ADVANCE REVIEW! Papercuts and Inkstains #1


Has new independent publisher, Madius Comics got a brilliant anthology series on their hands? Or does the company fall at the first hurdles? Read on to find out.

The official description from Madius Comics:

Welcome to this, the inaugural issue of Papercuts and inkstains. What started off a semi weekly column of irreverence, insanity and opinion has changed and been reborn as this multi storied comic you see before you!

Mixing horror, humour, science fiction and the absurd, Papercuts sets out to amuse, question, intrigue and delight. issue one is written solely by Robin Jones, the former writer of the aforementioned column, and features art from Dan Butcher (Vanguard Comic, Reynard City), Mike Smith (5 Dimensions Comics), Kevin Pospisil; a new comer with swagger, jagger and all sorts of US sass and Nick Gonzo (Punk Rock Apocalypse, The Tree, Harvey Spig Series) and contains 3 distinctly different stories, Harold and Madge face off against the Yorkshire Zombie Apocalypse, The Brotherhood of B.O.O.B.D.A.E Attempt to bring forth the apocalypse with the help of Waitrose and Holland and Barrett and finally we follow a day in the life of a time war adjudicant…

Papercuts and Inkstains #01 previewThe first thing that you need to know about this comic, is that at no point does it try to be serious.. in any fashion. Having three uniquely wacky tales, Papercuts and Inkstains #1 has all the elements of a great sketch anthology, with it’s humor, and quick fire stories making it the perfect comic for anyone looking for some light reading. It’s variety of genres also makes it very universal, as if you don’t like one, you may love another.

All three tales in this issue are written by Rob Jones, with the British writer utilising the culture around him to create some quick witted humor. It is however the way that he manages to incorporate this into the different plotlines that really fascinates me, as though the narrative on it’s own is nothing special, the balance between the two is something truly commendable. On the other hand, there is a part of me that feels these tales are a little too weird, and though that’s not necessarily a bad thing, there may be some readers that’ll be put off by this.

The artwork on this issue is naturally split between three artists, with a different illustrator handling each tale. Despite each artist having their own unique style, the general tone of this comic remains the same, with the shading, and grey tones allowing for a gritty look. As for the artists as individuals, there’s little to differentiate quality wise, with Kevin PospisilMike Smith and Nick Gonzo all doing great work on their specific tale. Despite this, I did feel that Smith’s art stood out most, with the tone matching the humor perfectly.

Papercuts and Inkstains #1 is a bold new direction for the humor sketch anthology, with it’s unique style of wacky tales being hilarious. This, along with the fun art makes this a worthwhile comic to pick up when it hits comic stands, as though there are elements that are a little off putting, they are well outweighed by the sheer entertainment within.

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OUR RATING
7.5
  • + Three uniquely wacky tales.
  • + Wonderful humor from Rob Jones.
  • + Fun art from three brilliant artists.
  • - A little too weird at times.

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