MFR Newsletter 10/24/2020 — We all go a little mad sometimes.
Ghostly greetings, comics fans! EIC Anthony here again with the comic book news, reviews, and opinions that you so crave.
But first…
Early voting has started in a lot of states, so I really just have one thing to say this week:
Vote. Vote early, vote in person if you can, vote by mail if you can’t, but make sure you vote. And when you cast your ballot, please vote with empathy. There is a lot on the line with this election. The Supreme Court is on the line. So please, think of others when you vote. Think of the women in your life. Think of your friends and neighbors. Think of strangers who aren’t as fortunate or privileged as yourself. And if you find yourself feeling apathetic and generally discouraged by politics and the system as a whole, I get it, but remember: It’s always better to try to do something good than to do nothing at all. Because even if we don’t use our voice, I assure you that the loud, angry, selfish people will still use theirs, and that’s how the wrong people get put in power and stay there.
So vote.
Vote against ignorance. Vote against corporate greed. Vote against prejudice.
Vote for equality. Vote for science. Vote for a better future for everyone.
Alright… *steps off soap box* …
Let’s talk about comics.
Our next Kickstarter launches November 1, and it’s a twofer!
We will be funding both MONKEYS FIGHTING ROBOTS: THE MAGAZINE #2 AND TALES OF MFR #2 together!
Our whole team is so thankful that you all continue to read and support our stuff — it means the world to us, and we are just excited and determined to continue giving you the best comics and articles that we can.
More on this in the coming weeks, but get ready!
Doomsday Clock, Death Metal, and Narrative Consistency in Comics: Must There Be “Continuity”?
Matthew Brake takes a look at continuity in superhero comics — where it succeeds, where it fails, and if we need it at all.
Review: COLONEL WEIRD: COSMAGOG #1 is a Gentle Masterpiece
I love the BLACK HAMMER universe, so I have been eagerly awaiting all of the new spinoffs that were announced pre-COVID, especially with the creators attached. Zac Owens reviewed the first issue of COLONEL WEIRD: COSMAGOG by Jeff Lemire and the incredible Tyler Crook.
STRANGER THINGS HALLOWEEN SPECIAL ONE-SHOT Spooktacular
Halloween is just one week away, and Dark Horse put out a STRANGER THINGS special one-shot for the occasion. Reviewer Cat Wyatt takes a look at the comic.
Review: DUNE HOUSE ATREIDES #1 — The First Grain In A Massive Desert
Do you like DUNE? Of course you do — everybody likes DUNE. At least that’s what the internet tells me. I’ve never actually read nor seen anything DUNE myself. But hey! Now there’s a new comic out if you’re like me and want to take your first step into this world.
Darryll Robson (a veteran DUNE fan) breaks down the first issue.
Review: HEARTBEAT — A Teen Drama of the Gaze
Elizabeth Buck reviews Maria Llovett’s HEARTBEAT, the collection of which just came out recently, and calls it “a heartbreaking gothic teen romance.”
FRIDAY #2 is finally out on Panel Syndicate! If you don’t remember, FRIDAY is the “post-YA” mystery comic by Ed Brubaker, Marcos Martin, and Muntsa Vicente that launched right around the time regular comics distribution shut down. It’s taken a little while for this sophomore issue to drop, but that’s because Martin and Vicente were working their butts off to make this 40-page issue perfect, and boy is it worth the wait.
The pitch is essentially “what happens to your favorite teenage detectives when they enter adulthood?” Friday Fitzhugh is the muscle to Lancelot Jones’ genius, and where the first issue established the world, this second issue delves deep into the characters’ backstory, who they are, and what happened before Friday left for college.
I can’t compliment this comic enough. Zac Owens reviewed the new issue and gave it a perfect score, and I have to agree with him. Martin and Vicente’s work is flawless — the world is rich and interesting, the colors are soft and inviting, and the whole comic just flows seamlessly and keeps you fully immersed. Even the smallest panel of a hockey puck dropping in the snow oozes charm. Brubaker’s mystery is of course fascinating, but even that takes a back seat to the layers of worldbuilding and coming-of-age character development. This is a character study first, and a detective story second, and it works on every level.
The first two issues of FRIDAY are on Panel Syndicate right now under the website’s signature “pay-what-you-want” model. Check it out!
COMIC STRIP • TALES OF MFR #72
Guess who’s back, back, back, back again…
Bobo. It’s Bobo.
Catch up on the series here: TALES OF MFR
The war between monkeys and robots has raged on for eons; these are the stories that have survived. With art by Jamie Jones and the occasional words by Matt Sardo, Tales of MFR hits the web every Sunday.
For more reviews, interviews, and “Legends of the Longbox”, head over to the website to see what the team’s been working on this week:
That’s all for now! Remember: Darkseid is… but so are we.
Until next week,
Anthony Composto
@The_Great_Ace
@monkeys_robots
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