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Tag Archives: American Vampire

What’s I&N Store (3/19)

18 Tuesday Mar 2014

Posted by ScottNerd in What's I&N Store?

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DC, Marvel, Valiant, Image, Daredevil, Animal Man, Suicide Squad, Wonder Woman, Harbinger, X-O Manowar, X-Men, zero, Matt Kindt, Chris Bachalo, Brian Azzarello, Jeff Lemire, Greg Rucka, Mark Waid, Chris Samnee, Brian Michael Bendis, Dark Horse, Robert Venditti, Oni Press, Cliff Chiang, Scott Snyder, Travel Foreman, Vertigo, BOOM!, Rick Remender, Paul Tobin, Nick Spencer, Riley Rossmo, Joshua Dysart, Matt Fraction, Jonathan Hickman, Brian Wood, Ales Kot, American Vampire, Uncanny X-Men, The Sixth Gun, Cullen Bunn, Brian Hurtt, Frank Barbiere, Dean Motter, Khari Evans, Rafael Albuquerque, Lazarus, Michael Lark, Sex Criminals, Chip Zdarsky, Letter 44, Alberto Alburquerque, Vanesa Del Rey, A Voice in the Dark, Larime Taylor, Charles Soule, Tradd Moore, Dark Horse Presents, Avengers World, Skyman, Curse, Michael Moreci, Top Cow, Joshua Hale Fialkov, Tim Daniel, Colin Lorimer, Mister X, White Suits, Toby Cypress, The Witcher, Scribblenauts Unmasked, Fuse, All-New Ghost Rider, Ms. Marvel, G. Willow Wilson, Adrian Alphona, Winter Soldier: The Bitter March, Diego Bernard, American Vampire: Second Cycle

Can’t buy ’em all.  That’s why I narrow it down to a select many every week.

  • Dark Horse Presents #34 (Dark Horse): A pricey pick, that’s for sure; but a gotta grab because Dean Motter’s magnificent Mister X is making his much anticipated return to the DHU.  And we love us some Mister X: if you didn’t already know–and you’d be in rare company–Mister X: Eviction was our #1 book of 2013.
Dark Horse Presents #37

Dark Horse Presents #34

  • Skyman #3 (Dark Horse): Has been OK.  My interest level in this book increased exponentially after reading Joshua Hale Fialkov’s The Bunker.  Makes this a bit of a potential pick.  Thing is, as a four-issue mini, Skyman might not have the time to realize that potential.  On a positive note, I’m willing to go the distance because it’s a mini.  Wouldn’t have been so willing if it had been an ongoing.
  • White Suits #2 (Dark Horse): Toby Cypress’s art was certainly remarkable.  The story, not so much.  I’m leaning toward passing on it.
  • The Witcher #1 (Dark Horse): Capable horror scribe Paul Tobin (Colder) makes it a maybe.  The fact that it’s based on a video game makes it a maybe not.  May also pass on this one.
  • American Vampire: Second Cycle #1 (DC/Vertigo): I’ve been looking forward to this!  Oh, sure, I bashed Batman a time or two and have been mostly put to sleep by The Wake (that is until #6, which was, pretty much, in The Wake world, anyhow, the equivalent of a cold shower!).  But that doesn’t mean I’m a Snyder hater; in fact, I happen to love American Vampire.  Consumed ’em all in trade form and am ready for the next course!
  • Animal Man #29 (DC): Jumped off a while ago.  Wondering if it’s worth picking up seeing as it’s the last issue and all.  Love Lemire’s cover:
Animal Man #29

Animal Man #29

  • Batman and Aquaman #29 (DC): Peter J. Tomasi and Patrick Gleason continue to deliver the darkest of the Dark Knight books–and now, apparently, the wettest.
  • Suicide Squad #29 (DC): Hasn’t been as good as I had hoped it’d be with Kindt in command.  Riding out his run, anyway.
  • Wonder Woman #29 (DC): It’s no surprise that this is the only New 52 book I’ve stuck with–without missing an issue–from #1.  It’s no myth: Brian Azzarello has made a monthly living of being good.  Of drawing out the story, sure, but of being good, nevertheless.
  • A Voice in the Dark #5 (Image): Well, I certainly didn’t celebrate #4.  (Check out my review here.)  What I have celebrated, however, is the potential that Larime Taylor has shown–especially in a terrific #2.  Here, I’m hoping to see more than a return to form: I’m hoping to see improved pacing.  This book desperately needs to cut to the chase–and draw some blood in the process.
A Voice in the Dark #5

A Voice in the Dark #5

  • Fuse #2 (Image): #1 was an offer I could easily refuse–not re-Fuse, mind you.  Leaning toward leaving it on the shelf.
  • Lazarus #7 (Image): #6 was terrific–as always.  In it, Rucka and Lark build some serious tension, which neither slacks nor snaps.  It’s no wonder that Lazarus was our #7 book of 2013.
  • Sex Criminals #5 (Image): #4 was a bit of a rebound from a not-so-good #3, which was our Biggest Dis(appointment) of November 2013.  I’m going to go one more round and see what happens.  Let’s call this my having faith in Fraction.  Sure, he’s a mad god; he’s an effing oversexed overlord!  But when he’s good, he’s damn good.  If Fraction’s big three books were a menage a trois–ain’t they, though?–Sex Criminals would be on the bottom–and loving it, no doubt.
  • Zero #6 (image): With an arc in the books, er, trades, Zero—our #8 book of 2013–gets back to business with Vanesa Del Rey (artist on BOOM!’s quick Hit) bringing Ales Kot’s vision to life.  OK, not going to lie: still not too sure how I feel about how #5 ended.  I mean, aliens?  Really?  Going to have to trust my man Kot on this one.
Zero #6

Zero #6

  • All-New Ghost Rider #1 (Marvel): My only real exposure to Tradd Moore has been Zero #2, which is my favorite issue of the series thus far.  Honesty: I don’t give a boo about Ghost Rider; I’m grabbing this to get a little Moore.  We’ll see if the little’ll turn into a lot soon enough.
All-New Ghost Rider #1

All-New Ghost Rider #1

  • Avengers World #4 (Marvel): The series has been mostly blah.  Started off well enough, but it seems to have fallen into its “bigger” trap, leaving me asking, “What in the world?”  Consider how much bigger my bag promises to be this week, this one might find itself displaced.
  • Daredevil #1 (Marvel): Speaking of being displaced: time to see what Waid and Samnee have in store for comidom’s newest San Franciscan.
  • Ms. Marvel #2 (Marvel): I was very surprised by how much I enjoyed #1.  Reminded me of my initial experience with Miles Morales and how well Brian Michael Bendis handled–and sold–the character in the face of controversy.  In this case, I’m hoping that Wilson and Alphona can keep Kamala out of the editorial web that ultimately ensnared Miles.
Ms. Marvel #2

Ms. Marvel #2

  • Uncanny X-Men #19 (Marvel): Don’t judge me.
  • Winter Soldier: The Bitter March #2 (Marvel): Probably not.  I didn’t really care for the first one.  And after Remender’s Deadly Class #2, I’ve pretty well given up hope that he can deliver something that interests me.
  • X-Men #12 (Marvel): OK.  Now you may judge me.  You know, the series started off on such a nostalgic note, and I bought right into it.  Felt like the X-book I had been waiting for since coming back to comics.  Then came the momentum busting Battle of the Atom.  Since then, the damn thing’s been a bit of a mess.  I’ll ride out this storyline and decide from there.
  • Curse #3 (BOOM!): My curse: being unable to quit on a mini if I’m at least two issues in–even if I really don’t care very much about it. That pretty well describes this series for me.
  • Harbinger #0.2014 (Valiant): Everything you’ve wanted to know about the Bleeding Monk but were afraid to ask.
Harbinger #0.2014

Harbinger #0.2014

  • Letter 44 #5 (Oni Press): Still loving President Blades, and right now that’s all that matters to me.
  • Shadowman #16 (Valiant): A monthly mystery: I don’t care a lick about any of the characters and I’m often vexed by all the voodoo; but I still like it.  A major selling point: Roberto De La Torre’s art.  It really suits Peter Milligan’s turn on the book.
  • The Sixth Gun #39 (Oni Press): I’m almost caught up!  I’ve got three more issues to rock out.  Know what?  There’s no reason why I shouldn’t read through them tonight.  There you go: I’m going to read them tonight; and I will read this one first.  How’s that?  Oh, and, umm, just in case you didn’t know already: it’s good.  Really good.  As I’ve mentioned in recent posts: the team of Bunn and Hurtt will go down as one of the greats of the modern era–maybe even of all time–because of the terrific work they’ve done on The Sixth Gun.
The Sixth Gun #39

The Sixth Gun #39

  • X-O Manowar #23 (Valiant): Has been a solid read from the get-go.  Aric’s another one of my favorite characters, and Venditti’s shown a great command of his character in and out of the armor.

Avery’s Pick of the Week

  • Scribblenauts Unmasked: Crisis of Imagination #3 (DC): My daughter has enjoyed the first two issues well enough.  By “enjoyed” I mean “not torn the covers off yet.”

That about does it I&Nmates!

What are you looking forward to this week?

Turning pages,

Scott

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What’s I&N Store (8/28)

28 Wednesday Aug 2013

Posted by ScottNerd in What's I&N Store?

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Aaron Campbell, American Vampire, Andy Diggle, Batman/Superman, Brian Michael Bendis, Brian Wood, Collider, Dark Horse, David Marquez, DC Comics, Dynamite, Extinction Parade, FBP: Federal Bureau of Physics, FF, Frazer Irving, Garry Brown, Greg Pak, Greg Rucka, IDW, Image, Jae Lee, Jason Ciaramella, Jim McCann, Joe Hill, Kevin Eastman, Lazarus, Marvel, Mat Kindt, Mateus Santolouco, Matt Fraction, Max Brooks, Michael Lark, Mike Allred, Mind MGMT, Mind the Gap, Raulo Caceres, Rodin Esquejo, Scott Snyder, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, The Massive, Thumbprint, Ultimate Spider-Man, Uncanny, Uncanny X-Men, Vertigo, Vic Malhotra

Gonna bang this one out.

  • The Massive #15 (Dark Horse): A monthly highlight.  This time around, looks like the plan is to light up a submerged NYC.
  • Mind MGMT #14 (Dark Horse): Another gorgeous cover for an issue covering Meru.
Mind MGMT #14

Mind MGMT #14

  • American Vampire Anthology #1 (DC/Vertigo): A buncha big names takin’ a bite outta Snyder’s AV?  Sounds good to me!  However, it looks like they’ll be takin’ a bite outta my wallet, too.  $7.99?  Ack!
  • Batman/Superman #3 (DC): So far, so good.  Jae Lee’s killing it.
  • FBP: Federal Bureau of Physics #2 (DC/Vertigo): Or is it Collider #2?  Color me a bit confused about the title.  Still gonna buy it, though.
  • Thumbprint #3 (IDW): A terrific first two issues–both I&N Books of the Month–have led to this.  The highest of expectations.
Thumbprint #3

Thumbprint #3

  • Teenage Mutant Nina Turtles #25 (IDW): Speaking of expectations: I didn’t expect to be here this long.  Thing is, it’s really good.  And to think I jumped on board simply to support artist Mateus Santolouco.
  • Lazarus #3 (Image): Rucka’s rocking it out, and Lark’s leaving it all on the page.
Lazarus #3

Lazarus #3

  • Mind the Gap #13 (Image): Surprise!  Doublin’ up in August, eh?  Works for me: a quicker turnaround for a title with a complex storyline is definitely appreciated.
  • FF #11 (Marvel): Sure, #10 was a tad self-indulgent.  It was also friggin’ fun.  F-ing Fraction.
  • Ultimate Spider-Man #26 (Marvel): Can’t believe how Bendis was able to manipulate me into wanting Miles to suit up.  And then he was kind enough to give me what I wanted.  Son of a gun.
Ultimate Spider-Man #26

Ultimate Spider-Man #26

  • Uncanny X-Men #11 (Marvel): This is going to sound really strange: I’m looking forward to this.  Felt weird to type it, even.  But it’s true: #10 was darn good, after all–especially with Frazer Irving’s finally coming into his own.
  • Extinction Parade #2 (Avatar): Oddly enough, my wife is looking forward to this more than I am.  Still can’t get her to read Saga, though.
Extinction Parade #2

Extinction Parade #2

  • Uncanny #3 (Dynamite): #2 wasn’t particularly good.  This may be it for me.

What are you looking forward to this week?

Turning pages,

Scott

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Top 5 Books of June 2013: Dig Comics!

23 Tuesday Jul 2013

Posted by ScottNerd in 5 Comics You Should Be Reading

≈ 4 Comments

Tags

American Vampire, Batman, Batman: Gates of Gotham, BOOM!, Brian Wood, Dark Horse, Dave Johnson, Dean Motter, Dig Comics!, Fleischer Brothers, Fury: My War Gone By, Garth Ennis, German Expressionism, Goran Parlov, Greg Rucka, Harold Gray, IDW, Image, Jason Ciaramella, Jeff Stokely, Joe Hill, Katsuhiro Otomo, Lazarus, Marvel, Michael Lark, Mister X: Eviction, New 52, Severed, Simon Spurrier, Six-Gun Gorilla, Superman Unchained, Swamp Thing, The Massive, Thumbprint, Vic Malhotra, Zero Year

Three stellar debuts and one astonishing finale. And the latest Mister X. Even as folks breathlessly scramble to prevent the Death of Comics, the medium is producing a broader range of excellent material than at any time in its history. Spread the word true-believer: everyone should be reading them. The List:

5. Lazarus #1 (Image): This book immediately stakes its ground alongside Brian Wood’s The Massive as a vital, involving piece of speculative science fiction. Whereas the former primarily deals with the effects of all-too-credible environmental disaster, Lazarus extrapolates our current economic debacle by asking ‘What happens when the 1% becomes the .0001%?’. Greg Rucka’s vision of a tech-saturated medievalism is compelling not only because of the verisimilitude of Michael Lark’s art, but precisely because it doesn’t feel as far-fetched as perhaps we’d like. A gripping debut. (DM)

Lazarus #1

4. Thumbprint #1 (IDW): Jason Ciaramella’s and Vic Malhotra’s excellent adaptation of Joe Hill’s novella involves a disgraced female soldier whose return home from Abu Ghraib is disturbed by an apparent stalker with knowledge of her dark past. Even as her privacy and safety are compromised, the reader is left to wonder who the real monster is. Adaptations of other media are tough to do; what works well in prose doesn’t always necessarily translate to comics. So far, Ciaramelia and Malhotra are pulling it off with aplomb. (DM)

Thumbprint #1

3. Mister X: Eviction #2 (Dark Horse): Hands down the most stylish book on the stands: retro-futurist, German Expressionist, neo-noir, New Wave, Pop Art. Dean Motter makes it ALL work, and then gives comics nostalgists an unexpected gift in the backup feature “Little Urchin Andy”, which is like Harold Gray’s classic as re-imagined by Katsuhiro Otomo and filmed by the Fleischer Bros. To call it a ‘mash-up’ would be to trivialize it. It is rather, a glorious orchestration, with Motter holding the conductor’s stick. Or is it a magic wand? (DM)

Mister X: Eviction #2

2. Fury: My War Gone By #13 (Marvel): A fitting finale for a series that has gone by far too quickly.  In this issue of reconciliation and resignation, the point of Garth Ennis and Goran Parlov’s hard-hitting history lesson–as seen through the aged eye of Nick Fury–is hammered home by George Heatherly’s grand-daughter during a conversation with the weathered warhorse: “most of it had been completely pointless.”  Our experience, however, tracing all of the lines on Fury’s face (see Dave Johnson’s terrific cover below), has been anything–everything–but. (SC)

Fury: My War Gone By #13

Fury: My War Gone By #13

1. Six-Gun Gorilla #1 (BOOM!): Easily our favorite book of the month.  And to think I thought it’d be no more than a one-note guilty pleasure!  Silly me.  In all actuality, Simon Spurrier and Jeff Stokely have cooked up something far more complex.  From one panel to the next, I was awed; I oft guffawed; and each turn of a page–and commensurate peel of a layer–cemented this sucker as a Book of the Week.  And as the month played out–and it was a heck of a month–what was left standing head and hairy shoulders above the rest?  A gorilla with a gun and a come hither “Howdy.” (SC)

Sixth-Gun Gorilla #1

Sixth-Gun Gorilla #1

Biggest Dis(appointment): Scott Snyder

Severed.  American Vampire.  Gates of Gotham.  Most of Batman‘s Court of Owls arc.  Most of his run on Swamp Thing.  Great stuff.  No hesitation at all: Scott Snyder’s the goods.  But as good as he’s been, he’s been pretty underwhelming of late.  Yup: he’s shown some cracks in the ol’ armor–especially with the superhero books he’s headlining.

Now, I don’t know how to explain it; I mean, I’m just the consumer; I don’t claim to have the answers.  But he seems to have become a victim of his prior success–success that translates directly–fairly or not–to expectations.  Super high expectations.

This is how I envision it:  Snyder’s a damsel in distress tied to the tracks, and the hype train that bears his name is bearing down on her–err, him.  And, you know what?  He needs a hero!  He’s holding on for a hero till the end of the night.  Sadly, neither Batman nor Superman was able to save him.

Just think about it for a minute.  Wash the hype from your eyes.  You know–you know it in your bones–that Batman #21 isn’t what you were hoping for when you first started salivating over the ubiquitous Zero Year adverts.

Batman #21

Batman #21

Really, now: what does it offer?  Another Death of the Family scenario?  Instead of the Batfamily, we’re looking at a Kane/Wayne war?  And the antagonist this time?  No, not the Joker: it’s the Riddler!  Really?  The Riddler?  There’s something funny about that, isn’t there?  Ugh!  Doubtless, we’ve seen Snyder borrow effectively from his previous work.  But this?  Come on!  This is almost insulting to us readers!  We deserve better, don’t we?

Well, we sure as hell didn’t get better with Superman Unchained #1.

Superman Unchained #1

Superman Unchained #1

Sure, the thing sold a ton; but what does that really mean?  I’ll tell you one thing it doesn’t mean: it doesn’t mean that the book is good–because it isn’t.  It’s a muddled mess that recalls the awkward wordiness of George Perez’s New 52 Superman and, inexplicably, the frivolousness of Scott Lobdell’s.  You know what it is?  It’s a special-effects laden blockbuster that, for all it’s blockbusting, fizzles out once the smoke clears.  (I am still talking about the comic, by the way.  No, really, I am.)  We all know that Scott Snyder’s better than this, don’t we?

Isn’t he?

Turning pages,

Derek & Scott

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In Scott’s Bag (6/12)

15 Saturday Jun 2013

Posted by ScottNerd in Uncategorized

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Ales Kot, American Vampire, Batman, Bloodshot, Breath of Bones, Brian Reber, Clayton Henry, Cullen Bunn, Dark Horse, DC Comics, Duane Swierczynski, Eric Nguyen, Golem, Greg Capullo, H.A.R.D. Corps, Harbinger Wars, Helheim, IDW, Image, Jason Ciaramella, Jeff Stokely, Jim Lee, Joe Hill, Joelle Jones, Jonathan Hickman, Joshua Dysart, Nick Filardi, Nick Pitarra, Oni Press, Patrick Zircher, Rafael Albuquerque, Scott Snyder, Simon Spurrier, Steve Niles, Suicide Squad, Superman Unchained, The Manhattan Projects, The Renegades, Thumbprint, Valiant, Vertigo, Vic Malhotra, X

Even though I’ve read a bunch already, I’m sticking with a simple rundown–with an insinuation or two tossed in for your own good.  Can’t fool around: gotta get to the latest Back & Forth, after all.

  • Helheim #4
  • Harbinger Wars #3
Harbinger Wars #3

Harbinger Wars #3

  • Six-Gun Gorilla #1 (If you didn’t already: BUY THIS BOOK!  You will NOT be disappointed.)
  • X #3
  • Thumbprint #1 (Also very good.  Don’t miss it.)
Thumbprint #1

Thumbprint #1

  • Suicide Squad #21
  • American Vampire: The Long Road to Hell
  • Half Past Danger #2
Half Past Danger #2

Half Past Danger #2

  • Superman Unchained #1
  • Batman #21
  • Breath of Bones: A Tale of the Golem #1
  • The Manhattan Projects #12
The Manhattan Projects #12

The Manhattan Projects #12

 

What did you get in your bag this week?

Turning pages,

Scott

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What’s Up?

12 Wednesday Jun 2013

Posted by ScottNerd in What's I&N Store?

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Tags

Ales Kot, American Vampire, Batman, BOOM!, Breath of Bones, Cullen Bunn, Dark Horse Comics, DC Comics, Duane Swierczynski, Greg Capullo, Half Past Danger, Harbinger Wars, Helheim, IDW, Image Comics, Joe Hill, Joelle Jones, Jonathan Hickman, Nick Pitarra, Patrick Zircher, Scott Snyder, Six-Gun Gorilla, Steve Niles, Suicide Squad, Superman, Superman Unchained, The Manhattan Projects, Thumbprint, Valiant, X, Zero Year

Last week set a high bar: a lot of stand-out books–some confidently staking their claims as Top 5 material.  I don’t see this week topping it, but, no doubt, there’ll be plenty to talk about.

  • Breath of Bones #1 (Dark Horse): Steve Niles?  Yes, please.
Breath of Bones #1

Breath of Bones #1

  • X #2 (Dark Horse): I like a bad-ass vigilante as much as the next guy.  I want to love this, I really do.  I’m gonna give X–and hotshot scribe Duane Swierczynski– another shot at my heart.
  • American Vampire: The Long Road to Hell (DC): Well, well, hell.  The beginning of a big week for Scott Snyder–this one, with a big price tag, by the way.  I’ve really enjoyed American Vampire–which I’ve read in trades through Vol. 4–and am pretty sure I’ll enjoy this all the same.  I know I’ve been somewhat tough on Mr. Snyder of late–specifically for the late Death of the Family–but on AV, Snyder has been epically horrifying.
American Vampire:

American Vampire: The Long Road to Hell

  • Batman #21 (DC): Unless you’ve been under a rock–or in a cave–you know all about this one: Snyder and Greg Capullo’s next big storyline: Zero Year.
Batman #21

Batman #21

  • Superman Unchained #1 (DC): Hype very well could be Snyder’s kryptonite.
  • Suicide Squad #21 (DC): Ales Kot talked the Squad off the ledge and then drove ’em right the heck back up there–necessarily–with self-immolation on the brain.
  • The Manhattan Projects #12 (Image): M.I.A. in M.A.Y.  Glad it’s back: it’s easily one of the best books around.
  • Harbinger Wars #3 (Valiant): It’s been OK.  Not as strong as I thought it’d be; but that’s their own fault, really.  Valiant’s been pretty awesome overall.
  • Helheim #4 (Oni): Not quite there yet.  Still willing to wait on it because of my love for The Sixth Gun.
  • Six-Gun Gorilla #1 (BOOM!): A gorilla with a gun.  ‘Nuff said.
Sixth-Gun Gorilla #1

Six-Gun Gorilla #1

  • Half Past Danger #2 (IDW): I liked #1 enough–especially toward the end–to give it another go-round.
  • Thumbprint #1 (IDW): Will probably thumb through it.  Fitting, I know.

Did I miss anything?

Turning pages,

Scott

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Back and Forth: Red, Green & Blue

16 Saturday Feb 2013

Posted by dmainhart in Back and Forth

≈ 1 Comment

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Alberto Ponticelli, American Vampire, Andrea Sorrentino, Animal Man, Brian Bolland, China Mieville, Dan Green, DC Comics, Dial H, Essex County, Green Arrow, Jar Jar Binks, Jeff Lemire, New 52, Rotworld, Sarah Connor, Scott Snyder, Severed, Swamp Thing, Sweet Tooth, Terminator

Scott Carney: While never done in a ceremonial manner–certainly never hand to heart–I think it’s safe to say, as evidenced by my weekly What’s Up? posts, that I have publicly pledged allegiance–in a case or two, unabashedly blind allegiance–to an exclusive club of comic creators.  Two fellas who fall into that illustrious legion of superscribes are Scott Snyder (Severed, American Vampire) and Jeff Lemire (Essex County, Sweet Tooth).

But I fear–as I do fondly while reading the best of Snyder–that I no longer hear the deliciously shuddersome voice that drew me to him in the first place.  Certainly not in Swamp Thing #17.

Swamp Thing #17

Swamp Thing #17

And, I no longer hear Lemire’s refreshingly veracious voice, either, if I’m being honest–as heartwrenchingly honest as he is when he’s at his best.  Certainly not in Animal Man #17.

Animal Man #17

Animal Man #17

It seems, here, in the two-book Rotworld finale, that each–a true master of his craft–has been thwarted by a wholly unexpected villain: the run-of-the-mill comic book hero.  (Don’t get me wrong: on both fronts, the build up to the finale was just fine.  If I’m being fair, however, Snyder’s work on Swamp Thing was more effective than Lemire’s on Animal Man–most assuredly because Snyder was living closer to home: the terrifying creatures littering the landscape of Rotworld are natural notes for him to play; and he played them well enough–again, until the end of this corrosive crossover.)  What irony, eh?  After laying a foundation–spanning several solid issues– upon which the defenders of fauna and flora fight alongside a surviving set of superbeings, what happens to Snyder’s signature horror?  It’s foiled by the hero.  What happens to Lemire’s signature honesty?  It, too, is foiled by the hero.  Foiled by the heroes’ hailstorm of shockingly silly lines–one more horrifically ridiculous than the next.  Foiled by the heroes’ lack of believable layers, leaving them flat and cold, leaving them decidedly devoid of emotion; leaving them an unbridgeable distance from the ones they supposedly love–and from us.

So, as each creative team shoves its protagonist closer to the end–in this case, toward a portal to the past, which will allow the pair “to stop Arcane” from establishing Rotworld in the first place, kind of like a couple of Terminators after Sarah Connor–the cracks widen, deepen; and the finale collapses under the weight of the concept, resulting not in the presumably successful symphony for which we paid admission, but, instead, in a cacophony of defeat.

Derek Mainhart: I have to agree. What was so interesting about these two titles was  each writer applying their own distinctive voice to the superhero trappings;  Snyder’s almost clinical way with horror and Lemire’s naturalistic rendition of family dynamic amidst trying times. That they were able to do this while simultaneously working different sides of the same story was even more impressive. Now though, both of those strengths have been subsumed by the perceived requirements of epic storytelling: wooden dialogue, numbingly explosive action, and awful sidekicks (in particular, the character of Shepherd suggests Lemire is a part of that small, but distinctive demographic: the Jar Jar Binks fan). Yes, Animal Man has fared worse. As you say, Rotworld is more in Snyder’s wheelhouse; in fact, as I’ve said, the previous issue of Swamp Thing was quite good. And so, despite the unholy mess that was these two issues, I still have (some) faith that Snyder might be able to tie this all up with some sort of fitting coda, in what will be, after all, his last issue. Now that our heroes our back in the present, I hope that Lemire, who is continuing on Animal Man, will return to his strengths as well, tripping the light fantastic between the everyday and the extraordinary. Because the overweening superhero stuff is simply not him.

To wit: Green Arrow #17. This was billed as “jumping on point” due to the new creative team of Lemire and Andrea Sorrentino. And it delivers, in a ‘by the book’ (‘buy the book’?) sort of way: the hero’s status quo is violently dismantled by a new villain who seems to know everything about him. A new mystery is introduced regarding said hero’s past. Confidantes are killed, and cryptic utterances, uttered. All the notes are hit. And yet, to continue your musical metaphor, it doesn’t sing. It’s like a robot playing Beethoven; a rote exercise. Now I’m obviously not a regular reader of Green Arrow. Perhaps to fans of the emerald archer, this issue provided a new direction, a sense of excitement. But I picked it up because it was a Jeff Lemire book. Sadly there is nothing of his voice in this. Anyone could’ve written it.

SC: I hear you, sir! If anything, it’s a three chord ditty: it’s listenable, sure–likeable, even, for what it is; but in the end, what is it, really?  One thing’s for sure, it’s not what we love from Lemire.

DM: What we love, indeed. But what’s all this talk of “voice” and “music”?  In a superhero comic? We’re expecting too much you say? Shame on you, you should know better by now. Any genre can achieve stirring crescendo given the right creator.

I submit: Dial H #9. This issue, indeed the entire series, has served up an aria of imagination by writer China Mieville. His unending cavalcade of absurd, sublime heroes is itself worth the price of admission–not to mention this ridiculous cover by Brian Bolland:

Here, we are treated to the monstrous Minotaura, and her singular method of ensnaring her prey.  (Kudos also to artists Alberto Ponticelli and Dan Green who are quickly finding their feet on this title.)  And then there is The Glimpse, a hero whose inspired power is to stay forever at the periphery of your vision. You see a glove here, a boot there, but the hero himself is just beyond your reach, always teasing you with his promise, but ultimately leaving the panel empty. If there’s a better metaphor for the never-ending, epic-obsessed, hype machine that is the current state of the superhero industry, I’ve yet to find it.  Want to say it together?

SC: Sure! Yeah!  Let’s harmonize. Ready, on three.  One…Two…

SC & DM: Book of the week!

Turning pages,

Scott & Derek

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