Blue Fox Comics are an indie publisher that’s been consistently growing a diverse range of books and one that I pick up from regularly….so it was time to delve into some.
Fishing Memories: Writer – Miguel Peres, Artist – Majory Yokomizo, Letterer – Mario Freitas
Lethe finds himself alone on an island with no clear memory of how he got there but his glimmer of hope sees him fishing for memories that can let him cling to what makes him who he is. A unique glimpse at how Alzheimer’s has taken hold of him and between the island life, the glimpses of his wife & daughter & reliving moments of his former life it’s a brutally honest look at the impact it has on the sufferer and those around them.
The fractured world that Lethe lives in is brilliantly brought together by Miguel Peres who has a sensitive approach to the challenge the disease holds and while this may be in comic form there’s actually no better medium for it to be captured. The interactions between him and his family are so natural regardless whether it may be the first or hundredth time they’ve gone through the same conversations together. That’s echoed in a hazy art style from Majory Yokomizo who captures both sides of Lethe’s world with caring and understanding so that the human face to the disease is never lost. Mario Freitas rounds of the team with well placed & controlled lettering that places just as big a part at capturing the confusion, the fear but ultimately the love among a family who are all going through this together.
The story, the art and everything about this proves to be a poignant way of portraying the struggles behind the very human side that’s at the core of this story and the creative team band together to guide us through a story about one man’s struggle with Alzheimers in a world that’s both familiar & unfamiliar in his own mind – heartbreakingly beautiful.
9/10
Busy Little Bees: Writer – Marielle Bouleau, Artist – Emiliano Correa, Colourist – Willi Roberts, Letterer – Rob Jones
This opening issue introduces us to Myna as she nestles in a secure unit which her own family helped fund and while she’s getting the best help money can buy there’s still some deep problems taking grip of her. Her brother Sebastian is seen as form candidate for helping to get through to her and connections to their privileged past in the form of a harpsichord sees them reminisce before things kick-off beyond either of their control.
A supernatural force seems to be pulling strings from the shadows and with it’s hooks in Myna it’s just the beginning of problems for her, her brother, her carers and pretty much everyone else that’s involved.
Marielle puts together a supernatural story that feeds on family history and the cracks that can appear in the most level-headed of individuals to give this a grounding that offers a good contrast for the madness that unravels. There’s a fairly wordy opening to this one that could have been trimmed down a bit for me but after that the pacing hits it’s stride and keeps the surprises coming as we learn more & more about Myna and the fractured world around her.
The visuals from Emiliano Correa coupled with Willi Roberts’ colours takes this to another level as the blurred lines between crazy & sane are all pretty much shattered by a supernatural wrecking ball that throws everything up in the air. That’s polished off by Rob Jones’ lettering as he tackles those opening pages exceptionally well before easing into a steady stride the story demands.
This is a solid beginning for another new Blue Fox title and with the creative team really keeping the core of the book brimming with controlled chaos before unleashing whatever they damn well please. It’s a story of madness, family & mysteries – and after one issue I’m on-board for the whole series.
7/10
Jimmy’s Vendetta: Writer – Luca Palumbo, Artist/letterer – Christos Kyriacou, Colours – Darja Rattik
This futuristic tale of revenge takes place in a post-apocalyptic world and the titular Jimmy has nothing but targets on his mind…although to be fair, since his return from the dead he can’t remember much of anything else. Mob Boss Don Kronos is on the wrong end of Jimmy’s targets but a man of his position and with his resources can throw everything he has at this new relentless force. Underboss Vinny faces the full wrath of this man on a mission and the outcome seems inevitable for anyone that gets in his way.
Luca’s story is seamless in it’s execution as the pace from the beginning and the events that unfold around Jimmy are like a runaway train as he goes about taking out the targets he finds in his head. The surroundings are brought to life by Christos’ art and Darja’s colours as the garish, neon-lit underworld comes clearly into view with all it’s flawed individuals & grim goings-on. While there may be some cliched futuristic tropes on show, it all fits together well with the pacing and action that are exploding across the pages. Nod to Christos for his lettering too as the dialogue fires back n forth just as frantically as the bullets and the sound-effects injected into the mix level-up the ballsy approach to that uncontrollable figure that’s set on revenge.
This title hits it’s stride from the first page and while we’re still in the dark on the finer details surrounding Jimmy’s cause there’s a certain level of satisfaction in seeing just how eagerly he takes out the mob members he has in his sights. There’s no holding back and no doubt that he’s in the right when it comes to the titular central character and the creative team to there best to give you someone to cheer on and some amazing action to watch as you do it. Energetic, well-paced and flashy in exactly the way it needs to be……Go Jimmy, Go!
8/10
You can check out these titles over on the Blue Fox Comics website or the current/future Kickstarter campaigns they’l have running. You can keep an eye out over on Facebook, Twitter & Instagram for more details of those and what else they have in the works
G-Man
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