Read These Comics Now!

I reviewed the first half of this book back in February when writer / artist Tommie Kelly released the Electric Ladyland compilation, collecting the early appearances of Jim Soundman and friends from the Road Crew webcomic.

The Complete Road Crew is twice that comic, following our hero where few slacker roadies have ever dared go before... including heaven, hell, outer space, The X-Factor, and... the recording studio. Can Jim produce the debut album of George In India (aka the support band) with little more than a rudimentary 4 track and the ability to shout at drummers? How hard can it really be?

Sex, drugs, rock 'n' roll and plenty of laughs... this comic has it all. And for anyone who ever dreamed about going on the road with their favourite band... just ask Jim Soundman. He'll probably tell you not to bother. It's too much like hard work.

Read more Road Crew and buy the complete collection here.

Martin Eden's gay superheroes comic Spandex reaches its third issue this month, and this really is the best yet. Up till now, Spandex has been loads of fun with its pink ninjas and 50 foot lesbians, but Martin's been playing it mostly for laughs, with the odd splash of drama thrown in to keep us on our toes. Fans of Martin's previous book, The O Men, will know that comedy is just one of his many talents - he's an all round entertainer, which he proves to the full in Spandex #3 with a emotional action horror rollercoaster that deals quite wonderfully with the thorny subject of depression, and how we handle it.

The colourful world of Spandex has been turned grey by an alien monster called Nadir who has taken all the fun out of being alive and forced us all into working 12 hour days, 7 days a week. If you live for the weekend, you might as well call it a day. Fortunately, a small group of heroes survive and resist the influence of Nadir, though one by one they are slowly falling victim to the torpor.

Till now, the characters in Spandex have largely been defined by their sexuality, but three issues in Martin has wisely broadened the book's scope. These aren't gay superheroes any more, they're superheroes who happen to be gay. Anything's possible now... and I'm really looking forward to seeing where he takes these wonderful characters next.

See for yourself by visiting Martin's website where Spandex is available to buy both as print comic and pdf.

From Rags To Rockstars

From Rags To Rockstars features the continued adventures of roadie Jim Soundman who we first met in the comic Road Crew. But where that book was a series of light-hearted gags and misadventures, this time writer/artist Tommie Kelly is broadening his range, getting personal, going metaphysical, and delivering some damned fine character work - as well as the laughs.

It begins with an opening sequence that recalls Buddy Baker's final showdown with Grant Morrison in Animal Man #26... if Buddy had been a boozed up loser rather than a family man superhero. Then the story starts for real as Jim uncovers some shocking secrets about his parents and has his life turned upside down... for the better, or perhaps not? Considering that intro sequence, we're left wondering just how good things will really get for our hero, even after he's been granted all his wishes. The idea that Kelly has written this book as some kind of magick wish-fulfillment opus (in a similar way to what Morrison tried in Invisibles) makes the whole comic a much more personal endeavour. I'm really looking forward to the next issue. Plus it's filled with sex and drugs and rock 'n' roll... what else do you need?

Buy From Rags To Rockstars and read online extracts here. While you're there, check out Tommie's daily webcomic Something Wonderful... but not if you're easily offended.