Dark Entries Review

I'm going to try my hand every now and then to writing a review. I have been trying to get my hands on every kind and style of comic book. Now I like the Super Hero stuff just as much as the next guy but sometimes the capes and over the top bad guys don't cut it. I have always liked Hell Blazer I suppose it was one of the first books that I read that wasn't covered in bright colors and spandex. John Constantine is such a good character and in the right hands he becomes an excellent character. Which brings me to Ian Rankin's book Dark Entries. This is a classic Constantine story. The story centers on a reality t v show that at first appears to be set in a haunted house. Constantine is dragged in to help the housemates get to the source of the problem. Rankin is known for his crime fiction and he makes the transition from novels to comics very well. he crafts a great story. The art work is done by Werther Dell'edera making his debut with this one. The art style works well with this one, very simple and dark. This is one to pick up especially if your a fan of Andy Diggle's run on Hell Blazer they have approached the character much the same way giving Constantine his sharp wit and sarcastic sense of humor. Another thing that I think is key to a good Hell Blazer story is the atmosphere of where it is set with Andy Diggle's work you got a feeling that the city of London was a character itself. A place steeped in so much history and myth that is just fuels the story so well. That same atmosphere is found in Dark Entries from the Big Brother style house to the streets of the city this is a very well crafted world that we have been dropped into. Have a look see what you think and let me know what you think.

Another day, Another Artist.

Hi I'm back. I have another artist for you. Robert Elrod is an award winning illustrator and graphic designer based in Colorado. His illustrations focus mainly on Horror, Fantasy and Science Fiction. He is also working on his first graphic novel. If you are a fan of Horror check this out.

That's it, check out his website and blog.

Artist to check out.

Hello Have had a busy few days not been able to put anything up here. I want you to check out an artist portfolio. The guy's name is Andrew Dawe-Collins. At the moment he is working on his own title called BlackFeather which is a five part horror mini series. He is also working on a kids book for Livingdead Press called Children of the Void. Check the guy's work out some excellent stuff there. I have a couple more people for you to check out over the next few days. Some up new artist's and a few established artists that I think are worthy of your attention so check out Andrew's portfolio and I will be back hopefully tomorrow with another artist for you to check out.

A page from Andrew's book The Zombie in the Basement for LivingDead Press.

I messed up.

O k I messed it up. I thought that Havoc 21 had an issue out I was wrong. The editor was in contact with me and he was telling me that the next issue of Havoc 21 will be released next year and hopefully it will be distributed in America as well as here in Ireland. I have also been sent the complete art work for the Quarantine story by Andrew Dawe-Collins looks excellent.

It's the end of the world.

Another day another post. Today it is about a story I managed to get published in a comic book called Havoc 21. The story is about a future where a terrible virus has spread across the globe. In order to contain the infection a series of under ground plants are constructed to house the sick. The story centers on an escape attempt by one of the inhabitants of one of these plants.

The art for this story is done by an artist called Andy Dawe-Collins. The issue is available from Wolfman-Productions International.

Future Quake Press

I like my sci fi. I really like my sci fi. I have a few sci fi books that I want to work on but I suppose baby steps for now. I have been lucky enough to get a couple short stories into the pages of that excellent comic Future Quake. I got a one page story entitled 'Ambassador to the Stars' drawn by Ed Traquino into Issue 12 of that comic. I will have a story in there next issue set for release in Spring 2010 drawn by Belfast artist Paul McCallan.

Here is a panel from the Ambassador to the Stars story I worked on for Issue 12 of Future Quake. Art by Ed Traquino. You can still pick up a copy of this issue if you head over to the Future Quake website.

Lucky Break

O k so I have been writing screenplays, plays and comic book scripts for a while now with some varied success. I have been lucky enough to make a few short films which were fun and challenging and also expensive. Let's say you want to tell a big science fiction story well that's not going to happen unless you have some serious investment behind you. That is what I love most about comics with a talented artist you can tell any size story you want from a character driven story to an all out Star Wars size epic. You are limited only by your imagination.

I got my break in this medium just over a year ago. A friend of mine Aidan Courtney was in the early stages of setting up his comic book publishing company. He was looking for some unpublished artists and writers for the sample issue of his Irish Language comic called Ri Ra.

I knew a very talented artist by the name of John Cullen who like myself was interested in getting into the comic book business. So Myself and John made a one page science fiction story called the Beacon. The sample issue launched at the Dublin City Comic Con last year. We shared the sample issue with some very talented people such as Bob Byrne, Declan Shalvey, Alan Nolan and Ian Whelan to name a few.

We did a good enough job on this one he kindly invited us back to tell a much bigger story.

It Begins

Well this is it, after much debate I have decided to set up a blog. I have no idea how often I can update this but sure I'll give it a go.

My Name is Mike Lynch. I am a comic book writer based in the West of Ireland. I know what your thinking 'Who is this Mike Lynch guy? I've never heard of him' Well don't worry too much about it.
So far I have been published in a grand total of two publications but I plan to get into a few more over the coming months.

So that's it for now. I will post a few links and a few samples of my work all two of them over the next few days.