This week saw the announcement and release of a brand new digital imprint pioneered by Chris Roberson and his wife Alison, entitled Monkeybrain. The goal of this imprint was to offer cheap and creator-owned comics to people all over the world via the online digital comic service Comixology, with hopes to push the world of comics into the future whether it wants to go there or not. With no red-tape, no stock-holders to appease and no movies to tie into, Monkeybrain is comics for the sake of comics — the way we were always intended to get them.
Then again, the question is: are they any good? It’s all well and good to put out a comic on the internet, but it’s another thing completely to put one out worth reading. With five launch titles being released online already, lets peel back the curtain a little bit and look at what the Robersons and Co are giving us.
Additionally, if you’d like to see previews of all of the Monkeybrain offers, you can do so by clicking right here.
Written by J. Torres
Illustrated by Jennifer L. MeyerAnimals on the Ark exchanging anecdotes. Sharing stories to weather the storm. Fables will keep them afloat during the flood. Listen. And learn.
“Aesop’s Ark” is a storybook. While all the other offerings of the Monkeybrain launch offer something “comic book-y,” this is the only title that doesn’t really adhere to that basic mantra. Everything else runs the gamut of what you might expect would exist on the shelves of a comic book store, but “Ark” is one that could easily be found in the child’s section of a bookstore — and that is far from a bad thing.
The basic premise of “Aesop’s Ark” is that a group of animals aboard Noah’s ark are exchanging tales of a moral variety. It’s not too subtle, neither in its title nor in the first installments message, but its the kind of read that is perfect for younger audiences and at the same time nostalgic for older ones. From a story perspective it works better for the younger audiences than the older ones (since I’m sure we all know to work together by now), but its nice to see that books are still being put out to this caliber. The last time I saw a best-selling children’s book, it was a bear who just complained for twenty pages; that’s not nearly as close to something you’d want to offer to a growing mind over something that positively encourages ethical behavior.
What really makes “Aesop’s Ark” work overall is Meyer’s artwork, though. A tale like this could truly be told by anyone, especially with the inherent ability to change the species involved in the story, but Meyer really makes it work specifically for this context. The layouts are smooth and creative, the characters within emotive and believable. It continues the storybook motif without sacrificing the sequential nature that makes it a comic book, and that element separates this comic from the rest of the line in that fashion.
So “Aesop’s Ark” isn’t exactly a “comic” in the extent the rest of these books clearly are, but in terms of diversifying the line and offering something for everyone, it’s quite a success.
Written by DJ Kirkbride and Adam P Knave
Illustrated by Nick BrokenshireAmelia Cole lives in two worlds — literally. One runs on magic, the other built on technology. When the barriers between those worlds start to break down, Amelia and her aunt Dani must take extreme action. It’s the start of whole new world in adventure, magic, and excitement as Amelia Cole steps forward to do what she knows it right, even when the consequences might be wrong. Written by Eisner and Harvey award winners Adam P. Knave & D.J. Kirkbride, drawn by Nick Brokenshire, and lettered by Rachel Deering.
“Amelia Cole” is a bit of a dilemma. Here we have a comic that has a rather inventive premise (that there are two worlds, magic and non-magic, but our heroine has ended up somewhere else), but outside of that idea there is nothing particularly engrossing about the read. Both it and “Edison Rex” (which we’ll discuss later) are rather decidedly “middle of the road” comics, neither particularly good or bad. It simply is, and that’s unfortunate.
Continued belowThe main problem about “Amelia Cole” is that, really, it plays with a concept that in today’s day and age isn’t very fresh anymore. Anyone who has been to the movies or read a book lately is familiar with magic and associated tropes in intimate ways, so the key is to display that magic in particularly new way. Blending the ideas of a world immersed in magic and one that isn’t isn’t too exciting anymore, because the world still isn’t done getting over Harry Potter. Not only that, but the idea of traversing between the realm of the magical and the non-magical was just done in Monkeybrain creator Chris Roberson’s own “Memorial.” The saving grave of this comic should’ve been the artwork by Nick Brokenshire, but even that is not innovative enough to really make this book stand out against multitudes of sequential art that put in just the bare minimum of effort to get the point across. Magic is such a fun concept, and while there isn’t the expectation that everyone needs to be the next JH Williams III, it’s still a good excuse to play things up a bit in the art department when connecting worlds and firing off spells.
In a launch full of strong debuts “Amelia Cole” is somewhere near the bottom, but that’s not saying anything particularly negative. Really, “Amelia Cole’s” only detriment is that it doesn’t try to do anything tremendously new or exciting in the way that the others do, with inverted concepts and stylish artwork all around. The title seems like it will grow into something overtime, and the idea of exploring a new new world is interesting, but it’ll be up to the second issue for “Cole” to really prove itself.
Written by Paul Tobin
Illustrated by Colleen CooverThe adventures of Bandette, a young costumed “artful dodger”, leader of a group of urchins dedicated to serving justice, except when thieving proves to be a bit more fun. The story of Bandette treads a thin line between Tintin and Nancy Drew, with a few costumes thrown in. Bandette and her crew at turns join forces and cross swords with the mysterious master thief known only as Monsieur, and one B.D. Belgique, perhaps the most harassed police inspector of all time.
It was once said that in today’s day and age, comics aren’t fun anymore. We spend too much time on the dark and the gritty, burdened by a belief that realism is what sells and that delivering humorous and improbable stories of people doing extraordinary things with a laugh is something of the past. Well, bully to that. Whoever last said that comics can’t be fun anymore has never met Paul Tobin and Colleen Coover.
Tobin and Coover have proven themselves a great creative team in the past with books like “Gingerbread Girl,” and “Bandette” is a complete reiteration of that fact. Telling the lighthearted and incredibly fun story of Bandette as she robs for the fun of it and embarks on a terrific chase. The solicit referring to it as “Tintin” and “Nancy Drew” is apt, as the book manages to mix the light-hearted and kinetic art styling of Herge with the mystery building of the entire Carolyn Keene pseudonym collective, and it’s hard to imagine that this won’t be one of (if not the) best titles that Monkeybrain offers in its initial few months.
With bright colors and wonderfully quirky personality, “Bandette” is definitely one of the most enjoyable reads of the initial five books.
Written and Illustrated by Matthew Dow Smith
Autumn Ackerman has always known she was a little different, but she has no idea just how different she really is. 18 years old and with no hope for a future beyond working behind the counter at her small town’s coffee shop, Autumn is about to discover that everything she thinks she knows about the world is wrong. The first chapter of a brand new dark fantasy story for teens and adults by critically acclaimed artist and writer Matthew Dow Smith (Doctor Who, Witchblade).
It’s hard to exactly extrapolate what it is that Matthew Dow Smith has done right with “The October Girl,” because truth be told there’s a lot. Does it draw you in? Yes. Does it offer personable characters? Yes. Does it deliver moody, thematically appropriate art? Yes. Does it offer up an air of mystery that leaves you wanting to come back for more? Yes. Does it tell a sequential art story in a different, if not entirely new, way? Yes.
Continued belowIn fact, when looking at a comic like this, it would actually be easier to point out the things wrong with it: not a whole lot. Sure, the ending is a bit telegraphed and no, the “real” imaginary friend isn’t new, groundbreaking material, but the execution is what sells Smith’s book here with what seems to be little effort. In fact, it is often said that when you do things right, it’ll seem like your job is a breeze to others, and with Smith doing so much right with this short installment of his new comic it seems like making good comics is not more than a muscle reflex for him.
There’s a lot to be excited about here with the future of this comic. With “October Girl,” Matthew Dow Smith delivers a dark vision with the apt shading of a Mignola book and the bleak mentality of something like “Stuff of Legend.” It’s haunting, an engrossing first read and by far one of the two best offerings of the Monkeybrain launch.
Written by Chris Roberson
Illustrated by Dennis CulverEdison Rex is the smartest man in the world, a criminal genius, and the archnemesis of the world’s greatest protector, Valiant. Having dedicated his life to defeating Valiant and proving once and for all that he is a menace to humanity and not a hero, what will Edison do once he finally succeeds? And with Valiant out of the way, who will be left to protect the Earth?
To begin, an anecdote: the other night while recording the Multiversity podcast The Hour Cosmic, my co-hosts and I tried to pitch a way to do something interesting with the Superman comic franchise. It was brought up that Paul Cornell’s initial run on “Action Comics,” which featured Lex Luthor as the protagonist, made for quite an enjoyable read, and that if there was a way to recapture that and if DC were looking for ways to shake things up, having Luthor convince Superman to leave Earth so that Luthor could be a superhero in his place would be a fun way to do that.
Apparently we were all just drinking from the same fountain as Chris Roberson, though, because that is exactly what “Edison Rex” is about. Starring facsimile archetypes of two of the most famous characters of all time, the story is poised to tell the tale of what happens when the man claiming he could be the world’s greatest hero actually gets that opportunity. As it so happens, though, for a first showing of what the comic will offer it’s not particularly exciting. It’s very much a set-up issue, which isn’t really good or bad. It simply is, straddling the middle ground between offering enough to intrigue you for future installments and not enough to really differentiate it from it’s obvious origins.
The draw of the book (like all Monkeybrain Comics, really) is the creative team. Roberson is a competent storyteller who holds a wealth of superhero knowledge and tropes (in addition to an obvious love for Superman), so if there is anyone who you could seemingly trust with a story of this nature it’s him. The first installment doesn’t offer too much beyond the basics, but over time “Edison Rex” could certainly evolve into a more enjoyable story. However, on the art side, Culver is doing “Tom Strong” Sprouse-esque art, which fits well with the subtly humorous nature of the entire ordeal and helps to really bring the story along. While the script may be playing towards a few obvious angles at first, it’s Culver’s art that remains surprising, innovative (especially when using guided view) and highly entertaining.
So it’s not exactly a groundbreaking story that’s never been told before since it is playing off a few obvious tropes, but “Edison Rex” is a comic that seems like it’s going places. The first installment is a hit or miss endeavor, but it’s worth sticking around for a second one.
(Granted, this also is the basic plot of Megamind, but it could still be fun.)
All in all, if Monkeybrain had to be summed up in a short phrase, I think Larry David said it best: pretty, pretty good. It’s a very mixed bag of content, and an eclectic one at that, which is a very good way to get the ball rolling and show the world what the entire initiative is capable of. While obviously not everything will be everyone’s cup of tea, Monkeybrain seems quite poised to offer something for everyone of all ages and preferences, and as more titles get added I’m sure we’ll only see that developed further as the months go by.
