Rock Candy Mountain, Vol. 2

Rock Candy Mountain (Collected Editions) #2

by Kyle Starks

Jackson's mysterious history finally unravels. A massive battle atop a moving train. The Hobo Mafia and the Feds close in for an actual war and Jackson's final battle with The Literal Devil. Pomona Slim, Hundred Cat and Big Sis are all mixed up in the epic conclusion of The World's Toughest Hobo's search for the mythical Rock Candy Mountain

Collects ROCK CANDY MOUNTAIN #5-8

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Fantasy, Fiction, Historical Fiction, Adventure, Humor

112 pages, Paperback

First published April 11, 2018

Reviews

[Artemy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rock Candy Mountain is the best new series Image had in years, I shit you not. This epic kung-fu hobo adventure was one of my favourite comics last year, and the second (and last) volume is even better. Kyle Starks manages to weave every plot thread into one big explosive finale, and the result is outstanding. Rock Candy Mountain is hilarious, beautiful and heartwarming. I will be on the lookout for any other comics Kyle Starks puts out from now on.


...what? He writes Rick and Morty comics? Aw hell. Okay, I'm not gonna hold that against him.

[Rod Brown · Rating 3 out of 5]

And the tale wraps up neatly -- well, if you disregard the mess created by all the bloodshed, fire, and mud.

A satisfying little jaunt with some colorful characters.



FOR REFERENCE:

Contains material originally published in single magazine form as Rock Candy Mountain #5-8.

Contents: Chapter Five. "A hobo came a-walkin'." -- Chapter Six. "Where the rain don't fall." -- Chapter Seven. "The jungle fires were burning." -- Chapter Eight. "I'm bound to go."

[Quentin Wallace · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great series. Very original and entertaining. You have a hobo who's made a deal with the Devil in order to be reunited with his family. He's pursued by the FBI because he was in possession of the Spear of Destiny which he took from Hitler. The Devil is after him to get his due, and one poor guy named Slim gets mixed up in the middle. This is set in the 40s among the dwindling hobo culture of the USA.

The art is cartoony but works great for this story. I would really like to see more of these characters, but I think for now this is a completed work. If you like comics and are looking for something different that has comedy, action, drama, and everything else along the way, this is a good one.

[Brendan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm annoyed they split this into 2 volumes as it would be better served as one story arc given the length. The second volume is a direct continuation and serves up a serviceable ending to the 8 series run. I hope they continue this series at some stage as there is spinoff potential. Great storytelling and a fun storyline arc adds to one very funny series, very high in my collection.

[Paxton Holley · Rating 4 out of 5]

That was a lot of fun. The continuing adventures of Jackson the hobo, his search for his family, and his run ins with the Devil, the law, and the hobo mafia.

[Zedsdead · Rating 4 out of 5]

The thrilling conclusion to Jackson Hobo's epic quest to reconnect with his dead family in hobo heaven. It's formulaic but flavorful, easy to zip through in one sitting. I loved the simple, text-free final page.

I have to note that Kyle Starks simply cannot do noses. He draws all these perfectly functional human forms doing perfectly functional human things and then scribbles like a 2yo with a crayon in the middle of the faces. (........And now I'm wondering what Starks looks like. Perhaps scribble noses run in his family.)

Plot points:

--Flashback to how Jackson found himself a hobo hero on a quest. He was drafted during WW2. Devastated at being torn from his wife and infant daughter, he traded his soul to the devil for (qualified) invincibility. Now a supersoldier, he killed Hitler and recovered some arcane artifacts that guide him towards his family. (I'm still not sure how they work, it's just how the Maguffin do.) His wife and daughter died in a train derailment heading to meet him after his discharge.
Now the Devil wants his soul, the FBI wants the artifacts, and the hobo mafia wants him for standing up to them.
--Jackson reconnects with Slim and recruits him to use his acting skill to infiltrate the FBI office. Slim breaks Hundred Cats out.
--All the players track Jackson to the stretch of track where his family died. A massive brawl ensues.
--Three copies of the Devil corner Jackson (he's only invincible in one-on-one fights) but he triumphs with help from his friends.
--A ghost train descends and kills(?) Jackson, who is reunited with his family in a nice single-panel page.
--Slim returns to the hobo life with new friends Sis and Hundred Cats.

[Lojicholia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ugh. My heart. So with Vol 1 I took a chance, because the art work wasn’t exactly my style and the subject matter wasn’t something I connected with, but man am I glad I did. And the second volume just proved it. Well written, same great style, and my heart, my poor little heart.

[Valéria. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Napriek predvídateľnému vývoju to bolo naozaj skvelé, k prekvapeniu ešte lepšie ako prvý book. Akčnejšie, vtipnejšie a milšie..

[Cale · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am frankly amazed that this volume could improve on the first, but it did. By giving us the (fairly predictable, but still powerful) back story for Jackson, and setting the stakes high, the train ride of a story barreled to its conclusion. This ends the series with a great showdown between Jackson and the devil; the Hobo Mafia and the FBI, and the Gehenna Railyard bulls; and Hundred Cats and Babs; while also tossing out so many other great moments. This book goes from high to high, giving a strong ending to everyone, but that last page hits all the feels, even if it is predictable. The art and color are distinctive and different, and work very well for the story.
I don't know what it was about this series that hit me, but the humor, the action, the art, the pathos, all of it just worked perfectly for me. I'm going to be looking out for other Kyle Starks stories in the future; I'm apparently on his wavelength.

[Dakota Morgan · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you're a reader who, like me, has basically zero memory of what happened in volume one aside from the fact that it was crazy fun, I strongly encourage you to re-read that volume before diving into this one. I had no idea what was going on basically the entire time, which really diminished the joy I was expecting to find with this nutso series.

That said, what I found was still enjoyable, if baffling. Badass hobo battles occur and the devil makes a delightful appearance at the end. Shit gets real! But for serious, go re-read volume one first.

[Joseph Pinchback · Rating 5 out of 5]

God I love this book so much. Immediately one of my favorite comics. If you can look at the last page without getting a little misty eyed, you are no friend of mine.

[Paul Spence · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rock Candy Mountain tells the story of Jackson, our hero, who is searching 1940s America for the fabled titular hobo paradise. Accompanying him is Pomona Slim, a newly minted hobo perhaps not quite cut out for the itinerent life. Opposing him is Babs Bardoux (the toughest G-woman in the United States), the Hobo Mafia and its assorted forces, and the satanic might of the Devil Himself!

Rock Candy Mountain flies along at a fast clip, with Starks keeping both the action and the story moving with the breakneck intensity of an eastbound freight train. The violence and humour are as polished and delightful as one would expect from his previous works (a flashback to Jackson’s , but it’s the depths of feeling that really strike a chord. Jackson’s slowly revealed history and his reason for searching for Rock Candy Mountain are genuinely touching, and the bond that grows between him and Pomona Slim is wonderful and real. On the flipside, the Devil is a genuinely unsettling adversary, all dime-store charm and lightly veiled threats, and by the time of his showdown with our heroes I was gripping the book so tight I almost tore it.

Starks has only got better at his layouts, and his gift of making chatoic fight scenes clear and intelligible is on fine display here – a WW2 flashback in particular shows his mastery of dynamism, and brings to mind that hallway scene in Oldboy. Chris Schweizer’s colouring work adds an extra dimension to Starks’ clean lines, liberally using a dusty red-brown that both perfectly encapsulates the trainyard dirtiness of our protagonists milieu, and provides a great contrast for the more lurid colours that punctuate the more fantastical moments.

Rock Candy Mountain is a triumph, a blend of humour, action and heart that demands your attention from the first panel and won’t let go of you until the final page. Make some space in your bindle for this one – it’s a corker.

[Ryan Werner · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was the same wild good time I've come to expect from Starks--ninja hobos, gang warfare, a fight on top of a moving train, a deal with the devil, etc--but as a capper to this mini-series it seems a bit rushed. I wasn't even sure it was the end! The reveal of the origin story felt more like the closing of a first act, and then it was all over soon after.

I still think Starks' greatest skill is in the single-shot absurd action story--Sexcastle is a favorite book of mine from the past few years--but as time has progressed, Starks has found varying success in his attempts to weave more emotional risk into his longer narratives about people getting their heads punched off. Dude is very talented and I don't doubt that he'll find the right material to make me laugh and gasp and have big feelings all within one big story, but Rock Candy Mountain isn't the one.

[Josh · Rating 4 out of 5]

The second half of Starks's Hobo epic carries on so much of the distinctive tone begun in vol. 1. This one takes a slightly (slightly) more serious tone and doesn't have quite the same quality as vol. 1--I think because of the more detailed focus on the character of Jackson and some of the tragedy he has faced.

That being said, vol. 2 maintains the violence, the mature content, and the ridiculous tone that so defined the first collection. It's entertaining and funny and manages to strike a heartfelt tone amidst the utter absurdity that Starks embraces for the story. It's a distinct brand of humor, but for those who appreciate it--this is truly a fun read.

[Mindy Rose · Rating 3 out of 5]

the backstory of and conclusion to our hobo protagonist's journey.. i hate to say this, but i was disappointed in this. the first volume was PERFECT and i was expecting this to be as well, but it fell flat for me. i think this was a case where it would have been better to leave the origin story out entirely rather than wedge it in in such a short segment, it seemed rushed and left the biggest mystery unexplained anyway.. i also wasn't rolling on the floor cackling the way i was with volume 1. super bummed. 3/5.

[CS · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bullet Review:

Best Line: "If you get the chance to punch the devil, you take it."

The continuing tale of Jackson and Pomona Slim - possibly the "end of the line" (though should an author be inclined, there's a way to make this a longer series - depending on how it's done, I could be swayed either way). This is just so much fun; light-hearted, doesn't take itself too seriously. It would be nice to see more than two women (one who dies and one who isn't a half bad character), but eh. I enjoyed myself, so 5-stars it is.

[Travis Duke · Rating 3 out of 5]

The conclusion to the story and I am glad it was two volumes, anymore and it would have been stretched too thin. The fighting hobos are silly fun and the main story about Jackson and his family is pretty good. Overall nothing really shines that great but it is a fun little story set in two volumes. The art is nothing great either.

This series is not for everyone but if you like outlandish vulgar humor with fighting hobos, then this is the book for you.

[Rahul Nadella · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would recommend Rock Candy Mountain to just about anybody who needs their spirits lifted. Unfortunate as it is that the series has come to an end, all hopes for the series' treasured characters have been realized. Rock Candy Mountain has been a truly special series, I'm happy to have read it, and overall, I'm happy with how it ended. It's heartfelt, adorable, full of cursing, and three hobos get into a fistfight with the devil. What more could you want?

[Drucilla · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a fantastic story! After liking the first volume so much, I'm glad the second didn't disappoint. The two volumes gave enough time to the story so that it could breathe, but was still tight. I did really like the art and the colors, though there's a bit of a disconnect between some of the more violent scenes and the "cartoonish" art. I highly recommend this.

[Paul Allard · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jackson’s story continues as we discover how he got here, reading about his family, his pact with the Devil and his war exploits. The story brings all the characters together in a grand finale with a result (of varying importance) for all concerned.
Reasonably interesting although the artwork is not to my taste.

[Peter Derk · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this conclusion to the hobo (person experiencing hobo-ness?) epic, we get a conclusion to the epically epic tale, which concludes epically.

It's just fun. If you like things that are fun, read this. If you don't, then I guess go back to doing whatever it is you do all the time. Beading?

You heard me, beading enthusiasts. Shots fired.

[wbforeman · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought this was pretty satisfying and it wrapped up the story pretty well I don’t understand why the FBI was so interested in Jackson. I guess it was because of the spear. Even though the story was done, I would love to see a book with the side characters going hobo treasure hunting. I think that be fun.

[Justin Decloux · Rating 5 out of 5]

The best depression era hobo kung-fu vs the devil epic ever to grace the comic book page.

With this, Sexcastle and Kill Em'All, Kyle Starks has proven himself to be the best action cartoonist working today.

[Mateen Mahboubi · Rating 4 out of 5]

The conclusion of the Rock Candy Mountain story. Definitely doesn't lose steam as it keeps going hard from start to end. Still something jarring with the amount of violence and gore when compared to the art style but that's part of the charm.

[Dave Versace · Rating 4 out of 5]

The conclusion of the rail-riding postwar hobo fantasy by Kyle Starks. Not quite as gut-bustingly funny as the first volume, but the triumphant finish on a surprisingly emotional note more than makes up for it.

[Scott Waldie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Definitely gets a little more ludicrous than you'd expect with issue #5, yet it still all adds up. I also felt the very ending was a little ambiguous (perhaps it's not the end), but getting there was damn fun.

[Luke · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ain't nobody making comics right now like Kyle Starks makes comics. Great action, heartfelt emotion, breathless adventure, and razor sharp dialogue. Starks is the total package, don't sleep on anything he writes and *definitely* don't miss anything he both writes and draws.

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

How can I give any fewer than five stars to a book that had me grinning and gasping from the start, shivering through the last few pages, and crying at the final picture? Surpassing good work by Mssrs Stark, Scheizer, et al.

[Helen Pugsley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Okay. Go ahead and make me cry. Thanks.🙃
Where the other was dark and wild this one is dark and filled with mad feels. Holy shit.
We go from watching a crazy guy wobble around, to watching a broken man try to make his way home. Whoa. And in the process several other people reunite with their paths.

[Mee Too · Rating 4 out of 5]

have you ever had a awesome conversation with a stranger that was odd and interesting? You know the time is limited, you will likely never meet them again, So you just settle in and enjoy.

That was this book.