===================
Some of the kind
and not-so-kind things critics say about my stories:
GENE SIMMONS DOMINATRIX:
Gene
Simmons is more than just a tongue and a pretty face for the
legendary rock group Kiss. He's also a gifted creator of a
fiction/fantasy genre as evidenced by his coming up with the idea of
Dominique Stern, a young woman with no family, few friends, a past, and
makes a profitable (albeit unusual) career in the sex industry as a
professional dominatrix. A woman who inflicts pain and humiliation on
her clients at their request -- and expense! It's while servicing a
client that Dominique finds herself having to become a superhero and
dealing with government arrogance, a diabolical cabal, and dangers to
herself, her friends, and her country! Engagingly written by Sean
Taylor, superbly illustrated by the team of Flavio Hoffe and Esteve
Polls, colored by Debora Carita, and with a superb staff of cover
artists, letterers, and editors, "Dominatrix: You Want Me" first
appeared as a mini-series of individual comics from IDW Publishing that
has now been collected together into a magnificent graphic novel format
that is highly recommended for mature readers.
From Midwest Book Review
Click
here for a review of Gene Simmons Dominatrix #5-6 from
the podcast show Weekly Comics Spotlight #022, from The Comic Book Page.
The first story arc comes to a close, the wrap-up of
Dominique’s
origin, in which she and her nemesis, Happy Jacq - recently revealed to
be an alter ego of the
homeless girl named BJ (the sexual subtlety here
being non-existent) - duke it out in a no-holds-barred throwdown; a
battle of two super-tough women that ends in a singular tragedy, which
in turn leads to Dominique’s ongoing status quo.
Color
me impressed: Dominatrix consistently
surprises,
shattering all expectations (or complete lack thereof) by putting forth
entertaining issue after entertaining issue. There’s nothing
extraordinary here, nothing boundary-breaking though it can be
occasionally be thought-provoking, but what writer Sean Taylor and
artist Esteve Polls truly succeed at is penning an unpredictable and
disarmingly charming comic book pulp adventure, the likes of which
hasn’t, honestly, been seen in quite a while. The innocence
of its
flavor mixed with a constant salvo of severe themes (death, sex,
conspiracy, derring-do) makes Dominatrix
the pulpiest pulp on the stands today, capturing, oddly, the authentic
sensibilities of that old-school style. Taylor’s script is
sometimes awkward, though his pacing keeps things
captivating. Polls’ pencils are detailed and classic,
reminiscent
of
Steve Leiber (Whiteout). This final chapter offers one big
action sequence followed by a believable series of consequences that
set-up the conceit for the rest on the ongoing. A strong finish to a
strong start to what will hopefully be a series that, in the spirit of
its title subject matter, never weakens.
From Broken Frontiers
I
know this
isn’t going to win me
any fans, but normally I hate comics featuring, um, “strong
female
characters.” Not because I have anything against strong
women, for the
most part, but mostly because they are always written by guys who have
no idea how to write women – they replace
“courage” with a
ball-bustering, unlikable attitude, all wrapped in a bosom-heaving
package, delivered in the name of faux-feminism. And while at first
glance this is exactly what DOMINATRIX is, the difference is that this
is all done without pretension. It knows it’s a goofy book,
acting as a
satirical take on those big-breasted mythos without any apologies. Add
to this the fact that Dominique who, while being a dominatrix, is
actually a sweet and likable character in between the action, and you
have a book that demands a second look. Appearances, in this case
especially, can really be deceiving.
From Bookgasm
The
lynchpin title of the line, Dominatrix, admittedly, on the surface,
seems to be just the sort of trashy, ridiculous tripe one might expect
from a celebrity-inspired comic. But it’s also, as indicated
by a
fellow reviewer over at Ain’t it Cool News.com,
“mindless fun”.
Spotlighting a surprisingly homebody girl named Dominique, who
moonlights as a professional dominatrix (her studio’s in her
basement),
the series chronicles an accidental stumble into one of her
client’s
over-the-top world of black ops. In order to survive, she’s
given a
super-power enhancing drug that grants her strength, speed, and a
spidy(sic)-sense-like early-warning ability. Including ninjas,
mercenaries, super-spies, and a super-secret something that everyone
seems to be gunning for, Dominatrix manages to focus on the sex, the
inconsistent taboos of society, character development, and yet never
once subsists in its ridiculous rillet of B-genre situations.
It’s a
comic chock-full of action and long-loved elements, though its subject
matter, of course, marks this as not for children. Writer Sean Taylor
(author of The Veil and Last Chance School for Girls) pens a highly
likable Dominique, though he sometimes overplays the asinine elements
of the villains. Nevertheless, four issues have come and gone
and…I’m…my god, but I think
I’m hooked on a comic called
“Dominatrix.”... So a series that far surpassed my
(I confess) rock
bottom expectations, but did so in such a stellar way that I think
I’m
onboard for the foreseeable future.
From Broken Frontiers
And click
here for another Broken Frontiers review, this time of #1-2.
...a
surprisingly sensitive comic. I was surprised that the book held out on
the T&A until issue three, but the wait paid off in a fun
sequence
where the Dominatrix takes on a dozen mercs and distracts them with her
ample assets.
From
Ain't It Cool News
With all of
that
in mind, I feel like I ought to admit up front that Dominatrix is not
my normal thing. After all, Mr. Simmons described his book as
“T&A
meets the CIA” in IDW’s promo literature, whereas I
tend to go for more
of the pseudo-intellectual stuff—and Danger Girl. But
I’ll say this
about Dominatrix: it’s a Hell of a lot smarter than I thought
it would
be. I was expecting a nonsensical Brian Pulido-esque boobathon, but in
fact, this is a story that’s entirely sensible, well-crafted,
and
basically a heck of a lot of fun right from the start... And this is a
cool story, sort of reminiscent of the movie They Live but with a hot
chick in the Rowdy Roddy Piper role, and I’m intrigued to see
what
happens next. Honestly, the number of comics that I actually buy based
on review copies that I’m sent is very, very close to zero
percent, but
in this case I think I’m gonna make an exception just because
I
happened to enjoy this book a whole bunch. I really want to know
what’s
going on. And hey, if that’s not a ringing endorsement, then
I don’t
know what is.
From Paperback Reader
Now,
let’s be
honest here…part of the appeal of this comic is a dominatrix
superhero.
This first issue does suffer from the perils of many a first issue,
such as too much foreshadowing, but not enough action.
There’s a bit of
action and plenty of character development, but I can excuse it here
because it’s a story of political intrigue. As Gene Simmons
says, “it’s
T&A meets CIA”. Hoffe’s art is fast,
dynamic, and sexy supporting
the concept of a dominatrix superhero. Alex Garner's cover is beautiful
and eye catching. Sean Taylor has already created a character we find
interesting and care about, and plenty of mystery and intrigue. I would
have, admittedly, preferred a longer first issue to get to know
Dominique a little better, but we have a decent first issue here.
From The Blog Monster
Many
people, understandingly so, were put off by the hefty price tag on Gene
Simmons' House Of Horrors. Although you get 64 pages of incredible
story and art, $9.99 is a serious commitment! Today, IDW and Simmons
Comics Group introduce the Dominatrix! At a much lower price tag,
Dominatrix is not so much a commitment as it is a guilty pleasure.
Dominique Stern is an average girl who has a pretty boring life until
she dons the leather, the whips and the attitude of a dominatrix.
Typical yes, but what happens when she uncovers a plot that the United
States is in grave danger? She gets involved as any red blooded
American girl wearing a leather hood would do... SHE FIGHTS BACK!
Writer Sean Taylor tells a story you would expect from Gene Simmons!
Tantalizing and witty with a touch of family values (if this family is
incredibly dysfunctional). Flavio Hoffe is an artistic star on the
rise! He blends pin up beauty with butt kicking action and um... adult
relations involving handcuffs. As a longtime Kiss fan and a student
(but not a follower) of Gene Simmons philosophy, there is no reason you
won't enjoy this comic. It's fun and doesn't take itself too serious.
Comics aren't supposed to change the world, just give it something to
read!
From Secret
Identity News
Created by Gene
Simmons (yes, of KISS), this is the story of a professional dominatrix
that gets dragged into an X-Filesian world of conspiracies due to a
client that tells her too much. Oh, and she gets super powers. Rare in
the fact that it portrays someone that is into s/m as, gasp, a fairly
normal person, I’m curious to see how this series shapes up.
So far
it’s off to a decent start with writing that can jump from
funny to
scary and back again, and artwork that is the right amount of
cheesecake and superhero for the genre niche it is attempting to find.
From
Zodarzone
Click here
for a review from the podcast show Weekly Comics
Spotlight,
from The Comic Book Page.
GENE
SIMMONS
HOUSE OF HORRORS, "NYMPH":
Sean
Taylor’s story, “Nymph”, was a classic
horror story with a twist, in
which an environmentalist comes face to face with a spirit of the Earth
while searching for her missing husband. Creative and fun, it delivers.
From
Dan Grendell, Comics Pants
In
“Nymph,” it’s Man versus Nature
— and Nature fights dirty. This story
pleasantly surprised me, as it developed and resolved itself opposite
of the way one would expect in the contemporary fiction world.
From J. W.
DeBolt Jr., ComicCritique.com
All
the stories are short and sweet, with writers and artwork that is
actually beautifully varied and fitting. But here’s the
catch: Besides
the fact that many people can’t stand Simmons, the book also
has a
cover price of $9.99. It’s kind of fitting, considering the
Simmons
Comics Group logo is a bag of money, but you know what? ...
It’s
totally worth it. At least he knows how to at least pack a book with
value. The ends certainly justify the means in this case.
From Louis
Fowler, Bookgasm
FISHNET
ANGEL:
JANE DOE:
In
the hands of a less able writer the multi levels going on here would
prove to be too much and so it is a tribute to the writing abilities of
Sean Taylor that the story develops and works as well as it does. The
pace is perfect and the character/reader confusion is well maintained.
It borders on, but is always prevented from, becoming too bewildering.
... As I have already said this is a masterful piece of story telling,
original, creative and controlled. The fact that we actually identify
with Mark and the rest of the characters who inhabit his female body is
a testimony to how well written this tale is.
From
Steve Saville, Silver Bullet Comics
Yes,
a gender-bending comic book about an amnesiac
super-heroine named "Fishnet Angel." I swear I am not making this up.
The plotting here, though coherent, is all over the place as well.
There's a lot going on in the title character's
world here,
each element seemingly more fantastic and even ludicrous as the next.
Still, I have togive writer Sean [Taylor] credit; he injects a lot of
personality into the characters. The narration, in the memory-less
hero/heroine's "voice," conveys the main character's confidence quite
clearly. I'm also intrigued by the secrecy among the hospital staff
when it comes to their unusual patient's treatment and education about
who she is... I'll give
Sean Taylor credit for one thing: this is an
accessible read. This first issue reads like the first chapter in the
latest limited series featuring this character, not the character's
first appearance altogether. Despite the over-the-top nature of the
character's background, it' easy to delve into the story.
From
Don
MacPherson, Critiques on Infinite Earths
SHOOTING
STAR
COMICS ANTHOLOGY:
"Sean
Taylor & JP Dupras' '38 Hours' has strong inflections of ASTRO
CITY."
From Steven
Grant, Permanent Damage
"With
'Passing in the Night', I was completely shocked to see the unique
female superheroics in this story, that fell into a more human drama
that touches upon a couple who break up, try to make each other jealous
with their so-called dates and when the couple are apart, there is
still love in the air and there is also loneliness. Sort of a sad story
that most readers are able to relate to. Very well done."
From Paul
Dale Roberts, Silver Bullet Comics
The
editors of Shooting Star are smart, though, in opening and closing the
book with their strongest stories. "38 Days" by Sean Taylor and J.P.
Dupras is a story that reads not unlike an Astro City tale, about a
super-criminal who breaks out 38 days before his release to chase down
some mysterious goal. It's not a completely unpredictable ending, nor a
story structure I've never seen before, but Taylor makes Strongarm, his
lead sympathetic, and Dupras' artwork is very effective, with a sort of
sketchy stylized background style that I quite liked. Of all the
creators in this book, these are the two guys who look like they could
become polished mainstream creators.
From Randy
Lander, Snap Judgments
"The
anthology ends on up notes, though, with Sean Taylor, Loraine Sammy
& Luis Alonso's "Passing In The Night," a superhero comic that
transforms into a romance tearjerker, with the sort of romantic twist
Stan [Lee] used to put in his comics..."
From Steven
Grant, Permanent Damage
"Also
enjoyable were Scott Rogers' "Bedbug" -- a Tick-esque super-hero piece
-- and writer Sean Taylor and artist J.P. Dupras's "38 Days," which
puts one in mind of Kurt Busiek's Astro City."
From Don
MacPherson, Critiques on Infinite Earths
A PRIVATE
LITTLE CORNER OF THE UNIVERSE:
"A
Private Little
Corner of the Universe is edited by Sean Taylor and includes stories by
Tom Waltz, Bill Purcell, and Sean Taylor. We are introduced to heroes
who must deal with some of the scariest villains ever to exist -- the
inhuman concepts of drug abuse, rape, failure, and death. These
villains don’t have capes and boots and doomsday devices, but
they are
as sinister and pervasive as a foe could be.
"But the book isn’t
all grimness and gloom. The accidental transsexual, tagged with the
moniker Fishnet [Angel] by a reporter, makes for an amusing look at
what can happen when one is in the wrong place at the wrong time, and
how the press can be as exasperating as a rash. The book is also about
love, and the story 'Once Upon a Time' in which the superheroine
Starlight must face any parent’s worst fear, stands out to me
as a
piece that is at once chilling and emotional."
From
Christine Morgan, Saddledrake Magazine
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