Wes Jones Comic Reviews

Daily life and mundane occurrences can sometimes prove to be seemingly insurmountable challenges for a lot of us, and even more so for those struggling with mental illness. Brain Shoodles is an honest and heartfelt look into one woman's struggles with these innocuous, yet debilitating events that are deeply personal but infinitely relatable. Anyone who has ever had bouts of self-loathing and hopelessness can look to this book and Owen's own experiences and find solace in the fact that they aren't alone. Owning your pain and creating something beautiful from it is something I find supremely inspiring and I cannot recommend this book enough for those who could use a little light in what can seem like never-ending darkness.

A team of superpowered misfits is nothing new to comics, but the angle of making their illness the source of their power is unique and makes the characters sympathetic in a way that many larger-than-life heroes aren't. The writing and art are solid and compliment each other well, making for a brisk and entertaining read, on par with many of the Big Two's current books. The title is a vehicle to raise awareness and help dispel the stigma surrounding mental illness and does its job admirably. However, I'd like to see more of an explanation of the characters' neuroses as the story progresses. While most readers may be aware of obsessive compulsion and other disorders, many don't realize what the diseases actually entail and the varying ways that they affect people. As it stands, the first two issues maintain a good balance of entertainment and education, but hopefully we can take a break from the action at some point to address what mental illness is like for people without the consolatio

Chaosphere takes place in a setting that will feel familiar to sci-fi fans, while bringing enough new concepts to the table to keep us interested. Lambert's first issue is a pinhole that gives readers a limited glimpse into the fascinating universe he's built, so here's to hoping issue two becomes a reality and the hole is widened.

Condo Heartbreak Disco is an atypical social critique that is genuinely relatable despite its outrageous characters and setting. While Toronto's plight may be a bit exaggerated, it can feel all too familiar to residents of nearly any metropolitan area in North America. Cities such as San Francisco have become impossible to afford for anyone except the extremely wealthy due to speculative property investments. If you're one of the masses resisting invading hordes of affluent assholes or even if you live in a rural area, the theme of helplessness and insecurity in the face of the never-ending march of "progress" is something that resonates with anyone in the 21st century.