The Silent Accomplice

Just on down the road a little

2008-01-01T19:23:00.000-05:00

For the time being, I am folding this blog into my "main" blog My Three Dollars Worth. Any comic commentary or reviews I have for the foreseeable future will be posted there. I also have an Amazon store link on that site with recommendations for what I consider some of the best comics available.

I hope to see you there!

Heroes Con 2007 Sketches

2007-06-20T07:51:00.000-04:00

I have a monster themed sketch book and here are some of the great sketches I got this year.
Click on a picture to get the full effect. I hope to be able to post a little more about the con in a day or so - I had a blast. I also plan to scan in the sketch I got from 70's artist extraordinary Nick Cardy!

The Candlemaker by Richard Case, the infamous world-destroying monster from his and Grant Morrison's run on Doom Patrol. Richard actually did this for me last year and it's a great start to the sketch book.

Paul Hornschemeier, author of The Three Paradoxes (review coming soon), Mother Come Home, and many other quality works, draws a fearsome creature reminiscent of his cover to Let Us Be Perfectly Clear.

Eric Powell does the Hombre del Lagardo from The Goon.

Brian Hurtt of The Damned drew a boss demon.

Jeremy Haun - The Leading Man and Battle Hymn draws a Chtuluian nightmare.
Andy Runton, of Owly fame, one of the nicest guys you'll ever meet draws one of the cutest monsters ever.

Georges Jeanty of The American Way and current Buffy artist draws a fearsome creature that seems right at hom in the Buffy-verse.

Kyle Baker (Plastic Man, Nat Turner) had a blast drawing Fin Fang Foom.

Dean Trippe, featured in Superior Showcase #1 (Adhouse) drew the Yeti. He said he almost made it the "confetti yeti", which sounded like a cool idea to me.
Andy Kuhn of Firebreater fame drew this fearsome Frankenstein.

Yes, this is what it takes to get me to post

2007-05-30T12:49:00.000-04:00

Santa outs his brother, the "Dimestore Merlin."

The Sound of Silence

2007-01-05T22:24:00.000-05:00

Superman Special Edition

I went to the comic store this week before they had a chance to file all the new comics (sorry, y'all!) so I only have part of my loot this week so far.

All Star Superman 6- well, it's just super, thanks for asking. A very touching and wholesome (can you really use that word today in comics?) account of young Clark mixed in with fun Silver-Age Superman wackiness courtesy of Grant Morrison and the artistic talents of Frank Quietly. Rowwf!

Superman Confidential 3 - thought #1 was meh, thought #2 was really good, thought this one was meh again with some very confusing sequences. (Why do I care about the opening sequence? What is going on? and what's going on exactly at the end?) The beginning is surprisingly bad storytelling by Cooke, but don't know if Sale or Cooke is responsible for the befuddling end.

Amazing Spider-Man 537 - blah blah blah. I love Cap - and, yes, he's supposed to be able to easily recite quotes from great Americans, but nobody, not even Cap, would memorize THAT much. And, really, I hate to say it as an English major, but it's boring and the point was made in the first few panels. This did nothing to advance the plot. And why is Kingpin after Spidey? Serves me right for not reading Civil War I guess.

52 35 - Mark Fossen summed it up well enough. For my part, better than last issue, a decent issue, not its best.

We Now Return You to Your Regularly Broadcast Program

2007-01-01T22:31:00.000-05:00

Um, hi! I'm back at least for a little while! Did you miss me?

I had a stack of comics that I finally got through (well mostly, I've still got to catch up on some new titles.)

Here's a brief look at some titles I have read

52 remains very uneven and I thought that #34 was very talky and not at all intresting.

Action 844 and 845 - cutsey and okay, but I really didn't want to see the Superman movie in the comic.

All-Star Superman - This is my favorite title of the year (when it came out). The perfect superhero comic book.

Amazing Spider-man - I won't dignify this title with a review. Pitiful.

Astonishing X-Men 18-19 - what? huh? pretty!

Batman - I loved Mandrake and Ostander in the Spectre. This story line is a bad LOTDK that they must have done in their sleep. Quite terrible. Please do Morrison or nobody else. Batman Confidential #1? Dreck.

Batman and the Mad Monk 3-5 - just excellent storytelling/art as always and a damn fine story. Keep doing more of these Matt!

Captain America - how can this be so good and be a tie-in to Civil War? Really good stuff. But it's Brubaker, what do you expect?

Daredevil - not a surprise hit (just a hit). Really good stuff. But it's Brubaker, what do you expect?

Desolation Jones 7-8- Ellis doing crime, perversion and nihilism as only he can.

Detective - The last issue I got was the Joker/Robin issue and it was very good actually. Unfortunately, I was too offended by the Poison Ivy gratuitious storyline to continue this title.

Fables - continues to be excellent every month and the one title I look forward to the most. The Christmas issue was very interesting, a nice one-off that added to the larger story arc.

Immortal Iron Fist 1-2 - surprise hit of the year. Really good stuff. But it's Brubaker, what do you expect?

Invincible 27/38 - has been pretty good. Kirkman has stayed away from most of the gross violence that has pestered this title a few times. I've dropped it however in protest of Kirkman's treatment of his gay lead in Marvel Team-Up.

Jack of Fables 1-6 - I'm not sure yet how I feel about this title - if I like it or not. I'm not sure what it's supposed to be - or how it's supposed to be different from Fables, but it's entertaining enough and has enough of the Fables type mythology twists that I enjoy so to keep me interested. I've given it to the end of 7 to see if I continue.

Superman Confidential - the second issue, which I quite like, was much better than the first. Shows good promise.

The Lone Ranger 1-3 - just okay. The plot is moving at a snail's pace. The art is a bit too 90's in places. This could be a much stronger work if it had better plotting. Interesting introduction spices things up at the end of #3.

Nextwave: Agents of Hate 8-11 - about to come to an end, sadly, because it's been a damn fun ride this year. One of the best titles of the year just because it never took itself or any comic book seriously and just had fun. Many people are making much out Nextwave #11's mural of Commie Pinko Gorrillas, laser-eye Stephen Hawkings, the Wolvarillas, Snakes on the Planesand much ado about the Modok Elvii, but does anyone freaking care about the appearance of The Living Brain!!?? No? But! Oh...

New Universal #1 - this could go either way at this point, but I'm going with promising for now. It's good enough to make me want to try #2.

Powers 20-21 -I still struggle with the question of does the hyper-violence, harsh language, and frequently sexist attitudes serve the story and tone of the book or is it gratuitous? Depending on the issue, it could be either. I'm not fond of the Deena and Walker getting powers story idea, but I'm willing to see how it continues to play out.

Superman - Busiek and Pacheco are a great team on this very fun title. Making me care about Superman is not an easy thing and I'm loving this title.

Spider-Man loves Mary Jane - adorable - a real treat on a monthly basis and the best Spider-man book out there.

Spider-Man Reign #1 - DE-pressing. Very bleak and morbid. Not at all what I'd want from a Spider-man story. And as others have commented, very derivative in several aspects of The Dark Knight Returns. Not fun at all although I almost feel compelled to get the other issues to see Peter turn it around. If he doesn't, though, it will be just too damn depressing to stand.

Thunderbolts 107-109 - merciful wrap up to the most exposition heavy comic book ever. Fabian I'm afraid took the fun out of this book by making things so damn complicated he wasted at least 3/4 of each book explaining (and not always well) what was going on. I'm not sure if the Ellis take-over is good or bad. In many ways I just want this to die.

True Story Swear to God 1-2 - I found #2 to be exceptionally good. Belands' relaunch at Image has kept the story going for those of us who know it and seems like it would be accessible for those new to it. I hope he's seeing a rise in visibility for this excellent work.

Ultimate Power 1-2 - porn face.

Ultimate Spider-man - the clone storyline is pretty wild but fun; we'll see how it all turns out before rendering final judgment. I thought the twist about Peter's dad was pretty obvious.

Welcome to Tranquility #1 - was okay but not really my cup of tea, surprisingly. I thought I would enjoy an Astro City-esque take on retired heroes but found Googe's nose circles very distracting and the discussion of the Gentleman's sexuality off-putting. The worse crime? This was boring; I didn't care about any of the characters. Doody.

Wildcats #1 /Authority #1 - wacky, crazy, Marvel-Boy-lite fun /um, ok, that was different - much less fun.

The Sound of Silence

2006-10-01T01:09:00.000-04:00

First, some thoughts from Steven Grant on reviewing. (Thanks to Johanna for pointing this out).

Now, some with that column to make me feel a little better about these very short reviews.

52 #21 - Predictable advancing of the Luthor super-team plot. A minor half-step forward on Dibney's story. Not a very interesting issue. Meh.

Action Comics #843 - A fine story, but pales in comparison to what Busiek is doing over in the Superman title. To steal Chris's at theISB review, it is serviceable but felt like a stock story.

Batman #657 - Not as excellent as the previous two issues, but a VERY interesting ending. The kid is way annoying.

Batman and the Mad Monk #2 - This could shape up even better than Batman and The Monster Men, which is saying A LOT.

Captain America #22 - Excellent. Makes you begin to think that Civil War could have been handled in an interesting, intelligent way.

Daredevil #89 - Not as suspenseful as the previous issues, but certainly no drop in quality. This book is amazing in being consistently high quality and one of the best books on the stand.

Ultimates 2 #12 - Big Marvel Movie-Action and it's fun, although the Obi-Wan/Darth Vader (Maul?) match was a bit too much even for Millar. Aside from that jarring moment, expected mayhem ensues.

Ultimate Spider-Man #100 - A lot more talking than I'd have liked, especially since it didn't clear up a whole lot. I didn't like the back filler material (the "story so far" stuff, I enjoyed the sketchbook). Didn't feel like a #100 issue because it's just a part of a larger story and not a lot actually happened this issue. May feels a lot out of character. Still, this arc stands to be a real solid one, but could go horribly wrong.

Spider-Man #535 - At last Peter comes to his senses, but jeez, it took a while didn't it? And could he be more obvious to Senior Psychopath? Peter continues to be writ as dumb as a brick in this book and the cover gives aways the ending anyhow. (And, why, oh why, is Peter chosing to wear the suit Stark gave him while fighting Stark, because, geez, Mister Machiavelli probably has some type of fail-safe built in that gives him complete control of the suit.) Ugh. Frustrating, but the best issue since the whole CW crap started (and that is a left-handed compliment at best).

Spider-Man Loves Mary Jane #10 - Excellent. The most overlooked comic on the stand.

Invincible #35 - Lots of talking, some of it interesting, others not so much. I gotta admit the book pages felt like something of a filler to me. Standard Invincible story, which makes it good.

A Few Thoughts on NBC's Heroes (Mostly Spoiler Free)

2006-10-01T00:39:00.000-04:00

In brief, Heroes (Mondays on NBC) is quite good, a very enjoyable show. I full endorse it. Certainly, not flawless, it kept my attention the whole time, managing to be a fairly nicely paced origin story and the "next issue" teaser promises even better things to come.

The show reminds me of a cross between JMS's Rising Stars and Squadron Supreme, DP7 (yes, from the New Universe, a title I liked) and Kurt Busiek's Astro City, along with dashes of X-Men and a good dose of Grant Morrison's Doom Patrol. Although these and other elements were familiar (and will be to anybody who has followed comic books for any amount of time), it was much, much fun to see them executed so well in a live-action television serial show.

My only real quip with the show is the prologue that tells you right off that these people will save the world (from what is strongly suggested at the end of the episode), instead of leaving it more open-ended that they may indeed fail (or be the cause of the disaster). I think that the uncertainty of success does enter into the show as it progresses, but I disliked the text seemingly providing such certainty and spoiling the ending of the entire serial.

Aside from that, I found the story compelling and the characters engaging. There is a lot of cross-over and connection (most characters have at most two to three degrees of separation it seemed) between characters, but this seemed promising and purposeful rather than a convenient plot device. It's clearly supposed to hint at the larger picture that is hidden from us currently, making us wonder more about how these people are truly connected.

The various ways in which the characters react to their powers feels believable. Reactions range from unadulterated joy to complete fear to alienation and freakishness. For some, it causes separation from people in their lives; for others, it results in a stronger connection.

One mild theme that I find intriguing and that will hopefully be played out more is the idea of metamorphosis, but the Kafkian metamorphosis. The cockroach is held up as perfect being, as reflection of God, and is later stepped on by the "prophet" (who is intertwined deeply with the genetic research that seemingly is related to the sudden explosion of super-powers) who proclaimed its superiority. The suggestion that humans need to evolve to the ultimate stage of evolution, embodied in the cockroach, is to suggest that this transformation leads to unheralded power yet also a hideous aspect that inspires fear and a urge to destroy it. And, despite seeming invulnerable to almost everyting (even beheading and radiation), the cockroach is easily destroyed by man. It's a promising theme that I hope to see revisited.

The "next show/issue" teaser has me most excited, not just because it introduces more characters, but deepens the mystery and suggest a promising commentary on and exposition of the relationship this show has with comic books.

If you've read more than a dozen comics, you'll see very familiar characters and some familiar plot lines, but plenty of new offerings. The familiar elements are done so well, however, it's more like meeting a familiar and comfortable pen pal in person for the first time. Make sure to catch up on this show.

The Sound of Silence

2006-09-09T19:48:00.000-04:00

A couple of quick thoughts on this week's loot before I go on a mini-rant about one particular title.

Agents of Atlas #2 - Currently I'm half-way through this issue and I've been a bit bored by not getting to the good stuff already. Why a recap page for a limited series? It's not necessary and implies you don't have enough story for the whole run. This has so much potential but hasn't fulfilled it yet. Maybe the second half of the issue is better. Oh, and the Gorilla Man origin layout is totally confusing.

52 #18 - Um, ok. Ralph's not so crazy any more. This issue was pretty boring. To quote Mark Fossen of Focused Totality, this issue throws some "left field sucker punches" and show Montoya once again being self-destructive, to a ridiculous extent. (Yes, she killed a kid, but should a police detective be a little more capable of taking down somebody who posed a clear and imminent threat?) But, oooh, lesbian sex. If people want to get upset about gay Batwoman, why doesn't this upset them?

Lone Ranger #1 - Very pretty. A nice story that could have been told in half the space. If you know anything about the Lone Ranger this issue won't come as a surprise at all, which leaves me wondering why the whole issue is taken up with approximately half of the origin. The whole origin could have and should have been told in this first issue. Us fans know how it starts, let's get to the adventure. Still, there is promise here.

Detective Comics #823 - The Dini story is actually quite good. The Benitez art is terrible. It's some Jim Lee/Michael Turner/Scott Campbell 90's Image hybrid style crap that totally doesn't work with the story. (Undertand that with the exception of Lee, I hate those other two artists and Lee has his good and bad moments.) The art is very jarring from the previous two issues; the mood established by the previous two issues is wrecked by this artist.

The story is very fun, despite being undermined by the artist choice. It's interesting to note that while Dini's story plays up Ivy's intellect and scientific talent (with a reference that I'm not sure if Mike Sterling will be happy with or not), Benitez plays up her physical assests in some gratuitous and continuous cheesecake shots. If I notice the cheesecake, trust me, it's over the top. It was blatant and actually offensive to an otherwise intelligent story. Yes, Poison Ivy has always been about "scratching an itch" in many ways. She's no doubt a femme fatale, but her sexuality can be conveyed without resorting to Playboy-lite pin-up poses. Stripping her of her clothing and sticking her ass in my face is not sexy, it's just degrading to women. This issue is very guilty of perpetuating the pervasive idea in comics that women should be only or mostly valued because of their body. Women must be reduced to body parts (sometimes literally and then stuck in a refridgerator); it's only through the quality of their bodies that they can have worth.

What makes this issue particularly frustrating is this is a story which tries to speak about the genius of the woman (gone amuck), but the art drowns out that message by cranking the volume level up to "10" on a tired old song. It's hard to hear that Ivy is among the most brilliant scientists of the DC universe (or at least among the botanists) because Benitez keeps throwing the typical stylized breasts and butts in impossible proportions and poses. Obnoxious in any comic book, this art becomes odious and offensive since the capacity to say more about a woman was inherent in the story. There's no logic to matching this artist with this story. Although I'm sure it's not the case, it's almost as if the editor (or whoever made the artist choice) felt like we couldn't have a story based on a woman's intelligence, (after all, who would buy that, both figuratively and literally). Rather, an artist that would place the "right" focus was chosen. The right artist is a man who can draw a woman being attacked by a deadly plant monster as rather enjoying herself in the groping throes of passion.

Elegance and sensuality were called for in this story, but we received something different. We received something that didn't even match up to the previous two stories, making the disjoint all the more suspect. The most poisonous thing about the story isn't Ivy, but how once again women are objectified when the opportunity was present to do something bigger and better.

The Sound of Silence: Abbreviated and I CALLED IT!

2006-08-28T17:36:00.000-04:00

Hi, life is what's happening to me while I'm trying to survive life right now, so here is a super-encapsulated review of the books I read this week. I have, atypically, ranked them in order of greatness.

Fell #6 - BUY IT!
Batman and the Mad Monk #1 - BUY IT!
Batman #656 - BUY IT
Spider-Man Loves Mary Jane #9 - BUY IT
Daredevil #88 - BUY It
Ultimate Spider-Man #99 - BUY it
Astonishing X-Men #16 - BUy it
Wonder Woman #2 - Buy it
52 #16 - Buy it

Not a bad one in the lot. I haven't gotten to Ultimates Annual #2 or Jack of Fables #2 (or #1 for that matter). But of those books, they were good for all their own particular reasons. You really can't go wrong with any of them. (Now, USM will make no sense to you if you haven't been a steady reader of the title, but like I said, they are good for their own reasons.)

I didn't cover last week's loot, but let me say it had its high points. Nextwave, as usual, proved quite hilarious. Conan read like Hellboy with Conan in it, which is by no means a bad thing. Casanova was, again, weird. And, let me say here ala' Stephen Colbert - I CALLED IT! The standout hit of the week was Marvel's Strange Westerns. An fun, fun story.

I didn't call it that this book would be so good. (I just happened to see it on the stand.) But soon after the romance genre starting coming back into prominence within comics, I said (to myself at least) that Westerns would be the next great thing. Or should be. Maybe I said to myself that Westerns should be the next big thing.

ANYWAY, I CALLED IT! Western comics are about to make a comeback. It's just a shame that Adhouse's Project anthology series is ending (capping off with a romance anthology, duh!) because I'd love for them to take on the Western genre.

In any case, The Lone Ranger (Dynamic Entertainment) should be out soon - be on the lookout for it pahd-nuh.

Gene Colan Retirement Offer

2006-08-11T18:09:00.000-04:00

I came to awareness of this by Johanna, and I think it's just too good a deal to pass up!

Gene Colan Retirement Sketch Commissions

Gene Colan's Rehearsals for Retirement - The rumors are true. Gene Colan, one of the most respected, influential and beloved artists in the history of comics, is getting ready to retire. But to give his fans an opportunity to own his original art, he's agreed to a grand farewell.

Gene has agree to do a limited amount before he retires. These 14" x 17" pencil portraits will be of anything fans desire, either one of the characters he helped make famous (such as Daredevil, Dracula, Iron Man, Namor, Capt. America, etc.) or anything else that fans want. You can even have Gene create your own superhero!

The cost of the full figure sketch (any character of your choice on 14"x17" board) is $250.00 + shipping. ($20.00 U.S. & $40.00 overseas) the sketches will be done according to payment recieved. 1st come 1st served.

Meme Time!

2006-08-10T12:28:00.000-04:00

It's quick, it's easy, it's meme! Everybody loves meme! Today sponsored by our friends at Random Panels!

Ear to the Ground: August Previews for October

2006-08-07T21:11:00.000-04:00

Here's what made my pull list for October that I wasn't already getting:

Dark Horse Comics: The First Twenty Years (Dark Horse p 27) - I'm a bit frustrated by the lack of information on the contents of this, but it's bound to be interesting.

The Authority (DC/Wildstorm p 104) - Yes, I'm fascinated to see what Morrison will do with this team, which was already founded on some pretty out there ideas.

The Other Side (DC/Vertigo p 123) - Vertigo is doing something a little different and this shows promise, so I want to help send the message that they should diversify even more.

Seven Soliders #1 (DC p 87) - Yea, this was already on there, but damn it's been a long time hasn't it?

Project: Romance SC (Adhouse p 213) - The last of the anthologies that Adhouse plans on producing, sadly. I'm sure it will live up to the high quality of the previous ones plus I love the resurgance of romance comics.

Ragmop (Big Bang p 250) - I'm taking this pretty much on Johanna's recommendation.

Tails Vol 1:Life in Progress (Bohemian p 255) - simply because I love biographical comics.

Let Us Be Perfectly Clear (Fantagraphics p 290) - Paul Hornschemeier rocks my world.

Don't Cry (Kettledrummer p309) - A coming of age story about two brothers. I'm taking my chances on this.

12 Reasons Why I Love Her (Oni p328) - more romance comics, with the promise of some innovative storytelling.

Bizarre

2006-08-06T23:26:00.000-04:00

Dear Amazon.com Customer,

As someone who has purchased books by Hank Ketcham, you might like to know that "Resilience Thinking: Sustaining Ecosystems and People in a Changing World" will be released in paperback soon.

You can pre-order your copy by following the link below.
Resilience Thinking: Sustaining Ecosystems and People in a Changing World Brian Walker, et al List Price : $25.00
Price : $25.00

Somehow the intelligence software for Amazon linked this to my purchase of the Dennis the Menace hardcover collection of a few months ago.

The Sound of Silence

2006-08-06T21:46:00.000-04:00

I'm way behind on reviews, mostly because this is one of the busiest times of the year for me. So, expect even less regular postings from me here. But, for now, here are some very quick thoughts on several books:

Action Comics #841 - This issue is fun, although not quite as fun as the previous storyline and not as good as the first Busiek only Superman issue. Still, it's got me reading Superman. Whoda thunk it?

Agents of Atlas #1 - If you don't like this, you just don't like comics. Gorilla Man, an intelligent, talking gorilla, Marvel Boy, and X-51, the Human Robot.

Amazing Spider Man #534 - It's tied up in all this Civil War nonsense, so terrible. Peter continues to act dumb and naive, and that's not him.

American Way #6 - I'm a good bit tired of the Southern heroes being streotypically dumb and/or racist. Hellbent's speech made little sense to me; maybe I just need to re-read it. That said, this has enough intriguing elements that keep me reading. At this point, it's all about how it ends to say how good this series has been.

Aquaman: Sword of Atlantis #43 - I want to like this title, but I just don't. I'm dropping it. I thought that the Conan under the sea slant would work well given how much I enjoyed Busiek's run on Conan at Dark Horse and I'm an Aqua-fan, but this I can't muster up and level of care about the new Arthur Curry or any of the supporting cast.

Astro City: Samaritan Special - Busiek said he wouldn't write the story of Infidel, the villian he and Ross created for a Wizard special back in the 90's, until he had a good story for him. Well, I've been waiting for that story ever since and it was definitely worth the wait. An excellent, and I say that within the context of Astro City excellence standards, issue.

Batman #655 - I love what I perceive to be as yet another subtle (okay this one much less so) swipe at Miller's ASBAR (and gritty Batman in general). This is not as strong as I expected it to be, but I had very high expectations for Morrison Batman. Still, it's better Batman than you'll find anywhere else (and the best he's probably been in a long time).

Black Plague One Shot - This has received great reviews on most comic blogs I've read, but I really didn't care for it at all. I'm not sure why I'm supposed to care about any of these people.

BPRD: The Universal Machine #5 - How many times can I tell you that this is one of the best titles on the stand? This issue features two unexpected surprises at the end. The editor notes there will be a slight break until the next series starts up unfortunately.

Captain America #20 - I was a little confused with all the cross-plots hatched by all the bad guys, but thoroughly enjoyed this nonetheless.

Daredevil #87 - Brubaker totally blew me out of the water with this issue. I saw none of it coming, yet it all made perfect sense. Bru is showing that his DD run may be the best run yet if this keeps up.

Detective Comics #822 - Already a fill-in issue by the artist? Not a good sign, but still nice art.
Dini is actually making the title apply to the book for a change, giving this a distinct flavor. I'm not huge on detective fiction; however, diminishing the enjoyment of the book somewhat. Despite my personal preference in literature, I'm still enjoying this, which says a lot.

Eternals #2 - I thought the first issue showed limited promise and this one killed it. I felt it became completely bogged down in talking about itself with nothing of interest to go on. I'm dropping this, sadly, as I really wanted to like itl

Fables #51 - This nicely sets up the next fifty issues of this series with the usual fun, mystery, charm, and foreshadowing this series is known for. I'm also very interested in Cinderella, she's a great lead character to establish this book around, much as Snow was.

Invincible #34- The twists and turns keep going on (and was I supposed to pick up on some hint in Mark's mother's last panel words? It looked like it was supposed to sound ominous, but it flew right by me as to what that could be) and I'm loving it. I could do without the backup feature.

Leading Man #2 - Haun's art is still gorgeous. The thought of two actor/agents stretched the concept a bit too thin for me. I was also a bit confused by all the going-ons this issue, but that seemed to be a theme for me on this day, so it may not be the books' fault. I'll still probably pick up the next issue.

Mouse Guard #4 - A beautiful book, but as I mentioned above, this one totally confused me, mostly because the release schedule doesn't work for a bear of little brain such as I and I couldn't remember why the Black Axe was such a big deal. I'm sure if I took the time to read the previous issue, it would all be much more clear to me. A charming book, although does the idea of mice killing each other skeeve others out? It's something like the Watership Down of comic books to me.

Powers #19 - This book is on the verge of getting dropped, not because it isn't interesting (it is) but because it seems to get more and more obsessed with sex, nudity, and crassness for its own sake and shock value than really adding anything to the storyline. My feelings on this book are very, very mixed. If Bendis didn't have such a hard-on, I think this book would be fantastic.

Spider-man Loves Mary Jane #8 - Could this book get any cuter or more fun? One of my top of the pile reads on any given week. Great teen drama.

Ulitmate Spider-Man #98 - Would I lose all street cred if I admitted that I really like the clone saga so far?

The Sound of Silence

2006-07-09T22:28:00.000-04:00

52 #9 - Animal Man, along with the help of some friends, kicks a Celestial's butt. Steel, for some unclear reason, loses a fight to his niece. Batwoman peeks in, presumably after having a few at the lesbian bar of which she's hanging out on the rooftop.

Detective Comics 821 - Paul Dini provides himself a nice intro story, in which Batman actually does detective work, develops a new villian, and wraps everything up in one issue. Cool! I actually found the detective work pieces a bit boring, but I was happy to actually see him behaving as a detective, so I give Dini a pass.

BPRD: The Universal Machine 4 - What other comic can make you go "awwww" for a feral Canadian ghost spirit? I mean, really? I was incrediblly moved by the plight of Daryl in the Abe/Hellboy story (more so than Liz's story, which was more creepy/gross to me). The opening scene with Andrew Devon is downright frightening. The mood that Guy Davis manages to create is genuinelly eerie and menacing. Lord, I get heart palpitations just thinking about it. I'm interested in how the sub-stories the individual team members are telling don't seem to relate to the larger "universal machine" story, but do, in fact, likely contribute to the metaphorical "universal machine" in the Hellboy universe. And for the most part their individual stories look at their experiences with the greater metaphysical universe. "Universal Machine" therefore becomes a very layered theme for this particularl arc. This book continues to be consistently great.

I also finally managed to finish reading all of Conan: Book of Thoth. I have to admit that despite my enthusiasm with the first issue, I was entertained much less by the subsequent issues. At the end of it all, I was left wondering what the fuss was all about. The book has several conflicting messages to me, which ironically is the saving grace of the book because it kept me thinking. Ultimately, however, I was left frustrated even in this area because it seems to criticize people for their willingness to compromise their values and beliefs for safety and convenience (and doesn't that resonate today) yet the book also seems to suggest that their was essentially nothing that could have been done to stop the rising tide of evil. The evil was so powerful that, even when called out and confronted, good men acting to prevent it were nonetheless crushed. So, it's hard to blame anybody in the book because they were simply overwhelmed by a superior and unstoppable force. Kelley Jones's art is appropriately dark for this somber tale.

Ear to the Ground: September 2006 Previews

2006-07-06T20:55:00.000-04:00

What am I pre-ordering this month?

Wildcats: Worldstorm (DC/Wildstorm)- because I'm a Grant Morrison love slave and that's the ONLY reason.

Fables:1001 Nights of Snowfall HC (DC/Vertigo)- this should be real purdy and I'm real happy with Fables right now after it's great 50th issue. I anticipate this surpassing the similar Sandman: Endless Nights in quality.

True Story Swear to God (Image)- one of my favorite titles goes to Image! Yea! I hope this brings Tom Beland an even larger audience. His autobiographical comic deserves it!

The Mother's Mouth (Alternative Comics p 213) - it just sounds interesting. I'm very interested in romance comics and

The Lone Ranger (Dynamite Entertainment p 254) - Because the Lone Ranger was my first super-hero. I watched Clayton Moore and Jay Silverheels every Saturday afternoon. I had the whole line of Lone Ranger action figures. My personal favorite was the old miner disguise kit, with a beard and pack mule for the Lone Ranger. Last year, John Cassady did one of my most favorite con sketches - a Lone Ranger face that just ROCKS. Cassady, who is doing covers for this series, and I bonded over our mutual love of the Lone Ranger. Did I say I like the Lone Ranger

Peter was interested in:
Krypto the Superdog (DC) - because he loves fun books and dogs. And this would seem to have both.

Crazy Papers (Chatterbox Comix p 246) - I was interested in this myself, but now I'll read Peter's copy.

Union Jack (Marvel) - I imagine he's getting this because he's something of an Anglophile, but I'm been enjoying Jack in Brubaker's Captain America (which Peter doesn't read) so I'm not questioning it.

Quick Quiet Catch-Up

2006-07-05T19:55:00.000-04:00

I fell behind several months on several titles that I read "monthly" for a variety of reasons and 4th of July allowed me to catch up on most of them. That said, spoilers abound here, but unless you're as behind as I was, you probably already know this stuff.

That said, my suspicions about the quality of Amazing Spider-Man were confirmed. Civil War has done nothing but made the title decline in quality futher. Peter is being far too easily manipulated by Tony. I also don't buy the whole relationship he's built with Tony; it just doesn't ring true. I also stand by my conviction that Peter revealing his identity is completely out of character and now add to that belief that it doesn't make much sense in terms of the overall plot either. I don't buy into the fact that Peter would willingly or unwillingly be drafted into hunting down his peers and even if I give you that, his identity reveal is completely unnecessary. The government employs hundreds, nay probably thousands, of covert operatives every day. Revealing their identities severely impacts their ability to do their jobs. It's the same thing here. It's just sloppy thinking.

The much better Ultimate Spider-Man was a welcome relief, both in terms of something more true to Spider-man but also by leaving behind the rather boring Deadpool arc. The Morbius arc suffered from some pacing problems but was very entertaining, although I'm not sure how I feel about Peter's "new" super-power of vampire immunity. Did somebody forget to tell Morlun that?

Thunderbolts finally wrapped up the completely confusing storyline of Genis/Photon/Captain Marvel that I didn't know was about him in the first place. I was on the verge of dropping this title despite my love for the characters because nothing was making sense. I couldn't make heads or tails of what was supposed to be going on. With most of whatever that mess was behind us (am I supposed to know what the "Guardian Protocols" are or is that still meant to be a mystery?) I'm very intrigued by how this dovetails with Civil War. This title, unlike ASM, have the characters acting very much in character and doing Thunderbolt-y type things in what is actually a perfect set-up for them (a super-hero war). I'm back on for the ride.

And, geez, am I out of my head for neglecting Daredevil for four months? This has got to be in Marvel's top three best books right now (Nextwave rules the roost, baby!) especially given the hiatus of Young Avengers. (Spiderman Loves Mary Jane is the other one if you're curious.) The latest installment despite the Finch-cum-Quesada cover just knocks your socks off. The tension is palpable and the characterization is top-notch. I really enjoyed Bendis's run on this title, and this may well go on to exceed the quality of that run by far.

Heroes Con 2006 Highlights

2006-07-02T22:11:00.000-04:00

Too tired from all the fun I had this weekend to go into much detail right now. But suffice it to say that I had a great time this weekend at Heroes Con. I got to interact with and get some art from my annual favorites, Robert Ullman, Andy Lee, and Richard Case as well as getting to meet the truly hysterical Warren Ellis and the exceptionally nice (and also quite funny) Brian Hitch. Jeffrey Brown proved to be sweet and charming, adding a great little sketch to my copy of Clumbsy. B. Clay Moore signed my Hawaiian Dick copies and I managed to snag the final installment of the current limited. Clay said that he hopes a HD ongoing series will begin next year. (Here's keeping our fingers crossed.) I also met Jeremy Haun, Moore's collaborator on Battle Hymn and Leading Man. Jeremy is a fantastically gifted artist. I got to see his pencils for the first and second issues of LM as well as all the covers. I wish I could afford his prices because his work is just staggeringly beautiful. I did get his signature and a gorgeous print off of him, however.

I picked up the lovely Castle Waiting hardcover collection as well as Ullman's "That's Just Super" (availabe at his website), the 2nd graphic novel anthology of the Savannah College of Art and Design (the first one, Senses, rocked my world). The SCAD guys were also super nice and signed their respective entries.

When somebody tells you their comic is about a group of female Mexican wrestlers solving paranormal mysteries, you just gotta buy not just that comic, but everything that studio produces. Such is the case with Josh and Stephanie of Moxie comics. They flew all the way from LA and, boy, am I glad they did. A delightful pair, Josh admitted that Charlotte was sufficiently entertaining for an LA boy while Stephanie worked on a great sketch of Zatanna for my friend John.

I snagged a couple of George Perez signatures as well as Charles Vess's signature, which was very cool. The Bryan Hitch poster available for advanced ticket purchasers was beautiful - Superman busting through a wall. I spoke with many, many delightful people - far too many to name. I'm sure I am leaving out something and some people, but my brain is exhausted from all the stimulus! I'm tired in that very good way.

One of my favorite moments of the weekend: Warren Ellis telling some woman in the signature line that for her remark (which I didn't hear) he was going to sign her books as "Bendis."

Scans of my artwork as well as any other nitty gritty details I forgot forthcoming!

Why the World Needs Lois Lane - Spoiler Free Review of Superman Returns

2006-06-29T23:49:00.000-04:00

Superman is not gay. He is Jesus, however. I'm sure his creators would love that.

I must say that although he's always been something of a Messiah-figure, the Christ imagry is hard and heavy in Superman Returns. I didn't find it distracting or detrimental; it is, after all, pretty fitting and appropriate, but I did find that theme/motif/symbolism quite present and obvious.

Superman is also pretty. Very pretty.

Routh does an amazing job of channeling Christopher Reeves - he effectively does what Ewan McGregor did with Alec Guiness and makes you believe this is the same guy. That said, Routh seems a bit more uncomfortable in the role and several of my fellow movie watchers thought he was a little (and I quote) "autoanimatronic" and "plastic." "But pretty."

Indeed, Routh fills out the suit well on several levels, but doesn't always seem comfortable in it, although at times he seems very natural in the role. I didn't find his performance lacking; I thought he got the character quite well, actually. My fellow movie goers complained that there wasn't enough character development for Superman, that they didn't feel for him. I'm not sure what development they were expecting. To me, it's Superman, his character (and that of Clark) is pretty covered territory and you either care or you don't. I think part of the problem was that the time he actually has Lois or Ma Kent to play off of is very limited, so there is no opportunity for character arc or development for him.

That said, in some ways this is Lois's and Luthor's movie. The movie is far less about Superman than what Superman means to the world. It's more about Lois's personal journey and just the sheer madness of Luthor. Much like the first Spider-man movie, it's more of a love story (Lois and her love for her husband, son, job and Superman) with a lot less Spider-man (or in this case, Superman). In many, many ways, this movie should have been called "Lois Lane, Superman's Ex-Girlfriend." It's mostly her story and about how all these characters around her, including Superman, need her. Yes, Lois has plenty of opportunity to be the victim/rescued, but she has equal opportunity being the heroine/rescuer and in some big ways. Singer actually sets up some scenarios where I thought Lois was going to rely on the man to help her out of her predicament (and those do exist) but he never loses sight of that fact that Lois is a capable and confident woman. So some of those scenarios twist and also Lois finds plenty of opportunity to reciprocate.
Still, plenty of Super-action abounds, particularly at the start of the movie. The pacing is very strange and I must say the ultimate "big action piece" didn't resonate with me emotionally. I didn't find it particularly compelling (or as another friend pointed out particularly consistent with the story). I was very happy with the initial action sequence, however, which harkens back to John Byrne's Superman #1 (or was it Man of Steel?) and plenty of other action sequence will keep hero fans happy. The six-year-old that saw one screening with me was enraptured the whole time.

Time provided a review that highlighted the mythological and savior imagery and themes of this movie and I think they are quite right. I'm tempted to do a post called "It's Superman, My God!" on all of this, but who knows when I'll find the time. Still, their review reinforces my belief that this movie is really about the people around Superman (this includes society as a whole), particularly Lois, although not exclusively, and not really about Superman at all.

The Sound of Silence

2006-06-24T22:12:00.000-04:00

So I pick up The Flash #1 despite not being a huge Flash fan because of how well the Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman titles have been (and Aquaman slightly less so) about being immediately accessible and entertaining. I was put off by the messy 90's-style cool cover, but decided to give it the benefit of the doubt. I should have gone with my instincts, because the inside is even messier. Quite the opposite of being accessible, I had no idea who was who and what in the world was going on. In Wonder Woman, Heinberg probably over-simplified Donna Troy's story; here, Bilson and Demeo overcomplicate somebody's story. (I'm not sure if this is Bart Allen's story or Jay Garrick's or Griffin's or whose.) The art and layouts are confusing and the plot is exposition heavy. In fact, the plot just sits there and about half way through I could have cared less. I won't be picking up the next issue. It's a shame this title didn't live up to the other OYL titles.

All-Star Superman #4 was a delightful contrast, rivaling the first issue in charm and how it cleverly embraces the Silver-Age wackiness with modern sensibilities. Morrison's real talent here is copping to the goofy nature of those stories, while not satirizing them, or being campy. It's an intelligent story for the modern adult reader that holds up the unabashed fun and outlandish ideas that many modern stories have lost. Do I need to talk about Quitely's art here? It's better than anything you're gonna see in any other comic book, but a special nod goes out to his interpretation of a pivotal, if not classic, Superman foe. A FANTASTIC read.

52 #7 was the first disappointing issue. I felt that Booster's story was way too drawn out and the heaping and heaping of abuse and revelation in the crowd scene just didn't resonate as plausible to me. I also thought the Montoya/Kane scene was very cliched. Bored with this issue.

Eternals #1 held my interest and attention enough to make me want to see the next issue, but I have a gut feeling that it's mostly because of JRJR's always incredible art (and he really shines in this story) and because I'm giving Gaiman the benefit of the doubt. There wasn't a terribly lot of interesting things going on here, but I have confidence that Gaiman can do really great things with "the slumbering gods walking among us" concept.

Ultimates 2 #11 - Rock on. Summer action blockbuster move in comic form. Mucho fun. Georgie crying for Laura? Nice. The final reveal - not surprising but still gives ya that "oooh they're in for a hurtin'" chill. The Thor scene - oh yeah - Loki's in for it. And Iron Man 6? Did anybody else think that was just way too cool?

The Sound of Silence

2006-06-19T21:09:00.000-04:00

Tim Fish is an up and coming indie artist. He's actually been around for quite some time, but it just starting to get some of the attention he deserves.

So far his seminal work is Calvacade of Boys, a series detailing the lives of several different gay men. It's a very entertaining read. Some of it strikes home as very accurate despite occasionally falling into a stereotypical short-hand. You can really see Tim's progress as an artist and writer through the course of the series. I fully recommend it for anybody who enjoys slice-of-life comics, romance comics, and almost any gay man I think would enjoy it.

His latest release is Strugglers, which is actually an updating and amplification of an earlier work of his, Meet Me in Saint Louis. Strugglers is a prequel of sorts to Calvacade. It focuses partly on Tighe during a phase in his life when he's just graduated college and not yet fully dealt with his sexuality. It also is the story of his two roommates, Alison and Tracey, good friends and recent college graduates trying to make it in the indie music scene in St. Louis, Missouri and also dealing with the realities of post-college life.

Strugglers is very much the coming-of-age story, a collegiate Huck Finn in some ways. Although the indie music scene lifestyle of these characters is one that I don't know much about or really even relate to much, I still found myself engrossed in their story. You really begin to care about each of them and get frustrated when they don't make the decisions that are best for them. (I found myself particularly frustrated with Tighe, but that's probably my own projections.) Although this is an earlier work than Calvacade, it feels a bit more well rounded, quite probably because of the additional material that Fish has added to fill out the story more. The new material is pretty obvious because Fish's art current art style is a bit more clean and a finer line than his earlier work. The change is noticeable without being jarring and I found the comparison of styles interesting. My comic book store owner commented that he thought Fish had an art style similar to Walt Simonson and upon reflection, I have to agree. It feels loose and bold, but is actually minimistaclly expressive and full of movement. Like Simonson, you can feel the Kirby influence in the constant dynanism of his pages.

Strugglers might very well escape your radar, but you would be making a mistake. Even if you're not interested in Fish's exploits of gay romance in Calvacade (and you really should, it's quite good stuff), you're still certain to enjoy Strugglers if you've ever wondered what you were going to do with your life.

Don't forget also to order Something Fishy This Way Comes, a collection of Fish's mini comics (Poison Press) from Previews for August. If your LCS won't order it for you, order directly from Fish himself.

The Sound of Silence

2006-06-18T20:03:00.000-04:00

From the back matter of Fell #5 (a fine, fine comic that you should be reading) --

Ellis quotes Will Eisner: "No one recognized or accepted the fact that this artwork or this medium; that this strange, marvelous combination of words and images that were laid out in an intelligent sequence was a true art for mor literalry form...I [told a report that I] believed that this was a fine art form, and that someday it will be recognized as such."

I just want to point out that theater, which is often considered a high art in modern society (at least if you're attending say, Fences, or Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, or Our Town, or Death of a Salesman, or 'Night Mother and not Hot Tuna) was once considered a depraved and very low art form and that actors and actresses were akin to prostitutes and thieves.

Comics, in America at least, still carries a similar stigma obviously, but it doesn't mean that it's not a valid art form or not capable of more than entertainment. Rather, comics can and have, not infrequently, said something insightful and/or profound about the human condition. It's why comics is my favorite form of entertainment. It can be pure escapism and silly summer blockbuster movie craziness (and is far too often) or it can be reflective, meaningful, and intelligent. I look forward to the day where Western audiences hold comics in the same regard as we do any other art form.

Speaking of art, not only is Fell #5 masterful at being a riveting and compelling story of two guys talking, but BPRD #3 is perhaps one of the creepiest and eeriest thing I've ever experience. I think, seriously, only Silence of the Lambs, maybe The Birds or Psycho has created a more visceral gut-wrenching macarbe story. The sight of the townspeople surprisingly and suddenly turning into wolves was spooky, but a mere mood enhancer. I was severely creepd out by Dr. Corrigan being fondled by the monsterous courtisans. Their clammy, sticky tough was palpable as was the impending sense that Kate could be ripped apart any moment if she made the wrong move. As truly dread-inducing as this sequence was, Johann's story was heart-wrenching. My gut twisted and everything would have just sank into the bottom of my stomach had the pit not fallen out. This was, I believe, one of those stories that could not be told effectively in any other medium. Davis's art and Mignola's story crafted a tale that truly moved me and chilled me. Honestly, this book has been consistently superior and this tale is easily better than the latest Hellboy offerings.

One Year Later...

2006-06-15T20:50:00.000-04:00

Talking about DC's new One Year Line and Marvel's Civil War seems an appropriate topic since it feels like it's been a whole year since I've posted. And, being at civil war with Marvel also fits.

Confessions of a Marvel zombie -- I've always been a Marvel kind of guy. The heroes and stories always resonated with me more. Spider-man has been my buddy ever since I got Spidey Super-Stories and read his reprinted tales in Marvel Tales. (How shocked was I to learn years later that I wasn't reading those first-run!) Batman was always my number two: Bats was just as cool, but I could be Spidey. I knew I'd never be a multi-billionaire with money to spend on cool gizmos or achieve physical perfection. But I already was the brainy nerd semi-outcast like Peter, and darn it, I might just run into an irradiated spider at some point!

(Tangentially, Aquaman (yes, Aquaman, blame the Super-Friends) has been my third favorite with Captain America and Wonder Woman tieing for fourth although I almost never read either Cap's or WW's titles. I tended to catch up with Cap in Avengers and Wonder Woman on TV with the lovely Lynda Carter.)

But now, I feel like it is brother against brother. I can't stand what Marvel is doing with Spider-man and my head hurts from every endless crossover. Yes, DC has done it too, but at least they are relenting to allow people to jump back on to their main titles with One Year Later. DC is letting people catch their breath and offering an accessible jump-on point while Marvel bombards us with more cross-over crap and terrible characterization.

I started out liking JMS's take on Spider-man, but then there was the huge Gwen misstep and then along came Bendis with his mal-formed Avengers and the two combined sunk Peter's story and characterization. I really enjoy BMB's Ultimate Spider-man, but he can't seem to deal with the more mature Peter found in the mainstream universe. JMS, I thought, got him, but has shown lately that he really doesn't. Peter is too individualistic to join the Avengers (yes, I realize he was already officially an "Avenger" but that was for about five seconds) and his same value of individualism, I believe, would have him opposing registration. His sense of responsibility to his family would certainly lead him to very different actions that the must ballyhooed and discussed conclusion of this week's Civil War story. Yes, it will all eventually be undone, and it's not only a failure to understand Peter's character, but just lazy storytelling. Good stories could be written about this development, but good stories could be written without it. It just feels sensationalistic, gimmicky, and a cheap ploy for attention. It feels hackish instead of a natural evolution of Peter's character.

So this Marvel zombie has been a DC Johnny lately. Following one of my favorite writers, Kurt Busiek onto one of my least favorite heroes, Superman, I've also seen what's up with my number #2 (Batman, eagerly anticipating Grant Morrison's take on him), and seizing the opportunity to catch up with my favorite girl written by a man who's Marvel work (Heinberg on Young Avengers) has rocked my socks off.

I've greatly enjoyed Superman, which doesn't surprise me given my love of Busiek (and his wonderful story in the Superman limited series he did last year). It's just good, fun super-hero stuff with strong characterization and viable threats that makes me care about the Big Blue.

I'm not as enthusiastic about Busiek's Sword of Aquaman, which surprises me because, in general, I think this is the right road to go down with Arthur (or the nu-Arther) and Busiek rocked the house with Conan. Yet, I'm not drawn into this tale yet, perhaps because of massive confusion regarding what the heck is going on.

Batman and Detective Comics have offered an entertaining read, even if Robinson's story took a strong detour in emphasis and seems a little slap-dash at times. The story feels like one I've seen many times before, and Two Face has been handled more masterfully (notably in the fantastic Legends of the Dark Knight: Faces by Matt Wagner) but it's comfort food. It is still entertaining, I don't feel lost in Bat-continuity, and Batman is acting like Batman, not a psychotic. It's good enough to hold me over until Grant Morrison has him fighting bat-ninjas, for God's sake.

The first issue of Wonder Woman is a mixed bag. The Dodsons' art suffers from an inability to relate action sequentially. Several panels are jarring in how mis-matched they are time-wise with the previous panel. It's sufficient to throw one out of the story because you go back and try to figure out if you missed a panel or how the characters got to that point exactly. I also think that while it's pretty, it's very static. I don't feel a lot of action or flow in the art.

Story-wise, I don't like how incompetent Donna came off. It didn't make sense. No, she's not Diana, but she's been doing the super-hero bit for years and shouldn't come off like the rank amateur that she does here. That was the most disappointing aspect - that and the book reads fast - it doesn't fill very substantial. It's all very fast paced and then it's over, but then, whoa, what a cool ending. It's definitely enough to keep me hooked to see how it plays out, but also makes me wish Heinberg were spending more time on Young Avengers.

And I'm really enjoying 52. A lot of the concerns I read online about it don't impact me because I didn't read any of that other stuff and don't care about it. Therefore, 52 doesn't always make sense to me, but then I don't mind whatever continuity glitches it has and it does entertain me. Heck, it's just fun to have a new installment each week!

So, as far as super-heroes go, DC's got me right now. Yeah, nothing beats Nextwave for a laugh, but I'm getting my thrills at DC. Marvel that I loved, come back, baby.

You are reading a post about Nextwave unless you aren't

2006-03-23T21:24:00.000-05:00

Nextwave is the Little Britian of comics.

It's absolutely f**king messed up in the most hilarious way. It is good enough to get me to get off my butt and write a post after weeks.

From the "interactive" Primer Page to "No Girls" to "lurve me. you are my superhero wife" to "very small school with lovely children inside" to "Faster Pussycat Kil Kill" to "I am President Frankenstein" it's all stark raving mad genius. I started laughing at Dirk Anger's revolver and never stopped. This issue is nearly the level of comedic fun that the first one was - apparently Ellis can write funny more than once (thank goodness).

Nextwave is exactly what the comic world needs right now- a kick in the groin.

Ear to the Ground: April Previews

2006-02-15T22:37:00.000-05:00

Not sure what this says about me or the comic industry, but the only thing I ordered that I don't already get is Adhouse's Superior Showcase. Despite my recent Ellis rampage (Fell, Desolation Jones, Nextwave, Blackgas), Wolfskin holds no interest for me.

Which leaves me more money in my pocket for the Usagi Yojimbo trades I'm catching up on, but still.

*chirp*

Did I mention that I ordered the New Frontier action figures thinking they would arrive in February and would make a neat Valentines present. Only to go back and re-read the solicitation to find out they don't arrive until June or July. That'll learn me to pay attention to the not-so-fine print. Also called for an impromptu gift hunt.

And apropos of nothing, I just worked my way through the Goon Vol 4: Virtue, and the Grim Consequences Thereof and was fairly disappointed. I thought those issues were very much straight super-theatrics and weren't nearly as funny, bizarre, or macarbe as Eric's previous work on the title. Perhaps the introduction is right and all those Eisner's done corrupted Mr. Powell's sensibilities.

The Sound of Silence

2006-02-05T23:12:00.000-05:00

My latest reading habit has been the trades of Usagi Yojimbo (rabbit bodyguard for you non-Japanese speakers), which have stories that range from good to fantastic. I'll eventually get around to posting my thoughts on this wonderful series that I can't believe I'm just now getting into. The early trades aren't necessarily hard to get, but they're not readily available (currently you either have to go through second-hand sellers or find the right comic website that carries them). So, I want to get along far enough into the trades that stay more readily in print to suggest a starting point.

For now, I'll comment on some of this past weeks offerings: (SPOILERS - mainly on my Cap review)

Powers #16 - What is wrong with Bendis? I mean, really, what is the whole comedian with the unnecessarily vulgar monologue schtick have to do with this arc? This installment is particularly offensive. In #14, the comedian was plenty offensive and seemed to be an "f-you" message to Bendis critics. Ok, fine, have your little say. #15 was much more toned down and now #16 raises the notch back up. I'm tempted to try to find some thematic connection to the story arc, but my gut tells me that doing so is investing far more time and energy into the effort than Bendis put into writing it in the first place. At one time I would have given Bendis the benefit of the doubt, but he has finally spent all that credit in my bank. As for the main story, it's a very interesting development, but provides further evidence that Bendis has gone astray from what made this book unique and interesting in the first place.

Sentinel #4 (0f5) - I really enjoyed the first run of this book, but I'm having a whole lot of trouble caring about this limited. I'm not sure why, but nothing is resonating with me. I think it's because the characters I care about almost seem tangential to the story. Also, the "Iron Giant" appeal of the first series is really pushed off to the side for the big Sentinel fight.

Surrogates #4 (of 5) - This story is going to have to fully play out before I can sufficiently comment on it and I think that's a real strength of it. Each chapter has been moving us along nicely and I enjoyed the back-fill on how this world got to the point of using surrogates. (The brochure at the end is a neat piece.) The ending could be anything and I'm enjoying the possibility. The art still ranges from properly atmospheric to looking like the artist just didn't have enough time.

Polly and the Pirates #3 - Is this being published bi-monthly or was it just late? Anyway, I finally feel like we're going somewhere. The second issue had seemed too much of a repeat of the first, and while this contained some of those elements, Polly finally starts coming into her own. She grows up a little here and the adventure at last seems like it's on.

Batman and the Monster Men #4 - More great Wagner art. This feels like a worthy successor to Batman: Year One. We're seeing a clear transition to the more fantastic elements of the Bat-mythos here as well as a Batman in transition. Very few people are buzzing about this book, which is a real shame because it beats ASBAR to a bloody pulp.

Hellboy: Makoma #1 (0f 2) - Hellboy beats things up. And we enjoy it. Surprisingly, I don't miss Mike's art too much, but maybe that's because we do still get a healthy dose of it. How can you not love a title that gives you a demon Rhino in the first few pages? (I love that picture for some reason.)

Captain America #14 - Real mixed emotions on this. This story was done well and Epting's art was sheer brilliance the whole way. But I had really hoped that the cosmic cube would deus ex machina some things back into the way they were. No matter how good the story is, bringing back a long-dead character just feels uninspired and something of a cheap shot. It's too reliant on regurgitating the old in a new form (a problem many of our mainstream comics are having) instead of supplying something freshly new. Is it entertaining though? Yes.

Bulleteer #3 (of 4) - If anybody was doubting that this title was a huge commentary on women's roles in super-hero comics, this installment should resolve that issue with it's blatantly obvious take not just on women, but on the super-hero genre in general, fans of super-hero comics, celebrity and the nature of heroism itself. A lot is packed into this book, not the least of which is further developments and linking to the greater SS storyline. I 've got my own bigger SS analysis piece in my head that I just need to get down in writing, but Grant makes me have to think and that takes so much time nowadays.

Local #3 - I like this series better than Demo, but I'm not resonating with it either. Wood just writes to a different audience than the one I'm a part of, I guess. This issue is good, although Kelly made the 2nd and 3rd band members look a little too much alike, making me flip back and forth to un-confuse myself. The next issue sounds interesting enough to make me want to come back for more, though, despite my lack of connection to the book.

Another Day of No Real Content

2006-02-03T18:49:00.000-05:00

Well, duh...

Your results:
You are Spider-Man

Spider-Man		80%
Superman		70%
Robin		65%
Supergirl		60%
Green Lantern		60%
Wonder Woman		45%
Hulk		45%
The Flash		45%
Batman		35%
Catwoman		35%
Iron Man		20%

You are intelligent, witty,
a bit geeky and have great
power and responsibility.

Click here to take the Superhero Personality Quiz

Any Meme in a Storm

2006-02-01T22:53:00.000-05:00

Just because I can't believe nobody has done this one yet... (this is Dorian's fault)

Always Remember...

Daredevil: A Bendis in the Road

2006-01-30T20:26:00.000-05:00

I was going to post a long, focused piece on the Bendis run on Daredevil. It's one of the few DD pieces I've ever been interested in reading outside of Frank Miller. And I think it's darn good work. But work and life have sapped my interest in doing any long piece.

So, I'll say this. I think Daredevil was the most consistent read from Bendis over the past few years, with most issues being very good work. Even the weaker elements were generally entertaining. This is one of his few titles where Bendis didn't seem to creat havoc for chaos's sake and he didn't use some of his standard writing ticks as a crutch, instead using them, mostly, to good effect.

Maleev sure does some pretty art, especially fitting to Bendis's mood. His fight scenes tended to improve to being less static over the run, and this was primarily his only artistic problem (problem being too strong a word).

The end initially underwhelmed me. I thought this was not the note to go out on; all the hype and hoopla ends on this very quiet, albeit shocking, moment. In some ways it felt like the bad guys won. But I as I reflected further, I couldn't think of a more realistic ending for this story. I thought Bendis throughout his run treated the issues with as much realism as possible in a super-hero universe and this continued that treatment.

The "what could be" story of Matt, obvious in its set-up, annoyed me on first read. It seemed clear to me that this was a scenario in Matt's head and not really happening, particularly by the time Bullseye entered the picture. But now I like it; it reminds me somewhat of Peter David's "Last Hulk Story" when he ended his long run on the title. It was a possible end for Matt - and one that made complete, tragic sense.

And so does this (current) ending. I would have liked to see Matt cleared of charges, to see him happy and victorious - vindicated for saving lives. But that's not the story Bendis was telling and, really, Matt's story has never been a happy one. In a shared universe, where all the heroes have tragic stories or conditions, Matt has, at least since Miller's redefinition of the character if not before, been one of the most tragic. Matt has been put through the wringer and I'm the type of person who wants to see him enjoy life, but that's not Daredevil today. And it certainly wasn't Bendis's Daredevil.

The ending doesn't bring full closure to the story and I still struggle with that aspect. Of course it's difficult to fully end an ongoing serialized story, but I wanted a firm resolution to most of the subplots. To some extent, resolution was given. But I like seeing possibilities.

The situation, however grim, does supply some hope for Matt. We don't know the final outcome. Foggy may (well, we now know he won't, thanks, Marvel) could launch an amazing defense. Matt could potentially pull a prison coup like he did with Hell's Kitchen. He could become a kingpin in prison. Or his enemies might finally get to him, surround him and finally do him in. And what kind of end is that for a hero?

I plan to re-read the Bendis run and see how I feel about this ending in fuller context. As it is, I find it an intriguing and difficult yet appropriate end to a memorable run.

All's Fair?

2006-01-27T17:39:00.000-05:00

I really wanted to avoid commenting on the comic industry and any hype/scandal/controversies and stick to just the books themselves. However, a recent Newsarama interview with DC editor Bob Schreck contained comments from him that really annoyed me. Since most of those comments deal with criticism, I'm going to bend my rule and deal with criticism, a meta-subject I feel okay addressing here.

Below is a snippet of the Newsarama interview that I'll be commenting on.

[PART I, wherein our blogger doesn't deal with criticism, but rather states a pet peeve]

NRAMA: To back up a bit, part of the reason we're asking [about the intent of the All-Star line] is because the content of All-Star Batman & Robin the Boy Wonder took some readers, and even retailers, by surprise. Whether or not the impression was given by DC or based purely on reader/retailer assumption, it’s fair to say at least some people expected All Star Batman to be a title that was supposed to have wide appeal and many were surprised as to how "tough" the tone of the book was and how rough around the edges it was...

SCHRECK: The book was the #1, best selling title of 2005. I'd say that's a pretty wide appeal. It was clearly solicited as being written by Frank Miller and penciled by Jim Lee. I believe both gentlemen are delivering their very best. I have no idea why anyone could have been taken by surprise by what was delivered. If you are expecting anything less than innovation, controversy, and white-hot message boards after either of these gents put their stamp on a book, well, you're just not paying attention.

If you are not aware of what Frank Miller does, you're living under a rock. The book was not solicited as being labeled in any way (and if you are aware of Frank's stance on labels, nor would you expect it to be), and I think because we discussed the title as a re-invention of classic iconic characters, some may have misinterpreted that as re-telling the same classic story in an old fashioned way.

NRAMA: Misinterpretation or otherwise, some were expecting something similar to say, Ultimate Spider-Man… which doesn’t mean that title is “old fashioned”, but it was designed for a very broad demographic. Most would agree All Star hasn't been that at all. So what you’re saying is, the series is playing out the way it was originally conceived?

SCHRECK: The series is exactly what we thought it would be - trendsetting, innovative, and the talk of the town.

[Herein endth Part the First]

I'm definitely breaking my cardinal rule here, but this started my annoyance with the interview. I just didn't like the tone he took with this answer. He sounds like the freakin Bush administration. He doesn't really address the core issue (the perception problem) except to casually dismiss it and then to insult people with a different perspective.

I definitely interpreted whatever press came out prior to the book that it would be an all-ages friendly title. I don't have a sufficient interest to go dig up the publicity online and tell you what I read that gave me that impression, so I'm willing to concede that I may have misunderstood what was said then. However, I was apparently not alone in the way I interpreted the hype and while crowds have had mass hallucinations, to perfunctorily dismiss a wide-spread perception is not a particularly customer-friendly gesture.

Bob could have extended an olive branch by saying "we're sorry that people misunderstood our intent; we didn't try to deceive you," but instead his tone is more along the lines of "you're stupid for having misread what we said and furthermore, your completely naive for thinking that Frank Miller could ever put out something appropriate for anyone under 30."

He also cops out of addressing the concern by playing semantic games with "wide appeal." He doesn't address the logic behind the claim (which, according to his own comments, should be pretty easy to do) but rather changes the meaning of the question. Newsarama is asking about people believing the title would be appropriate for younger children; he avoids the question by saying it's a good selling title. He performs a similar dodge with the last question.

His answer is further insulting because he equates Frank Miller and Jim Lee working together as being innovative and controversial a priori. Well, we've never seen them working together before and certainly not all of their independent work has been innovative or controversial. Miller has been both at certain points, but not always and not always in tandem. Lee hasn't been especially either, frankly.

To his credit, he does briefly address the concern being asked about, but in a dismissive manner, sandwiched between irrelevant and insulting answers.

[PART II, wherein our blogger does indeed address criticism]

NRAMA: Did or have you followed the reaction to the title at all, and any thoughts on how it has been received?

SCHRECK: It's only just begun. Anyone who hasn't gotten it yet, will either get on board in the next few issues or they won't. Some people have a tendency to pre-judge things. I'm certain that most of those who are feeling a little lost in the woods, will be onboard soon. These things take time to roll out...

And it's best to let the creators get their story out there before automatically condemning it. Most people I talk to are having the time of their lives with Batman & Robin the Boy Wonder. Those that aren't don't have to buy the book. It's still a free country... I think? Right? But, considering the massive sales, I'd say we're doing just fine.

NRAMA: Fair point.
You said you’re expecting the “lost-in-the-woods” crowd to be “onboard soon”. Do you expect this for a specific reason? Maybe something coming up in the next issue that you expect to pull it all together for people? Or do you just mean that generally some readers are slow to come along and should be caught up soon?

SCHRECK: There are many players in this tale who haven't arrived on the scene, and when they do, things will begin to jive and the bigger picture will be revealed. We're only at issue three!
[Thus endth Part the Second]

I take exception with Schreck that this work has been pre-judged and that it's too early to critique the book. Any serial installment is open to criticism and review as its being released. Yes, seeing the entire work may alter or midigate some perspectives held during the installation of the story, but that doesn't exempt the work from reviews or criticism. Each chapter must stand on its own merits (even after the entire work is finished, although the totality of the whole work may overshadow flaws in individual chapters).

Pre-judging a work would mean that, as often happens on internet sites, a book is judged before it is seen. Well, we haven't seen the whole work, but three issues is sufficient time to get a good taste (it's 1/4 of a year's output/12 issues, how much longer must we wait?).

I certainly am not a reader feeling lost. I feel somewhat abandoned maybe. But I know where I am and can make a reasonable judgment on this book. I'm actually a huge advocate of "decompression" in modern comics, at least when it's done right (and so often it isn't), but I'm surprised that Bruce and Dick haven't run out of air in the Batplanecarsub yet. There is no movement in this book and in a serialized format, you don't have the luxury of just setting up the chess board over so long a period of time. You've got to at least put some pieces out there and start playing. Add other pieces if you need to later, but let's see some game.

But other elements mar this work other than lack of forward momentum and these elements are consistant across three issues. Should we expect a radical departure from future issues?

Again, good sales do not equate to a good story and Schreck fails to address any reasonable criticism of the work by suggesting that people who criticize should just not read the damn thing. Certainly I'm in the minority in thinking this book is not good at all, so therefore, yes, Mr. Schreck, I'm exercising my freedom to not buy this book.

Healing Comics By Beating Batman Up

2006-01-25T22:58:00.000-05:00

I was tempted to think that Grant Morrison was poking a bit of fun at Frank Miller with All Star Superman #2. I'm certain that Grant wrote and Quitely drew A*S well before all the hub-bub over the infamous Vicki Vale butt-shot and all the internet rabble-rousing about the G-D Batman (and just how queer that is). But the fact that I could read this issue in that light- easily - speaks to just how differently Grant is approaching this book than Miller is approaching All Star Batman and Robin (ASBAR).

ASBAR is writ large - bombast - sound and fury - and, appropriately, signifying nothing. Actually, perhaps signifying several things, none of them positive. Many reviewers and fans of Miller and ASBAR claim that Miller is doing broad farce (of superheroes or himself?) or that he's over-the-top because that is how superhero comics should be: wild, exciting, fast, furious, full of energy and craziness. In issues #1 and #2, ASBAR could definitely be seen as farce - a not so gentle poke at providing what fanboys seem to want. Miller seems to say in these issues: "want a crazy, driven, larger-than-life Batman? Here he is!" with the result being that either the reader is given exactly what he wants (which seems to be the case given the high sales reported on this title) or the reader is repulsed at the monster that he has created as mirrored byMiller.

But ASBAR #3 makes it pretty clear that whether or not this is Miller's goal, he's not crafting the story in a very entertaining or particularly well done way. The story pacing is glacial, the language is gratuitous, as is the Black Canary subplot, the Superman epilogue comes out of nowhere (and has potential chronological in addition to its contextual problems), and a strong bitterness is evident in the work. It's shocking, but not funny. The best laugh comes from some sort of nervous laughter provoked by Dick Grayson's anachronistic "that is so queer" remark. If Miller is writing parody (or self-parody) or farce or making some type of commentary (one fan suggested that his glacial plotting is a commentary on "decompression"), evidence for this is sorely lacking. And what's more is that it isn't fun. Or funny.

Superman, however, clearly shows its love for comics and superheroes, particularly to Silver-Age Superman stories, and in this issue, to the Lois Lane, Superman's Girlfriend series (and the frequent Superman plot convention of Clark tricking Lois now made infamous by the "Superman is a Dick" website). Unwittingly (I suspect), Morrison comments on the portrayals of Batman. "How is [Batman]?" Lois asks. "Great. You Know Batman." Superman tersely answers. This, of course, would be an accurate description of the Silver Age Batman. But the font it is written in, smaller than any other font on the page, coupled with the comment taking place in a flying car ride that lasted panels instead of issues (Batman and Dick are still flying around in the Batmobile come issue #3), it's hard not to feel like Morrison is not implying that either Batman really isn't fine (how often have you told somebody that a friend was "great" because you didn't want to explain what a bad condition they were in) or that, despite the train wreck you can find in ASBAR, Batman is Batman - he will endure even this treatment. Also a few pages later, Quitely and Morrision provide their own version of cheesecake. But the panel with Lois is at a bit of a distance and feels natural and sensual, not forced and salacious. Lois's inner monologue is a stark contrast to Vale's, interestingly enough also. Lois thinks of marriage (commitment, fidelity) while Vale thinks about having the hottest ticket in town with Bruce Wayne (shallowness and surface). Quitely/Morrison comments on the sexist imagry in the sister book to A*S by providing an alternate approach to similar material.

Yet, even I'm inclined to dismiss my own interpretation of unintentional commentary as stretching, and it's not my main point. A*S reads like a love letter to comics and its protagonist. At no point to you feel like anybody or character is being mocked. Some genre conventions receive a little tweak here and there, there's a very slight wink at the reader, but even those are still treated with enjoyment and wonder. ASBAR leaves me wondering why anybody would want to write about this uber-jerk. A*S makes me wonder why I haven't been reading Superman my entire life (because most of his stories aren't this good). A*S updates the Lois trope effectively, while making you laugh a little at the naivete of the stories this is based on, but it also makes you want to go back and read and enjoy those pieces.

Nextwave, however, is nothing like All Star Superman. Nextwave kicks you in the teeth. Nextwave does what people claim ASBAR is doing. Nextwave is broad farce - it is superheroes written absurdly and loudly and with no apologies. The book is damn funny. I laughed outloud at least three times and very few books make me do that. Unlike ASBAR, this book enjoys itself. ASBAR seems to want to punish itself for being a comic and for being about superheroes. Nextwave wallows with love in that fact.

Nextwave is pure Ellis and it will give fans who worry about continuity major coniptions. I don't usually worry about such things, but this book shreds continuity for laughs. I really just had to get over myself because it was just too damn funny not to.

Nextwave contains lines you will NEVER see in a Marvel book. Suffice it to say one of those lines has the phrase "giant weasels dressed as cheerleaders." Yep. Told you so.

Although it is farcical, it isn't self-loathing. Superheroics become something big, bold, and beautiful. Being a superhero becomes something not quite so clean cut or easy, but it's fun, loud, and involves kicking peoples' teeth in. Nextwave is absurdist. It takes the most fantastic elements of the superhero genre and pushes them to the nth degree. One of the best points of the book is that it never balks at its own pretense. There is not subtle nudge to the reader, no hint that the characters or the writer think anything is remotely odd or wrong or silly about what is going on.

It becomes marginally surreal at times. It's mostly told as a straight-forward superhero narrative but when you've got a character such as The Captain, Elisa Bloodstone hammering computer-controlled vegetable robots to death with a guitar, and Fin Fang Foom, you're gonna dip into Dali-land.

Ellis's Nextwave is the nearest successor I've seen to Grant Morrison's Doom Patrol. And that, my friends, is a very, very good thing.

This book made me stay up an extra hour tonight so I could write this review and tell you to go get it immediately. If you like ASBAR because of what you think it's doing, go get the real thing here. If you don't like ASBAR, go get this, it'll cure the blues. And pick up A*Superman while you're at it. Tomorrow, the last issue of Bendis's Daredevil.

The Sound of Silence

2006-01-18T21:22:00.000-05:00

What aren't you reading?

Senses: Sequential Art Anthology - published by the Savannah College of Art and Design Sequential Art Department (how cool is that?), Senses collects the best of submissions from students, faculty and alumni of the university. You're certainly familiar with this process for college poetry collections, but this beats any university poetry journal I've read.

As the title implies, all the pieces (none longer than a few pages) focus on one or more of the five senses. Some of the comics are very subtle in their relationship to this theme while others bang you over the head with it.

Senses starts out strong and although the quality varies throughout, the momentum it gains from the first few pieces really carries you through the weaker parts. Overall, however, the stories are very entertaining, provoking a lot of different reactions and carrying the reader through many different emotions.

The first story, "The Island", is one of my favorites. The theme is very understated in the piece, yet plays a central role in how the life of a man who washes up on a nearly-deserted island plays out. Eleanor Davis uses the sense of sight to clearly convey the protagonist's emotions and thoughts while using the reader's sight to move the story along and create a strong emotional reaction.

The next piece, "An Admission" employs all the senses in a story of love found and lost. I thought this piece had a very Brian Wood feel to it - although not derivatively.

"A Sense of Surprise" and "Scapegoat" were too other favorite works, although "Scapegoat" is a joke you've likely seen played out before, but the cartooning style makes it fresh and funny.

"At first Sight" and "Rockingbird" were two other pieces that made me smile. I love Ron Chan's art style and sweet tale of a possible budding romance and "Rockingbird" recalled Pixar's animated short about the misfit bird among the elite crowd (the name of which escapes me right now).

"Aged", "Michael", and "A Little Piece and Quiet" have very similar themes and oddly enough they're placed closely together, which makes them feel more repetitive than they actually are. I found them redundant upon my first read, but on review they show clear thematic and tonal differences.

Senses contains far more quality and appealing pieces than not - even the stories that didn't resonate didn't turn me off. At almost 200 pages for $10, it's an absolute steal. I pre-ordered it from Previews a few months ago; I hope it can be still ordered from them. I fully recommend picking up this smart, funny, and touching collection.

Ear to the Ground: March 2006 Previews

2006-01-06T15:32:00.000-05:00

Here's what I'm thinking about getting as I go through the January 2006 Previews catalogue for items shipping in March.

Indies
True Story Swear to God (Clib's Boy Comics) - anytime this is out, it's a good thing.

Banana Sunday (ONI) trade - Peter got the individual issues and liked it, reviews are good and so I'm picking up the trade. I was interested in the title when it came out, but decided to hold out for this.

Thank God Rucka returns to Q&C (ONI)- I pick this up in trades, but I've been wondering what happened to it! This answers my questions.

Surrogates (Top Shelf) finishes up - this has been good, not great, but interesting and takes place in one of my favorite cities - Atlanta!

Dark Horse
Since Busiek is leaving the title, and this is the only spin-off he's written so far, I'm mighty tempted to pick up Conan: Book of Thoth to get the last of Busiek Conan-goodness.

Hellboy:Makoma - well, duh. It's Hellboy.

DC
Much ado is being made over Sam Keith's Batman mini, but as much as I love the guys (Keith and Batman), I'm not very interested.

Batman and Monster Men - yes. Batman: Year One Hundred - no.

All Star Superman - you bet your sweet bippy. Looks like Quitely got in his version of the "S" anyhoo.

Superman 650 is now the second Superman title I'll be picking up thanks to Busiek's hand.

Aquaman: Sword of Atlantis - I wish they had renumbered this. I feel weird picking up issue #40 of a series, and I'm not sure I will, but I love Busiek, and this aqua-vamp has me intrigued.

I love the caption "Frankenstein takes on the deadly fairies!" in the Seven Soldier solicits. Thus begins the end.

I love the Stude Rude Batman statue. I probably ain't paying $55 for it, but I think it's quite neat and one of the best Batman statues yet.

Image
Speaking of statues, I'm quite bemused, but have no intention of picking up by the "donut eating action" of the Simpsons "Ironic Punishment" toy in the Image section.

Marvel
Do I care about Spider-man any more? That's the issue I'm facing. JMS has put him through so much now that I don't know that I do - and this big powers and costume change has me quite nervous. I mean, hell, it will be all back to status quo in a year or so, but will this turn me off so much that I don't want to read it? I even liked the initial animal totem ideas, but it's gone off the deep end for me, I think. This is the fanboy in me - I don't really care enough to enjoy it like I want, but too much of a fan to drop it.

I was fairly enthused about Brubaker taking over Daredevil, but the Foggy gravestone has me a bit concerned. Ed seems mighty blood-thirsty lately.

Squadron Supreme starts back. Hopefully it maintains the level of quality it possessed as a MAX imprint.

Will Ms. Marvel be a great, inspiring, feminist-powered hero or just a bunch of TnA? I'm hoping for a strong female lead, but afraid we'll get otherwise.

I'm mildly intrigued by the premise for New Avengers Illuminati, but tired of Bendis. I don't think this will play to his strengths, but rather show his weaknesses.

Nextwave - yahhh!

I actually did love the New Universe! I read DP7, Starbrand, Justice, Nightmask, and Psi-Force. Dp7 was my favorite by far (forshadowing my love for Grant Morrison's Doom Patrol). I'm interested in what Ellis will be doing with them, but do I want these Untold Tales?

The Pulse ends - thank you. The title was a shell of Alias. I followed it because Alias made me care so much for Jessica that I wanted to follow her story. Now I'll have it.

Not real happy with the Thunderbolts return to the old numbering (mostly because I pretend that #76-on of the old didn't exist). Yes, fanboi.

More Runaway trades is a good thing.

Yes, I want the Alias Omnibus, but b/c of price, it's to Amazon I will go!

Essential Nova - who doesn't love Nova? He's cuddly and oh-so-70's!

The Sound of Silence

2006-01-05T22:06:00.000-05:00

What aren't you reading? My tastes are fairly eclectic, so my New Year Resolution is to use my interest in a wide variety of comics to highlight comics that many fans may not have read.

To start things off, I'm highlighting Robert Ullman, because I love his art and have requested a commission piece from him to celebrate my almost 37 pounds of weight loss these past few months! I also met him at Heroes Con last year and he's a swell guy.

Lunch Hour Comix is an autobiographical diary book, similar in tone to James Kolchaka's Sketchbook Diaries. LHC differs in being a substantially shorter piece of work and not beholden to a strict four-panel minimalist grid. Many entries read like a mini-comic, some are one-panel creations with a central icon representing what was on Ullman's mind at the time. Ullman's goal was to create each strip in less than an hour. Given his self-imposed time constraints, the art is detailed, clear, and polished. Some strips fall a little flat, but mostly they are very entertaining and I personally related well to several of Ullman's thoughts and perspectives. At five bucks, it has just enough content to make you feel satisfied, but still hoping he'd do more of these.

Grand Gestures is the story of three buddies, Ken, Perry, and Brady, all young adults trying to figure out love and/or women. Brady is the bad guy who gets the girls(most of the time), Perry is the nice guy who finishes last, and Ken is trying to figure out if he should stay in (moreso how he can get out of) a relationship he no longer feels strongly about. The book quickly absorbs you into the story and you feel like you know these guys. You went to college with them or dated them. They all have their faults but lose none of their appeal as protagonists you care about - you just wish they'd do the right thing. Although an ending is reached, there is clearly more stories that can be told with these guys and I hope Ullman persues this. The art is typicall clean and crisp Ullman; his style is perfectly suited to this kind of story. It lends a youthful, fresh vibe to these fellas and their stories.

Both of these books are published by Alternative Comics and available at Ullman's website.

Thanks for the Judgments!

2006-01-05T22:03:00.000-05:00

I bid a fond adieu to Randy Lander, infamous Snap Judgments comic reviewer. I've been reading Randy's reviews for years now, and although we don't always have the same taste, he's been a pretty good guage for me (sometimes because of how our tastes differ).

He's definitely put in a lot of time, effort and energy, and thought into his reviews. He'll definitely be missed.

Best wishes, Randy!

Chirp Chirp

2005-12-30T11:42:00.000-05:00

Um...hello...anyone out there?

Hmmm...I imagine that 3 months and 10 days since my last post would cause anybody who ever glanced here to have completely given up on this site.

Unfortunately the demands of work and other obligations have kept me from doing any entries. Also, since the purpose of this site was to provide some more in-depth analysis of comics, the time for that kind of thinking and critique is certainly lost to me for now. So, the blog had best become something else or it'll never get anything posted.

Anyway...enough with the excuses. I won't leave 2005 without at least one more entry - and you know what that means! Best of Year list!!!

Unfortunately, I can never remember what I read this year versus, say, what I read five years ago. So, I crib a little bit from other blogs to help remind me and hope that when I strike out on my own, I'm not in the wrong year!

Best Comics 2005

Grant Morrison - did he write it? I loved it. From his 3-issue trilogy (Seaguy, We3, and Vinamarama) to Seven Soldiers to All-Star Superman, I am loving this man (for at least 2005). He hit gold every time for me here.

Warren Ellis - ok, not everything he wrote this year is "best of" but he really stood out with Fell and Desolation Jones. Those couple issues of Planetary weren't bad either.

Mome - volume 1 - Fantagraphics start to a wonderful new anthology

Project: Superior - another wonderful anthology (from Adhouse) this time giving us riffs on super-heroes.

Nat Turner - Kyle Baker does powerful work here graphically, not really needing what text is supplied, which is good because you go blind trying to read it.

New Frontier - it was collected this year, I know and remains a great series that celebrates a time period with modern sensibilities.

Young Avengers - my favorite Marvel title currently and just a fun, fun ride in the traditional Marvel teen-angst vein.

Calvacade of Boys -(Poison Press) - the collection of Tim Fish's now-ended series about the ups and downs of gay romance. A little stereotypical at times, but tons of fun and you really do care about the characters.

Black Hole - (does anyone else feel uneasy about where I placed this in the list?) I received the collection this year and read it in a day. Magnificient work - moody, creepy art that evokes the awkwardness of the teen years and captures the 70's well. This story draws you in as it also makes your stomach twist a little. Lots of subtext, but very good on a surface level.

The Ultimates - my second favorite Marvel title right now. This is just rocking super-hero stuff.

Conan - (Dark Horse) who could make me care about the barbarian? Obviously Kurt Busiek, who continued a strong run (sadly about to end) this year, especially with the one-off tales of Conan's childhood.

Hey, Hellboy showed up, so it's gotta be on here. People who don't read Hellboy are dorks. BPRD should not be overlooked either - it consistently entertained and had a few shocks and surpises also.

I had already planned to put Mike Allred's Solo (DC) issue up here and Jeff Lester reminded me of Darwyn Cooke's awesome issue of the same.

And...Fables continues to be just one of my all-out favorite titles. Stories that make me feel like I'm reading Sandman again (no, I'm not saying it's "Sandman done right" - it just evokes that sense of adventure, wonder, magic, and sense that anything could happen). Buckingham's art is crisp and detailed and James Jean adds further magic with his terrific covers.

Mirror, Mirror on the Wall

2005-09-20T23:38:00.000-04:00

Aaarrggghhh...IGN is running a "Battle of the Comic Book Writers" and the results are just driving me crazy. Not that just because a handful of people voted it so makes it true, it's still infuriating that most people are voting on the current hot writers and not giving much thought to a body of work.

At points, the contest itself is infuriating: some of these people are equally deserving of praise, albeit for different reasons.

Winners that astound me

Jeph Loeb over Peter Milligan - are you freakin kidding me? Loeb is so overrated while Milligan's work is almost always insightful, quirky, and different. Loeb has been pushing out the same stuff ever since Long Halloween.

McFarlane over Terry Moore - Todd's not even a writer in any reasonable definition of the term.

Ennis over Sim - I'm not fan of Sim's misogyny, but his contributions heavily outweigh Garth Ennis's work, which is about as crass as Sim.

Ennis over Willingham - Fables is just the best title out right now and Bill gave us the Elementals for cryin out loud! Ennis gave us Arseface. Bleech.

Whedon over Loeb - Whedon writes TV like nobody's business. His comics...ehhh...as much as I dislike Loeb, he has produced enough good work and a body of work that overshadows Whedon in this medium.

Larry Hama over John Byrne - I probably shouldn't be defending Ultimate Curmudgeon here, but his FF is classice, second only to Stan and Jack. He made the X-Men cool with Claremont. I even think Alpha Flight rocked. Yeah, his attitude is piss-poor, but his writing beats Hama.

Hama over Mike Allred - stutter...stutter... Azzarello over David Lapham - not a candle, I tell you.

Mike Mignola over Marv Wolfman - I loves me some Mignola, but do these kids know how significant Wolfman is to comics?

Jeff Smith over Matt Wagner - no, no, no, no. Bone is great, but that's it for Smith, folks. Grendel, people. Mage. Sandman Mystery Theater. LOTDK: Faces. It's a beat down.

Infuriating Comparisons

Grant Morrison over Warren Ellis - my head just explodes on trying to figure out who to give the award to. Almost certainly I would side with Grant pretty easily, but damn don't make me choose between my left eye or my right eye

Mark Millar over Peter David - hey, Peter made the Hulk cool enough for you to use, Mr. Millar. Of the Millar books I've liked, I've liked them better than the David books I like, but PAD has done some important revitalizations and wrote the huge Spider-Man tale, "The Death of Jean DeWolfe." Marvel Knight Spider-man sucked. Also, the Maestro still trumps rapist-Hulk. These guys are both good, but you're comparing apples to oranges here.

John Byrne over Mike Carey - again, the type of stories these guys write just can't be compared. Byrne could never do the cool stuff Carey does and I'm not sure if I would want Carey on a standard super-hero book. I'd actually go to Carey slightly on this one, but it's night and day with these guys.

Straczynski over Chadwick - I have to nod to Chadwick here - his socially concious writing was (and still is) ahead of its time. I love Supreme Power and Rising Stars, but it's just not as meaty as Concrete.

Ugh. My head exploded.

Ear to the Ground: September Previews

2005-09-11T22:41:00.000-04:00

Here's what's looking good to me that's new for November comics:

Batman and the Monster Men (DC) - Matt Wagner can do no wrong with Batman as far as I'm concerned. Ever since his excellent "Faces" arc in Legends of the Dark Knight, he's beautifully captured the essence of Batman and sets just the right mood.

All Star Superman (DC) - Although I do not like all things Grant, I love most things Grant. If anybody can get me to like Superman, it will be him (although Kurt Busiek did a nice job). Grant has just the right blend of outrageous ideas and a true love for comics and classic action and storytelling, that he should be just the right blend. Quitely on art? Pure sugary icing.

Sentinel (Marvel) - Sean McKeever remains an unheralded writer for some dumb reason. And he excels at teen angst. The first round of Sentinel was great - I'm sure this will be too. I'm also happy to see on web news sites that he'll be writing more Mary Jane stories (not solicited in this issue). Also, grab hold of Gravity, his current Marvel mini. It's not Earth-shattering, but solid fun.

X-Factor (Marvel) - The Madrox limited was very entertaining. Madrox is a great lead character. He's confident yet his powers clearly end up both helping him, but also messing him up. David manages to blend noir with humor well.

Five Fists of Science (AIT/Planetlar) - This just sounds fun. Twain and Tesla saving the world. Nice. Internet buzz says the art is great too.

The Three Paradoxes (Fantagraphics) -Hornschemeir is another talent deserving more praise. His work is clean, elegant and disturbing. His deeply touching Mother Come Home has received a fair amount of press (and rightfully so), but his name still isn't out there like it should be. Check out Mome, out a few weeks ago for his piece in that anthology. My expectations are high for this.

Local (Oni) - I was tempted to bypass this because I didn't much enjoy Wood's Demo, but the art on this is gorgeous. I'm also hoping that the things I didn't like about Demo will translate better to this work. Still, a lot of that was not relating much to the attitudes and perspectives of the characters, so I still hold that concern. But, it sounds too good not to try.

Strangetown (Oni) - This just sounds intriguing. And I love the cover. And I've been wanting to find a China-Major vehicle to latch onto to sample her work.

Peter is interested in continuing Lex Libris (Amaze Ink/SLG), the adventures of a librarian after trying the first issue.

What's Good

2005-08-30T20:42:00.000-04:00

I really want to post on some of the good stuff I've read lately, but I'm a bit too down about all the hurricane stuff to rouse myself. I have family and friends in the areas hit hardest and I'm concerned about them.

I do want to say that I plan on reviewing Alex Robinson's new graphic novel Tricked. I haven't seen reviews on it anywhere and it certainly warrants coverage. It's all about what is right with comics. Very good stuff and despite the 300-something page count, read very quickly. Once I started I couldn't put it down.

People should also be looking at the Fantagraphic anthology Mome, put out a few weeks ago. Great stuff there.

Grant Morrison continues to please with Klarion.

I also need to get around to reviewing Return of the Elephant, a disturbing graphic novella by Paul Hornschemeier. It's very well crafted in many ways, but it's not for everybody. It's quite the enigma to me in many ways although you're bound to walk away with a knot in your stomach at the end.

Here We Go Again...

2005-08-25T13:41:00.000-04:00

From BeaucouKevin...

I've been reading a fair amount of comics material from the 30s and 40s of late, thanks to rediscovering my copies of the (say it with me) stupidly out-of-print The Golden Age of Marvel Comics (a mere two volume set that could use expansion) as well as random DC 100-Page Giants and those rather awesome ACG reprints of Golden Age material. Here's what I have determined: modern superhero comics are f**ing boring.

Look out, Kevin. You'll be next up against the wall.

Dr. Whom?

2005-08-24T20:51:00.000-04:00

You are the Fifth Doctor: Your youthful exterior
belies your centuries of experience, and even
you have a bit of difficulty rectifying these
two aspects of your personality. You are
compassionate, introspective, and deeply
troubled by injustice. If you occasionally seem
to display more vulnerability than your
predecessors, it's probably because you're more
openly human than they were. Are your
companions finally rubbing off on you?

Which Incarnation of the Doctor Are You?
brought to you by Quizilla

Sick and Tired of Being Sick and Tired

2005-08-22T08:25:00.000-04:00

Allow me to indulge in a bit of navel-gazing here. Much hoo-ha has been made of Paul O'Brian's "bored now" article on Ninth Art. And the discussion has spawned other columns, and encompassed many a blog, so why not mine?

The most interesting question about this whole issue has focused on "can you be bored with a medium" (as Johanna asks) and/or did Paul mean he was bored with the medium or on the superhero genre. The least interesting question has been "can I make a snide and insulting remark while posing it as a sincere question."

As an aside, this, like many controversial issues on the net, has brought out the worst in people who enjoy trying to intellectually one-up others by catching somebody else in a logical fallacy or enjoy focusing on a particular word choice, perhaps poorly chosen, rather than trying to engage in constructive dialogue. Debate is rarely a useful tool for persuasion (at least for persuading proponents of a different viewpoint) or coming to greater understanding or concensus. But people seem more motivated to "win" than they do to understand, so debate rules the postings.

Here's my take:

At the risk of being stoned myself, I can relate somewhat to what Paul and now Graeme are saying. Now, I think that both of them are talking about superhero books primarily if not exclusively, but I do have a general apathy towards comics as a medium these days, much as I do towards television and film.

I have pretty diverse tastes in comics, about the same or slightly less in film, and probably the least in television. So, my complaint doesn't stem from failure to consume diverse offerings in these mediums. Indeed, of these three mediums, I find comics the most rewarding in my ability to find something I like. It's the most satisfying of these three for me.

And there is some great stuff out there; my - apathy is too strong a word - ennui is probably better - comes from wanting something groundbreaking. Perhaps this is a fault of being alive where Star Wars, Jaws, and Indiana Jones created the summer blockbuster and revived certain genres of film. Or a fault of seeing The Dark Knight Returns and Watchmen revolutionize comics, especially superhero comics; where Grant Morrison applied a hefty does of postmodernism to Animal Man and Doom Patrol, where Alan Moore brought further sophistication to comics with Swamp Thing (allowing Grant his opportunity). For all the resulting ills, TV had Survivor come onto the scene and create a mostly new genre (and I'm sure other TV examples are out there, but I'm coming short on this).

But for a few years now, not much revolutionary has happened in these mediums and I yearn for some of that excitement - for the next big jump. We've had some small jumps lately: I feel like Tom Beland contributed to the revival of romance comics with True Story Swear to God as did Andi Watson, Jeff Brown, and others. Morrison's WE3 had some novel story-telling devices and his "trilogy" is one of the best works of the past few years. The recently released Mome from Fantagraphics is wonderful as have the Adhouse anthologies, but these aren't revolutionary - they are solid, they're good, but not medium shaking.

Perhaps I'm wrong for wanting or expecting big events in my mediums - but I've all but quit watching TV outside of some cooking shows and I'm interested in some films, but not real excited about any of them. And comics - there are many good things to read but the ratio is askew currently and that triggers a feeling or perception towards them all.

Why not give up on comics then? Well, as I said, there's good stuff - wading through to find it can be frustrating - but it's out there. The medium isn't dead or desolate. Also, I have hope for the medium. I believe it can accomplish great things and I want to be around to see the next great leap. And maybe, just maybe, that book next on the pile is it...

Beach Reading

2005-08-16T15:06:00.000-04:00

A current meme amongst comic bloggers is listing five books you would take to a desert island. So, rather than lead the pack, I shall once again trail behind...

1. Grant Morrison's Doom Patrol run - simply the best super-hero comics that can be had. Weird, fun, and hours of post-modern interpretative fun.

2. Bone One Volume by Jeff Smith - the perfect mix of fantasy adventure and humor

3. Box Office Poison by Alex Robinson - this would take up a lot of time as well as entertain as one of my favorite GN's.

4. Sandman by Neil Gaiman - no, I'm not some goth kid, but get over it; it's quality stuff.

5. Astro City collections by Kurt Busiek - I love this series - it's a constantly interesting take on super-heroes.

Honorable Mentions (#6-#10):
Fables by Bill Willingham could have snuck into the top five had it already been completed. As it is, it's probably my favorite read today.

Queen and Country by Greg Rucka - always good stuff

Calvacade of Boys by Tim Fish - to have a good "gay" read along with me, but edged out by more meatier fare (plus Peter will take it and I'll borrow his copies).

American Elf by James Kolchaka - fun autobiography - and a lot of it too!

Amazing Spider-Man - the classic stuff - Lee, Romita, Kane, Conway, Stern, Romita Jr.

Heroes Truly Aren't Hard to Find

2005-07-23T14:49:00.000-04:00

Much brew haha is being had currently with the announcement that Wizard World has decided to expand into Atlanta next year at the same time that Shelton Drum's Charlotte Heroes Con is being held. Fortunately, many professionals have sworn exclusivity to the Heroes Con already including Bryan Hitch, Greg Rucka, Tony Harris, Cully Hammer, Brian Stelfreeze, Karl Story, Scott Kurtz, Brandon Peterson, Casey Jones, J. Michael Straczynski, Mark Bagley, Cliff Chiang, Ethan Van Sciver, Los Bros Hernandez and Art Adams. My hat is off to those creators who specifically stated their support after the Wizard announcement (which Wizard is now denying is a solid date despite giving out business cards with it printed on the back).

In long over due celebration of the event, here are some pictures taken at this year's con

Here I am with Andy Lee and the painting he did for me. I love it, but my reference piece for it created a lot of difficulty! I'm sorry, Andy! He did an awesome job. I'll be getting around to scanning my sketches from this year and adding them to my website...sometime!

John with comic veteran Joe Staton.

John Cassady working on a sketch of Elijah Snow. He did a great sketch of the Lone Ranger for me that I hope to put up soon. It was probably my favorite of the convention.

Heroes Con is very kid-friendly. These ladies posing with Lil Cap here are as about as risque as it gets.

The massive art auction held every year. This year, an original Adam Hughes painting went for over $4,000! Way out of my budget range.

That does it for now. I'll post here when I put up my sketches on the website.

A Different Kind of Doom

2005-07-06T10:50:00.000-04:00

I know I'm not really a news site, but this is a little lead-in to a new article I'm preparing to write up here: Richard Case at the Heroes Con in Charlotte last weekend informed me that DC is doing a third Doom Patrol trade paperback.

I'm quite excited about this news. I think the entire Morrison/Case run needs reprinting - it's my favorite run on almost any book (although Stern/Romita JR on Amazing Spider-man springs to mind easily). I asked about the Flex Mentallo legal issues that seem to have kept DC from reprinting more of this work and he stated he wasn't sure. He thought that the next trade would put us right up to the Flex Mentallo stuff (I have to double check to be certain), so future trades are up in the air.

Pretty Okay Four

2005-07-06T10:45:00.000-04:00

I got to see an early preview of Fantastic Four last night, thanks to my local comic shop, Heroes Aren't Hard to Find.

To give you some perspective on how I view the super-films; I rate them accordingly:
1. Spider-man 2 - A+
2. X-Men 2 - A
3. Batman Begins- A (ties w/The Incredibles - A)
4. Spider-man - A-
5. Fantastic Four - B -
6. Daredevil - C

As a movie, I think FF is pretty good. As a comic-fan, I disliked several of the changes, that my non-comic fan husband had no problems with.

They did get a lot right, however: the Ben/Johnny relationship is right on track and overall the casting is pretty good. Doom isn't quite, I dunno, Latverian enough for me (HA!) but not bad. Reed is a good cast and Invisible Woman suffers from "not given much character development other than a romance with the lead" syndrome.

The Stan Lee cameo is GREAT!! Big laugh there.

I think where it suffers as a movie is that I found it a bit boring in the middle - not enough action - perhaps a symptom of being an origin story. The time when they experiment with their powers gets a big repetitive and a bit too mundane. I wanted a bit more cosmic action or Reed fantastic science.

Some of the plot points, especially with Victor's corporation, seem like terrible MacGuffins, not fully explained or realized. And a couple of moments which should have been audience rallying moments came off as just cheesy.

Overall, although it could have been cut down several minutes, it's a solid movie. I think most people will enjoy it, but won't be wowed.

This is dedicated to the ones we love (who should be reading comics)

2005-06-15T17:29:00.000-04:00

Marc Singer recently asked for and compiled recommendations for a list of comics for recruiting non-comic readers. I thought this was a fantastic idea, so in lieu of my own original thoughts, I'm going to take a cue from him; here is my list that I shared with Marc. What do you think?

True Story Swear to God by Tom Beland (Clib's Boy Comics) romance/autobiography

American Elf by James Kolchaka (Top Shelf) autobiography

Above and Below: Two Stories of the American Frontier by James Sturm (Drawn & Quarterly) historical

Calvacade of Boys by Tim Fish (Poison Press) romance/comedy

Torso by Brian Michael Bendis (Image) historical/action/adventure

Bone - Jeff Smith (Cartoon Books) fantasy

Box Office Poison - Alex Robinson (Top Shelf) romance/comedy

Sandman - Neil Gaiman (DC/Vertigo) - Start with anything other than the first trade, mostly likely "Doll's House" or "Game of You" fantasy

Goodbye Chunky Rice or Blankets - Craig Thompson (Top Shelf) romance/autobiography

Three Fingers - Rich Koslowski (Top Shelf) comedy/parody

Sparks - Lawrence Marvit (Slave Labor Graphics) fantasty

Clumsy - Jeff Brown (Top Shelf) romance/autobiography

Queen and Country - Greg Rucka (Oni) action/adventure

We3 - Grant Morrison (DC/Vertigo) action/adventure

Fables - Bill Willingham (DC/Vertigo) fantasy

Anybody notice any publisher trend here??

True in Name

2005-06-09T17:42:00.000-04:00

Boy, the Silent Accomplice has been mighty silent, hasn't he.

I discussed my writer ennui over at my other blog, My Three Dollar's Worth. There, it was at a general lack of enthusiasm to complain any more. Bush is bad, the Religious Right is America's Taliban (and it is), and gay people should have the same rights. I'd said it the same things a thousand times in a thousand different ways. Well, maybe a dozen or so at least.

Bad enough to have writer block when starting up a new blog, but I wanted this blog to be something a little different. I didn't want to comment on news or just do reviews, there are plenty of blogs that do that. I wanted to do something more unique and substantive and thought-provoking.

I'm damn proud of my essay on Seaguy, but since then I've had little time or energy to replicate the effort. I've also found few comics that enable me to write that kind of analysis or even a work that causes me to reflect on my life, such as Demo did. So, I'm faced with doing the same sort of thing that is already out there (and being done better than I'd likely do it) or let the blog sit silently (and losing any reader by the eon) while waiting for the muse or at least a decent comic book to strike me.

I think I may compromise somewhat and try to point out reads that may not be on most people radar screens, but I overall I'm still going to try to maintain my vision. And if that means nobody ever reads that work once it's completed, then nobody reads it.

But we're staying open for business. I'm not going anywhere. So check back in from time to time - I'm here. I'm just being quiet.

"I have you now Red Skull", Cap said tieing him to the railroad tracks

2005-03-09T19:15:00.000-05:00

And while we're on the subject of Christopher Priest and Captain America, in a discussion of the never-to-be-seen-now "Death of Captain America" arc, a story Priest scrapped partly because it would be difficult to kill off a guy who is walking around quite okay in the main title named for the character, visitor Greg Zywicki comments that Priest could have pulled that trick off, if he wanted to.

To which, Priest replied:
"Actually, since we’re out here spinning plates, you’re right. You made me realize how this could work in a self-contained arc: Cap is, indeed, still walking around in other books—but he’s different. In some way. Maybe he [wears] a mustache."

Now, if Greg Rucka will just have, for like one panel, Cap appear with a mustache and never explain it or have any character comment on it, I'll have his child.

Reaching for the Top Shelf

2005-03-09T07:36:00.000-05:00

In case you missed it hiding under a blog rock or something, Top Shelf is having a huge sale. Three dollars for some books that retail normally for up to twenty-five bucks. You gotta spend $30, but man it's a sweet deal. They've got some other cut price books.

I'm using the opportunity to catch up on
Pistolwhip - a retro noir piece

Scott Mill's The Masterplan and Trenches - I really enjoyed his Big Clay Pot book. I recommend it if you don't have it. I've wanted these books (Trenches is set in WWI) but haven't found the pocket change.

Speechless - a collection of Peter Kuper work

The Octopi & The Ocean -"A small boy finds himself deep within the timeless ocean, directly between a pack of artifact guarding sharks and a manipulative civilization of marriage seeking octopi. " What more do you want out of a comic?

and these anthology collections --
Top Shelf #7: On Parade
Top Shelf #8: Under the Big Top
Top Shelf #9: Asks the Big Questions - this is a HUGE volume (336 pages) and has work by Alan Moore, Peter Kuper, Tony Millionaire, Chris Ware, Seth, James Kochalka, and obviously many others all for three bucks. Hey, kids, comics!

Books on sale I already have read, but recommend include:
James Kochalka's Sketchbook Diaries /American Elf compilation
Blankets
Owly
and Big Clay Pot

Ain't That America

2005-03-08T20:44:00.000-05:00

The apparent death of Steve Rogers (aka Captain America) by a random shooting in the most recent issue of Captain American and the Falcon has generated some amount of ranting by fans who see the development as absurd, untenable, and reproachable.

Put to the defense that, regardless of the merits of the story itself, nobody is going to believe that Captain America is really dead, author Christopher Priest had to retort that he never thought that anybody would believe that Captain America was really dead when he wrote the story in the first place.

I personally confess to being a bit mystified by these people who have gotten so riled up over Cap being shot (apparently) dead.

Cap has never been bullet proof, and the fact that some random event could end his life (read: non-heroic death) is not only pratically unique in comic-book land, but realistic and perfectly in keeping with Cap as a character.

I would suggest (he says, digging far too deeply into the psychoanalytic well) that this outcry is more about our own tenuous life span. Our so very non-super-human mortality lies precariously in the fickle hands of fate and randon circumstance. Even in a God-ordained world, God does not spare us the inevitability of nor warn us about the empending and ultimately fatality-inducing fall of the cosmic concrete truck upon our wee heads.

And we are loathe to confront that fact.

Usually we shut the thought of the not-really-so-unlikely random life-ender from our concious mind. When we must deal with it, we rail and fight against it. Few crave to go gentle into that good night; most of us choose to take up arms against those outrageous slings and arrows.

All this fuss is not so much about a presumptuous writer or even about the non-glamorous demise of an icon. No, the puking and mewling about Captain America, a character who is perhaps the most human of all super-heroes, being offed in a so casual and unforseeable manner is really about the certainty of all of us easily meeting the same fate.

Enlightenment

2005-03-01T11:35:00.000-05:00

Not just an attempt to put up an easy post, but this review of Vimanarama by Olivia Woodword of Silver Bullet Comics (which I found via Marc Singer's blog) includes explication of elements in the book that I had no idea about and I have to share them. I still encourage reading the entire review at the link above, especially for her clever insights regarding the pacing of the story.

From Ms. Woodword's review:

The plot is simple, but contains an escalating conflict structure, going from the mundane to the fantastic. At first, Ali needs to deal with his brother, both at the store and later at the hospital. But this conflict thread is just a prologue to the story, an introduction to the characters and situation. It is during his visit to the hospital that Ali discusses the true conflict of this story, his ability to accept and submit to God’s will. Then the need to find the child takes over as the immediate conflict. But this gets complicated by both the surprise arrival of Sofia and the unfortunate releasing of the “Devils of the Drowned Island.” Technically, there are four distinct conflict/resolution points in this issue, but the underlying premise regarding God’s will unites them; they are merely different aspects of the same challenge
...
Setting is more than mere backdrop in this issue. It is a notable character within the narrative. Obviously, it serves as a contrast element for the rising conflict of the plot, starting in the mundane world and growing even more fantastic. Bond’s art certainly brings these places to life with rich detail and a superb sense of dramatic stage-setting. However, there is an implied setting behind the obvious. Let’s look at the title. Vimana is a term used in Indian architecture to signify a building that contains a shrine or sanctuary, a Palace of the Gods. On the second page, Ali enters the “Palace of Rama” when he passes under the entrance archway, delineated by the arc of the ball, while the celestial apsaras dance and celebrate the Hero’s arrival. After that point, the entire story takes place in “transcendent” space. Every scene has implied mystical significance, from the playground outside of the hospital to the dark railway beneath the store. Everything takes place within the Palace of Rama.

...let’s look at a clue to gain further insight within the text. As Ali enters the subterranean realm, he passes through an archway bearing Arabic inscriptions. One panel focuses exclusively upon a word and has a bordering style unique to the story. The letters spell "Z-U-N" but there’s a vague letter before it. It looks like it ought to spell huzun, signifying rough, rugged, hard ground, which is derived from the base word hazana, to make sad, sadden, grieve. Obviously, this is a signifier for a realm of spiritual punishment, one version of Hell. However, it also has connotations within Muslim mysticism. Huzun is the feeling of spiritual anguish that God places upon the devout pilgrim as a form of purgation. The feeling of abandonment allows believers to understand their place within the divine manifestation, and, realizing that Self and all external matters are insignificant, to submit with gratitude to the Divine wish.

What's XOO Got to Do With It?: Seaguy and Loving Comics

2005-02-22T02:26:00.000-05:00

Well, Grant Morrison manages to occupy more time in my cerebral cortex, just where I'm sure he's happy to be, with Seaguy. I read it as it came out, but have started re-reading it in trade. It's prompted some new thought.

Seaguy initially was an engaging although surreal experience. I found it difficult to make heads or tales of it other than as a semi-hallucinogenic pastiche of the Silver Age with a healthy dose of post-modernism thrown in for good measure. However, a re-reading of Seaguy reveals that it is more than just an homage and amplification of the insanity of that era, it's about a love affair with comics.

Morrison seems to be using the sheer goofiness of the Silver Age to remind us of not just the fun of that time that often seems sucked out of current comics, but also the possibility of anything happening. Current comic writers have forgotten the fantasy world their characters live in. The possibility of a 800 pound talking gorilla with x-vision and a rocket strapped to its back walking around the corner is gone. The ability to go anywhere and do anything (cigarettes to Easter Island maois anyone?) has been eliminated in the quest for authenticity.

Indeed, Seaguy possesses many Silver and even Golden-age qualities, the loveable sidekick, Chubby da Tuna, whose pedigree includes Jimmy Olsen, Mr. Tawky Tawny, Bucky Barnes, and Woozy Winks. Seaguy has the prerequisite vehicle, the Bumble-B and
pines for the woman he cannot have until he becomes a true hero, unlike his Silver-age predecessors who would have had to renounce their identity as hero to have their true loves.

His story is filled with the wonder of the Silver-Age, most of them laced with modern sensibilities: wild and wonderful (and absurdist) heroes such as Teknostrich (the greatest hero ever), now nothing but a memory and statue; grand wars against an alien foe, the Anti-Dad (presumably the taker, rather than giver of life, a nod to menaces such as Starro, the Silver Age JLA menace, and the Anti-Monitor, the destroyer of DC continuity, and overall metaphor for the modern deconstructionism of the superheroe genre); and strange, alien races (one, XOO, filtered through the lense of modern preservative and corporate foodstuff, and others, the Anubian moon dogs with very Silver-Age methods of capture and transport).

All of this fun is laced with a decidely sinister and sad lining: XOO, although rescued, goes mad, threatening not only the sinister corporations, but Seaguy, his rescuer. Doc Hero, a former superhero that Seaguy calls "one of the bravest men I know" is content to no longer fly under his own power, but to spend his days literally going in circles on an amusement ride. The fun of discovering Atlantis becomes quickly tragic, as we lose Chubby, possibly the most fun and innocent of all the characters. Seaguy's adventure on the moon is filled with wonder, yet equal amounts horror and Even the Mickey Eye amusement park, a very real symbol of fun and amusement, is clearly not fun for any of the attendees. Most children are crying or fearful of the various attractions. Chubby also witnesses some more sinister aspects to the fun, but Seaguy remains oblivious.

Here's an appropriate place to digress momentarily to discuss Mickey Eye. ME is clearly a commentary on mass-produced entertainment, the false "feel good" and "family" type of entertainment that is merely a marketing tool, not an expression of a company's true values, principles, or vision. And perhaps no company is no more fitting than the Disney corporation for this type of skewering, with the name "Mickey" obviously appropriated from the famed mouse. The Disney corporation is a real life symbol of the Silver-Age. Walt Disney had a clear vision and genuine, heartfelt principles that have been lost to modern principles of profit-making. Morrison seems to intend a parallel between comics specifically, but also most forms of modern entertainment as well.

Entertainment is not the only facet of our society that Morrison tackles. Food and stewardship of the environment seems another in his presentation of XOO Industries. Food is bland and unremarkable, except for a "strange taste" according to Seaguy, but is the principle food of society. The mass-marketing of XOO has created a bland and flavorless society, which is reflected in a scene right out of Pink Floyd's The Wall, where faceless workers pour XOO into huge vats. The first hints that Mickey Eye is connecting to all the happenings surrounding Seaguy occurs here, when one XOO excutive uses the Mickey Eye phrase "Gidt!" Appropriate for the unblinking eye, Mickey Eye is revealed by story's end to control the environment for all the world (and beyond). Again, the analogy to corporate control of modern society is unmissable. The strong inference to comics is apparent too; the two big companies, DC, owned by mega-conglomerate Time Warner, and Marvel allow corporate concerns to override the fun, outlandishness, and sponteneity inherent in the comic book form, qualities once abundant.

In the end we are brought full circle, beginning where we ended with a few changes that nobody notices. Lives are restored or replaced and any previous history (read: continuity) is obscured, or more likely, discarded. Mickey Eye, the corporate controlling force (and truly it seems that Mickey Eye is a force beyond even one man) is truly there for Seaguy's "birth" in issue one to his "death" in issue three to his re-"birth" at the very end. When you live, when you die... Much like today, the comic restarts with no acknowledgment to its prior history or circumstances. Although certainly some comics do benefit by unencumbering themselves of convoluted history, Morrison suggests that the same story will just be told, albeit with some of the players changed.

We find that, in the end, it is love (for the medium?) that causes the trouble, the adventure. The last remaining bizarre element, She-Beard, is identified as causing the one true adventure Seaguy ever has, and presumably the last great adventure of Seaguy's world. Here Morrison makes his most pointed criticism: both collector and creator share responsibility for the problem with comics. Morrison asserts that catering to fan's wishes and expectations is not sufficient to sustain the possibilities of comics: the butterfly seeks to calm the frightened and soon to be mind-wiped Seaguy, "thre are people here working very hard so you don't have to...after all we've done to make you happy...isn't it good enough?" Morrison seems to critique the entire comic culture here; comics are giving the aging fan population what it calls for: the perception of change while maintaining status-quo and the ability to relive and maintain the same experience and story since childhood, but pandering to the fanbase is stagnating comics. Obviously, Morrison says, it isn't good enough.

It was a love affair with the new, exciting, and unexpected that brought us to comics and made comics great once. Morrison invites fan, writer, and publisher to rekindle that love affair and explore the true wonder of the medium.

More Fud 4 Thought on WE3

2005-02-15T20:09:00.000-05:00

Marc Singer provides me with additional food for thought on the meal that is WE3. He also has links to other reviews (some of which I linked to in my own review).

Here are my comments to Marc's highly articulate and intelligent review:

The cover theme is striking too. I hadn't considered the intelligence/age of the animals compared to their owners, but it certainly fits.

Obviously, and surprisingly different from most comics, the covers add to the tragic element. They let you know that these animals were loved. They give you their names and, to me at least, implies these animals were stolen. They weren't carelessly lost; the owners cared too much for them. These animals were taken by force, making their status all the more horrific. And by suggesting personalities for the animals, it helps the reader relate to them more as well.

[on Morrison's implied promise that the book would end with the death of the animals...]

I certainly believed that Morrison was going to kill off all of these animals; I saw it as his ultimate statement on animal rights: how humans brutalize animals. And despite the softer ending, it still is. I am not disappointed; I think his message comes across more clear and acceptible. These animals, although home now, live with the serious scars of their treatment. Had they been destroyed, we may feel the pang of loss, but may ultimately dismiss it as we do the destruction of countless strays and abandoned animals. Here, however, we are given a chance at redemption, along with the humans in the story, to better care and love these animals.

Great Man of Liberty, Of Thee I Sing

2005-02-15T19:13:00.000-05:00

HOLY CRAP! I mean CAP!

Ed Brubaker's take on Captain America is fantastic! Cap has always been a hero I've liked (he probably ties or slightly outranks Aquaman as my third favorite hero - yes, Aquaman) but never really followed.

I followed Waid and Garney's (and then Waid and Kubert's) tremendously good run, but not much else other than following Priest onto Cap and Falcon. I only picked up the Brubaker issues (now at three) on recent word of mouth, as well as Tom Breevort's opinion that it was the best book Marvel is producing. And it probably is.

This is both Tom Clancy-style fixings with a good dose of super-heroics thrown in. Steve Epting's art is just phenomenal. His Red Skull is genuinely terrifying and Steve looks like a young man who has been through hell and back. His Cap costume outshines even Hitch's Ultimate Cap for looking like something real yet not utterly ridiculous.

No matter what your tastes (and I'm no Clancy-fan), you're gonna love this story. If they can keep this up, Cap will be my favorite title. This combines the best elements of "NuMarvel" with "Old Marvel." History is respected, but unobtrusively. Brubaker manages to make Steve feel entrenched in the greater Marvel world, yet allowing the reader to be fully independent of it. You don't have to know anything about other titles or even much at all about Cap's own continuity. What pieces you need, they're all supplied for you.

This is a real serial book; you can't wait for the trade, although you'll want it too. Each issue is a nail-biter, with you on the edge of your seat needing the next installment.

If you're a fan of super-heroes and don't buy this title, you're simply un-American.

Ear to the Ground: April Previews

2005-02-14T20:29:00.000-05:00

Unlike March's comic-fest, not much catches my attention for April. Here are the few things that made me stop and look twice.

INDIE
The cover to BATTON LASH's Supernatural Law: First Ammendment Issue (sic) makes me laugh enough to think about pre-ordering and trying out this series: "A painting can't say THAT!" "Oh yes it can!!" (EXHIBIT A PRESS)

Action Philosophers evokes Monty Python's Philosopher Football Game film from Live at the Hollywood Bowl, but stops short of interesting me enough to order it. (EVIL TWIN COMICS)

The Complete Jon Sable Freelance: Vol One takes me down nostalgia lane when I was first discovering comics outside the Big Two. I mostly want this to complete what is, to me, the First Trilogy of Nexus, Grimjack, and Jon Sable moreso than any interest I have in the subject matter. (IDW PUBLISHING)

Temporary: The Real Me #2 by DAMON HURD and RICK SMITH seems interesting. I missed the first issue, which is also available for reorder. (ORIGIN COMICS)

Similar to Jon Sable, I vaguely remember RICK VEITCH's The One, offered as a graphic novel this month. I remember wanting to read it originally, but don't remember a damn thing about it. Can anybody tell me if it was any good? (KING HELL PRESS)

DARK HORSE
A new Hellboy story graces the pages of Dark Horse's Book of the Dead, but as much as I love Hellboy, it's not enough to make me pay the cashola for the hardcover.

DC
It's a re-release and I already have it, but I fully recommend Batman: Faces TP by MATT WAGNER. It's a great Batman story for $10 cheap!

I'm mildly interested in Batman: Scarecrow Tales TP. Some of Bats's moodiest artwork involved Dr. Crane (no, not Niles).

DC: The New Frontier Vol. 2 TP is a must-have and I'm gonna be mad the day they come out with a hardcover collecting it all in one.

I continue to look forward to GRANT MORRISON's Seven Soldiers series, this month with Klarion the Witch Boy and Zatanna.

Vimanarama concludes this month. Go get the first issue out now! Good, fun stuff.

IMAGE
I'm already a regular reader of ROBERT KIRKMAN's Invincible. If you're not, this zero issue for $.50 cents is a good jumping on point.

MARVEL
The last issue (for now) of Spectacular Spider-Man will be a pick-up since PAUL JENKINS is writing it with MARK BUCKINGHAM returning to pencil it. They did some fantastic Spider-Man stories together.

Love ADAM KUBERT's cover to Ultimate Fantastic Four, although I won't be picking it up. ELLIS went very slow with the Doom arc and although I'm interested in his take on the Negative Zone, I'm more inclined to wait for a compilation.

The hardcover of Supreme Power Vol 1 will be another thing to get. I've loved this series from JMS's writing to GARY FRANK's art.

And that's all the new stuff that I noticed not already on my pull list.

Murmurings:

Zombies are the new mutant turtles.

The cover to DC's Brave and the Bold Team-Up Archives makes the Green Arrow and the Martian Manhunter look...awfully friendly with each other.

Did anybody notice that Star Wars is coming out with a new movie?

Do we really need a new Venom, especially since Venom and Carnage are still readily available?

And cross-promotion of the year goes to Secret Wars #8 and Journey into Mystery Annual #1.

Why is Spider-Man kicking Arana in the set of photos on the cover?

Kids! Relive crappy 90's art with Rob Liefeld and Marat Mychaels with new crappy art for the 2000's!

I'm just waiting for the Shanna the She-Devil and Red Sonja crossover: "When Asses Collide" or "Crisis on Infinite Breasts." Ok, I'm not.

Fight Club

2005-02-14T08:04:00.000-05:00

Warren Ellis has some interesting rambling on his Bad Signal list that has prompted some thought that I don't have time to get to right now, but hope to later today or tomorrow...it is Valentine's after all. I hope I don't have too much time or I'm doing something wrong.

I've actually got this Fight Comic half-formed in my head now. I'm just missing the characters to plug into it. Which may sound backwards. But there's a particular knack tothis kind of thing as I perceive it.

It's one of the rules Bryan and I decided upon with AUTHORITY. No B stories. A-stories are the main plot. B-stories are where you descend into a secondary character, or run a relationship-based plot counter to the main plot. B-stories take the steam out of a Fight Comic.

Because people have come for the Fight. Youwrite with that Hemingwayan restraint, where character is inferred rather than depicted. You give the characters momentsrather than scenes. In the same way that panel-to-panel storytelling uses closure for the reader to perform storymaking, you suggest just enough for the reader to construct the character's personality without you wasting valuable Fight time doing it for them.

I can see the thing in my head now.It kind of swings wildly between super-real and anti-real. It's remixculture again -- I'm developing the idea for Marvel, after all -- but not being able to use certain characters is leading me in weird directions. I also find myself wanting to use Machine Man, just to be able to use the line "my robot brain needs beer." We'll see.

I'm close to finishing the test script for Templesmith now. Been tough as hell. My instinct is always to give the protagonist the best lines,because it's the protagonist I'm interested in. In this instance, the protagonist is essentially lost at sea, and the funny stuff has to go to everyone around him -- but th eguy has to retain a charm or else we're not interested in him. It's a tough little book to write, especially since the first issue needs to introduce all the characters, the settings and themes, and resolve a detective plot, in 16-ish pages.

In a sense, it's just what I wanted. It'll either work very well or I'll fall flat on my face. Also -- and I'm still not entirely sure why I decided to do this -- in terms of language and graphic content, I'm bringing it in at around a PG-13/15 level. It's not watered down, butI am controlling the language to keep it off a high shelf and out of a plastic bag. DESOLATION JONES remains an 18/R, so it's not likeI'm going soft. I want people to be able to flick through it in the shop, I think. Remove as many excuses for not ordering it as I can while keeping it true to itself. Writing it adult whilec ontrolling the language and using suggestion instead of splatter. It doesn't seem to me to demand a different treatment.

Demo Derby

2005-02-13T19:45:00.000-05:00

Although Watchmen truly redefined the super-hero trope by examining super-heroes in "real world" terms, and Millar included some realistic touches in The Dark Knight Returns, my fascination with this perspective didn't truly emerge until Kurt Busiek's wonderful Marvels and subsequent series Astro City. Granted, Busiek's take is slightly different: he examines what living in a super-hero world would be like for us. But those four titles resulted in my continued search for new and interesting takes on super-heroes.

I can grow tired of the typical super-hero story; slugfests bore me to tears. I look for something different - stories that surprise me and keep me on my toes. Stories that use powers to tell a different story or comment on our world. So, in that vein, I picked up BRIAN WOOD's and BECKY CLOONAN's Demo limited series. These twelve issues, according to materials I had read, deal with "regular" people living with powers. No spandex. No arch-villains.

Indeed, for the most part, Demo does just that. A couple of issues actually wander off into the realm of horror and the supernatural, but that comes within acceptable limits. A few issues involve no extranormal event. Wood states in one issue's column that he had decided to tell certain stories even if they veered from the original premise.

I present all this build-up to give context on why Demo, as a whole, didn't quite work for me. I was looking for a different experience that the one given and the one I believe I was promised. That proved disappointing and perplexing when this first happened in #9 - Breaking Up. I thought I had misread the issue and spent time trying to figure out the "trick".

Even if you set that issue aside, I definitely feel like I am not the intended audience for this series. As a thirty-something year old man, I feel completely detached from the youthful, punkish ennui and pathos that pervades these books. Even as a teen and twentysomething I never quite felt the way many of these characters do. In fact, the varying aspects of punk, slacker, and goth become mildly grating.

Cloonan's artistic talents are wide ranging, although falling on the manga side somewhat. Still, her versatility and talent are clear in the wide range of styles she employs through the series. She's certainly suited for and conveys the slacker and juvenile themes well.

Setting aside my distaste for the mood of the work, several issues do stand out. Some issues start out well but end questionably. Some serve more as mood pieces rather than storytelling vehicles, which diminished my interest in them. As individual issues, most feel too light and are exceptionally quick reads, which makes their content seem airy and insubstantial.

Issue 1 would have been a nice story if the characters' ending wasn't revealed in the first page. Wood may not wanted his readers to focus on the ultimate fate of the couple, but knowing their final status robs the otherwise interesting and emotional story of much of its power.

Issue 2 fails to resonate with me mostly because I can't understand how somebody with the power that Emmy possess would live such a miserable life. Although she may be paying her own version of penance for her misuse of her power, her situation seems too extreme. Likewise, Emmy's feelings about herself and her situation are not very clear, and thus her choice at the conclusion seems arbitrary.

Issue 3 is one of the better issues, with mostly the brooding goth ultra-smart and supposedly world-savvy teen girl facade being the largest detraction. The ending has a nice payoff, however questionable the logic getting to it is.

Issue 4, "Stand Strong" is the first of the stellar issues. Cloonan's art really shines here and provides an appropriately rough and strong look to this issue and the protagonist. The cover evokes a Communist Russia propaganda poster, perhaps intentionally, although the link of that image to the theme is tenuous. Probably the worst aspect of this issue is that although our hero finds redemption, he obtains no salvation.

Issue 5 starts out with tremendous promise; the central concept is gold. I wish Wood had taken a completely different direction with the story. It devolves from a very human conceit to a situation that is hard for most people to relate to.

Issue 6 is the first horror issue and is genuinely spooky. Again Cloonan shows her versatility with appropriately moody and sketchy drawings. Genuinely skeevy and spooky.

Issue 7 "One Shot, Don't Miss" is thematically very similar to "Stand Strong", but despite the close parallels, this is one of the better stories (despite, again, it's somber ending).

Issue 8 both charms and annoys. Jess's motivations are suspect, and thus, never real for the reader. It's hard to understand the situation as it stands. This issue also deviates from the original premise, taking a supernatural bent, although it has less effect than Issue 6. It also romanticizes suicide; Nick never truly mourns the horror of what Jess has done.

Issue 9, as mentioned, involves no extranormal twist. This is a look at two people breaking up from their two perspectives. It's handled well for what it is, although I'm left wondering why we should really care that these people are done. We have no investment in them, and so it's hard to feel sad about their relationship. This feels like Wood unloading some emotional baggage rather than taking characters through an arc. Also, the overall thematic link between issues is sharply broken here.

Issue 10, "Damaged", overall, is one of the stronger issues. The super-power has an interesting twist, although motivations are unclear. Nobody is particularly likeable either, so it's hard to connect to the fate of the characters. Cloonan's art is its most manga-ized here, and it doesn't quite fit the tone of the story.

The concept of Issue 11 is so entrenched in slackerdom that I cannot possible relate to it. Somebody being upset because of an agreement (and particularly the terms of this agreement) made in high school is broken is nearly unfathomable to me. Nobody is very likeable here either and this is another issue that deviates from the concept.

Lastly, Issue 12 is the one I'm most ambivalent about. The whole book is essentially a love poem, and as that, is done well, but essentially there is no story here. Also, Wood revisits glamorized suicide, apparently. Cloonan delivers some staggeringly beautiful artwork in this issue. The picture of two shoes just barely touching conveys so much in that one panel. The major sticking point for this issue develops becaus not all of the previous 11 issues consistently dealt with powers in normal people's lives. Had they done that, this would have been a fantastic issue. This could have been a perfect capstone to that series. Unfortunately, the wandering nature of Demo causes me to wonder if this is a neat allegory for powers and what that would really mean or is this a revisit of a previous issue.

I praise Wood for his ambition here and concede again that perhaps I'm just not the right audience to fully appreciate the book. Wood's sensibilities seem to differ from my own and this dissonance interfered with my enjoyment. Also, like any experiment, not everything is successful, but there's enough here to show promise.

The Sound of Silence

2005-02-13T18:16:00.000-05:00

As is pretty obvious by now, I review books when I get around to them, not when they come out. That said, these did come out this past week.

Vimanarama #1 (of 3) Morrison /Bond - A wonderfully happy start to the last of the Morrison "trilogy" of Seaguy, WE3 and now Vimanarama. This title's mood is remarkably different and much more upbeat than even the existentially goofy Seaguy. We are treated to the makings of a faux Bollywood romantic adventure comedy, something akin to Romancing the Stone, but with Morrison's trademark wild ideas. Bond's art and Brian Miller's colors perfectly complete convey the fun mood of Morrison's story. Even during the rain of the opening sequence, the action is fun and the colors bright. Small details help make the book, such as the puppies causing trouble in the first few pages. Ali and Sofia, our protagonists, are instantly likeable, both with distinct personalities that make you fear for their safety and laugh at the bizarre predicament they are in. Vaguely reminiscent of Morrison's Doom Patrol, much more attention is given to defining and building Ali's life, so the reader truly feels for him at the cliffhanger of the story.

Vimanarama looks to be every bit as strong as the previous two titles. If Morrison can reign in his tendency to let wild ideas run by without relating them to the story proper, this title should be tremendously fun.

Thunderbolts #5 - Nicieza / Grummett / Erskine - And speaking of ideas running wild, although it looks Nicieza is going to bring some chickens home to roost in the next few issues, I still feel somewhat lost in the set-up of this new team and everybody's motivations. The involvement of Blizzard, Speed Demon, and Joystick still don't make much sense to me and Speed Demon's actions this issue don't seem to make a lot of sense. Why is he messing with Blizzard? Also, Atlas's problems with his powers continue to develop without much explanation. The real hook in all of this is definitely Abe - Nicieza does a great job of making Abe very sympathetic and you can't help but root for him. And although it was hugely contrived to get it back, the return of the old Beetle suit was a lot of fun. This is definitely Abe's story and that one hook is enough to keep me coming back, even though this title is a shadow of its former self. The choice of villians hasn't helped this much, as Atlanteans tend to bore me to death, so our new Big Bad should be a bit more interesting, particularly given the relationship with the team.

The Ultimates #3 - Millar/Hitch/Neary - I'm glad to see (not that I expected him to) that Millar does not give the Hulk an easy out. The trial results are about as realistic as one would expect, although given the pratical invunerability of the MU Hulk has taken a good bit of drama out of this subplot, although thankfully it wrapped up in a timely manner. It's not like anybody expected Millar to kill the Hulk, so this has been about how does he not die. The ending has a wonderful wrap-up and you can almost hear the theme music.

Young Avengers #1 - Heinberg/Cheung/Dell - And now for something almost completely different...it would have been nice to see the titular heroes actually in action prior to almost halfway through the book, although to his credit, Heinberg out-Bendises Bendis by scripting a much better Jessica than we've during the second story arc of The Pulse. That said, once they show up, the YAs are much fun, although I'm not sure if Heinberg purposefully apes the LOSH naming tradition or just couldn't think of better names. Cheung delivers some nice art that seems either over-inked or the coloring is far too dark and muddies the art in places. The cliffhanger is not Thunderbolts (the first series) level, but it is interesting and enough to make me thumb through the issue on the racks, although I'm not sure money will be forthcoming for the second issues.

Concrete: The Human Dilemma #2 - Chadwick - The cover is just wonderfully evocative. The colors especially create something of quiet beauty that stands out against all the other covers around it. This series has been my introduction to Concrete, as I was primarilly collecting comics at the grocery store when most of the original stuff was created. It's been strange, but nice. This is clearly a book with an agenda and it can be mildly preachy, yet it entertains with a strange story of adult life. The scene between Concrete and Maureen is tender and wonderfully sexy as Concrete reconnects to a part of him that he thought he had left behind. Concrete's obession with collecting paintings by certain artists is nicely mirrored with a fabricated article on collecting pieces of Concrete himself at the end. The end piece is obviously a commentary on collector's eccentricities, and likely comic collectors' quirks at that. However, more interesting is Concrete, the creation, collecting paintings designed actually by his creator. Is this Concrete reclaiming his own humanity through Chadwick? Perhaps more likely, as several of the pieces Concrete is interested in portray mythic themes (Concrete yearns most for a piece called "The Infinite Night", depicted on the back of the comic), Concrete is truly reaching out to his god and touching the divine.

We Who Are About to Be Collected in a TPB

2005-01-31T13:48:00.000-05:00

We3, for those of you hiding under a literary rock, is every lost animal-finding-their-way-home movie if each animal were the Terminator (and, likely unintentionally, a nod to Alien where the cat, this time, really is the monster) . Told in three issues, it is definitely the best thing to be produced last year and the best read I've had in quite some time.

Few comics struck such the emotional chord in me that We3 did, and quite unexpectedly at that. The ending was never a given, with Morrison at the helm, an outspoken animal-rights advocate, the story could have been a morality play on animal experimentation or a happy ending for our fine furry friends. And it turns out to hold some of both. Not preachy like his famed run on Animal Man, you can't help put pick up on the undertone of bad vivisectionistic scientists.

Still, it's far more than that. This geniunely plays the heart strings like a finely tone instrument and you end up caring an awful lot about the whole situation. The animals resist anthromorphication while nonetheless conveying strong personalities. And if you've ever owned a pet, you can't help but feel the gut punch that this animal going through this horrifying experience is your dog, cat, or rabbit.

And it is all very horrifying. And despite it all, you find yourself laughing at times at the humor that is so desparately needed to relieve the anxiety and tension of the story.

Reviews have been mixed on Quitely's panel experimentations, but I find them highly effective in putting the reader in the position of the innocent witness. The reader is not a scientist or military personnel, or a senatorial aide. The reader is the person who just happened to witness it all. The reader could almost be the black woman picking up her paper (and seemingly is the housekeeper mopping up the complex in issue one), if she did not seem oblivious to her surroundings. The reader may actually be the homeless man in issue three: detached from the action and despising the military, but still very much a part of the action. In any case, the panel strutures provide both a unique mode of storytelling and some very kinetic (We4 and 1's fall from the railroad tracks) action sequences.

My one minor complaint is the unresolved element of the pet's medicine, but it's easy enough to extrapolate an explanation for oneself, given the remaining players at the end.

This is storytelling at its finest. A simple, direct story that makes you feel very intensely aware of what every character is going through. Morrison wisely lets the art speak for itself often, yet supplies you with enough characterization that you feel like you know the people and want to adopt these killing machines.

We3 will undeniably be collected in trade form. I suspect nobody will use the pages to line any birdcages.

The Precocious Curmudgeon reviews the issue far better than I can...

Alan Moore Interview

2005-01-28T15:16:00.000-05:00

Alan Moore recently did a brief radio interview that is quite fun and mildly informative.

You can find the transcript at Comic Book Resources.

You can listen to the conversatin by clicking on the "Chain Reaction" link at BBC Radio 4. (This link is likely to expire within a week, I imagine.)

There are some deleted bits of the interview that are just as interesting at the Chain Reaction home page

Ultimately Curious

2005-01-21T17:04:00.000-05:00

I just _have_ to post this link to The Great Curve, a comic blog I newly discovered, which previews the cover to Ultimates Vol 2 #6.

Um...okay..I...ah...hmmmm...

Wanted: A Real Choice

2005-01-21T16:43:00.000-05:00

I have to admit that I'm somewhat disturbed by Jason St. Claire's review of Wanted #6 at Comic Book Galaxy, not because of his opinion of the book, but his opinion on human society.

"This issue is possibly the greatest letdown in comics in a long time, because the underlying story had the possiblility of being so much more. A fundamental part of Wanted is the same concept that The Matrix delved into -- the illusion of choice. Our society is based upon this greatest of lies -- our two party system of government, our paper or plastic, our McDonald's or Burger King, our pancakes or waffles... etc., etc., etc. We suspend disbelief when we vote, as much as we suspend disbelief when we read comics. We, deep down, know it's not real, none of it, but we choose to accept it because we are willing to lie to ourselves about having a choice instead of having to accept the crushing truth that we're cattle. Moooo.

So when Wesley is freed from this [life]...we celebrate. We live vicariously through Wesley doing everything we want to do...(and many things we don't)...we don't look away, we revel in it and drink it in. This is not the illusion of choice -- THIS IS CHOICE. He kills and rapes with complete indifference and disdain. If he chooses not to kill someone, it is not because he can't, because there are no laws for him, he chooses not to because he has real choice -- not the illusion of one. This is anarchy and we love it. "

Personally, I looked away after the first issue, the uber-violence of it all being rather stomach-churning. More nausea-inducing, however, is Jason's idea that violence is choice; that anarchy is freedom from the "illusion" we all live in. The notion that anarchy is choice is another illusion.

Jason rightly points out the false dichotomies we live with, yet it's his own trap as well. Jason seems to believe we live in an either/or life. As somebody who has negotiated many conflicts between people, I can attest to at least a third option: there is person A's truth, person B's truth, and then the Real Truth. Other third options exist: paper or plastic? Why not canvas? It's not uncommon for people to buy some canvas bags for reuse with groceries. Don't like the McDonaldization of most aspects of American life? You have a choice to not buy mainstream, to patronize what is truly original, unique, or entertaining. If you think that most music on the radio nowadays is dreck, then go satellite. Go to a local band. Buy what is good.

Yes, Democrats and Republicans are not a good choice. Both have their share of fat-cats who have no interest in serving our country, but rather promoting the agenda of the wealthy and corporations. But we have a choice to vote for third party candidates or to run for office. Just because we don't doesn't mean we don't have the choice.

Jason fails to distinguish between American apathy and American resources. We have choice; we choose not to act on it. We fail or neglect to see and engage in the gray, and thus we make the world black and white.

And while anarchy is a choice, I don't think it's a freeing choice. Anarchy creates a state where I have no choice other than survival. Anarchy means my choice is abrogated by nobody respecting my decision. I only get my choice if I'm more powerful or have the resources to get others to let me choose. And, well, here we are back again at the start.

While Jason's review of this issue sounds spot-on in his criticism, he seems to have fallen for the misplaced negativism in this book. Killing, stealing, raping, maiming aren't choices; these are dictators.

Great-Great Grand Nephew of Origins

2005-01-21T16:10:00.000-05:00

Origins are boring, according to David Carter of Yet Another Comic Blog (YACB).

Although I think David brings up some good points, I think: 1) it is unwise to compare movies to comics; and 2) there are notable exceptions.

Movies and comics differ significantly in how they convey their message. Obviously movies can relay a level of kineticism that comics cannot and comics can create juxtapositions that movies cannot. Both are told with different visual vocabularies that offer various nuances.

Spider-man (the movie) was a clear success at the box office and in using the origin as its starting point because at its heart, it's a romance movie with superhero trappings. I agree that Spidey 2 was stronger, but not even mostly because it didn't have to revisit the origin. I think among the non-comic movie mainstream, they (although a segment certainly are)aren't looking as much for the costumes and villians and the hero-come-alive.

In comics, I think he is right more than not. However, the problem is that, more often than not, origins are done poorly and by-the-numbers. The most notable current exception I can recall is the Ultimate re-telling of Spider-man. That works tremendously well as an origin, because the characters are well-developed. Although most people were already familiar with the Spider-origin, at the time the Ultimate universe was an unknown and open to any possible variation; yet despite familiarity, it holds up as an origin story told well.

I would also suggest this holds true for the original origins of many Marvel heroes and teams, in which an entire issue was typically dedicated to the origin. (David argues that a successful origin takes up just a few panels.) In some of these stories, you may not care about the person or people acquiring their powers, but in the process of their origin, you do.

Every story has to start somewhere, and the beginning isn't a completely illogical choice. But jaded comic fans have probably seen it already. Writers must develop innovative ways of at least telling an origin story. A better strategy is to focus on the development characters the reader cares about and/or relates to, not just a cool new super-power or super-hero.

To Be Continued...Mark Bagley

2005-01-19T22:41:00.000-05:00

While other "hotter" artists and writers gain big headlines for being exclusive with the two big publishers, talented and underappreciated workhorse and loyal Marvelite Mark Bagley's exclusive status renewal with Marvel is merely a side note at Newsarama.

Although Bagley's infrequently stated online political views have rubbed me wrong, I admire his craft and dedication. I've followed him since he first began on Amazing Spider-Man and then on to Thunderbolts and, later, Ultimate Spider-Man where he has done some of not only his best work, but some of the best work in comics today.

For some reason Bagley has always been sidelined and has never gained the full recognition he deserves, even with the blockbuster Ultimate Spidey. Also great overlooked is Mark's work ethic; he almost always produces on time. I remember a statement he made a while back about committing to a job and getting it done on time. And he's produced on time even when his titles went bi-monthly over the summer. (Those schedules happened at least twice that I can recall, once on Amazing and once or twice on Ultimate.) A lot of current artists aren't held to that standard even if they share the sentiment.

So, cheers to Mark, and continued well wishes to the "Marvel boy" as Joe Quesada calls him (a term that sounds not completely unlike "house boy").

The Sound of Silence

2005-01-16T18:14:00.000-05:00

The Ultimates #2 - Millar/Hitch/Neary - Although only two issues in, the second volume of this series has a chokehold on my attention and is one of my favorites titles right now. Most of my interest comes from the treatment of Thor, a character I'm bored to tears by (outside of Walt Simonson's classic run) in the mainstream MU, but is my favorite character in the Ultimate universe. Millar's take on Thor is one I've been longing to see explored for some time, probably since Peter David introduced the concept of the Thorites in Spider-Man 2099, lo these many years ago. Millar takes the idea of a cult around Thor one step further, however, by making the reader question Thor's claims to authenticity. The play-up these first two issues on that issue has me spellbound. I'm also interested in what statements and twists could come out of the "Trial of the Hulk" - never thought I'd see that old concept reused in a format that would be interesting. Now that Banner is going on public trial, I hope Millar will explore such issues as Banner's civil liberties being exploited to keep him from turning into the Hulk. And just how are they going to kill the Hulk?

I'm a little skeeved out at the hint of incestuousness in Pietro's and Wanda's relationship. It's played down enough, and perhaps I read too much into it (certainly Millar wouldn't shy away from that implication), but ewwww. Jarvis continues to be a source of amusement, despite being portrayed as the stereotypical bitter old queen. The visual of Cap jumping from the helicopter in Times Square is wonderful and very iconic. Ult Cap is a little too self-righteous, so I was glad to see him be wrong about something and for Thor to "cut down the tall poppy" but then show his strength of character by apologizing to Steve for the treatment Steve receives from Thor's followers. A great issue all around.

New Thunderbolts #4 - Nicieza/Grummett/Erskine - We finally get some explanation of some what's and why's we've been missing, but the pacing is still way off. I feel like we're being rushed far too quickly past plot elements that need to be developed more (such as the how's and why's of Speed Demon, Blizzard, and Joystick joining, and why exactly is Radioactive Man sticking around; also, Atlas's regaining of his powers is stil a "wha-huh" moment for me) and lingering on elements that have been overplayed (continually going back to Genis being thrown in the river). The surprise of the original series is there, but the suspense isn't. I'm left wondering why I should care about any of this other than rooting for Abe, who is a great character. But, really, am I suposed to care what happens to Strucker or that the new Swordsman is an agent of the Purple Man? Grummet's art is highly capable as always.

I still hold out hope for this; Nicieza was a great replacement for Busiek originally, but he's not quite got the same oomph this time around.

Captain America and the Falcon #4- Priest/Bennett/Jadson - I will be truly sad to see Bennett leave this title. His artwork is phenomenal. In typical Priest fashion, the elements start to come together and we finally gain an understanding and explanation of just what the heck has been going on here. This is the point where Priest makes me feel like an idiot for not having gotten it sooner, as it tends to be fairly straight-forward despite the complexities involved. Of course, Priest just then throws on more complex layering! Challenging, in a good way, with typical Priest class and style. If you love Cap, good characterization, and/or like secrets, manipulation, and game-playing, this is the title for you.

2005-01-13T14:17:00.000-05:00

Over at Newsarama (beware spoilers), Mark Millar, writer of uber-violent titles such as Wanted, The Authority, The Unfunnies and even Marvel Knights Spider-Man, made the following comment during an interview about Wanted:

"I think people are kinder and more civilized than anything else on the planet and New York City is absolute proof of this. Imagine 8 million monkeys all living in such a combined space. Or 8 million alligators. They'd all be dead in a week. People do their best and can, in most cases, be relied upon to do the right thing. I honestly believe that people are fundamentally pretty honest and incredibly sentimental. Especially us comic types. I know for a fact that if someone gave me a Green Lantern thing I'd make an arse of myself and try to save people all the time to the detriment of my home life. "

I thought Millar's comment was surprising, given the exceptionally graphic and, um, creative gore and violence and general inhumanity many of Millar's characters exhibit. Millar went so over-board on Wanted and the Unfunnies that I was instantly turned off to those works. I'm not doubting Millar believes this, just that his work and worldview make an interesting contradiction, at least in my mind.

And the concept of 8 million monkeys in New York was a great image.

Not in the Cards for Iron Man

2005-01-08T15:55:00.000-05:00

First, go read Paul O'Brian's article at the 9th Art website. Go ahead, I'll wait. Now, read this. After you are finished, go back and read the rest of 9th Art. They always have interesting and thought-provoking articles.

I think Paul has written an excellent and thoughtful article and I almost completely agree with him. However, I take exception to one of Paul's points as I reach a more definite conclusion.

Paul states that he thinks that Orson Scott Card's views "hardly place him miles outside mainstream opinion." Paul also opines that "you'd probably find a substantial proportion of the population that agree with him." I think Paul strikes a wrong note here.

Although I completely agree that "[homophobia is] so widely held [that homophobes] cannot be confined to the mad and the stupid," I don't think that substantial numbers of Americans subscribe to the extremist viewpoints that Card holds.

Card posits the downfall of civilization and the total debauchery of the human race squarely on the shoulders of homosexuals. Americans have a much more complex and mixed view of homosexuality, however. They may believe some of the erroneous facts and assumptions that Card asserts, but the end result is much more interesting.

In more in-depth polling by CBS and the New York Times weeks after the presidential election, only 2% of the population considered gay issues as a concern or factor in their voting. In a poll that has a margin of error of +/- 3%, that means 5% to less than nobody considers gay issues a significant political concern.

Clearly, Americans are divided on gay politicial issues, as well as on homosexuality in general. According to a poll conducted in April 2004 by the LA Times, 60% of Americans support some type of legal recognition for gay unions, although 6 in 10 believe homosexual realtionships are "against God's will." The CBS/NYT poll found about 50% of people in favor of some type of legal recognition for gay relationships. A majority of Americans do not support a Constitutional amendment to prevent same-sex marriage.

60% polled people "described themselves as sympathetic to the gay community" and would vote for a gay political candidate. Two-thirds would maintain a friendly relationship with a person they discovered was gay yet 6 in 10 would be upset to find out their child was gay. 6 in 10 felt that gays can be a good role model to children, but about half of the people wouldn't let a gay person baby-sit.

Not surprisingly, and as Paul points out, the younger generation is far more favorably disposed toward gays. the 18-29 crowd was four times more likely to favor same-sex marriage than people 65 and over.

So, while clearly, the issue of gay rights and attitudes towards gay personally are a mixed bag, acceptance is on the rise. Particularly with the acceptance of the younger generation towards gays, many of the hotly contested issues we face today will be non-issues. And the misrepresentations and distortions that people such as Card project will no longer be accepted. Even among these figures, I don't see the Card's ideas strongly represented. Undoubtably, they exist among the American population, but they don't have the stranglehold they once had. And, to fancy my own guess, based on my own interactions on-line and off, and given the 18-29 year old mindset towards gay issues, these ideas are not prominent or widely accepted in the comic reading community.

Which all then still boils down to Paul's question: does any of this matter?

I say a resounding "yes." I'm not sure Paul disagrees, except that we reach somewhat different conclusions. I think Card is well outside the mainstream, although his views are not confined to hicks, the insane, or the mentally deficient. Far too many people (at least half the nation, probably much more) hold on to some type of homophobic ideas and/or stereotypes. But even these prejudices and ignorant beliefs are not the extremist viewpoint of Card. And we shouldn't support ideas that are dangerous or just factually wrong, particularly when they can impact negatively on a segment of the population.

Paul comes precipitously close to, yet still manages to veer away from, the idea that homophobia is so wide-spread that we shouldn't care that one voice has been added to the dissonance. Still, and I say this in light of Paul's astute observations on tolerance, we should not tolerate such a strident and potentially harmful chord. Even if Paul is correct, and Card's homophobia reflects that of society at large, that does not negate the obligation to, as our super-hero comics have taught us, fight the wrong. Many gains in civil rights were made despite popular consensus. Most recently, laws against interracial marriages were struck down by courts (and "activist judges") while a majority of Americans still rejected the idea. I don't think Paul suggests this, but popular approval does not equate with being right.

I do not advocate censorship or even censureship. I would propose a boycott, but as Paul right points out, it's hard to boycott something you have never intended to buy. If you were going to buy this Iron Man series, however, I would ask you to spend your money elsewhere. I also propose writing to Marvel: not a campaign, not showering them with emails or letters, just one simple missive. Tell them that you wish they wouldn't employ people who publish hateful and misleading rhetoric and you won't buy the product of people who promote anti-gay (or, if there's another cause, whatever your cause) sentiment.

In this case, tell them that Card is a deal-breaker.

The Sound of Silence

2005-01-08T10:50:00.000-05:00

The Incredible Hulk # 77 - Peter David / Lee Weeks / Tom Palmer - I don't like the Hulk. I like Peter David. I never read Peter David on the Hulk except for the exceptional last issue of his run. I read Bruce Jones's Hulk and enjoyed it until I realized it was going nowhere slowly.

That said, I'm not overly thrilled with this issue. I picked it up primarily because of David's lauded run on the title and my general interest in his work. Week's and Palmer's art is exceptional. Parts of the story are intriguing, although I feel like I've missed something that may be tied to David's previous work on the title. Also, I tend to wonder if David and other writers haven't already covered this ground. I'm given the idea that I'm supposed to have some type of new revelation of the Hulk/Banner relationship, yet it feels all too familiar.

And, while I'm a fan of "decompression" when done well, I feel like very little happened in this issue. The first three pages of this title are a good example of decompression used badly. I appreciate the cinematic feel that David and Weeks try to bring to the Hulk's appearance. And I think it is partially successful - I can almost hear and feel the Hulk slodging through the water. Still the entire sequence takes far too long to execute and the same effect could have been delivered much quicker.

I'm not sure they convinced me to pick up the next issue. The premise is supposedly based on "The Tempest" and I can already see the parallels, but the pull may not be strong enough for me. This one may be best read collected, if David lives up to his own pedigree.

Noble Causes # 6 - Jay Faerber / Fran Bueno / Ron Riley - This title continues to lose my interest. The start of this title was marked by a sudden and surprising turn of events and promised to continue those changes. However, NC has increasingly become less risky and the feeling that anything could happen is being lost. Although this started around the time the surprise of the first issue was completely undone, the ante is being lowered progressively each issue.

The Krennick storyline predictably ended last issue with him being framed. And the promise of this issue, with Liz seemingly sick of living the lie that she truly is, is wasted on a cliched "I can't stand to see you in danger" story that ignores Liz's fortitude. The Frost/Cosmic Rae storyline is easily resolvable and holds no tension. And the surprise ending: boy I never saw that coming. Ok, I did - issues ago. The only mildly interesting part is unicorns showing up on an alien world.

I had intended to see this title through a few more issues, but writing this review makes me realize how badly I disliked this issue, the direction the series has been taking, and the lost potential inherent in some of these stories. Faerber complains that nobody is writing in about the series in the lettercol. Perhaps it's because there's nothing interesting to write about.

Breach #1 - Bob Harras / Marcos Martin / Alvaro Lopez -Captain Atom remade using every cliche in the book. There's not an original idea here. The Hulk, Watchmen, Fantastic Four, Kingdom Come, and a myriad other stories are all piled into here. The most interesting aspect of the story is Harras's use of real-world political events, particularly the juxtaposition of the World Trade Center against an 80's meeting of Rumsfeld and Hussein. Of course, I hope Harras is aware that Al Queda, not Iraq, attacked the towers. But, I'll give him the benefit of the doubt.

Ugh. What a poor week.

Ear to the Ground: March Previews

2005-01-06T21:42:00.000-05:00

What caught my eye in the January Previews catalogue:

INDIES

I'm not much on collecting art books generally, but I do think that James Jean's work is gorgeous. Check out Process Recess: The Art of James Jean HC. (ADHOUSE BOOKS)

Since I already own the originals, I won't be picking up the Rose HC, but the artwork is gorgeous Charles Vess stuff (not that he ever does anything different). (CARTOON BOOKS)

DAVID LAPHAM's Stray Bullets Vol 2: 10th Anniversary will be another order. I haven't read the first volume yet, but it's gotten a lot of good reviews, so I'll order this one still based on what I've read about this series. (EL CAPITAN BOOKS)

Oh Joy! Oh Rapture! The next volume of Queen & Country (Vol 7: Operation: Saddlebags) is coming out. Like, Fables, Q&C is a must-order every time a new trade comes in. I hate the spy genre normally, but I love this series, probably because of the focus on Tara, a smart and tough as nails woman living a hard and fantastic life as a British covert operative who istrying to make (or just have) a normal life that's nearly impossible given her occupation. The supporting cast is well-developed also and you care for them just as much, even when you don't like them. (ONI PRESS)

JEFFREY BROWN's Miniature Sulk should be fun. Brown made two great autobiographical comics that infused a lot of humor in them as well. He also released a small humor and idea book that tended to be more funny than not. This seems to combine the two - I suspect successfully. (TOP SHELF PRODUCTIONS)

TWOMORROWS's The Extraordinary Works of Alan Moore seems like it will be a great and interesting read, but at its price tage of $25, I'll have to pass for now and hope it stays in print (most of their stuff has, so I'm not overly concerned).

DC

Batman: Cover to Cover HC is very tempting. At nearly $40, however, it'll have to wait until my birthday or other holiday someone can give it to me. I think this will make an excellent companion to my Spider-man Covers book.

Batman: Year One Deluxe Edition HC (advance-solicited) is a must-order at just $20. I'm not sure this isn't better than Dark Knight Returns in several ways. I think this beginner-Bats is a bit more interesting as he learns the ropes. Plus, Selina plays a great contrasting role and this is definitely the better Gordon, frazzled and already-weary, but with that mind of steel and heart of gold firmly in place. MAZZUCHELLI's art is perfect and sets just the right mood.

Batman Chronicles sounds like a good idea. Still, I'm not sure if I'll order this as mostly I'm interested in it as reference/archival golden-age comics and I'm not sure that's a sufficient draw for me to plunk down the cash. It's far and away a better price than DC's normal archive price, however.

MORRISON's Seven Soliders issues are not to be missed. This whole series is going to be sucking a huge amount of money out of my wallet. GRANT seems to be in something of a renaissance currently and is hitting pay-dirt on everything. I don't think this will be any different. I am tempted to think this will be the "next" Watchmen (in terms of quality, and although I doubt impact, I'm not ruling it completely out).

Trade Winds: The new Planetary Book 3 is a picker-upper. Everything online says that PAUL POPE's 100% is great stuff, so I'm inclined to order this trade on word-of-mouth alone. Fables: The Mean Seasons continues my collection of those trades as well. (Great stuff is Fables - a must read if you aren't already).

IMAGE

If you don't have it in some other format, then defnitely pick up the classic Mage: The Hero Discovered.

MARVEL

Although MIKE CAREY's name strongly attracts me to the Spellbinders series, the premise only marginally interests me. It could be a fun Buffy-esque romp, but it sounds like it takes itself a little too seriously. Might have to thumb through this one on the racks. Doesn't get a pre-order.

On the other hand, I'm estatic to see SEAN MCKEEVER's Mary Jane: Homecoming. The first Mary Jane series was cancelled far too prematurely and was really overlooked and underrated. MIYAZAWA's art is fun and youthful, and nobody does teenagers like MCKEEVER.

Trade Winds: Marvel has several trades I'd recommend people pick up. Madrox, although not quite over yet, has been a great detective tale infused with wit and intrigue. MCKEEVER's Inhumans definitely plays to his strength of teen (post-teen here) alienation (literally in this case). And how can you not be happy with another volume of BYRNE's Fantastic Four Visionaries vol 4? Despite being the royal grouchy nutcase he is now, I think his FF is the definitive one (after Stan and Jack of course). And double yay for the continued hardcover printing of BUSIEK's and PEREZ's Avengers run.

Murmurings (snide remarks):

(DARK HORSE)
I'm sorry but I just can't get past Miller's busty tawdry women to crack open a Sin City book. I know that's part of the genre, and I'm not arguing about the craft of the work (I couldn't because I haven't read it) but I personally can't get past what I perceive as an inherent misogynism to the books. Am I the only one?

(DC)
Michael Turner draws ugly people. Face it.

(MARVEL)

I'm being good and not making the crass joke I want to about Iron Man's expression and the resulting chaos the ensues.

Why is Ultimate Nightmare being traded when it doesn't look like it'll be complete by March? And could they be more confusing soliciting it as the "Ultimate ??? Trilogy"? Yeah, that makes me want to buy it.

Oh, The Pulse wasn't cancelled?

Will Shanna tame the great big giant penisgator? Tune in kids and see!

The Gift of Owly

2005-01-05T16:31:00.000-05:00

In my quest to prove to every American that there is a comic book out there for them, I gave my sister a copy of Owly (Top Shelf Comix). My parents almost got copies of various comics too, but decided to wait, since I don't predict that they will become serious collectors any time soon. (I'm still trying to decide what to get my Mother).

My sister gushed over it! I was completely taken aback, but she had read my partner's copy of it previously and had enjoyed it. I thought it would get an "eehh" response, so I was delighted she loved it so much.

Don't forget to give someone you love (or hate even better) the gift of Owly (whatever their Owly may be).

R.I.P. Will Eisner

2005-01-04T21:45:00.000-05:00

A shocking event for everyone. A giant of the industry, medium, and art is gone suddenly and surprisingly.

Condolences to his family. God bless Will Eisner.

"By creating a series of pantomime panels without dialogue, without balloons, I'd get the reader to supply the dialogue. This is a medium that requires intelligence on the part of the reader. It requires a contribution, a participation. This does not occur in movies, for example. This is the prime difference between comics and film: Film is a spectator medium, while comics is a participatory medium. You participate, your reader contributes to it, and you have a sort of dialogue with the reader." - Will Eisner, 2000

NEWSARAMA: Will Eisner Dies

NEWSARAMA: DC Eulogizes Will Eisner

New York Times: Will Eisner, A Pioneer of Comics, Dies at 87 (requires free registration)

CNN: Comic book legend Will Eisner dies

Onion Interview with Will Eisner (2000)

The Manifesto

2005-01-03T21:20:00.000-05:00

Here it is - what this blog is all about.

I hope to provide a reasoned (well usually) and always balanced examination of comics and their creators, including the politics involved in and business of creating comics. This includes reviews, and critiquing others' reviews, but hopefully will go beyond that to more interesting examinations of the topics and themes contained in comics. And there will be the occasional snarky comment to be sure.

The standard: what's good is good (to me, obviously, your mileage may vary). It doesn't matter who publishes it. I'm no sneering Gary Goth demeaning anything without indie cred or in tight pants. Neither am I a Marvel or DC zombie who believes we can continue to survive with just super-heroes or that, even if we could, we should.

Comics are limitless and everything has potential to be entertaining and/or artful. It could be a romance, western, war, crime, horror, mystery, fantasy, sci-fi, drama, comedy, or even super-hero book. All of these have the potential to be crap also.

I buy primarily only what I enjoy, although I admit I have a problem. I still buy Amazing Spider-Man for the sake of completion. I'm in a 100 step program to cure this strange addiction. Despite this glitch, I have great taste.

I believe that graphic novels are the key to survival for comics along with a diversification of what is offered. Comics must offer something to all people.

Survival does not have necessarily mean the elimination of the monthly serial format. I hate the pejorative terms floppies and pamphlets to describe comic books.

My favorite comic book ever: Grant Morrison's run on Doom Patrol

Hopefully I can provide the perspective of a guy who still loves men in tights (super-heroes too) but has a need and taste for the full range of what comics can offer.

First Post!

2005-01-03T21:09:00.000-05:00

Welcome to The Silent Accomplice, my new blog on comics.

I've been collecting comics for about three decades now and I have no intention of stopping. I think comics is one of the best mediums of art and entertainment (sometimes those are mutually exclusive categories). Although I've been blogging for a while on other subjects (see my links sidebar), I finally decided I wanted to do a little "comics activism" and put out the good word on good works.

I've feel like both my tastes and the comics medium have aged nicely together and that I am finding and experiencing (not just reading) some of the best comics ever produced. Of course there have been many classics along the way as well and I dip into that well from time to time.

But people need to know - comics aren't just for kids and, more importantly, that comics can create the most satisfying experience available in any medium today. They're just that good.

In the seminal work Understanding Comics, Scott McCloud states that "To kill a man between panels is to condemn him to a 1,000 deaths....I may have drawn an axe being raised...but I'm not the one who let it drop or decide how hard the blow or who screamed, or why. That, dear reader, was your special crime, each of you committing it in your own style." (pp 68-69).

So won't you join with me in becoming the silent accomplice?