I was in a bit of a reading slump recently. Picked up a book, nah not for me, at least not at this time. Picked up another. Also not quite the right fit.

So I figured a good comic would do. I’m not quite sure why I started on this one. Scribd recommended it to me, probably because I had read Little Nemo: Return to Slumberland before that.

I didn’t quite get it at first. Army Shanks? Arctic pirate? RCAN? What?

It’s quite simple.

Army Shanks and a whole other bunch of people are searching for Far Arden, supposedly a myth, but someone once found out how to get there. And there’s a map! Somewhere….

But first there are villains and an orphan! And the Royal Canadian Arctic Navy!

It’s a big frozen ball of fun and laughter.

Army Shanks dives for fish and grabs it with his bare hands!

Army Shanks fights Angry!

Face kick!

Slice!

Punch!

Army Shanks turns up again in Crater XV.

This time he’s downtrodden and a bit sad. And he’s off to Antarctica, where Arctic pirates go to die or drink themselves to oblivion or something. But there’s this girl he meets, and he’s convinced she’s Pravda, someone he knew from the orphanage.

There’s also something about astronauts on a simulated moon mission at “Crater XV”.

I’ll say it again. It’s a ball of fun.

Army Shanks! Army Shanks!

Little Nemo: Return to Slumberland –  Eric Shanower and Gabriel Rodriguez 

A very darling and enchanting comic for all ages, Little Nemo is an update on a classic early 20th century comic strip by Windsor McKay.

Nemo has been chosen as the royal princess’s next playmate. The only problem is getting him to Slumberland. As Nemo has no interest being the playmate. Because she’s a girl. Yuck! Will he ever get to Slumberland and meet the princess? Does he want to? What is Slumberland anyway?

  

Fun for the young and young at heart, that’s what Slumberland is! Even getting there is a thrill.

 

M.C. Escher would be pleased, I reckon. 

I read this because it was illustrated by the awesome Gabriel Rodriguez, who is responsible (with writer Joe Hill) for one of my favourite comics ever, Locke and Key. Little Nemo is about as far away from the gore and, as the husband put it, “so morbid”, Locke and Key as you can get but it is still a fun read nonetheless, with absolutely brilliant and whimsical illustrations from Rodriguez.

 

 

110 Per¢ – Tony Consiglio

 

 

 

So 110 Per¢ (110 Percent) is some popular boyband. I’m guessing like One Direction or something. And this group of women, “Mature Older Fans of 110 Per¢” are one crusty bunch. They’re united by their love for the band and that’s about it. They’re in the same fan club yet they’re mean to each other sometimes. It’s a little bit sad really. One ignores her family in her devotion to the band. Another is an unfortunate caricature of a heavyset woman who has no friends at work. It was rather painful to read at times. 

 

Second Thoughts – Niklas Asker

I was intrigued by the cover. Unfortunately, the story wasn’t as odd or mind bending as I was expecting. I mean, giant head! Teeny tiny town! But it was still an interesting enough story about the chance meeting of two strangers at an airport, and how this meeting changes their lives. I really liked the artwork but I think I was expecting something either a little more eccentric or deeper. 

 

 

 

All read on Scribd.