A comiXologist Recommends:
Harris Smith recommends Buffalo Speedway #1 by supermercado
Anyone who’s ever had an underpaid food service or retail job they simultaneously hated and cared about too much will find something to relate to in Yehudi Mercado’s Buffalo Speedway, releasing this week via comiXology Submit. From the often-contentious camaraderie between co-workers to the occasional epiphanies of, “Wait, none of this really matters,” Buffalo Speedway captures perfectly the messy, hormonal intensity of being in your early 20’s and being paid minimum wage to sell records/flip burgers/take tickets at a movie theater, or in this story’s case, deliver pizzas.
Punchy, profane and paced at super-speed, Buffalo Speedway has the fun, inventive feel of a good indie comedy (think “Dazed and Confused” crossed with a touch of “Repo Man”), with a clever visual sense and sharp dialogue. Appropriately, the story takes place in 1994, during the heyday of American independent film (and a year when I was 17 and working three different foodservice jobs while going to high school in Washington, DC), and each issue even includes a suggested era-specific soundtrack (in the first issue, this includes Superchunk, Cypress Hill and Killing Joke). On target in just about every way, Buffalo Speedway calls to mind such 90s classics as Peter Bagge’s Hate and Bob Fingerman’s Minimum Wage in the way it both celebrates and satirizes the disaffected excesses and absurdity of premillennial youth.
[Read Buffalo Speedway #1 Here!]
Harris Smith is a Brooklyn-based comics and media professional. In addition to his role as a Senior Production Coordinator at comiXology, he edits several comics anthologies, including Jeans and Felony Comics, under the banner of Negative Pleasure Publications. He’s also the host of the weekly radio show Neagtive Pleasure on Newtown Radio.
A comiXologist Recommends:
April Malig recommends Bee & Puppycat #2
Bee and Puppycat from Boom Studios is the comic counterpart to Natasha Allegri (natazilla)’s online animated series of the same name, and like the show, is completely and utterly charming. Fans of Adventure Time will recognize Allegri’s name as a storyboard artist for the show as well as her work on the gender-swap series, Adventure Time: Fionna & Cake. Like Allegri’s previous series, Bee and Puppycat features a heavy dose of fun surrealism, wittily written characters, with a side of magical girl-style action.
In this comic, Bee (a human woman) and Puppycat (a puppy? cat? or both?) travel through a magical dreamscape called Fishbowl Space in search of… employment via Magical Temp Agency. Bee, like most wayward 20-somethings, hops from job to job to survive while Puppycat, well, really wants to buy a sweet pair of platform heels. This issue features the duo setting off to repair a magical music box on a snowglobe-shaped planet, but, as always, things are more complicated than they seem.
The comic as a whole succeeds at multiple things at once, it is both intelligent and kid-friendly, relatable yet odd, goofy with hints of a greater depth. Oh, and I didn’t even mention how beautiful the artwork is (drawn by Allegri herself, with colors by Patrick Seely and letters by Britt Wilson). Allegri, as well as the team of fresh new comic artists also contributing their talents– co-writer Garrett Jackson, Madeleine Flores (madeleineishere) and Becky & Frank (beckyandfrank) – have created an immersive (also, this issue features music via QR code, how cool is that?) mysterious world with great characters while also being laugh out loud funny. Fans of the animated series as well as newcomers of all ages should read this comic (and then, like I do, eagerly anticipate future issues).
[Read Bee & Puppycat #2 on comiXology]
For fans of: female leads, cute, humor
April Malig is a digital editor and cartoonist who loves candy.
A comiXologist Recommends - MANGA EDITION:
Jonah Chuang recommends Dragon Ball Z
Think of these volumes as a straight up no-nonsense version of what was already, despite its minor flaws, one of the greatest action series of all time. The sequel to Dragon Ball is about the now-adult Son Goku, alien from another planet who is sent to Earth as a baby to conquer it, but after falling in love with its people, becomes its greatest hero. Together with his friends and family, he defends the planet from overwhelming alien threats with the help of the magical Dragon Balls.
For those of you who know the watered down animated Toonami versions from TV, these books have all of the stuff and none of the fluff. You do lose the dazzling animated fights with the manga version, but the story and character development are streamlined, and we’re treated to a better paced telling which makes the relationships feel more familiar and authentic. The manga version also includes more banter, quirkiness, and small, personal jokes that make you feel closer to the DBZ family than ever before.
Dragon Ball Z is father to many of the tropes that we love in action movies and animation today. Its treatment of flying/fighting, impact cratering, power levels, getting suped up, and the idea of taking enemies and making them regular heroes carry forward into pop culture today. It’s a classic series that feels just as fresh and interesting today as when it was first released 25 years ago.
[Read Dragon Ball Z on comiXology]
For fans of: Action, Martial Arts, Humor
Jonah Chuang is a production coordinator assistant at comixology. He has attended both The Office conventions in Scranton, PA and met Ricky Gervais last week.
A comiXologist Recommends - MANGA EDITION:
Emily Forster recommends Naruto
Ninja have seen a lot of action in comics, but no series has reimagined the idea of a “ninja” quite like Naruto. In Masashi Kishimoto’s fictional world, ninja are assigned missions ranging from pet-sitting to assassination. Naruto, an orphan with a loud mouth and a dedication to the color orange, is determined to become the most powerful ninja and win the respect of his whole village - but he doesn’t seem to have much talent. On top of that, he carries the stigma of the dreaded Nine-Tails, a demon fox of enormous elemental power that happens to be sealed inside him. Still, he won’t give up on his dream, though he soon finds himself fighting for a lot more than his own reputation.
Like other great Viz titles, Naruto is defined by the themes of friendship, teamwork, and the will to never give up. The action is fantastic - the focus on strategy and deception makes for a much more exciting read than your basic face-punching. But what really makes Naruto special is the pure heart of its characters; the kind that get under your skin until you want to cry when they’re suffering and cheer when they’re victorious.
Naruto is sometimes silly (get past Naruto’s battle with indigestion before you pass judgment) and sometimes tragic (you only have to read until Vol. 4 to know if this manga is going to give you feelings - trust me.) It’s an incredibly fun read and there’s plenty of it - dive in!
For fans of: Action, Martial Arts, Humor
Emily Forster is a Digital Editor at ComiXology and a cartoonist. She likes comics about food and fights to the death.
A comiXologist Recommends:
Kara Szamborski recommends Tiny Titans: Return to the Treehouse #1
Tiny Titans #1: Return to the Treehouse is simply one of the most adorable books on the market. The fun plot and colorful aesthetic are appropriate for all ages, but if you’re a long time fan of the DC Universe, cameos that will delight you abound, and avid TV watchers will spot elements from the original Teen Titans animated series as well as the 1966 Batman show.
In the return issue of the wonderful and widely missed series (read the original run here!) members of the Brainiac Club try to earn their first badge by shrinking and bottling the Tiny Titans’ treehouse—but some of our heroes are trapped inside! The remaining unshrunk Titans turn to Robin for answers, and with the help of some borrowed Bat technology (and canine sidekicks) they search for their missing friends.
If you’re a Titans newbie, you’ll love the fun, non-continuity dependent story, and if you’re a long time Teen Titans fan you’ll appreciate nods to pieces of DC history that span mediums and decades. If you like Baltazar and Franco’s work on Tiny Titans, be sure to check out their creator owned Aw Yeah Comics! or their Superman Family Adventures (published between the original and current runs of Tiny Titans). Their excellent work has never failed to bring a smile to my face, and Tiny Titans #1 is no exception.
[Read Tiny Titans: Return to the Treehouse #1]
For fans of: superheroes, humor, team books
Kara Szamborski supervises the International Production team at comiXology. If you’re learning French at school, she thinks you should check out comixologyfrance for some awesome summer reading ideas.
A comiXologist Recommends:
Jose Sagastume recommends D4VE #5 (from monkeybraincomics)
D4VE starts off with a premise that we’re all used to. Humans built robots that eventually rose up against us and took over. However, writer Ryan Ferrier (rferrier) takes this concept and gives us a new twist on it. The series starts off years after the robots have completely eradicated all life on Earth and the known universe. With nothing else to do they take on human characteristics. They get jobs, get married, and eventually have children.
Our main character, D4VE, was once a soldier who, in his youth, fought aliens and protected the planet. Now he finds himself stuck working a dead-end desk job with his only solace being daydreaming of his glory days. Amidst his mid-life crisis a new alien threat gives him an opportunity to relive those days. The series explores D4VE’s mid-life crisis with the perfect mix of action and humor. Much of the series’ humor relies on using common tech language and references that aren’t easily missed. Topped off with amazing artwork by Valentin Ramon it is something that should be read by any sci-fi fan.
If you haven’t already been reading it then today is the perfect day to catch up. Issue marks the stunning conclusion to the series so there’s no better time to pick up all 5 books!
(Ed – Also follow them out here on tumblr: d4vecomic)
For fans of: sci-fi, post-apocalyptic, humor
Jose Sagastume is a New York transplant from LA who works as a Community Support Advocate for comiXology.