Storied Arcs

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"All these years lost, and I've never felt more alone."

This week on Storied Arcs, Mike and Alex continue Lonely Sci-Fi month with Gone (issues #1-3) by artist/writer Jock from DSTLRY! The guys start with some nitpicks and notes about the story and on Jock as a writer, before transitioning into discussing Jock as an artist, where the guys have nothing but praise. They examine the themes of isolation presented in the comic, from the physical to the economical to the temporal, and explore how it fits into their larger theme of Lonely Sci-Fi on multiple levels. Finally, the guys start threading some through lines through the first three books they've covered this month in anticipation of the final entry next week.

And that final book is ApocalyptiGirl by Andrew MacLean. It's an OGN with a recent re-issue in 2020, which should hopefully make it easier to find. Once you do, join us back here next week as we close out Lonely Sci-Fi month!

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"It could be that our collective fate will be the same as this book. May that's all any of us are... a letter to the Universe no one will ever read."

Welcome back to Lonely Sci-Fi month! This week, Mike and Alex are tackling Mark Russell and Roberto Meli's Traveling To Mars (issues #1-11) from Ablaze Comics. The guys start by looking at this book in relation to Mark Russell's other comics (such as The Flintstones and Not All Robots, just to name a couple) and examine how this comic may be the ultimate Mark Russell Comic(tm), where all of the satire and social commentary from all of his stories find a place here. They discuss how the epistolary-like narrative structure and presentation is an ideal format for the story they are trying to tell, and how Roberto Meli's art captures the mood and sense of the isolation being experienced Roy, our main character. Finally, the guys step back a bit and view the comic through their lens of Lonely Sci-Fi and reflect on how it takes a very common science fiction prompt and flips it on its head to tell a completely different kind of story.

We continue with Lonely Sci-Fi month next week when we'll be diving into Gone (issues #1-3) by artist/writer Jock from DSTLRY. Find it wherever you get your comics and we'll see you back here again next week!

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"After that, things started to change. We started to change. And so did Val. If only I knew then what I know now, maybe I could have saved her."

Mike and Alex are starting Lonely Sci-Fi month with a look at Sentient (issues #1-6) by Jeff Lemire and Gabriel Hernandez Walta from TKO Studios. The guys chat about how and when they first found this book, and how their perspective on in has shifted between then and now. Then they dive deep into the science fiction idea of A.I. (as depicted in the book) versus the junk crap that's marketed to us right now as A.I., and discuss what kind of impact that has when revisiting a story centered around artificial intelligence. The guys also examine how Sentient fits into their theme of "lonely sci-fi" and how it depicts different forms of isolation and loneliness throughout the story. Finally, they wrap their discussion by praising the work of Gabriel Hernandez Walta and his talents as a storyteller when paired with Jeff Lemire.

Lonely Sci-Fi month continues next week with Traveling to Mars (issues #1-11) by Mark Russell and Roberto Meli, so find it wherever you get your comics and join in the discussion!

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Welcome to a new year and new season of Storied Arcs! In what may be turning into an annual tradition, Mike and Alex are once again starting off the calendar with a theme month- Lonely Sci-Fi. Alone in space. Stranded on a planet. It's a prevalent trope in science fiction and we're excited to examine it from an assortment of angles using these comics as a lens:

-Sentient by Jeff Lemire and Gabriel Hernandez Walta from TKO Studios

-Traveling to Mars by Mark Russell and Roberto Meli from Ablaze

-Gone by Jock from DSTLRY

ApocalyptiGirl by Andrew MacLean from Dark Horse Comics

We've covered a few of these creators on the show previously (looking at your, Jeff Lemire and Mark Russell), but we still want to highlight the various creative teams (and some new publishers). So in this episode, we do just that, plus give a little synopsis of each book and touch briefly on how we think it fits into our overall theme.

We're starting next week with Sentient (issues #1-6) from TKO Studios. Go find it wherever you get your comics (which might be a little different for this book, given TKO's publication strategy, which we talk about a bit here), and join us here again as we talk about being alone together.

Thanks for listening to Storied Arcs

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• Find all links here: https://linktr.ee/storiedarcs
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"There will be times in the future, my daughter, when you will question everything you are. Hearing your name spoken over will help when everything falls away."

Mike and Alex are here to finish up their look at Daniel Warren Johnson's Extremity from Image Comics with Volume 2 Warrior (issues #7-12). They kick things off with a deep look at the (possible) religious parallels that seem to infuse the back half of the story, and discuss how even if those parallels are unintended or go unnoticed by the reader, the message of the book is still clear. The guys also examine the ending (because endings are hard) and chat about how of all the potential ways the story could have wrapped up, what was presented was absolutely the most fitting. Finally, they have larger discussion about art styles and spotlighting new and upcoming creators, even ones that aren't quite as new and upcoming as DWJ.

We hoped you enjoyed this look at an early book that helped put a creator on the map! We'll be back next week (and next year!) to dive into another great comic!

Thanks for listening to Storied Arcs

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"But no matter what the fight... no matter who lives or dies... I won't kill my own brother."

This week on the Storied Arcs podcast, Mike and Alex kick off their deep dive of Daniel Warren Johnson's Extremity from Image Comics with Volume 1 Artist (issues #1-6). The guys start by discussing the world building (or lack there of) that DWJ provides in this book, and how what is and isn't explained on the page effects how the reader relates to the story. They explore some of the themes presented in the book, such as loss, grief, and revenge, and how those ideas are often present in Johnson's creator owned work. Finally, the guys look at DWJ's art style and note some of the visual flares showcased in this comic that will become recurring motifs in this comic career, and how colorist Mike Spicer works seamlessly with the art to evoke the emotion expressed on the page.

This miniseries wraps up next week, so go find Extremity Volume 2 Warrior (issues #7-12) wherever you get your comics and join us back here again to break it all down!

Thanks for listening to Storied Arcs

• Find us on your favorite podcast platform and leave a 5-star review!
• Find all links here: https://linktr.ee/storiedarcs
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In this new season of Storied Arcs, Mike and Alex taking a look at Daniel Warren Johnson's sci-fi-ish/fantasy-ish revenge epic Extremity, from Image Comics. The guys start with a spoiler-free preview of the book, talking a bit about how the book was initially sold in solicitations ("the beauty and imagination of Studio Ghibli meet the intensity of Mad Max") and how each of them came to the comic. Then they give a rundown on writer/artist/creator Daniel Warren Johnson, one of the true singular voices in comics at the moment, as well as his collaborators on this book, colorist Mike Spice and letterer Rus Wooton. 

We kick off our discussion next week with Extremity Vol. 1 Artist (issues #1-6), so find it wherever you get your comic books and join us back here again to dive in!

Thanks for listening to Storied Arcs

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• Find all links here: https://linktr.ee/storiedarcs
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"This isn't a nightmare. This is the night. And I'm in a playground for monsters filled with monstrous things. I don't belong here."

This week, Mike and Alex are here to wrap up November by Matt Fraction and Elsa Charretier with Volume 4 The Mess We're In. The guys dive right into things, breaking down the ending and discussing how the various story threads converged in this final volume. They take a look at the three main characters and parse through their actions and examine how (and where) each of them ended up after the fact. Then the guys reflect on the story as a whole, how it was presented and told across these four volumes, and how the various storytelling decisions affected (both good and bad) their reading experience. 

We hope you enjoyed diving deep into a different type of comic series this time around. We'll be back next week to kick off another great series!

Thanks for listening to Storied Arcs

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"Who knew I had a line? Who knew I could cross it? Well... almost."

Mike and Alex are back with the penultimate volume of November by Matt Fraction and Elsa Charretier, breaking down Volume 3 The Voice on the End of the Phone. The guys discuss what is (and isn't) happening in the actual story of the comic, and how that story continues to be presented to the reader, three-fourths of the the way through the narrative. They speculate on how much of the material in this volume would have existed had the book remained in its original three-volume structure, and what the story might look and feel like without it. Then the guys once again praise the art team of Charretier and colorist Matt Hollingsworth and examine how their work elevates the storytelling to a different level.

The story of November wraps up next week and we're excited to see how it all comes together, so go read November Volume 4 The Mess We're In wherever you get your comics and join us back here again to be a part of the discussion!

Thanks for listening to Storied Arcs

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"It's not every time the world ends you're look at a click when it happens. Some girls... we're just lucky."

This week, Mike and Alex continue their exploration of November by Matt Fraction and Elsa Charretier with Volume 2 The Gun in The Puddle. The guys talk about how the various story threads begin to intersect in this volume, gently overlaying and crisscrossing and hinting at the bigger narrative at play. They chat a little about the pacing of the story and what storylines/characters are holding their interest at the moment, and discuss how when the decision to expand the book from 3 to 4 volumes was made may (or may not) have affected what ended up on the page. The guys also dive a little deeper into the paneling and coloring choices of Charretier and Hollingsworth, especially in the opening chapter of Volume 2.

Things continue to get messy and complicated in the world of November, so pick up Volume 3 The Voice on the End of the Phone wherever you get your comics and join us again week to dive back in!

Thanks for listening to Storied Arcs

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• Find all links here: https://linktr.ee/storiedarcs
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