A comiXologist recommends…
KNIGHTS-ERRANT Vol. 1
How do you think you’re going to die? It’s the first question posed in Jennifer Doyle’s queer revenge thriller, Knights Errant. It is asked innocently, as if between friends, as a guard plays cards with his prisoner, the mysterious Wilfred. They’ve hatched a plot to get Wilfred out of the city, which has fallen under control of a disgraced fanatic, the Margrave. The guard, Beppe and his ally, Anton, will face the wrath of the Margrave should their plot be discovered. But, they very well may face his wrath regardless.
Wilfrid, for their part, ends up entangled with the enigmatic Oswald, a charge of the King desperate on retaking the city the Margrave holds. And Wilfrid? Well, no one is quite sure what they desire. The only hint being that at the slightest glimpse of the Margrave, their eyes seem to turn blood red. Doyle’s deep historical and religious knowledge fuels this political drama as their wry humor shines through. When Wilfred and Beppe agree that their deaths will probably be either starvation or cannibalism, they ask Anton to break the tie.
Doyles bold linework and tense pacing is reminiscent of masters like Goseki Kojima from Lone Wolf and Cub. It’s mesmerizing and fresh with a unique nuanced queer perspective. And before you’re even ten pages in, you already feel like Wilfrid is your best friend. And that’s exactly what they want you to think.
Knights Errant is perfect for anyone who likes dark, thrilling stories, filled with fraught romances and betrayals, and complicated queer characters who make their way through an unforgiving but beautiful world.
S.M. Vidaurri is a digital editor at comiXology. He is a cartoonist, a musician, a writer, and is the human subjugate of two beautiful cats. You can find his work in Adventure Time Marshall Lee Spectacular, a comiXology Original.
Read DECLARATION, the new series by Josh Trujillo and Levi Hastings
Hiram and Zacherius are two young lovers on the eve of the Revolutionary War. In issue 1, they reflect on their first night together, and the Colonies take steps towards rebellion.
A COMIXOLOGIST RECOMMENDS
Henry & Glenn Forever & Ever is in short the greatest story that no one asked for. If you’re not familiar with the joke-turned-cult classic, H&G4ever is the fictionalized tale of love between punk and hardcore icons Henry Rollins (Black Flag) and Glenn Danzig (The Misfits) as told through the lenses of art collective Igloo Tornado and various guest authors.
H&G4ever’s love story premise was apparently a joke among artist friends that spiraled out of control in the best way possible. Anyone who grew up liking any sort of alternative music understands the once serious air about both Rollins and Danzig that ironically resulted in nostalgic, comical, and sometimes lovable fodder upon the arrival of the internet age (ex. Cat Flag, the Danzig Kitty Litter meme, etc.). H&G4ever just so happened to take the absurdity of this shift in public perception and give it due diligence.
Collecting four serialized comics and featuring 100+ extra pages of unreleased art and guest stories, Henry & Glenn Forever & Ever is a comprehensive collection of the imagined universes surrounding this fake love story’s history as interpreted by a collection of talented, hilarious writers. Some artists imagined the pair in absurd scenarios (ex. Henry & Glenn Forever In Space, Henry & Glenn’s Psychic Voyage) while others focus on the nuanced realities of conventional relationships as illustrated by two of the least conventional public figures (ex. Going to a Benihana, dressing up pets, agreeing to never go to bed angry, etc).
Across all versions of this love story was an underlying acknowledgment and appreciation for the influential musical era surrounding the pair. The book was filled with self referential jokes (ex. Danzig yelling lyrics to his song “Mother” at his own mom) and random but delightful musical cameos (ex. Hall & Oates are their neighbors and Minor Threat’s Ian MacKaye plays a love interest). Overall this is a great read for music fans who don’t take themselves too seriously and a testament of the weird and awesome power of the internet on indie comics.
Christina Troitino is comiXology’s Marketing Manager and met Henry Rollins once at a park in sweatpants.
A COMIXOLOGIST RECOMMENDS
Owly Vol. 2: Just a Little Blue
By Andy Runton
Owly is one of the great classics of the comics medium, of children’s books, and in narrative storytelling. Anyone who has had the pleasure of reading even a few pages of this adorable little owl’s adventures finds those few moments unforgettable. The cute levels in this and really any other volume of Owly sort of gets committed to memory. Start anywhere in this series, and you’re in for an adorably sweet treat!
Owly Vol. 2: Just a Little Blue, starts with our favorite round-faced owl being best pals with his worm-friend, Wormy. These best friends are hanging about the forest, gathering apples in Owly’s wagon, looking at stuff, and seeing what fun there is to have in the forest. Their curiosity pays off when they meet an irate blue bird guarding his nest from predators! It is there that Owly is then determined to make a new friend!
For the more discerning connoisseur of the comic craft, you will be able to appreciate the painstaking detail in the narrative and how the story is told. The approach to the narrative is through pantomime and dialogue, done almost exclusively through iconography. Instead of words in dialogue balloons, readers are told the story through over-the-top acting and very clever images in the balloons (You know, pantomime). The result is one of the most effective pantomime comics to date. Few can step up to the plate on Owly.
It is also almost unheard of that even the smallest of readers hasn’t seen an Owly book nowadays. They are everywhere, entirely kid safe, really quick to get through, and unquestionably enjoyable for even the adults & parents who might be forced into reading them!
Most importantly, if you like this one there is always more. This is volume 2. Maybe you could grab volume 1 while you’re at it, dear readers, and save yourselves the trouble. I guarantee you will want both.
Matthew Burbridge is a Digital Editor at ComiXology who as of late has been reading way too much dramatic literature and found this cute and quick read a breath of fresh air.
John Allison’s Expecting to Fly is an insightful and moving slice-of-life coming-of-age tale with wit, pop culture savvy and genuine emotion.
Kate Leth is coming on strong these days with books like Patsy Walker, AKA Hellcat.
Kyle Baker is a comics legend, one of the vanguard of artists who brought a fresh, innovative style to mainstream comics in the 1980′s.