Lady Mechanika: Vol.1

I was introduced to Lady Mechanika at a Free Comic Day event, where I received a free copy of one of the issues. I liked it, and then when I went to the Silicon Valley Comic Con, I met one of the writers and talked with her for a while, and became sold. I bought Volume 3 from her and she signed it for me. Which brings me to now, having just finished the first volume.

The graphic novel is lavish steampunk, and the title character is a smart and strong woman who is part human, part machine. In addition to the stunning art work, the writing is also excellent, augmenting the illustrations to drive the narrative of the story.

Anyway, I figured I would share a couple of quotes that I found interesting.

Our minds have mechanisms designed to protect us from those unbearable realities that life may at times lay upon us. When faced with horrors that threaten to shred our sanity, our minds defend us. Transporting us to a sanctuary within. A safe haven where nothing and no one can ever touch us.

As I read this, I considered the mind as a programmable machine. We feed in information, and that gets processed and generates usable data that allows us to navigate our world in what we deem to be the best and most advantageous manner. This may or may not be true. The human mind is so complex, and this analogy does not factor in collective consciousness, which is something I strongly believe in, but it is an idea worth at least entertaining.

People tend to fear that which they do not understand. This is a truth I have always known. At least for as long as I can remember, since I cannot recall a time before I was made into this unnatural form. They fear all who are different. Anyone who looks different, or acts different, or thinks different. All are ostracized and ridiculed… if not outright killed.

There is so much that one can say about this. Clearly, racism and xenophobia are just the tip of the “fear of the other” iceberg. There is also fear of those who have different political ideas, fear of those who may be sick, fear of those who threaten our established beliefs. So much of our society is driven by fear, and the flames of fear are stoked by a media that stands to profit from keeping people afraid. But for me, though, the most interesting line in this passage is “… I cannot recall a time before I was made into this unnatural form.” The more I contemplated this line, the more I began to envision our human form as our unnatural form. I truly believe that we are spiritual entities, embodied within these human forms. Is this temporal mass of flesh our true form, or is our real form something that we have forgotten, something we will recall once we pierce the veil? Again, a profound question that warrants contemplation.

To sum up, this is a fun, exciting, and stimulating read. I will definitely read more Mechanika, but I might hold off a bit until this virus thing passes. I really prefer to buy my books at a brick and mortar store, as opposed to the online monolith.

Thanks for stopping by. Stay safe, and keep reading cool stuff.

Lady Mechanika Vol. 3: The Lost Boys of West Abbey

I was introduced to Lady Mechanika when I picked up an issue from a Free Comic Day event. I really loved the writing and the steampunk artwork, so I made a mental note that I would read a little deeper. Anyway, I was recently at the Silicon Valley Comic Con, and there was a table there with M.M. Chen, one of the writers of Lady Mechanika. I talked with her for a bit and was ready to buy a volume and have her sign it (notice her signature on the picture). I had every intention of buying the first volume, but she suggested getting Volume 3, since she said it provides some back story and is actually a great place to start, so I took her suggestion. Hey, the writer should know, right?

The books is short, but beautifully illustrated and the story is really engaging. Lady Mechanika collaborates with a police detective, Inspector Singh, to track down a person who is kidnapping and killing homeless children. It is discovered that the killings are related to some twisted experiments that are based upon concepts from Jewish mysticism, so they consult with a Rebbe to solve the case. I have to admit, the blending of steampunk and Jewish mysticism really works well.

The investigators, with the help of the Rebbe, discover that the killer is combining blood magic with Hebrew mysticism in an attempt to create a golem. The Rebbe explains to them what a golem is.

A soulless creature, made from clay and given life by magic. The golem has no free will or intelligence. It is a mindless servant of its creator and must obey his commands. In our legends, they were created to perform laborious tasks, or to protect and defend the community. They can work tirelessly, and cannot be destroyed except by the magic with which they were created.

I have to say, I am thoroughly impressed with this book. I will definitely be getting Volume 1 in the near future.

Thanks for stopping by, and keep reading cool stuff.

“Bishop Olek’s Devil” by Mike Mignola

On a recent visit to the local comic store, I was given a free copy of an older Hellboy issue which was from Free Comic Day in 2008. I finally got around to reading it. The comic is comprised of three vignettes. The first two were pretty good, but not really anything to write about; the third one though, “Bishop Olek’s Devil,” was interesting.

In the story, two scholars go to check the authenticity of a rare occult text that is being offered to the library.

The college had received communication from a Lord Marko Petrov claiming he was in possession of the Dialogus Goetia, a long-believed lost grimoire, famous for its “Wealth Gospel” secret. Lord Petrov claimed he wished to donate the book to the library’s collection.

For those of you who are unfamiliar with Goetia:

Goetia or Goëtia is a practice that includes the conjuration of demons, specifically the ones summoned by the Biblical figure, King Solomon. The use of the term in English largely derives from the 17th-century grimoire The Lesser Key of Solomon, which features an Ars Goetia as its first section. It contains descriptions of the evocation, or “calling out”, of seventy-two demons, famously edited by Aleister Crowley in 1904 as The Book of the Goetia of Solomon the King.

(Source: Wikipedia)

Not surprising, there is a turn of events that result in the two scholars having to face a demon. But I won’t say anything more. I hate reading spoilers, so I do my best to avoid including them in my posts.

Anyway, this was a nice, quick read, and perfect for the time of year when the veil thins. I plan on reading some more creepy tales before Halloween rolls around, so be sure to check back.

Doctor Who – Four Doctors: Free Comic Day Issue

I have basically given up on the current Doctor Who comics. They really just did not hold my interest and the stories tended to drag on ad nauseam. But I picked this one up as part of the recent Free Comic Day event because, why not. It was free. And surprisingly, it was much better than any Doctor Who comic I had read in a long time.

This issue is comprised of four short vignettes, each one featuring a different Doctor. The tales were fun, quirky, and a little bit thought provoking too. Basically, everything you would expect from Doctor Who.

The story featuring the eleventh Doctor, entitled “Obsessions,” was my favorite. We all have obsessions, and they can be motivating. But obsession is a proverbial double-edged sword. Obsessions can block personal advancement just as effectively as it can foster it.

Obsessions are all very well to keep one going—but they’re also rather nifty at bringing you to a skidding halt.

I’m glad I picked this up and read it. It was good, but not good enough to entice me to start reading Doctor Who on a regular basis again. There is way too much other stuff vying for the attention of my reading obsession.

Happy Free Comic Day! Review of Star Wars: Issue 3

Today is Free Comic Day. I went and joined all my nerdy friends at Comic Envy and got a nice stack of freebies, and I also purchased a few. It warmed my geek heart to see so many people out there in costume.

Anyway, I’m finally getting caught up on my Star Wars issues. This one has Han, Leia, and Luke fighting their way out of Cymoon 1. They barely manage to escape and Luke succeeds in destroying the weapons facility.

Since I am a big fan of Darth Vader, it should come as no surprise that my favorite part of this comic is the scene where Vader muses about Luke and the boy’s undeveloped Jedi powers.

The boy. The boy is your last great hope, isn’t he, Obi-Wan? He is what you died to protect. He may be strong in the force, but he is untrained, and who is there left to train him now? No one but me. When I find him… and I will find him… he will be my weapon, not yours. The dark side always wins, Obi-Wan. You should know that by now.

I’m definitely enjoying these comics and they are fueling my excitement for the upcoming film.

Hellboy: 20th Anniversary Sampler

I picked this comic up on Free Comic Book Day a couple months ago and have just now gotten around to reading it. I have to say that I really liked it. If I didn’t have so much to read and was not invested in following several comics, I would start reading Hellboy on a regular basis.

The issue is comprised of three vignettes and also includes a section of “funny pages,” which are a tribute to the short comic strips published in newspapers. The short strips are adaptations of classic newspaper comics such as Popeye, Dilbert, Peanuts, and so forth. But the characters are morphed to represent those from Hellboy. I loved them! They are very creative and witty, and they brought back memories of reading the comics in the newspaper when I was a kid.

The three vignettes are short and well-written. The first one, “The Coffin Man,” is about a brujo who digs up fresh cadavers to use for dark magical purposes. The second, “The Ghoul,” was my favorite of the three. It was about a ghoul who feasts on the flesh of the deceased. What I loved about this is that the text and dialog is all constructed from the 18^th-century poems “The Pleasures of Melancholy” by Thomas Warton and “The Grave” by Robert Blair, as well as from Hamlet. It works magnificently. The third vignette, “Another Day at the Office,” is about a resurrected tyrant who raises an army of zombies. They are all very good and definitely worth the read.

I usually say how each time I read something, my list of things to read increases exponentially. Certainly, I now feel I must read the poems referenced in “The Ghoul.” If I had the time, I would start reading deeper into Hellboy also, but that may have to wait until I retire.

Cheers, and enjoy your reading!!

Free Comic Day

The first Saturday of May is Free Comic Day, so I made point of stopping by Comic Envy, my favorite local comic store. It was a very festive occasion with lots of people engaging in cosplay and enough comic fans to jam the store. The only disappointment is that my daughter was sick and unable to accompany me, but the folks working at the store remembered her and allowed me to pick out a stack of comics to bring home for her. That kind of treatment is why I love supporting small, local, independent businesses.

So as you can see from my photo, I got a nice stack of comics (some free; some I purchased). I made myself a cup of coffee and sat outside on the back patio and read a couple. The first one that I read was Magneto #1. This was on my list of comics that I wanted to read so when I saw it there, I added it to my purchase stack. The comic definitely met my expectations. It’s well-written and the storyline is intricate. What I love about Magneto is that he is both hero and villain. He is one of those unique characters that does not fit into the standard categories. One cannot help but empathize with him. He is the product of his environment. We all have the potential for good and evil, and Magneto is the embodiment of both.

The second comic I read was Guardians of the Galaxy. This was one of the freebies and I picked it up because I know there is a Guardians film coming out soon and I really was unfamiliar with them. I have to say that I really liked this comic. The artwork is stunning and vivid with color exploding from the pages. The writing is also first-rate. I feel like I have been missing out on this. I am definitely going to read more of this. I’d like to get deeper into the characters before the film comes out.

When I was a kid, there was nothing as cool as Free Comic Day. I wish there had been. Regardless, I read a lot of comics as a kid and I always say that those early comics were my gateway drug into the addictive world of reading. As I snaked my way through the throngs of kids and adults in the comic store today, I saw all the people who love to read and appreciate the unique genre which combines image with word, thereby inspiring future writers and artists.