• The Big Picture
  • Here’s ScottNerd…
  • Here’s DerekNerd…

Images and Nerds

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

Images and Nerds

Tag Archives: Laura Allred

I&N Store 8/8

13 Monday Aug 2018

Posted by ScottNerd in Uncategorized

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

Abstract Studio, aftershock comics, Amazing Spider-Man, berger books, black badge, boom studions, Catwoman, christopher cantwell, clankillers, Dan Slott, Dark Horse Comics, DC Comics, eternal empire, Fantastic Four, farmhand, hilary jenkins, hot lunch special, Image Comics, Images and Nerds, in demand, Joelle Jones, Jordie Bellaire, Kyle Higgins, Laura Allred, martin morazzo, Matt Kindt, Miroslav Mrva, NCBD, oblivion song, previews, reviews, sandman universe, she could fly, Stephen Mooney, strangers in paradise xxv, Superman, Terry Moore, the dead hand, Tom King, Tyler Jenkins, unnatural

I was on a frame vacation–which is a vacation within a vacation, of course–and didn’t have time to flesh out my previews for 8/8’s books.  So, for you Images and Nerds completists out there, here’s a quick rundown.  This go-round, said rundown will be more re- and less pre- as I’ve read all of our I&N Demand books.

Thanks for your understanding.

  • The Dead Hand #5 (Image): I&N Demand I’m loving this series.  Haven’t heard much buzz about it, but it’s really good.  Kyle Higgins is doing great work here, playing with paranoia, with isolation, with existentialism and with an external existential threat, which, at this point, has found its way into Mountain View, a community essentially built upon a cleverly conceived existential threat of its own–one that wears the face of and, more important, particularly as it pertains to the development of the pervasive danger in the book, exhibits the mental and emotional capacity of a child.  (Parents: hits pretty close to home, no?  Ha!  Another fine twist!)  Stephen Mooney’s artwork, accentuated by Jordie Bellaire’s colors, helps to stretch the tension from panel to panel, page to page, issue to issue.  Sure, the Cold War might be over, but there are bombs still waiting to go off–and a shit ton of them are planted in the pages of The Dead Hand.

dead

  • Eternal Empire #10 (Image)
  • Farmhand #2 (Image)
  • Oblivion Song #6 (Image)
  • Unnatural #2 (Image)
  • She Could Fly #2 (Dark Horse/Berger Books): I&N Demand The first issue was a promise; and with #2, Christopher Cantwell, Martin Morazzo, and Miroslav Mrva delivered on it.  For one, the book moves at a decapitating pace; yeah, the narrative threads–see, they’re piano wire, and the quick cuts’ll leave your head in your hands.  (The cover’s got that covered, yo.)  The madness that fuels the frenzy is manifested meticulously, which may seem contradictory in reflection, but instead makes sense–which, considering the nature of the creator-reader relationship, in the end, makes all the sense in this mad, mad, mad, mad world.  Cool touch: Luna’s barrettes look like devil horns.  You know, once I noticed that, I couldn’t not see it and was like Wow, cool touch.  I even showed my wife.  She said, “Oh, yeah” and then went back to her phone–on Pinterest or Etsy or Instagram or Match or whatever the hell it is she spends so much time on.  She could swipe, that one.  But She Could Fly, if it keeps up this level of storytelling, will touch the fucking sun.

she

  • Catwoman #2 (DC): I&N Demand Joëlle Jones has brought her sexy lines and lots of leather together to give us the solo Catwoman we knew we needed and have desperately wanted, especially since the Tom King proposed the whole Bat-Cat thing.  #1 hit a lot of great notes writing-wise and art-wise.  Some of those notes were echoes of Jones’ terrific Lady Killer, which was, in retrospect, the perfect audition for Catwoman.  This second issue didn’t scratch the same spots as the first, but Jones whipped up a solid issue nevertheless–particularly in the portrayal of Cat’s angst over the big Bat break up and the development of the mystery surrounding Lady Creel’s plan for Selina; and, again, with the lines and the leather–and the Laura Allred’s luscious colors–all of it justification for my objectification of the femme feline–it’s damn easy on the eyes.

STL088823

  • Sandman Universe #1 (DC/Vertigo)
  • Superman #2 (DC)
  • Amazing Spider-Man #3 (Marvel)
  • Fantastic Four #1 (Marvel): I&N Demand The First Family is back!  Well, they’re almost back–and that, kids, is your hook.  But could their return be Doom-ed from the start?  Can’t wait to see what Dan Slott’s got in store for comicdom’s most indispensable four.

STL096763

  • Black Badge #1 (BOOM!): I&N Demand I’m kind of a Kindt junkie, and, logically, following with more figurative language, Black Badge is my next fix–oh, and how satisfying #1 was.  Exploiting the same chemical formula that worked so well in the intoxicatingly agitative Grass Kings–Kindt+Jenkins^2=masterfully mature storytelling and a well-deserved Eisner nom–Black Badge bursts onto the scene like a nostalgia bomb with a perfectly-paced adventure that calls to mind the ubiquitous kidventure movies of the ’80s (Stand by Me and The Explorers were two of my faves) and mirrors those games my friends and I used to play on the farm, as we’d battle imaginary Nazis or Russians a la Where Eagles Dare or Red Dawn.  These kids, however, aren’t playing a game–and neither is the creative team: this is some dark stuff; and like good little scouts, we best be prepared for more.  See: “Nobody can do what [they] can do.  No one can go where [they] can go.”  (Hey! you say?  “They”? Doubled for your pleasure, fair reader!  OK, you got me: mostly for mine.)  For the week, Black Badge #1 is #1 with a bullet drone strike.

black.jpg

  • Clankillers #2 (Aftershock)
  • Hot Lunch Special #1 (Aftershock)
  • Strangers in Paradise XXV #5 (Abstract Studio): I&N Demand Terry Moore’s return to Paradise has been exhilarating, with familiar faces and events unfolding, particularly around Katchoo, at a breakneck pace.  #5 slows things down a bit a lot to offer a history lesson, which is meant to make the mystery lessen a lot a bit, which it does–though not before Moore uses Katchoo–and her big ol’ yawn–to let us know that it’s OK that we got a bit–yeah, a bit–beaten up by Tambi’s walking like an Egyptian through her explanation of the situation that plagues them both.  In the end, however, Katchoo faces defeat her feet and realizes that she’s got to change her attitude–and her longitude–if she’s going to get to the truth.  Another black and white beauty from Mr. Moore.

strange

 

Thanks for reading!

Turning pages,

Scott

 

Advertisements

Share this:

  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)
  • Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Google+ (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)

Like this:

Like Loading...

The 2015 Innie Award Nominations!

07 Friday Aug 2015

Posted by dmaxwell in Innie Awards

≈ 5 Comments

Tags

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Nominations:

Best Limited Series:

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

Best Ongoing Series:

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

Best Writer:

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

Best Artist:

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

Best Colorist:

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

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

Let the internet shouting begin!

Turning pages,

Derek & Scott

Share this:

  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)
  • Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Google+ (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)

Like this:

Like Loading...

What’s I&N Store (3/4)

03 Tuesday Mar 2015

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

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Action Labs, Alan Moore, All-New Hawkeye, Avatar, Blackcross, BOOM!, Brian Buccellato, Brian K. Vaughan, Chris Burnham, Crossed +100, Danger Zone, Dark Horse, DC Comics, Descender, Detective Comics, Dry Spell, Dustin Nguyen, Dynamite, Feathers, Fiona Staples, Francis Manapul, G.I. Joe, Grant Morrison, Hellboy and the B.P.R.D., IDW, Image, Iron Fist: The Living Weapon, Jamie S. Rich, Jeff Lemire, Joelle Jones, John Arcudi, Kaare Andrews, Karen Traviss, Ken Krekeler, Kieron Gillen, Lady Killer, Larry Hama, Laura Allred, Mark Waid, Marvel, Mike Mignola, Miracleman, Nameless, Neverboy, Princess Leia, Ramon Perez, Robert Venditti, Saga, Shaun Simon, Terry Dodson, Tyler Jenkins, Uber, Valiant, Warren Ellis, X-O Manowar

(Sing along.  Go on.  You know how it goes.)

There’s a hole in my heart that can only be filled by comics.

No, really.  I’ve got a hole in my heart.  As of right now, however, my cardiologist is pretty firm in his opinion that comics are not the best option with which to fill it.

I’m in the market for a second opinion.

  • Hellboy & The B.P.R.D. #4 (Dark Horse): Hellish back-grenading, murderous monkey monsters, “insane Frankenstein crap,” and an ominous mound of bones–if that’s not enough to bring a reader back for more, I don’t know what is!
  • Lady Killer #3 (Dark Horse) I&N Demand #1 was one of our Top 5 books of January.  It announced its arrival: “Killer comic calling!” and left quite an impression.  #2 didn’t have the same effect–mostly because there was no surprise this time, and expectations were high going into it–but it certainly didn’t disappoint.  Joëlle Jones’ artwork is the big draw here–it’s elegantly aggressive and sells Josie’s separate spheres very well.  (Doesn’t hurt that it’s polished off to murderous–and motherly–perfection by Laura Allred’s color palette time machine.)  Story-wise: despite Josie’s denial, there’s definitely trouble on the horizon–yeah, Jones and Jamie S. Rich aren’t kidding around with the dilemma that’s driving the plot into #3.
Lady Killer #3

Lady Killer #3

  • Neverboy #1 (Dark Horse): Shaun Simon and Tyler Jenkins are blurring the lines “between the real and the imaginary.”  That’s right up my alley, gents!  (Consider how blown away I was–still am–by the lengths Matt Kindt went to tearing down the aforementioned lines in Mind MGMT #30, our favorite book of January.  Now, that’s how you do it!)  Oh, I’ll bite all right.  Professional prognostication: I’m thinking that this particular pick’ll be positively Pan-ed!
  • Detective Comics #40 (DC): All of a sudden, my Bat-book of choice is Manapul and Buccellato’s Detective.  How the heck did that happen?  The world’s gone mad!  It’s–it’s–Anarky!
  • G.I. Joe #6 (IDW): Through #4, I was all in.  I was like, “Yo Joe!”  I was 13 again–except for the fact that this wasn’t your grandHama‘s G.I. Joe; this was an elevated–and engrossing–approach from novelist Karen Traviss.  Again, through #4.  #5?  A rather muddled mess.  Damn thing’s literally all over the place!   Suddenly, I’m left wondering how much more I can take.
  • Descender #1 (Image) Just I&N and I&N Demand Lemire’s Descender is only the second title to earn both designations!  (The first: last week’s Mister X: Razed from master builder Dean Motter.)  The blurb on previewsworld.com has me thinking Blade Runner meets Essex County.  Yes, please.  Is there any doubt that this’ll ascend to the top of our list for the month of March?  Yeah.  Didn’t think so.
Descender #1

Descender #1

  • Nameless #2 (Image): If it weren’t Morrison, I’d be off after one.  I mean, I’m totally occulted out at this point.  If this issue isn’t particularly tight, I’m going to review it this way: Morrison’s occult/sci-fi mash up is Thomas Alsloppy.
  • Saga #26 (Image): Revolution calling!
  • All-New Hawkeye #1 (Marvel) I&N Demand Hoping that Lemire is fully invested–that he’s not going to be working at a fraction of his capabilities, especially now that he’s spreading himself as thin as a bowstring.  Boy, does he have a huge quiver to fill!  Also hoping that he doesn’t miss the mark as he did with Green Arrow.
All-New Hawkeye #1

All-New Hawkeye #1

  • Iron Fist: The Living Weapon #10 (Marvel): I&N Demand #9 was another explosion of kinetic cartooning from Kaare Andrews.  Great splashes, great layouts–the art as a whole elevates an already solid story, solid writing.  Reads with an energy similar to Kindt’s Mind MGMT.  “Ha-ha-hee!”  That’s high praise around these parts!
Iron Fist: The Living Weapon #10

Iron Fist: The Living Weapon #10

  • Miracleman #16 (Marvel) I&N Demand Classic isn’t strong enough a word to describe #15.  There are moments–impossible moments amplified by impossible choices–still gnawing at me.  It’s angels hurling mountains at each other; it’s George pulling the trigger.  It’s Alan Moore firing a canon at the superhero and building him anew. 
Miracleman #16

Miracleman #16

  • Princess Leia #1 (Marvel):  I don’t know.  I don’t really need it.  I don’t even want it.  But it is Waid and the Dodsons.  Ugh.  I haven’t loved Star Wars.  I’m even kinda cool on Darth Vader.  But it’s Waid and the Dodsons.  Damn it.  Go ahead Mr. Comic Shop Owner Guy: please ring it up.  Grumble, grumble.  Rebel scum.
  • Blackcross #1 (Dynamite): This is an Ellis buy. Recent résumé: Moon Knight was one of our Top Ten Books of 2014.  Trees, however, has been freakishly frustrating.  (He’s got to know that–he’s got to!  So there’s got to be a reason for his frustrating the hell out of us, right?  Am I too trusting?)  Even though I don’t have any experience with Project Superpowers, I’m going to give it a try.
  • Crossed +100 #3 (Avatar): I’m skulling Moore crossed with Burgess, which feels equal parts awkward and elevated. Pony me, malchicks?
  • Über #23 (Avatar): Gillen Hitlered a bunch of high notes in the most recent act of his Wagnerian war story.  “Capitulation or immolation,” indeed!
  • X-O Manowar #34 (Valiant): Remains one of the most consistent monthlies.  Never reaches rarefied air, but doesn’t need to to be effective.  The book’s biggest strength remains Aric, who has remained true to himself–and to us–thanks to Venditti’s thoughtful approach to his plight and his power.

I&Ntelligent Pick

  • Dry Spell TP (Action Labs/Danger Zone): Ken Krekeler and his brilliantly broken down Black Baron demand your attention.  Why?  Read our write up: the #3 Book of 2014.  Buy it, read it, and come back and thank us.
Dry Spell TP

Dry Spell TP

Avery’s Pick of the Week

  • Feathers #3 (BOOM!): My daughter is definitely down with Feathers!  Luckily, she’s not quite old enough to be down on puns.
Feathers #3

Feathers #3

What are you looking forward to this week?

Turning pages,

Scott

Share this:

  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)
  • Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Google+ (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)

Like this:

Like Loading...

Top 5(ish) Books of June

02 Saturday Aug 2014

Posted by ScottNerd in 5 Comics You Should Be Reading, Top 5 Books of the Month

≈ 4 Comments

Tags

Andre Sirangelo, Archaia, Archer & Armstrong, Brian Wood, D'Israeli, Dan Slott, Danijel Zezelj, Dark Horse, Fred Van Lente, Gabriel Iumazark, Jordie Bellaire, Laura Allred, Marvel, Matt Kindt, Mike Allred, Mind MGMT, Ordinary, Pere Perez, Rob Williams, Silver Surfer, The Last Broadcast, The Massive, Titan, Valiant

Here’s a little secret: we, the mighty gate-keepers here at I&N, don’t always agree on who makes the cut on our monthly purview of comics excellence. But, through a complex process of behind-the-scenes negotiation, diplomacy, arm-twisting and, if need be, feats of manliness, we have always been able to whittle down the monthly title wave to our hallowed Top 5. That is, until now. And so, recklessly abandoning all sense of tradition and decorum, we present for the first time: our Top 6 Books of the Month.

#5 (tie). Mind MGMT #23 (Dark Horse): Matt Kindt–winner of the 2014 Innie for Best Artist–delivers a real punch to the gut with this well composed hit-single issue, which sees the Dusty-deadicated side notes harmonizing heroically with the cacophony of the nihilistic narrative–with the darkness Dusty so deeply despised and hoped to one day change with his music.  With the in memoriam to Dusty as the lead vocal of the book, Kindt further develops the memory motif by making the Eraser play “memory games” with an incredulous Meru, using blacked out panels to indicate the missing moments; and by putting petal to the metal in a series of flowering flashbacks featuring Bill and Meru that fan out to form a stunning centerpiece for this death-marred installment and ultimately fall from the stem, foreshadowing poor Bill’s demise and Meru’s heartbreak.  In the end, Kindt cleverly ties the margin matter to the story proper by having Meru’s falling tears look just like the music rising from the headphones that are taken from Dusty’s dead body.  That alone would’ve been enough to tattoo this issue on our Top 5!   But as a final note–or a last grain of hourglass sand–Kindt calls upon the aforementioned memory motif one last time and offers up an intimate Mad Magazine fold-in that’ll rattle around in your skull well after reading. (SC)

Mind MGMT #23

#5 (tie). The Massive #24 (Dark Horse): As Brian Wood’s near-future socioeconomic/environmental dystopia comes to a head, the enigmatic Mary stands revealed as the lynchpin. Some kind of goddess-figure, Mary’s been witness to centuries of manmade degradation of every kind: against nature, against each other, against our own history (part of the brilliance of Wood’s argument is that, throughout the series, he’s presented these as one and the same). Well now she sits in judgement, speaking in biblical terms that portend even greater disaster (or, perhaps, wrath). Even more damning, she stares out directly at the reader as she does so (indelibly rendered, as is the entire arc, by Danijel Zezelj and Jordie Bellaire). If this seems a bit heavy-handed, this particular sequence, all of two pages, stands in stark relief to twenty-three previous issues of breathtaking, world-spanning incident remarkable for the sheer depth of knowledge displayed, as well as their understated, plot-driven delivery. It also thrusts us headlong into the mysteries to be revealed in the final arc, and adds one more: could Mary have played a role in The Crash, the event that laid the world low to begin with? And, having found mankind wanting, is the worst yet to come? (DM)

The Massive #24

The Massive #24

#4. The Last Broadcast #2 (Archaia): Great magicians never reveal their secrets; and those secrets, for the compulsively curious, inevitably become the seeds of great mysteries.  Writer André Sirangelo and artist Gabriel Iumazark plant plenty of seductive seeds here in the second installment of The Last Broadcast, which puts our main man Ivan–himself a magician–on a crooked path of discovery.  His frantic search for his pal Dmitri is an off-kilter crusade–one amplified by Iumazark’s irregular panel pattern that keeps us likewise off balance as we move from page to page–that finds him courting odd characters, including an enigmatic bookshop owner and an eye-biting barfly who pleasingly smack of Polanski stock, and that leads him to a couple of urban explorers–the Backbone of the story–who themselves are missing a mate.  (I, too, am compulsively curious, and I wonder: Could Dmitri and Damon be one in the same?)  Making the story–and the story to come–even more exciting is the prospect of a very-much-alive Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s having a hand in scripting the outcome.  Believe your eyes, folks: this magic–The Last Broadcast–is for real. (SC)

The Last Broadcast #2

The Last Broadcast #2

#3. Ordinary #2 (Titan): A determined father intrepidly braves a gauntlet of nefarious characters and death-defying situations with only one thought on his mind: to find his son! This may sound like the latest Liam Neeson revenge flick, until you realize that a) the determined father is Michael, a balding, bespectacled schlub with a dead-end job; b) the nefarious characters are everyone else on the planet, who have suddenly and inexplicably been granted ridiculous super powers; and c) the death-defying situations include show-stopping Broadway musical numbers (especially frightening that). Rob Williams and D’Israeli serve up thrill-ride absurdity that at once takes the gas out of the sort of adolescent power fantasies that so many comics fans (many of whom bear more than a passing resemblance to Michael) still faithfully devour, while also slyly celebrating them. After all, if the biggest loser in the world can overcome odds like this, there’s hope for everyone. (DM)

Ordinary #2

Ordinary #2

#2. Archer & Armstrong #21 (Valiant): Our fascination with celebrities in many ways defines us as a culture.  Funny enough, our fascination with dead celebrities even more so.  Fred Van Lente knows that, and he’s clearly having a blast bringing back some long–and some freshly–dead famous folks for his satirical tour de farce “American Wasteland.”  Artist Pere Pérez brings the late lot to life around Archer and Armstrong, kicking off a game of “How many dead celebs can you name?”; and it’s a game where we’re all winners for playing along.  I was slayed by the inclusion of Jeff Hanneman and then was all “Already?” upon seeing Philip Seymour Hoffman.  The next three page turns may very well be as unforgettable as the featured figures themselves: first, it’s a father and child reunion as Bruce and Brandon Lee attack our heroes in a sole-touching moment!  (Do they win?  Of course they Jeet Kune Don’t–thanks to Archer’s, umm, stun ram.)  And, after meeting a distraught Jackie Kennedy, who isn’t long for even this world (I was like, “No he di’int!”), A & A come across more Oswalds than you can shake a Zapruder film at!  Throw in some East and West disorderly action with phat boys Biggie and Tupac, and you’ve got yourself a book where a clever contrivance becomes more the thing than the story itself–well, initially, anyway.  Because after the excitement of recognition and the well-earned laughter fall to necessary contemplation, there’s Van Lente himself laughing, “Gotcha.” (SC)

Archer & Armstrong #21

Archer & Armstrong #21

#1. Silver Surfer #3 (Marvel): There was a recent internet controversy which involved, among other things, the notion that certain aspects of super heroes were just too “goofy” and needed to be jettisoned in order for today’s audiences to take the characters seriously. The thinking behind this seems to be that the colorful, larger-than-life paragons of heroism that have populated comics since their inception need to be brought back down to earth, their vibrancy toned down to reflect our own muddled reality. One could make the case  that this view, in its cynicism, utterly misses the point of what super heroes are supposed to be. But why do that when you could just read Silver Surfer by Dan Slott and Michael and Laura Allred instead? It makes the case better than any argument ever could.

The current issue is particularly apt, as it deals with a cosmic struggle not so much of good versus evil, but of reality versus possibility. In it, a double-talking alien named the Incredulous Zed seeks to strike down an entity known as the Never Queen to ensure that the future will only ever have one possible outcome. Standing against him are the Silver Surfer and his new partner Dawn Greenwood, an especially winning creation, who runs a nice bed-and-breakfast in Anchor Bay, Mass. Slott’s wild, expansive approach to story is matched by Allred’s art, which, as always, is teeming with fantastic weirdness. There are monkey toys and stolen hearts. Space freaks and childhood memories. True love and The Three Stooges. And in Slott’s and Allred’s vision these live comfortably side-by-side. They suggest, in the sheer vitality of their storytelling, that one need not discard absurdity in the pursuit of profundity. Rather, whatever it is that is profound in these types of stories, whatever is truly wonderful, is inextricably tied to the fact that they’re so damn much FUN. (DM)

Silver Surfer #3

Silver Surfer #3

The Biggest Dis(appointment): Trees #2 (Image) – It has been a storytelling trope the last twenty years or so to juggle multiple, seemingly disparate narratives within an overall framework, and then slowly draw the separate strands together so that they all collide by the end, revealing a larger picture. It is perhaps perfectly legitimate in today’s hyper-connected world to seek meaning in the seemingly infinite byways that cyberspace allows, especially as it has simultaneously caused the world to get ever smaller. This narrative approach, depending on how it’s handled, can be insightful and profound or obtuse and annoying (Terence Malick’s The Tree of Life [no relation] for example, falls into either one or the other categories depending on your point of view). But it works best when the individual stories are compelling (as in say, Pulp Fiction). Unfortunately Trees manages to be both obtuse and uninteresting. Warren Ellis’ story, involving a bunch of giant alien trees that suddenly appear on earth (nicely rendered by Jason Howard), apparently indifferent to human activity, unwittingly provides an apt metaphor for the experience of reading it. When the various narratives are as soporific as those presented, one can’t blame the title characters for ignoring them. The back inside cover, presumably reinforcing the trees ambivalence, ends the issue with the sentence  “It doesn’t care.

Neither do I. (DM)

Trees #2

Trees #2

 

Turning pages,

Derek & Scott

Share this:

  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)
  • Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Google+ (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)

Like this:

Like Loading...

Top 5 Books of April

29 Thursday May 2014

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

≈ 8 Comments

Tags

Astro City, Brent Eric Anderson, Brian Wood, Dan Slott, Daniel Zezelj, Dark Horse, DC, Douglas Adams, Dr. Strange, Elmore Leonard, Garth Ennis, Goran Parlov, Greg Rucka, Image, Innie Awards, Jack Kirby, Jason Aaron, Jason Latour, Jordie Bellaire, Justified, Kurt Busiek, Laura Allred, Lazarus, Mark Millar, Marvel, Michael Lark, Mike Allred, Moby Dick, Roy Thomas, Silver Age, Silver Surfer, Southern Bastards, Stan Lee, Steve Ditko, T.H. White, Terry Pratchett, The Massive, The Once and Future King, Vertigo, Watchmen

#5. Astro City #11 (DC/Vertigo): A quick perusal of our past Top 5 lists will tell you that we’re generally not the biggest fans of superhero fare. Oh sure, we have a soft spot in our hearts for the cape and costume set; they were after all our gateway drug into the wider world of comics. But with such a bevy of quality non-superhero books inhabiting the current comics landscape (it really is a golden age folks), why waste our time on the cynical merry-go-round of movie tie-ins, Big Events and the never-ending, never-changing battle? Even worse are those titles which claim to be edgy by adding some nominally ‘mature’ wrinkle to the works: ‘superheroes who swear!’ ‘superheroes who have sex! (full frontal!)’ or some other such trope that was well-worn by Watchmen nearly thirty years ago. It takes something far less gimmicky to add something new to the genre (and that’s what superheroes are, fanboys; not mainstream but a genre).

Luckily, in Astro City, Kurt Busiek and Brent Eric Anderson have managed just that. Nearly a year into the title’s return after an extended hiatus, Busiek and Co. remind us of their mastery of the eye-level approach to the fantastic. This time out centers around a personal assistant, the type of capable multi-tasker who’s invisible to the public and indispensable to her boss. But of course in this case, her boss is a superhero. Like many in her profession, her duties include, but are not limited to: answering mail, keeping track of finances, scheduling appointments, etc. But because her boss is a mystical Dr. Strange type, a missed appointment can mean placating interdimensional gods who threaten our world with annihilation for their inconvenience. The story is an ode to all of the unsung, behind-the-scenes supporting players who, through sheer competence, organization and the ability to keep a cool head, keep the world running, day in, day out. The pleasure comes from watching our harried-but-never-overwhelmed protagonist put out fires, ranging from the mundane to the apocalyptic, with nothing more than a well-placed phone call or a sift through her files. That, and the loving, sideways homage Busiek and Anderson have crafted to some of the stranger Silver Age forays of Kirby, Ditko, Lee, Thomas, et al. To paraphrase, there are a million stories in Astro City. This is one of the best. (DM)

Astro City #11

Astro City #11

#4. Silver Surfer #2 (Marvel): What goes on here? Two superhero books from the Big Two crack our Top 5? Well yes, when one of them is drawn by the inimitable Mike Allred. His wild, Pop Art aesthetic (enhanced by the bold hues of wife Laura Allred) immediately brings the fun to any book it graces. And Dan Slott scripts a tale to match involving intergalactic hucksters (‘the Incredulous Zed’) extra-dimensional god-constructs (‘The Queen of Nevers’) and sensitive Plorpian digestive systems. Not to mention the true protagonist of the story, one ‘Dawn Greenwood’ of Anchor Bay, Massachusetts. Appropriately titled “Everything And All At Once”, the story owes less to typically constrictive superhero dynamics, and more to the expansive exuberance of the likes of Douglas Adams and Terry Pratchett (despite our American creators, there is  something distinctly British about the proceedings; a compliment, naturally.) In other words, if you’re looking for a rollicking good sci-fi bender of a time (and why wouldn’t you be?), you could do a lot worse than Silver Surfer. (DM)

Silver Surfer #2

Silver Surfer #2

#3. Lazarus #8 (Image): Greg Rucka and Michael Lark are on quite a run: this is the third month in a row that we’re celebrating Lazarus as a top book.  (It’s true: check out what we had to say about the patient perfection of #6 and #7!)  What’s keeping the book pegged to the big board issue after issue?  It’s the storytelling.  The fellas have forged themselves a winning formula–one that’s made all the more impressive by the fact that in no way does it feel like they’re going through the motions; no, they’re keeping it fresh as can be, once again to purpose employing parallelism to amplify further the conflict, which has been an eager flame burning its way through a long fuse to an explosive effect without any bombs going off–at least not quite yet, anyway.  This installment of the 2014 Innie nominee for Best Ongoing Series is once again built upon a foundation of the early days of Forever.  In this case, Forever fails to live up to expectations and misses out on a meeting–on her birthday, no less!–with her frustrated father, who leaves a very significant gift behind: White’s The Once and Future King, an insinuation that speaks to Forever’s growth and purpose–and, in that, to Rucka’s inspiration for the series.  This significant sequence comes back around when present Forever finds herself in an ethical bind, knot courtesy of a catty Daddy Carlyle, over the impending terrorist attack in Denver.  Oh, the road to Denver is paved with good intentions, innit?   Doing most of the paving: Michael Barret and Casey, who, while on their way to the Lift Selection, are willing to offer up a hand to their fellow travelers, including, at the very end, an Angel of Death.  It’s all coming to a head, folks; and the book–and we–couldn’t be in better hands. (SC)

Lazarus #8

Lazarus #8

#2. Southern Bastards #1 (Image): Oh.  Shit.  Jason Aaron and Jason Latour have made quite a splash with their merciless ode to good ol’ boys.  Now, I’m predisposed to liking it because of its being not unlike Justified, with its Southern-fried setting and tone, and even its well-defined yet ambiguous cast of characters, smacking of the late, great Elmore Leonard, and, in that, the often late, great Garth Ennis–which makes even more sense considering that it also reads a hell of a lot like Fury: My War Gone By and Mark Millar’s Starlight because of the big notes of nostalgia and, tying it all together, because Latour’s Earl is plenty Parlovian.  The story’s solid from the get-go: Jason Squared pitches the prodigal son’s return and expertly upsells pathos as the conflict grows–just as a tree grows from Earl’s father’s grave–into the final sequence, itself a grueling duel of duels–a one-two combination (punishing blows received and delivered) of violent events enlivened by the lyrical layouts–that cements this debut as a top book of the month; it’s the love shown by the creators for the South and the story inspired by it that makes it even more than that.  (SC)

Southern Bastards #1

Southern Bastards #1

#1. The Massive #22 (Dark Horse): Thus far, Brian Wood’s apocalyptic take on Moby Dick has focused on one Callum Israel, whose Ahab-like obsession with finding his eponymous ship has led him to the far corners of a world that is slowly falling apart due to a mysterious event known as The Crash. The search has allowed Wood to explore in convincing detail (with the help of an impressive cadre of artists; here Danijel Zezelj does the honors, with Jordie Bellaire on colors) the effects of environmental devastation, economic collapse, and political disintegration in such disparate locales as Iceland, Hong Kong and Mogadishu. The sheer breadth of Wood’s geopolitical knowledge and inquiry is impressive. It also pulls off the neat trick of serving as both the series’ raison d’etre and narrative backdrop to its central mysteries: Where is the Massive? What caused The Crash?

Just as the answers have eluded the increasingly obsessive Callum (did I mention he was dying of cancer?), Wood’s writing has sometimes been frustratingly vague. Many of the arcs (all consisting of three issues) have run like this: fascinating set-up, high stakes climax, baffling denouement. While there’s something to be said for not giving the reader what they want, the considerable tension inherent in the story has sometimes been undercut by endings that seem deliberately anticlimactic, and even obtuse. Well the first issue of the latest arc, “Sahara”, finally promises some resolution, beginning with the one to the other great mystery: Where the hell has Mary been?

Mary, Callum’s lover, shipmate, and conscience of his crew, seemingly abandoned him in his time of greatest need. This issue finds her, in typical Wood fashion, smack dab in the middle of a geopolitical intrigue with real-world resonance. She’s guarding a convoy of the world’s most precious post-Crash resource: water. As the spotlight shifts to her, we begin to realize what Wood has been hinting at all along: the search for the Massive is a MacGuffin. All mysteries lead to Mary. By turns the most compassionate and the most remote, she has quietly taken on an otherworldly dimension. As we watch Mary cross the desert, now with child, one cannot help but think that as the series builds to its conclusion, Wood is countering the obsession and despair of the white whale with an almost biblical hope for salvation. (DM)

The Massive #22

The Biggest Dis(appointment): Mind MGMT #21 (Dark Horse): To truly understand this choice, you have to understand that disappointment comes from expectations not being met–and in some cases, from expectations being bitch slapped by promises unfulfilled.  In this case, we were led to believe that master storyteller Matt Kindt was going to deliver a “silent issue”; and if you we’re like me, you thought immediately to the silent issue of all silent issues: G.I. Joe #21 from Larry Hama and Steve Leialoha, which blew our minds thirty years ago–yikes!  With the poison–the potent neurotoxin nostalgia–already in the wound, what chance did this stab at a silent issue have–especially after our being rudely welcomed by word one!  Wouldn’t you know: Kindt–ever the clever creator–was playing us from the promise!  His interpretation of silent: no dialogue–which means that thoughts are fair game; and to make the game more fun, those thoughts were insightful, sure, but sometimes ironic, considering the situations in which the thoughts were, umm, thought.  So, fine, it’s “silent,” I’ll buy it–and I did buy it, blissfully ignorant and high on hope; however, while the story works well within the world of Mind MGMT, Kindt has managed to both exploit and execute my innocent expectations.  The former finds me somewhat satisfied, but it’s the latter than leaves me mostly nonplussed–and this issue as our Biggest Dis(appointment) of the month.  (SC)

Mind MGMT #21

Mind MGMT #21

Turning pages,

Scott & Derek

Share this:

  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)
  • Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Google+ (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)

Like this:

Like Loading...

The 2014 ‘Innie’ Awards!

05 Monday May 2014

Posted by dmaxwell in Uncategorized

≈ 5 Comments

Tags

Abstract Studio, Afterlife With Archie, Archie, Austin Harrison, BOOM!, Brian K. Vaughan, Dark Horse, Dave Stewart, Dean Motter, Ed Brubaker, Eisner Awards, Fatale, Fiona Staples, Francesco Francavilla, Fury: My War Gone By, Garth Ennis, Goran Parlov, Greg Rucka, Harvey Awards, IDW, Image, Jeff Stokely, Jordie Bellaire, Jose Villarrubia, Laura Allred, Lazarus, Marvel, Matt Kindt, Michael Lark, Mike Raicht, Mind MGMT, Mister X, Mister X: Eviction, Nelson Daniel, Numbercruncher, PJ Holden, Rachel Rising, Roberto Aguirre Sacasa, Saga, Sean Phillips, Simon Spurrier, Six-Gun Gorilla, Terry Moore, Titan, Wild Blue Yonder, Zach Howard

The recent announcement of the 2014 Eisner Award nominees have occasioned much debate here at the I&N offices (located in a snug chateau high in the Swiss Alps). Needless to say we were filled with outrage! (And by ‘outrage’ I mean ‘mild disagreement’.) The choices for nominees did not exactly match our own! The temerity! This would not stand! And so, we here at I&N proudly present: the Innies!

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

Since we don’t have the big-time budget of the fancy-pants Eisners, we’ve limited ourselves to six categories (sorry Letterers of Archival Collections of Anthologies for Early Readers!)

If the Eisners are the Oscars, and the Harveys are the Golden Globes, then we’re the Independent Spirits! (or at least the Ace Awards)

Without further adieu:

Best Limited Series:

  • Fury: My War Gone By, by Garth Ennis and Goran Parlov (Marvel/Max)
  • Mister X: Eviction, by Dean Motter (Dark Horse)
  • Numbercruncher, by Simon Spurrier and PJ Holden (Titan)
  • Six-Gun Gorilla, by Simon Spurrier and Jeff Stokely (BOOM!)
  • Wild Blue Yonder, by Zach Howard, Mike Raicht, Nelson Daniel, and Austin Harrison (IDW)

Best Ongoing Series:

  • Afterlife with Archie, by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa and Francesco Francavilla (Archie)
  • Fatale, by Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips (Image)
  • Lazarus, by Greg Rucka and Michael Lark (Image)
  • Mind MGMT, by Matt Kindt (Dark Horse)
  • Saga, by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples (Image)

Best Writer:

  • Matt Kindt, Mind MGMT (Dark Horse)
  • Dean Motter, Mister X (Dark Horse)
  • Greg Rucka, Lazarus (Image)
  • Simon Spurrier, Six-Gun Gorilla (BOOM!), Numbercruncher (Titan)
  • Brian K. Vaughan, Saga (Image)

Best Artist:

  • Francesco Francavilla, Afterlife with Archie (Archie)
  • Matt Kindt, Mind MGMT (Dark Horse)
  • Terry Moore, Rachel Rising (Abstract Studio)
  • Dean Motter, Mister X (Dark Horse)
  • Fiona Staples, Saga (Image)

Best Colorist:

  • Laura Allred
  • Jordie Bellaire
  • Francesco Francavilla
  • Dave Stewart
  • Jose Villarrubia

Best Comic Book Related Website Run By Two High-School Teachers In Their Spare Time In The Greater NY Area: 

  • Images and Nerds

Now it’s your turn. Who did we miss?

Let the internet shouting begin!

Turning pages,

Derek & Scott

 

Share this:

  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)
  • Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Google+ (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)

Like this:

Like Loading...

Top 5 Books of March

21 Monday Apr 2014

Posted by ScottNerd in Top 5 Books of the Month

≈ 8 Comments

Tags

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

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

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

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

Silver Surfer 001 Mike Allred Cover

Silver Surfer #1

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

The Massive #21

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

Lazarus #7

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

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

Afterlife with Archie #4

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Stray Bullets Killers #1

Stray Bullets: Killers #1

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

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

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

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

rachel-rising-24

Rachel Rising #24

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Turning pages,

Derek & Scott

Share this:

  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)
  • Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Google+ (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)

Like this:

Like Loading...

In Scott’s Bag (7/31)

03 Saturday Aug 2013

Posted by ScottNerd in I&N Scott's Bag

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Adventures of Superman, Animal Man, Avatar, Batman, Batman Incorporated, Bedlam, Brian Michael Bendis, Brian Wood, Caanan White, Chris Bachalo, Collider, Daredevil, David Aja, DC Comics, FF, Frazer Irving, Grant Morrison, Hawkeye, IDW, Image, Indestructible Hulk, Javier Rodriguez, Jeff Lemire, Kevin Eastman, Kieron Gillen, Laura Allred, Marguerite Bennet, Mark Waid, Marvel, Mateus Santoluoco, Matt Fraction, Matt Kindt, Matteo Scalera, Mike Allred, Nick Spencer, Olivier Coipel, Robbi Rodriguez, Ruan Browne, Scott Snyder, Sean Murphy, Simon Oliver, Stephen Segovia, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, The Wake, Travel Foreman, Uber, Uncanny X-Men, Wes Craig, X-Men

Picked up most of my books at the heavenly Midtown Comics.

  • Batman Incorporated #13 (Read it!  And just like that, it’s over.  Morrison, you quirky bastard, you will be missed.)
  • Adventures of Superman #3 (Read it!  Matt Kindt brings a little Mind MGMT to Metropolis: he crafts a complex narrative–in this case, plagued by some uneven writing–and rides it toward a recognizable Superman story.)
  • Indestructible Hulk #11 (Read it!  Hulk and robot Banner–yup, robot Banner–are unstuck in time.  So it goes.)
  • Uncanny X-Men #9 (Read it!  Enjoyed the…  I liked the, umm…  Well, there was the time when…  OK, I’m going to have to go with the hair-coloring kerfuffle.  Cuckoo, indeed.)
  • FF #10 (Read it!  F—ing Fraction!  No, really: you’ve got to read it to believe it.)
FF #10

FF #10

  • X-Men #3 (Read it!  Seemed to resolve itself far too easily.  But, hey: they “pulled together,” so…  A solid shrug.)
  • Batman Annual #2 (Read it!  Should’ve learned my lesson regarding these darned annuals a long time ago.  But seeing as I bought it and read it: I guess I liked the premise that Batman “ruined” Arkham by filling it with villainous scum.  What I didn’t care for was the stretching out of the story–which was unnecessary in the context of the story itself, clearly, but necessary in the context of filling all those extra pages.  Darned annuals.)
  • Uber #4 (Read it!  Now that’s how it’s done!  Kudos to Kieron Gillen and Caanan White for serving up a solid issue from front to back.  And to think I almost abandoned the war effort after #2!)
  • Bedlam #8 (Read it!  Fully expected it to be a pull-list casualty at this point; but, darn it, throughout the series Spencer’s shown a knack for escalating the plot over the course of an issue, and this issue is a prime example of that knack and its power.  And just like that, I’m down for more.)
Bedlam #8

Bedlam #8

  • Daredevil #29 (Read it!  On its own, a pretty good show.  Unfortunately, it’s not on its own; it both follows and is a follow-up to the near flawless #28.)
  • The Wake #3 (Read it!  OK, now you’ve got my attention, Mr. Snyder!  This is the issue I was waiting for-not just it terms of the series, but in terms of the series’ scribe, as well.  What sucks about it: now I’ve got to wait some more–for #4.)
  • Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #24 (Read it!  That’s right: I’m three issue into the TMNT ongoing series.  A more unlikely scenario I can’t imagine!  Thing is, it’s really good.  So, there: I have a good excuse.)
TMNT #24

TMNT #24

  • Animal Man Annual #2 (Read it!  Love the family stuff.  The hero stuff is on the walking side of run-of-the-mill.  That seems to be the flaw in Lemire’s game.  Well, there’s always Trillium, which is due 8/7.  Good to see travel Foreman, by the way.)
  • Collider #1 (Gonna get right to it after I post this darn thing.)
Collider #1

Collider #1

I’m happy to report that I also picked up Hawkeye Vol. 2, so it won’t be long before I’m all caught up!

What did you get in your bag this week?

Turning pages,

Scott

Share this:

  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)
  • Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Google+ (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)

Like this:

Like Loading...

The Nerds

  • dmaxwell
  • ScottNerd

Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Join 1,150 other followers

An Amazing Comic Shop

Wiggle Room

It's just the beginning...

Tag Salad!

Ales Kot All-New X-Men Animal Man Archer & Armstrong Avatar Batman Batwoman Bloodshot BOOM! Brian Azzarello Brian K. Vaughan Brian Michael Bendis Brian Wood China Mieville Chris Bachalo Chris Samnee Clone comics Cullen Bunn Daredevil Dark Horse DC DC Comics Dial H Dynamite Dynamite Entertainment Ed Brubaker Fatale Fiona Staples Fred Van Lente Garth Ennis Goran Parlov Grant Morrison Greg Rucka Harbinger IDW Image Image Comics J.H. Williams III J. Michael Straczynski Jason Aaron Jeff Lemire Jonathan Hickman Jordie Bellaire Joshua Dysart Kevin Eastman Kieron Gillen Kurt Busiek Lazarus Mark Waid Marvel Matt Fraction Matt Kindt Mike Allred Mind MGMT Nick Spencer Oni Press Rachel Rising Robert Venditti Saga Scott Snyder Sean Phillips Swamp Thing Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Terry Moore The Massive Titan Uber Ultimate Spider-Man Uncanny X-Men Valiant Vertigo Wonder Woman X-O Manowar zero

Archives

  • November 2018
  • October 2018
  • September 2018
  • August 2018
  • July 2018
  • August 2017
  • September 2016
  • August 2016
  • July 2016
  • September 2015
  • August 2015
  • July 2015
  • June 2015
  • May 2015
  • April 2015
  • March 2015
  • February 2015
  • January 2015
  • December 2014
  • November 2014
  • October 2014
  • September 2014
  • August 2014
  • July 2014
  • June 2014
  • May 2014
  • April 2014
  • March 2014
  • February 2014
  • January 2014
  • December 2013
  • November 2013
  • October 2013
  • September 2013
  • August 2013
  • July 2013
  • June 2013
  • May 2013
  • April 2013
  • March 2013
  • February 2013
  • January 2013
  • December 2012
  • November 2012
  • October 2012
  • September 2012
  • August 2012

Features

  • 22 I&N 22
  • 5 Comics You Should Be Reading
  • Back and Forth
  • Derekommendations
  • I&N Print
  • I&N Review
  • I&N Scott's Bag
  • I&N Store
  • I&N the Gutter…
  • I&N's Top Ten
  • I&Nsight
  • I&Nterview
  • Innie Awards
  • Microviews
  • Scottlight on…
  • Superhero Friday!
  • Top 5 Books of the Month
  • Uncategorized
  • What's I&N Store?

Recent Posts

  • I&N Store 11/7
  • I&N Store 10/31
  • I&N Store 10/24
  • I&N Store 10/17
  • I&N Store 10/10
Advertisements

Real Nerdy Stuff

  • Register
  • Log in
  • Entries RSS
  • Comments RSS
  • WordPress.com

Twitter Updates

  • I just backed Death Sentence Liberty #2 (and #1) on @Kickstarter kickstarter.com/projects/14351… 2 months ago
Follow @imagesandnerds

Top 3 Posts & Pages

  • I&N Store 11/7

Finders Keepers

Create a free website or blog at WordPress.com.

Cancel
loading Cancel
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.
Privacy & Cookies: This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this website, you agree to their use.
To find out more, including how to control cookies, see here: Cookie Policy
%d bloggers like this: