juan Fleites' art is friendly and absurd, the chickens are smartly humanoid without while retaining enough chicken aspects to get the jokes and the context to work. The cast are wonderfully expressive and this pulls the reader deep into the story on its own terms. The absurd tension which is critical for the parody to work is achieved with confident skill and consistently telling detail. There is a genuine emotional context that gives the threat weight, the cast are absurd and wisecracking, they also have a vulnerability that makes Freggy the right element of nasty.
The colours bring out the details of the art and control the emotional tone of the story  really well, they give suitable prominence to the parody aspect without ever drowning out the shadows.
Parody is fantastically difficult to get right, the balance is a very delicate one that recognises the essential elements of the original while skillfully paying with them. A Nightmare On Egg Street delivers on all counts, a powerful display of creative imagination, confidence and skill. Great bloody fun.

House of Fear: Attack of the Killer Snowmen. Jethro Morales (Writer and Art), Josh Jensen (Colours), Matt Krotzer (Letters). TEN31 Publishing (2017)

Highly enjoyable and engaging supernatural story. Three young friends, Tristan, Wyatt and Andi are playing with the snow, while another boy is making snowmen. He wants to be a wizard and appears to have a book of spells. When animated and distinctly dangerous snowmen appear Tristan, Wyatt and Andi have a sizeable fight on their hands.
Jethro Morales has written an all ages comic that respects its readers of all ages enough to support the key requirements of an supernatural adventure. The threat has to be severe enough to actually present a problem, the solution should arise from smart thinking not just brute force. The story delivers on both, the snowmen are the right side of nasty and they are the prelude to a distinctly more menacing problem. The three children are brave and resourceful, they work together and the way the solve the problem is smart and entirely credible in terms of the story.
The cast are swiftly and economically introduced and are never generic suburban children, they have strong expressive personalities, no one dominates, all have a substantial part to play. Adults exist but are not around to rescue anyone, the children have to solve and save themselves. The art is friendly and very engaging, the context moves from being safe to with deft confidence. The snowmen are great, the first wave are malicious snowmen, the next version is clearly a different order. The action is fast, has weight and impact and is never gory. The story does not need gore, just enough fear, courage, bravado and smart thinking to pull the reader in.
The colouring is great, it gives edge and weight to the details of the art and highlights the strangly burning glow in the snowmen to excellent effect.
The lettering quietly and subtly amplifies the nuances of the writing, the tonal shifts are indicated without being forced, the sound effects are nicely loud and crunchy.
It takes very considerable skill to get the balance right in a story like this, Jerome Morales makes it look easy and natural. A great fun read.

Pistil Zero -"STIGMA" Jessica Star Maison (Writer), Loni Elizabeth Watson (Art), Mark Anthony Macta (Inks, Colours, Letters). Wicked Trwee Press.

A burning, outraged story about sexual violence and retribution. I hate stories that use sexual violence as the point of transformation for a charterer into guise of the powerful lead character. It is repugnant and morally false. Sexual slavery is a blight on humanity and this story is rooted in the violence of sexual slavery and the way it transforms someone from victim to vigilante. It makes a fierce argument about brutal actions that is never a cynical exploitation , it is also a very engaging story that uses the possibilities of being a comic with confident skill and subtle detail.
Lita Soledad escaped from two years of sexual slavery to the USA, haunted by the spirits of her ancestors Las Adelitas, spirits who burn for vengeance. Lita hides the demands of her past and her ancestors untill news from a small town forces her to act in the shape of Pistil. A young girl was assulted and killed herself, now another girl falling into the orbit of the predator.
The story unfolds in an unexpected way, circumstances are not straightforward. The predator is unconstrained appetite, the girl is uncertain, unhappy and desperately seeking something. The story takes the time to give her the depth and scope that victims loose after the assault and they become solely victims. What is very interesting are the cast members that surround the predator, knowing and complicit without ever being actively involved, Jessica Star Maison has a strong opinion about them.
Loni Elizabeth Watson's art is a pleasure, very clearly the work of an creative individual, it manages the time shifts of the story with ease and delivers action and conversation with lovely detail.
The cast are not drawn with naturalistic detail, they are vividly expressive and the use of panels to develop the ideas of the story is masterful. When action is required it is harsh and forceful.
Mark Anthony Macta's inks and colours bring out the details of the art and powerfully deliver the emotional tone of the story. The page where Lita becomes Pistil is superbly done, all the elements of the story combine to great effect.
Pistil is a full tilt story. the creators have made a choice and expressed it with skill, detail and determination, hey have also delivered a story that engages the reader and made a super comic. Fantastic.

Dicken's England. An A - Z Tour of the Real and Imagined Locations. Tony Lynch (Batsford. 2012)

A brilliant idea wonderfully executed. Charles Dickens wrote about places with the same immortal  genius that he wrote about the people in those locations. They are inextricably linked as the cast, the action and the context combine with each other to entice and entrance the reader. Tony Lynch has organised an alphabetical tour of the locations that Dickens's wrote about and that were significant in his life and delivered a deeply engaging book. Each entry has just enough information about it, if it is an actual location it has the historical and current information. Where it is featured in any of Dickens's writings a carefully chosen quotation is provided. The book requires a familiarity with Dickens's works, sufficient biographical details are provided, the cast from the writing are named as familiar friends rather than signposts to literary learning.
The alphabetical organisation solves a significant problem, it allows the biographical and the fictional to be treated equally and allows for multiple views of locations to be set up as they emerge under different guises.
The writing is informative and engaging, there is a considerable depth of research worn lightly as the locations are identified if still existing and given context if they have vanished. The biographical details are used to explain the relevance of a location, the quotes from the writing are used to spotlight the importance of context for Dickens. The balance in the book is confidently maintained, frequently a character is mentioned without a quote, the action is identified only. Sometimes extensive details are provided or longer quotes that given a strong reminder that Dickens wrote to be read.
Tony Lynch has taken an unexpected route to explore Charles Dickens and it is a joy and a pleasure to go along this tour, to revisit the stories in an unusual light and angle and be reminded of the astounding torrent of humanity that roam the locations of Dickens imagination.