The Devil’s Cut #1

Posted on by Alan Taylor

(W & A) Various

The Devil’s Cut is the first offering from DSTLRY, a new publisher that has the potential to take the comic book world by storm.  Completely independent of the Big 2 or any existing publishers, it has attracted some of the biggest names in comics, and installed them as founders of the label.  They will have complete ownership and control over their creations, and complete freedom to tell the stories they want to tell.  That founding creators line up?  Think Scott Snyder, Jock, Ram V, James Tynion IV, Tula Lotay, Mirka Andolfo, Brian Azzarello, Christian Ward, Becky Cloonan and so many more.  You can see why we as both a store, and as comic fans in general, are excited about DSTLRY.

With The Devil’s Cut, we have an anthology of 11 different stories from these creators, some being set up for their mainline titles that are coming soon, some being a one and done, but all existing as short stories showing off their level of craft and skill.  All wrapped up in one delightfully silly sized square bound comic book.

Anthologies can sometimes be a tough sell, as they are usually higher priced (as is the case here) and can be a bit scattershot in terms of storytelling quality.  There are usually fantastic stories in anthologies but they can often be balanced out by completely forgettable ones.  I have to say that is not really the case The Devil’s Cut, as each and every story had me engaged, and curious as to where they will go next.

It’s perhaps no surprise that my favourite one was Scott Snyder scripted and drawn by Francesco Francavilla (a quick shoutout for the recent Night of the Ghoul, collected in trade paperback by Dark Horse comics, as an example of just how great a team these two make when approaching horror.)  They weave a great tale on an ever-evolving boat, that shows no signs of escape.

We also have Stowaway, written and drawn by store favourite Jock, which is a prequel of sorts to the upcoming first full release from DSTRLY, the simply titled ‘Gone’.  There is a great deal of tension and world building delivered in this short story that has me even more excited for the full #1 when it drops on October 25th.

And a final standout is ‘Waiting to Die’, from the team of Ram V and Lee Garbett.  With the end of the world simply a matter of time (though no-one knows exactly how long, but only that it is inescapable and could be at any moment), what would you do in your final moments.  Who would you want to spend those moments with, and what would they be spent doing?  Very though-provoking, emotional and brilliantly executed.

The Devil’s Cut is the kind of storytelling that I can’t wait to enjoy more of.  They will be fully creator driven, by some of our favourite ever writers and artists, and they will have the freedom to do whatever they want.  There are different genres tackled in each of the eleven stories presented here and there really is something for everyone.  The larger format for the book means the art can be as experimental and rich as the artists want, having that bigger canvas to paint on.

We have a couple of copies left in store, only because I ordered big on it as I think this is the start of something special.  They have already stated that this will be a single print run, not to be collected in any other format again, so don’t miss out.  2024 really does have the potential to be the year of DSTLRY.

Swan Songs #1 Review

Posted on by Alan Taylor

(W) W. Maxwell Prince (A) Martin Simmonds

Swan Songs is the new anthology series from W. Maxwell Prince.  The anthology format is clearly something he specialises in.  From Ice Cream Man to Haha, his work primarily exists in one shot form and often with different artists along for the ride.  With Swan Songs, the basic idea is that every issue is to do with an ending of sorts.  Whether it’s the end of a marriage, the end of the day, or in this case, the end of the world itself.

Now if this is the subject matter you’re going to be dealing with then there are few artists out there better equipped to bring this hellish landscape to life than The Department of Truth co-creator and series artist Martin Simmonds.  I’d said it before regarding The Ribbon Queen, and Swan Songs is also in the conversation for the best #1 this year.  Where Swan Songs maybe has the edge, is that this is a one shot.  And that is the strength of a series like this.  You can dip in and out, pick up issues if you like the sound of the story, or it’s with an artist you particularly like.  A perfect series for new readers or the non committal types!

With the theme of this issue being the end of the world itself, it may perhaps be rather surprising that we focus on a very small story within the apocalypse itself, that of Brian who is caring for his sick mother, as the ‘Atomic Clock’ counts down to zero.  The story is very sincere rather than a cynical end of the world story, as Brian is determined to get one last issue of his mother’s favourite gardening magazine before everything ends.

This allows the scale of the end of the world to be briefly glimpsed as Brian makes his way through the war torn streets as society collapses in the face of its demise.  We are constantly reminded throughout the book with a countdown on every other page, further highlighting the tension and hope that Brian will complete this last task for his mother.

His noble quest for the magazine introduces a broad range of eccentric and volatile characters, but his internal monologue emphasises his approach to doomsday based upon work with his therapist and frames all of the external threats with greater significance. A complete focus on caring for one person combined with an inability to confront the massive problems surrounding them both makes Brian a deeply sympathetic figure for readers standing amidst rising tides of literal climate change.

Simmonds is the perfect artist for this territory, given his experience with The Department of Truth. Large splash panels, including a very impressive first and final page, provide readers with a sense of enormity. Towers loom, fires rage, and entropy consumes all as layers of Simmonds’ various technical effects morph appearances within each page. There’s so much dread emanating from his city on the brink that makes Brian’s 24-page journey much easier to access.

Swan Songs #1 invites readers to explore finality in a medium that seemingly never ends, after all there’s always next weeks releases to pick up! Yet Prince’s career is a testament to “less is more” and what is achieved in this first issue affirms that few creators working today can write a single issue story better in 2023. Combined with the consistently stunning work and perfectly suited style of Simmonds, it makes for an outstanding debut that seriously addresses the anxiety of feeling like one is living in the end times.

Now about issue 2, and the end of a marriage…

The Ribbon Queen #1 Review

Posted on by Alan Taylor

(W) Garth Ennis (A) Jacen Burrows

Written by Ennis, Art by Burrows, Covers by Declan Shalvey, Horror Genre and published by AWA studios.  Sometimes you just read the previews book and it’s like a title is aimed squarely at you.  And this is up there with the best #1’s of the year for me.

What we have here is a title featuring police corruption, ancient powers that are bigger than all of us, and a great mystery story to boot.  We follow Detective Amy Sun, a clean cop in a corrupt precinct who is not afraid to expose those who think they are above the law.  It makes her about as popular within the Precinct as you might expect.  But as she investigates corrupt cops, she follows some breadcrumbs that lead her into the world of the supernatural, and ancient evil that has awoken to punish the guilty.

Ennis is no stranger to either the cop genre or the supernatural, so of course he is a master at marrying the two together and creating a suspenseful tale that keeps you turning the page.  He has created a great cast of characters here, some good, some bad, but all adding something different to the story.  And he knows how to pace and execute a good scare though page turns and suspenseful moments.

Jacen Burrows is a long time collaborator of Ennis so you know their styles are going to mesh together perfectly.  Burrows has a clean style, that results in great looking characters in the real world, but also reflecting that something evil lurks underneath.  His style is further elevated by Dan Brown on colours, who sets a different mood on almost every single page.  This is a creative team with a level of craftmanship that is to be admired, and they are firing on all cylinders here.

What’s really interesting as well is that Ennis is writing something deeper than it first appears.  There are ideas of revenge and retribution throughout the book, but how far is too far?  If something supernatural occurs and punishes the guilty, do even they deserve the level of violence they receive?

There is one cop in the book who became obsessed with a survivor from a murder scene.  He would follow her everywhere, and try to force himself upon her, or get her to thank him all the time for saving her (even though he didn’t really).  Suffice to say he does not get on with Detective Sun, and is clearly unhinged.  But does he deserve what happens to him in the book?  Is his punishment too extreme?  Are we complicit in wishing harm on this character, only to then be repulsed by what happens to him?  There’s some interesting ethical questions being raised here.

It’s always a great feat for any book to hook you instantly, and for the world they create to feel lived in and a bit grimy and dirty, but that is what Ennis and Burrows have created here.  The writing is strong, the world building is great and the comics looks amazing.  This is one that will stay with you for some time, and once again, AWA have presented us with another great title.