Today’s book review comes from the Rock and Shock 2015 collection:
Summerlands Fanzine
Issue #2
With stories and art by: Ogmios, Penny Fey, Justin DiMeglio, MJ Preston
Genre: Anthology, Folklore, Horror, Paranormal, Fantasy, Dark Comedy
Publisher: Outside The Box Comics
1 Sentence Synopsis:
Summerlands is a collection of genre fiction short stories presented as illuminated scripts and comics.
Longer Description:
Summerlands #2 introduces the series Celtic Mythos by Ogmios and Skin by author Mj Preston and features a new tale, Raising the Dead by Penny Fey.
Continuing stories include Bestial Blood by Ogmios and Penny Fey, Group Therapy by Justin DiMeglio and Splicers also by Ogmios. Geared to adult readers, genres include Fantasy, Horror, Myth, Sci-Fi, & Dark Comedy.
My Thoughts
This fanzine is an interesting collection of genre storytelling, with a little bit of everything in there for everyone. Secret agents, fantasy, mythology, and supernatural horror to name a few elements. It has the hand-crafted indie feel- a little unpolished but an enjoyable variation on what you normally see in publications.
Some pieces are comics, some are short stories with large illustrations, and others are all text with some beautiful Celtic knot work or other designs bordering the edges.
Here’s an example of what I mean:
Sometimes the layout of the pages ends up feeling a bit crowded, with the font getting a little too small to fit the pages, but in general, I really enjoyed the artistic presentation of the stories.
Getting out of graphic designer mode…
I enjoyed the variety of content in this zine, and it was fun seeing how the artwork and the storytelling was approached from section to section:
Some stories are stronger than others but the one that really stuck out to me was the pencil-drawn first comic, Lugh’s Tribute, which tells a story from Celtic mythology.
I enjoyed seeing a little slice of mythological battle brought to life trough the comic.
Also, the art style in this piece absolutely captivated me. I mean, just look at those expressions!!
Verdict
You can tell it’s a young publication by it’s rough edges, but it has some great stories mixed in there with some equally cool artwork. This zine is a labor of love, made by fans for fans. So if you enjoy reading genre fiction that revels in the community aspect of storytelling and creation I think you will enjoy reading this.
3.5 out of 5 fan-blood spattered stars.
Find a Copy
Prints and Digital Downloads can be found over at www.indyplanet.us
Check out more from the Creators
Horror Made 