Graphic Content #13: Alien and Ultramega
We’re back. it’s been a few too many weeks for my liking, but Graphic Content returns with another pair of reviews. I think the paired reviews will stick around for a while – it is easier to manage. Let’s just hope I don’t play the comics against one another too often. I indulge a bit this week, I can’t help it.
This week we cover the second issue of Marvel’s Alien, whose first issue I largely panned. I also continue to review Image Comics’ Ultramega, a surprising treat for fans of body horror and tokusatsu shows. Please read on to see how I feel about both and please leave a comment if you agree or disagree with my assessment.
Alien #2
Marvel’s Alien issue #2 follows almost immediately on the repercussions of Danny’s theft of Gabriel’s Epsilon Station security card. We get a chance to see more of the human cost of the anti-Weyland-Yutani group’s actions, including a fairly compelling moment where a father and daughter hide from one of the Xenomorphs. Gabriel is contacted by his handler and brought out of retirement to secure one of the Xenomorph samples and aims to save his son. His mission provides him with a couple of ageist marines and features flashbacks to even more marines back when Gabriel was younger. It’s like having the same pieces from a better, classic story and playing with them the wrong way.
The story is still very much a mess. I wasn’t thrilled with the first issue, but this issue, aside from the competent sequence of the dad and daughter, still has many gaps in logic. The comic is definitely leaning into one of the worst aspects of horror stories: characters making poor decisions to move the story along. One of the most egregious is that the company allowed Gabriel to keep a security card into his retirement – this could be fixed by having Gabriel have secretly copied it or made a back door to get back onto the station. Instead, writer Phillip Kennedy Johnson makes the most logically inconsistent choice possible for the supposedly feared Weyland-Yutani: they let Gabriel keep his access card to a secure biotech facility.
Unfortunately, Salvador Larroca is still on the art, and while the quality hasn’t dropped from the first issue, the overall quality is still very much a miss. Most characters feel lifeless and artificial like their expressions are cribbed from photographs rather closely. Also, there are a few instances where things look fundamentally off, such as a laughable panel depicting Gabriel’s head seeming floating above his pillow. Gabriel also, sill, looks like Jeffery Epstein in some panels. The coloring is also a problem, with the shading emphasizing how flat Larroca’s linework is. Sure, Larroca uses spotted blacks to attempt depth of shadow, but his lines have no weight on their own. The environment coloring is also pretty inconsistent. At least the Xenomorph itself – not the Xeno-dog hybrid – looks alright, not great. The pose is awkward, as though it was planned using a variety of stills from the movies.
I am likely to drop Marvel’s Alien series – I will have to see how issue three turns out. We’ll just run with the “three strikes, and I am out” rule. I appreciate that they seem to be setting up the alien hybridization program from Alien: Resurrection, and I enjoy some of the series staples, such as the androids, but I can’t get behind a bland protagonist, generic story, and mediocre artwork.
(2 / 5)
Marvel’s Alien #2, written by Phillip Kennedy Johnson, illustrated by Salvador Larroca, and colored by Guru-eFX is available from Marvel Comics and your local comic shop.
Ultramega #2
Image and Skybound’s Ultramega #2 follows up on the surprising and shocking ending of the first issue. The assumed protagonist was replaced with an entirely different character in a thrilling stinger across the final pages. Readers get a dose of the weird cosmology of the series right in the first few pages of issue #2 until the focus shifts to the post-apocalyptic aftermath of the events of the first issue. There we follow the Masked Ultra, a scavenger who also carries a not-so-shocking connection to past events. The pacing is breakneck and several curveballs are thrown in this first issue – but it is never pandering or confusing.
The worldbuilding in James Harren’s funky, tokusatsu-tinged horror setting is fantastic. Within the first few pages, readers get a pretty immediate understanding of the new world’s rules after the flood of kaiju blood. Kaiju cults, raiders, territorial struggles… it’s all written seamlessly into a chase sequence with the Masked Ultra – only the Masked Ultra is not exactly what you expect. I adore the writing in this comic and how the story constantly upends itself and challenges what you think you know about the narrative. These frequent revelations may prove frustrating in lesser hands, but here they are compelling and make for a delightful, gory sci-fi nesting doll of a comic.
The art is very much fantastic, carrying on the quality of the first issue. The style still borrows liberally from manga and anime in a variety of ways. Character reactions are illustrated broadly at times, exaggerated, such as flailing limbs and large eyes when in shock, but Harren wisely knows when to tone it down for characterization. It is also not fair for me to compare the two comics this week with one another, especially when one is a corporate product and another is a creator-driven project. Still, the linework of Ultramega is utterly fantastic. Marvel’s Alien is sterile and flat, whereas Ultramega has such vibrancy, life, and depth – the contrast between them is night and day. As an artist myself, I envy Harren’s work here. It is utterly aspirational.
This week is like polished, overproduced rock vs. garage punk. I know where my own preference lies, but to further extend the metaphor, one comic plays it safe around what audiences have responded to in the past and accomplishes nothing but something bland. On the other hand, Ultramega goes in goddamn hard with its own indulgences and aesthetics, creating something that plays wonderfully.
(5 / 5)
Ultramega #2, written and illustrated by James Harren with color contributions by Dave Stewart can be found at Image Comics and your local comic shop.
We’re playing catch up a bit, so our next Graphic Content will be another pair of reviews. We’ll get back into Swamp Thing later. Until then, feel free to send me suggestions for titles you’d like to see covered here in Graphic Content. As always, please let me know what you think of the reviews in the comments. See you next week.
Book Reviews
Vermis II: Mist & Mirrors, a Book Review
Vermis II: Mist & Mirrors is a graphic novel by Plastiboo, acting as the “official guide for a game that doesn’t exist.”
Vermis II: Mist & Mirrors is a graphic novel by Plastiboo. The team behind the work includes Plastiboo as the artist, Hollow Press as the publisher, Michele Nitri as the editor, Christian Dolz Bayarri as the graphic designer, Marco Cirillo Pedri as the graphic supervisor, and E.R. as the English editor and proofreader. The Vermis collection seems sold out in its current editions, but I still recommend ordering from the original publisher, Hollow Press.
Who stares back from the dark glass? The Wayfarer travels–cursed and haunted by their past–through the distant lands and places within the Mist & Mirrors. Endure a corrupt world and struggle to fend off the curses that mark you. Venture forth, Wayfarer, and perhaps find peace and salvation.
What I Like about Vermis II: Mist & Mirrors
The premise remains an “official guide” to a game that does not exist. However, one key distinction that stands out is the corrosion of this “official guide” mark, suggesting Mist & Mirrors centers itself as a graphic novel. In this sense, it more accurately hits its vision while providing an engaging story.
Mist & Mirrors places its character selection at the end of the graphic novel, instead, choosing a character and allowing the reader to follow that journey. While this moves away from the “official guide” concept, it better fleshes out the world and creates a more independent product.
Where Vermis I held a heavy retro-game aesthetic, Vermis II takes this to the next level while adding a wider range of color than the original. Not only does this add more aesthetic variety, but it also vastly improves readability. My greatest critique of the first graphic novel was the general lack of readability that impacted the experience, but Mist & Mirrors seems to take this to heart. Beyond the variety and improvement, the design changes the color themes to match the distinct lands the “Wayfarer” embarks on, giving a direct purpose to the changes.
On starting the graphic novel, I half expected a spiritual successor set in a new world. While its setting certainly differs from the original, Mist & Mirrors expands on the lore and history. In fact, the exploration of Mist & Mirrors adds value to the original and encourages a re-read. Honestly, that’s what all sequels strive (or should strive) to succeed.
Despite the colorful innovation, Vermis II: Mist & Mirrors delivers that same bleak horror popularized by Dark Souls. It still wears its inspirations on its sleeves while better communicating its “game mechanics.”
Tired Tropes and Triggers
Again, there aren’t many points worth mentioning regarding tropes or triggers. As the graphic novel takes themes and trends from the Soulslike genre, it’s dark and bleak but not overwhelmingly so.
Payment and delivery (for American audiences) still come with a 15 to 45-day wait period with little room for verification or updates. The process through PayPal remains seamless, and I received the novel within the timeframe, but it’s a consideration.
What I Dislike about Vermis II: Mist & Mirrors
While there are notable points to mention in this section, Mist & Mirror vastly mitigates Vermis I’s core issues. However, that isn’t inherently the same as fixing them in some cases. For example, readability remains a slight issue. I will emphasize it as a slight issue with the vast improvements implemented.
For those fans of the specific niche that Vermis aims to deliver, Mist & Mirrors tones down the “official guide” aspect. Instead, it favors a more straightforward narrative that follows a specific character. This brings life to the “game world” and makes an independent product but limits Vermis I’s game guide concept.
On a more personal note, I did enjoy the concept of Vermis I’s classes over the classes of Mist & Mirrors. Naturally, there are some interesting concepts, but nothing haunts me like the Infant Seeker or Rat Man. However, the new choices seem to provide a stronger narrative and backstory.
Final Thoughts
Vermis II: Mist & Mirrors vastly improves in many aspects of the original, telling a story set in its bleak and fascinating world. While it does veer from the original concept, it does so to make a more independent product. If you are looking to lose yourself in a strange world or dive deeper into Vermis’ underexplored lore, Mist & Mirrors seems tailor-made for you. (5 / 5)
Published in April of this year, Bad Dreams in The Night is a collection of horror comics by the artist and author Adam Ellis. With the description stating that it is a graphic novel version of Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark, I had to get my hands on it. And it did not disappoint.
The stories
Bad Dreams in the Night consists of eleven short horror stories. I honestly don’t think there’s a bad one in the whole bunch. So let’s just highlight a few.
Easily my favorite story in the book was Little House in the Sea. It’s a sweet, eerie little tale that seems like a pinprick view into a dark and horrifying world. It left me with so many questions that I fear will never have answers. The story is about a young woman and her mother, who live on a little island all alone. The young woman is never to ask about what is on the other side of the sea. Then, her mother dies. And everything changes, but not by a lot.
Green Ribbon was another great story. It’s a retelling of the classic Girl With a Ribbon story from the original Scary Stories book, in which a man is confused and eventually angry that the love of his life wears a ribbon around her neck and won’t tell him why. I liked this updated version. It’s a stark reminder that just because we marry someone, we aren’t owed all of their secrets.
What worked
Of course, the first thing I have to point out about Bad Dreams in the Night is the fantastic artwork. Ellis was a cartoonist first, and it shows.
The artwork is part of the storytelling as well. The best example of this is the story Better Kate Than Never. The younger sister character, Taffy, has such an animated face during the scenes with a ‘studio audience’. When she is just herself, her face is flat, and far more mature than we’d expect for a girl her age.
Though, I suppose based on the story, she might be any age.
Another really enjoyable thing was the mini-essays at the end of each story. As a creator myself, I love the little peeks into the creative process. I know how I come up with stories. But it’s different for everyone, and the story behind the story is often just as fun.
Finally, I have to praise a feature that applies to Ellis’s work overall, not just this book. Whenever he writes scary stories (and he has posted quite a few on his social media) they are a fascinating blend of cute and horrifying. The artwork always has a lovely, innocent, cartoonish look. The children always look like cartoon children, with exaggerated large heads and wide circular eyes.
At the same time, Ellis doesn’t pull any punches when it comes to the blood and gore. One story in particular, Milk Door, is a perfect example of this. I don’t want to spoil the ending for you, but it is graphic, horrifying, and wonderful.
What (kind of) didn’t work
I only have one issue with this book. If you follow Ellis on social media, you’ve likely seen at least some of these stories before.
Though, even as I say this, I’m not sure what could have been done about it. Only the beginnings were shown on Instagram. This was a marketing tactic and an effective one. You get the setup for free, but you have to read the book for the punchline.
Bad Dreams in the Night was a really enjoyable way to spend a few hours. In the end, my only real complaint is that it could have been longer. But of course, that is one of the chief rules of entertainment. Always leave people wanting more.
(usr 5)
By the way, if you like this you might enjoy my haunted apartment novella, Quiet Apocalypse. The main character is a modern witch, and I share some real magic in this fictional story of an unexpected end of the world.
Vermis I: Lost Dungeons and Forbidden Woods is a graphic novel by Plastiboo. The team behind the work includes Plastiboo as the artist, Hollow Press as the publisher, Michele Nitri as the editor, Marco Cirillo Pedri as the graphic designer, and a mysterious E.R. as the English proofreader. While I found the book available across outlets, I would recommend going directly to Hollow Press as I am unsure of the reliability of these other options.
Which flesh is your flesh? Come traveler and pick between several distinct classes to explore the bleak world of Vermis. Catastrophe and calamity dictate the lands you travel to, warring to break all living here. Venture forth, but be forewarned, hope remains a distant memory.
What I Love About Vermis I
The premise of this book was that of “an official guide of a game that doesn’t exist.” I was reminded of countless nights studying such books for every drop of lore I could. It paid passionate respect to these guides, bringing to life a retro game inspired by Dark Souls but entirely its own. The concept creates an interesting and interactive fiction, requiring readers to build an understanding of mechanics and gameplay that doesn’t actually exist.
The art style evoked a green-saturated pixel-apocalypse in a fantasy setting. This premise likely evoked your interest or turned you away. Vermis I committed to this style, so that desire remained an important part of your enjoyment.
When I learned of the Infant Seeker class, I had to admit a curiosity. The “classes” are unique, painting a perspective and “playstyle” that fleshes out this imagined world. To be clear, this isn’t a “choose your own adventure” experience. The book is informative, with some options sprinkled in. However, these options are purposefully limited, revealing little for possible interpretations.
While Vermis I was not a large graphic novel, I couldn’t put it down. On the first day I held it in my hands, I finished it. There were sections and natural break points to help pace the material, but it kept me engaged throughout.
Vermis I evoked a bleak horror all too familiar to those of the Dark Souls fandom. While I couldn’t call this a Soulslike, as it doesn’t provide any mechanics associated with the genre, Vermis I follows the story trends and themes closely.
Tired Tropes and Considerations
Aside from the bleak world, there’s little to discuss in triggers and tropes. It’s worth mentioning that infants were considered a delicacy to witches in this world, but that’s not given much time or focus.
The biggest consideration was the purchasing process. It was largely seamless through PayPal, but American audiences would need some third party to convert payment. Wait time lingered between 15 to 45 days with no notifications to alleviate worries. I didn’t blame this experience on Hollow Press, but it was certainly a drawback.
For transparency, my purchase arrived ahead of the latest mark, ranging within 20 days. There was also an additional purchase option for a price increase that might have resulted in notifications.
What I Dislike About Vermis I
Readability remained my only major concern and issue throughout the text. This issue stemmed from creative decisions and art style choices that make reading certain sections difficult. The retro art also left some room for misinterpretation. Vermis I’s title represented this issue perfectly. Yes, it’s artistic and haunting but challenging to read.
Vermis I appealed to a rather specific niche. It had room to further develop this informative aspect but reached its intended goal in an arena of limited competition. In fact, the specifics made Vermis I the only such contestant in its arena. Outside this niche, there’s retro gaming art and a heavy influence of Dark Souls to appeal further. Regardless, it’s a specific experience that either sounds interesting or unappealing.
Though enjoyable, this wasn’t a perfect parallel to reading those official guides. Vermis I provided a more obtuse experience compared to other such books. However, this might better represent the Dark Souls influence. Vermis I’s “game” would be a linear experience with replay value. It’s a funny way of looking at the content, but that’s the premise one buys into.
As unique as this graphic novel turned out to be, and how enjoyable the content remained, Vermis I left much room to further explore a dynamic it partly founded. I do hope Vermis II expanded on the material as either a companion piece or an original setting.
Final Thoughts
Vermis I: Lost Dungeons and Forbidden Woods delivered a unique graphic novel experience. Part guidebook and adventure novel with sprinkles of Dark Souls influence, this graphic novel provided an enjoyable and haunting world that evoked the imagination. While it felt condensed for a sole project, it catered to a focused niche while creating a market.
(3.5 / 5)
