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Tag Archives: Archie Comics

The 2015 Innie Award Nominations!

07 Friday Aug 2015

Posted by dmainhart in Innie Awards

≈ 5 Comments

Tags

2000 AD, Action Lab, Afterlife With Archie, Archie Comics, B.P.R.D.: Hell on Earth, BOOM!, Brass Sun, Brian Wood, Dan Abnett, Dan Slott, Daredevil, Dark Horse, Dave Stewart, Dry Spell, Dynamite, Eric Shanower, Francesco Francavilla, Gabriel Rodriguez, Greg Rucka, Guiu Vilanova, Hellboy and the B.P.R.D., I.N.J. Culbard, Ian Edginton, IDW, Image, Innie Awards, J. Michael Straczynski, Jordie Bellaire, Ken Krekeler, Laura Allred, Lazarus, Little Nemo: Return to Slumberland, Matt Kindt, Matt Wilson, Michael Lark, Mike Allred, Mind MGMT, Moon Knight, Nelson Daniel, Roberto Aguirre Sacasa, Silver Surfer, The Massive, The Twilight Zone, The Wicked & The Divine, Wild Blue Yonder, Wild's End, zero

The Harvey Award nominations have been announced! The Eisners are in the books! And now we offer our annual corrective: THE INNIE AWARDS!

What does ‘Innies’ stand for? Well, other than an attempt at shameless self-branding, it stands for ‘independence’! Being ‘in’ the know! Part of the ‘in’ crowd! And possessing the non-freaky type of belly button.

Since we don’t have the big-time budget of the fancy-pants Eisners or Harveys, we’ve limited ourselves to five categories.  (Sorry Best Translation of Foreign Material for Tweens!)

Keep in mind that these are for comics that were published in 2014.

If the Eisners are the Oscars, and the Harveys are the Golden Globes, then the Innies are the Independent Spirits–or at least the People’s Choice Awards!

The Nominations:

Best Limited Series:

  • Brass Sun by Ian Edginton and I.N.J Culbard (2000AD)
  • Dry Spell by Ken Krekeler (Action Lab/Danger Zone)
  • Little Nemo: Return to Slumberland by Eric Shanower and Gabriel Rodriguez (IDW)
  • The Twilight Zone by J. Michael Straczynski and Guiu Vilanova (Dynamite Entertainment)
  • Wild’s End by Dan Abnett and I.N.J Culbard (BOOM! Studios)

Best Ongoing Series:

  • Afterlife with Archie by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa and Francesco Francavilla (Archie Horror)
  • Lazarus by Greg Rucka and Michael Lark (Image)
  • The Massive by Brian Wood and various (Dark Horse)
  • Mind MGMT by Matt Kindt (Dark Horse)
  • Silver Surfer by Dan Slott and Mike Allred (Marvel)

Best Writer:

  • Matt Kindt, Mind MGMT (Dark Horse)
  • Ken Krekeler, Dry Spell (Action Lab/Danger Zone)
  • Greg Rucka, Lazarus (Image)
  • Dan Slott, Silver Surfer (Marvel)
  • Brian Wood, The Massive (Dark Horse), Moon Knight (Marvel)

Best Artist:

  • Mike Allred, Silver Surfer (Marvel)
  • I.N.J. Culbard, Wild’s End (BOOM! Studios), Brass Sun (2000AD)
  • Francesco Francavilla, Afterlife with Archie (Archie Horror)
  • Matt Kindt, Mind MGMT (Dark Horse)
  • Gabriel Rodriguez, Little Nemo: Return to Slumberland (IDW)

Best Colorist:

  • Laura Allred, Silver Surfer (Marvel)
  • Jordie Bellaire, The Massive (Dark Horse), Moon Knight (Marvel), Zero (Image)
  • Nelson Daniel, Little Nemo: Return to Slumberland (IDW), Wild Blue Yonder (IDW)
  • Dave Stewart B.P.R.D.: Hell on Earth (Dark Horse), Hellboy & the B.P.R.D.: 1952 (Dark Horse)
  • Matthew Wilson The Wicked + The Divine (Image), Daredevil (Marvel)

Now it’s your turn. Did we miss anyone or anything?

Let the internet shouting begin!

Turning pages,

Derek & Scott

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What’s I&N Store (3/25)

24 Tuesday Mar 2015

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

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Tags

Abigail and the Snowman, Archie Comics, Black Mask, BOOM!, Brian Hurtt, Brian Michael Bendis, Chris Bachalo, Chris Samnee, Cullen Bunn, Daredevil, Dark Horse, DC, Dean Motter, Doug Mahnke, Duane Swierczynski, Eric Stephenson, Grant Morrison, Hit: 1957, Image, James Asmus, Jamie McKelvie, Jeff Lemire, Joshua Hale Fialkov, Kieron Gillen, Kurt Busiek, Lee Bermejo, Mark Waid, Marvel, Matt Kindt, Michael Gaydos, Mister X: Razed, Mono, My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic, Oni Press, Paolo Rivera, PastAways, Quantum and Woody Must Die, Roger Langridge, Suiciders, The Autumnlands: Tooth & Claw, The Black Hood, The Bunker, The Multiversity, The Sixth Gun, The Twilight Zone: Shadow & Substance, The Valiant, The Wicked & The Divine, They're Not Like Us, Titan, Uncanny X-Men, Vanesa Del Rey, Vertigo, We Can Never Go Home

Last week had me Wow-ing more per book than any week in the recent past.  Here’s the near future:

  • Mister X: Razed #2 (Dark Horse) I&N Demand No surprise here: we loved #1.  It easily fell into our Top 5 Books of February, the result of the tasty termites and the hungry peregrine pigeons, which, of course, is Christmas come a bit late, you know, in the perfectly-wrapped gift of Dean Motter’s icicle-sharp storytelling.  (Deep breath.)  It’s everything we loved about Mr. X: Eviction, which was just as easily our #1 Book of 2013.  Don’t remember why?  Remind yourself.
Mister X: Razed #2

Mister X: Razed #2

  • PastAways #1 (Dark Horse) Just I&N With his nonpareil Mind MGMT in its stretch run, main man Matt Kindt takes aim–along with artist Scott Kolins–at a fresh future with PastAways, the latest–and most assuredly not the last–entry in the suddenly supersaturated–and not-so-fresh–time-traveling-team market.  Yeah, but it doesn’t matter if it’s good, right?
PastAways #1

PastAways #1

  • The Multiversity: Ultra Comics #1 (DC): Re: Mastermen: Morrison and Lee bowled me over with their opening “splash” page–light a match, Adolph!  I mean, c’mon: Hitler on the can, reading Superman?  Hey, why Nazi?  They played it for a laugh–and got it!–and forged a connection between the Führer and me.  I was like, that’s what I look like when I’m reading during “Daddy Time,” you know, just without the mustache and the swastika.  Yeah, otherwise, pretty spot on.  After that, the rest of the book played out well–despite Lee’s pin-up-per-panel approach, which robs the story–artistically, anyway–of any momentum.  Not the best single Multiversity issue, but still plenty metafun.  This month, Morrison and Mahnke promise to make me “an integral part of the resistance.”  Can’t resist that!
  • Suiciders #2 (DC/Vertigo): Figured it’d be a one-and-done.  Clearly wasn’t–especially thanks to the end.
  • The Autumnlands: Tooth & Claw #5 (Image) I&N Demand Pretty great all around.  Sure, while Busiek’s been busy building this remarkably engaging world, Astro City‘s suffered a bit.  (The Quarrel arc is arguably the weakest multi-issue story since our return to the City.)  But that’s all right–especially now that the game is a(Good)foot.
The Autumnlands: Tooth & Claw #5

The Autumnlands: Tooth & Claw #5

  • They’re Not Like Us #4 (Image): They may not be like them, but concerns are rising: we’re three issues in and some of what’s going on is a lot like some of what’s already gone on.  Still love the design, though; love getting right to it!  And still hanging on the promise made at the end of #1.
  • The Wicked & The Divine #9 (Image) I&N Demand With #8, Gillen, McKelvie, and Wilson deliver a brand new Beat Generation of dance hall deities.  The rhythm–the rolling1-2-3-4, page after page–got me good, pulsing past simple gimmick right quick into pop magic, an hypnotizing rave that’s all about that base–YOLO, indeed!–no trouble.  OK.  Trouble.
The Wicked & The Divine #9

The Wicked & The Divine #9

  • Daredevil #14 (Marvel): Ooh, ooh!  A Shroud of secrecy!  Yeah, that pretty much made it all worth it.  As Waid and Samnee are making their way to the end of their run, I can’t help but think about Matt’s exes and wonder: what’s gonna happen to Kirsten?  I’m leaning toward this one breaking the mold.
  • Uncanny X-Men #32 (Marvel): Eva’s conversation with Scott left me feeling like I did after Snyder’s Harper Row lit into Batman (in the regrettable Batman #18).  That’s not a good thing.  Oh, and so, as it all works out, it’s like nothing ever happened, which is always gratifying.  Love that.  Oh, oh, and maybe the once and future leader of the X-Men isn’t so far from his grand return.  Ugh!  I hate all the secrets and the wars that rage as a result of them!
  • The Black Hood #2 (Archie): I was surprised by how much I liked the first one. What sold it: the last page.  As cheesy as it was, it felt authentic, heroic.  I needed that.  Great stuff from Gaydos.
  • The Bunker #10 (Oni): I’m feeling somewhat disconnected from The Bunker at this point.  If it were released on a more regular basis…
  • Hit: 1957 #1 (BOOM!): I was surprised that Hit earned a Harvey nomination because it wasn’t great.  Sure, it hit the right notes at the start–and at its soul was something to celebrate; but it didn’t come together well, as evidenced by the unremarkable end.  I’ll thumb through to see if Del Rey’s art is enough of a draw to warrant a try.  Otherwise, I’m going to pass.
  • Mono #4 (Titan): Through three now, I’m kinda feeling like I did after the summer after I graduated from high school–you know, after saying hi and goodbye to four different girls before leaving for college, and after learning that I had a case of mono, one bad enough to keep me home for what would’ve been my first semester at Penn State.  Just like that, actually.
  • Quantum and Woody Must Die #3 (Valiant): Funny, funny, funny!
  • The Sixth Gun #47 (Oni): The stack grows.
  • The Valiant #4 (Valiant): #3 didn’t hit me like #2 did.  Resulted in a bit of a letdown, especially as the entirety of the Valiant Universe gets further mired in Lemire’s return to Rotworld.
  • The Twilight Zone: Shadow and Substance #3 (Dynamite): The first two-issue arc didn’t live up to Straczynski’s standard–but how could it?  I’m probably going to pass.
  • We Can Never Go Home #1 (Black Mask): I haven’t like much of what I’ve tried from Black Mask.  This one sounds interesting enough.  I’ll thumb through to be fair.

Avery’s Picks of the Week

  • My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic #29 (IDW): My wife just came home from Stop & Shop with eight more Pony blind bags.  Thanks a lot DCTC!  We’re drowning in Ponies over here–new ones and duplicates!  I think we have three Pursey Pinks, for crying out loud!
  • Abigail and The Snowman #4 (BOOM!): My daughter’s dug it plenty–even if the Snowman is more Bumble than Olaf.
Abigail and The Snowman #4

Abigail and The Snowman #4

What are you looking forward to this week?

Turning pages,

Scott

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What’s I&N Store (2/25)

24 Tuesday Feb 2015

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

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

Abigail and the Snowman, All-New X-Men, Archie Comics, Bodies, BOOM!, Brian Michael Bendis, Chris Samnee, Colder: The Bad Seed, comics, Daredevil, Dark Horse, Darth Vader, DC Comics, Dean Motter, Duane Swierczynski, Dynamite, Edu Menna, Eric Stephenson, Evil Empire, Greg Tocchini, IDW, Image, Jamie McKelvie, Jason Aaron, Jay Shaw, Juan Ferreyra, Kevin Eastman, Kieron Gillen, Lee Bermejo, Low, Mark Rahner, Mark Waid, Marvel, Matt Fraction, Max Bemis, Men of Wrath, Michael Gaydos, Mister X: Razed, NCBD, ODY-C, Paul Tobin, Quantum and Woody Must Die, Rasputin, Rick Remender, Riley Rossmo, Roger Langridge, Salvatore Larocca, Simon Gane, Spider-Gwen, Suiciders, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, The Black Hood, The Odyssey, The Twilight Zone, The Twilight Zone: Shadow & Substance, The Wicked & The Divine, They're Not Like Us, Thor, Tom Waltz, Valiant, Vertigo, Victor Santos

This week offers up some big books–none bigger than Dean Motter’s Mister X: Razed.

Wait.  What?

You did a double-take, didn’t you?  You were expecting to read Spider-Gwen at the end of that superlative statement, weren’t you?

Ugh.

  • Colder: Bad Seed #5 (Dark Horse): Nimble Jack is back, baby!  Maybe that’ll add a little oomph to an otherwise lethargic exercise.  Tobin and Ferreyra cultivated a creepy tone early on but kind of got stuck in one place.  Man, I’d give the finger to this series, but I’d be worried about getting it back.
  • Mister X: Razed #1 (Dark Horse) Just I&N and I&N Demand It’s the first time a book has earned both enviable distinctions!  Oh, yeah, baby!  Mister X is back, and we couldn’t be any more excited!  One reason–and it’s a good one: back in 2013, Dean Motter delivered the brilliant Mr. X: Eviction, which earned the coveted #1 spot on our highly respected Top Ten list, beating out the likes of Mind MGMT, Six-Gun Gorilla, and Saga.  Now that’s gotta tell you something.  Can’t wait to see what Mr. Motter has to tell us this time around.
Mister X: Raze #1

Mister X: Razed #1

  • Bodies #8 (DC/Vertigo): Gosh.  #1 hit the shelves with such promise.  Unfortunately, the damn thing collapsed under its own weight and, as a result, has been a four-pronged slog ever since.  Glad it’s over.
  • Suiciders #1 (DC/Vertigo): Lee Bermejo’s doing his own thing.  Would be silly not to try it.
  • Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #43 (IDW): Reptilicious fun!  All sorts of backstabbing going on.  Good thing our favorite turtles have shells–and madd ninja skills.
  • Low #6 (Image): I’m still pretty high on Low.  Remender’s not ringing my bell anywhere else; but this diving bell of a book is tintinnabulous!
  • ODY-C #3 (Image): This gender-bending blitz on Homer’s epic is a damn siren’s song; it’s a party with the local lotophagi.  Didn’t dig it so much after the first issue.  Good thing I stuck around.
  • Rasputin #5 (Image): I’m riding it out ’til the end of the arc.  There isn’t much here that’s keeping my interest.
  • They’re Not Like Us #3 (Image) I&N Demand Deadly Class only wishes it was this good.  How would you act if you had superpowers?  Eric Stephenson’s got the answer.  Heck, it’s like a team full of feisty and rather petty Ozymandiases.  What’s going to happen when the stakes get raised?  Can’t wait to find out.
They're Not Like Us #3

They’re Not Like Us #3

  • The Wicked & The Divine #8 (Image) I&N Demand The book’s got attitude.  Yeah, this book’s a real bitch–a beautiful, effing bitch–one you’ve just desperate to have.  But even when you have it, you don’t really have it; it has you.
The Wicked & The Divine #8

The Wicked & The Divine #8

  • All-New X-Men #38 (Marvel): Chapter 4 of “The Black Vortex” crossover.  Yeah, I’m out of that loop.  Probably going to leave it on the shelf.  Hindsight is 22/22: should’ve done the same with the Ultimate waste of an arc.
  • Daredevil #13 (Marvel): Despite some strong work from Chris Samnee, the Stunt-Master arc wasn’t particularly exciting.  Reminds that Waid’s missed the mark some since making the move to the Left Coast.  This issue kicks off the final chapter of Waid and Samnee’s run.  I say perfect timing.  Speaking of perfect: how about Samnee’s cover:
Daredevil #13

Daredevil #13

  • Darth Vader #2 (Marvel): #1 was fine.  Was the Force with it?  Not so sure about that.  Got to give Gillen another go-round to see just how dark his helmet gets.
  • Men Of Wrath #5 (Marvel/Icon): I’ve enjoyed it enough.  Father-son stories always hit me where it hurts.  It’s like “Cat’s in the Cradle” but the cat’s been blown to furry bits by a blast of buckshot.  “When you comin’ home son, I don’t know when, but I’ll fill you full of lead, dad, you know I’ll shoot you in the head…”
  • Spider-Gwen #1: Ha!  Made you look!
  • Thor Annual #1 (Marvel): I’m leaning toward passing.  Annuals rarely offer anything of worth–and are rarely worth the inflated price.
  • The Black Hood #1 (Archie): Duane Swierczynski and Michael Gaydos (who took a great turn on Zero) go all X-rated for Archie Comics?  That’s right: the images, the synopsis–I’m thinking X, Swierczynski’s violent vigilante haunt over at Dark Horse.  I mean, right?
  • Evil Empire #11 (BOOM!) I&N Demand I love Evil Empire!  This month’s not-so-sheepish cover from Jay Shaw:
Evil Empire #11

Evil Empire #11

  • Quantum & Woody Must Die #2 (Valiant): As much as I wanted to not want to want to play this game of life and death with the Valiant brain trust, #1 wasn’t bad.
  • The Twilight Zone: Shadow & Substance #2 (Dynamite): Mark Rahner and Edu Menna have huge shoes to fill, mostly because the recently–and brilliantly–wrapped-up The Twilight Zone‘s Straczynski and Vilanova have big-ass feet.

 Avery’s Pick of the Week

  • Abigail and the Snowman #3 (BOOM!): My daughter’s kind of scared of the Snowman.  She has to convince herself that it’s just a cartoon–the same way she talks herself down when Marshmallow shows up in Frozen.  Still she’s made it her pick of the week.
Abigail and the Snowman #3

Abigail and the Snowman #3

What are you looking forward to this week?

Turning pages,

Scott

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The Top 5 Books of July

31 Sunday Aug 2014

Posted by ScottNerd in Top 5 Books of the Month, Uncategorized

≈ 4 Comments

Tags

9/11, Ales Kot, Archie Comics, Bodies, BOOM!, Bosnian War, Cap'n Dinosaur, Chris Miskiewicz, Constantine, David Mazzucchelli, David Quantick, DC, Dean Ormston, Glenn Whitmore, Hellblazer, Image, Jim Amash, Jordie Bellaire, Joshua Dysart, Kek-W, Lee Loughridge, Life With Archie, Mandrake the Magician, Meghan Hetrick, Michael Kupperman, Mike Allred, Palle Schmidt, Pat Kennedy, Paul Kupperberg, Phil Winslade, Shaky Kane, Si Spencer, Silver Surfer, That's Because You're a Robot, Thomas Alsop, Tim Kennedy, Tonci Zonjic, Tula Lotay, Unknown Soldier, Vertigo, zero

This was one stacked month of comics. Consider: our #1 book from last month (Silver Surfer), despite another strong outing, didn’t crack the Top 5 this time out. Also, only one of the titles below has been featured on our hallowed list before (having been, at different times, praised and damned – see below). This speaks to the veritable title wave of new, quality work being produced in this, the New Golden Age of Comics.

#5. Bodies #1 (DC/Vertigo): Brit scribe Si Spencer–whose ambition is clearly as vaulting as a well-known Shakespearean Thane-in-the-neck–has brazenly pieced together a primo pastiche of disparate eras and artists–including a Murderers’ Row of Meghan Hetrick, Dean Ormston, Tula Lotay, and Phil Winslade–and in doing so has Doyle-d up a Holmes-ian mystery multiplied by four.  Sure, the transitions from one time period to the next are as harsh as a head on collision, but it’s entirely understandable because so is the seemingly singular homicide that links one Longharvest Lane crime scene to the next.  Lee Loughridge’s colors, too, help to both draw a distinction and create a connection among the settings, the latter established by his use of a clichéd shade of red, which is hinted at by the blood splatter on Fiona Stephenson’s vintage–and ironically vivacious–cover.  Bodies #1 is a killer first issue that executes an experimental exposition that could’ve easily succumbed to redundancy, but instead rises effortlessly to the level of required reading. (SC)

Bodies #1

Bodies #1

#4. Cap’n Dinosaur (one-shot) (Image): MORE! FUN! COMICS! Cap’n Dinosaur is just what any jaded comic book reader needs: sublime silliness distilled through a love of classic super hero tropes. A synopsis of the plot would be futile, and pointless besides (just take a gander at the cover!) Suffice it to say that writer Kek-W and artist Shaky Kane have cooked up a kooky confection of pure comic-y goodness. Kane’s absurdist Silver-Age aesthetic seems to bring out the best in his collaborators (as evidenced by another recent Image one-shot, That’s Because You’re a Robot, with writer David Quantick – also worth a look). In particular, Kane seems to inspire writers to release their buried id in order to keep up with his lunatic visions, in much the same way that Mike Allred does. In fact, with his timeless, retro style, anarchic non-sequiturs and surreal approach to pop culture, I’d say that if Mike Allred and (comic genius) Michael Kupperman had a baby, it would be Shaky Kane. So I guess what I’m saying is: Mike Allred and Michael Kupperman should have babies….Oh, just buy this book! (DM)

Cap'n Dinosaur

Cap’n Dinosaur

#3. Thomas Alsop #2 (BOOM!): The Mage. The Mystic. That mysterious Master of the Dark Arts, guarding the thin veil that protects our reality from the nefarious nether-worlds. Such figures have constituted their own archetype in comics since at least Mandrake the Magician. Curious then, that they have been underrepresented in the current comics scene since the demise of the venerated Hellblazer (What’s that you say? There’s a comic called Constantine featuring the same character? Sorry, never heard of it.) Poised to step into those considerable loafers is one Thomas Alsop. And by “step” I mean “stagger, covered in his own vomit.” Conjured from the aether by writer Chris Miskiewicz and artist Palle Schmidt, the titular magician (and voracious abuser of all sorts of substances), possesses a nice insouciance, equal parts debounair and depraved, that provides a necessary (gin and) tonic to the severity of the grave matters at hand (all puns and in-jokes are very much intended). Calling himself a “Supernatural Detective”, he shills his skills on his own reality television show (what else?). This however, is largely a cover (albeit one that pays handsomely) for his more serious work as protector of New York City. But that is not all the creators have up their sleeves; adding complexity is the story of Thomas’ ancestor Richard, the first magical protector of New York, and the dark secret that links past and present. And more still: this being very much a tale of New York, Miskiewicz has, very bravely I think, interwoven the 9/11 tragedy into his story. No small risk that, especially amidst all the fun and games. But he and Schmidt have, so far, accorded it the respectful tone it requires. All in all, this brew, seemingly light and frothy, is a lot more heady than at first it seems. Another round! (DM)

Thomas Alsop #2

Thomas Alsop #2

#2. Life With Archie #36 (Archie): Paul Kupperberg and Co.’s chocolate soda brought all the boys and girls–including yours truly–to the comic shop, and damn right it’s better than than all but one of July’s releases.  Yeah, this book–with the help of mainstream media coverage–absolutely blew up.  And I–like many other non-Archie readers–was caught in the blast radius; so even though I hadn’t touched as much as an Archie Comics Digest in 30-plus years, I just had to have it!  Mind you, this was no ordinary ordinance; this was a nostalgia bomb–one that made me feel welcome in Riverdale despite my being, for all intents and purposes, a complete stranger.

Writer Kupperberg and artists Pat and Tim Kennedy (pencils), Jim Amash (inks), and Glenn Whitmore (colors) put Archie on a path through his past, present, and future–in a lead up to the not-so-shock ending–and as I followed I was struck by just how good Archie is; in, fact, he’s not unlike Superman in his Boy Scout-ish goodness.  In the end, however, he is simply a man: he can’t fly or see through walls; he’s not bulletproof; and his sacrifice leaves us all lamenting the death of that perfect innocence embodied by Archie Andrews–which is made more affective not by the amount of blood about Archie’s body but by the final image of a chocolate soda with three straws having been knocked over during the fracas, its figurative innocence–established on a playful first page–left to melt and spill to the floor.

More that that, really, I was surprised by how good the journey through Archie’s life made me feel.  Gosh, it made me wish more than once that we could all be Archies and Jugheads and Bettys and Veronicas–that all joy could be shared and problems solved over a chocolate soda with three straws. What a world it’d be!  It was an experience I did not expect.  I had initially planned to thumb through the thing and stick it in a bag.  Who knew that “every bit of it [would] just [feel] like home”? (SC)

Life With Archie #36

Life With Archie #36

#1. Zero #9 (Image): Sonuvabitch. As you might have surmised, we here at I&N read a LOT of comics. With so much new product coming out each month, we not only have to decide which titles are worth our time, but also which titles are no longer cutting the mustard. Zero, Ales Kot’s minimalist gut-punch of a spy thriller, in particular has been quite the roller coaster ride, and not always in a good way. After naming it one of our Top Ten Books of 2013 for its innovation and unpredictability, it promptly took a nosedive, as unpredictability gave way to incoherence. In fact, it was only a couple of months ago that the previous issue (#8) was named our Biggest Dis(appointment) of the month. So yeah, this book was on the chopping block.

And then Kot does this. Set in the midst of the Bosnian War, Zero #9 tells a tale from Roman Zizek’s past. Zizek is Zero’s mentor, an American black ops agent, and a war profiteer. Unsurprisingly, he’s a double-dealer of the first order. Already knee-deep in subterfuge and complicit in some of the worst atrocity in recent history, he also has a Bosnian girlfriend who is pregnant, victimized by the war. And things go from there.

Artist Tonci Zonjic deserves special mention as his storytelling manages to be atmospheric, clean, and cartoony (in the classic sense), perfectly setting the tone with a style reminiscent of early Mazzuchelli. And Jordie Bellaire’s muted hues, perfectly navigating between harsh reality and precious memory, are, as always, flawless.

A cursory look at the news will tell you that the world is rife with new, terrible things happening every day. So much so, that the horrors of even the recent past quickly get buried. Rare is the comic that can successfully mine such tragic events for its own fictive purposes, while also shining a light on those so easily forgotten or ignored (Joshua Dysart’s Unknown Soldier comes to mind). Rarer still, one that can do so with such spare, awful beauty. With this issue, Kot and Co. have not only banished any thought of dropping this vital book; they’ve produced one of the most powerful, resonant stories of the year. (DM)

Zero #9

Zero #9

The Biggest Dis(appointment): Robin Rises: Omega #1 (DC): I’ve been pretty vocal in my support of Peter J. Tomasi’s Batman and Whoever, especially in light of its being overshadowed by the over-hyped and underwhelming Snyder books.  (I even told Mr. Tomasi as much when I met him at the 2013 NYCC.  He seemed mildly appreciative.)  Tomasi did a commendable job of following in Grant Morrison’s footsteps, when it seemed that others had no use for them–until now, that is.  Ah, and therein lies the disappointment.  This book, which starts off well enough with a Damien-Robin retrospective, descends into a chaotic disaster of day-old dialogue and stumbles–despite some solid work from Andy Kubert, Jonathan Glapion, and Brad Anderson–into a terminally anemic battle scene–an epic game of casket keep away–that only ends because it eventually reaches its $4.99 price-point page limit.  To make matters worse, it turns out that Batman’s going to have to go BOOM! if he wants to get Robin back; that’s right: he’s headed to DC’s dark side–and, boy, I’d punch Tomasi in his pursed Mother-Boxing Apokolips if I were to ever see him again for going so against the Wayne with his choice of settings for the next rung on the way toward Robin’s return.  (Heck, whom am I fooling?  I’d probably say, “Hey, Mr. Tomasi!  Love your work!  I can’t wait to see what you have in store for…Superman/Wonder Woman!”  And he’d probably be mildly appreciative.)  The New God-darned piece of shard is so distressingly disappointing that I’m seriously considering giving up entirely on Batman and Robin–no, seriously–which would leave me Bat-less for the first time since I jumped into The New 52.  Well, there’s always Moon Knight…(SC)

Robin Rises: Omega #1

Robin Rises: Omega #1

Turning pages,

Derek & Scott

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Top 5 Books of March

21 Monday Apr 2014

Posted by ScottNerd in Top 5 Books of the Month

≈ 8 Comments

Tags

Afterlife With Archie, Archie Comics, Brian Wood, Carmine Infantino, Dan Slott, Dark Horse, David Lapham, El Capitan, Epic, FF, Francesco Francavilla, Frank Miller, Garry Brown, Great Lakes Avengers, Greg Rucka, Image, Jack Kirby, Laura Allred, Lazarus, Madman, Marvel, Matt Fraction, Michael Lark, Mike Allred, Moebius, Parable, Pulp Fiction, Quentin Tarantino, Ren & Stimpy, Robert Altman, Roberto Aguirre Sacasa, Silver Age, Silver Surfer, Sin City, Stan Lee, Stray Bullets, Stray Bullets: Killers, The Flash, The Massive

#5. Silver Surfer #1 (Marvel): I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: Mike Allred brings out the best in his writers. For most of his existence, the Silver Surfer has been a solemn, portentous presence in the Marvel universe. To be fair, this was written into Stan Lee and Jack Kirby’s very concept of the character: he’s the herald of Galactus, destroyer of worlds, after all. If the Surfer showed up, your goose was cooked. Of course, in the end he sacrificed his freedom, not once but twice in order to avert disaster. The tragic nature of the character has been explored by writers ever since, from Steve Englehart to Jim Starlin and perhaps best exemplified in Stan Lee’s Epic return to the character in Parable (drawn with graceful panache by the legendary french artist Moebius). All well and good, but somehow left unexplored in all of this was what was originally suggested by Kirby’s truly rad character design: a genius amalgam of surf culture and space age sleekness (this was the ’60’s after all). Outside of Carmine Infantino’s design for The Flash, the look of the Surfer is simply the coolest representation of that bold, optimistic era. Space Opera meets Pop Art. A gnarly rider of the cosmic waves, he puts the Silver in Silver Age. So why’s he such a bummer all the time? Where’s the fun?

Enter Mike Allred. As many (but not enough) comics fans know, Allred’s seminal Madman was almost single-handedly putting the fun back in superhero comics back in the 1990’s. In an era defined by, dank, “gritty” violence (which somehow purported to be more “mature”) Madman harkened back to a time of limitless, zany possibility. That an “independent” comic had to remind the Big Two how it was done was sad commentary on comics of the era. Now, twenty years later, and “mainstream” (whatever that means) superheroes are finally catching up. And at Marvel, Allred is finding a fertile ground to play in. On the recently concluded FF, writer Matt Fraction wisely amped up the absurdity to take advantage of his artist’s manic sensibility. The result was one of Marvel’s most entertaining books in recent years. Call it the “Allred Effect” (please do, I’m accepting royalties).

Now, with writer Dan Slott, he’s taking on one of the big guns. And if the first issue’s any indication, we’re in for a grand ol’ time. Slott, no stranger to strangeness, what with his runs on Great Lakes Avengers and Ren & Stimpy, again wisely plays to his artist’s strengths, setting the story on a fantastical casino/resort/amusement park the size of a planet (seriously, dig the double-page spread). Slott stays true to the character however; indeed the comedy arises out of the contrast between the ever-serious Surfer and his increasingly ridiculous surroundings. In a similar vein, Slott highlights the bizarre bazaar even further by cleverly juxtaposing it with the quotidian goings-on at the quaintest little New England bed and breakfast you ever saw. And all of it rendered by Allred (with beautiful colors by his wife Laura) whose wild and wooly aesthetic, brimming with possibility, is the guiding principle for the book. This promises to be fun. (DM)

Silver Surfer 001 Mike Allred Cover

Silver Surfer #1

#4. The Massive #21 (Dark Horse): Oh, we’ve been waiting for this!  Boys and girls, Brian Wood has done it!  The patient poet, who tells a mighty fine tale in a most measured meter, has finally followed a spectacular second stanza–the most recent celebrated just last month in this very blog–with a worthy third that doesn’t simply satisfy–it electrifies!  Wood, ever the simmering salesman, at last has boiled over, has pulled the trigger at precisely the right moment, ending the arc by ending Arkady and, perhaps more significantly, the malignant matter of trust between the cancer-ridden Callum and his loyal Ninth Wave mate, Mag.  And, as a bookended bonus, Wood, with a little Bay City backstory at the beginning, teases even more about Mary, and, at the end, marries her mystery to that of The Massive and the Crash.  Garry Brown, busy now with Marvel’s Iron Patriot, delivers some of his best work on the series, evidenced emphatically by a final splash that reveals exactly what’s on Callum’s mind: the song that cinches it–that links the lady in question to the last day of the world as they knew it–and this last issue of The Massive as we know it.  That’s right: expectations have officially been rejiggered: Wood and Brown aren’t all slow boil, after all; if they need to, it’s quite clear: they can scald.  Can’t wait to see how this mystery, one of the more intriguing in comics today, plays out in the next arc: Sahara.  I can already feel the heat! (SC)

The Massive #21

#3. Lazarus #7 (Image): Looking for a lift?  Ain’t gonna find it here; I mean, just look at the cover:

Lazarus #7

Instead, Greg Rucka and Michael Lark segue smoothly into the next sequence of steps in the well-choreographed comparison between Forever Carlyle and Casey Solomon, joylessly juxtaposing the incomparable plights of Family and Waste.  The opening scene, paced patiently in order to deliver an emotional punch, is a trying training exercise that exposes the fledgling Forever’s fragility.  During the revealing conversation between Forever and her mentor, Marisol, Lark plays angles and eyes to perfection, amplifying the pain of innocence lost–of growing up Forever.  Casey, on the other hand, doesn’t have the luxury of training; she must master the moment when it arises–and in the “Badlands,” a moment “Kraks” the night and cruelly cuts down young Leigh, which leads to Casey’s first two “Kraks” at doing what needs be done–and she is masterful.  Yes, the storylines are solid: the terrorist threat still exists, and present-day Forever and Johanna work toward breaking Emma, the one suspect they have in custody, by offering to lift her from Waste to Serf; and the Barrets, whose hopes for the future have been slashed by a third, still have their sights set on Denver, which is where the all-important–and apparently well-attended–Lift Selection will take place.  But what makes this issue one of our selections is the impeccably employed parallelism, which brings a curious parity to a world where there seemingly is none. (SC)

#2. Afterlife With Archie #4 (Archie): “Please don’t…Don’t make me do this,” indeed. I’m crying right now. Crying!  All I did was open the damn book to refresh myself—you know, in order to piece together a proper review—and then “Ker-rasshhh!!!” I mean, I can’t even.  See: when Vegas—Archie’s fiercely loyal four-legged best friend—vaults through the window, Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa and Francesco Francavilla are the ones sending shards of glass poisoned with flashback-fueled nostalgia into my heart, which bleeds freely during the succeeding sacrifice—a brilliant sequence amplified by the dutiful dog’s thoughts and his pleading eyes—and coaxes my eyes to commiserate in their own salty style. The creators push the pace and impose another emotional toll—paid in more tears!–as Archie must play the same role Vegas played for him as he protects his mother from his zombified father—a smashing sequence in its own right, highlighted by a fifteen-panel masterpiece: a puzzle comprised violently and lovingly of pieces from the present and the past. Even though Archie’s able to hit a regretful homerun, there’s clearly no rest for the weary–or the teary: Vegas is back, this time looking to make a meal of his master; and the only way to escape is to “Ker-rashhh!” an old car through the garage door.  Yeah, despite all of the tears it’s easy to see how it all comes together—into an exquisitely composed book well worth celebrating as one of the very best of the month. (SC)

Afterlife with Archie #4

#1. Stray Bullets: Killers #1 (El Capitan/Image): Picture it: 1995. The comics landscape was a far different place. Mutants were everywhere. Just slapping an “X” in front of a title ensured sales in the bajillions. DC was in between its endless Crises. Image was a far cry from what it is today, with top-selling titles like Spawn, and Witchblade. Scantily-clad women with tiny feet and permanent wedgies threw down with half-metal men who were always missing an eye against demonic bad guys that were all teeth and claws. And oh, the guns, guns, those giant guns, and blades with ridiculous hilts, and bikini armor and all manner of accessories ill-suited for an actual fight. And all of it drawn in a sleek, substance-less style that suggested the artist had never seen what an actual weapon or tooth or woman actually looked like.

Into this morass of hyperventilating adolescent fantasy quietly appeared the first issue of a little black and white self-published comic called Stray Bullets. It was written and drawn by a relative unknown named David Lapham who’d done some work for Valiant or something. Like the above examples, it was printed on paper, with a front and back cover and was held together by two staples. And there the similarities ended.

That’s not to say that the first issue wasn’t violent. It’s called Stray Bullets for a reason. But it dropped the reader into the quiet moments between the violence in a way that felt completely natural. This realism made the threat of violence, its inevitability, all the more terrifying. Set in the future year of 1997, the story traced the night where Everything Went Wrong; the night a quiet, easily overlooked nobody became a mass murderer. As the body count mounted, so did our sense of dread, as we recognized this all too plausible world as our own. An act of violence also haunted the second issue. Set twenty years prior (Lapham is constantly time-hopping in the series),  an 8 year old girl witnesses a murder and is robbed of her innocence utterly. She is Virginia Applejack, and she’s the closest thing the series had to a main character. After the character studies of the first two issues, the third introduced an expansive cast in a kinetic, beautifully orchestrated group scene that would’ve done Robert Altman proud. And then, just when you thought you had a handle on it, the sixth issue completely pulled the rug out from under you.

Part of the beauty of these stories was that Lapham designed each to be a complete experience unto itself and yet also pieces of a larger whole. Characters who were the focus of one story might drop into the background of another. A world was being created, one alley, trailer, sucker at a time.

Now, when it first appeared, the comic book that SB got most compared to was Sin City. But, other than an element of crime, Frank Miller’s stylized testosterone noir pastiche had nothing in common with Lapham’s slice-of-life-turned-on-its-head approach. The forced comparison occurred simply because there was nothing else in comics to compare it to. More than Miller’s .45 slug, SB was a cannon blast through the conventions of comics.  No, in order to find suitable comparisons, one had to look to film: Altman, Cassavetes, the Coen Brothers, film noir, etc. In fact, given the interconnected structure of smaller stories forming a larger tapestry, the contemporary work that provided the best correlation was perhaps Quentin Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction. But whereas that masterpiece juggled three stories over the span of a couple of days, Lapham pulled off his magic trick for forty issues covering a couple of decades. And then, in 2005, he stopped. He started doing work for hire at the Big Two and elsewhere; presumably there were bills to be paid. And while he did some interesting work, none of it ever approached the scope and ambition of SB.

Fast forward nearly ten years. The comic book landscape is a much different place, offering a wider selection of genre, story and innovation than any time in its history. Creators have more freedom and opportunity now to pursue their own mad visions. And actually be paid for them. The time was finally ripe for SB to return. (I don’t know what stars had to align, but it is to Image Comics’ eternal credit that they played a part in it.) But then…foreboding. There’s always a danger in revisiting greatness. Considering how high he’d set the bar the first time around, could Lapham possibly regain his form? Did he still have that edge?

Well the results are in, and man, he hasn’t missed a beat. Killers #1 is everything a fan could ask for and more: sex, violence, secrets, betrayal. Like the story of Virginia Applejack, this issue involves a child who sees things he shouldn’t have, and the consequences thereof. The story structure, the beautiful, clear art, that sweet, sweet sense of dread, it’s all here. From the first panel, there’s no doubt you’re in the hands of a storytelling maestro. If you’ve read SB before, there are callbacks to the original series that enrich the story. If you haven’t, then this is a great jumping on point. But then every issue of SB is a great jumping on point; as I said, Lapham’s designed them that way.

People are calling this the return of the most acclaimed crime comic of all time. But SB is more than just a crime comic. It’s about safe, recognizable lives turned upside down by the awful world around them. Like all great art, it’s a mirror, albeit a shattered one. So instead of calling it a crime comic or restricting it to some other genre, I’ll simply say: it’s the return of the best comic ever. (DM)

Stray Bullets Killers #1

Stray Bullets: Killers #1

The Biggest Dis(appointment): Rachel Rising #24 (Abstract Studio): Here’s a little secret: the book we choose for The Biggest Dis is generally not the worst book we’ve read that month. Rather it is the book that failed, often spectacularly, to approach whatever expectations we had for it. Our expectations are nearly always attached to our experience with the creator(s) involved. So our BD is often directed at a title or creator that we hold in some regard.

We’ve been cheerleaders for Terry Moore’s Rachel Rising almost from the start. Indeed, we included it in our Top Ten Books of 2013. The story of competing, reawakening evils, threatening to consume the sleepy town of Manson and the dead girl caught in the middle, was a slow burn, alternating between between spare, atmospheric lyricism and spasmodic violence. Moore’s considerable chops were on display from the get go: engaging characters, an ear for gallows humor and the perfected art of the unannounced shock, often serving as a cliffhanger for the next issue. And of course, the unparalleled black and white artwork, each page a master’s class in composition, concision and storytelling. Everything clicked, resulting in the best horror comic on the market. For over twenty-three issues the tension inexorably built toward a showdown of biblical proportion.

How truly dispiriting then to read issue twenty-four. The putative climax to the story, it is such a rushed, slapdash affair as to scarcely seem part of the same series. Where we had drama, we now have farce. The interaction of the characters is forced and completely unconvincing. The threat turns out to have been not very threatening at all. And the moment of truth is so anticlimactic, it feels like a cheat.

I understand there may have been financial considerations at play. Moore has publicly discussed ending Rachel Rising due to poor sales. But that, at the risk of sounding mean-spirited, is not the concern of the readers who’ve been faithfully following the story for over two years. Whether or not he could continue in the long or even the short run, his audience, however small, deserved a better effort than this. And, as it turns out, he is continuing the series. A month ago I would’ve considered this cause for celebration. Whether or not I will follow him now is suddenly, and sadly, an open question. (DM)

rachel-rising-24

Rachel Rising #24

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Turning pages,

Derek & Scott

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Top 5 Books of January

21 Friday Feb 2014

Posted by ScottNerd in Uncategorized

≈ 4 Comments

Tags

Adventure Time, Afterlife With Archie, Archie Comics, BOOM!, Braden Lamb, Brian K. Vaughan, Damon Lindelof, Dark Horse, Dinosaur Comics, EC Comics, Ed Brubaker, Fatale, Fiona Staples, Francesco Francavilla, Good Housekeeping, Henri Rousseau, Image, Lost, Matt Kindt, Mind MGMT, Roberto Aguirre Sacasa, Ryan North, Saga, Sean Phillips, Shelli Paroline, The Midas Flesh

Our first Top 5 of the year! If the titles below are any indication, 2014 is already shaping up to be a great one for our beloved medium. To wit:

5. Afterlife With Archie #3 (Archie): Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa and Francesco Francavilla serve up another clinic on the art of the mash-up. Opening with a nightmare scene worthy of EC Comics, this issue also treats us to tragic teen romance (is there any other kind?), a new wrinkle on a classic rivalry, and a climactic set piece featuring teens in bathing suits engaging in the kind of logic that only makes sense in horror movies. Oh, and two more beloved characters acquire the taste for human flesh. Forget that other zombie book; this is the best undead comic on the stands, and a lot more fun besides. (DM)

Afterlife with Archie #3

4. Saga #18 (Image): Our #4 book of 2013 kicks off the year in feline fashion!

Saga #18

Saga #18

Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples head into their well-deserved–and freakin’ fan-frustrating!–“Vacationanza” with another extraordinary chapter rife with expertly orchestrated peril and commensurate–in one case, winged–crescendos.  The issue bares its teeth–along with poor Lying Cat–on page one and from there hits the high notes that our hearts–which are wrenched and warmed by design–long to hear, that they recognize and react to, like a favorite song or a lover’s voice.  The final note, struck on the final splash, resounds, envelops us in pure joy.  “That a girl,” indeed.  OK, sure, the “TIME JUMP!” is a bit of a leap; but isn’t that what we love about these creators–these characters, even?  When they go, they go boldly.  And the result?  I mean, by now, “Isn’t it obvious?” (SC)

3. The Midas Flesh #2 (BOOM!): Ryan North made his name on the wise-assery of his clip art cult favorite Dinosaur Comics and his innovative, medium-bending work on the Eisner Award-winning Adventure Time comic book. Here he tries something a little different: a more or less straight up narrative. Forgoing the conceptual bells and whistles of his earlier work, North trusts instead in the fantastic nature of the story he’s telling. And so far it’s a doozy: a band of space explorers have discovered a planet shrouded in legend and frozen in time; encrusted in solid gold and instant death to any who descend upon it. The planet of course, is earth. Mixing science fiction, ancient mythology and talking dinosaurs (naturally) North is able to balance his trademark philosophical/slacker humor with high adventure and some genuine pathos. And then there is the ethereal beauty, recalling the ruins of Pompeii, and rendered lovingly by series artists Shelli Paroline and Braden Lamb, of the transitory everyday moments, gilded for all eternity, commemorated in catastrophe. (DM)

The Midas Flesh #2

The Midas Flesh #2

2. Fatale #19 (Image): I have to admit, this long-time favorite had fallen a bit on the old depth chart recently.  The noir/horror (noirror) tone established, if not invented, by Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips seemed to spring naturally from the early stories taking place in the 1950s and worked surprisingly well in such far-flung eras as the Middle Ages, the Wild West and the 1970s. But somehow, the Seattle grunge scene of the early ’90’s seemed a poor fit. All the shaggy hair and Doc Martens seemed to dull the edge of the knife Brubaker’s been wielding (or maybe it just brought back too many memories). But with this issue, they’ve once again reached Nirvana. Our unfortunate band of would-be rockers, the latest to fall under the spell of the title character, are dispatched in a pool of blood and flannel in an issue as cold and sleek as any in the series. And by the end, Brubaker has masterfully set up his players for the present-day finale. The femme fatale has found herself. Her enemies have found her. And you’ll find the sweet, foreboding sense of despair that has become this title’s stock in trade, especially in those last few unrelenting pages. And in the knowledge that the end of this book is nigh. Savor it while you can.  (DM)

Fatale #19

1. Mind MGMT #18 (Dark Horse): The following confession is being made under extreme coercion. Not physical or emotional, but artistic. You see, everything that’s appeared on this site about Matt Kindt’s superlative Mind MGMT has been written by our man Scott. That’s because until recently, I was not reading it. This is no fault of Scott’s; he’s been pushing it on me ever since I gave him my copy of issue one (gave it to him! like some philistine! some rube! some unmitigated yokel!). I rationalized that I wasn’t a fan of conspiracy fiction; after all, early on the book was garnering comparisons to Lost (with praise from Damon Lindelof yet) and I’ve generally found such fare queasily claustrophobic. So despite its quality, which was readily apparent from the get-go, I figured it simply wasn’t my cup of tea. The change came with issue 13, the first of a series of one-shots each focusing on a different character. But the selling point was really the cover:

Amidst all the slick sci-fi and sexy superheroes was a comic that looked like a 1950’s issue of Good Housekeeping? Talk about audacity! But that was only the beginning. Inside I found that Kindt was playing all sorts of games, unearthing his sordid, multi-layered drama from beneath a veneer of suburban bliss. As the one-shots continued, each gaining momentum from the last, so did Kindt’s lay-outs and design choices become ever more daring, until story and art finally exploded in a beautifully orchestrated climax of form and content in the epic #17 (which, not coincidentally, we named the top single issue of 2013). Claustrophobic? Anything but! Such wild experimentation happily continues in #18, from its Rousseau-inspired cover, to the subtextual juxtaposition of text and images, quite unlike anything I’ve seen (*impressed*). And so I’ve finally succumbed to Kindt’s persuasion: I’ve bought the trades (sadly, not printed on newsprint like the single issues), absorbed the stories and have surrendered my will to Mind MGMT. Because this is what comics can do. Book of the Month. (DM)

Mind MGMT #18

Mind MGMT #18

The Biggest Dis(appointment): All-New Invaders #1 (Marvel):

I know that you thought the same thing I thought when I first saw this advertised: James Robinson and Steve Pugh?  Yes, please.  Well, didn’t take very long for that to turn into No, thanks. Perhaps I should’ve paid more attention to the “All-New” designation, which, from recent experience, is wielded not unlike “delicious” on a box of gluten-free anything.  Once you get into it–once you take a bite–you find yourself thinking What was I thinking?  For Gods and Soldiers’ sakes, I’m still picking the clichés out of my teeth!  And if Robinson were shooting for hokey–as a bit of an homage, I suppose–with his dialogue, well, then he hit the mark.  Oh, he Imperius Wrecks the mark, all right!  Yeah, someone should’ve invaded the dialogue writing process to liberate the language from the atrocities of The Word Reich–to prevent the Hokeycaust!  I guess I should’ve seen it coming.  I guess I was blinded by my faith in Robinson.  I guess I was remembering fondly some of my early experiences with The Invaders.  (In fact, I have a few early copies, including #2 (1975), which I bought in 1983 around the same time I got into Wolfman’s Vigilante.  How’s that for a memory, eh?)  I guess, too, I was hoping that I’d finally get a version of Captain America–post-Brubaker–that I could be proud of.  In the end, guess what: it doesn’t take supreme intelligence to realize that the All-New Invaders is, disappointingly, old news.  So, when’s Fantastic Four #1 coming out, again? (SC)

All-New Invaders #1

All-New Invaders #1

Turning pages,

Derek and Scott

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Top 5 Books of October

24 Sunday Nov 2013

Posted by ScottNerd in 5 Comics You Should Be Reading, Uncategorized

≈ 3 Comments

Tags

Afterlife With Archie, Al Hirschfeld, Alberto Alburquerque, Ales Kot, Archie Comics, Armageddon, Austin Harrison, Charles Soule, Dark Horse, Dave McKean, David Mazzucchelli, DC Comics, Deep Impact, Francesco Francavilla, IDW, Image, Independence Day, J.H. Williams III, Letter 44, Matt Kindt, Mike Raicht, Mind MGMT, Neil Gaiman, Nelson Daniel, Oni Press, Roberto Aguirre Sacasa, The Sandman: Overture, Tradd Moore, Vertigo, Wild Blue Yonder, Zach Howard, zero

Extreme Makeover Edition! This month’s list features five new titles. That’s right: not one of the books from last month’s list is making a repeat appearance. For those scoring at home, that’s the first time that’s happened. Two ways to look at this: last month’s titles par excellence took the inevitable step back (alas, this is partially true – I’m looking at you, Saga!) Or, you may arrive at the conclusion that we have after making these lists every month: there’s a ton of great new comics being produced right now. Really, just the 5 below titles alone represent a cross-section of material that either you, or at the very least someone you know, would get a tremendous kick out of.

5. The Sandman: Overture #1 (DC/Vertigo): This one comes as no surprise. Neil Gaiman, one of the most celebrated writers of our time, makes the long-awaited return to his signature creation, The Sandman. What is surprising is how easily Gaiman re-envelops you in his world. That would be the world of Dream, the name of both the title character and the realm he is lord of; the Endless, his immortal brothers and sisters, each representing a facet of existence that starts with the letter “D” (like Gaiman’s winning goth-punk-cute take on Death); and the host of mythological beings, endearing and terrifying, that were introduced during Sandman’s original, legendary run. This could easily have been a greatest hits tour; give some page space to old fan-favorite characters, indulge your readership’s sense of nostalgia, and call it a day. Gaiman does indeed deliver on both these counts. But what quickly becomes evident is that what is missed most is not the characters, nor even their fantastical world; it is Gaiman’s voice. Alternately warm and wise, mysterious and remote, it has more magic in it than all of the wings and wands and arcane trappings that pass for so much of fantasy these days. And I haven’t even mentioned J.H. Williams art yet. Exquisite draftsmanship, a painterly palette that ranges from monochromatic to kaleidoscopic depending on the scene, eye-popping design that includes double and quadruple-page spreads (you’ll have to see for yourself); suffice it to say that, other than his longtime partnership with Dave McKean, this may be Gaiman’s most fortuitous artistic pairing yet. And that is saying something. A most welcome return. (DM)

The Sandman: Overture #1

4. Wild Blue Yonder #3 (IDW): After a brief hiatus, Wild Blue Yonder soars back onto the scene without having missed a beat.  That’s right: it’s another action-packed issue from the terrific team of Mike Raicht, Zach Howard, Nelson Daniel, and Austin Harrison, who are well on their way toward cementing this series as one of the year’s best.  Every note is played perfectly, as one might expect after two smartly developed  and beautifully rendered issues.  Chapter Three takes off with a testosterone-fueled test–one that leaves Tug, the clever new gun, with a sore jaw, a result of the unimpressed Scram’s heavy-handed assessment–and lands with a low-fuel rescue and a highly-anticipated kiss.  (Looks like Tug’s jaw was all right, after all.)  The care taken to craft such a superb story arc is reflected–more, it’s amplified–by Howard’s art and Daniel’s colors, which together capture both the chaotic and the tender moments with remarkable ease–with no better example of the delicate balance struck issue-wide than the absolutely stunning double-page spread that rests at the heart of this fabulously fun book.  Despite that romantic scene and the kiss that closes the chapter, we’re still left with the knowledge that Tug’s loyalties lie elsewhere–with the Judge.  Hey: he may be coming around to the cause; or maybe he’s simply playing Cola for the free-spirited fool that she is.  Who’s going to win this war of Tug?  Please, please, please don’t make me have to wait another three months to find out! (SC)

Wild Blue Yonder #3

3. Mind MGMT #16 (Dark Horse): At sixteen-issues old, Matt Kindt’s magnum opus is clearly the most mature book on our list, but don’t let its age fool you: it’s still contagiously kinetic and impossibly unpredictable–especially here in this expectation-erasing one-shot, which showcases Kindt’s incomparable ability to marry his watercolors and his words.  Once again, he “escape[s] into books” and plays both sides of the unique relationship between reader and writer, tapping into the fascination, obsession, and madness of this novel form of unrequited love.  Kindt takes a risk as he builds this complex character study on a character who’s important to the overarching storyline, sure, but in whom we’ve yet to make a significant investment.  The risk pays off: he fills up the blank spaces in the Eraser: he sets up and sells Julianne’s psychosis, her rapid divorce from reality, by literally drawing what’s going on in her mind and, as a result, figuratively drawing us into it.  We follow her, observe her, as she follows and observes; and her anxiety, which builds with each panel, parallels ours–not surprisingly thanks to Kindt’s attention to detail as he creates a memory game of sorts throughout the issue: one in which he challenges us to see patterns, subtle parallels between one panel, one page and another, even as Julianne’s own memory seemingly fails her–particularly in terms of her husband, the author of her obsession, Philip K. Verve.  Whether it’s a crescendo of phantom “taps,” a persistent mask of pipe smoke, or a face left unfinished, Kindt cleverly details her descent all the way toward the penultimate page of the story proper: a stunning splash, which, ironically, after an ascent–of stairs, anyway–brings the fictitious relationship to its inevitable, bloody end.  From the beginning, Mind MGMT has been a comic book experience unlike any other.  This issue may very well be the best of the bunch: it engages us as fully as the medium can; and, as Kindt writes through his art (see below), he manages to get us to think not only while we’re lost in the story, but long after we’ve finished reading it, as well. (SC)

Mind MGMT #16 p. 15

Mind MGMT #16 p. 15

2. Afterlife with Archie #1 (Archie): This was, perhaps, inevitable. We live in a mash-up world after all. Bluegrass techno music. Superheroes on Broadway. Bacon and everything. Add the seemingly undying craze for zombies, and it’s actually surprising it took this long. Now, at their worst, these types of amalgamations are self-indulgent exercises in pointlessness. And yet, there’s something about this... Just reading the title gives rise to an involuntary smile. The prospect of throwing those beloved, unaging teen icons and their whitewashed Norman Rockwell existence into a flesh-rending, post-apocalyptic fervor holds the excitement of both a dare and a promise. Indeed the difficulty may be in staying true to the Archie half of the equation. For this to work, there has to be a genuine understanding of these characters and their world; otherwise it could easily descend to a Mad magazine parody. Luckily, writer Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa seems up to the task. (His work salvaging the aforementioned superhero musical may have provided good training ground in the mash-up dept.) These characters act the way they’re supposed to; the corny jokes, the anachronistic cat-fighting of Betty and Veronica. But then there is the palpable mood of creeping horror, thanks largely to the stunning art of modern pulp-master Francesco Francavilla (which is, by itself, worth the price of admission – honestly I would’ve bought a regular issue of Archie Digest if Francavilla was drawing it. Note to self: Digest Archie would’ve been a great alternative title for this book.) Aguirre-Sarcasa promises much darker times ahead. The thrill of this book will be seeing how far he can go while still having it be recognizable as an Archie comic. It’s quite the task he’s set for himself. And if he goes too far? Well, that could be fun too… (DM)

Afterlife with Archie #1

1. Zero #2 (Image): Issue one was pretty good: Ales Kot presented a espionage/black-ops story involving a superhuman arms race. Not the most original concept, but placing it in the context of the ongoing Arab-Israeli conflict gave it a certain edge, aptly rendered by Michael Walsh’s choppy, early-Mazzucchelli realism. Issue two is a different beast entirely. The mysterious operative, Zero, is still the main character. We are again witness to a political assassination. And yet the tone couldn’t be more different. Whereas the first issue was all brutality and military jargon, the second issue balances the awful goings-on with a poignant tale of innocence lost. Or more accurately, torn away. In this issue, we flashback to Zero’s childhood. The sweet, unaffected cadence of his young view of the world is set side-by-side with the harsh nihilism of his education in sanctioned murder. This duality heightens the mood of each, a quality that extends to the art, which also couldn’t be more different from the first issue. Tradd Moore’s work exudes the literally wide-eyed, childlike perspective, without skimping out on any of the violence, by employing linework that has more of a late-Mazzucchelli grace; a clean, exuberant style suggestive of animation, or dare I suggest, even a touch of Al Hirschfeld (I’ve never before encountered an image of a brain-splattered assassination in which I wanted to count the ‘Nina’s‘.) In presenting two initial issues that attack his basic premise from wildly different angles (and artists), Kot has proven himself quite the chameleon, and hopefully set up that rare book in which, month to month, you truly don’t know what to expect. Book of the Month. (DM)

Zero #2

The Biggest Dis(appointment): Letter 44 #1 (Oni Press)

Letter 44 #1

Letter 44 #1

Welcome to the dis, Mr. Soule.  So you know, the next few lines are going to be rough.  A bunch of over-the-top positive reviews and a TV deal in the works don’t really prepare you for being The Biggest Dis(appointment) of the month–but you’ll get through it.  They all do.

Sorry.  Seemed fitting.

If I’m being honest, your being here isn’t really your fault.  Your book’s actually pretty good.  In fact, the first page is “something else,” and the introduction to 44 is expertly done; we know exactly what kind of man he is in four pages flat.  Your dialogue is sharp and naturalistic; and Alburquerque’s art does its job.  But my perspective changed after the abrupt insinuation of the, umm, extraterrestrial problem.  And you knew it would, didn’t you? I mean, you had the President-elect express–perhaps even more accurately–exactly what I was thinking a couple of panels later.  Clever, sir!

Now don’t get me wrong: I can suspend disbelief with the best of ’em.  Problem is, my disbelief immediately got suspended alongside several former disbeliefs that got strung up as a result of my having endured rockbusters like Armageddon and Deep Impact, and the soulless Independence Day.  It’s an inglorious gallows, indeed.  So, expectations?  Exploded.  A big budget’s worth of bust for only a buck!

As the issue wears on–and it does–it wears the White House well; the crew of the Clarke, well, not so much.  But, hey, it happens.  In this case, it is your fault for having created such a strong character in President Blades.  Any time he’s not on the page, however, the story suffers–but not as much as it suffered from its not living up to the previews and reviews that held it up to the heavens.

I think you’d agree: it’s not quite there yet.  I mean, at this stage, the core of Letter 44 is nothing more than a mostly familiar concept.  But will I give your book another issue?  Sure I will.  Will your book eventually meet the hyperbolic expectations heaped upon it–if not in #2, sometime soon?  Will it play more like an artsy independent film and less like a brain-dead blockbuster?  I have no idea.  Heck, I’d be happy if it meets the humble expectations I’ve now tied to it.  But as it stands, I expected more from this, which is why your initial offering has earned a dis. (SC)

Turning pages,

Scott and Derek

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What’s I&N Store (10/30)

30 Wednesday Oct 2013

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

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Archie Comics, Becky Cloonan, Brian K. Vaughan, Brian Michael Bendis, DC Comics, Dean Haspiel, Fiona Staples, Gerard Way, IDW, Image, J.H. Williams III, Kevin Eastman, Mark Waid, Marvel, Mateus Santolouco, Mike Raight, Neil Gaiman, Red Circle, Saga, Sandman: Overture, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, The Fox, The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys, Vertigo, Wild Blue Yonder, X-Men: Battle of the Atom, Zach Howard

Your eyes are not deceiving you.

  • The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys #5 (Dark Horse): I’ve enjoyed the series so far.  I’m not exactly sure why.  Hey!  Maybe that’s why!
  • Sandman: Overture #1 (DC/Vertigo): Neil Gaiman on words and J.H. Williams on images: a dream match-up.  If you’re not excited about this, there’s something wrong with you.  Or maybe you’re too young to have a clue.
Sandman: Overture #1

Sandman: Overture #1

  • Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #27 (IDW): Took me ’til my forties to take to the Turtles.  A big reason: Mateus Santolouco’s martial art.  Not sure, however, if I’ll keep on after “City Fall,” however.
  • Wild Blue Yonder #3 (IDW): We loved #1 and #2!  Seems a pretty safe bet we’ll love this one, too.  Zach Howard’s art alone is worth the price of admission.
Wild Blue Yonder #3

Wild Blue Yonder #3

  • Saga #15 (Image): So many smart touches in #14.  So many, in fact, that we celebrated it as our #2 book of September.  One thing we know about this issue: it’s kicking off with a full tank of gas.
  • X-Men: Battle of the Atom #2 (Marvel): Somewhere, my future self is shaking my future head.  Sorry–in advance.
  • The Fox #1 (Archie/Red Circle): If you’re keeping track, then you know that this’ll be my second–that’s right: second–Archie Comics purchase in the past month.  With names like Mark Waid and Dean Haspiel attached to this one, I’d be a fool to pass it up.
The Fox #1

The Fox #1

 

Yup, that’s it!  And, you know what?  Thank God.

What are you looking forward to tomorrow?

Turning pages,

Scott

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