I've been interested in the Boom! Box comics line pretty much from the get-go...said g-g being The Midas Flesh, late 2014. I've only dipped in here and there, though, never really stuck with anything they put out. But I'm glad that Boom! Box exists, for sure. It's not exactly a kid's line, but it's pretty close. And sometimes closer. And we need that in the comics world.
ANYway...I'm also used to picking up new titles when I see them on the rack, giving them at least a glance, and sometimes buying them or making a note to have a look for them at the library. Couple that with Boom! Box and I pretty much had to pick up Mamo. But when I realized it was a third issue, I almost put it back on the rack unopened, as I'm not one to walk into the theater after the show's begun. But another look at that most excellent cover--
And then I had to buy it.
And?
Well, for starters I really must go back for the first two issues of this most excellent work.
For one thing, the art is just lovely, as you can probably tell from the cover picture. For another thing, writer and artist Sas Milledge has a wonderful sense of how to break down a page. When she drops in a full page spread, it is obvious that it belongs there. And when she leaves a lot of white space and just a few panels on the page, it is because it fits with the story at that point. I don't think I've been as excited about page breakdowns since I first saw Trevor Von Eden's work on Thriller. Not that Mamo is anything like Thriller...because other than being a work of quality and substance, there's no similarity at all. But for the most part, breakdowns fall into two categories: functional (which tends toward the mundane...which is not necessarily a bad thing, since it means that you're not distracted from the story) and show-offy. And even some of the artists I love the most...like Jim Starlin and Neal Adams...fall into the latter category, methinks. But Sas knows her shit, and her pages are laid out in ways that make them attractive enough to notice, but not distract you from the story. It's no mean feat.
The art also evokes a bit of Kiki's Delivery Service at times. The way the black cat is drawn, for instance, reminds me a lot of Jiji. And just the style of the art sometimes reminds me of Kiki. But despite those occasional nudges...and despite the fact that Mamo is a story about a young witch finding her way (at least I think that's what it is; remember, I picked this up with issue #3)...it definitely stands apart as a thing of its own. Yep, I love this book, and will be going back for more in the near future.
Oh...it's also a great deal: 44 pages + a kick ass cover for $4.99, and the only ad is an in-house on the last page and the inside back cover. Which means a lot, because it is never pleasant to have to read your way around Twinkie ads, is it?
Breaking News: Just for giggles and shits, I typed Mamo into the search box on Hoopla, and much to my surprise...
Unfortunately, I only have one more borrow on this month, so I've been hesitant to read issue one knowing that I won't have access to #2 for at least a week (if I buy it from The Great Escape) or almost two weeks if I wait to check it out from Hoopla.
But you know what...I am pretty sure that I'm going to end up buying the back issues even after I've read them, so I might as well go for issue #1 now and pick up 1 & 2 from the comic book store next week. Win win, right?
The only bad news (at least at this point) is that this is a five-issue series, and I know I'm going to be wanting more than that, but don't wait for the collected edition...support your local Boom! Box today!
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