The Hotdog Prince (Francis Martelino) [Komikult] — Thing that looks like a huge hotdog emerges out of nowhere. Snide NSFW jokes abound. The end. Art is competent. Paneling is okay but somewhat boring. Quite frankly something cannot stand on green jokes alone. But if this is your kind of thing, it’s not bad at all.
FanTasy (Ace Abad) [Komikult] — The most important powers in the world are distributed between seven people, and apparently the most recent one to get it is an ordinary college student. Unfortunately more story happens in the info-dumping first two pages than in all of the komik, which descends into a snarky conversation between two strangers. Art is okay. Typesetting is a bit too large in places. Paneling needs a little work.
Attack of the Man Eating Beef Steak (Richard Arguilla) — Beefsteaks arrive on the planet and attack all life. The only thing that stands in their way is a a guy with punk hair and a guy with a dog head. Digital inking is good, typesetting is really nice. Comic timing is okay but not flat-out hilarious, especially in a joke spread out as long as this. Author will do well in 4-panel comics. Comic was made well and will have its audience.
Mix (Kaire) — I recall that a group of cosplaying maid girls forced this on me, and this is the one of the three they were selling that actually looked bearable. This is a Vocaloid doujin largely featuring Rin and Len in a school setting. Really cute, and does go somewhere. Art is also really nice, especially considering how young those girls who made this were. This author has potential. Though: seriously a typo that big should NOT have been in the cover!
Vast Canvas (no listed creator) [ExoroChoice] — First of all, who IS the author and/or illustrator of this thing? Such an important thing, and it is nowhere to be found on the release. The best artists join a Hunger-Games-type elimination contest using materials that can make their creations come to life. Highly ambitious concept, but one that could have fared better in the hands of a more experienced writer and illustrator, or in the hands of this writer and illustrator had there been better editing. Art is quite nice but not varied enough to justify the differences in art styles in such a competition given here. Paneling is messy. Overall the story has much potential, and so does the art.
Dragon Tears (no listed creator) [ExoroChoice] — Same problem as above. In a fantasy world stuck in civil war for hundreds of years, dragons give power through tears. One of the last little dragons gives his to a nerdy bookworm who has no desire to fight but has to. As you can see it’s also a very nice concept, with art that can deliver it nicely enough. Paneling is also a little messy but better.
Odd Fellows (Alex Lennox-Miller/Lady Storykeeper) [Incubator Press] — In a twist in the zombie problem, a necromancer and an occultist make an uneasy alliance to defeat the undead, both of them searching for the same book that will help them become the best wizard-something. Story is good, art is really nice and distinct, but the paneling especially for action scenes got a little confusing.
Sinag (Jaudaux) [AshFrost] – Guy travels to another dimension and gets mixed up in a battle between two alien peoples. Art has much potential, but in general there is too little contrast between black and white, such that the whole presentation looks pale. Paneling is also a little uneven. Finally not enough pages is given to fully introduce the main characters. But the whole thing does show potential.
Segovia Solutions 1 (Jerald Uy/Jether Amar) [Uy!comics] — Got major problems, call our company and our agents will send a superhero. The release gives the story of one such superhero and the bad guy he has to deal with, along with their backgrounds. A journalist covering the Maguindanao Massacre then asks for help from the superhero agency…and gets a response. Concept is really good. In general the art backs up the concept. Paneling is a bit too open-spaced in some places, but in general the whole work is not bad at all.
Putrefying Element (Jake Vicente) [InkJinks] — This was one of the most artistically arresting of the offerings of the InkJinks group, which is why it was the one that got bought. Influences of the darker side of manga is clear, but the artist has a personal style that is hard to ignore even with the macabre-ness of it all. The detective work laid out in the story is also semi-convincing. The clash between having foreign characters knowing about aswang this well, though, is a little disconcerting. The characters also, beyond their differences in clothes and basic personality, were not interesting enough, through their being over-angsty. Overall I do think the first issue is a solid release, though I would hope better editing will happen story-wise for it.
KabiTenyo / Devil Among the Shadows (E. Lopez) [Peligro Komiks] — People are killing each other off for the bragging rights, so they can be Master Assassin. One of the best in the business, and the one people are hunting the most after, is one young man who hails from Cavite. He is part of a rigorous training program given to some orphaned squatter boys. The art is very good and distinct, and the action panels are executed very nicely. His art style is better on display on the second story, a doujin of a ninja manga. But the pacing, snarky dialogue, and story are highly typical, obviously done by a gentleman who likes the action more than the time necessary to form the story. Teaming with or assistance from a writer friend will benefit next releases.
Jumper Cable 