Posted in: Comics | Tagged: Bad Machinery, Comics, dc, entertainment, LadyCastle, marvel, reviews

The Bleeding Cool Dad & Kid Reviews: LadyCastle #1, Bad Machinery: The Case of the Unknown Visitor

Dad & Kid: Dad is Spencer Ellsworth, who has written for BC & many other sites, and whose space opera trilogy Starfire is coming from Tor Books in 2017. Kid loves comics more than anything, except maybe doodling and jokes about butts. She is also the proud recipient of the Nerdiest Kid In Fourth Grade award, presented by her best friend. Together they read comics, fight evil, & fight over who gets to read Lumberjanes first this month.

LadyCastle #1 by Delilah S. Dawson & Ashley A. Woods (BOOM! Studios)

Dad: Thanks to a super-secret (cue spooky music) arrangement, I came into a review copy of LadyCastle #1. LadyCastle follows a typical enchanted castle, complete with a singing princess, Aeve, in the tower (sample lyrics: "and so I'll write a note, or maybe two or three/pet my snake and bake and dream of anarchy"). As it often goes with enchanted castles, the men ride off to fight monsters while the women stay home and keep the fires burning. Halfway through the first issue, one man returns home from war to explain that all the men of the castle have been wiped out in war. But no problem, says the one remaining Y chromosome. "I'm prepared to take on the mantle of king. Ladies, the crown? Any crown will do. I'm not picky."

But then, a certain strange woman lying in a pond sticks a sword out of the water, a tall, burly blacksmith woman Merinor becomes king by dint of wanting to examine the fine workmanship of the blade. From there, imprisoned princess becomes awesome warrior, and the women of the castle deal with the first of what will no doubt be many awesome adventures: fire salamanders.

The book makes its trope-smashing clear right out of the gate, as Aeve sings lyrics that could be set right to Tangled "When Will My Life Begin." It reminded me a lot of Castle Waiting by Linda Medley, with a cozy, fun feel, but it has more of a sense of adventure than Medley does; the fire salamander scene would have fit right into a Noelle Stevenson book. This is one for the hold; it'll make you smile every month. I could promise, but I'll just let Kid describe it:

Kid: An interesting book! With only one boy, which makes it kind of unique out of most comics. I felt like I was right there in the castle watching everything. I liked the part when Aeve, the princess locked in the tower, was singing, and her little sister on the ground below shouted, "YOU SOUND CRAZY! NO WONDER FATHER LOCKED YOU UP!" and the part where Merinor says, "Well, now it looks like I'm the blacksmith and the king!"

It made fun of Disney movies in a really funny way. On a scale of poop to Best Comic Ever, I give it: Super-Duper Fun.

Bad Machinery: The Case of the Unwelcome Visitor by John Allison

Dad: Bad Machinery is the comic that has aged with us. Formerly known as the hip little webcomic Scary Go Round, John Allison, (also of BOOM's Giant Days) reinvented his online comic about sleuthing twenty somethings into a series about pubescent sleuths just in time for my kids to start reading it. The previous volume, The Case of the Fire Inside, was Kid's favorite read of 2016.

In the town of Tackleford, the amateur sleuths of year 9 (eighth grade, Colonials) are facing down a dull summer after the thrills of The Case of the Rock Bottom. If you checked the volume numbers for Rock Bottom and were confused, don't be—Allison includes the last few pages of Rock Bottom at the beginning of the story, along with a short strip explaining how the case was eaten by a failed save. It's a jarring way to start, but necessary as a minor subplot from Rock Bottom resolves Unwelcome Visitor.

Once we're past the bumpy beginning, we settle in to a slow summer for our sleuths. Lottie's big sister and mother both have new boyfriends—mother's boyfriend is deadly dull, which sister's beau is all kinds of exciting—and due to the amateur sleuthing of the Tackleford youth, both men have a connection to a soul-sucking creature that roams the suburban British streets. Tensions and temperatures rise in a mystery that involves plumbing, souls and medical drama. All in all, it's everything you could ask for from Allison—clever quips, teenage romantic tension, and supernatural fun—but it hasn't got the teeth of Fire Inside, which was a career highlight. Ah well. Allison's been going since 1999—there will be more. And don't take my word for it—take Kid's:

Kid: The Case of the Unwelcome Visitor is the latest in the Bad Machinery series, which is tied for my ALL TIME FAVORITE SERIES with Lumberjanes, Bandette, Avatar and anything by Raina Tegelmeier. I have a lot of favorite comics!

Lottie is one of the funniest characters EVER and it's really funny to see her tease her big sister and tease other people, like when she describes her mother's new boyfriend as "incredibly violent in the bathroom. I'm personally amazed that he hasn't blown the toilet to bits." BUTT JOKES ARE THE BEST. I enjoyed it but it wasn't as good as the other Bad Machinery comics so far. There wasn't enough of Mildred and Shauna, the other two girls who make Lottie funnier by pointing out all the crazy things she does, and it was kind of confusing to start with just the end of The Case of the Rock Bottom.

I hope the selkies from the last volume, The Case of the Fire Inside, come back sometime soon. And I hope Lottie's mums boyfriend comes back and blows the toilet to bits. This is why Im going to never date a creepy plumber who is always having to leave at dinner. On a scale of dog farts to LEMON SPONGE CAKE I give it: lemon cloud cake!!!!!!!! [my second favorite cake]

Dad: Can't follow that. See you next time, true believers!

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