Small Press Heroes

by Larry Johnson

Horseman returns in a tale that could only come from the talented Larry Johnson! In “Light”, the anthropomorphic equine adventurer finds himself exploring all the many facets of light, including its darkness!

_{40-page color full-size comic book. $6.00. Ordering info at LEJ Comics}

Sample pages:

Jason‘s thoughts:

I really like Horseman!

Okay, that’s not much of a review, but let’s put it in some context, using Marvel comics as an analogy. When it comes to my tastes, I’m very much a “street-level” Marvel guy. I dig Spidey and Luke Cage and the heroes who have tangible, solid villains to battle. While I love and respect heroes like Silver Surfer and Adam Warlock, once we start crossing over into stories that involve characters like Eternity and Death, my little mind can’t grasp these giant concepts and can’t truly appreciate the epic sagas that folks like Jim Starlin and Jack Kirby were able to churn out easy as pie. I will always be jealous of folks that “get” these comics more than me, because they are clearly tapping into a realm of existence that my brain is unable to comprehend.

Anyway, we’re talking about Horseman.

And apologies to genius small presser Larry Johnson for any description I give to this book because he is operating at a level far beyond anything I’ll ever hope to reach. But this particular issue of Horseman involves the titular hero floating through reality and encountering lighthouses and floating eyeballs and death. At least, that’s what I think it’s ostensibly about.

Larry Johnson’s “Horseman” series is exactly what is so amazing about the small press. This comic would not exist in mainstream comics. It has zero dialogue and it involves an anthropomorphic horse wearing nothing but tighty whiteys floating through ethereal dreamscapes. But it exists and it endures. Thankfully. It’s beautifully illustrated and while I won’t pretend to completely understand everything that’s going on, as a street-level Marvel Zombie, I was able to follow the story and luxuriate in it.

This is not my first “Horseman” adventure, and because of Larry Johnson’s amazing talent, it won’t be my last. If you’re a small press fan, it would behoove you (see what I did there?) to pick up Larry’s entire Horseman series because it represents exactly why there’s a small press in the first place.