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Tag Archives: Braden Lamb

What’s I&N Store (4/23)

22 Tuesday Apr 2014

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

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Alberto Alburquerque, Ales Kot, Avatar, Batman Eternal, Braden Lamb, Brian Wood, Canaan White, Charles Soule, Chris Samnee, Danijel Zezelj, Daredevil, Dark Horse, DC, Dead Boy Detectives, Ed Brisson, Elektra, Evil Empire, Gary Erskine, Greg Rucka, Harbinger, IDW, Image, Jeff Lemire, Joe Infunari, Johnnie Christmas, Jonathan Hickman, Joshua Dysart, Joshua Hale Fialkov, Justice League United, Kevin Eastman, Kieron Gillen, Lazarus, Letter 44, Mark Buckingham, Mark Waid, Marvel, Mateus Santolouco, Matt Kindt, Matt taylor, Max Bemis, Michael Lark, Mind MGMT, Nick Pitarra, Oni Press, Ransom Getty, Ryan North, Scott Snyder, Shelli Paroline, Sheltered, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, The Bunker, The Manhattan Projects, The Massive, The Midas Flesh, Toby Litt, Tom Waltz, Uber, Valiant, Vertigo, W. Haden Blackman, zero

Here’s what I’ll be stuffing in my bag this week:

  • The Massive #22 (Dark Horse): Brian Wood and Danijel Zezelj follow up the very strong “Bloc” arc–which earned Wood and Garry Brown I&N top book status for February and March–with “Sahara,” which promises to slake our thirst for more Mary.
The Massive #22

The Massive #22

  • Mind MGMT #21 (Dark Horse): Those of you who have been following our little blog for a while may have been surprised to see that #20 didn’t crack our Top 5 Books of March.  Believe me: after hashing out the list, we were pretty surprised, too!  Matt Kindt certainly didn’t disappoint: he drew out an issue highlighting a giant of Mind MGMT past, and did so using tall panels to accentuate, well, the agent’s giantness.  Super clever–and, more important, super effective!  Kindt’s artistic approach often results in impossibly long-limbed figures; #20 acts, then, as an ectomorphic celebration!  This new offering promises to be a silent issue, which, in Kindt’s capable hands, promises to say plenty, as his art often tells most of the story anyway.  On a nostalgic note: when I think “silent issue,” like you, I go right to G.I Joe #21.  I also think of Martin Wagner’s Hepcats because, if memory serves, there was a stunning silent issue that focused on child abuse.  Does anyone remember that?
Mind MGMT #21

Mind MGMT #21

  • Batman Eternal #3 (DC): So, I gave #2 a shot despite my not being excited about #1.  Wasn’t much of an improvement.  Some storytelling yips persist–including the agonizing, issue-long reveal of the antagonist; and the dialogue’s nothing to talk about.   And that said, I’ll probably pick this up.
  • Dead Boy Detectives #5 (DC/Vertigo): Still like the vibe and the possibilities.
  • Justice League United #0 (DC): Lemire on a hero book doesn’t excite, but I’m going to try it nevertheless.
  • Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #33 (IDW): Here’s something that does excite: Mateus Santolouco is back!  Not kidding, folks: the Turtles aren’t a novelty anymore; they’re not simply a guilty pleasure; they’re a mainstay, I’m proud to say!
TMNT #33

TMNT #33

  • Lazarus #8 (Image): Like The Massive, Lazarus has been one of our top books for February and March.  Can’t help but think of Ginsberg’s “Howl” because that’s what I think of when I think of Denver: “who journeyed to Denver, who died in Denver, who came back to Denver & waited in vain, who watched over Denver & brooded & loned in Denver and finally went away to find out the Time, & now Denver is lonesome for her heroes.”  Well, that and Dave Loggins’ “Please, Come to Boston.”
Lazarus #8

Lazarus #8

  • The Manhattan Projects #20 (Image): #19 was a tad frivolous–I mean, did we really need to see the Oppenheimer civil war?  The end presented an interesting twist, however.  Oh, I’m definitely down with dueling Einsteins.
  • Sheltered #8 (Image): Has become a bit “is what it is,” hasn’t it?
  • Zero #7 (Image): We liked #1-#4 enough to celebrate Kot’s baby as a top title of 2013.  #5 was OK, although the idea of aliens being thrust into the mix wasn’t all that thrilling.  #6 wasn’t very good at all–writing-wise or art-wise.  Yeah, unfortunately, we weren’t blown away by Vanesa Del Rey’s work, which was tough to follow at times.  Expectations have fallen to just about, well, zero.
  • Daredevil #2 (Marvel): The reboot/relaunch/rewhatever was underwhelming.  I kinda dig the whole devil out of water device; but outside of that, #1 wasn’t much of anything, really.
  • Elektra#1 (Marvel): I’ve been an Elektra junkie forever.  I’m interested in seeing how half of the former Batwoman writing duo–W. Haden Blackman–handles the deadly sairen.
Elektra #1

Elektra #1

  • The Bunker #3 (Oni Press): Has been very good.  Fialkov’s handling the time-travel aspect as if it isn’t an obstacle to the storytelling process, when, in fact, it’s like skipping through a minefield.  Impressive, indeed!
  • Evil Empire #2 (BOOM!): #1 ended on a sharp note, that’s for sure.  We’ll see if Bemis and Getty can keep the momentum going.
Evil Empire #2

Evil Empire #2

  • Harbinger #22 (Valiant): Recently read that Harbinger‘s ending as of #25.  A bit of a bummer, sure, but it does lighten the load without my having to be the one to make the dreaded decision.
  • Letter 44 #6 (Oni Press): I was planning on dropping it, but with this being the arc ender and all…
  • The Midas Flesh #5 (BOOM!): About as much fun as you’re bound to have with a finger.  #4 suffered a bit from some strained development; but overall the series has been really good.
  • Uber #11 (Avatar): Hoping for some fireworks, that’s for sure.

Which books are you looking forward to this week?

Turning pages,

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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What’s I&N Store (2/19)

18 Tuesday Feb 2014

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

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Tags

A Voice in the Dark, Alex + Ada, Alex Maleev, Avatar, Avengers World, Batman and Two-Face, BOOM!, Braden Lamb, Brian Azzarello, Brian Michael Bendis, Brian Wood, Chris Bachalo, Chris Samnee, Cliff Chiang, Colin Lorimer, Curse, Daredevil, Dark Horse, DC Comics, Doug Braithwaite, Extinction Parade, Frank Barbiere, Image, James Asmus, Jonathan Hickman, Jonathan Luna, Joshua Hale Fialkov, Kris Anka, Larime Taylor, Mark Waid, Marvel, Matt Kindt, Max Brooks, Michael Moreci, Ming Doyle, Minotaur, Nick Spencer, Patrick Gleason, Peter J. Tomasi, Quantum and Woody, Raulo Caceres, Riley Rossmo, Ryan North, Sarah Vaughn, Shelli Paroline, Skyman, The Bunker, The Midas Flesh, The White Suits, Tim Daniel, Uncanny X-Men, Unity, Wonder Woman, X-Men

The only forecast worth a damn:

  • Skyman #2 (Dark Horse): My interest in the book has been ramped up not by #1 so much as learning more about Joshua Hale Fialkov as a writer through his book The Bunker from Oni Press, which came out in print last week.  Yeah, so, suddenly I’m like “Sky’s the limit!” for this one.
  • The White Suits #1 (Dark Horse): The new one from Frank J. Barbiere–writer of the underwhelming Five Ghosts, which I dropped after #2–is described as “violent noir,” which is right up my alley; so I’ll pick it up.
  • Batman and Two-Face #28 (DC): Best Batman of the bunch?  Peter J. Tomasi and Patrick Gleason’s Batman, biatch!  OK, so, it’s not Mind MGMT; very few books are.  But it is Batman: it sounds like, looks like, and feels like Batman–and that’s what’s important, isn’t it?  The turn with Two-Face has been a fun one, and it ends here.
Batman and Two-Face #28

Batman and Two-Face #28

  • Wonder Woman #28 (DC): The only New 52 book I’ve been on from the get-go.  Remarkably consistent, drawing more from myth as we go along.  Bring on the Minotaur!
  • A Voice in the Dark #4 (Image): We were lucky enough to receive a preview copy from Larime Taylor a couple of weeks back.  My review–and assessment of the series–can be found here.
  • Alex + Ada #4 (Image): If I had more time, I would’ve written up a Scottlight On post for #3–a very positive Scottlight On post.  I loved it: the dialogue, the absence of dialogue; the composition of balance, the language of juxtaposition; the slow simmer, the tempered tone; the spirit of Asimov, the sword of Damocles.  Very much looking forward to what Jonathan Luna and Sarah Vaughn have programmed for us this time around.
Alex + Ada #4

Alex + Ada #4

  • Avengers World #3 (Marvel): Certainly isn’t a must read, but hasn’t been bad.  Certainly worth another issue.
  • Daredevil #36 (Marvel): The end–for now.  We know where it’s going from here, yet I wonder where it’s going from here.  From Hell’s Kitchen to Hells Angels?  Is DD gonna chill on Devil’s Peak?  Or drink from the Devil’s Punchbowl?
Daredevil #36

Daredevil #36

  • Uncanny X-Men #17 (Marvel): This isn’t a good sign: I don’t really remember what happened in #16.  Then again, maybe it’s the sign I’ve been waiting for all along. Maybe I should just be done with this book once and for all and put my four bucks toward something I won’t whine about every damn month.  Hmm.  Maybe save up for Rucka’s Cyclops book out in May.
  • X-Men #11 (Marvel): I swore after #10 that I was done.  That’s three times after only ten issues!  Sounds about right.
  • Curse #2 (BOOM!): I wasn’t overly impressed with #1.  Figure I’ll give it another shot.
  • Extinction Parade #5 (Avatar): I have an idea: let’s marry Max Brooks’s writing with Alex Maleev’s artwork.  That’d be something!  As it is, this is a tolerable exploration of the relationship between otherwise intolerable vampires and zombies brought to the page in the typical Avatar style.
  • The Midas Flesh #3 (BOOM!): #2 was one of our Top 5 Books of January!  Our needle’s pointing due Ryan North!
The Midas Flesh #3

The Midas Flesh #3

  • Quantum and Woody #8 (Valiant): James Asmus is keeping it crazy in his little corner of the Valiant Universe.  Always good for a laugh.
  • Unity #4 (Valiant): Outside of Mind MGMT, this is where Matt Kindt’s clearly most comfortable.  And with Kindt’s Rai reboot on the way, we’ll see just how comfortable.  Makes all the sense in the world that Valiant would be the best fit for him: he gets to remodel the house instead of simply moving the furniture around.

My daughter now expects a “present” every time I come home from the comic store.  Instead of just grabbing something off the shelf willy-nilly, I’m going in with a plan.  I’m calling it…

Avery’s Pick of the Week:

  • Scribblenauts Unmasked: Crisis of Imagination #2 (DC): There’s no doubt about it: Avery loves her superheroes.  While flipping through #1, however, she seemed to like the little villains the most.  I’m in trouble.
Scribblenauts Unmasked: Crisis of Imagination #2

Scribblenauts Unmasked: Crisis of Imagination #2

What are you looking forward to this week?

Turning pages,

Scott

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What’s I&N Store (1/22)

20 Monday Jan 2014

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

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Tags

Ales Kot, All-New Invaders, All-New X-Men, Annie Wu, Avengers World, Batman and Two-Face, Bedlam, Braden Lamb, Brian Azzarello, Brian Michael Bendis, Brian Wood, Cary Nord, Cliff Chiang, Dark Horse, DC Comics, Dead Body Road, Deadly Class, Eternal Warrior, Fred Van Lente, Garry Brown, Greg Pak, Hawkeye, Image, James Robinson, Jonathan Hickman, Justin Jordan, Matt Fraction, Matt Kindt, Matteo Scalera, Max Dunbar, Mind MGMT, Nick Spencer, Patrick Gleason, Peter J. Tomasi, Rachel Dodson, Rick Remender, Robert Venditti, Ryan Browne, Ryan North, Shelli Paroline, Steve Pugh, Stuart Immonen, Terry Dodson, The Massive, The Midas Flesh, The Mocking Dead, Trevor Hairsine, Wesley Craig, Will Tempest, Wonder Woman, X-Men, X-O Manowar, zero

A nice balance of books–comic books, yes; checkbook, not so much.

  • The Massive #19 (Dark Horse): Brian Wood and Garry Brown have a long way to go to outdo what they did with “Longship,” the finest arc of the series thus far.  Could cut the tension with a harpoon–and just barely!  But they’ve got plenty of wind in their sails and Arkady–an even bigger threat than the great white whaler, Bors Bergsen–on deck, so I’m betting on better.
  • Mind MGMT #18 (Dark Horse): We celebrated Mind MGMT as our #2 book of 2013 and issue #17 as the Best Single Issue of 2013.  Well, wouldn’t you know, the Year of the Snake comes to a close in the jungle, the mighty jungle, where an agent sleeps tonight…
Mind MGMT #18

Mind MGMT #18

  • Batman and Two-Face #27 (DC): One of Scott Snyder’s (Batman, The Wake) favorite books of 2013!  So if you’ve discounted my opinion before, maybe you’ll believe me now: Tomasi and Gleason’s Batman is the best of bunch!  If a potent dose of the Dark Knight is what you crave, cave in and buy this book!
  • Wonder Woman #27 (DC): We’re through twenty-seven mostly solid issues and where have we gotten?  No, really: someone please tell me why I should keep buying this!  It was good just ain’t good enough anymore.  Something to consider: if I drop this and Suicide Squad–once Kindt’s run is over–I’ll be down to one New 52 book.  One.  Sad–especially with Marvel’s All-New effort to inject excitement back into their brand with big names and tempting titles.  Umm, I guess, in a way, I’m kind of calling for a Newer 52.
  • Bedlam #11 (Image): It’s taken me this long to suss Spencer out.  But now that I have, I feel fully invested in Fillmore’s story and have no good reason to ditch.
  • Dead Body Road #2 (Image): While I wasn’t blown away by #1, I like Justin Jordan enough to give it another shot.  If it doesn’t live up to expectations, I’ll bag it and tag it, put it in a box, and say good-bye.
  • Deadly Class #1 (Image): Thing is, I really don’t like Rick Remender enough to give any of his books any kind of shot.  Captain America‘s a disaster in any dimension, Uncanny Avengers was unreadable from the get-go, and Black Science gave me every reason to disbelieve in Remender and in his ability to create a world of worth.  To sharpen my point: the premise of this book sounds a lot like Five Weapons–also from Image–doesn’t it?  Ugh.  And after all that, I’ll probably still buy it.
  • Zero #5 (Image): #4 was brilliant.  In fact, it solidified Zero as one of our Top Ten Books of 2013.  Ales Kot and his coterie of artists have so far delivered four fantastic stanzas of versified violence!  And to think the epic has just begun!
Zero #5

Zero #5

  • All-New Invaders #1 (Marvel): James Robinson gave us one of our favorite books of 2012.  Steve Pugh worked on another one of our favorites from 2012.  Hope they come together to give us something to shout about in 2014.
  • All-New X-Men #22.Now (Marvel): Trial of Jean Grey?  Should I yawn.now?  We’re stuck in the All-New past!  And so am I, apparently.  There’s no other reason for my holding on.
  • Avengers World #2 (Marvel): One more try.  (If you’re humming a little Timmy T, I’ve done my job.)
  • Hawkeye #16 (Marvel): My second favorite superhero book behind Daredevil.  And easily Fraction’s sexiest offering.  Yes, I know what else he’s writing.
Hawkeye #16

Hawkeye #16

  • X-Men #9 (Marvel): The addition of the Dodsons has been a Godsend.  They’ve double-handedly drawn me back in.
  • Eternal Warrior #5 (Valiant): I’m leaning toward dropping it.  Hasn’t been bad.  Just don’t think I’m into it enough.  Feel like I’m buying it out of loyalty for Valiant.  Not a good enough reason to part with $4–not anymore.
  • The Midas Flesh #2 (BOOM!): The first issue was pure gold!  Sorry.  But, no, really: Ryan North’s clearly headed in the right direction.  Yuk, yuk.
  • The Mocking Dead #5 (Dynamite): Here it is: the final chapter of a series that can only be described as A Modest Proposal for our time!
STK629819

The Mocking Dead #5

  • X-O Manowar #21 (Valiant): I still like Aric a lot–whether he’s in the armor or not.

What are you looking forward to this week?

Turning pages,

Scott

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Top 5 Books of August

22 Sunday Sep 2013

Posted by dmainhart in 5 Comics You Should Be Reading

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

Adventure Time, American Flagg!, Armageddon 2419 A.D., BOOM!, Braden Lamb, Buck Rogers, Greg Rucka, Hermes Press, Howard Chaykin, Image, Jeff Lemire, Jeff Stokely, kaboom!, Lazarus, Matt Fraction, Michael Lark, Numbercruncher, Philip Francis Nowlan, Ryan North, Satellite Sam, Shelli Paroline, Simon Spurrier, Six-Gun Gorilla, Titan, Trillium, Vertigo

5. Adventure Time #19 (kaboom!): Ryan North puts aside the usual formal fireworks this month, instead a offering a complex mingling of alternate realities, terrible rap skills and honest-to-goodness heartbreak. Artists Shelli Paroline and Braden Lamb keep track of all the goings-on with their usual aplomb. As is often the case with AT, the tone and pacing can turn on a dime: the initial silliness turns bittersweet when the usually villainous Ice King has his heart’s desire destroyed, almost cruelly, by the usually heroic Finn and Jake. Expectations already defied, North then gives the poor Ice King a small measure of redemption, allowing us a peak into his misunderstood, heroic heart. I tell you, if you’re able to get through this tale with completely dry eyes, your heart must be cold as ice. (DM)

Adventure Time #19

Adventure Time #19

4. Trillium #1 (DC/Vertigo): Jeff Lemire, who it seems hasn’t had an appropriate outlet for his true voice since the elegaic Sweet Tooth came to an end last year, returns to captivating form with the premiere issue of his latest series. And by “form” I mean “format”: he tells the stories of his two main characters separately at first by cleverly employing a flip-book configuration. Moreover, the page layout for both stories mirror each other precisely throughout until they finally meet in the middle; quite the disciplined feat (not to take away from this but, in an interesting coincidence, Andy Hirsch utilizes the same exact strategy for his back-up feature in the aforementioned issue of Adventure Time – another reason to pick it up!). This isn’t merely technical wizardry however; the format perfectly complements Lemire’s tale of two literally star-crossed lovers, separated by unimaginable distance and thousands of years. It was this type of artistic adventurousness that garnered Lemire his indy cred to begin with. Here’s hoping enough people buy this book that he can stop working on the likes of Green Arrow. (DM)

3. Satellite Sam #2 (Image): Here’s the truth: Matt Fraction and Howard Chaykin certainly didn’t blow their collective wad with a well-received #1, which, somewhat surprisingly, was wildly entertaining for a book about a troubled television program back in the black and white days of the medium.  The second installment brings much of the same to the page: Fraction’s showy dialogue is all business yet feels breezy and unbuttoned; and Chaykin delivers, yet again, earning exclamation points for nailing the period and for ostentatiously trading on subtlety as he slides from one panel to the next.  Overall, this issue traipses along like a stylish transition; but, unlike Mike, who’s a little too handful of himself at the bathroom sink while focused on a lineup of father’s floozies, it delivers the goods–the very, very goods. (SC)

2. Six-Gun Gorilla #3 (BOOM!): Simon Spurrier and Jeff Stokely hit the mark again with the further adventures of Blue and his partner, the eponymous gun-toting primate.  Spurrier, whose Numbercruncher (Titan) is by all accounts another engaging escape from reality gracing today’s increasingly crowded shelves, plays up the personal and cultural relevance of fiction, especially as he conjures Thurber’s Walter Mitty while crafting Blue into an increasingly compelling Christ figure–one persecuted from every angle imaginable: from the ridiculously voluminous General Vertid to the remotely sadistic Auchenbran.  Without a doubt: three issues in, this creative team has proven it’s getting its inspiration from a higher power; that’s right, folks: this is the Newer Testament.  Read.  Rejoice. (SC) 

1. Lazarus #3 (Image): Greg Rucka and Michael Lark are a perfect pair, like a flavor-forward cabernet sauvignon and a medium-rare porterhouse.  Each is known for his firm grasp of reality and his uncanny ability to reflect it on the page.  Together, they’ve brought an unbridled energy to the first three issues of this female-fronted fantasy: Rucka is a master storyteller, who is as good as it gets when it comes to delivering naturalistic dialogue; and Lark brings it all to life with a style that screams screen–small or big.  This month’s offering sports an opening sequence that relies extensively on Eve’s intense eyes and ultimately focuses on her blade, which becomes a slicing symbol for her sexuality; see: even in this fabricated future, it’s clear: no means no.  After some revelatory intercourse between the two Lazaruses–the Lazari?–another moment worth noting takes place poolside: Jonah and Johanna, status-driven siblings from the Carlyle family, plan a hit on their sister with the ease of planning a party; and, startlingly, just as easily, Johanna callously calls for Charles’s execution–because the simple servant may have “heard enough of [Jonah’s] tantrums to guess what’s going on.”  That’s one cold broad!  But this is hot stuff–thanks, in part, to the explosive cliffhanger–and is about as good as it gets.   Forever and ever.  Amen. (SC)

The Biggest Dis(apponitment): Buck Rogers #1 (Hermes Press)-  A classic pulp hero re-imagined by a comics legend; this title had a lot to recommend it. Howard Chaykin after all revolutionized the design of comic books with such seminal works as American Flagg! and has done stellar work reviving bygone characters on titles like The Shadow and Blackhawk. This seemed then, a match made in heaven. Chaykin does takes Buck back to his origins, drawing much inspiration from his very first appearance in Armageddon 2419 A.D., a novella by Buck’s creator, Philip Francis Nowlan, (published in Amazing Stories in 1928). This is not the breezier futuristic adventure of the well-known, subsequent comic strip (the world’s first, and most influential, sci-fi comic) or the beloved low-budget Buster Crabbe film serial. This version is decidedly more political, detailing a violent guerrilla insurgency between surviving tribes of Americans against their overlords. For starters, here Buck is portrayed as a card-carrying communist firebrand, railing against the capitalist system. No, this is not your father’s Buck Rogers (though I suppose it may be your grandfather’s).

Now I readily admit, I’ve never read the Nowlan novel (I claim the dilettante’s credo, “I know of it”). Given the era, it’s entirely possible that it included communist concerns. In our own era of increasing economic disparity and global recession, perhaps this is Chaykin’s way of reintroducing such class-conscious ideas into the conversation. One might even commend him for doing so. But using your lead character (and a beloved icon, at that) as a mouthpiece to go on and on about the tyranny of the “plutocrats” is wearying, even dispiriting. Further, while decrying the evils of the capitalist war machine, it irritatingly ignores communism’s own history of atrocity.

Have your eyes glossed over yet? It gets worse. The threat that the future Americans are fighting? The Han (read Chinese). Again, this stays true to the original novella. But, so what? Whatever its merits, Armageddon 2419 A.D., reflects the paranoid racism of its time. Does Chaykin really want to revive the notion of the “Yellow Peril”? An example: at one point, Chaykin has an (admittedly unscrupulous) character, Black Barney, whom Buck begrudgingly admires, refer to the Han as “those cheap yellow bastards.”  Now, the current, real-world China is an ascendant world power run by a government that is lousy with human rights abuses. Its increasing influence and deplorable treatment of its own people is a legitimate concern. But is this this really the lens through which we want to address such issues? By invoking a mindset that was abhorrent one-hundred years ago?

(An aside: isn’t it ironic that Comrade Buck is hellbent against China, of all things?)

Chaykin’s mastery of the medium is unassailable and ongoing. A large part of our enjoyment of Satellite Sam (see above) derives from his stunning period visuals. I eagerly anticipate his upcoming Century West from Image. But Buck Rogers is retro in the worst ways possible. (DM)

Turning pages,

Scott & Derek

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Derekommendations: 8/21

29 Thursday Aug 2013

Posted by dmainhart in Derekommendations

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Adventure Time, Andy Hirsch, Animal Man, Braden Lamb, Brian Azzarello, Chris Samnee, Cliff Chiang, Daredevil, Darth Vader, DC, Eisner Award, Jeff Lemire, kaboom!, Mark Waid, Marvel, Numbercruncher, P.J. Holden, Rafael Albuquerque, Ryan North, Shelli Paroline, Simon Spurrier, Six-Gun Gorilla, Star Wars, Titan, Wonder Woman

Brief highlights from last week:

Wonder Woman #23 (DC): Brian Azzarello wraps up his two-year epic with a bang. And with style – Cliff Chiang handles the art from start to finish. By expanding Diana’s family ties beyond her strictly Amazonian origin, Azzarello and Co. have given her truly mythic proportions.

Animal Man #23 (DC): Jeff Lemire continues to slowly get his mojo back on this book (the anthropomorphic pirates riding a giant narwhal through a sea of blood was particularly fun). The balancing act between the personal, fanciful, and horrific, along with the impending arrival of Rafael Albuquerque on art, are threatening to make this title relevant again.

Numbercruncher #2 (Titan): Along with the superlative Six-Gun Gorilla, this title offers further proof that Si Spurrier is one of the most wildly inventive writers around. Turns out God is nothing but a miserly accountant, keeping track of every tick of the adding machine in the great equation that is the Universe. Against such a soul-numbing backdrop, what chance does true love have? If you’re a genius mathematician, the answer is: pretty good. P.J. Holden provides the appropriately loopy visuals. As unlikely entertaining a confection as you’re likely to find.

Daredevil #30 (Marvel): As an endless array of crossovers (ugh) spill out from the big two (and beyond), Mark Waid and Einser-Award-Winner Chris Samnee show us how it’s done. An unlikely team-up, a self-contained story that nevertheless manages to raise the stakes sky-high, and a nice twist at the end that actually affects the main character – what more could a super hero fan want? Ok, how ’bout this: Samnee drawing DD rocking a surfboard through the streets of  Manhattan?

Top Pick – Adventure Time #19 (kaboom!): I’ve come to expect formal innovation from this title (it deserves the accolades it’s been getting); and indeed we get that in Andy Hirsch’s clever back-up  story. But what we get in the lead feature (by Ryan North, with art by Shelli Paroline and Braden Lamb) is unexpected depth and heartbreak, as the Ice King further assumes his role as the central, tragic figure of the whole Adventure Time franchise (sort of like what Darth Vader was supposed to be in Star Wars). And all the while, as is often the case with AT, all the silliness and jokes practically dare you to take any of it seriously.

Give it a Miss – X-Men #4 (Marvel): The definition of a filler issue. Some nice (if uncharacteristic) scenes between Jubillee and Wolverine aside, nothing really happens in this book; disappointing, considering Brian Wood’s strong start on this title. And with the Battle of the Atom crossover (again I say, ugh) looming, I may be giving this book a miss for the foreseeable future. Wake me when it’s over!

Yours in Comics,

Derek

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Top 5 Books of April

07 Tuesday May 2013

Posted by ScottNerd in 5 Comics You Should Be Reading

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Adventure Time, Andy Runton, Braden Lamb, Brian K. Vaughan, Dark Horse, Fiona Staples, Fury: My War Gone By, Garth Ennis, Goran Parlov, Image, Infinity Inc., Jonathan Hickman, Joshua Dysart, Jupiter's Legacy, Justice Society of America, kaboom!, Marvel Max, Matt Kindt, Mind MGMT, Nick Pitarra, Owly, Pendleton Ward, Runaways, Ryan North, Saga, Shelli Paroline, Steve Wands, The Manhattan Projects, Unknown Soldier, Watchmen, Zero Dark Thirty

5. Mind MGMT #10 (Dark Horse): Matt Kindt manages the impossible–with a twist of Lyme.  His artwork is incomparably kinetic.  His use of the margins–especially in the first half of this issue–is brilliantly thoughtful.  He is in total control: every mark on the page serves its master and, in that, is played “for the greater good.”  Nothing is left to chance, even as Meru rolls the dice in order to undo Duncan’s predictable advantage.  Sure, Mind MGMT has been solid of late; and for most titles that’d be a label to celebrate.  But for this book, solid is pretty much a euphemism for I expected more.  With #10, however, Dark Horse’s thoroughbred leaves a rather pedestrian solid in the dust and sprints toward utterly transcendent as it most assuredly must. (SC)

Mind MGMT #10

Mind MGMT #10

4. Adventure Time # 15 (kaboom!): Far from being a mere comic simulacrum of Pendleton Ward’s lauded TV series, this title has emerged as a monthly laboratory of formalistic innovation. Wry self-commentary, plots that collapse inwards, playing with the comic book format itself; one truly never knows what to expect. The semiotic experimentation in this particular issue does have precedent (specifically in Andy Runton’s adorable Owly) but, man, do Ryan North, Shelli Paroline, Braden Lamb and (series letterer) Steve Wands run with it! (DM)

Adventure Time #15

3. Saga #12 (Image): Rocking out with its whatchamacallit out–in more ways than one.  I mean, sure, there’s a one-eyed monster that Prince Robot IV jerks around for most of the issue; but that monster is D. Oswald Heist, author of the inflammatory “piece of s—” A Nighttime Smoke, which, Prince suspects, had a page in bringing Alana and Marko together.  All the talk leading up to this in-your-face–and cleverly self-aware–release, by the sagacious Brian K. Vaughn and the sagalicious Fiona Staples, probably “only boost[ed its] sales,” and left everyone thinking of this terrific treatise on the weight of images and words. (SC)

Saga #12

Saga #12

2. Fury: My War Gone By #11 (Marvel Max):  Garth Ennis’ revisionist examination of Marvel’s famous super-spy is the best exploration of the intersection of pop culture and real-world violence since Joshua Dysart’s late, lamented Unknown Soldier. Or is it exploitation? By removing the title character from his familiar milieu of superheroes and inserting him into some of the darkest corners of American military history, the story inherently raises questions about the boundaries between tragedy and entertainment (in much the way the recent Zero Dark Thirty did). Ennis navigates this terrain (illustrated with appropriate ruthlessness by Goran Parlov) partially by taking the core of the character – grizzled war hero – at his word. To his credit, as he shines a light on the all-too-real atrocities committed in the name of God and Country (as in the last, devastating panel in the book) neither Nick nor Ennis look away. (DM)

Fury: My War Gone By #11

Fury: My War Gone By #11

1. The Manhattan Projects #11 (Image): Then: I held The Manhattan Projects #1 in my hands.  Hmm.  Hickman?  Thumbed through.  Art: Pitarra?  Who?  Seemed, I don’t know, shaky.  Said to self, No, as I returned it to the shelf, so…  Now: Two trades and a single issue in, I’m completely sold on the project–particularly on the twists, both brutal and risible.  This issue, “Building,” while not as tied to the twist as previous issues, is a masterclass in storytelling on par with what Vaughn and Staples have been constructing over on Saga.  Hickman, Pitarra, and Bellaire–whose colors are indispensable in the development of the narrative–balance the past and present with remarkable ease; and, in doing so, they build the relationship between Enrico and Harry in such a heartwarming manner that it’d take exposure to plutonium to warm the heart any more.  Also at play here is the Cold War between the simple and the complex, highlighted by Enrico and Harry’s initial conversation–which culminates in a sweetly incomplex “I just wanted some ice cream”– and then hammered home by the juxtaposition of Oppenheimer’s three–“I think he means…four!”–terribly complicated plans for conquering the heavens and the natural simplicity of being someone’s friend.  As close to perfect as can be. (SC)

The Manhattan Projects #11

The Manhattan Projects #11

The Biggest Dis(appointment): Jupiter’s Legacy #1 (Image). The title, which manages to be both portentous and pretentious, pretty much sums up the whole book. The latest entry in Mark Millar’s self-christened Millarworld, this books seems like a stab at seriousness after the bawdiness of Kick-Ass and Secret Service (both coming soon to a theatre near you!) The set-up: the larger-than-life heroes of yesteryear now have children who are forced to exist in their sizable shadow. This is a theme that has been explored, at different levels, in such books as Infinity Inc., Runaways, hell, even Watchmen. But so what? Any concept is only as strong as what the writer bring to it. No, what really rankles here is how the characters feel the need to immediately announce their motivation, instead of having it arise naturally from the narrative. The elders, bearing a strong resemblance to the Justice Society of America, go on and on about the meaning of the American Dream. They debate their place in a democratic society: should they be servants to the will of the people, or should they be running the show? (yes, that old chestnut) They exist only as avatars of differing opinion. Pres. Obama is even name-dropped in an eye-rolling attempt at real-world relevance. The ungrateful youngsters, meanwhile, whine about the pressures of their privileged existence, whilst knee-deep in sex, drugs and publicists, natch (ooh, edgy!) The forced dialogue even seeps into the incidental characters, as when one proclaims of the elder group “Well, there’s no denying you’re a colorful bunch and you’ve certainly piqued my curiosity here.” This is in the first panel of the second page – before we’ve gotten to know any of them! It’s as though he’s stating what Millar wants the reader to think. Well, I’m sorry, but this colorful bunch has piqued in me only the regret of being separated from my $2.99. (DM)

Jupiter’s Legacy #1

So what made your list?

Turning Pages,

Scott & Derek

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The Top Ten Comics of 2012

29 Saturday Dec 2012

Posted by dmainhart in 5 Comics You Should Be Reading

≈ 21 Comments

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Adventure Time, Al Ewing, Alberto Ponticelli, Animal Man, Archer & Armstrong, Battlefields: The Green Fields Beyond, Bloodshot, Braden Lamb, Brendan McCarthy, Brian K. Vaughn, China Mieville, Chris Samnee, Daredevil, Dark Horse, DC Comics, Dial H, Ed Brubaker, Fantagraphics, Fatale, Fiona Staples, Frankenstein: Agent of S.H.A.D.E., Fury Max, Fury: My War Gone By, Garth Ennis, Goran Parlov, Harbinger, IDW, Image Comics, James Robinson, Jeff Lemire, kaboom!, Marco Rudy, Mark Waid, Marvel, Mateus Santoluoco, Matt Kindt, Mind MGMT, Nick Fury, Oni, Popeye, Rachel Rising, Ryan North, Saga, Scott Snyder, Sean Phillips, Severed, Shelli Paroline, Snarked, Steve Pugh, Stumptown: The Case of the Baby in the Velvet Case, Swamp Thing, Tales Designed to Thrizzle, Terry Moore, The Shade, The Zaucer of Zilk, Travel Foreman, Valiant, Winter Soldier, Wonder Woman, Yanick Paquette

Welcome to the 27th Annual Edition of the Top Ten Comics of the Year! What began as two educators blogging in obscurity about their love affair with comics, has grown to become the most highly-anticipated event of the year amongst trend-setters, industry-watchers and that most idolized of velvet rope celebrities, the comic book creator. Why it seems like just yesterday that a little book called Sandman made the list (No. 7, 1991) giving birth to a worldwide phenomenon (we just received our yearly gift of one dozen black roses and homemade crumpets from Neil in eternal gratitude).

A note to the naysayers who complain about end-of-year lists: comics and numbers go hand-in-hand like old movies and cigarettes. If you say the number 27, what serious comics fan wouldn’t think Detective? Or 252, Spidey’s black costume? Why do round-numbered “anniversary” issues always sell higher? From what dark recesses of the mind  doth spring the obsession for a new Number 1 (as this past year surely demonstrates)? Fighting it is like the Kingpin fighting his urge for a donut: counter-intuitive and pointless. So to the list-cynics I say: go make a Top Ten List of your Least Favorite Top Ten Lists and be done with it. You’ll feel better.

The rules: As always, 80% (or 8) of our choices are books that Scott and Derek both read. We each get one alternate to round out the list (see if you can guess which ones these are! Correct answers will get a prize!). For limited series, the lion’s share of the story had to have seen print this year to be eligible (for instance, although Severed finished in 2012, most of the story was published in 2011. Similarly, Garth Ennis’ latest run on Battlefields, which tend to run in nine-issue installments, is only two issues in – and is already a strong contender for next year’s list). There are also no graphic novels on the list. There is no shortage of exciting work being done in a longer format, but this list, like the website itself, is dedicated to those wonderful monthly, folded-and-stapled periodicals which compel us to make our weekly Wednesday trek to the local comic book store for fear of missing something. (Having said that, congrats to Chris Ware on the inclusion of Building Stories on the NY Times own list of Top Ten Books of the Year. Check it out. It is a piece of work.)

What unites most of the books on the list I think, is an expansive approach to storytelling; a willful cherry-picking of literary devices from various genres, gleefully mashing them up against each other and seeing what happens. The playfulness in the examples below is infectious but not inchoate; they are produced by masters of their craft. Each creator involved has hit some kind of stride in the past year. Each comic is a breath of fresh air in our four-colored medium. We are the lucky recipients.

We here at Images and Nerds, of course, welcome debate (as long as you realize the futility of it, as all results are final, having been engraved in a cave wall for posterity.)

Without further eloquence, here’s our Top Ten:

ST_Cv0_ds10. Animal Man/Swamp Thing (DC) – OK, so this is our sneaky way of cramming eleven titles into our top ten list, but these two books really need to be considered as one. The amount of planning and coordination done by respective writers Jeff Lemire and Scott Snyder could serve as a template for the proper way to do that most fraught of endeavors: the crossover. These two clearly share a vision and it’s been thrilling to watch two creators at the top of their game working in such organic concert. Though the story has bogged down somewhat now that we’re in the middle of the epic proper, it’s been one of the surprising delights of the past year to watch their little corner of the DCU grow into its most compelling destination. (DM)

9. Fury: Myfury max War Gone By (Marvel) – I hope you didn’t let your year go by without your grabbing Garth Ennis’s take on Marvel’s eternal warrior, Nick Fury, the only cyclops worth a good Goddamn in the Marvel Universe, anymore, be it NOW! or MAX or whatever.  Fury’s certainly the star here as he boozily–and honestly–reflects upon some of the secret missions he undertook after WW II to ostensibly make a difference in a dangerous world.  But this title is more so everything we love about Ennis: perfectly composed conversations amongst expertly crafted characters (like the deliciously deep Shirley Defabio and the larger-than-life–and classic Ennis creation–Sergent Chef Steinhoff), all before a backdrop of war, with stops in Indochina, Cuba, and Vietnam, where the book will continue–at a punishing pace–in 2013.  But if Fury’s too hero for you, check out Ennis’s latest Battlefields saga, Battlefields: The Green Fields Beyond; it’s through two–a Top Ten worthy two–of six.  Either way, you can’t go wrong; in this guy’s hands, war is heaven. (SC)

shade8. The Shade (DC) – Once upon a time their was a writer of enormous range and nuance; one who easily blended genres and had an uncanny ability to capture the untidy, individual voices of each of his many characters in service of stories both grand and intimate. His name was James Robinson and the exemplar of his craft was a series called Starman. Now in the years since the end of that remarkable book, there has been a writer named James Robinson working on various super-hero books, but the quality of them has been so wildly inconsistent and lacking in authorial voice that it can scarcely seem possible that it is the same writer. Interesting then, that it took a return to the Starman universe to bring about a return to form. In The Shade, Robinson returns to his most compelling creation; a character both physically and morally in the shadows, one whose dandyish affectations and droll, Oscar Wilde-inflected narration serve as perfect counterpoint to the pulpy theatrics of a host of skillfully handled genres and subgenres. Welcome back Mr. Robinson. Stay awhile, please do. (DM)

dd127. Daredevil (Marvel) – Even a blind person who hasn’t had his other senses enhanced by exposure to radioactive material could see that this title has been Marvel’s best for over a year now.  Aside from the seemingly endless Omega Drive arc, which was a series of wrong turns–including a pointless crossover with Spider-Man and The Punisher–with a few delectable diversions dribbled in, specifically issue #12, Daredevil has been the model book in terms of how to marry mirth and mystery.  Mark Waid, Chris Samnee, and Javier Rodriguez had Daredevil dance with Doom for a couple of sensational issues and then created something strange and beautiful with the Coyote storyline, one that had me, at times, wondering if it were headed anywhere–and, in the end, boy, was it!  Damn my dubiousness!  There are a few creators worth our blind trust and our limitless patience, and Waid is without a doubt one of them.  (Speaking of, have you noticed the tone Waid’s establishing over on Indestructible Hulk?)  Similarly, there are many heroes whom we hold dear, but none as dearly as The Man Without Fear. (SC)

FRSH_Cv06. Frankenstein: Agent of S.H.A.D.E. (DC)  – What could easily have been a Hellboy rip-off instead turns out to be an exuberant melange of Universal Monsters from the 1930s and James Bond tropes turned on their head. Jeff Lemire (see #10) got the ball rolling (along with Alberto Ponticelli, whose pitch-perfect art will be missed when he leaves shortly – see #1) with a commitment to unrelenting, over-the-top action. The extraordinary Matt Kindt (see #3) continued the run by focusing on Frankenstein’s tragic history, without sacrificing a whit absurdity or epic carnage. If anything the hint of pathos serves to ground the general giant-monster frenzy, making the book even stronger.  Another oddball (and alas, soon to be late and lamented) winner from DC. (DM)

Fatale-Cover-Image-Comics5. Fatale (Image) – Sure, Ed Brubaker seemed to give up on Captain America in an uninspired final run; and he ran a minimalist route as he turned Winter Soldier into a must-read–and, unexpectedly, a top Marvel book for 2012.  It’s clear, however, where he was focusing his energies: Fatale is Mr. Brubaker at his brutal best.  If you have enjoyed his iconic work with the spectacular Sean Phillips on such titles as Criminal and Incognito, then you’ve most assuredly found Fatale to die for.  A dangerous dame, herself in danger; a fistful of dupes, their freewill twisted as if by magic; some crooked cops and crazy cultists; buckets of blood and nightmarish monsters: all of it comes together to set a terrifying tone and to mold and unfold a complex and compelling mystery–one that insists upon your complete attention.  And how about Phillips’ covers?  Stunning.  Yes, indeed, this is a book that stands out from the rest–in more ways than one. (SC)

ZaucerofZilk_Image4. The Zaucer of Zilk (IDW)  – Brendan McCarthy and Al Ewing’s mini-masterpiece is also perhaps the hardest book on the list to define. Carrollian fantasy, 1960’s psychedelia, and high-flying adventure crash together in a two-issue candy-colored phantasmagoria of a tale. The all-too-brief narrative packs in a lot of story but never feels weighed down by its creators everything-and-the-kitchen-sink approach. Indeed the sheer scope of imagination on display – conceptually, thematically, incidentally even –  breathes such voluminous life into the thing that it threatens to take flight right out of your hands and soar into the ether. It would take most comics years to build a universe as enthralling as this. I, for one, am hoping for a return trip. (DM)

190133. Mind MGMT (Dark Horse) – This is one sexy book.  Matt Kindt–a creator on the cusp of greatness–is doing what he’s so very good at here: telling a taut tale at a brisk pace, one supported by humble yet gorgeous artwork, with colors you just want to drown in.  Go ahead: open any issue to any page; I guarantee you’ll gasp for air–and it’ll feel exhilarating.  I love the concept: Mind MGMT is like the Bush-era Office of Strategic Influence on steroids.  The execution is flawless: the story starts with a startling scene of murderous rage, which, teasingly lacks motive and context, and then segues into a cloudy memory of Amnesia Flight 815, which, in turn, sets the stage for Meru, who sees her next bestseller in the mid-air mystery.  But it’s all just foreplay, friends.  Once Meru meets Henry Lyme, the narrative explodes with the latter’s back story, which is awe-inspiring in its inventiveness and hellishly heart-wrenching, especially as we learn how the rogue operative had a hand–or, more accurately, a mind–in the opening sequence of ultraviolence.  Simply masterful.  The extras are fun, too, especially the bonus stories, which help to build this brilliantly intricate new mythology of men and women who are dangerously and desperately more than their fellow man.  Through seven issues of Mind MGMT and with his fantastic work on Frankenstein: Agent of S.H.A.D.E., Kindt’s proving that he’s more, too–that he’s undoubtedly fit to comfortably sit in the pantheon of present day comic book gods. (SC)

saga-12. Saga (Image) – Combine Star Wars with Romeo and Juliet. Douglas Adams with Meet the Parents. Heavy Metal with The Wonder Years. Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples are pushing against all kinds of boundaries here in a comic that truly has the air of limitless possibility about it. They are also unafraid of testing the preconceptions of their own readership (not to mention their intestinal fortitude – I personally can’t wait for Fard the Ogre’s 2012 Pin-Up Calendar, in all its scrotal glory). But for all this, in the end their story is about one family’s struggle to survive. In this day and age, what could be more resonant? (DM)

DIALH_Cv41. Dial H (DC) – Who knew that it’d take a “Second Wave” to shore up our faith in The New 52?  Well, it did: and said wave, which rolled in during low tide–with even lower expectations–deposited this unexpected treasure from novelist China Mieville and artist extraordinaire Mateus Santolouco at our feet; but once in hand, it was clear: this weird and wonderful story of a regular schmoe who dials up heroes from different worlds is a tsunami of creative vision.  Sure, the first few issues are tough to follow, but it’s in a manner reminiscent of the best of Grant Morrison, where perplexity percolates into something akin to pleasure.  And there’s plenty of pleasure to be had here, especially in the surprises born of Nelson’s turning the dial: there’s the unforgettable first, Boy Chimney, conjured in a stunning sequence of soot and smoke by Santolouco; and there’s the brilliantly satirical Chief Mighty Arrow, depicted bravely by guest artist David Lapham in an issue that just missed being named our Best Single Issue of the Year.  No hero, however, was as inspirational as Rescue Jack: with the dial down, Nelson finds the hero within and saves the day–if only for a moment.  Looking forward, 2013 promises an exciting turn: former Frankenstein: Agent of S.H.A.D.E. artist Alberto Ponticelli has been tapped to take on the challenge of bringing the magic of Mieville’s mind to the page.  We know he’s up for it.  Let’s hope that the readership is, too.  While Dial H has survived the Fourth Wave–sadly, the same can’t be said of Frankenstein–who knows which books the inevitable Fifth and Sixth Waves will wrest from our hands.  So, we say, with the volume dial cranked to 11: buy this book! (SC)

Derek’s Honorable Mentions:

5. Wonder Woman (DC) 4. Snarked! (kaboom!) 3. Stumptown: The Case of the Baby in the Velvet Case (Oni) 2. Popeye (IDW) 1. Tales Designed to Thrizzle (Fantagraphics)

Scott’s Honorable Mentions:

5. Winter Soldier (Marvel) 4. Wonder Woman (DC) 3. Harbinger (Valiant) 2. Archer & Armstrong (Valiant) 1. Rachel Rising (Abstract Studio)

Best Single Issue of the Year: Adventure Time #10 (kaboom!) – “Choose Your Own Adventure Time!” by Ryan North, Shelli Paroline and Braden Lamb. This 15 page story is: An entertaining juggling act of any number playful narratives. A nostalgic, tongue-in-cheek callback for Gen Xer’s and one of their quaint, decidedly analog forms of interactive experience. A meditation on the control we have over our lives (or lack thereof) invoking the Free-Will vs. Determinism debate. A formalistic tour de force where story and design combine seamlessly in an innovative fashion that seems to expand the very  possibilities of the comic book medium. A children’s book with fart jokes. You choose.

Publisher of the Year: This is easy. With four out of the top ten spots (including No.1) it’s gotta be DC right? Wrong. If the first full year of the New 52 relaunch was able to till some fertile ground where the above books were allowed to grow, we are grateful. But each of these books are outliers in the DCU (or in the case of Animal Man/Swamp Thing, at least started as such). Much of their appeal lies in how they’re straining against and redefining the very super-hero mold that they are a part of. Because that of course was the focus of the New 52: superheroes. Retrenching, dusting off the icons and giving them a makeover for the 21st century. In 2012 however, that seems a backward-looking editorial mandate. Artistically, comics as a medium have long since proved capable of encompassing any genre or subject under the sun (or behind it. or beyond it.)  But what our medium still suffers from (and this is why the general public remains unconvinced about the viability of comics as a legitimate entertainment source) is a lack of the sheer amount and variety of product that you see in other formats (TV, movies, books, etc). Like it or not, when most people think comic books, they still think superheroes. Well the company doing the most change that, to fill the void on a week-by-week basis is: Image Comics (knew I’d get there eventually, right?) Go ahead, check out their catalog on any given week: crime, sci-fi, espionage, historical fiction, horror, comedy (and yes, some capes too). And all creator-owned. Are they all hits? Of course not. But Image is doing more than any publisher to create a culture that cultivates young talent while also attracting established creators, united by this one overarching philosophy: create any damn comic you can think of. Smells like the future–or at least 2013.

Turning pages,

Derek & Scott

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