A comiXologist recommends:
Husk #1: Monkey Brain ½

by: Dane Cypel

Husk #1 is a complex story. In one hand there is a deep science fiction element involving biomechanical super-suits in a slightly dystopian future. In the other there is a drug-addicted cop trying to cope with the rush of piloting a super-suit while still embodying the virtues of law and order.

These aspects of the story were not expected. Coming from American comics, I expected more action and less human interest.  Above all else, I wanted to see more about these mechanized suits, called Husks, because powered battle armor is really, really cool (thanks Starship Troopers).  But Husk is more about the characters and less about the setting. The setting does set up the various conflicts but the Husks and the environment serve as foils for the characters.

The story begins with the release of a new Husk. Unlike the previous versions, the new suit functions on a sub-cellular level. This type of biotechnological development hints towards the Husk’s ability to think and bend organisms to function better with the Husk’s needs. This story aspect alone brings up questions about the role of technology, where it is going, and how far is too far.  And even though this technology does not exist, the ideas have a profound impact that feels familiar and interesting.

Husk #1 is nuanced science fiction, similar to the film The Fifth Element. The world is colorful and deep yet the characters are driven by shallow passions. One would imagine that in a world where people have colonized Mars and drive biotech suits, people would have loftier, more righteous goals. But that is not the case. The characters have flaws that are complicated by the world around them. In Husk, technology has not made life easier or better.

After reading Husk #1 you will immediately want more. It is a story that different from other contemporary comics. If you would like a change of pace and enjoy nuanced, complex sci-fi, read Husk.

[Read Husk #1: Monkey Brain ½ on comiXology]

Dane Cypel is a digital editor at comiXology and freelance illustrator based in Manhattan, though he’d rather be on Klendathu fighting the bug menace.

A comiXologist recommends:
Josephine #1

by: Amelie Milet

As part of the “French invasion” of Delcourt books launching in English this week, Josephine #1 consists of a series of one page vignettes offering glimpses into the life of Josephine, a young twentysomething woman dealing with the typical encumbrances of daily life. Such familiar struggles that many readers will be able to relate to include meddling family members and friends, the social awkwardness of the dating scene, and the elusive quest for motivation to enter that evil realm known as the gym. Things may not always go according to plan for our protagonist (especially in the love department) but she somehow manages to pick herself back up after each mishap and you can’t help but root for her and admire her tenacity.

One of the things in the artwork that struck me was the innate fashion sense every character seemed to possess (maybe because they are all French), giving me a serious case of wardrobe envy as I swiped from panel to panel. Life is complicated enough as it is, why not look fabulous and wear a cute outfit amidst the confusion? Author Pénélope Bagieu, whose book Exquisite Corpse was also recently released in English, has managed to successfully inject humor into the mundane, exaggerating the situations in the book for comedic effect and bringing to life an endearing female character experiencing the trials and tribulations of life just like the rest of us. It is not often that a book revolves mostly around the banality of the day-to-day but Josephine #1 is a delightful and entertaining story that reminds us that life can be messy and weird and that it is okay to not have it all figured out just yet.

[Read Josephine #1 on comiXology]

Amélie Milet is an International Production Coordinator at comiXology and will be first in line if a Josephine Boutique ever opens up in New York City.  

A comiXologist recommends:
The Curse of the Wendigo #1 

by: Matthew Burbridge

International comics readers are all too familiar with the gritty realism associated with Charlie Adlard and his long time run on the instantly popular Walking Dead series. “The Curse of the Wendigo” marks the first time I’ve encountered Adlard on anything outside of his work with Robert Kirkman in a long while – what a piece to step out with!

At this particular moment, Mathieu Missoffe is, from this critic’s perspective, relatively unknown in the comic scene. That is, of course, only on this side of the Atlantic, as Missoffe has been writing some of the most exciting horror and action stories on the European market. A French writer better known for his series “Corpus Hermeticum,” Missoffe has been producing some of the most interesting twists on old world legends since early 2007.

“The Curse of the Wendigo” is the fifth story in the series, and it starts excellently.  In issue one we are introduced to the trenches of World War I on the German and Allied frontlines.  Sentry sharpshooters are vanishing from both sides in the dead of night.  The losses have led a desperate and confused German officer to seek out leadership from the Allied side of the trenches, in an attempt to solve the mysterious murders.  Irony never tasted sweeter than in the scene where the officers discuss stopping the murderer in order to continue “killing each other proper.”

Only a few pages after the meeting are we introduced to the “crack team” assembled from both sides and tasked with ending these disappearances.  Amongst them are three German soldiers (of varying skillsets), two Frenchmen (also of varying abilities), and a Native American tracker. The tensions between the European natives is felt almost immediately over a shared campfire when one of the Germans accidentally confesses his hand in killing one of the Frenchmen’s friends, erupting into an explosive brawl. Tensions only grow higher between them until the “Injun” tells the tale of his people and his personal destiny.  His name is Wohati, and he is a warrior of the Cree Nation.  Wohati is the only one aware of what is lurking in the fogs and mustard gas, and he has made his way across the world and a war in order to kill it.

This is a title worth some love.  As far as supernatural books go, this one is sure to please even the most hardened of fans.  Missoffe’s story sets us up right for the road ahead, and paired with Adlard’s harsh realism we are sure to feel the weight and the bloodshed.  This one looks like it is sure to excite.

[Read The Curse of the Wendigo #1 on comiXology]

A comiXologist recommends:
Come Prima

by: Karrie Larsson

As it is summer and perhaps the ideal time to take a road trip, I recommend doing so with the beautiful graphic novel Come Prima, written and illustrated by French creator Alfred. Set in the 60s, Come Prima tells the story of two brothers, Fabio and Giovanni, driving from France to their native Italy in a tiny Fiat 500 to transport the ashes of their father. The brothers have been separated for 10 years and their relationship has been a tumultuous one. On the road, amidst a slew of chance encounters, they fight often and sometimes do not speak to each other at all. At the same time, however, the trip proves to be a bonding one, digging up memories, both happy and painful, from their childhood.

Alfred’s storytelling is sensitive but accessible. The number of wordless panels sets a pleasant, meditative pacing to the book while also communicating the silence and distance between the brothers. There are wonderful landscapes of the French and Italian countryside, as well as many dream-like flashbacks. Inspired by Italian cinema of the 60s, Alfred’s illustrations succeed in a creating a powerfully nostalgic atmosphere.  

Come Prima is an extremely engaging and visually stunning tale centered on family, roots, and a journey through Europe. It is easy to see why it won the top prize at last year’s Angouleme festival and I am so happy that it is available in English for the first time!

[Read Come Prima on comiXology]

Karrie Larsson is a Senior International Production Coordinator at comiXology currently living in Brooklyn. .  

A comiXologist recommends:
Iron Squad #1: Red Commando ½

by: Dane Cypel

When I was in school for my Masters, we would often speak about French comics –about how beautiful they were even though we could not read them. Myself, and my fellow candidates did not speak French, so in many instances the books were purchased simply for the pictures. It was the art that kept us interested and we did our best to discern a storyline and flesh out characters with what we could understand.

Delcourt’s English-translated releases have, thankfully, fixed this type of fill-in-the-blank storytelling that I have had to experience with French books. With this release, there is one particular book - Iron Squad #1, that has caught my eye.

I was not familiar, at all, with Iron Squad before reading it for this review. It was between this and Curse of the Wendigo, both having to do with a World War and some type of fantastical element. As much as I love tales of the Great War, the allure of Nazi super-weapons, Soviet armored infantry and 1^st Lieutenant Tania Yakvolev, comrade pilot of the First Female Fighter Wing, had my attention.

Iron Squad #1 is an alternate history story, where Nazi scientists have cracked the secret to making large walking mechanized vehicles. There was one particular scene where a Nazi general meets with his Imperial Japanese counterpart to present the Empire with their own “Iron Squad,” or in the vernacular - “mekapanzers”. While this is in no way historical, there is a wonderful blend of Gundam-meets-Wolfenstein.  

What is perhaps the most interesting point of this story is that there is no American protagonist, at all. It is a commonplace for World War stories to contain that obligatory American character, but this shift allows for a completely different perspective. Instead, the focus is on the Soviet side of this war. There is, of course, a French instructor who happens to have a mechanical arm, but he is only in a few panels. I was still able to relate to the characters and find interest in what they were doing – something which most French produced comics are able to achieve with solid storytelling and well-made art.

In the past, there was this inherent barrier that kept readers like me away from French books. I wanted to read them, to put words to the pictures, and now that wish has been answered. These books are beautiful, they are compelling, and they offer a unique approach often overlooked by us English-speakers to the comic medium.

[Read Iron Squad #1: Red Commando 1/2 on comiXology]

Dane Cypel is a digital editor at comiXology and freelance illustrator based in Manhattan.