I&N’s Top Ten of 2013

31 Tuesday Dec 2013

Tags

Abstract Studio, Adventure Time, Adventure Time with Fionna & Cake, Afterlife With Archie, Ales Kot, Archer & Armstrong, Archie, Austin Harrison, Bad Houses, Bandette, Battlefields, BOOM!, Brian K. Vaughan, Buzzkill, Clone, Daredevil, Dark Horse, Dark Horse Presents, DC, Dean Motter, Deathmatch, Dial H, Dynamite, Fiona Staples, Fred Van Lente, Fury: My War Gone By, Garth Ennis, Goran Parlov, Greg Rucka, Harold Gray, IDW, Image, Jeff Stokely, kaboom!, Lazarus, Manifest Destiny, Marvel, Mateus Santolouco, Matt Kindt, Michael Lark, Michael Walsh, Mike Raicht, Mind MGMT, Mind the Gap, Mister X: Eviction, Mister X: Hard Candy, Morgan Jeske, Nelson Daniel, Numbercruncher, Oni, Rachel Rising, Sabretooth Swordsman, Saga, Satellite Sam, Seth, Simon Spurrier, Six-Gun Gorilla, Star Wars, Terminator, Terry Moore, the Hernandez Bros, The Massive, The Sixth Gun, The Spirit, Thumbprint, Titan, Tradd Moore, Trillium, Valiant, Vertigo, Wild Blue Yonder, Will Eisner, Winsor McCay, Zach Howard, zero

Welcome to the 46th Annual I&N’s Top Ten Comics of the Year (aka “The Innies”)! Why it seems like just yesterday that a struggling little mag named “The Amazing Spider-Man” edged out “The Adventures of Jerry Lewis” for the top spot on our hallowed list, signaling the spectacular rise of one and the slow descent into obscurity of the other.

Each title below is testament to the fact that, even as conventional wisdom holds that print is dying, comics are in the midst of some kind of Renaissance. The persistent stereotype that this vibrant, global medium is followed by sad, middle-aged men who like to see men in tights beat each other up simply doesn’t hold water anymore, nor has it for quite some time. The fact is, the problem is no longer a lack of diversity in incredible material for any and all possible demographics; it’s that there’s too much of it to keep track of! No less than seven publishers are represented in our Top Ten, each producing catalogues of more great work than we could ever hope to encompass in our tiny alloted piece of the internet. (You’ll note we even had to expand our “Honorable Mentions” section to ten books apiece – and we could’ve used ten more!) Simply put: everyone should be reading comics.

As always, we here at I&N welcome debate – hell, that’s the whole point. Just be aware that results below have already been encrypted onto floppy discs and blasted into space for the benefit of our future alien overlords. (DM)

The List!

10. Archer & Armstrong (Valiant): When Valiant, earlier this year, began hyping up their new title Quantum and Woody as their foray into buddy-action slapstick comedy, I wanted to yell “Wait! They’ve already GOT one of those!” But Archer & Armstrong is much more than that. Fred Van Lente and Co. have taken the best of Lethal Weapon, The X-Files, ancient Sumerian mythology, Dan Brown-type conspiracy novels, Dr. Strangelove, and god knows what else, and concocted a world-spanning epic that despite its breakneck pace and impeccable comic timing, manages an intellectual underpinning that questions the very nature and origins of faith. Even at its most gleefully satirical, however, the sheer exuberance of the writing embraces an expansive view of humanity, in all its wonders and frailties. Fun in a bottle, folks. (DM)

Archer & Armstrong

9. Fury: My War Gone By (Marvel): Garth Ennis proves he’s one of the most incisive writers around (not just in comics) on the subject of war. His deconstruction of the Marvel soldier/spy icon (lately supercool due to Samuel Jackson’s sleek big screen portrayal) is the least of this title’s attributes (which is on our Top Ten for the second year running). Ennis’ story (rendered with appropriate, unblinking grit by Goran Parlov) also serves as an insider’s account through the anguished litany of armed conflict of the second half of the 20th century. Most devastatingly, it portrays the effects of war, not on the nameless many whose lives are needlessly cut short, but on the wretched perpetrators who survive. Merciless and shattering. (DM)

Fury: My War Gone By

8. Zero (Image): Ales Kot, the enigmatic engineer behind the challenging Change (Image), a mostly on-time bullet train of thought fueled by a combustible blend of poetry and pictures, has heroically hit the brakes on the overplayed and over-parodied secret agent genre, expertly taking it from 007 to Zero in no time flat. He’s applied the same amount of poetic pressure here, but to a more successful–and coherent–end storytelling-wise: the danger is palpable, the emotion undeniable–thanks, in part, to the rather complex collaborative effort that has called for four different artists on the first four issues of the series–a move that has transcended gimmick and, instead, has proven invaluable, if only because the first four artists have been Michael Walsh (Comeback), Tradd Moore (The Strange Talent of Luther Strode), Mateus Santolouco (Dial H, TMNT), and Morgan Jeske (Change). My experience thus far: #1 hooked me with its perfect timing and left me lying in the gutter; #2 knocked me upside-down; #3 disarmed me; and #4 made me love it–made me punch-drunk love it, damn it! What makes the book even more exciting? It defies expectations. I expect that it’ll continue defying expectations as we move into 2014. And, in that, I expect Zero to be just as good as it’s been–if not infinitely better because we’re getting the best of Kot, who’s clearly giving us everything he’s got. (SC)

Zero

7. Lazarus (Image): Greg Rucka’s vision of a near-future oligarchic dystopia gets under your skin because, in the tradition of Huxley and Orwell, it seems an all-too-plausible extrapolation of our current reality. The story is made even more unsettlingly concrete by Michael Lark’s stark, photorealistic visuals. Contrast the plight of the teeming masses with the power-hungry family dynamic of the ultra-privileged few, and you have a potent, volatile mix. A comic for our times. (DM)

Lazarus

6. Wild Blue Yonder (IDW): Sure, it’s only three issues in, but what a three-issue ride it’s been! We’ve celebrated this action-packed series from its radar-arousing takeoff, with each high-speed pass earning enviable I&N accolades along the way. (Check out the love here, here, and here.) Top Gunners Mike Raicht, Zach Howard, Nelson Daniel, and Austin Harrison have come together in classic diamond formation to deliver one superior salvo after another, each on its own–and as a whole–a blockbuster that would humble Hollywood’s own best of 2013. (SC)

Wild Blue Yonder

5. Rachel Rising (Abstract Studio): Terry Moore presents a truly American horror story: witches, serial killers, and a resurrected figure of biblical origins seeking vengeance for the sins of our nation’s past. Oh yeah, and the Devil. Moore draws you in with the quiet beauty of his artwork; his snow-covered renditions of the sleepy town of Manson enveloping you like a down blanket in front of a fireplace, before the sharp spasms of bloodletting shock you right back into his nightmare. However terrible the events depicted though, Moore seems to suggest they pale against the cruelties of history. Speaking of cruelties, let’s hope a purported television adaptation staves off recent talk of this book’s imminent demise. Because the real horror story would be a world without Rachel Rising. (DM)

Rachel Rising

4. Saga (Image): Saga is a lot of things: a superlative satire, a side-splitting sci-fi romp, a heart-wrenching romance, a critique of fiction, a controversy magnet; but most of all, it’s extraordinarily consistent; and it’s that consistency that fosters a critical expectation: to expect the unexpected. On a monthly basis, Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples serve up sublime slices of a greater story–slices that showcase razor sharp dialogue, that pitch perfect pathos, that sell sure shocks; they wisely fool with the elements of fiction and, like confident alchemists, have come up with issue after issue of 22-page gold–and we’re all the richer for it. (SC)

Saga

3. Six-Gun Gorilla (BOOM!): In the biggest surprise of the year, Si Spurrier conducts a multi-layered masterclass in metaficiton and at the same time delivers a eulogy on the dying art of escapism. From the existential exposition of this weird, weird western to its necessarily hopeful final act, Spurrier’s imaginative muse–the Six-Gun Gorilla, himself–becomes Blue’s, and then naturally becomes ours as we consent to the writer’s every insistence; as we gladly lose ourselves in this genre-bending–and never-ending–battle between reality and fiction, good and evil, and fate and freewill, which is brought to life by rising star Jeff Stokely, whose artwork crucially complements the conflicts at the core of the story. At the same time a celebration of a culture’s vital literary legacy and a criticism of the current collective unconscious, Six-Gun Gorilla has earned its spot in the Western Canon of Comics–and our Top Ten–with a simple but oft-neglected gesture: by making and keeping a primal promise. (SC)

Six-Gun Gorilla

2. Mind MGMT (Dark Horse): Matt Kindt’s magical mystery tour de force Mind MGMT—our #3 book of 2012–continues to astound, especially as its crafty creator meticulously molds the medium to suit his carefully constructed conspiratorial agenda. As the story of the eponymous enigmatic entity has evolved, so too has Kindt’s strategy for telling it: his precise, patient prose; his layouts, enlivened by some otherworldly calculus; and his innovative brushstrokes of genius merge miraculously and challenge us to think and to feel, to be active participants in the world in which we’ve been immersed: to put beautifully painted pieces together in order to experience–along with the impressive cast of characters–confusion and loss, the conflation of time, and a higher power drawing us somewhere unprecedented in breadth and scope–drawing us in to the mind of the medium’s finest manager. (SC)

Mind MGMT

1. Mister X (Dark Horse): There are many approaches to creating great comics. One of them is largely collaborative, in which the creative duties are are separated and clearly defined (writer, artist, colorist, letterer, etc). Through an amalgam of traditional, action-based American comics and the more leisurely paced, lushly visual influence of manga, this approach has evolved over the last twenty years or so into what could be called a “cinematic” style; a treatment of the comic book form that seems based in the ethos of filmmaking (Lazarus, above, is an excellent example of this). Then there is another approach (let us call it the “auteur’s” approach) in which the cartoonist (let us rescue this title from the cultural dung-heap) assumes all of the above creative responsibilities to produce narratives that are singular and personal in a way that no other visual medium, not even movies, can replicate. Since they control all aspects of the work – not just writing and drawing, but page design, panel lay-out, font style and placement and all sorts of graphic elements; in short the whole package – they can, at their best, perfectly marry content and form in a manner that is unique to the comics medium. It is an approach with a history that extends at least back to Will Eisner and The Spirit. Perhaps because it takes such a concerted effort by a single individual, this type of formal, experimental approach is most often seen in the realm of the “graphic novel”. Rarely is it employed in our beloved, stapled floppies (though glimmers of hope have begun to appear on the comic racks: see Matt Kindt, above and below). And then there is Mister X. Created by Dean Motter in the early 1980’s, (when “graphic novels” barely existed as an idea) the title has long been a touchstone among independent-minded cartoonists (early contributors include the Hernandez Bros and Seth). In its latest iterations, Hard Candy and Eviction, Motter continues to seamlessly wed both approaches: there is the clear stylistic influence of German Expressionism and film noir for which the comic is known, but there are also the aforementioned design choices that reflect the themes of the narrative itself. The story involves the mysterious architect of a city in which the very buildings (in all their art deco glory) seem to respond to, and adversely influence, the psyches of its very inhabitants. This theme, played out in yarns that are at once hard-boiled, surreal and whimsical, acts as a fitting metaphor for the experience of the reader, as they interact with the “architecture” of Motter’s intricate design. Further, Motter includes delightful homages to the likes of Harold Gray (“Little Urchin Andy”), Winsor McCay (“Dream of the Robot Friend”) and the aforementioned Eisner (see cover below) which pay tribute to the comics history of which Mister X is a part, while, again, also making sense within the story itself. The overall effect is immersive and beguiling. Some comics tell great stories. Some comics celebrate their history. Some comics continue to push at the boundaries of the medium. And then there is Mister X. Book Of the Year. (DM)

Mister X:Eviction

Derek’s Honorable Mentions: 20. Dial H (DC) 19. Afterlife with Archie (Archie) 18. Manifest Destiny (Image) 17. Thumbprint (IDW) 16. The Massive (Dark Horse) 15. Battlefields (Dynamite) 14. Adventure Time (kaboom!) 13. Numbercruncher (Titan) 12. Trillium (DC/Vertigo) 11. Adventure Time with Fionna and Cake (kaboom!)

Scott’s Honorable Mentions:

20. Battlefields (Dynamite) 19. Daredevil (Marvel) 18. The Sixth Gun (Oni) 17. Deathmatch (BOOM!) 16. Satellite Sam (Image) 15. Clone (Image) 14. Numbercruncher (Titan) 13. Mind the Gap (Image) 12. The Massive (Dark Horse) 11. Trillium (DC/Vertigo)

Best Single Issue of the Year: Mind MGMT #17 (Dark Horse)

With #17, Kindt reaches new heights, goes to greater lengths–particularly in page-busting panels of crisply-crafted and concurrent continuous narratives–to exploit the power of the medium. As promised by the clever cover–one awash in paranoia and paronomasia–the story moves at a breakneck pace: from a locked and loaded unhappy Home Maker to a veritable orgy of violent rivers running toward a simultaneous orgasm of double-page splashes–there goes the neighborhood, indeed!–to a crack shot Meru, who, with a twist of Lyme, is ready to take the reins and restore reason to the world one agent at a time. The whole damn thing’s a miracle, really. Hell, at this point, I wouldn’t be surprised if Kindt could turn his watercolors to wine; his work is that divine. (SC)

Mind MGMT #17

Publisher of the Year: Most comics-related outfits have finally caught onto Image Comics‘ trend-setting ways and already bestowed this honor upon them (no doubt, in no small part, due to our ahead-of-the-curve naming them Publisher of the Year in 2012 😉 And with stellar debuts like Lazarus and Zero (not to mention books like Manifest Destiny and Rat Queens) the accolades are hard to dispute. But let us do just that (contrary bastards that we are). Because 2013 was the year that a bevy of other publishers took a page from Image’s playbook and produced work, much of it creator-owned, that was just as innovative, idiosyncratic, and invigorating as Image’s output. BOOM!, IDW, Oni, Dyanmite – all produced titles of creativity, breadth and distinction. But there was one publisher that rose unexpectedly, like its namesake, above the rest: Dark Horse. While never taking their eye off their bread-and-butter licensed properties (like Star Wars and Terminator) Dark Horse branched out into new territory with exciting minis from largely unknown creators (Buzzkill), original graphic novels (Bad Houses), and printed versions of high quality digital comics (Bandette, Sabretooth Swordsman). And let’s face it, Dark Horse has been doing the creator-owned, independent thing for over twenty years, as evidenced by the revival of the premiere comics anthology, Dark Horse Presents. So while Image is the current industry darling (and deservedly so), we can’t ignore the evidence of our comic-lovin’ eyes: the best overall books of 2013 (including our Top Two titles) were published by Dark Horse Comics. (DM)

Looking forward to 2014,

Scott & Derek

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

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

Derekommendations: 8/21

29 Thursday Aug 2013

Posted by dmainhart in Derekommendations

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Tags

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

Top 5 Books of May: Cities, Dreams & Red Underwear

09 Sunday Jun 2013

Posted by ScottNerd in 5 Comics You Should Be Reading

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

Adventure Time with Fionna & Cake, Adventures of Superman, Battlefields, Battlefields: The Fall and Rise of Anna Kharkova, Brian Wood, Chris Samnee, Dark Horse, DC Comics, Dean Motter, Dream Thief, Dynamite Entertainment, Fatale, Garth Ennis, Greg Smallwood, Image, Jai Nitz, Jeff Lemire, Jeff Parker, Justin Jordan, kaboom!, Man of Steel, Matt Kindt, Mind MGMT, Mister X: Eviction, Natasha Allegri, New 52, Nowhere Men, Riley Rossmo, Russ Braun, Saga, The Bounce, The Manhattan Projects, The Massive

This was the toughest Top 5 list we’ve had to put together yet: ol’ reliables like Saga and Manhattan Projects didn’t put out an issue in May. And other stalwarts like Fatale and Nowhere Men, while solid, weren’t quite their usual, exemplary selves (hmm, looking at the above titles it seems we’re really putting the Image in images and Nerds). All these open spots generated much discussion from your intrepid reviewers about who should fill them. Change, of course, can be a good thing. Shake things up! Diversify! In the end, we’re pleased by the inclusion of three brand new #1’s on the list below, with all the promise they imply, even as we bid a fond adieu to one excellent title that seems to be ending its run.

5. Dream Thief #1 (Dark Horse): An undeserving lowlife is possessed by a mystical power that places him in hairy situations, seemingly in the name of justice. Jai Nitz’s tightly-structured occult noir hums like clockwork thanks in large part to Greg Smallwood’s beautifully designed graphic fireworks. After one issue, both of these gentlemen feel like creators to watch. And Dark Horse, with titles like this, Brian Wood’s The Massive, and Matt Kindt’s Mind MGMT (not to mention our #1 title below) is positioning itself to give Image a run for its money as the most exciting publisher around. (DM)

4. Battlefields: The Fall and Rise of Anna Kharkova #6 (Dynamite): It’s a bird! In a plane! It’s Anna Kharkova! Garth Ennis and Russ Braun set the irrepressible Night Witch free with a Yeatsian final stanza that celebrates the unconquerable human spirit. (SC)

3. Adventure Time with Fionna and Cake #5 (kaboom!): The only regular on this month’s list, Natasha Allegri’s gender-switching fairy tale pulls off the neat trick of subtly subverting story-time expectations while also thrillingly living up to them. Truly a comic for “all-ages”. (DM)

2. Adventures of Superman #1 (DC): So what if this trio of short stories first appeared digitally? We first read them the old fashioned way – holding them in our grubby little hands as an actual comic book! Whatever the format, this is the best Superman title we’ve read in a while. Jeff Parker pens a classic story about an early Luthor encounter, made even more so by Chris Samnee’s utterly gorgeous art. We’re convinced: Samnee should draw Superman regularly. And every other superhero title. Justin Jordan and Riley Rossmo close the book with a fun Bizarro tale. But the star here is Jeff Lemire. Set in the vast expanses of rural Kansas, Lemire’s story and art are given the room to breathe that has been sorely lacking in some of his other superhero books. That may seem an odd comment for a story that’s all of ten pages, but Lemire fills them with the sense of imagination and wonder that are the essence of Superman. In the process, Lemire also reminds us what we love about him. This wonderful book has the cumulative, perhaps unintended, effect of making us long for the pre-New 52 Man of Steel. Long live the Red Trunks! (DM)

1. Mister X: Eviction #1 (Dark Horse): Amongst the standout books for the month, Dean Motter’s urbane banquet of urban anxiety stands out the most; in fact, it towers above the rest! Mr. Motter is in complete control of the pagescape: he wields images and words with an imaginative precision that makes a penthouse reality out of street-level dreams. All hyperbole aside, this, folks, is why we make our weekly pilgrimage to the comic shop. (SC)

The Biggest Dis(appointment): The Bounce #1 (Image): If Joe Casey’s Sex is a tired, syphilitic muse, then his latest, The Bounce, is an adopted crack baby. From the opening toke–a decision more desperate than daring–Casey wields his great power irresponsibly: he lazily and preposterously offers up a seemingly incorrigible pothead, one agonizingly alliterative Jasper Jenkins–an obvious Peter Parker analog–and then oddly recalls an irrelevant hero, Speedball–no, really, Speedball!–who himself was misguidedly modeled after Spider-Man, for goodness sake, all the while sticking too closely to the all-too-familiar amazing spiderweb, you know, because why futz around with a tried and true formula that’s caught villains and readers alike for fifty-plus years. Speaking of villains: in the grandiloquent antagonist The Darling, Casey conjures his inner Mark Millar yet again (see Sex for more evidence of Casey’s indisputable infatuation with the obnoxious Scotsman); and in the Grand Design, he shows that he’s embarrassingly “behind the curve”–certainly behind Jonathan Hickman, whose The Manhattan Projects sports a curiously similar device. Yeah: surprise. If I’m being fair, The Fog, injected into the end of the book, does bring a tablespoon of originality to the flame; but whatever taste I’ve gotten is a bizarre, almost indescribable feeling that smacks of questionable calls–including having The Crush inexplicably use “tenacious” to describe the “pigs” that he assumes one sentence later will be “pissed” once they find out what he’s done–and tone deaf pseudo-intellectualism. Maslow’s hierarchy of needs? Really? So, while I did say yes to the first issue, going forward, I’m going to listen to the small voice in my head, that of the former first lady who famously said that, when facing a choice such as this, I should just say no. (SC)

Turning pages,

Derek & Scott

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

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

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

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 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

Top 5 Books of March 2013 – The Best of Times?

14 Sunday Apr 2013

Posted by dmainhart in 5 Comics You Should Be Reading

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Adventure Time with Fionna & Cake, Animal Man, Battlefields, Brian K. Vaughan, Buddy Cops, Dark Horse, DC, Ed Brubaker, Eric Stephenson, Evan Shaner, Fatale, Fiona Staples, Fonografiks, Garth Ennis, IDW, Image, J. Bone, kaboom!, My?tery Society, Natasha Allegri, Nate Bellegarde, Nate Cosby, New 52, Nowhere Men, Roger Langridge, Saga, The Answer, The Rocketeer: Hollywood Horror

Folks, if you don’t already know, it’s a great time to be reading comics. Take this month’s list for example: when stalwarts like Garth Ennis’s Battlefields and Ed Brubaker’s Fatale don’t even crack the top five (not to mention such left field surprises as My?tery Society and The Answer!) you know it’s been some good readin’. Dare I suggest we’re witnessing a second Golden Age?

5. Adventure Time with Fionna and Cake #3 (kaboom!): Natasha Allegri’s delectable delight is not exactly subversive, like a dessert laden with liquor, but it is a multi-layered cake. It can be gulped down, with childlike ravenousness, as the super-fun fairy tale that is. Or it can be slowly digested as a knowing commentary on gender roles. Or better yet, both. Bon Appetit. (DM)

4. Buddy Cops (Dark Horse): To kinda quote the Clan: “[Nate Cosby] be tossin’, enforcin’, [his] style is awesome/[Evan Shaner’s] causin’ more Family Feuds than Richard Dawson/And the survey said–[if ya didn’t think Buddy Cops was friggin’ hilarious,] ya [must be] dead.” (SC–with a little help from RZA)

3. The Rocketeer: Hollywood Horror #2 (IDW): Pulp heroes tearing it up in the golden age of Hollywood? Really, what more could you ask for? Roger Langridge and J Bone’s ode to nostalgia earns the label “classic” on every level. A dream for comics fans and movie fans. (DM)

2. Nowhere Men #4 (Image): Complex storytelling, beautiful art and sophisticated design: Eric Stephenson, Nate Bellegarde and Fonografiks’ tale of science gone awry in a retro-mod near future is a sleek, finely-tuned, precision vehicle. If “science is the new rock n’ roll” then this is the coolest book on the stands. (DM)

1. Saga #11 (Image): A stunning piece of storytelling from Brian K. Vaughn and Fiona Staples. Over the course of eleven issues, they’ve managed to assemble the most relatable cast of characters in comics; and that unparalleled ensemble is put to the test in this emotionally charged issue of sex, love, sacrifice, and death. There isn’t another book being published that can touch it. I thank God I get to–every four weeks or so. (SC)

The Biggest Dis(appointment): Animal Man #18 (DC) – “The most tragic day in the life of Buddy Baker”? OK. If you say so. In fact, you had to say so because, as the story unfolded, I felt absolutely nothing of tragedy–except maybe the very tragic pangs of disappointment. In the end, my expectations for this title–which had been on life support after #17–were killed along with Cliff, himself a mini Animal Man, playing the role of the simply unnecessary sacrificial lamb. (SC)

But let’s accentuate the positive: this month’s Top 5 represent a wild variety of storytelling, genre and art that affirms and re-affirms our love of the medium. We share these books because they are the ones that excited us this month. So what’s your Top 5? Share it with us. Or spread the word and tell a friend. Like we said, it’s a great time to be reading comics.

Turning pages,

Scott & Derek

Back & Forth: Hail the Future Heroes of Yesteryear!

26 Tuesday Mar 2013

Posted by dmainhart in Back and Forth

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2001: A Space Odyssey, 48 Hours, Adventure Time, Archer & Armstrong, Betty Page, Bravest Warriors, Buddy Cops, Chris Samnee, Cliff Secord, Dark Horse Comics, Darwyn Cooke, Dave Stevens, Dirty Money, Emanuela Lupacchino, Eric Stephenson, Evan Shaner, Fab Four, Fantastic Four, Fonografiks, Fred the Clown, Fred Van Lente, Guillermo Ortego, IDW, Indiana Jones, J. Bone, Jack Kirby, Jeff Smith, Joey Comeau, Jonathan Hickman, Jordie Bellaire, kaboom!, Lethal Weapon, Lisa Moore, Mark Waid, Michael Caine, Mike Holmes, Nate Bellegarde, Nate Crosby, Nick & Nora, Nowhere Men, Robert Osborne, Roger Langridge, Rush Hour, Ryan Pequin, Snarked, Stan Lee, Stanley Kubrick, Starsky and Hutch, TCM, Terry Pratchett, The Beatles, The British Invasion, The Da Vinci Code, The Rocketeer, The Rocketeer: Hollywood Horror, The Rocketeer: The Cargo of Doom, The Thin Man, The Thing, Uranus, Valiant, Wu-Tang Clan

Derek Mainhart: Friends, mutants and aliens, lend me your ears! Join us as we travel back to the future, to a time when heroes roamed the sky and science paved the way for a better tomorrow! A time of ancient robots and futuristic gladiators! Atomic monkeys and electric guitars! Beckoned by the spark of a holographic welder’s torch, we hurtle forward into history to meet our retro-destiny! Like sands through the hourglass, so are the Days of Our Future Past…

A 1930s pulp hero created in the 1980s and revived in the 2000s? Who better to exemplify nostalgia for an innocent era that never was than The Rocketeer? Like his contemporary Depression-era adventurer, Indiana Jones, Dave Stevens’ legendary creation peddled in, and paid homage to, the wanton exuberance of classic B-movie serials. Stevens’ buoyant, uncynical cliffhangers (hell, the lead character’s name is Cliff) combined with his lush illustration (its classic draftsmenship itself like a relic from a bygone era) to inspire a devoted cult following. And let’s not forget his masterstroke; making pin-up queen, Betty Page, Cliff’s girlfriend. Stevens’ work was so accomplished, it seemed superfluous for anyone else to try their hand at the character, even after his untimely death in 2008.

Some characters however, are simply too good to fade away. Happily IDW has relaunched The Rocketeer, giving the hero his due: first in an anthology series featuring top-flight creators, then in a four-issue mini by creative team par excellence, Mark Waid and Chris Samnee. Now we have Roger Langridge and J Bone on The Rocketeer: Hollywood Horror. Folks, this may be the best new Rocketeer yarn yet. The previous stories tried (and succeeded to various degrees) to recapture the inherent nostalgia of the character via an innocent, never-say-die tone indicative of 1930s and ’40s Americana, perhaps casting it against a major historical backdrop like, say, WWII. Well Langridge goes five steps further and fully immerses him in the era. This should perhaps come as no surprise from a writer whose past work has encompassed everything from the slapstick of early cinema (Fred the Clown, hysterical) to Carrollian nonsense (Snarked!, inspired) to his current work, the vaudevillian, high-seas adventures of Popeye (a gift to anyone with an appreciation for the history of the medium). For The Rocketeer, he’s not satisfied to present his tale in a typical one-size-fits-all B-movie slang; rather he seems conversant in a variety of era-specific patois and idiom. Further, he entangles our hero with fictional characters specific to that time: first, the minions of Doc Savage (that greatest of pulp heroes), and then, seemingly apropos of nothing, Nick and Nora (and Asta!) from the venerated Thin Man film series. Between this and the multitude of references to old movies and forgotten actors (the narrator himself seems to be one), this book is a dream for lovers of pulp and classic Hollywood. It would be right at home being introduced by Robert Osborne on TCM. And let’s not forget J Bone’s pitch-perfect art. His bold, cartoony rendering immediately cues dirigibles, De Soto’s and dames. His work stands well with Darwyn Cooke and Jeff Smith (one wishes he was handling the covers as well; nothing against the legendary Walt Simonson, but his style, all harsh angles and frenetic line, is simply a poor fit – my one quibble). All in all Langridge and Bone are crafting a Rocketeer comic that is not only worthy of its legacy, but builds on it. Somewhere, I daresay, Dave Stevens is smiling.

Scott Carney: Geez, yeah, all that and– OK, who am I kidding? I’m not as tuned into the history of The Rocketeer as you are. (Is anyone?) In fact, my first experience with the character was The Cargo of Doom.

DM: Oh, trust me; there are people who know way more about The Rocketeer than I do. What about the movie? Ring a bell?

SC: There was a movie?

DM: I can’t even.

SC: No, really, I liked what Waid and Samnee did in their mini. If I’m being honest, I bought the series for them; and for the most part, I wasn’t disappointed; but I wasn’t all of a sudden a Rocketeer fan. As far as I was concerned, it was an act of loyalty–to the creators; and if they were to take on the character again, I’d be there. Wasn’t planning on ever following the further adventures of Cliff Secord. In fact, I passed on this one–initially, anyway. You recommended it–emphatically, if I’m remembering correctly–so I picked it up. Dude, you were so right. What a good time! Through two, I’m thinking, like you, that Hollywood Horror is at a whole other level, thanks to Langridge’s vision and Bone’s fleshing it all out.

DM: Next up in our Canyon of Heroes is Archer and Armstrong #8 (Valiant). Their centuries-spanning pseudo-epic is rich in taste but refreshingly light in calories. Part buddy-story, part sibling-rivalry, part worldwide-conspiracy, this frothy fable features improbable adventure and high satire. It’s like The Da Vicni Code as written by Terry Pratchett. Writer Fred Van Lente (with solid art by Emanuela Lupacchino and Guillermo Ortego) garnishes the high-octane action with Big Ideas and comedic flourish, never failing to entertain. His one misstep here though; in an attempt to counter the usual lighthearted tone with some emotional heft, he has the villain speak of his role in an event that is very like a recent national tragedy. My immediate reaction, for what it’s worth, was a discomfiting “too soon.” Again, this is a quibble, lasting as it does for all of one panel. Month in, month out, we write about the pleasures delivered by Van Lente & Co.’s work on this book. So pick the damn thing up, if you haven’t already.

Scott Carney: I know you’re glad I picked up Buddy Cops (Dark Horse) for you after your initial pass.

Buddy Cops #1

DM: Yeah it was all right I guess…

SC: “All right”? That’s quite an understatement, my friend! Sure, Buddy Cops–an hilarious one-shot from a publisher that has been making its name seem more and more ironic with each passing week–seemed to come out of nowhere. In fact, it was an “Oh, and by the way” recommendation from one of my shop guys. (That’s right: I have more than one.) There was room enough in my bag and a few bucks still smoldering in my pocket, so I went for it; and I was not disappointed. As promised, Nate Crosby and Evan Shaner deliver “da muthaf***in’ ruckus” in this crack-a-panel homage-slash-send up of the buddy cop genre. The ready-to-rumble, Wu-Tang spoutin’ Uranus and the electrode-in-the-mud T.A.Z.E.R. are on the case–three of ’em, in fact–and take on outrageous creatures (including, a ninety-foot-tall orangutan in a monk’s robe, who professes precariously, “da lord iss my sligshot,” while sitting atop a church) and social issues (Gay marriage! Arbortion!) in one giant “monsterswat!” They are Riggs and Murtaugh from Lethal Weapon; they are Carter and Lee from Rush Hour; they are Hammond and Cates from 48 Hours; they are Starsky and Hutch from, well, Starsky & Hutch–the T.V. show, dammit! But despite their being so obviously and so proudly derivative, they’re the freshest pair to hit the funny pages in recent memory. I laughed out loud and profess my love for this book even louder! And, borrowing from George Costanza, I say this with an unblemished record of staunch heterosexuality: I hope this isn’t the last I’ll get to see of Uranus.

DM: Ok, ok, it was funny. Yeesh! Even so, it wasn’t even the funniest book this week, at least for my money.

SC: Keep your dirty money!

DM: Would that I could. But the biggest barrel o’ laffs this week was Bravest Warriors #6 (kaboom!). This time out, our future science heroes are knee-deep in bazookas, beauty pageants and brain transplants; and that doesn’t even scratch the surface. Joey Comeau’s story takes beloved sci-fi tropes and makes mincemeat out of them. And having his hysterically depraved scenarios drawn by Mike Holmes in the faux-naive, child-friendly style of Adventure Time (saturated in pretty, pretty colors by Lisa Moore) just makes the whole thing seem so, so wrong. (Ditto Ryan Pequin’s giggle-inducing back-up story). The absurdity in this book is so ridiculous, it’s almost profound.

Of course the book that did more than any to bring science adventurers to the modern era was Jack Kirby and Stan Lee’s Fantastic Four. Emphasis on mod. After fifty-plus years of history, it’s easy to forget that these staples of the spinner rack were once downright cutting edge. As Pop Art was breaking the boundaries between ‘fine’ and ‘low’ art, Kirby was exploding the restrictive design of the comics page. In the midst of the Space Race, the costumed quartet were frequent fliers. And at the height of the British Invasion, Lee and Kirby gave comics its own Fab Four. Those early issues still crackle with energy and freshness. As the years wore on however, FF inevitably transitioned from zeitgeist to nostalgia, revolutionary to venerable.

Now Eric Stephenson and Nate Bellegarde have dusted off the elements that made FF great and reconfigured them (along with a whole bunch of other stuff) to create Nowhere Men (Image), a decidedly 21st century comic. The story (with the tagline ‘Science is the New Rock-N-Roll’) concerns four celebrity scientists (bearing more than a passing resemblance to The Beatles) who banded together in the ’60s, forming a mega-conglomerate called World Corp dedicated to the betterment of mankind. In the present however, they’ve long since gone their separate ways, due to ego clashes, differing visions, (sound familiar?) as well as mysterious circumstances that haven’t been fully revealed yet. One or all of them are also somehow involved in the fate of a space crew whose mission has somehow gone seriously awry.

Here the comparison to FF is particularly instructive: where Kirby and Lee, reflective of their age, presented a utopian faith in scientific progress, Stephenson and Bellegarde present a view that is, not cynical exactly, but knowing, tempered by an awareness of human weakness and fallibility. The innocence of scientific discovery for its own sake has been replaced by the reality of serving corporate profit. Technological advancement is understood as at least as destructive as it is creative. For example, in FF the group is testing an experimental rocket when they are struck by ‘cosmic rays’ endowing them with superpowers, which they promptly use to protect humanity (with the monstrous Thing serving as tragic, though still noble, counterpoint). In Nowhere Men, we have a group of scientists quarantined in a space station due to a ‘sickness’ they’ve contracted under mysterious circumstances. The effects of the sickness affect each individual randomly, even capriciously, as some are granted ‘abilities’ (as opposed to ‘superpowers’) while others undergo grotesque transformations that make the Thing look like Michael Caine in comparison. And some are in between (one of the more appealing characters seems to combine the brute strength and appearance of the Thing with the intellectual remove of Mr. Fantastic). Where one offered limitless promise, the other deals in disillusionment; even the title seems to suggest it.

This is far from a hopeless affair however. For one, the sheer inventiveness of the storytelling will not allow it. In addition to alternating between the past and present, Stephenson’s elliptical narrative is fragmented amongst various viewpoints. Only now, in this fourth issue, are its non-linear elements beginning to coalesce (I didn’t even feel comfortable reviewing the thing ’til now). But that’s not all. The very presentation of information is unorthodox. In the current issue for example, Stephenson thinks nothing of inserting three pages of prose – an excerpted ‘chapter’ from a tell-all history of World Corp – right in the middle of the action. This not only serves as a clever transition, but adds visual depth to the story, as the chapter is presented in a specific graphic style that convincingly suggests the late ’70s / early ’80s. Where FF‘s brash, boundary-breaking style was in keeping with the modern sensibilities of its era, Nowhere Men‘s approach is distinctly postmodern, befitting our own fractured time.

Which brings us to perhaps the most notable aspect of the book: its design. FF had the kinetic genius of Kirby’s art. Nowhere Men instead employs the principles of sophisticated modern graphic presentation. The clean, cold concision of Bellegarde’s art is impressive enough. But it is packaged, along with the aforementioned textual pieces, faux ads and information graphics, in a carefully considered manner that takes into account the comic book as an object. The refined aesthetic has been compared, aptly, to Stanley Kubrick’s 1968 masterpiece, 2001: A Space Odessey. Fonografiks, the company responsible for the look of the book, is really to be commended; I only wish the name of the specific designer was credited. The inside covers, the selection of fonts, the credits; all act in concert to create a visually immersive experience that reinforces the incidents of the story. When was the last time the design of a comic played such a concerted, integral role in the narrative?

FF has had any number of interesting runs over the years (Jonathan Hickman just finished up a pretty good one at that). But the true successor to Kirby and Lee’s vision, innovation and cultural relevance is Nowhere Men. Book of the Week.

Turning pages,

Derek & Scott

Back and Forth: Sex & Children’s Books

17 Sunday Mar 2013

Posted by dmainhart in Back and Forth

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Adventure Time, Adventure Time with Fionna & Cake, Animal Man, Aubrey Beardsley, Barnabas Collins, Batman, Batwoman, Bravest Warriors, Catwoman, Dark Shadows, DC Comics, Dynamite Entertainment, Ex Machina, Green Arrow, Hayao Miyazaki, Image, Jae Lee, Janet Lee, Jeff Lemire, Jim McCann, Joe Casey, kaboom!, Lost Vegas, Mike Raight, Nacho Tenorio, Natasha Allegri, New 52, Ocean's Eleven, Pendleton Ward, Piotr Kowalski, Return of the Dapper Men, Richard Corben, Rotworld, Scott Snyder, Sex, Swamp Thing, Watchmen, Winsor McCay, Yanick Paquette

Derek Mainhart: Provocative title, eh? Well, we’ll get to that in a minute. First to some (finally) finished business.

Scott Carney: Finished, indeed–at least as far as Animal Man #18 (DC) finishes anything. And thank the good Lord, too. The Rot was wearing on me, man. It’s no secret: we didn’t care for the big two-part Rotworld finale for an unholy host of reasons. Lucky for us, the finale was only the finale of the storyline as it takes place in the actual Rotworld; and by actual, I mean possible because, in the end, Baker and Holland were presented with the opportunity to keep it all from happening in the first place–and, boy, did they take it! I can’t get into the nitty-gritty of the real finale, however, without first commenting on the ill-conceived cover. Jae Lee’s anguished Animal Man is stunning; and the cover would’ve been, too, had it not been sullied by a tragically-placed assertion that ~~spits~~ vomits in the eye of subtlety:

I mean, come on! Check out this art-only cover; it’s so much more effective:

Animal Man #18–Right?

Add the requisite logo and bar code and we’re still talking about an absolutely killer cover.

DM: Have to agree about the cover. Without the text, completely effective. With the text, it’s like that oft-parodied film cliche of the tragic hero falling to is knees while yelling “NNOOOOOOO!!!!” up at the sky. In other words: laughable. The early front-runner for worst cover of the year.

SC: Once inside, we’re treated to a quick little recap of the end of Swamp Thing #17 and then sucked into what Buddy refers to as “the most unsettling sensation,” while describing his return to the pre-Rotworld present. I found the narration unsettling, as well; it seems to creep toward the edge of profundity, never quite making it there, and, as a result, festers in ineffectuality and leaves behind unintentionally laughable lines–and a hero for whom I had trouble hoping the very best.

(I don’t do this very often: spoiler alert!!!)

I did find a truly touching moment in Buddy’s remembering Cliff’s finger painting different animals when the latter was “a little boy.” I’d have trouble, though, if you were to ask me to “flip the pages and point to another” such moment. Couldn’t do it. See: after that singular scene–in retrospect, the necessary father-and-son set-up for the end–the story dies as quickly and as unceremoniously as Cliff–who passes proudly as a “hero–just like [his father],” which, on a side note, is an interesting counterpoint to something Jeff Lemire’s developing in another one of his books, Green Arrow #18: Komodo, the Bullseye to Green Arrow’s Daredevil, has a daughter who–speaking of unsettling–plays the role of an evil apprentice, who also has a connection, story-wise to fingers, oddly enough; in this case, the little girl is used as a pointed threat against one of her father’s prisoners: “[…], or my daughter starts cutting off your fingers.” (By the way, I’m still not too sure how I feel about it. Kudos to Lemire for that!)

Back to Animal Man and the devolution of the story: with my own fingers dutifully turning pages, I found the dialogue disappointingly reminiscent of #17 (“So just die already!”). And how strange was the splash on page 18, with the guys in the yellow suits shedding their rot? At last! Something interesting! But, despite their presence on the page, neither Buddy nor Maxine react to the seemingly important revelation; and when Buddy finally does seem to notice them–several panels later–he doesn’t seem all that concerned! It was all so very awkward and forced–well, Lemire did have to live up to the promise of the textually explicit cover, after all; couldn’t bring myself to care, though, even with the final splash–and just not what I’ve come to expect from the aforementioned esteemed writer, who is an absolute master at developing sympathetic characters and complex yet relatable relationships. My expectations are still high for him and Animal Man, so I’ll be sticking around for more–especially since we’re headed in a new direction.

DM: Scott Snyder, on the other hand, in Swamp Thing #18 (DC), ties a bow on this story, and his run, in a manner that is satisfying and organic (pun intended–every time!). Amidst Yanick Paquette’s gorgeous leafmotif visuals is a story where the damsel becomes the hero, the demon is rent asunder, and our lovers have their stars well and truly crossed. But not before the creators generously allow them one last (first?) kiss, in which their passion literally burns. A fitting finale to a mostly excellent run.

But Swamp Thing and Animal Man aren’t the only hero-inhabiting-a-new-body-travels-to-a-dystopian-future-to-defeat-unearthly-evil-then-returns-to-the-present-in-order-to-prevent-it-in-the-first-place stories this week. That’s right! The same exact plot is featured in Dynamite’s Dark Shadows #14!

Dark Shadows #14

Ah well, no new ideas and all that; it’s how well you handle them. Writer Mike Raight’s vampiric version involves Gothic plot twists, backstabbing (with wooden stakes, natch!) and enough Grand Guignol action to satiate any horror fan. Artist Nacho Tenorio does a nice job orchestrating the gore, alternating between excess and restraint, the way any 1960’s-influenced horror should. This isn’t all superficial bloodletting however. (SPOILERS!) Raight infuses some depth and existential quandary as the evil that the hero, Barnabas Collins, must destroy in order to save his family, is himself. There’s also a well-wrought, even delicate twist, as Barnabas’ mysterious ally reveals that aiding him and taking revenge upon him are, in this case, one and the same. Solid and compelling, this book is one of the most reliable sources of monthly macabre that you’re likely to find.

So, having been hooked by our attention-grabbing title, you’ve made it this far through our post, and yet you find yourself disappointed by the lack of any content that could be considered truly eye-opening.

SC: Hey! What about my–

DM: Well then, you’ve got an idea of the experience of reading Sex #1 by Joe Casey and Piotr Kowalski (Image).

SC: Oh, I see. Clever.

DM: Mr. Casey means well. In a heartfelt (and rather breathless) afterword, he holds forth on the state of today’s comics; mainly the continued dominance of the Big Two despite the wild variety and quality of other work out there. Well hear, hear! And yet, what does he offer us? A wealthy scion reluctantly returns to run his vaguely defined corporate empire. A seedy underworld controlled by a grotesque mob boss. Words of wisdom from a trusted Man (or in this case, Gal) Friday. And, oh yeah, said wealthy scion is a former superhero. This set up bears any number of resemblances to Batman, the newfangled Green Arrow, Ex Machina (a much better melange of superhero/real world tropes from eight years ago), etc. But wait, this has superheroes and sex. Well Watchmen broke that seal long ago. It’s simply no longer a shocking conceit (I mean even Catwoman’s done it for chrissakes). Now, to Casey’s credit, when the naughty section does occur, despite its fairly graphic nature, it’s contrasted in such a way that it is robbed of nearly all prurient titillation. The participants even call out the reader’s presumed lasciviousness, in a clever use of breaking the fourth wall. Kudos to Casey for subverting the expectations set up by his conspicuous title. But in the end, this is just another superhero comic. And what’s so sexy about that?

SC: I hear ya. Image did have another release this week that I enjoyed more than Sex—

DM: (tee-hee!)

SC: Uh-huh. Anyway, it’s Jim McCann and Janet Lee’s Lost Vegas #1. It came with a little less hype than Casey’s book did, but it was loads better. Though engaging from the get-go, McCann’s writing does prove a bit hard to swallow at times, especially as the Ocean’s Eleven-esque scheme is laid out; but Lee’s artwork is enviably voluptuous, a stunning exercise in sensuality.

DM: Yes, Lee’s work is certainly the star for me thus far. She blew me away on Return of the Dapper Men a few years ago (also written by McCann). There she dazzled with an unorthodox process that combined vibrant expressionistic backgrounds with the sublime precision of Winsor McCay (if you don’t know who that is, look him up. Look him up now.) Here the chameleon-like Ms. Lee seems to be offering something of the sensual loucheness of Aubrey Beardsley, combined with the sci-fi sensibilities of Richard Corben, and even a dash of Hayao Miyazaki for fun.

SC: That’s some company she’s keeping.

DM: Indeed. Like Batwoman, this could become a book that I buy for the art alone.

SC: Well worth the price of admission. I’m certainly up for round two.

DM: Now, returning to our theme, for a nuanced, astute, refreshing exploration of sex, one need look no further than Adventure Time with Fionna & Cake #3 (kaboom!):

Adventure Time with Fiona & Cake #3

Sex, in this case, denoting gender. ‘A childrens’ book?’ you say, eyebrow ever so arched? Well in its brief existence, Pendleton Ward’s magical juggernaut has tackled such concepts as abandonment, existential loneliness, first loves, the bonds of honor and friendship, pride, sacrifice, betrayal, the origins of myth, the nature of evil, the afterlife, determinism, fate, and nuclear annihilation to name a few. It never addresses these issues head-on however (it’s much too smart for that), but from rather more of a sideways angle, (and perhaps, blindfolded). Y’know, Stuff Happens. Each candy-colored episode is wide open to (and the subject of) much interpretation. It’s the type of show that dissertations will be written about someday(if that hasn’t already happened). I ask you, what better place to consider gender and identity issues than the sociological phenomenon that is Adventure Time?

For those who don’t follow the show (losers!) Fionna and Cake was a fan-favorite episode which featured alternate, gender-swapped versions of series’ stars, Finn and Jake. Now Natasha Allegri, who had a hand in that episode, gives the ladies a chance to shine in their own title. Issue 3 is the best one yet. The first two issues established the characters as well the epic, yet tongue-in-cheek tone that AT does so well. The third issue really delves into the gender stuff and shows why this is not your father’s (um, older brother’s?) AT. The story begins with Marshall Lee (the male version of the vampire Marceline from AT) suddenly appearing in the lead characters’ home in a state of distress. But unlike his female counterpart, who is decidedly bad-ass, this vampire is positively sparkly. Needless to say, Fionna has a crush (-and Cake does not approve!) It seems they need to rescue Prince Gumball, who is caught in a ridiculous trap, which I won’t ruin for you. Nor shall I spoil all the loaded symbols, pregnant pauses and hysterical double entendres peppered throughout the tale. These never come across as forced or excessive; they are, indeed the story’s raison d’etre. I will say that they culminate in a visual gag so audacious that I couldn’t believe it was in a children’s comic, even as I barked with laughter. And yet it perfectly encapsulates the major theme of this series. Sound dirty? Well, again, it’s not because all of the above is not so much dealing with sex, as it is gender and identity. I am not suggesting (as I have with AT’s sister book Bravest Warriors) that this title is inappropriate for children. Part of Allegri’s brilliance (in addition to the beautiful art) is that this book is, on the literal level that children tend to read, an exuberant, imaginative adventure/fantasy. It certainly can (and should, to some degree) be enjoyed that way. The storytelling is deft enough that whatever other meaning children take away from it is entirely up to them. And you. Book of the Week.

Turning pages,

Derek & Scott

Top 5 Comics – Jan 2013

06 Wednesday Feb 2013

Posted by dmainhart in 5 Comics You Should Be Reading

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

Abstract Studio, Alfred Hitchcock, Bravest Warriors, Dan Slott, Dark Horse, Ed Brubaker, Fatale, Fury: My War Gone By, Garth Ennis, Goran Parlov, H.P. Lovecraft, Image, Joey Comeau, kaboom!, Marvel Max, Marvel NOW!, Matt Kindt, Mike Holmes, Mind MGMT, Rachel Rising, Ryan Pequin, Ryan Stegman, Sean Phillips, Superior Spider-Man, Terry Moore

Preeeesenting the Top Five Comics of the new year! Top Five according to what criteria you may ask? Sales? Nope. Democratic process? Hell no! Blindfolded monkey? Interesting! Maybe in the future. But for now these are simply the books that tickled our fancy the most in the past 31 days. And while our reading list is impressive, it is by no means exhaustive. in other words, these are the Purely Subjective Favorites of the Books We Happened to Read. But Top 5 sounds better!

In reverse order, ’cause countdowns are fun:

5. Bravest Warriors #4 (kaboom!) – Our heroes get humiliated, decapitated and degraded, as their lifeless skulls are used to put on a puppet show. And that’s just the first five pages! Joey Comeau and Mike Holmes continue to dole out the delightful depravity. And the back up feature by Ryan Pequin: oh, what have you done to our most beloved Founding Father? I’ve said it before and i’ll say it again: despite its trappings, this comic ain’t for kids. But it is most certainly for me. (DM)

4. Fury My War Gone By #8 (Marvel) – Garth Ennis has struck gold with this series–our No. 9 book of 2012; and with #8, he digs even deeper and strikes, well, golder with a violent chorus of well-tuned voices and a series of choices that burns hotter than napalm. (SC)

3. Rachel Rising #13 (Abstract Studio) – Terry Moore’s charnel epic heats up as revenge most heinous is set in motion, even as the narrative takes a time-out for a fairy tale. Suspense, dark humor and semi-dead vixens in beautiful black and white. This comic is so cool it burns. (DM)

2. Mind MGMT #7 (Dark Horse) – Who’s doing more between the covers than Matt Kindt? He’s a one-man creation crew with clear vision and the enviable ability to convey it–and all its wondrous complexity–with scintillating precision. And he knows he’s good, too: at the end of this issue, through Henry Lyme, who makes a promise to Meru, Kindt makes a solemn promise to his readers, me and you: “You’re going to get a hell of a good story.” I’d expect nothing less! That’s right, folks: our #3 book of 2012 is already staking its claim for the top spot of 2013. (SC)

1. Fatale #11 (Image) – No surprise that our No. 5 book of 2012 leapfrogs to the top spot this month. Ed Brubaker has been putting on a clinic of genre writing with this series, from 50’s noir to 70’s sleaze, and all with an undercurrent of Lovecraftian dread. This issue gives a nod to the pulp origins of our favorite medium, presenting a tale-within-a-tale involving occult shenanigans in the Old West. And what the hell? Frame it in Hitchcockian suspense for good measure. Sean Phillips has proven adept at keeping the tone deadly steady with his art, no matter what Brubaker throws at him. This one’s firing on all cylinders folks. Time to hop on board. (DM)

The Biggest Dis(appointment): Superior Spider-Man #2 (Marvel) – Give up the ghost, already.

So that’s our list folks! What’s yours?

Scott & Derek

Back and Forth: Vs.

10 Thursday Jan 2013

Posted by dmainhart in Back and Forth, Microviews

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

Adventure Time, Adventure Time with Fionna & Cake, Albus Dumbledore, AvX, Bravest Warriors, Brian Michael Bendis, Cartoon Hangover, Colder, Courtney Crumrin, Dark Horse, Dark Shadows, Dave Stewart, Drago, Dynamite Entertainment, Ed Brubaker, Edgar Winter, Fatale, Francesco Francavilla, Fury: My War Gone By, Garth Ennis, Goran Parlov, Guiu Vilanova, IDW, Image, Joey Comeau, Jonathan Frid, Juan Ferreyra, Justin Ponsor, kaboom!, Mars Attacks Popeye, Martin Powell, Marvel, Marvel Max, Mike Holmes, Mike Raight, Natasha Allegri, Oni Press, Paul Tobin, Ray Dillon, Rocky, Sara Pichelli, Sean Phillips, Superman Vs. Muhammad Ali, Ted Naifeh, Terry Beatty, Ultimate Spider-Man, Warren Wucinich

Who doesn’t love a good fight? David Vs. Goliath! Rocky Vs. Drago! Lindsay Lohan Vs. Dignity! Comic books are replete with these classic donnybrooks, from the sublime (Superman Vs. Muhammad Ali) to the atrocious (Avengers Vs. X-Men). In that spirit, we present this weeks selections in a manner befitting the tenor of our times: steel-cage death-match! (Because, as we all know, art IS a competition!)

The Helter-Skelter Weight Bout: Dark Shadows #11 Vs. Fatale #11

Dark Shadows #11 (Dynamite): A relative unknown and the clear underdog in this match, going up against our #5 pick for the Top Books of 2012. But don’t underestimate this book – it’s got plenty of (ahem) bite! Both books involve occult forces, demonic possession and children in grave peril. But only this one has a werewolf in a cheap suit! Writer Mike Raight packs in plot twists aplenty, befitting the series’ soap operatic origins. But he wisely keeps the camp to a minimum, instead delivering genuine chills and moments of pathos. Guiu Vilanova’s art is properly moody and atmospheric. And how could you resist Francesco Francavilla’s classic cover, rendered in a style I like to call 1970s Gothic (and dedicated to Jonathan Frid, no less)? To all of this add not one, but TWO cliffhangers, and you’ve got one helluva horror book. (DM)

Fatale #11 (Image): I’ll tell you: I couldn’t be more thrilled by the fact that Ed Brubaker “started having ideas for more stories within this world” of Fatale because he hooked me hard–or maybe it was Josephine after all–and a limited series would’ve left me standing on the tracks like poor Officer Nelson. Poor Officer Nelson, indeed: I love how he’s left stepping toward the tracks as the narrative shifts to Jo’s meeting with “the writer,” Alfred Ravenscoft. His satanic tale of of innocence obliterated leaves Jo with more questions than answers, which leads her to push Alfred toward an audience with his mysterious, and ultimately monstrous, mother–and the book’s audience toward another Alfred and his mother: Hitchcock’s murderous matriarch from the classic thriller Psycho. Jo gets her meeting, but it doesn’t go as she had planned. Her escape lays the track for a terrific transition: as she speeds past a railroad crossing in search of an end to the madness, we come to find Officer Nelson, who’s looking to catch the next train in order to find an end of his own. Unfortunately for him, he’s “saved” by a few fellas who are in hot pursuit of Jo–including a couple bespectacled brutes with whom we’re far too familiar. At the end of the story, we’re left hanging with Alfred–only we’re still able to beg for more. All told, Fatale #11 is a perfectly constructed one-shot; in fact, it’s more than just a one-shot: it’s a damned deadly derringer. And with it, looks like the aforementioned Brubaker, Sean Phillips, and Dave Stewart are aiming to have their ticket to next year’s top ten punched plenty early. As one of the conductors of this little blog, I’m almost inclined to do it! Or maybe–just maybe–it’s Josephine, after all… (SC)

This one’s closer than you might think, but the winner (and Book of the Week): Fatale

The Featherweight Bout: Courtney Crumrin #8 Vs. Ultimate Spider-Man #19

Courtney Crumrin #8 (Oni): A couple of youngsters from our Junior Division, but what these two lack in experience, they make up for in chutzpah! Both series center around their teenage protagonists coming of age. Both feature fathers (or in this case father figures) who are not what their children thought they were. And both balance personal drama against a backdrop of conspiracy. Here, Courtney is on the run from her beloved Uncle Aloysius who just happens to be the most powerful wizard in her supernatural world. Creator Ted Naifeh nicely portrays Courtney’s world turned on its head as this once cocksure waif realizes how much she’d depended on her uncle and how his seeming betrayal has left her utterly lost. Her confusion and alienation mesh well with the larger story of adult compromise and corruption. Courtney’s world is getting more complicated and dangerous. Like the subtle color palette (employed by Warren Wucinich over Naifeh’s darkly expressive art) there are a lot of shades of grey. Naifeh’s compelling story depicts Courtney experiencing that common tragedy we all go through: becoming an adult. (DM)

Ultimate Spider-Man #19 (Marvel): OK. You know how when your wife invites your mother-in-law over for a a couple of days and you’re not super thrilled about it, and you put up with it because, technically, you love your wife enough to deal with the–supposedly–short stay? Yeah, that’s pretty much it–only it’s Venom who’s invading USM for Bendis knows how long. Sure, Miles and Ganke are always good together, like Huck Finn and Tom Sawyer; and the intrigue surrounding Miles’ dad is, well, intriguing. I even enjoyed J. Jonah Jameson’s defense of our post-Parker Spidey. But the insinuation of Venom just doesn’t do it for me. Sara Pichelli and Justin Ponsor’s splash on page 11, a startling disappointment considering their combined talents, pretty well sums the issue up for me: lackluster. No, it’s not awful, like most of the United We Stand nightmare; it’s just, well, what it is. Next please. (SC)

Courtney Crumrin has Aloysius, a cross between Albus Dumbledore and Edgar Winter. Ultimate Spider-Man has Venom. The winner: Courtney Crumrin

The Maim Event: Bravest Warriors #3 Vs. Colder #3

Bravest Warriors #3 (kaboom!): What are these two doing in the same match? Well, for one thing, in a coincidence of Jungian proportions, BOTH feature a demonic presence bursting violently out of someone’s body! See for yourself:

Scenes like this do raise the question of why Bravest Warriors, as part of the kaboom! line of books, is being marketed to children. Not that there’s anything truly objectionable, but the animated series is being touted more for adults. There is a vibe (and occasional risque joke) in both versions that suggests “Not for Kids”. I get that it’s part of the Adventure Time brand, but it IS odd seeing the “Cartoon Hangover” masthead on the cover of what is ostensibly a childrens’ comic. Griping aside, this comic has Adventure Time’s patented tone of adrenalized slackerdom down pat; if anything, Bravest Warriors takes itself even less seriously. Writer Joey Comeau keeps the action and jokes coming at a furious pace. Mike Holmes’ art is the perfect compliment, staying within the Adventure Time “house style” while composing dynamic panels (see above) that highlight the bizarre story. Speaking of which, with this issue’s unrelenting sad-zombie-clowns, and last issue featuring Danny vomiting live spiders(!!!) this story line is like my 5-year-old nightmare from Hell. Add in the genuine laughs and this book can only be described as: hysterrifying. (DM)

Colder #3 (Dark Horse): Unlike Fatale, this series is probably better off that it’s limited to five issues. The first issue was ice–with Paul Tobin’s inspired insanity and Juan Ferreyra’s stunning artwork–until Declan declares that “it’s time [he and Reece] had a talk.” That worried me a bit; it seemed like a sure misstep into sanity. The second issue had some bone-rattling moments, for sure–especially thanks to the perpetually frozen Ferreyra. Unfortunately, I wasn’t so taken by Declan’s declarations–and there were many of them. So, #3–well, at least we’re over the hump! The creative team kicks things off well enough with a certifiably crazy contest of hide and seek, punctuated by Nimble Jack’s aforementioned shedding of someone else’s skin in an effort to win the game. Inspired! After that, however, the book babbles along, albeit beautifully, at a glacial pace. Yup: Declan’s a drag. But a bunch of arms dragging Reece through the roof of a taxi? Now, that’s what I call ceiling the deal! The odds of my missing #4? Absolute zero. (SC)

One of these books is a horrific descent into madness. The other is Colder. The winner: Bravest Warriors

Battle of the Sexes!: Fury: My War Gone By #8 Vs. Adventure Time with Fionna & Cake #1

Adventure Time with Fionna and Cake #1 (kaboom!): What do these books have in common? Absolutely nothing! They couldn’t be more polar opposites! Let’s pit the grizzled, one-eyed war veteran against the little girl with the magic puppy and see what happens! Like Bravest Warriors, this book is an extension of kaboom!’s successful Adventure Time franchise. Inspired by the fan-favorite gender-switching episode, this series puts a girl’s spin on what is ostensibly a boy’s enterprise. And, like that episode, it pulls it off with panache. Written and illustrated by Natasha Allegri (who also works on the show), the story doesn’t take the easy route of having its female characters appear strong simply by acting like boys. Instead, the characters are imbued with recognizably feminine personalities (especially the irrepressible Cake) without sacrificing one whit of action or humor. Indeed, Allegri begins the book with a story-within-a-story that, in a few brief pages, achieves the grandeur of myth. She then abruptly shifts tone toward the everyday low-brow (de rigueur for Adventure Time). She never loses sight of the fairy-tale wonder of her story, however, and her expansive lay-outs imbue the proceedings with a larger-than-life quality to match. The result? Out of all the books in Adventure Time‘s growing family of titles, this one feels the most EPIC. (DM)

Fury: My War Gone By #8 (Marvel): Fionna and Cake vs. Fury and Castle? That seems fair. As I mentioned in my In Scott’s Bag post, I l-o-v-e the first page. Goran Parlov’s splash carries quite a message: war ain’t black and white, brother; it’s shades–maybe fifty of ’em, but who’s counting–of gray shrapnel shredding men to pieces. The narration casts a darker shadow, indeed, as the book’s–and Fury’s–antagonist explains–while Parlov shows–how Fury and Castle fell foolishly into his Viet Cong clutches. And that’s just the first two pages! As the story unfolds, General Ennis orders up an assault of ethical dilemmas and uncomfortable truths, all conveyed through perfectly calibrated conversations and culminating uncompromisingly in a multi-layered and minacious cliffhanger. Will Fury do Giap’s bidding in order to end the war? Will Castle do whatever it takes to keep the war from ending? Will the Americans blow them all to hell? Will Ms. Defabio blow them all to…? Well, speaking of cliffs: the most memorable moment: Castle tosses a wounded enemy soldier off a cliff to test a potential escape route. Fury concedes, “Not much of a splash.” Castle replies, “No. Only one way this can go now.” And what a way it is. (SC)

The winner: Fury. Boys always win! HA! (except for Courtney Crumrin I guess. oh, and Fatale…)

Finally, given our premise, I’d be remiss if I didn’t at least mention the following:

(written by Martin Powell with art by Terry Beatty)

Is it Shakespeare? No, it’s Popeye beating up Martians. If the concept alone (or the cover by Ray Dillon) isn’t enough to make you giddy with excitement then we is emenies and I challenges you to steel-cage fiskicuffs.

(Don’t worry. You’ll win.)

Turning pages,

Scott and Derek

Images and Nerds

~ We're turning pages–and writing about them!

Tag Archives: kaboom!

I&N’s Top Ten of 2013

Top 5 Books of August

Derekommendations: 8/21

Top 5 Books of May: Cities, Dreams & Red Underwear

Top 5 Books of April

Top 5 Books of March 2013 – The Best of Times?

Back & Forth: Hail the Future Heroes of Yesteryear!

Back and Forth: Sex & Children’s Books

Top 5 Comics – Jan 2013

Back and Forth: Vs.

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