Do you remember your early forays into romance? Unless you’re still quite young, there’s a good chance you haven’t thought of that in a while. It’s only natural, and it’s actually a good thing, since life is meant to move on a forward pace. In all circumstance, reminiscing good times past is also a part [...]
Mark Millar’s “The Unfunnies” is the kind of comic book that would most likely never have been published, in more conservative times. In fact, it’s such a disturbing concept, the creator might have been thrown to jail for just thinking about it. The Unfunnies is a book about extreme depravity, sexual offense and all kinds [...]
As usual, Saturday is webcomic review day at 1FOE.com. Today, you’ll get to know a little jewel of a webcomic that’s still relatively new, but quickly growing in popularity. “The Gutters” is a super-hero comic book parody with self-contained full-page cartoons that update thrice a week. According to the author Ryan Sohmer, this webcomic was [...]
There’s nothing enjoyable about Zombies, is there? Ask Jesus the Christ, incarnate son of the all-Mighty – and he will most likely agree. “Those slack-jaw blues” is an anthology-style comic book with several short stories following the adventures of the one and only JC, who is asked to come back to Earth once again, to [...]
As mindless and simple as Spy vs Spy cartoons may seem at first glimpse, there’s actually a good deal of political satire lurking underneath the surface. Despite being thoroughly speechless, these strips are widely regarded as a satirical commentary on the cold war. Anthony Prohias, the author of this cartoon, was actually a Cuban exile [...]
Regardless of whether you’re a religious person, you probably realize how the sacred scriptures are deep and multi-layered texts, speaking volumes about the human collective consciousness. Robert Crumb, infamous American cartoonist, has clearly realized thus. Consequently, one of his latest creative efforts involved illustrating the Bible’s Book of Genesis – unabridged, unedited and unbiased. If [...]
It’s a day just like any other… except you just found out your parents are actually super-villains; now what? Well, most people would agree that’s the time when you should start running. This is the premise behind Brian K. Vaughn’s “The Runaways”, which has been consistently praised as one of the most original concepts from [...]
“Life in the Big City” is the first volume in the critically acclaimed super-hero slice-of-life “Astro City” authored by Mark Waid with the help of Alex Ross. You may recognize this creative dynamic duo as being responsible for the brilliant Marvels, and in many ways Astro City is a variation/development of the same theme; the [...]
What does it take to be special? Does a super-hero remain as such, even when his special abilities are removed? These are two of the central questions explored in the “Powerless” paperback from Marvel Comics. This story is set in an alternate reality, where super-heroes such as Spider-man, Wolverine and Daredevil don’t exist… not even [...]
If you feel like reading a webcomic that holds back no punches, Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal might just be the thing for you. Expressed mostly with single panel cartoons, the brand of humor in this comic is consistently sarcastic, provocative and outright bizarre. SMBC-comics has carved itself a place in the pantheon of the most [...]
The world is coming to an end in three days, and only the prodigious members of The Umbrella Academy stand a chance to avert the endgame. They are a team of seven individuals with unique abilities; they were born under mysterious circumstances to mothers who had had no signs of pregnancy, they were adopted and [...]
There is well over a gazillion super-heroes out there, most of whom have a secret identity and regular job. Why hasn’t anyone though of a super-hero whose alter-ego has the oldest profession in the world? One might wonder, that was probably the kind of reasoning that surfaced in the brilliant mind of comic book master [...]
100% by Paul Pope is an urban love story set in a futuristic New York (2038); the central theme is life, and how to get the most of it. “I’ll burn and burn until I’m snuffed out. Then I’ll just fade away. But until then, I’m gonna live! I’m ready. I’m gonna do it! Come [...]
“Superman for all seasons” is a delightful self-contained story that aims to showcase the essence of the men of steel. This isn’t exactly a origin story, but rather one that shows the development of the super-hero icon that is Superman. The four seasons in the title reflect different moments of the Superman legend; Spring shows [...]
Even though the title of this book might suggest a premise involving sailors, it’s actually about being lost at self. Brian Lee O’Malleys’ “Lost at Sea” is a quiet but poignant tale that takes place during a road trip. A group of friends drive back to Toronto from California, where they traveled in a post-high-school [...]
At first glance, Mark Millar’s Superior may seem like just another boring Superman knock-off, but it’s not. This is a meta-fiction about a wheel-bound chair kid who is granted one wish by some kind of space astronaut, who may or may not have a secret agenda. Being entitled to ask for anything he can imagine, [...]
Cantankerous aliens! Haphazard grim reapers! Lusty Anthropomorphic books! Undeniable truisms! Those are just some of the unique features you’ll come across while reading The Perry Bible Fellowship. With diverse artwork, surprising moments and no actual plot, this webcomic is a non-sequitur of exquisite cartoons which often take some minutes to sink in; and when they [...]
“Beware of moral extremes”: if there was a moral to “V for Vendetta”, that would probably be it. This story is set in a probable dystopian future in which a nuclear war has ravaged the world. Africa and continental Europe were mostly wiped off the map, and the remnants of society underwent drastic social changes. [...]
As far as mainstream comics and independent comics go, Strange Tales is a best-of-both-worlds kind of deal. What would happen if renowned independent creators were given the white-card to reinterpret popular Marvel characters? How would creators such as Stan Sakai, Michael Kupperman, Peter Bagge and James Kochalka would envision popular super-heros such as Spider-man, Hulk [...]
“I Kill giants” by writer Joe Kelly and artist J. M. Ken Niimura is an imaginative and moving story about a peculiar little girl. Strong-willed and wickedly clever, the protagonist Barbara Thorson is more concerned with playing Dungeons and Dragons than being up to date on the common interests of her fellow fifth graders. At [...]
This comic book is a striking meditation on the random injustices of life. On how a single day can drastically change a life for the worse. Alan Moore’s The Killing Joke may just be the best Batman story in the world. Well, as least it’s the best Batman story with the villain Joker in it, [...]
Whether Disappearance Diary is a ballad to life’s hardships or simply the lone tango of a drunkard, it’s not completely clear. This book is mostly autobiographical, and it deals with a time in the life of the author where he (partly) chose living as a homeless vagrant. Hideo Azuma was already a seasoned, accomplished and [...]
“Flex Mentallo: man of Muscle of Muscle Mystery” is a lauded and accomplished analytical parody of the silver age of comics, as well as dissertation on the power of comic books in shaping the imagination of readers. Flex Mentallo is a dense meta-fictional graphic novel, starring a titular protagonist whose flexing muscles have the power [...]
“Fly, You Fools” is an Indian webcomic about life and its irritations. In each photo-collaged cartoon in this series, you’ll get an inside glimpse on the Indian people… mostly focusing on the kind of stuff you wouldn’t find in a touristic guide. There cartoons are often funny, provocative, and they persistently demonstrate just how people [...]
Sometimes it looks like such a crazy world out there, but there are always ways it could get worse. What if the modern societies were overrun by vampires? what if people had nothing to hold on to but their faith? That would quite likely be the right time for a second coming of the messiah, [...]
This is how you succeed in creating a humorous comic book: by focusing on the individual moments rather than the global picture. Sea Bear and Grizzly Shark is a dumb story, and proudly so; more importantly, it’s a really dumb story that works really well as a comic book extravaganza. The back-story goes more or [...]
We3 is an escape story about three household pets turned into cybernetic war machines. It’s a short and straight-forward story, but it has much to say about a number of important issues, from war to scientific animal experimentation. The titular characters are Bandit (a dog), Tinker (a cat) and Pirate (a rabbit). Even though they [...]
Imagine a comic book world where most super-heroes are little more than rampant and unabashed threats to society. If you can picture such a vision of fictionality, where amazing and super-powerful beings have lost all sense of morals, you may be able to catch a glimpse of what Kingdom Come is all about. This beautifully [...]
No, this isn’t a comic book about the American singer Beck Hansen. In this story, Beck is actually the bizarre Frankenstein-ishdog of the band’s lead singer and founding member. And the band is called Mongolian Chop Squad, no less; and this slice-of-life comic book from the east follows the exploits of its members. From absolute [...]
From the creators of the much-acclaimed Death Note manga, comes what may one of the highest and longest-running achievements in world-wide meta-fiction. Bakuman is a superb slice-of-life depiction of what it means to be a comic book creator trying to make it big on the Japanese industry (which is not so different from the American [...]
“A softer world” is a charming webcomic authored by a couple who blatantly purport to exhibit their artistic genius. Each installment in this non-sequitur features a collage of words over photographic evidence from the world surrounding its creators… which despite being not unlike our world, is distinctively and self-professedly softer. You can think of each [...]
We all know zombies, but have you ever imagined what would happen if super-heroes turned undead? Robert Kirkman sure did, and judging from the popularity amassed by the franchise he conceived, he certainly knew what he was doing. Marvel Zombies is a brainless but intelligent take on the zombie themes, starring the most popular characters [...]
Groo is a very strong and very clueless warrior. He usually has the best intentions, which is odd… since disaster normally ensues, whenever he’s around. Through his diverse adventures, Groo roams the land in search of causes worthwhile of his intervention… and for this barbaric warrior, the best cause is usually joining a good fray. [...]
Gon is a small little dinosaur of unknown origins, but that’s not even relevant to understand these adventures. This book is about a small and extremely resilient little dinosaur that roams around the contemporary natural landscapes. In his charming adventures – that will appeal to readers in all age groups, Gon is concerned with nothing [...]
There’s something you should know about this graphic novel: this isn’t a sequel to “Marvels“; if anything it’s the antithesis to that work. Whereas Marvels showed the wonders experienced from the everyman perspective when faces with the dawn of the age of heroes, Ruins casts a dystopian outlook towards an alternate reality where radiation does [...]
Referring to Vertical as an innovative book wouldn’t be much polite to the truly innovative comic books out there. It’s best to speak of this gimmicky little book as an innovative comic book reading experience; a savory and unusual balance between form and content. The story in this book focuses on Brando Bale and Zilly [...]
Look, up in the snippets! Is it a bird? …. No. Is it a plane? …… No. Is it — Look, it’s a book about writing a super-man story. “It’s a bird” by Steven T. Seagle and Teddy Kristiansen is a book about a free-lance writer who’s been tasked with the assignment of writing a [...]
For any guy who’s ever been a boy scout… for any person who used to go on camping trips as a child… Troop 142 will be an engaging and nostalgia-inducing reading. Troop 142 by Mike Dawson is a graphic novel depicting a week in the life of a troop of boy scouts (Troop 142, no [...]
“Y: the last man” by Brian K. Vaughn and Pia Guerra is one of those books whose title pretty much lays out the whole premise on the open. In short, this is an apocalyptic comic, with a twist: In the reality of this book, a plague of undetermined origin was triggered 17 July, 2002. All [...]
The Life and Time of Uncle Scrooge is the award-winning masterpiece of Don Rosa, who in turn is one of the most acclaimed comic book creators that worked on Disney Comics. This is a special book for anyone who’s fond of the character Uncle Scrooge, but it’s also a nicely woven story by any standards: [...]
This is an entertaining comic book that delivers a nice mix of humor, action and paranormal activity. Midnight is the name of a small town in Massachusetts that serves as base of operations for the world’s most renowned investigators of the paranormal: Adam and Julie Kadmon, a happily married couple who make a living chasing [...]
Can you imagine what it would feel like being a teenager with super-strength, the ability to fly, and near invulnerability? Yup, it would likely be a grandiose experience, one that might even draw forth the temptation to act as you would please. Well, that’s not how it goes for Mark Grayson, the protagonist of this [...]
Do you enjoy taking long, aimless walks? Even if you don’t, you may like this masterpiece by Jiro Tanaguchi (of “a distant neighborhood” fame). This is a delightful and whimsical book, that follows the meandering adventures of a protagonist whose main distinctiveness is the enjoyment of walking… a 30-something Japanese fellow who is indeed worthy [...]
As far as meta-fiction goes, and concerning even comics theory in general, “Understanding Comics” by Scott McCloud is an all-time classic. Understanding comics is a 200+ page dissertation on just that: a concentrated and articulate effort to dissect and understand the ninth art. Not only is this a lauded book by millions of people who [...]
XKCD is simply one of the most popular webcomics in existence, and if you’re not part of its legion of fans, you may be missing out on a potential source of fine entertainment. Fortunately, that can be easily remedied, since after reading this review you should have a clear idea of whether this is something [...]
We all know the pope is the head of the Roman Catholic Church, and well all assume he’s supposed to personify the highest moral virtue which humanity can possible ascertain to. But come on, seriously… have you ever imagined what it would be like it the pope was a total and absolute action hero? Well, [...]
What if you had just actually met the girl of your dreams, whom you already knew from a series of bizarre dreams? What if the girl of your dreams (whom you just met in reality) actually agrees to date with you, and what if all goes well until you realize she has a disturbing little [...]
Back in the day when most independent publishers struggled to accomplish their self-publication dreams, the occasional pearl would come up, that would slowly raise a legion of fans until it was regarded as everything but an underdog. Bone is such a comic, that’s something you’ll realize immediately after reading the first 30-page story arc in [...]
Most kids who are into comics tend to wonder just why aren’t there any super heroes in the real world… but most of them quickly realize the real world does not lend to spandex-clad heroics. Kick-ass tells the story of Dave Lizewski, a teenager who personifies the aspirations of everyone who ever secretly felt like [...]
Have you ever wished you could go back in time and change something you regret about your youth? Did you ever wonder what it would be like re-living your teenage years with full awareness of your life experience as an adult? Do you sometimes feel nostalgic about your hometown or the house you grew up [...]
There are many comic books out there which are regarded as graphic literature. There are even graphic novels which are routinely analyzed in literary groups and academic curricula. But there is nothing quite like The Unwritten. This book is a meandering reflection on the contrast between reality and fiction. It will take you on a [...]
Penny arcade is one of the first, one of the most universally appealing (at least inside the geek-culture), and all-around one of those shining examples that web-comics, as a business model in itself, does work. But that’s not you why should read Penny Arcade. You should read it because … you know, it’ll probably make [...]
Coming out from a coma must be a rather traumatic experience… … especially when you come back to a world torn apart. Ask Rick Grimes, the protagonist of this book; having spent a month in a coma right at the beginning of the story, he wakes up to find out that the end of the [...]
It’s not easy being a guy, right? Or a girl, for that matter – depending on the gender of the person you inquire. Well, it goes without saying that being both a guy and a girl would probably be much trickier. Just ask that to any gender-bender or transvestite out there, and I’m pretty sure [...]
Most of us are quite familiar with the stories by the Grimm brothers – such as Cinderella, Snow White, Three Little Pigs, and so on… … what most people don’t know is the versions we’ve been told are decisively mellowed out, compared to the original version. When these stories were conceived back in the XIX [...]
If you used to read Marvel comics as a kid, you have probably tried to imagine what the world would be like if characters such as Spider-man, Daredevil, the X-men and Fantastic Four were real. Right? That’s exactly the exercise the authors of this mini-series have set out to do, and quite brilliantly so. Marvels [...]