Effort Versus Barely Trying
There are some Marvel comics out there that feel like they are phoning it in, so to speak (Bendis' X-Men comics, for one example). It's just the usual bit of drama, a dash of action, some angry dialogue, a sampling of fighting, and so forth. Then we have the Marvel comics that seem to actually be making an effort. You know, they've got a solid story, great dialogue, well-done action and fighting that actually looks like fighting instead of character's just posing at each other, as awesome-writer Abhay noted DC and Marvel comics are wont to do. These Marvel comics I'm going to discuss are the ones that actually make an effort, and even if they don't fully succeed at least they are trying, so that counts for something.
"A" for Effort Comics, and Sometimes an "A" Overall Too!
Daredevil #36
Since he started his run of Daredevil with the assistance of various wonderful artists, Mark Waid has set out to make this a Daredevil comic very unlike the previous ones--you know, since Frank Miller made it seem the only way to do a Daredevil series was to have it be as grim as the reaper (yah, puns!). Waid gave us a Matt Murdock who despite all his struggles wants to be happy, and in this issue Waid removes that one last thing holding Murdock down--his non-secret "secret" identity. Ever since Bendis did the comic (and did a great job, even if it was the usual dark and depressing stuff) everyone has known Matt Murdock is Daredevil but been unable to prove it. Well, in this issue Murdock openly declares, under oath, he is in fact Daredevil. It's a big turn in the character's story and precipitates him moving out to California as he will be doing in the next issue...which is actually #1 as they are re-launching the series and charging an extra dollar for it (now it'll be $3.99).
While I've greatly enjoyed this series, I feel this 36th issue is a good stopping point for me as I've continuously been cutting back on comics, as I've told you all often, and the book starting with a new first issue and costing more money just has me thinking perhaps it makes more sense to flip through the trade paperbacks of this now. Be that as it may, this was a great series, with Mark Waid making that ever-important effort to bring us a Daredevil we hadn't seen in a long time--a fun one.
4.5 out of 5 stars.
Origin II #3
Kieron Gillen has the unenviable task of following up on "Origin", the comic that told us once and for all just where Wolverine came from. This 2nd series has been interesting and is clearly trying to fill in more of the story too, it just is having a little trouble getting everything to click into place. We're meeting characters such as Sabertooth (when he was just "Creed") and other interesting folk...but the comic has a few things that bother me. Gillen wants to jam Mister Sinister into the story and while it makes sense from a continuity standpoint (Sinister has been around forever), it just feels odd to have this story set far in the past with a character I can't help but think of with a big elaborate cape and super-hero costume--even if he is dressed down for this series.
I also was worried about Creed's inclusion in the comic, but that actually works pretty well. Gillen is clearly trying very hard to make a quality story here, even if it is stumbling in parts. I feel if he can work out the kinks and have me get over the usage of Mister Sinister this may turn out to be quite a winning series. We will see though.
3.5 out of 5 stars.
Hawkeye #15
Even though issue #16 came out first a few weeks ago, because of the way different characters have different stories happening in each issue it didn't horribly destroy the momentum this comic has had--and boy what momentum it is! Nobody expected a comic about a secondary-character like Hawkeye whom has failed to carry his own comic to be as good as, and successful as, this series has been. Issue #15 doesn't change any of that, continuing the matching of Fraction's stellar writing with David Aja's killer art.
This has been one of the best comics coming out for awhile, and it is always encouraging to see it continue being great. I just wonder how everything will work when collected if Marvel has to pull more release-order shenanigans and put out issue #18 before #17 now to give Aja more time to illustrate. The only thing that I'm really concerned about in this issue is if Clint and his brother Barney are going to be okay after the shocking end of this comic.
4.5 out of 5 stars.
Mighty Avengers #7
While Al Ewing had been doing wonderful writing on this comic, Greg Land seemed to be putting forth little effort in his work for the series (he is just so mediocre). Well thankfully, as of issue #6 we haven't had Land doing any interior art, so now the story-telling is mostly matched in quality by the drawing. I say "mostly" because sometimes things can still look a little rough or hard-to-follow, but overall this is some quality comic-booking. This issue is snazzy in that at the end it starts to hint at how various plot-points will be coming together and shows us that all the little things are working in a tapestry to create a big mystery. Ewing supplies some great story-telling with a dash of humor and this is basically now the only book with "Avengers" in the title I'm reading...although I will be checking out "Avengers Undercover" when that comes out.
4 out of 5 stars.
All-New X-Factor #3
The only vaguely X-team-related comic I'm reading, I clearly am already a fan of this series because it is a comic written by Peter David, and it involves a team with the title "X-Factor". This team may not be the same incredible group as the last iteration of the series had (and which I often expressed great love for), but still make for a quality comic, with David's trademark wit and interesting plot-reveals, of which there is one big one this issue about where a character's allegiances may lie.
I'm still not sure if the company X-Factor is working for, Serval, is evil, good, or something in-between, but that is just one of the many questions I imagine David will reveal to us as the comic goes on. This is already a great series with only three issues out so far, and a great issue on its own merit too. I look forward to a hopefully long run of this series.
4 out of 5 stars.
Friday, March 7, 2014
Wednesday, March 5, 2014
"Jerry's Journal Volume 2" Review AKA The Angriest Bird I Know
Back some time ago I reviewed a copy of the first volume of "Jerry's Journal", an independent comic by Neil Fitzpatrick. I enjoyed the dichotomy between the lovely artwork with an cute bird named Jerry and the horribly depressing and cynical things he said/felt.
Upon running into Fitzpatrick at another comic convention I picked up a copy of the 2nd volume in our titular character's adventures into depression, and while Jerry may be miserable his negative outlook does make for a greatly entertaining comic.
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| Jerry at times ponders the big thoughts. |
This volume of Jerry's adventures is even more interesting than the last book, because while it opens with the usual assortment of fun strips full of self-loathing, Fitzpatrick notes at the start of the book that during his time making these strips he had what apparently was a bad relationship (it isn't made quite clear what happened), that results in Jerry's comics morphing from usual one-and-done strips into what feels like a long treatise on love, hate, loneliness, and confusion.
Jerry is not a likable character. He is mad, and the only thing he seems to hate more than other people is himself. Reading the comics with Jerry ranting and raving about how someone hurt him is equal parts sad, funny, and pitiful. You feel bad for Jerry, but he also is clearly so mired in his own self-righteous anger he doesn't see that maybe he is a bit at fault for whatever hurt him so badly too. It is kind of like having a friend who tells you about a break-up and it is of course all from the friend's point of view, but you can just tell from how they tell you things they clearly made their own mistakes too, but don't want to admit it.
This volume's shift from casual dark-humor to pitch-black jokes about a broken-heart results in a comic that is incredibly interesting thanks to the stark contrast between this adorable-looking bird and his rage that leaves you feeling both bad for him and thinking he should just get over himself.
How much of the comics were Fitzpatrick himself working through anger and coming to terms with whatever happened in his life, and how much is simply Jerry being his usual self is unclear, but there is definitely a palpable rage behind the seemingly innocent illustrations a reader picks up on that feels so raw that Jerry's Journal goes from just being a fun-if-depressing-comic to a peek into someone's uncaged emotions, all illustrated to the tune of a pleasant-looking cartoon bird.
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| The only thing Jerry hates more than other people is himself. |
I greatly enjoyed "Jerry's Journal Volume 2", liking it even more than the first entry in the series thanks to it developing what isn't a story-line necessarily, but a plot expressed through emotions. Neil Fitzpatrick can be found at his website, Neil Jam, and I would encourage you to check his stuff out.
4.5 out of 5 stars
Note: A review copy of this book was provided by the creator but all my reviews are, as always, objective and sometimes brutal
Thursday, February 27, 2014
Today's News about "Future's End" and Multiple Weekly Comics Illustrates That DC has Gone and Utterly Lost It's Mind
My Hesitation about Weekly Comics
Weekly comic-series. That assortment of words can stir up a mess of emotions in me I can't easily comprehend. When I talk about a weekly comic-series I don't mean how there are so many Avenger's comics that arguably one comes out every week. I am referring to those times when a comic publisher will do an event comic that comes out once a week, every week, for a whole year. These always make me nervous and hopeful at the same time.
The shining example in many people's eyes of what would count as a weekly comic-series that was done marvelously well would be DC's, "52". The worst example of this can also be found within DC, with their "Countdown to Final Crisis" comics. Really, I can't think of any time in recent memory Marvel had a weekly year-long comic series coming out besides when they were doing "Amazing Spider-Man" on what was basically a weekly basis, but that didn't have a set time-length so much as it eventually ended and became the current "Superior Spider-Man" comic and its assorted tie-ins.
DC is already starting one weekly comic soon called "Batman Eternal". They also have one called "Future's End" starting in May. That sounds excessive as it is, but today I read some absolutely mind-blowing news.
A little earlier today DC went and dropped the bomb that not only do they have their new weekly series "Future's End" starting up in May, but come September every ongoing DC comic will kick it into overdrive by looking ahead some years into this potential future, and result in another weekly comic (to be named later) being launched that examines the things that could lead to this potential future, or something. Oh, and the September comics will be in that annoying 3-D-cover format DC used for Villain's Month of 2013.
I don't swear much, but has DC gone utterly fucking insane?
I mean honestly, they already have the pressure of one weekly comic starting in April, another in May, and before I absolutely rip into them maybe we should simply examine three big flaws with simply doing just a weekly event comic, never-mind having two going on, with "Batman Eternal" and "Future's End" being in full-swing by the time September arrives and then brings October with a third weekly series.
3 Big Potential Weekly-Series Flaws
If the concept is bad, the whole thing will be bad
If the overall idea of the story is flawed, or the concept doesn't work well, then the whole series will suffer. Putting aside how "Countdown to Final Crisis" was also harmed by its many tie-in comics and was barely acknowledged by "Final Crisis"--in fact with some plot points in that comic directly contradicting the series--"Countdown" was hobbled from the start.
The whole point was that it was building to the real event, and basically all the readers were getting was setup. It flowed poorly, it was often dull, and the focus was scatter-shot in a way that was annoying whereas "52"'s way of jumping around to various characters made sense as an overall tapestry was formed. "Countdown" was an utter mess, but it was basically doomed from the word "Go", in my opinion. With a comic-book there may be the occasional mediocre or terrible story-arc, which is fine because you just wait for the next tale. When its a 52-issue mess...you're screwed.
Art=rush-job
Another problem with weekly comics is sometimes the art can feel rushed, to put it lightly. You have all these artists working on a tight schedule and fill-ins will almost undoubtedly be needed, it can be quite messy. Now, if a careful balancing of artists is done where certain ones illustrate particular stories things can work out well. "Brightest Day" was a comic that came out every other work (switching-off with "Justice League: Generation Lost") but the majority of the time it was clever in having a particular artist stick with a story-beat. Ivan Reis was the main person who drew the Aquaman sections, for example.
The cost of knowing what the Hell is going on
When a comic comes out weekly for a year that is a big investment for a reader. Should it be a $2.99 comic you're easily paying over a hundred if you don't get a store discount, and if there are numerous tie-in comics for the event, or some-to-most issues are $3.99 for some reason you're now at almost 300 benjamins for the privilege of keeping-up with the big event.
"Future's End"--A Weekly and Line-Wide Event?
Clearly, weekly-comics can worry me, even if sometimes they turn out to be delightful in the way "52" did. Therefore, with DC having announced they are going to have two weekly comic-book series, "Batman Eternal" and "Future's End" you can understand my hesitation.
Then DC announces another soon-to-named weekly comic which will have the entire publishers line-up serving as a kind of massive prologue in September while apparently crossing-over with the "Future's End" weekly series, and my hesitation turns to shock.
THEN DC declares how the covers will come in 3-D as they did for Villain's Month,which many may recall was a royal mess, and my shock turns into slack-jawed disbelief at the combination of gall and idiocy I feel DC is displaying.
Honestly, are we being serious here? DC wants to have two weekly comics already going, then do a line-wide event in the month of September, and have that lead into another weekly comic? Even if the concepts are slightly interesting (addressing one concern I have about weekly comics) and even if the art works out well too, isn't the cost of this basically going to be astronomical for the reader?
Between the many comics with 3-D covers (that you already know DC will be charging $3.99 or more for), the weekly cost of "Future's End" and whatever the weekly comic that comes in October will cost, someone who just wants to enjoy the entirety of these events could easily spend half a grand--before even taking into account if they also want to read "Batman Eternal"!
I really do feel that DC as a company has lost its mind. This "Future's End" and October-series business sounds bloated with there being so many comics between the weekly series and September event. Plus, it feels like a price-gouging exercise with the horrendously stupid 3-D covers making a return. I'm honestly terrified this kind of excessive behavior is bringing us right back to the absurd shenanigans that occurred right before the last great big crash of the comic market.
The Month of Madness
I liked the Nu52 reboot DC did, it was ballsy and dangerous but paid off. Over time the comics haven't been that impressive however and I've been reading less and less titles due to either dropping them or having the ones I liked cancelled. Now we have gotten to a point where DC is again doing something surprising, but where it is sheer lunacy instead of a brave risk that's worth taking. Does DC honestly think its reader-base can support three monthly titles, a big month-long event, and the regular issues of series that will be coming out before and after September--or as I'm thinking of calling it, "The Month of Madness (trademark pending, but not really)"?
This is insane, overly-expensive, and I plan to have little-to-no part of it, simply reading the main (and thankfully just monthly) Batman comic, Green Arrow (because of its incredible art) and a Justice League comic or two occasionally.
Today, February 27th, 2014, is the day I think DC officially showed us how it has gone over the deep end. These three weekly comics, a big September event, and all the regular titles may, for all I know, do gangbusters in terms of sales. However, I really think that isn't likely and instead we could be on the verge of a comics market-collapse that will be so immense it'll cause us to marvel at the grotesqueness and majesty of it all.
I honestly just hope all the comic stores will be okay if this blows up in DC's face and leaves Marvel, Image, and the rest of publishers laughing.
Weekly comic-series. That assortment of words can stir up a mess of emotions in me I can't easily comprehend. When I talk about a weekly comic-series I don't mean how there are so many Avenger's comics that arguably one comes out every week. I am referring to those times when a comic publisher will do an event comic that comes out once a week, every week, for a whole year. These always make me nervous and hopeful at the same time.
The shining example in many people's eyes of what would count as a weekly comic-series that was done marvelously well would be DC's, "52". The worst example of this can also be found within DC, with their "Countdown to Final Crisis" comics. Really, I can't think of any time in recent memory Marvel had a weekly year-long comic series coming out besides when they were doing "Amazing Spider-Man" on what was basically a weekly basis, but that didn't have a set time-length so much as it eventually ended and became the current "Superior Spider-Man" comic and its assorted tie-ins.
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| A "Batman Eternal" teaser image. |
A little earlier today DC went and dropped the bomb that not only do they have their new weekly series "Future's End" starting up in May, but come September every ongoing DC comic will kick it into overdrive by looking ahead some years into this potential future, and result in another weekly comic (to be named later) being launched that examines the things that could lead to this potential future, or something. Oh, and the September comics will be in that annoying 3-D-cover format DC used for Villain's Month of 2013.
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| One of my favorite satirical news duos sums up my view perfectly. |
I mean honestly, they already have the pressure of one weekly comic starting in April, another in May, and before I absolutely rip into them maybe we should simply examine three big flaws with simply doing just a weekly event comic, never-mind having two going on, with "Batman Eternal" and "Future's End" being in full-swing by the time September arrives and then brings October with a third weekly series.
3 Big Potential Weekly-Series Flaws
If the concept is bad, the whole thing will be bad
If the overall idea of the story is flawed, or the concept doesn't work well, then the whole series will suffer. Putting aside how "Countdown to Final Crisis" was also harmed by its many tie-in comics and was barely acknowledged by "Final Crisis"--in fact with some plot points in that comic directly contradicting the series--"Countdown" was hobbled from the start.
The whole point was that it was building to the real event, and basically all the readers were getting was setup. It flowed poorly, it was often dull, and the focus was scatter-shot in a way that was annoying whereas "52"'s way of jumping around to various characters made sense as an overall tapestry was formed. "Countdown" was an utter mess, but it was basically doomed from the word "Go", in my opinion. With a comic-book there may be the occasional mediocre or terrible story-arc, which is fine because you just wait for the next tale. When its a 52-issue mess...you're screwed.
 |
| This snazzy teaser for "Countdown to Final Crisis" was basically the only thing that I liked about the series |
Another problem with weekly comics is sometimes the art can feel rushed, to put it lightly. You have all these artists working on a tight schedule and fill-ins will almost undoubtedly be needed, it can be quite messy. Now, if a careful balancing of artists is done where certain ones illustrate particular stories things can work out well. "Brightest Day" was a comic that came out every other work (switching-off with "Justice League: Generation Lost") but the majority of the time it was clever in having a particular artist stick with a story-beat. Ivan Reis was the main person who drew the Aquaman sections, for example.
The cost of knowing what the Hell is going on
When a comic comes out weekly for a year that is a big investment for a reader. Should it be a $2.99 comic you're easily paying over a hundred if you don't get a store discount, and if there are numerous tie-in comics for the event, or some-to-most issues are $3.99 for some reason you're now at almost 300 benjamins for the privilege of keeping-up with the big event.
"Future's End"--A Weekly and Line-Wide Event?
 |
| A slightly-older "Future's End" teaser |
Then DC announces another soon-to-named weekly comic which will have the entire publishers line-up serving as a kind of massive prologue in September while apparently crossing-over with the "Future's End" weekly series, and my hesitation turns to shock.
THEN DC declares how the covers will come in 3-D as they did for Villain's Month,which many may recall was a royal mess, and my shock turns into slack-jawed disbelief at the combination of gall and idiocy I feel DC is displaying.
 |
| I can't wait to pay extra for a stupid cover gimmick |
Between the many comics with 3-D covers (that you already know DC will be charging $3.99 or more for), the weekly cost of "Future's End" and whatever the weekly comic that comes in October will cost, someone who just wants to enjoy the entirety of these events could easily spend half a grand--before even taking into account if they also want to read "Batman Eternal"!
I really do feel that DC as a company has lost its mind. This "Future's End" and October-series business sounds bloated with there being so many comics between the weekly series and September event. Plus, it feels like a price-gouging exercise with the horrendously stupid 3-D covers making a return. I'm honestly terrified this kind of excessive behavior is bringing us right back to the absurd shenanigans that occurred right before the last great big crash of the comic market.
 |
| Who would have thought a reboot would now look restrained compared to what DC is doing now? |
I liked the Nu52 reboot DC did, it was ballsy and dangerous but paid off. Over time the comics haven't been that impressive however and I've been reading less and less titles due to either dropping them or having the ones I liked cancelled. Now we have gotten to a point where DC is again doing something surprising, but where it is sheer lunacy instead of a brave risk that's worth taking. Does DC honestly think its reader-base can support three monthly titles, a big month-long event, and the regular issues of series that will be coming out before and after September--or as I'm thinking of calling it, "The Month of Madness (trademark pending, but not really)"?
This is insane, overly-expensive, and I plan to have little-to-no part of it, simply reading the main (and thankfully just monthly) Batman comic, Green Arrow (because of its incredible art) and a Justice League comic or two occasionally.
Today, February 27th, 2014, is the day I think DC officially showed us how it has gone over the deep end. These three weekly comics, a big September event, and all the regular titles may, for all I know, do gangbusters in terms of sales. However, I really think that isn't likely and instead we could be on the verge of a comics market-collapse that will be so immense it'll cause us to marvel at the grotesqueness and majesty of it all.
I honestly just hope all the comic stores will be okay if this blows up in DC's face and leaves Marvel, Image, and the rest of publishers laughing.
Friday, February 21, 2014
Rant-Reviews--Five First Issues of Random New Series
The Intro
My God, it really has been forever since I've done capsule reviews, hasn't it? The last time I engaged in "true" miniaturized reviews was back in May of 2013 when I spent a day discussing Marvel comics in the Morning and other publishers in the Afternoon/Evening.
Perhaps I haven't done much in the way of capsule reviews because I've enjoyed giving more detailed thoughts on certain comics. Maybe I haven't done mini-reviews because I read fewer titles. Perhaps I just didn't feel like it.
Whatever the reason I haven't done these sorts of reviews for awhile. However, because I have recently read a bunch of "first issues" of various series (or mini-series) I thought I would share my thoughts on them in somewhat bite-sized form. None of the comics were bad by any means, but some definitely were great and others just good. Keep reading to see what I mean...
The Reviews
Loki: Agent of Asgard #1
For quite some time Loki has been written by Kieron Gillen, who sort of rehabilitated the character's image from being a simple one-dimensional bad-guy into the youthful trickster we know and love. From the re-booted "Journey Into Mystery" to his shenanigans in the amazingly-awesome (and sadly just-ended) "Young Avengers", Loki has been doing marvelous stuff thanks to Gillen and his artists. Hence, when I heard someone besides Gillen would be writing this title, Al Ewing, I had some nervousness.
I'm not familiar with much of Ewing's previous work, but have been enjoying his "Mighty Avengers" despite Greg Land's art and thought if the same quality could be carried over to this book all would be fine. Luckily, all is indeed fine and possibly even better, because "Loki: Agent of Asgard" is an incredibly fun romp discussing some of Loki's past and much of what he hopes for the present (and future). This comic has the Loki who is not evil, but more of a fun and lovable trickster. The tone hits just the right mixture of adventure, comedy, and foreboding with a surprising twist at the end, making for a comic that had me wondering what I was all worried about. This is a wonderful first issue and shows that maybe there are some fresh ideas in the "House of Ideas"/Marvel after all.
4.5 out of 5 stars.
The Royals: Masters of War #1
This comic basically asks, "What if Royalty, in addition to having everything, also had super-powers?" and then runs with the idea. We have some exposition explaining to us how throughout time Kings, Queens, and their offspring from various nations have had super-abilities, but things are currently at a point in World War II where it is agreed no such powers will be used. At least, that is the case until one of the royal sons gets fed-up with all the pointless death and destruction, and takes action...which then sets us up for future issues which will undoubtedly have lots of fighting between royal-folk who have powers.
Rob Williams (who wrote the awesome "Daken" comics I loved a bit ago) turns in a sturdy script and the art by Simon Coleby makes everything look "grounded" enough that there isn't too much of a disconnect between the 1940's atmosphere and people with the ability to fly--it probably helps no one is wearing a bright costume or such. This is a solid comic, but it hints at much more interesting things coming than which actually occur in this issue. In other words, it is good enough for a flip-through but maybe it'll read better in trade with the whole story collected.
3 out of 5 stars.
The Bunker #1
Writer Joshua Hale Fialkov and artist Joe Infurnari have a story here that is a strange mixture of science-fiction, young-adult drama, and a dash of horror. Basically, a group of good friends (some of whom are couples) stumble upon a mysterious bunker when going out to put away a time capsule before they all split up for their various jobs and such they now have. Inside the bunker they discover messages from their future selves that warn how they are going to be responsible for the near-destruction of the Earth. The question now becomes if these letters will help them avoid the mass-death and violence they seem destined for, or only ensure the horrible things we see in the mixture of past-and-present storytelling come true for sure. It is all pretty trippy.
The science-fiction aspects of the story are evident, where I get the feeling of hints of horror would be in how the characters are freaking out and trying to run away from this dark destiny almost as if they were the same youths in a slasher film attempting to dash away from a chain-saw wielding maniac. Plus, the horrible things we hear about and see are almost more scary than any monster could ever be--if only because the idea of humanity almost being wiped out the way the story describes sounds so eerily plausible (and no, I won't spoil just what puts humankind near the brink of extinction, finding out is part of the fun). This comic has a fascinating concept, plays out interestingly, and I wonder just where things will be going next.
4 out of 5 stars.
X-Force #1
This is an odd one. The art is by someone I don't recall ever seeing the work of before, Rock-He Kim, and it is a new "X-Force" comic, kind-of spinning out the previous two that ran for a bit. The odd part is that with Si Spurrier is writing it, there is a quirky and slightly-absurd tone, but Rock-He Kim's art style reminds me of the excessively muscular and tough-style comics of the 1990's. Therefore, it is almost like a tonal clash between the writing and art. Spurrier is pretty much done now with "X-Men Legacy", and that too had a somewhat off-kilter style, but the art matched it. I just feel kind of strange reading dialogue and captions that seem to be a tonal 180 degrees from the art.
The thing is though, it kind of actually almost works. The story is interesting, and the art isn't bad so much as giving me flashbacks to 20 years ago; the weird mashing-up may give a reader weird feelings, but I still liked the comic plenty. I just wonder if Rock-He Kim would be better served on a more serious straight-up action comic and Spurrier would be more complimented by an artist in the vein of his previous collaborators on "X-Men Legacy". I may just really miss "Legacy" however and be trying to imagine this comic being something it's not because as I've said before, "X-Men Legacy" is/was a really, really good comic. This isn't a really good comic, but it is a good one and I'm interested in seeing where Spurrier will be taking the plot and if eventually the art will feel like it meshes better with the tone. We shall see. Oh, and I give Spurrier bonus respect for remembering something most writers forget, that Fantomex likes to pretend he is French and speak with an accent.
3.5 out of 5 stars (the extra .5 is for remembering the accent for Fantomex).
The Fuse #1
As with "The Bunker" this is a science-fiction comic, but this one isn't scary so much as an example of what could occur if you mixed a police-procedural with a futuristic spaceship tons of people live upon. Antony Johnston writes about a gigantic piece of metal floating in space where life sounds kind of miserable, and the idea of a cop volunteering to work there--as one of our protagonists named Dietrich has--sounds utterly absurd. There is humor (much of it from the grizzled old detective, Klem, she isn't one for beating around the bush), some action, and of course a mystery that needs solving and which will hopefully be figured out successfully by our investigators.
While this comic does a good job of establishing our main characters, they do come off as a bit one-dimensional. Klem is older and sarcastic, and Dietrich is serious and clearly a talented officer, but what else is there to them? I also feel as if readers don't really get a feel for what life is like for people who live on the Fuse, or why exactly it is supposedly such a bad place. Perhaps later issues will delve into those matters more, but as it stands now this is a comic that has a great concept and some quality storytelling. The thing that will determine if this is truly an awesome comic is how interesting the current mystery (and future ones) turn out to be, and if there is more to Klem and Dietrich than initially meets the eye.
3 out of 5 stars.
The Closing
A variety of comics have debuted lately, and it is encouraging to see many of them are good as opposed to boring junk. Perhaps I've just been lucky enough to not stumble across a particularly bad comic lately, but we all know they are lurking out there.
I suppose the key is to be open to examining new things, because you never know what fascinating comic you may find. Of course, should a comic be so good you want to get all future issues you may need to cut something else if you are on a tight budget like myself, but so is life.
I hope these new capsule reviews were enjoyable enough to make up for their lack of appearances for some time, and maybe I'll get more up in the future before as much time has passed. I guess the key is there being enough comics I want to talk about, but not do too in-depth with. We will see.
My God, it really has been forever since I've done capsule reviews, hasn't it? The last time I engaged in "true" miniaturized reviews was back in May of 2013 when I spent a day discussing Marvel comics in the Morning and other publishers in the Afternoon/Evening.
Perhaps I haven't done much in the way of capsule reviews because I've enjoyed giving more detailed thoughts on certain comics. Maybe I haven't done mini-reviews because I read fewer titles. Perhaps I just didn't feel like it.
Whatever the reason I haven't done these sorts of reviews for awhile. However, because I have recently read a bunch of "first issues" of various series (or mini-series) I thought I would share my thoughts on them in somewhat bite-sized form. None of the comics were bad by any means, but some definitely were great and others just good. Keep reading to see what I mean...
The Reviews
Loki: Agent of Asgard #1
For quite some time Loki has been written by Kieron Gillen, who sort of rehabilitated the character's image from being a simple one-dimensional bad-guy into the youthful trickster we know and love. From the re-booted "Journey Into Mystery" to his shenanigans in the amazingly-awesome (and sadly just-ended) "Young Avengers", Loki has been doing marvelous stuff thanks to Gillen and his artists. Hence, when I heard someone besides Gillen would be writing this title, Al Ewing, I had some nervousness.
I'm not familiar with much of Ewing's previous work, but have been enjoying his "Mighty Avengers" despite Greg Land's art and thought if the same quality could be carried over to this book all would be fine. Luckily, all is indeed fine and possibly even better, because "Loki: Agent of Asgard" is an incredibly fun romp discussing some of Loki's past and much of what he hopes for the present (and future). This comic has the Loki who is not evil, but more of a fun and lovable trickster. The tone hits just the right mixture of adventure, comedy, and foreboding with a surprising twist at the end, making for a comic that had me wondering what I was all worried about. This is a wonderful first issue and shows that maybe there are some fresh ideas in the "House of Ideas"/Marvel after all.
4.5 out of 5 stars.
The Royals: Masters of War #1
This comic basically asks, "What if Royalty, in addition to having everything, also had super-powers?" and then runs with the idea. We have some exposition explaining to us how throughout time Kings, Queens, and their offspring from various nations have had super-abilities, but things are currently at a point in World War II where it is agreed no such powers will be used. At least, that is the case until one of the royal sons gets fed-up with all the pointless death and destruction, and takes action...which then sets us up for future issues which will undoubtedly have lots of fighting between royal-folk who have powers.
Rob Williams (who wrote the awesome "Daken" comics I loved a bit ago) turns in a sturdy script and the art by Simon Coleby makes everything look "grounded" enough that there isn't too much of a disconnect between the 1940's atmosphere and people with the ability to fly--it probably helps no one is wearing a bright costume or such. This is a solid comic, but it hints at much more interesting things coming than which actually occur in this issue. In other words, it is good enough for a flip-through but maybe it'll read better in trade with the whole story collected.
3 out of 5 stars.
The Bunker #1
Writer Joshua Hale Fialkov and artist Joe Infurnari have a story here that is a strange mixture of science-fiction, young-adult drama, and a dash of horror. Basically, a group of good friends (some of whom are couples) stumble upon a mysterious bunker when going out to put away a time capsule before they all split up for their various jobs and such they now have. Inside the bunker they discover messages from their future selves that warn how they are going to be responsible for the near-destruction of the Earth. The question now becomes if these letters will help them avoid the mass-death and violence they seem destined for, or only ensure the horrible things we see in the mixture of past-and-present storytelling come true for sure. It is all pretty trippy.
The science-fiction aspects of the story are evident, where I get the feeling of hints of horror would be in how the characters are freaking out and trying to run away from this dark destiny almost as if they were the same youths in a slasher film attempting to dash away from a chain-saw wielding maniac. Plus, the horrible things we hear about and see are almost more scary than any monster could ever be--if only because the idea of humanity almost being wiped out the way the story describes sounds so eerily plausible (and no, I won't spoil just what puts humankind near the brink of extinction, finding out is part of the fun). This comic has a fascinating concept, plays out interestingly, and I wonder just where things will be going next.
4 out of 5 stars.
X-Force #1
This is an odd one. The art is by someone I don't recall ever seeing the work of before, Rock-He Kim, and it is a new "X-Force" comic, kind-of spinning out the previous two that ran for a bit. The odd part is that with Si Spurrier is writing it, there is a quirky and slightly-absurd tone, but Rock-He Kim's art style reminds me of the excessively muscular and tough-style comics of the 1990's. Therefore, it is almost like a tonal clash between the writing and art. Spurrier is pretty much done now with "X-Men Legacy", and that too had a somewhat off-kilter style, but the art matched it. I just feel kind of strange reading dialogue and captions that seem to be a tonal 180 degrees from the art.
The thing is though, it kind of actually almost works. The story is interesting, and the art isn't bad so much as giving me flashbacks to 20 years ago; the weird mashing-up may give a reader weird feelings, but I still liked the comic plenty. I just wonder if Rock-He Kim would be better served on a more serious straight-up action comic and Spurrier would be more complimented by an artist in the vein of his previous collaborators on "X-Men Legacy". I may just really miss "Legacy" however and be trying to imagine this comic being something it's not because as I've said before, "X-Men Legacy" is/was a really, really good comic. This isn't a really good comic, but it is a good one and I'm interested in seeing where Spurrier will be taking the plot and if eventually the art will feel like it meshes better with the tone. We shall see. Oh, and I give Spurrier bonus respect for remembering something most writers forget, that Fantomex likes to pretend he is French and speak with an accent.
3.5 out of 5 stars (the extra .5 is for remembering the accent for Fantomex).
The Fuse #1
As with "The Bunker" this is a science-fiction comic, but this one isn't scary so much as an example of what could occur if you mixed a police-procedural with a futuristic spaceship tons of people live upon. Antony Johnston writes about a gigantic piece of metal floating in space where life sounds kind of miserable, and the idea of a cop volunteering to work there--as one of our protagonists named Dietrich has--sounds utterly absurd. There is humor (much of it from the grizzled old detective, Klem, she isn't one for beating around the bush), some action, and of course a mystery that needs solving and which will hopefully be figured out successfully by our investigators.
While this comic does a good job of establishing our main characters, they do come off as a bit one-dimensional. Klem is older and sarcastic, and Dietrich is serious and clearly a talented officer, but what else is there to them? I also feel as if readers don't really get a feel for what life is like for people who live on the Fuse, or why exactly it is supposedly such a bad place. Perhaps later issues will delve into those matters more, but as it stands now this is a comic that has a great concept and some quality storytelling. The thing that will determine if this is truly an awesome comic is how interesting the current mystery (and future ones) turn out to be, and if there is more to Klem and Dietrich than initially meets the eye.
3 out of 5 stars.
The Closing
A variety of comics have debuted lately, and it is encouraging to see many of them are good as opposed to boring junk. Perhaps I've just been lucky enough to not stumble across a particularly bad comic lately, but we all know they are lurking out there.
I suppose the key is to be open to examining new things, because you never know what fascinating comic you may find. Of course, should a comic be so good you want to get all future issues you may need to cut something else if you are on a tight budget like myself, but so is life.
I hope these new capsule reviews were enjoyable enough to make up for their lack of appearances for some time, and maybe I'll get more up in the future before as much time has passed. I guess the key is there being enough comics I want to talk about, but not do too in-depth with. We will see.
Tuesday, February 18, 2014
Stan Lee Tells Me How to DRAW Comics? AKA This Book Title Bugged Me
Stan Lee Teaches Me How to...Draw?
Let's start with a fact: Stan Lee is probably the most famous name in comics that isn't a fictional character. Sure, everyone in the world may know who Superman is, but do they know who created him (Hint: it was two guys who later got screwed-over by DC)? Ask your average guy/gal on the street to name a famous comic-maker and they will almost assuredly say, "Stan Lee," regardless of if they know what characters he created, or even what publisher he made them for--"That company with, 'The Avengers,' right?" Stan Lee wasn't just a writer, he was and continues to be a master showman, expertly using the press to garner recognition for himself and the art form of comics. All that as it is though, Stan Lee was never an artist. How in the Hell would Stan Lee know anything about telling me how to draw comics? He could tell me a bit about writing, especially using "The Marvel Method", but illustrating?
A Complicated Relationship
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| Kirby (Left) and Lee (Right) back in the old days. |
Stan Lee may have churned out scripts with great effort or sat around doing little besides providing ideas--as I've stated, it depends on whom you ask--but I think everyone who knows the slightest bit about comics can agree Lee never actually put pencil to paper in an effort to illustrate the creations of his collaborators and himself. Should you look closely at the bottom of that book you'll see it describes how they are examples from big names such as the aforementioned Kirby, so it is good he and other artists are getting their due, but that due is coming in the form of very small print, at the bottom of the book--the book which loudly exclaims in its title how Stan Lee of all people is going to tell you the way to draw comics. That just bugs me, immensely.
He Who Lives The Longest Gets the Last Word
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| Stan Lee today. |
Stan Lee was always the more press-savvy one, talkative one, and otherwise charismatic-half of any writer-artist duo he was a part of. The man is just quite possibly one of the best wranglers of press ever, capable of garnering attention and T.V. cameras still today in his 90's. Perhaps because of his ability to promote comics, as well as himself, and through simply living the longest, Stan Lee has won. He gets the last word, and he has been around long enough and done enough work (even if you think it was relatively little) to have every right to put out a book telling folk how to make comics the way he did, and maybe, just maybe, succeed at it. Still, even if Lee has earned the right to put out that book, he frankly lacks the skill to tell us how to draw these potential comics.
Lee was never an artist, he was a writer, ideas-guy, and showman. He contributed so much to this industry, and I feel he did do a fair amount of hard work making all those comics and their characters that now garner billions of dollars a year thanks to movies and merchandising. Lee had an impact on this industry that cannot even begin to be measured, and I'm truly thankful for all that he has done and continues to do...BUT, he was never an artist. For that reason a simple book and its title really irritated me when I saw it at that craft store, and I just wanted to share with everyone why, even if in the process I come across as a bit nit-picky or whiny. I don't mind if I do though, because for all he did Lee was never an artist. Without those artists all the ideas and showmanship in the world would have meant nothing, so please don't tell me your book is going to have Stan Lee instructing me in the ways of drawing comics. It insults both the reader and all those folk Lee has worked with.
Saturday, February 15, 2014
Everything Old Is New Again AKA The Strange Saga of "Bloodhound"
Foreward
This isn't a review, but if I may tell you tale about a comic with a history that is interesting to say the least, then I can almost guarantee you will be entertained by this story of convoluted copyright and minimal marketing. Plus, I will tell you the point of all this at the end. I won't 100% guarantee entertainment, however, because if you fail to be entertained I would be a liar; anyways, let's proceed...
Chapter 1--The good comic nobody knew about
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| The original first issue. |
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| The new paperback collection's cover. The lack of a DC logo will be explained. |
There once was a comic called "Bloodhound". Written by Dan Jolley and illustrated by Leonard Kirk, it was a DC comic in the mid 2000's...but not really. You see, it theoretically took place in the actual DC Universe at the time, but other than a cross-over with the comic "Firestorm" for issue #5 during the "Identity Crisis" event and a brief appearance of some other random villain, it basically could have existed in its own little world. In fact, the way DC took zero effort to promote "Bloodhound" made that essentially the case.
"Bloodhound" basically existed on a periphery of the "capes" comics. It looked at how authorities would deal with people who had powers, but didn't throw on an elaborate outfit and threaten to take over the world. No, this was serial-killers and other nasty folk who just happened to have super-human abilities, and the one man with enough skill to take them down was the titular Bloodhound, Travis Clevenger. Not super-powered himself, but utterly ripped from time spent in prison, Clevenger was an ex-cop highly talented at profiling who allegedly killed his partner (the reasons why are part of a mystery I don't want to spoil) and then surrendered himself to custody. Years went by, and when they needed his profiling skills the police came to take him out of prison, resulting in his series.
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| The last issue of the series back in the 2000's |
This was a super-hero comic DC did with basically no super-heroes, instead being more of a crime comic. It was in the main DC Universe but not shown to be at all important. It also had basically zero promtion. Hence, we had this comic called Bloodhound that people said was great, but which got so little attention due to its coming into existence during that whole "Identity Crisis" event it may as well not have existed. It isn't surprising to hear it only lasted 10 total issues. Really, it went nine if you don't count the pointless cross-over.
Were this the late 2000's our story would have ended there, another tragic tale of a quality comic left by a big publisher to die. This is the early 20-teens though, so the story continues, and gets even more interesting.
Chapter 2--From death to rebirth
Dan Jolley worked with DC to get the rights back to "Bloodhound". He finally was able to get a rights reversion and everything original to the Bloodhound Universe was now his intellectual property. The thing was, any reference to the DC Universe had to be scrubbed from any re-printing. As Jolley tells it, that wasn't a problem as the DCU had so little to do with the comic as it was. Other than that cross-over issue and a minor villain, "Bloodhound" was its own beast.
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| You won't find this in any "Bloodhound" collection, but it's okay because you really don't need it. |
Jolley went to Dark Horse, had some new Bloodhound material appear in "Dark Horse Presents" and even got a collection of the original issues (minus the 5th) published titled, "Brass Knuckle Psychology". In a sign of great writing, Issue #5 of the original DC series was so carefully done as to not be important to the main story, those reading this book would have no clue the 9 parts are missing one unimportant extra part.
Now, there is currently a new mini-series of Bloodhound coming out that picks up right where the old series left-off, although this time truly in its own universe where there are powers, but no outlandish outfits or such. The new arc is "Crowbar Medicine" and from what I've read of it, it is pretty snazzy--just like the original series.
Chapter 3--The Point Of The Story
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| The first issue of the new mini-series. |
Travis Clevenger seemed like he would be gone forever, remembered by few, but now he's back with a vengeance. It is a strange saga indeed, but one which in the end got us some slightly-older quality comics and now some cool new ones, which leads us to answering just what my point is.
I suppose my point is that maybe there are no bad comics, just companies that do a bad job promoting them? Nah, there are some pretty bad comics out there that get plenty of promotion.
Maybe my point is that if you let a writer and artist do what they want with limited editorial interference you'll get good works? That could be it, unless of course the writer and artist need some editorial guidance.
I think the point really is though that considering how many comics-creators have been screwed-over on ownership or seen their creations flounder in copyright limbo its good to see the occasional positive story.
Yes, that's it! "Bloodhound" was stuck in the corner of the DC Universe, basically ignored. Now, it is one of the quality comics being put out by Dark Horse and getting much more press in terms of the company's marketing and reviewers enjoying the series--both the old one and the new mini. My point is that if you treat creators right you get better results for your company and pleased creators. That's my point!
So yes, this is a happy ending to the story of what went on "behind the scenes" in comics, and happy endings can result in some really good works!
Sadly, happy endings are all too rare, but that is a different "point" for another time.
Friday, February 14, 2014
The "Thickness" Anthology Series, Book 3
Earlier today I discussed the 1st and 2nd issue of the great erotic anthology "Thickness". I now present my thoughts on the 3rd and final issue.
Thickness 3
The last issue of "Thickness" is also its biggest. With a paper-sleeve with scenes from the a last story holding the contents of the bulky main comic and an additional mini-comic this is quite a big book--at least compared to its preceding issues. While the 2nd issue is probably my favorite there is still some interesting stuff in here too for sure.
The first story is "30XX" by Lamar Abrams. It featuers some anthropomorphic guys and gals playing a video-game that is sexually charged, to say the least. Basically, it sprouts appendages and holes for people to interact with. The art is quite snazzy-looking and the tone is light and fun. I like it. Here's his website.
The second story is "Protestploitation". By Jimmy Beaulieu, it features two woman who have sex and then put on a war-paint of sorts and go take part in what appears to be some kind of mass-protest-revolution. Its sort of random, but again, it had good art so I like it. Check out Beaulieu's work here.
Next up is "Nightcrawlers" by Edie Fake, it is about a man and a woman who have sex with the aid of the titular animal. It's...odd. The art is okay, at first I thought the woman was a man as Fake seems to draw his characters in a masculine manner--which could very well be on purpose. I wasn't overly impressed with the story. Fake's website is here.
Within the pages of "Nightcrawlers" is a pin-up simply titled, "Pin-Up," by Hamlet Machine. It features two men bound up sharing an adult-toy. It's pretty well-drawn and serves its purpose as a pin-up. Hamlet Machine's site can be found here.
After that is "The Chasm" by Julia Gfrörer, which I honestly could make little-to-no sense of. There is a naked woman with a mask and she receieves oral sex from various people for the purposes of some kind of ceremony, I think? I don't know, its pretty nonsensical. I didn't care for this story much because it just is unintelligible. Here is her site.
Then we have "The Cockroach." It's a funny little tale written by Sean T. Collins and drawn by William Cardini. It is about a man who kills a cockroach at his lady-friend's insistence and she rewards him with a beer and satisfying him with her hands. I think its supposed to be a sort-of satire of a male fantasy where he does a simple task and is rewarded with a cold drink and sexual favors. The illustration-style is a weird minimalist-looking kind of art, and I liked it. Collins' site can be found here and Cardini is here.
Nearly last within the book we have "Standing Ovations," by Gengoroh Tagame. The book has you go to the end page and start from there reading right-to-left as it is a translated manga. While the art-style is good, I really didin't care for the story. It features a boxer who has been abducted by some evil group and is sexually tortured with all kinds of horrendous things done to his genitals. It's disturbing and unpleasant, which is fine, stories should make us feel all sorts of ways, but it basically is about little more than a man having terrible things done to him without his consent--it isn't a story, its just torture-porn. I couldn't find an English website for Tagame, so if you want to see his stuff you may need to learn a second-language.
The last page features yet another strip by "True Chubbo". Again, its passable but by no means overly memorable. Here's their site.
There is also an excerpt in the book called "Qviet" by Andy Burkholder. It's sparse lines and avant-garde style is pretty appealing, so I liked this a lot. Here is more Qviet stuff.
While overall I do have quite fond feelings about this anthology series, the third issue is a bit more lacking than the other two, so I give it 3.5 out of 5 stars.
In Closing
Valentine's Day is about love, caring, and often intimacy. I hope this overview of a very interesting comic-series was fun for you and inspired you to try and find the issues or grab the collection of everything that should be happening relatively soon.
Thickness 3
The first story is "30XX" by Lamar Abrams. It featuers some anthropomorphic guys and gals playing a video-game that is sexually charged, to say the least. Basically, it sprouts appendages and holes for people to interact with. The art is quite snazzy-looking and the tone is light and fun. I like it. Here's his website.
The second story is "Protestploitation". By Jimmy Beaulieu, it features two woman who have sex and then put on a war-paint of sorts and go take part in what appears to be some kind of mass-protest-revolution. Its sort of random, but again, it had good art so I like it. Check out Beaulieu's work here.
Next up is "Nightcrawlers" by Edie Fake, it is about a man and a woman who have sex with the aid of the titular animal. It's...odd. The art is okay, at first I thought the woman was a man as Fake seems to draw his characters in a masculine manner--which could very well be on purpose. I wasn't overly impressed with the story. Fake's website is here.
Within the pages of "Nightcrawlers" is a pin-up simply titled, "Pin-Up," by Hamlet Machine. It features two men bound up sharing an adult-toy. It's pretty well-drawn and serves its purpose as a pin-up. Hamlet Machine's site can be found here.
After that is "The Chasm" by Julia Gfrörer, which I honestly could make little-to-no sense of. There is a naked woman with a mask and she receieves oral sex from various people for the purposes of some kind of ceremony, I think? I don't know, its pretty nonsensical. I didn't care for this story much because it just is unintelligible. Here is her site.
Then we have "The Cockroach." It's a funny little tale written by Sean T. Collins and drawn by William Cardini. It is about a man who kills a cockroach at his lady-friend's insistence and she rewards him with a beer and satisfying him with her hands. I think its supposed to be a sort-of satire of a male fantasy where he does a simple task and is rewarded with a cold drink and sexual favors. The illustration-style is a weird minimalist-looking kind of art, and I liked it. Collins' site can be found here and Cardini is here.
Nearly last within the book we have "Standing Ovations," by Gengoroh Tagame. The book has you go to the end page and start from there reading right-to-left as it is a translated manga. While the art-style is good, I really didin't care for the story. It features a boxer who has been abducted by some evil group and is sexually tortured with all kinds of horrendous things done to his genitals. It's disturbing and unpleasant, which is fine, stories should make us feel all sorts of ways, but it basically is about little more than a man having terrible things done to him without his consent--it isn't a story, its just torture-porn. I couldn't find an English website for Tagame, so if you want to see his stuff you may need to learn a second-language.
The last page features yet another strip by "True Chubbo". Again, its passable but by no means overly memorable. Here's their site.
There is also an excerpt in the book called "Qviet" by Andy Burkholder. It's sparse lines and avant-garde style is pretty appealing, so I liked this a lot. Here is more Qviet stuff.
While overall I do have quite fond feelings about this anthology series, the third issue is a bit more lacking than the other two, so I give it 3.5 out of 5 stars.
In Closing
Valentine's Day is about love, caring, and often intimacy. I hope this overview of a very interesting comic-series was fun for you and inspired you to try and find the issues or grab the collection of everything that should be happening relatively soon.
The "Thickness" Anthology Series, Book 2
Earlier today I started this three-part segment where I discuss a fascinating comic anthology known as "Thickness". I now present to you the 2nd post about (what else?) the 2nd issue.
Thickness #2
This was the second release and possibly my favorite due to it just having some absolutely stellar stories. With a cover by Michael Deforge and some amazing tales within, if you were to get only one issue of this anthology I would recommend this one. Now, let's break down the tales that make this so smashing a read.
The first comic is an untitled 4-pager by Angie Wang about two women having sex that is so good they fly into outer-space or something. The art is nice but this is a totally forgettable piece. You can find Angie Wang's website here, and it is worth a visit as her other stuff is in fact pretty cool.
Then we have it, what I consider to not just be the best comic of this issue, but the absolute best of the series. Yes, I am talking about "College Girl by Night" which is written and drawn by the immensely talented Michael Deforge--whom I have spoken highly of in another post. It is a seemingly simple tale about a boy who as of "about three years ago" started transforming into a woman anytime there was a full moon. Within that idea however Deforge examines concepts of gender, with our narrator wondering if he is unimaginative with the only thing he does when a woman being having sex. The thought is discussed of what his orientation is if he is a straight man, but when a woman he has sex with men...making him a straight woman? The character's excitement at transforming but feeling saddened about being unable to have any meaningful relationship with someone (as a woman) makes for a fascinating tale of confusion and longing--something many of us probably feel when it comes to relationships. Plus, Deforge is just plain amazing when it comes to art, of course. See more of Deforge here.
"Dirty Deeds" is the next comic, done by the quite-talented Brandon Graham. It basically uses some futuristic sci-fi technology as an excuse to have all sorts of wacky sex-antics, but what amazingly drawn antics they are! Between artificial appendages and virtual-reality shenanigans it is quite the fun and good-looking tale. See more of Graham at his website.
After that, we have in the middle of the book a pin-up by Jillian Tamaki of a woman with strange little dolls just kind of posing. It is quite pretty. More of her here.
My least favorite comic occurs next, which still isn't horrible so much as just incredibly obtuse. "Slime Worm", by Mickey Zacchilli. There is a woman who loses a wedding ring, goes into some metaphysical swamp, talks to a strange snake creature, and, um, there is discussion of ice cream? As I said, it is all very strange. At least the illustration is somewhat neat with its creepily-dark look. His site is here.
The last full-story is a weird one called "Early Bird" and features an anthropomorphic bird teaching a class about narration techniques before finding himself so aroused by a student with the head of a worm he begins to have sex with her...whilst still imparting his lesson to everyone. It is very silly and a bit funny, plus the writer/illustrator Lisa Hanawalt does a good job drawing all the characters. I've reviewed her latest book on the blog, and her site can be found here.
The book closes with another "True Chubbo" comic that again is perfectly fine if unremarkable. Once more, their site is here.
With the mostly amazing work in this book I don't hesitate to give it 5 out of 5 stars and declare it awesome!
Thickness #2
The first comic is an untitled 4-pager by Angie Wang about two women having sex that is so good they fly into outer-space or something. The art is nice but this is a totally forgettable piece. You can find Angie Wang's website here, and it is worth a visit as her other stuff is in fact pretty cool.
Then we have it, what I consider to not just be the best comic of this issue, but the absolute best of the series. Yes, I am talking about "College Girl by Night" which is written and drawn by the immensely talented Michael Deforge--whom I have spoken highly of in another post. It is a seemingly simple tale about a boy who as of "about three years ago" started transforming into a woman anytime there was a full moon. Within that idea however Deforge examines concepts of gender, with our narrator wondering if he is unimaginative with the only thing he does when a woman being having sex. The thought is discussed of what his orientation is if he is a straight man, but when a woman he has sex with men...making him a straight woman? The character's excitement at transforming but feeling saddened about being unable to have any meaningful relationship with someone (as a woman) makes for a fascinating tale of confusion and longing--something many of us probably feel when it comes to relationships. Plus, Deforge is just plain amazing when it comes to art, of course. See more of Deforge here.
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| Graham's "Dirty Deeds" is lusciously illustrated |
After that, we have in the middle of the book a pin-up by Jillian Tamaki of a woman with strange little dolls just kind of posing. It is quite pretty. More of her here.
My least favorite comic occurs next, which still isn't horrible so much as just incredibly obtuse. "Slime Worm", by Mickey Zacchilli. There is a woman who loses a wedding ring, goes into some metaphysical swamp, talks to a strange snake creature, and, um, there is discussion of ice cream? As I said, it is all very strange. At least the illustration is somewhat neat with its creepily-dark look. His site is here.
The book closes with another "True Chubbo" comic that again is perfectly fine if unremarkable. Once more, their site is here.
With the mostly amazing work in this book I don't hesitate to give it 5 out of 5 stars and declare it awesome!
The "Thickness" Anthology Series, Book 1
Love is in the Air
In honor of Valentine's Day I thought I would put up three articles today reviewing each issue of the erotic anthology "Thickness".
"Thickness" is an anthology series of erotic tales that sadly seems to be done as of its third issue that came out a some time ago (but will have a big collected edition before too long). I find it fascinating because it has some really awesome names doing art who are becoming quite popular among the indie-comic crowd, and even some of these folk are now achieving mainstream success. Note when I say erotic I'm talking about what could arguably be hardcore illustrated pornography if not for the fact I'd argue much of these stories would pass the popular "Miller Test".
Some of the contributors to these anthologies are getting quite well known, some have a few small-press works out, and others I had never seen till this series. With that in mind let's go through the three books in separate posts discussing each story contained within in as much or little detail as I feel the need to discuss. Do note there will be an absence of pictures a fair amount of time as I try to keep the website "safe for work/reading at the library/generally appropriate. Okay, that is all out of the way so let us begin!
"Thickness" is an anthology series of erotic tales that sadly seems to be done as of its third issue that came out a some time ago (but will have a big collected edition before too long). I find it fascinating because it has some really awesome names doing art who are becoming quite popular among the indie-comic crowd, and even some of these folk are now achieving mainstream success. Note when I say erotic I'm talking about what could arguably be hardcore illustrated pornography if not for the fact I'd argue much of these stories would pass the popular "Miller Test".
Some of the contributors to these anthologies are getting quite well known, some have a few small-press works out, and others I had never seen till this series. With that in mind let's go through the three books in separate posts discussing each story contained within in as much or little detail as I feel the need to discuss. Do note there will be an absence of pictures a fair amount of time as I try to keep the website "safe for work/reading at the library/generally appropriate. Okay, that is all out of the way so let us begin!
Thickness #1
The first one released of the series with a cover by Jonny Negron, Thickness #1 contains one amazing story and another I quite enjoyed, along with two other totally fine tales and a short one-page strip at the end of the book.
The first story, "Breeding Season," by Katie Skelly is a silly tale of these two humanoid-type creatures on a fantastical island meeting up and, well, mating. It has a charmingly fun style that is extremely cute if lacking in much of a fancy plot. Skelly's book "Nurse Nurse" came out a bit ago to positive reviews and more can be learned about her here.
The next story is the one that is just awesome, "Grandaddy Purple, Erotic Gameshow." By Jonny Negron (whom I have discussed before), It feels like a grind-house flick put to ink between its hyper-stylized violent opening where two characters are taken out by a mysterious man whom is not named in the comic but Negron's website says is named, "Utu The Assassin." Utu fights and kills two men before landing through a sky-light into the game-show and being informed he has won an exotic prize behind the door of his choosing. There, he meets a woman drawn voluptuously--as is Negron's arguable specialty--and they proceed to have sex before at the end she stabs his strange face with scissors, apparently killing him in a black-widow-style fashion. Oh, and Utu has a snake-like tongue. The whole thing is beautifully illustrated by Negron with whites and purples (fitting the story's name) and its mixture of violence and sex creates a comic that reads like an exercise in joyous excess. It is really, really good. More about Negron can be found here.
Next up is, "Pearl Divers," a perfectly passable story of two woman having sex that takes the metaphor of a woman's genitals as a clam to the extreme in its symbolism. It is fun but kind of relies on nothing more than its one idea, leaving me feeling unimpressed. Zijian Shen does this story and more of her stuff can be viewed here.
The last full-story is the other one I was a big fan of and titled "Trap Shadez". I'm not exactly certain what the point of it is, but the surreal art-style by Derek Ballard is quite enjoyable and makes the comic quite the read. Between the strange aforementioned shades, weird tech-speak, and general insanity I really liked this. See more of Ballard's surreal stuff here.
There also is a short 1-page strip called, "True Chubbo" that reminds me of Johnny Ryan in its design and grossness. It makes a fine little ending to this issue even if it is wholly unremembered once the comic is closed. Once-weekly editions of the comic can be found here.
Overall I would give this issue a 4 out of 5 stars, with its mixture of excellent and decent stories.
The first story, "Breeding Season," by Katie Skelly is a silly tale of these two humanoid-type creatures on a fantastical island meeting up and, well, mating. It has a charmingly fun style that is extremely cute if lacking in much of a fancy plot. Skelly's book "Nurse Nurse" came out a bit ago to positive reviews and more can be learned about her here.
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| The opening to "Grandaddy Purple, Erotic Gameshow" |
The next story is the one that is just awesome, "Grandaddy Purple, Erotic Gameshow." By Jonny Negron (whom I have discussed before), It feels like a grind-house flick put to ink between its hyper-stylized violent opening where two characters are taken out by a mysterious man whom is not named in the comic but Negron's website says is named, "Utu The Assassin." Utu fights and kills two men before landing through a sky-light into the game-show and being informed he has won an exotic prize behind the door of his choosing. There, he meets a woman drawn voluptuously--as is Negron's arguable specialty--and they proceed to have sex before at the end she stabs his strange face with scissors, apparently killing him in a black-widow-style fashion. Oh, and Utu has a snake-like tongue. The whole thing is beautifully illustrated by Negron with whites and purples (fitting the story's name) and its mixture of violence and sex creates a comic that reads like an exercise in joyous excess. It is really, really good. More about Negron can be found here.
Next up is, "Pearl Divers," a perfectly passable story of two woman having sex that takes the metaphor of a woman's genitals as a clam to the extreme in its symbolism. It is fun but kind of relies on nothing more than its one idea, leaving me feeling unimpressed. Zijian Shen does this story and more of her stuff can be viewed here.
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| The titular "Shadez" |
The last full-story is the other one I was a big fan of and titled "Trap Shadez". I'm not exactly certain what the point of it is, but the surreal art-style by Derek Ballard is quite enjoyable and makes the comic quite the read. Between the strange aforementioned shades, weird tech-speak, and general insanity I really liked this. See more of Ballard's surreal stuff here.
There also is a short 1-page strip called, "True Chubbo" that reminds me of Johnny Ryan in its design and grossness. It makes a fine little ending to this issue even if it is wholly unremembered once the comic is closed. Once-weekly editions of the comic can be found here.
Overall I would give this issue a 4 out of 5 stars, with its mixture of excellent and decent stories.
Thursday, February 13, 2014
Tales from the Dollar Bin: Uncanny X-Men #394
There are comics which are worth incredible sums of money, but so many of the most interesting, tragic, or just downright weird can be found for a simple dollar or less in a store's "dollar bin". There, comics that never gained much popularity can be found alongside those that sold so much as for a copy to be worthless. "Tales From the Dollar Bin" aims to explore these comics, be they a single issue or an entire run of a series. From the great to the miserable, some of the best treasures and worst nightmares can be found in those infamous boxes. Let's have a "tale" now...
The Forgotten (At the Time) X-Men Comic
When Grant Morrison was doing his incredible run on "New X-Men" there was in fact another "core" book that had been around for (quite a long) while focusing on some of the characters and what was going on with them. It was "Uncanny X-Men", and while it had the new outfits introduced by Morrison, and would touch upon a few plot points going on in what was then considered the "main" book, this was its own beast in many ways. Talented writer Joe Casey came onto the series with this issue that I found in the dollar bin, #394, and continued writing it until #409 with the most notable thing about the series for some people being that at times the amazing Ashley Wood or Sean Philips were on a number of issues for artwork.
A lot of people think of the run as being a bit too weird, unclear in its focus, and otherwise struggling in the shadow of "New X-Men", with there being folk out there who consider it some of Casey's worst work ever. Hell, even Casey admits things never really "clicked". The thing is though, I liked the run, and it finally has been fully collected instead of being in a few trades here and there--and I think it does read nicely as a cohesive whole despite its flaws. It maybe was confused, overly-quirky, and otherwise kind of a train-wreck, but I really enjoyed Casey's time on the series. I'm not going to talk about all of that though, I'm going to focus on this one debut issue that Casey did and what it had to say about the X-men, and comics in general.
Giving Them What They Want
Casey touched upon some amazingly interesting concepts during his time on the series, asking questions about popular culture and the corporatization (is that a word?) of super-heroes--which he explored even further in "Wildcats 3.0", but that's neither here or there. This issue didn't have that, though, it was more-so just an exercise in bombastic excess that in the end points out its own self-awareness at being over-the-top and merely giving the audience what it wants--explosions and action.
A young mutant--only ever referred to as "Warp"--decides for his 18th birthday he is going to be like those "Mutant terrorists" the media always talks about, and go to a military base and wreak havoc. He starts destroying everything, and seemingly killing people with his ability to warp them away to some other place--apparently within his own psyche (its never made completely clear how it all works). At one point he warps Logan/Wolverine and Jean into this place of his subconscious, and when in the real world he is finally stopped, in the surreal one it looks like all is about to end for them. Therefore, they kiss...immediately acting like it never happened once they awake in the real world suddenly, what with Jean being married to Cyclops at the time.
The irony comes in that this kid wanted to be the next big mutant-monster, the next "Magneto" but instead just contributed a little bit to giving mutants a bad name, and in the process of trying to be a counter-culture revolutionary caused some of the most cliche things to occur, namely fighting, explosions, and a bit of romance.
Casey is basically saying, "Here is what you want, comic-fans. I'm going to give you it, but spend the rest of my time pointing out how this is all absurd." Ian Churchill's art compliments everything nicely, and this issue encapsulates much of what Casey's run would end up being--a mixture of gorging on cliches and mocking them at the same time in an uncomfortable balance which in most people's eyes ended up not working out that well.
"Underrated" is the Best Word
There is much criticism of Joe Casey's run on "Uncanny X-Men". I like it, even though many don't, and this issue with its mixture of bombast and self-hatred seething below the surface makes for the kind of comic-book I really enjoy. The creator himself may think he didn't do that great a job on this series, but I feel this issue and the others are under-appreciated. Clearly his stuff isn't as popular as Morrison's run, however, because I did find this in the dollar-bin.
This isn't a bad comic. It just came out at an inopportune time and expressed a lot of potential it was in the end not capable of living up to. "Uncanny X-Men" #394 is the kind of thing many people don't like, but I and some others out there quite enjoyed, resulting in a comic that is mostly forgotten in the shadow of its big-brother's success, but still special and unique. It is truly a good comic, and a good run, making it in the end somewhat tragic how due to being an overlooked diamond-in-the-rough it would end up being another...tale from the dollar bin!
The Forgotten (At the Time) X-Men Comic
A lot of people think of the run as being a bit too weird, unclear in its focus, and otherwise struggling in the shadow of "New X-Men", with there being folk out there who consider it some of Casey's worst work ever. Hell, even Casey admits things never really "clicked". The thing is though, I liked the run, and it finally has been fully collected instead of being in a few trades here and there--and I think it does read nicely as a cohesive whole despite its flaws. It maybe was confused, overly-quirky, and otherwise kind of a train-wreck, but I really enjoyed Casey's time on the series. I'm not going to talk about all of that though, I'm going to focus on this one debut issue that Casey did and what it had to say about the X-men, and comics in general.
Giving Them What They Want
A young mutant--only ever referred to as "Warp"--decides for his 18th birthday he is going to be like those "Mutant terrorists" the media always talks about, and go to a military base and wreak havoc. He starts destroying everything, and seemingly killing people with his ability to warp them away to some other place--apparently within his own psyche (its never made completely clear how it all works). At one point he warps Logan/Wolverine and Jean into this place of his subconscious, and when in the real world he is finally stopped, in the surreal one it looks like all is about to end for them. Therefore, they kiss...immediately acting like it never happened once they awake in the real world suddenly, what with Jean being married to Cyclops at the time.
The irony comes in that this kid wanted to be the next big mutant-monster, the next "Magneto" but instead just contributed a little bit to giving mutants a bad name, and in the process of trying to be a counter-culture revolutionary caused some of the most cliche things to occur, namely fighting, explosions, and a bit of romance.
"Underrated" is the Best Word
There is much criticism of Joe Casey's run on "Uncanny X-Men". I like it, even though many don't, and this issue with its mixture of bombast and self-hatred seething below the surface makes for the kind of comic-book I really enjoy. The creator himself may think he didn't do that great a job on this series, but I feel this issue and the others are under-appreciated. Clearly his stuff isn't as popular as Morrison's run, however, because I did find this in the dollar-bin.
This isn't a bad comic. It just came out at an inopportune time and expressed a lot of potential it was in the end not capable of living up to. "Uncanny X-Men" #394 is the kind of thing many people don't like, but I and some others out there quite enjoyed, resulting in a comic that is mostly forgotten in the shadow of its big-brother's success, but still special and unique. It is truly a good comic, and a good run, making it in the end somewhat tragic how due to being an overlooked diamond-in-the-rough it would end up being another...tale from the dollar bin!
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