Attending comic convention panels is a mixed bag of an act. I have been to some wonderful and informative ones in my time, and also ones in which a publisher simply read off a list of every single title they’ll be releasing in the next six months. The two panels I went to at C2E2 were a prime example of that mixed bag. One was ultimately disappointing, the other wonderfully illuminating.
Stephanie Ruehl, half of the “-J. & Steph Talk About Comics” feature, is an avid cosplayer. We asked her to talk about her outfits from this year’s C2E2 event.
This past weekend was the Chicago Comics and Entertainment Expo (C2E2), a time and place for nerds and geeks to celebrate their fandoms. Cosplay — the art of dressing up as a character — was in full force, and everyone was obviously having a fantastic time. 
Today marks the start of the Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo (a.k.a., C2E2)!
As purveyors of popular culture, the Addison Recorder will have staff in attendance at the three-day event. Follow the Recorder on Twitter (@AddisonRecorder), or any of our writers who will be at C2E2: Andrew Rostan (@AndrewRostan), Stephanie Ruehl (@a_wyrd_sister), and J. Michael Bestul (@dashjperiod). There might even be an appearance from our head honcho, Travis Cook (@TravisJCook).
Or, if you’re at C2E2, find us in person or by tweeting at us!
-J. Michael Bestul is a writer for the Addison Recorder. Stephanie Ruehl is an artist who works in a comic book shop. They’re married and have a lot of discussions about comic books and graphic novels. Combine all that into a biweekly feature and you get “J. & Steph Talk About Comics.”
This weekend marks the annual event of Chicago Comics and Entertainment Expo, commonly known as…
-J. Michael Bestul is a writer for the Addison Recorder. Stephanie Ruehl is an artist who works in a comic book shop. They’re married and have a lot of discussions about comic books and graphic novels. Combine all that into a biweekly feature and you get “J. & Steph Talk About Comics.”
-J.: I initially thought this week would be ideal to talk about the slew of DC #1 issues coming out as part of their Convergence event. But then I read Convergence #0, a disappointing lead-in that reads like it wants to be a Neil Gaiman-penned prologue. It wasn’t bad, per se, but set a disappointing tone for the event. So, when Steph brought home the newly-released Lumberjanes, volume 1, and mentioned writing about it for J&STAC, I jumped. The question was, would it be any good?
words by Noelle Stevenson and Grace Ellis, art by Brooke Allen. Published by BOOM! Studios
synopsis: A group of Lumberjane scouts discover more than they bargained for during their summer at Miss Quinzella Thiskwin Penniguigul Thistte Crumpet’s Camp for Hardcore Lady Types. *Friendship to the Max!*
Steph: I had heard nothing but good things about Lumberjanes and I had been eagerly awaiting the release of volume 1. [Read more…]
Memory is a finicky thing. It’s subjective to an incredible degree, affected by a multitude of factors including personal bias, innate desires, and decaying human physiology. In short, every human being on earth has a different means of forming memories, as well as a different capability to retain memories. Some are treasured, and some are reviled. In the end, what we remember bubbles to the surface with obscene irregularity – and what we forget is often costlier than what we remember.
If that sounds convoluted, don’t read The Buried Giant, the latest work by acclaimed author Kazuo Ishiguro. If it peaks your interest, you’re more likely to find a thought-provoking existential treatise on what memories mean to our collective human experience. [Read more…]
-J. Michael Bestul is a writer for the Addison Recorder. Stephanie Ruehl is an artist who works in a comic book shop. They’re married and have a lot of discussions about comic books and graphic novels. Combine all that into a biweekly feature and you get “J. & Steph Talk About Comics.”
One of the more celebrated titles of last year was She-Hulk, a new ongoing series starring lawyer-Hulk Jennifer Walters. After twelve issues, though, Marvel cancelled the series to the dismay of many. They tried to clarify that the goal had always been to publish the first twelve issues and see if it got enough traction to keep going, but that’s not how they sold the series.
The second (and final) volume of She-Hulk issues was released today, so we decided to look at the final arc of She-Hulk’s short-lived series.
cover art by Kevin Wada
Sir Terry Pratchett, author of scores of novels including the sprawling Discworld series, died yesterday at the age of 66. He was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in 2007, but continued writing, finishing his final book last summer.
Pratchett was a comic genius. Howard Tayler, author of Schlock Mercenary, held up Pratchett’s work as a hallmark of comedy, and said that there are some things that, if you don’t find them funny, you won’t find anything funny. He was a master of world building, creating the Discworld, a disc shaped world on the back of four elephants swimming through space on a giant turtle named Great A’Tuin, and populating it with a range of characters full of personality and foibles. [Read more…]
-J. Michael Bestul is a writer for the Addison Recorder. Stephanie Ruehl is an artist who works in a comic book shop. They’re married and have a lot of discussions about comic books and graphic novels. Combine all that into a biweekly feature and you get “J. & Steph Talk About Comics.”
The snow is thawing out here in Chicago, and the season of renewal sees a lot of relaunches and new series. Even with the conspicuous absence of DC titles this month, there were a lot of issues for us to pore through. With apologies to issues we left out — like Blackcross and Southern Cross, which we swear is a coincidence — we kick off this review of new #1 issues with another tale set a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away…
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ords by Mark Waid, pencils by Terry Dodson, inks by Rachel Dodson, color by Jordie Bellaire, published by Marvel
synopsis: In the days following the Battle of Yavin, Princess Leia refuses to play the role of sheltered princess. [Read more…]
It took me a month to read all of A Brief History of Seven Killings. That’s not unprecedented, but it is a break from my regular reading habits. I tend to move from title to title with great frequency and if a book is taking me longer than two weeks the odds are good that it will get set aside. Sometimes a book is just too long to devour in that amount of time, but usually it indicates a waning interest on my part. So, it’s a strong compliment when I say that Marlon James’s epic new crime novel/mini-history/literary tour-de-force tested my reading resolve, but never broke it. [Read more…]