We don’t generally give bad reviews, because there is soo much good stuff out there that deserves your attention first. If you have any recommendations that have not been reviewed on the site yet please don’t hesitate to contact us.

Copyright © 2007 Splash Panel | Permalink | No comments | Share

Khaled Abou Alfa

Staff Writer

James Huff

Copyright © 2007 Splash Panel | Permalink | No comments | Share

The thing is I did actually stop reading several series that I generally do pick up. Ultimate Spider-man, Ultimate X-men, X-men, Amazing Spider-man. I also bought less manga this year. In previous years I would continue to by One Piece and Naruto, however this year I only bought Vagabond and a couple of spurious books like Eden and the excellent Path of the Assassin (3 volumes). Humanoids stopped publishing anything and I haven’t really filled that void with anything else to be honest.

What is evident however is that there are a number of ongoing series published in graphic novel format that show a true golden era of comics. It’s come to the stage where at one point if I was asked if there was one comic book series that I could get on a desert island I have no idea, because the plots and characters on several of these series has become so close to me because I’ve been reading their story for YEARS that I wouldn’t be able to answer that question. So 2006 while not a great year overall for excellence in NEW series coming up, it definitely was a triumph in continuing the stories of existing characters, where each book is a gem as a lot of these series will most probably be ending in the a year or two.

10. Invincible
    By Robert Kirkman, Cory Walker and Ryan Ottely
    In 2006 we saw the second hardcover volume of this truly excellent series published. As Kirkman says in his afterword the book was all over the place and he was just throwing as much stuff on the wall and seeing what was sticking. What this actually did was give the book this incredible sense of imagination in every issue. We’d moved from the overall arc in the first volume and started to explore things a little bit more throughout the entire universe that Kirkman and co had created.

    What’s funny is that Kirkman always says that he would love to write Ultimate Spider-man. I think he should just keep doing what he’s doing with Invincible because he’s creating something uniquely his own, which obviously is paying off for me, as I’ve stopped reading Ultimate Spider-man however will most definitely not be quitting from Invincible any time soon.

9. Young Avengers | Volume 2
   Allan Heinberg and Jim Cheung
   Volume 2 of this surprise series was released last year as well. It completes the storyarc and also has the Young Avengers Special in here for good measure. One of the reason this book was such a hit I think is because you actually are not sure how and where this story is actually going, it keeps you guessing. Also making the kids actually likable characters aids in making this book one of the better books published by Marvel last year.

   While Jim doesn’t do all the artwork in this series, the replacements don’t do a terrible job, it’s just that his absence is most definitely felt.

8. Loveless
   By Brian Azzarello and Marcelo Frusin
   Here’s an interesting one, I’m generally not a cowboy story fan. In fact the whole thing usually doesn’t do it for me, except in the extreme circumstances. We’re talk Young Riders TV series and The Unforgiven being the only real exceptions I can think of to be honest. However Loveless, now see this is something special. As you would expect with something from the twisted mind of Brian Azzarello, we’ve got ourselves a bit of a story set after the American civil war.

   The book is all about mood, and in many case about what is not being said than what is being said. Frusin is the perfect companion on this story and is one of the few Vertigo artists that also does his own covers (Jock being the last one I can remember). The ending of this trade bodes incredibly well for the rest of this series.

7. Vagabond
   By Takehiko Inoue
   In 2006 we saw an additional 2 more volumes for this most excellent series. We’re up to volumes 22 and 23 so far and it doesn’t seem like there is an end in sight, which is absolutely brilliant. This is one of those books that depresses me every single time I read it mainly because the artwork is so amazing. It’s very reminiscent of the grand scale of Akira to be honest. For those in the dark as to what this series is about then check out the previous review on volume 1.

   The latest two volumes offer some amazing character development and some great twists, that I’m sure will pan out in unexpected ways in future volumes. If you’ve not read this series yet, you’ve got a LOT of catching up to do. These two volumes only augment that excellence in craft and story.

6. Daredevil | Volume 5 and 6
   By Brian Bendis and Alex Maleev
   I write this with a great sadness in my heart, but the Bendis/Maleev run on Daredevil is over like all good things I guess. Easily the single best set of books that Marvel has published this past year. The team of Bendis and Maleev can go up there with other greats like Azzarello/Risso, Alan Moore/GIbbons, Jenkins/Lee etc. It’s one of those classic runs that will be talked about in the years to come as redefining Daredevil once again. It used to be that Frank Miller was it, whereas now you’ve got Frank Miller, Kevin Smith/Quesada and Bendis/Maleev.

   The great thing is that I’ve heard exceptional things about the Ed Brubaker/Michael Lark run so at least we know that the quality most definitely did not droop. Whether that run comes close to the excellence of this run is something we’re going to have to wait and see, but it’ll be tough, 5 years of near flawless stories is something that is very very tough to top.

5. Fables | Arabian Nights (and days), Wolves and 1001 Nights of Snowfall
   Incredibly strong showing for ALL Fables fans. I mean two compilation graphic novels and an original graphic novel that’s been in the making for god knows how long. I means seriously this was a year to remember. I don’t think 2007 can really match this year, except that we all know that we have Book of Jack (a spin off from Fables) to also look forward to in 2007, so effectively we’ll have twice the helpings of Fables this year.

   I’ll definitely be talking about all of these volumes this year (I’ve only done one review on Fables which is pretty poor to be honest). The only thing I will say however is that I felt that Mark Buckingham was rushed this year to complete a lot of work in a very short period of time. The quality does droop in his latest offering but as I said it looks like he was rushed which is a truly terrible thing as he has made Fables his own book and I wish people would give him 8 issues a year so that he can really pour his heart into and then get Lan Medina (original artist on Fables) to tackle the last remaining 4 issues in the year.

4. Pride of Baghdad
   By Brian K. Vaughan and Niko Henrichon
   I expected this to be good, but what I hadn’t anticipated was just how good this original graphic novel actually was. I should have known based on Brian’s involvement alone. However although the story was pretty exceptional (about of a pride of lions escaping during the bombing of Iraq), the real star as far as I was concerned was Niko Henrichon. Where the hell did this guy come from? His previous story (which I’ve got to admit I’ve not read) was Branum. This is his second published work and he seriously knocks this one out of the park.

   The real thing that stood out for me was the amazing colour palette that was associated with this story. It was warm and vibrant and beautiful on so many levels.

3. Ex Machina | Fact v. Fiction and March to War
   By Brian K. Vaughan and Tony Harris
   While this might seem really strange to people to hear, but to be honest, I actually feel a little sad every time another trade of this supremely excellent series comes out. The reason is because every time it’s released, we eb closer to the finishing line on this brilliantly put together series. It’s definitely one of those books (like 100 Bullets, Preacher, Lone Wolf and Cub) where the writer and the artist have a complete understanding of what the other is trying to achieve. When doing this they’ll provide magic on the page. That magic is apparent on the pages of Ex Machina.

   I’m not sure which of the two compilations I enjoyed more to be honest, although I’ll probably go down the second book route, mainly because Chris Sprouse does an AMAZING job in retaining the style of Tony Harris while definitely not aping it in any way. It’s an amazing feat that only one as talented as Chris could achieve. Obviously the stories and the plot threads are carried forward in a great way that only Brian seems to be able to achieve.

2. 100 Bullets | Strychnine Lives and Decayed
   The second volume ONLY just made this list as it was technically released in the last week of 2006. As my comic store didn’t get the very final book until this week I’m going to have to put it on this list, I know technicalities and all that. Having said that you can most certainly not do ANY wrong with 100 bullets. The latest book takes up to issue 75. That means there’s only 25 more issues before this series wraps up which is an INCREDIBLE achievment, considering the climate that this book first started publishing itself.

   This series ranks up there with Preacher in that the writer and the artist are in complete sync. While Fables and Sandman offer some incredible stories, the artists do vary (and sometimes that’s a good thing) there is something to be said about pure and utter consistency in a story. 75 Bullets down, another 25 to go. I expect another 4 maybe 5 more trade paperbacks to go, which means at least another 2 years where this book will be on this end of year list. If you’ve not picked up 100 Bullets you honestly don’t know what you’re missing out on. Best crime comic on the market, EVER.

1. Blade of the Immortal | Trickster
   By Hiroaki Samura
   When I think about great comics I always think about Blade of the Immortal. I have been reading this series consistantly for the last 6 years (probably more) and it never ceases to amaze me every time it comes out. Unfortunately it doesn’t come out as a collection half as regularly as I would want it to be completely honest as 1 single trade in the entire 2006 is a poor showing, however I don’t have to wait long for the next collection so I’m not as angry as I should be.

   I guess the only saving grace that I can throw Dark Horse’s way is that when this book does eventually come out I’m completely and utterly in awe of just how great it actually is. Easily the best manga being published today and I think you’ll know just how much manga gets published throughout the year if you care to venture into any bookstore.

   See the fear for me is ever having taken this book for granted, because it’s a HUGE disservice to this book. In 10 years time when this book is over it’ll be remembered as one of the greatest samurai manga ever published.

Copyright © 2007 Splash Panel | Permalink | 3 comments | Share

The main reason I created this site was to enable me to have a place to interact with other like minded people and discuss graphic novels. Version 1 of this site will hopefully help us down the road to creating the ultimate graphic novel resource website around.

However my enthusiasm for this site has most definitely not waned and my vision for this site and what it can be has remained with me throughout these 8 hard months. Enter James Huff. He’s been a pretty big supporter of the site since it’s inception and I’m very happy to announce that he’s being added to the ranks over here at Splash Panel as the first staff writer. I have a lot of faith in the man as he’s seriously very enthusiastic about the graphic novels he reads. He brings a shot into the site and a kick up my ass to get on with things and stop being a bit complacent about the site. It’s an important issue.

Hopefully we might even get around to doing some joint reviews and what not. The possibilities are endless. How often will he be posting? As often as he feels like. I’ve made it clear that the Panel is not about the quantity but about the quality. So now all I’ve got to do is sort out version 1 of this site design (which is going to be one of the loudest things on the net).

Copyright © 2006 Splash Panel | Permalink | 3 comments | Share

I’ve got several reviews that are in various stages of being finished and once I get the time to give to Splash Panel there will hopefully be a steady stream of updates that everyone can expect on a regular basis. I’m going to try and have at least 3 reviews a week however I’ve made these kind of promises before, so I’m hoping to stock pile a few weeks worth and then keep them coming. So what I’m trying to say is sorry about the lack of posts and reviews, I’m working on changing that.

Copyright © 2006 Splash Panel | Permalink | No comments | Share

I was meant to write about this last week, but I was extremely busy with life in general that I didn’t get a chance to hit all the reviews I wanted to get done. I’m pretty behind on my schedule but that’s life. Anyway I emailed Rich a while back and asked him if he had a pdf I could have in order to review. He was gratious enough to send me one before it all exploded and he’s got it up for sale on his site, if you can’t find it from a store near you. As I live in London and both Rich and I have the same comic book store (Gosh Comics) I was also able to nab a signed copy of the book on Saturday. Anyway lets get to the review of this graphic novella shall we.

The Flying Friar is a difficult book to review, mainly because I actually didn’t know what to expect. It wasn’t recommended from anyone, I just liked the preview art that Rich was pimping and I’ve been reading Rich’s column for several years now (was a fan of All the Rage, back when he used to write that). He’s a Londoner and has always been very courteous whenever I’ve e-mailed. So he was going to be getting my money.

This is a historical book with a bit of a twist. Set in the early 1600 in Cupernito, Italy; the book chronicles the early lives of two young men, Lux Luthor and Joseph Desa. They meet under funny circumstances. Lux is bald due to a meteor (or something similar) hitting the village and is interested in flying. Joseph on the other hand is not what he appears to be. Yes the similarities between this story and the Superman methos don’t end there. Saying anymore however would ruin things.

Reading through the book I initially had the feeling that I didn’t have a clue as to where it was going. At first it seemed as though this was going to be a story for the second coming. Having recently finished a book set in 1666 recently I can see where Rich is coming with this. People back then were still waiting for the second coming as if it was going to happen any day now. Of course the year of the beast (apparently) didn’t get officially announced until 1649, but I’ve done no research in the matter so take that with a pinch of salt. Anyway that theory proved to be incorrect. As it turns out what I was reading was an interpretation or dramatisation or a story that tried to tell the life of Joseph Desa the Patron Saint of Aircraft pilots and travellers.

The artwork is provided by Thomas Nachlik, who is a newcomer to me at least. I’m not sure if this is his first work or if he’s a complete veteran and I’ve missed out on his work. He tells his story very clearly which is a very good thing, however I did feel that the art was a little sharp around the edges.

Part of me would love to say that this book is fantastic and that you have to pick it up, but unfortunately I can’t give it such a glowing endorsement simply because I don’t actually feel that way. This isn’t a slant on Rich’s story. He’s crafted a good yarn here, if the above meagre attempt at a description tickles your fancy definitely pick it up. For me however it didn’t really hit the right notes.

This is the first book that I review that’s not a graphic novel. It doesn’t have a spine on it, but that’s ok I think I’ll let him off just this once . This is also the first book that I buy from Speakeasy Comics. The paper quality of the interior pages are thick and glossy so you know the guys aren’t skimping on the paper quality for their production values. I like that in a black and white comic book as it makes the blacks pop out.

Copyright © 2006 Splash Panel | Permalink | No comments | Share

Monday – Graphic Novel Review(s)
Tuesday – Comic this Week in Graphic Novels (list of graphic novels being released that day)
Wednesday – Graphic Novel Review(s)
Thursday – Graphic Novel Review(s)
Friday – Opinion Column.
Sat/Sun – I take a break and actually get some reading done for the next week.

The main reason is because I’ve got a slew of posts that I want to make regarding the state of the comic book industry, however I want to present everything in a structured manner for everyone to digest.

Copyright © 2006 Splash Panel | Permalink | No comments | Share

How often do you update the site?
I try and update the site at least once a day, with the exception of weekends as I’ve got to read the books so that I can review them. Tuesdays are special days as they’re dedicated to what’s coming out that week in the graphic novel world, according to Diamond Comics.

So it’s just reviews?
No, currently as I was trying to get some wind in my sails I’ve concentrated on graphic novel reviews. I’ve got a lot of reviews to go through, so that will remain the staple element of the site.

With time I’ve got plans to introduce creator profiles (which take a great deal of time to sort out, lot of research involved), interviews with creators (that’s one of the truely unique and special things about the comic book industry, talking to the creative talent behind your work) and a few other things in the pipeline.

So why’s the place sporting the fabulous Fauna theme?
Honestly, I’ve got waay too many designs on my plate to be completed. Hopefully I’ll have the Splash Panel design sorted out next month sometime, which will help everyone find what they’re looking for faster. Till then, content is king, just like it should be. And anyway, Fauna is one of my favourite themes at the moment. It’s doing it’s creator proud, so if it’s good enough for Joen it’s definitely good enough for me, hell, maybe even too good.

What makes you certified to talk and review graphic novels?
I’ve been reading them in one form or another since I was around 8 years old, they’re in my blood. I read part of a Graphic Novel every single day. Without fail. There is too much inspiration that people seem to miss out on.

Why create this website?
There’s a void in the comic book industry today. More and more people’s reading habits (in the Anglophone world at least) is moving away from the monthly grind of the 22 page pamphlet and ‘waiting for the trade paperback’ is the buying model more fans are subscribing towards. However there doesn’t seem to be many websites dedicated to the trades or original graphic novels crowd. Splash Panel aims to fill in that void and allow people who like to read the sequential stories in large chunks of book in one sitting.

Oh yeah, and if you’re venturing over from the 9rules site, then you’ve got Phu to thank, since he was the one that put the site in front of Scrivs. I was happy to let it build on it’s own till I got the design done and dusted; turns out that wasn’t necessary, what do you know it’s not all about the design over at 9rules .

Copyright © 2006 Splash Panel | Permalink | 2 comments | Share

Tuesday will be dedicated to the commentary regarding the graphic novels and trades coming out that week. The rest of the week will be a mixture of graphic novel reviews, a monthly previews review and artist and writer profiles.

Once I’ve got a couple of these under my belt I’ll eventually start turning to various creators and asking them for interviews, however I won’t do that until I’ve actually sorted out the new design of the website (which I have been working on for a couple of weeks now, albeit very sporadically).

Copyright © 2005 Splash Panel | Permalink | No comments | Share