Johnny the Homicidal Maniac (issue 5,6 & 7 ) by Jhonen Vasquez

The series focuses on the 20-something year old anti-hero Johnny C, also known as "NNY" (pronounced 'knee'). He is a deranged serial killer, mass murderer, and spree killer who interacts with various other characters, generally by murdering them. He elaborately kills anyone who even slightly irritates him, then drains their blood and paints one of the walls in his house with it. Johnny is also willing to murder "innocent" people who, in his twisted mind, deserve their fate for some reason or another. The number of Johnny’s victims is in the dozens, if not hundreds — or perhaps even thousands. Authorities are unable to capture Johnny and seem unaware of his existence, even though his crimes are often witnessed in public and reported by the few who manage to survive.(from Goodreads)


JTHM #5 An A Scent in Hell

You know, I honestly didn't think things could get anymore weird. However every time a person thinks that, things go the other way. Johnny has literally lost his mind......well, I know that's not saying much because he's a maniac. But hey, this time he's literally lost his mind. I mean in the sense that his brains are all over the wall and floor, there's a hole in his head! A  black hole of darkness.  In the previous issue Johnny seems to have succeeded in killing himself. However, we see in this issue that he's not dead (yet) even if he has a hole in his head. He's still saying crazy stuff. Meanwhile two of Johnny's victims are trying to  escape (another douchebag and the girl he dated in issue 2). They're being chased by a tentacled creature and eventually these two escapees come across Johnny lying on the floor with a big black hole in the back of his head and blood everywhere.
The douchebag mentions how Johnny tortured him by forcing him to  read the Happy Noodle Boy comics and quizzing him on what they meant. It's odd but this was the most terrifying thing in the comic: I freaking hate Happy Noodle Boy....

This comic is really gory and is taking a darker turn. Reader discretion advised.

Grade:

JTHM #6 A Brief Failure at Living

So Johnny does die and ends up going to heaven and hell. In the end he doesn't belong in either. The authors note in the beginning sounds kind of ironic. He addresses some of his fan mail in which many have shared their suicidal feelings. Vaquez says he does not condone suicide and yet Johnny has tried to kill himself several times and has succeeded in issue #4 and #5...However he is a fictional character that was resurrected which of course should be taken into account if you're contemplating killing yourself. YOU are not fictional!




How heaven and hell are depicted is interesting.  Heaven is very unhygienic and hell seems more like the real world where people are left to their own miserable devices, God is depicted as a fat lazy entity hovering around on a couch. When Nny attempts to get some questions answered God refuses to answer them like many unanswered prayers often go. Johnny goes on a killing rampage in heaven and ends up in hell and is then resurrected.

I prefer this issue to issue 5 but that doesn't mean it's less gory. Other than the main story there are some pretty fun strips there's a Meanwhile strip with a biographical tread: Vasquez answers fan mail again "if he's anything like his character". It starts off good but then goes down the hill of plausibility when he fights a clerk that is actually  Satan and saves the Pope from aliens. The scene with the clerk reminds me of the scene in issue 2.

Grade:

JTHM #7 In Control of a Broken Machine

Not much of an ending to the comic. Johnny has been resurrected after not belonging in hell or heaven guess the only place he can go back to is his former life on earth. He comes back with a new haircut though..so that' new.

I can only describe this issue as a bit confusing especially the crowded speech boxes and the font used in the introduction  These have always been an issue. Digital versions of this comic aren't as fun as the physical one. Zooming in only distorts the text and little interesting things in the comic that are written very small also are lost to the reader.

However being a not so direct ending it is still filled with twisted old psycho Johnny goodness. Fun strips and an attempt at closure with the girlfriend he tried to kill in issue 2 and saying goodbye to the kid from the very first issue.  Which if this was an ending is a plus point. Going back to the beginning and all.

I feel like I should point out that since issue 5 I've been skipping the Happy Noodle Boy strips. I'm sorry but my disgust with this character has gotten to the point that even seeing the strip or that goddamn stick figure makes me want to hurt somebody.

Finally Johnny's last dear diary entry? Is  this  really the end..or will Johnny one day return.

Grade:

Johnny the Homicidal Maniac (issue 3 and 4) by Jhoneen Vasquez

Random Comic Review

The series focuses on the 20-something year old anti-hero Johnny C, also known as "NNY" (pronounced 'knee'). He is a deranged serial killer, mass murderer, and spree killer who interacts with various other characters, generally by murdering them. He elaborately kills anyone who even slightly irritates him, then drains their blood and paints one of the walls in his house with it. Johnny is also willing to murder "innocent" people who, in his twisted mind, deserve their fate for some reason or another. The number of Johnny’s victims is in the dozens, if not hundreds — or perhaps even thousands. Authorities are unable to capture Johnny and seem unaware of his existence, even though his crimes are often witnessed in public and reported by the few who manage to survive.(from Goodreads)

I'm not sure this falls under random seeing as I've previously reviewed issues one and two, but let's not pay too much attention to this and more attention to the comics. I won't get to detailed into the structure of the comics, because I did that in the first review. I'm  just going to highlight some of the good/bad aspects of the comics. It's an awesome comic either way. 

Issue 3  A Transient Smile 

A little note from the author.

" My mind grows heavy at the burden of my dark life......and it is deeper that I.....oh.....why must I...OH FORGET IT!...".....

I always enjoy reading the authors introduction or note (again I'm not sure what to call it). They're always dark, depressing but not insignificant. In this case confusing, Vasquez goes on about something about emotions and how "blind certainty is repellent...". Have to agree on the latter. The font used in the introduction/note is unpleasant . The text which, as in the previous issues, is cropt together, too close together and the use of inverted E's is confusing. This really makes it difficult to make out some of the words.

What's Johnny been up to in issue 3: he  visits Cafe Le Prick then goes on a killing rampage. Which was pretty entertaining. He also rescues the poor kid from issue one from a child molester by knocking him out......then johnny proceeds to cut off the guy's hands and takes his brains out. All this gory insanity in front of the poor kid, who runs away screaming.

Meanwhile...which is also the highlight of this issue because of the absurdity. There's a sketch of a guy being abducted by aliens. Now these (not very intelligent aliens) have abducted Rob to study human sexual behavior.  Rob suggests  voyeurism  but of course the aliens must do this in a controlled environment in which Rob must engage in sexual activity with a human female.  However according to the aliens a human female is a chicken. An actual chicken. Now what happens when aliens force you to copulate with a chicken...........................I don't wanna talk about this anymore.

Of course, there's always other favorites : Wobbly Headed Bob and Johnny' s failed suicide attempt.  The Aliens were really fun, drawing wise and then there's (my) the  least favorite , Happy Noodle Boy. The one thing I liked about HNB is that somebody kills him at the end of each sketch...he's still alive by the end of the comic.....

Grade: 

Issue 4  Another Tiresome Descent

A little note from the author.

This time sort of handwritten again not very legible but still fun. Also a lot of cursing. must of had a bad day...

What's Johnny been up to in issue 4: well he's trying to figure out what he was like before (he became homicidal) and why he changed.  It's noticeable from all the sketches that Johnny seems to be getting worse and more psychotic. The kid from Issue one and the girl Johnny dated then tried to kill are featured.

Successful suicide attempt?

Again Johnny tries to kill himself and has apparently succeeded...but he can't be dead!

Also features Wobbly Headed Bob and Happy Noodle Boy (who is again still alive!)

Both issues feature a new sketch called "Public Service Announcement" the first one is about teen pregnancies (which I only now understand) and the one in issue 4 is about using drugs. 

Remember ...."" KIDS, drugs won't help things. They'll only turn you into a hideous little freak troll-baby with exploding eyeballs.""

This comic is pretty dark, gory at times, insane. Johnny is not the kind of person you'd wanna meet but his frustration is understandable.  I think anybody can relate to some of the things he says about society. Also I'd recommend getting the real comics, a physical copy. E-copies aren't as fun. Vasquez likes writing things along the margins of the sketch-boxes, horizontally,vertically. and there are hidden texts everywhere. Fun things to discover. 

Grade:

The Sandman , Vol.1: Preludes and Nocturnes by Neil Gaiman

A wizard attempting to capture Death to bargain for eternal life traps her younger brother Dream instead. Fearful for his safety, the wizard kept him imprisoned in a glass bottle for decades. After his escape, Dream, also known as Morpheus, goes on a quest for his lost objects of power. On the way, Morpheus encounters Lucifer and demons from Hell, the Justice League, and John Constantine, the Hellblazer. This book also includes the story "The Sound of Her Wings" which introduces us to the pragmatic and perky goth girl, Death.GOODREADS

Author: Neil Gaiman
Illustrator(s): Sam Kieth and Mike Dringenberg
Letterer: Todd Klein
Series: The Sandman  

-------------------------------------------
How would you feel about life if Death was your older sister?

As a whole this makes a fantastic collection of the Sandman comics. Rich with several  mythological characters and famous figures from the comic world.

 Volume 1 consists of issues 1-8. It follows Dream as he's accidentally kidnapped by a wizard ,who then out of fear imprisons Dream in a glass bottle. When the wizard had summoned Dream I was disappointed because the thing that had appeared was not what I expected Dream to look like. He looks like an alien with a flies head. Only later do we see that it was Dreams mask (one of his objects of power) which is taken from him later. I was thrilled and surprised because The Sandman looks a lot like Neil Gaiman or maybe Mr Gaiman goes around dressed as The Sandman. Unruly hair ,long dark raincoat. Or maybe he is The Sandman.

#1 and #2 follows the Sandman as he is captured and imprisoned in the bottle . While he waits to exact revenge he sits silently watching his captives while the world sleeps restlessly. Years pass and the Sandman finally escapes and then takes his revenge but must still find his lost objects (the ruby, helmet and pouch) #2 Imperfect Hosts, is where the sandman goes back to his world to find it in ruin. He then summons the Fates to inquire about the whereabouts of his lost objects:
The pouch is with one of my  favorite Englishman, John Constantine . The helmet with a demon in hell and the ruby with a member of the Justice League . This issue also sports a cameo of Batman and Robin. Notable figures are the Fates and Cain and Abel.

#3 Dream a Little Dream of Me, Constantine's appearance was something I was looking forward to but it was a bit disappointing. Then again that might not be saying much because I liked Keanu Reeves as Constantine. I have read one of the Hellblazer issues: in comparison, it's the same Constantine . The same level of cynical and depressing atmosphere. Dream finds Constantine and they go look for the pouch , which Constantine's ex-girlfriend stole. Although it wasn't what I expected it's one of my favorite issues (in this volume).

#4 A Hope in Hell, This is another of my favorites from this volume. Dream goes to hell to retrieve his helmet. He encounters Etrigan (a demon and half brother of Merlin), dream also finds hell in a different state. Lucifer is no longer sole ruler. He shares his rule with Beelzebub and Azazel. When Lucifer is introduced I was shocked because he looked like one of the damn  Bee Gees! That's not what a person expects, you know? . The demon who has Dream's helmet challenges him to a duel for the helmet. Dream wins , but Lucifer questions him "why should he let him leave  unscratched or leave at all". Dream blows me away with the  manner he escapes , he is a hope in hell and that's the reason they should let him leave.

#5 -#7, Passengers, follows the search for the Ruby. Doctor Destiny escapes Arkham asylum and hijacks a car with a woman in it. Doctor Destiny is going to get the ruby which he's altered to only work for him. Dream finds it first but the ruby resists him and takes some of his energy . Doctor Destiny shows up and takes the ruby. He plans to make the world go mad and be the king . #6 24 hours, Doctor Destiny's killing time in a diner while the world goes mad. He keeps the people in the diner there for 24 hours driving them mad and making them kill each other. Doctor destiny is twisted and really insane. Only after all the crazy has happend does Dream show up.  #7 Sound and Fury, dream challenges Doctor Destiny to a fight in his world. Dream tricks him into destroying the ruby, which gives Dream his powers back. Dream restores the world and returns Doctor Destiny to the asylum. and the world sleeps soundly.

#8 The Sound of Her Wings, This is my number one favorite. We get to meet Death, Dreams sister. She dresses in all black and has the same black unruly hair as her younger brother. She's death but she's full of life.    This issue follows dream and his sister while she reaps the living.







This comic is rated 18+. It does have some nudity and graphic scenes where people kill each other and are murdered .  There's a lot of death. The sandman has a lot of names. Morpheus, King of dreams, Dream and others I suppose. There's even a martian from the Justice League who knows him (which says something about his age). This comic has a lot going for it, good writing, good characterization and the art is pretty good if not creepy at times. It's also fun to read and meet characters you've know from other stories.So why wouldn't you read it?

Grade:

Revenge of the Prowler ( issue 1 and 2 ) by Timothy Truman and John K. Snyder

Random Comic Review

Timothy Truman and John Snyder’s Prowler returned in this 1988 mini-series. The Prowler, a former hero of the Golden Age has grown old, and the costumed villains he used to chase are few and far between. In this adventure, he must chase down a child porn ring with the help of new partner Scott Kida. In the end, the trail takes them to Sweden, where the Prowler learns that the ring’s mastermind has a very familiar face…

Both issues are divided into a present part and a past part. In the present we have the Prowler and his apprentice( Scott) and in the past we have the Prowler and his old cases.

Issue 1:

Writer :  Timothy Truman and Michael Price

Artist: John K. Snyder and Graham Nolan

Publisher: Eclipse

The present:
The first scene is very gruesome. Dead bodies piled up and a boy and a man (the Prowler) standing in the doorway . The boy, Scott Kida, isn't very comfortable with the situation and looks on horrified. Over the scene the speech boxes read like a letter. This was a bit bothersome to read because it's an actual letter with a different font to make it seem handwritten. Albeit you get use to it. It's a letter Scott writes to his aunt and uncle telling them his alright.

 The Prowler gets a visit from old friends, Devils Dogs,  one of their granddaughters been kidnapped en they suspect she's being used for child porn. So the Prowler and Scott investigate.

Aliens vs Predator (issue 0,1 & 2) by Randy Stradley

Random Comic Review

Traded my Johnny the Homicidal Maniac comics for 3 AvP comics(with full intentions of trading back, although I secretly would like to keep Alien vs Predator). I'm on the side of the Predators because lets face it the Aliens are ugly asses and predators are the badasses.All in all I for one am ecstatic that these creature don't exist because lets face it if they did. we.would.all.be.fucked.

<- Issue 0

The story starts by following a conversation between these two  (spaceship) pilots in outer space. Tom and Scott. Tom seems to have an ethical problem with mankind's attitude towards nature and other life forms. How we keep stripping planets of their natural resources for our own use leaving the other life forms there with nothing and how we harvest other species to extinction. Scott argue's that it's all for survival. It"s an interesting and thought provoking.

In this issue we see the Predators have one of the queen Aliens restrained and laying eggs . The eggs get scanned and the ones with other queen-like embryos get destroyed while the other eggs get loaded up on a ship then dropped on a planet so young predators can hunt them for their initiation trial. In one of the panels we see how the queen moves the machine with her, what my friend says is her vagina but I'm gonna go with ,birth tube to protect the egg with the queen-like embryo.

 What makes the conversation and the comic so great is how the conversation flows with the different panels. Tom thinks people have become to much codependent on technology(I agree) .In the panels we can see that although the Predators are far advance technologically they still rely on the old ways, instinct.

At the end of the comic you're left with one question? what happened to the egg?

                                                      --------->Issue1

Now we're on the planet Ryushi, population 115. This is the planet where they drop some of the eggs for an initiation hunt for younger Predators and the question we were left with in issue 0 gets answered. 

The story is narrated by Machiko Noguchi . The eggs that were dropped by the Predators have already hatched and infected some of the cattle-like rhino's called ryhnt. One of the ranchers finds one of the facehugger parasites near his herd and then makes up a story about finding it somewhere else, and not near his herd because he was scared   of having his cattle quarantined, AT the risk of sending  infected meat to other planets!! *it's dumb people like this guy that's gonna get us killed!!
When the Predators arrive they get spotted by one of the humans on Ryushi, doc Revna,who was investigating the facehugger parasite. The Predators try to stop him and doc Revna in his failed attempt to escape crashes his hover bike into the Predators ship which gets them stranded. This is one of my favorite parts. After the crash there's a 4 part panel :Revna's skull on the ground,skull gets picked up by Predator,Predator shows skull,then Predator crushes skull with his bare hands/claws(whatever you wanna call it)!
Tom and Scott(Douchebag) are also in this comic. This time we get to actually see them.They arrive on Ryushi to collect the cattle  when they enter the ship to leave..... BAM there's the queen egg, hatched and royally pissed off accompanied by other hatched Alliens. Now it's their turn

<--- Issue 2 

Out of the three comics this is my favorite cover but this issue ends on a annoying cliffhanger. 
A search party is send out to look for doc Revna. The search party  finds the remains of the Predator's ship where one of the searchers (moron) has a moment of misplaced enthusiasm and revers to the alien spaceship as a chariot of the gods! I mean really you find an alien spaceship You freaking run!! They also find an unconscious predator(yeah right) and decide to take him along to their lab(not knowing they're being followed by the other predators....fools).Children,  What do you do when you find an unconscious Predator? you RUN!!!!
Machiko approaches  (Tom's) ship to ask why they haven't left yet and the Aliens attack .She holds them off for a while until she losses her gun. It looks grim for a moment until a Predator shows up and kills the Aliens, inadvertently saving Machinko and that's the end. But what freaking happens then? does she die? she's between Aliens and Predators? her chances of survival are looking pretty freaking grim. really? I hate cliffhangers!!




This comic was more than I expected it to be. The first and second issue is in color. While reading these comics you can't help but feel sorry for these fictional people who you just know are gonna die. Very ugly deaths by very fugly looking creatures.

Grade: E

Johnny the Homicidal Maniac (issue 1 & 2) by Jhonen Vasquez

Random Comic Review


The series focuses on the 20-something year old anti-hero Johnny C, also known as "NNY" (pronounced 'knee'). He is a deranged serial killer, mass murderer, and spree killer who interacts with various other characters, generally by murdering them. He elaborately kills anyone who even slightly irritates him, then drains their blood and paints one of the walls in his house with it. Johnny is also willing to murder "innocent" people who, in his twisted mind, deserve their fate for some reason or another. The number of Johnny’s victims is in the dozens, if not hundreds — or perhaps even thousands. Authorities are unable to capture Johnny and seem unaware of his existence, even though his crimes are often witnessed in public and reported by the few who manage to survive.(from Goodreads)


I"m not an avid comic book reader but I actually enjoyed this depressing, funny,sarcastic and gory comic. Oh yeah I forgot to mention 'Insane" and "Honest".
The issue starts with a note from the author. Interesting sarcastic thoughts from Mr Vasquez.


I bought issues 1 and 2. Each comic seems to have a structure. First there's a story with Johnny then a short about a caricature named Wobbly Headed Bob who is superior than everybody else and must save them from their own stupidity and ignorance. These always end up with somebody dying. Meanwhile we jump to other events happening elsewhere. Then back to Johnny who's probably killing somebody ,then to another caricature named Happy Noodle Boy who's an  insane homeless person and then to the end, which ends with an entry from Johnny's diary.


I like the vocabulary in this comic and the writing on everything cans,shops,t-shirts,buildings. The speech boxes seem too cramped with text. Long text. The text or logo on Johnny's shirts also changes in each scene. That's fun to read and discover.


Issue 1 Johnny breaks into his neighbors house and practically traumatizes that poor kid for life.  My favorite part in this issue is when Johnny freaks out when somebody makes a remark about his appearance saying he looks "wacky". He flips out about the use of such an ass lancing word! and then kills everybody.
motive : " Without fail!! every time I leave my house. It's  as if I've given up my every right to be left alone,or treated with respect!! You flies, with your unyielding  little minds! you think my differences from you is an excuse to comment on me. as if I were on display for you!! like I'm the way I am because I want the incessant gawking of strangers!! not only that but you used the word "wacky"!!!"


This guy seems really unstable and it's understandable why he'd kill those morons. Of course killing them didn't really change anything. Albeit I now have a healthy fear of ever telling anybody they look wacky.

<-Meet Wobbly headed Bob :Doomed with superior knowledge. I love this guys sincere opinions on things be it life,love,education or suicide. 

Your thoughts on love Bob: " woeful deceit,soon will you keep each others company merely to sustain your guttural carnal desires. Enjoy yourselves while your simple lust is veiled by delusions of complex affections"

-> Happy Noodle Boy, So he's some insane homeless guy that stands on a box preaching about crazy stuff or screaming about he's genitalia. or maybe spending time jumping on cars making animal noises. Either way he's insane and annoying and I'm always happy when at the end somebody shoots him in the face. Although I've only read two JTHM comics I very much hope he dies in the other comics as well.

Issue 2

"Why are people so.........unpleasant"

Although Johnny's this unstable,crazy homicidal person there are aspects of his character you could relate too. Only difference is we wouldn't go out killing people or maybe we just haven't reached that breaking point yet?

Interesting thing happening in this issue is when Johnny goes on a date .Everything goes normal until Johnny tries to kill his date but gets his ass kicked by a girl. The serial killer getting felled by a chick.

In both issues Johnny tries to kill himself.  In issue 1 he gets talked out of it by inanimate objects that can talk but what really saves him is the TV . In issue 2 he gets extremely suicidal after the store clerks tells him the brain-freez machine is off so no brain-freez. Johnny then wants to die and take the clerk with him. He kills the clerk . Now he can't kill himself because there was only one bullet!! he gets over this set back very fast when he sees  some fiz-wiz in the shop.

Each issue ends with a Dear Diary entry. I leave Johnny(issue2) as he plans to go out and kill a clown. I have little sympathies for clowns because they're creepy.

I hope I can find more of these comics at my bookstore because this is actually an interesting thought provoking comic and funny that borders on frightening. I really hope I never meet the author .

Grade: O