Welcome to AiT/Planet Lar

Today at AiT/Planet Lar

December 09, 2005
permalink

KHEPRI.COM | BEST GN OF 2005 | WEEK 48 (NOV 27 - DEC 03)

05. Smoke and Guns GN (AiT/Planet Lar)
04. I Can't Believe It's Not the JLA TPB (DC Comics)
03. Sunset City GN (AiT/Planet Lar)
02. Channel Zero TPB (AiT/Planet Lar)
01. X-Factor: Peter David v1 TPB (Marvel Comics)

+++++

Ian Brill sticks his head up over the parapet, and in the comments Mark Fossen writes: "Larry pissed me off due to what I felt was using too wide a brush, and too scattershot an attack. We exchanged some email, and I thought about it a ton ... and the first review I've written since that is the best thing I've written since some of the stuff when I first started the site. It's the first thing I've added to my 'Greatest Hits' sidebar in months." So the ends justify the means, Se˜nor Fossen. The ends, you see, justify the means.

+++++

Colleen Mondor recommends True Story, Swear to God for Christmas presents: "This follows the true romance of Tom and the woman he loves who happens to live in Puerto Rico - and he doesn't. All the standard conflicts are here and a lot of sweet humor. I just like these people alot, and Tom's honest portrayal of their relationship is a pleasure to read."

+++++

Eric Stephenson on Demo: "If you didn't read Demo when it was initially published in single-issue format (for shame!), it's out as a trade paperback now (rejoice!) and it's an amazing thing to behold. Brian Wood and Becky Cloonan really did it with this one. You should get one for yourself."

+++++

"What really stood out for me, though, was Becky Cloonan's art. Her versatility is amazing, and it's great to watch as she does every issue in a different style, from the heavy inks on 'One Shot, Don't Miss' to the Scott Pilgrim-esque 'Midnight to Six,' which was my favorite of the twelve. I don't know, there's just something about being a slacker in a dead-end job that I can identify with."

+++++

Kevin Church: "Demo hits the trade paperback format this week and if you didn't read the issues, now you can catch up on the series that did come close to cracking the internet in half. I loved it, others thought it was shallow. They probably know more about X-Men continuity than me, though."

December 08, 2005
permalink

"I'm cribbing a little from Larry Young right off the bat here. It's not the blaming Nixon part, but the space part and the forward-looking part. Our company belongs to a Tech Council. I think the Tech Council does some really neat, outstanding stuff for organizing events and sponsoring educational activites... but there are no jet packs, no ray guns, and none on the horizon. That's what I want out of the Tech Council. That's what I want out of 2005."

+++++

Dorian Wright: "Demo, by Brian Wood and Becky Cloonan, was one of my favorite comics from last year. And judging by the great sales success we had with it, I'd say it's a safe bet that lots of other people responded really well to it as well. Looking over the material in a complete edition it's easy to see just how strong a work it is."

December 07, 2005
permalink

Gordon Dymowski of Blog THIS, Pal!, on Filler: "...a graphic novel from AIT/Planet Lar (can you tell I dig mystery & crime fiction), its limited color palate suggests Sin City. The writing, however, is slightly more clever with a subtle last-page reveal that took me a second read to figure out. For some reason, the art did not quite appeal to me - however, it worked in connoting the overall noir-ish atmosphere. Recommended."

+++++

Joe McCulloch on Demo: "Hmmm, I think I’ve heard of the pamphlet incarnation of this book somewhere before… somewhere on the internet, I think. Not on this site, certainly - I’ve never reviewed an issue Demo. The situation will have changed by the end of this week, however. As of now, all I can say is that this collects all 12 issues of the much-discussed series, with new introductions by writer Brian Wood and artist Becky Cloonan, and none of the extras that accompanied the individual issues (thus retaining some measure of premium benefit for early adopters). But again, more on the book later this week."

December 06, 2005
permalink

Laura Gjovaag has some well-deserved kind words for my pal Ross Richie's BOOM! books, as well as these looks at the Demo and Colonia collections: "Demo: My initial thought was 'Why'd he send me this? I have all the issues.' Then I cracked it open and turned to a random page. Twenty minutes later I surfaced and realized that I'd been drawn into the book just as if it was the first time, and I found myself really glad to have a copy of the whole set in one volume. I suspect I'm going to reread this a couple of times. If you didn't read these stories when they first came out, I suggest you get a copy of this collection. It's excellent, and well worth buying.

"Colonia: On Into The Great Lands: Wow, another collection of a book that I have all the issues of. Of course, I can't find some of the earlier issues that were reprinted in this volume because they were published so long ago. Nicholson tackles that issue in the forward, where he explains some of the problems with self-publishing a book like this. Well, I can't really say all that much about the story. It's a great story, and I love the art style, simple yet it conveys so much. I also love the man-of-fish, Adarro. This one is great, and some of you might recall I gave away copies of the first volume in a contest... get this one too."

December 05, 2005
permalink

Johnny Bacardi on Demo: "One thing was undeniable, though - Demo was really Becky Cloonan's coming-out party, in which she proved once and for all that she is a creator to be reckoned with as she gracefully zigzagged from style to style, but never came across as being imitative or lacking inspiration. She breathed life into every one of these often frustrating narratives, and it's difficult to imagine any of these stories by any other artist working as well. If for some reason you passed on the series in its initial release, now's your chance to experience it in one sitting. You'll be frustrated sometimes, you'll be moved and engaged even more...but you won't regret it. A"

Johnny B also reads Colonia: "All in all, an engaging epic fantasy that I wish was differently illustrated, but has me curious just the same and I can recommend it to anyone seeking epic fantasies of a more cerebral nature. B+"

+++++

Rick over at Bent Corner gives me an "Amen, brother!" on Friday's Loose Cannon.

+++++

Brian Kolm, the writer/artist of Beyond the Great Chimney, blogged about the Creator's Meeting at the Cartoon Art Museum we went to on Tursday: "I was so energized that I could not sleep and outlined my big story on a wipe-off board." I mean, I can't speak for the other folks up on the dais, but I can't think of a finer compliment.

Find any AiT/Planet Lar publication at your nearest comic store.

Can't find it at your local retailer? Get it online at Khepri.com