Looking for Comics to Review at PBR.com

[DannoE]

Hey guys,

I'm the new indie comics reviewer over at PaperbackReader.com (http://www.paperbackreader.com), and I'm looking for comics to review. I specifically requested the Alias/Speakeasy/non-superhero beat, so if you have one of those kinds of comics, then I am down for reviewing it.

Paperbackreader.com is one of the better up-and-coming comics news and reviews sites on the Internet. Even Marvel has started to site their reviews in its recent press releases. So this is a good opportunity for me, and I quite honestly hope that it is a good opportunity for some of you as well.

Thanks. To send me something or to inquire about a review, email me at dannoe(at)proletariatcomics.com (dannoe@proletariatcomics.com).

[DannoE]

Just an update: I failed as a Reviewer. After reading my first review, they asked me to be a columnist instead. The upside of that is that I'll have more readers on average and only have to write it every other week, so it's actually a very good thing.

So anyway, my new Column is going to be called COMICS YOU SHOULD BE READING. It's based on the long-running section in my NEWS PAGE (http://www.proletariatcomics.com/news.html) that probably no one has ever really sat down and read. But oh well.

Bottom line: I'm still looking for quality indie comics to pimp, so if you have 'em, send 'em over. The upside is that now I only have to cover stuff that I actually like. Hooray! :)

[noh-varr]

Do you want trades/graphic novels or series that may not be done yet? Also books that are still coming out or ones that people should hunt down and they may not know of?

[DannoE]

Y'know, I don't really know what I want yet. I hope that's not a cop-out, but it's true. I just want to review stuff that is good.

I would PREFER to review stuff that is good that is also off the beaten path, but I'm easy. This column is really an extension of a piece that has run for over a year on MY site, and there I have run the gamit from Travis Cherest: Spacegirl (apologies if I spelled that wrong) to Marvel's House of M.

The bottom line is that it's a column so that I don't have to be objective. Writing objectively doesn't play to my strengths, and anyway, making recommendations is more fun. So this way I don't have to give bad reviews, which are stupid for the indies in any case IMO. Who cares if a comic that no one has ever heard of sucks? Is that really NEWS? Who on Earth would consider that IMPORTANT?

This way, if I hate something, then I can at least just let it die on its own without my active help in the destruction of someone's dream.

So getting back to actually answering the question: I guess that a good way to look at it is that if it doesn't make sense to me as a new reader, then it doesn't make sense. Other than that, my NEWS Page (http://www.proletariatcomics.com/news.html) is archived on my site, and I'll have the first of what will be a bi-weekly series up by the end of the weekend. This first column covers Portal Productions' BOTS: A Project to Fight Autism. And if you don't buy their book, then you're an asshole because EVERYONE should want to fight Autism.

So there you have it.

[DannoE]

Here's my first column:
http://www.paperbackreader.com/newcolumn.php?ColumnID=60

This was originally written as a review, so next time I'll change it up, but for now I think it serves its purpose.

[MrGranger]

A very popular column already. Your bandwidth has been exceeded. :evilangry

[DannoE]

Sorry about that. I had no idea.

It's back up now. :)

[DannoE]

This week's column. Enjoy!

http://www.paperbackreader.com/newcolumn.php?ColumnID=64

[DannoE]

This week's column covers ARTESIA from ASP and JUSTICE from DC. Yeah, I know JUSTICE isn't an indie, but it's a great book, and I feel like it's slippng under the radar, so...

Here's the link: http://www.paperbackreader.com/newcolumn.php?ColumnID=68

[Dexxell]

Hi Dannoe,
Nice column. Maybe I could send you my graphic novel? It might be something you'd enjoy. I'd hope anyway. :)

[DannoE]

Thanks and Sure. Hit me on email, and I'll give you the address to send it to.

[JTLauder]

I'm not too interested in reviewing especially since it looks like most of your reviews are single issues and I've mostly gone exclusive to trades and unless you don't mind the occassional special issues.

Thought I'd comment that's it's just as important to have bad reviews as good reviews (the comics being good or bad, not the reviews themself). It's great to find out how good something is, but as a reader, I also want to be spared the time and money from a bad comic.

And I wouldn't worry about the "destruction of someone's dream." If the writer/artist really has a dream, they will continue doing what they love. Just now, they know what they are doing isn't working and they need to change and improve. It's a lot better to find out sooner to develop yourself than to spend all that time and effort creating bad work to only to stop it anyway. So saying not only that you hated something, but WHY you hated it so it's a constructive criticism helps them more than it hurts them.

[DannoE]

That's a valid thought. I agree with it. But the truth is that I FAILED as a reviewer, and so that's wy they moved me over to columnist. I'm just not good at doing reviews and decided that I don't care. Thus my column is a recommendation column. I write about comics that I like. So, if you see a comic that I have covered, then that means that I thought is was good enough for me to waste my time covering it. That means that I think it's worth your time.

My column is emphatically NOT about giving constructive feedback. I do give that sort of feedback, but I do it privately over email and usually only for folks who ask for it.

Re: single issues: So far, I have recommended an 80-page sketchbook, a 280-page TPB, an OGN, and a 12-issue maxi-series. If you don't want to send me your work, that's fine. Really, I don't feel like I'm some kind of "this is where good comics go to get reviewed" clearing house or anything. Plus, I already have a GIANT BOX that's quite full of stuff, so I'm already at the point where I can be choosy about what to cover, and new stuff comes out every week.

Thanks!

[AlexApprobation]

I'd love to have reviews on any of my books!

Many of them can be found right here! (http://www.comixpress.com/catalog/index.php?manufacturers_id=26)

I know the PBR reviewed the first three issues of Myriad, #4 is out there, and I can't recall if they reviewed the Lethal Instinct (from Alias) issues yet.

[DannoE]

This week's column covers Vertigo's American Virgin #1. Check it out:

http://www.paperbackreader.com/newco...hp?ColumnID=74