Now that the Glyph Comics Awards are over, I can speak a little more freely about some of the small press comics I’ve been enjoying lately. I’ve been meaning to talk about the creators of Trimekka Studios for awhile. These guys are good – not quite knock-your-socks-off good, at least not yet, but they’re on the road towards genuine success, and I think their mutual association has been to their benefit. The superhero books they do are just different enough from each other to be distinctive, and while none of them are reinventing the wheel, they’re entertaining and would appeal to corporate superhero fans looking for something off the beaten path.

Jan-Michael Franklin’s Deadly Artisans is for the 90’s Image/Wildstorm crowd. It’s about a husband and wife team of cybernetic black-ops government agents – and yeah, that is as cliche as it sounds, I’m afraid. The art makes the book appeasable – nice clean ink lines, never over-rendered, and terrific fight scenes. Franklin does his best in trying to humanize his characters in the writing, but it tends to come across as shallow and superficial – the women in particular suffer badly in this regard. If this problem can be corrected, it’ll make for a more satisfying book, but if the action is what appeals to you more, then by all means give this a look.

Stacey “Blackstar” Robinson’s Abraham the Young Lion is for the mainline Marvel/DC fans. It’s about the ordinary son of a Superman-type hero trying to uncover the legacy his father left behind. Visually, this book is remarkable – almost to a fault. The rippling, bulging muscles of the title character, coupled with the meticulous attention to backgrounds, make Ethan van Sciver and Bryan Hitch look like Jeffrey Brown. And did I mention this book is in color as well (as are all the Trimekka books)? It’s all a little off-putting to me at times, I must admit – I tend to gravitate more towards art that’s looser and more stylized – but I can’t deny how dazzling and professional this book looks. The characters, while well-written, tend to come across a bit too idealized and “perfect” at times, and while it’s not a great detriment, it can set them a bit further apart from the reader. Plus, Robinson has a tendency to over-indulge in “product placement,” for lack of a better term: adorning the backgrounds with homages to his favorite comics, books, films and artists, and this becomes a great distraction after awhile. Robinson compares very favorably with former GCA winner Robert Roach, and I suspect he’s on a similar trajectory.

And then there’s Charlie “Fab” Goubile’s Blackbird, for my money the best of the bunch. Nominated in this year’s GCAs in the Rising Star category, this will probably appeal to those who enjoy teen heroes like Static, Invincible, and Blue Beetle. It’s basically The Karate Kid if Daniel was black and decided to become a superhero. This one is the complete package: while it’s a familiar and well-worn premise, Goubile’s approach is engaging and accessible. Believable characters that interact with each other in a way that makes you want to know more about them and their world, coupled with a dynamic animation-like art style reminiscent of the Davis Brothers’ Blokhedz, make for a delightful read, one you can share with your kids.

Like I said, these guys aren’t doing anything new or dramatically different, but there’s a considerable amount of talent gathered here and I’m convinced they’re all gonna get better with time.