How did I miss this?

This month’s Humble Bundle is DOCTOR WHO COMICS!

If you love Doctor Who (I do.) and you love comics (obviously), this is a wonderful thing to check out.  If you aren’t familiar with Humble Bundles its a great way to score some amazing books/comics/games on the cheap with a portion of the proceeds going to a charity of your choice.

I have gotten SO many wonderful comics this way.

Don’t miss it!

 

In the interest of full disclosure, I did *not* get paid to post this.  I just really love Doctor Who and comics and figured you might too!

 

Speaking of Comics – The (Re)Invention of Alethia Grey

Lisa Walker England is a storyteller and artist who inspired me to create this comic.  She started her comic, The (Re)Invention of Alethia Grey, several months before I started this one. Her comic is a steampunk tale about Alethia Grey, a woman with a mysterious past.

In 1880s Milwaukee, a reticent heiress finds herself forced to step into society upon her father’s untimely death. But with her newfound visibility comes a bizarre mystery around the real source of the manufacturing fortune she’s inherited. Will her discoveries destroy her . . . or remake her altogether?

The comic is done in a simplistic pencil drawing and the story is a fun exploration of Alethia’s life. She has done a lot of research into the history of Milwaukee in the 1880s to make sure that her comic is full of life and interesting little details. Currently it only has one chapter up and she is accepting orders for a print book, but word has it she already has plans for the next chapter.

Lisa is also working on exploring different styles of storytelling and her telling of The League of Marvelosities combines quilting, audio and written words to create a full storytelling experience.

Lisa’s enduring bravery when it comes to exploring her art is inspiring, and her smile infectious.

I can’t wait for the new chapter!

 

Speaking of Comics – Next Town Over

Howdy Folks!

Today I want to talk about “Next Town Over” a neat little comic that I found thanks to a friend and absolutely devoured the archives.  One of the things that caught my attention (other than the story, which we will get too in a minute) is the layout.  It’s not laid out like your normal comic.  Erin Mehlos, the creator of the comic has made sure that each panel is unique in frame as well as content.  For instance, if it’s raining, the frame reflects that.  If it is set in a forest, the frame is made of branches and grass.  It is a lovely change of pace from your thick black line that is found in so many comics.  But that is hardly the only interesting aspect of the comic!  The artwork is distinctive and colored beautifully, the characters are well drawn.  The characters are interested and well fleshed out.  They all have a mystery about them, yet are approachable despite that secretiveness.

The story is one that draws you in and makes you question everything.  Who is the good guy and who is the bad guy?  Is there even such a thing?  It’s a steampunky western comic with elemental magic overtones, though the true story behind those magical elements has yet to be fully revealed.  To be truthful, very little of the story has been fully revealed and it’s lovely.  There is just enough information to keep your interest, but not enough that you feel like you can stop reading.

Next Town Over is a weekly western, liberally spiced with sorcery, secrets and steam, updating Sundays.  It primarily chronicles the curious rivalry twixt laconic, mechnically-inclined Vane Black and sorcerous rogue John Henry Hunter … and no: it most certainly does not take place in the historical American west.

Next Town Over Webpage

If you are interested in reading a steampunky western comic with strong lady characters, wild adventures and stunning art, you will love Next Town Over, by Erin Mehlos.

 

Speaking of Comics – Girl Genius

Howdy folks!

When one thinks of steampunk comics one of the first ones that comes to mind is the long running Girl Genius.  The first comic on their website dates back to November 2002 so it’s been around a long time.

Girl Genius is an ongoing “gaslamp fantasy” story by Phil and Kaja Foglio. It started out in 2000 as a periodical comic book, which is collected into thirteen (and counting) larger volumes, and has now won three Hugo awards for Best Graphic Story. Girl Genius follows the career of Agatha Heterodyne–a hapless student at Transylvania Polygnostic University who discovers that she has more going for her than she thought.

This comic has so much going for it.  Reading through the archives you can see massive improvement in the artwork as the story progresses and the artwork actually started out really nicely.  It is fully colored and comes out Monday, Wednesday and Fridays.  Yeah, you read that right.  It comes out three times a week!  It is also printed in 13 (and counting) graphic novels!

It’s story is gripping and wide ranging with a unique world that they have really made their own.  Here is a brief synopsis of the plot without giving too much away.

In an alternate-history “Europa”, mad scientists called Sparks turned the Industrial Revolution into a full-scale war that ravaged the continent, until Baron Wulfenbach clamped down with an iron fist… Enter Agatha Clay, an “adorkable” student who can’t do anything right – until she learns of her “Spark” heritage. She’s the long-lost daughter of storied hero Bill Heterodyne and villainess-turned-good Lucrezia Mongfish. For the first time in a century, hope springs in the hearts of common people as our heroine, now Agatha Heterodyne, learns to mix scientific genius and kindly compassion to regain her heritage and free Europa from mad sparks and tyrannical dictators.

Wikipedia – Girl Genius

In other words… IT IS AMAZING.  It has enough victorian flair to be steampunk, but it just blurs the line between science and magic.  But not enough that the whole thing becomes campy.  It leaves you asking the question, Is it science?  Is it magic?  Who knows, but it’s fantastic.  Some of the two page spreads are absolutely stunning.  The writing can be a bit slow in places, but the dialogue is witty and engaging.  With the main protagonist being an adorably geeky woman who is drawn with a fairly normal body type and is damn intelligent to boot, I was immediately drawn in.  The romance storyline is handled well.  She doesn’t lose all her brain cells when her focus of affection enters the room, in fact, the reason she’s so attracted to him (them…) is because they click on an intellectual level.  I find intelligence SO attractive so this really hits home for me.

The creators balance action, adventure, romance and humor well enough they have kept me hooked for a few years now.  Hard to do with such a long lasting serial.

I highly recommend this comic to anyone who enjoys steampunk comics of all sorts.