In Review: The Sisterhood

British indie Timebomb Comics The Sisterhood: Morningstar is a gem of an indie title from this young Leicester-based UK publisher, who also brought us the time-bending Ragamuffins last year.

With art from newcomer Dan Barritt, The Sisterhood are dedicated to fighting the good fight in God's name. Sinners, it seems, are everywhere, blinded by Satan’s lure. Who else but women of faith, from all the known worlds, can thus help bring salvation to the lost souls of the galaxy and, in particular, to the backwater planet Morningstar that refuses to accept the message of the Church?

TimeBomb's first full-colour book, Steve Tanner delivers an acerbic script drawing, I'm assuming, on the Catholic Church's treatment of non-believers in the past (much in evidence in South America and Mexico during the destruction of indigenous civillisations in the quest for gold, for example): although of course there's plenty of modern-day evangelists of all Christian churches that continue to employ some appalling tactics in pursuit of converting the heathen. (The web site Religious Tolerance provides a starting point for examples...)

None though, measure up to the devastating tactics of the future See in The Sisterhood, wiping out entire planetary societies if they don't bend to the will of God. Steve's vicious and yet often funny script is actually given more menace through artist Dan Barritt's cartoony, manga-esque style: while anime and manga often use funny animals to deliver a satirical take on the world, Steve and Dan go for the jugular and bring deliver a cruel, savage take on future war, future religion with a cast of human characters.

While the title is not without fault -- with a fairly big cast for a one-shot title, more could have been done with character introduction for example, and the sheer chaos of the battle of Morningstar very occasionally leads to some confused storytelling -- any faults are more than made up for by Dan Barritt's stunning panoramic battlescapes and the delightful satire the script offers, easily on a par wit some of the best of the early 2000AD stories.

While I'd also argue the overall print quality of the title is a little dark, muting the quality of the art a tad, this is still a title well worth tracking down via TimeBomb themselves or other outlets.

• Buy The Sisterhood on the TimeBomb Comics web site
• Dan Barritt's official web site
• Short Fuses: The Official Time Bomb Comics Blog

Something Completely Different

... this surely has to rank as one of the best titles for a magazine ever. Someone tell Lew Stringer he was been pipped to the post sometime during the Second World War...

Comics In Scotland: 2000AD And More

As part of the first national Oxfam Bookfest, which runs from 4 to 18 July 2009, the British charity will be holding a comics event in Edinburgh. With the Dundee Literary Festival Comics Day in June and the Edinburgh International Book Festival with its anticipated comics talks in August, central Scotland was already well served for comics events this summer so this is an extra bonus.

To be held between Noon and 3pm on Saturday 18 July in Edinburgh's McDonald Road Library located at the corner of McDonald Road and Leith Walk, the event is being advertised as a comics workshop covering 2000AD and More. Currently Commando and Spectacular Spiderman writer Ferg Handley is scheduled to appear with more guests due to be announced and attendees will also get the chance to bid on donated items during an auction.

This is only one of a number of book related events happening around the country in July organised by Oxfam which is the UK's largest retailer of second hand books. As yet there are no details of ticket prices or further guests .

• More details of the Oxfam Comics In Scotland event can be found on the Oxfam UK website.

• The locations of Oxfam Bookshops can be found using the Oxfam Shop Locator.

Timeframes - The 3rd Dundee Comics Conference

With the successful Scottish comics convention Hi-Ex over for this year and already confirmed as going ahead next year, the countdown to the next major Scottish comics event of the year is now in full swing. The third Dundee University Comics Conference, Timeframes, will be taking place in the modern, comfortable and well equipped D'Arcy Thompson Lecture Theatre in the Tower Building of Dundee University on Sunday 28 June as part of the Dundee Literary Festival. While the event is more of a conference than a convention, organiser Dr Chris Murray of the University's English Department has an impressive line-up of guests planned covering a wide range of artists, writers and editors.

In addition to the presentations, the conference will host the opening of an exhibition in the university's Lamb Gallery featuring DC Thomson's much loved science fiction digest, Starblazer, which follows on from the impressive Beano exhibition held there last year. Starblazer editor Bill McLoughlin and artist Keith Robson will open the exhibition as well as giving a presentation on the title.

Among the other presentations during the day, writer and former 2000AD editor David Bishop will remain with the science fiction theme for a presentation on Alan Moore's 2000AD stories, while Manga Shakespeare artist Emma Vieceli will discuss her adaptations of Hamlet and Much Ado About Nothing. Dr Mel Gibson will discuss Alice In Sunderland by last year's keynote speaker, Bryan Talbot, while this year's keynote speakers will be writers Alan Grant and Warren Ellis who will be talking, answering questions and signing their books.

Tickets are available in advance from the Dundee Literary Festival website for a very reasonable £10 for the entire day which includes a morning Writing Workshop from David Bishop. The main conference begins at 1pm and is scheduled to last until 7:30pm. Concessions are £5 while those only wishing to attend the morning workshop can do so for £3. There are no hidden booking charges and refreshments will be provided on the day.

• Details of the Comics Day are available on the Dundee Literary Festival website. Tickets can be purchased via the Dundee University on-line shop.

• Read the downthetubes review of last year's conference.

• Read the downthetubes interview with Starblazer editor Bill McLoughlin.