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Tag Archives: Star Wars

What’s I&N Store (3/11)

11 Wednesday Mar 2015

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

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Abstract Studio, Ales Kot, Ant-Man, Astro City, Avatar, Cullen Bunn, Dan Slott, Dynamite, East of West, Ed Brisson, Fred Van Lente, Garth Ennis, Hellbreak, Image, J. Michael Straczynski, Jason Aaron, John Cassaday, Johnnie Christmas, Jonathan Hickman, Kurt Busiek, Magnus: Robot Fighter, Marvel, Matt Kindt, Mike Allred, Nick Dragotta, Nick Spencer, Ninjak, Oni, Rachel Rising, Sheltered, Sidekick, Silver Surfer, Star Wars, Terry Moore, The Damnation of Charlie Wormwood, The Sixth Gun: Dust to Dust, The Surface, Thor, Vertigo, War Stories

A real conversation I overheard in my head:

What are you looking forward to most this week?

Me?  Without a doubt: Thaw.

Oh, wow, OK.  I was expecting you to say something else.  You know, with Kindt and Kot and Slott and whatnot.

Hmm?  I said thaw.  Right?  Thaw.  Especially after all of the ice and snow.

Yeah, no, I know.  Frost giants are bad-ass.  But whoever the hell it is under that helmet is all business.  Girl power, baby!

Thaw.  Not Thor.  Thaw.

That is the question, isn’t it?

No, it isn’t.  You’re just not getting it, are you?

Are you kidding me?  Of course, I am!  I mean, Aaron’s hammering home a relevant point about gender, about identity–it’s almost Shakespearean if you think about it!

Just did.  And, no, it isn’t.

I’m so confused right now.  Doesn’t really sound like you’re really all that interested in Thor.  I mean–I don’t know.

Third base.

 

  • Astro City #21 (DC/Vertigo): This Quarrel-centric arc’s been a drag.  Wondering if Astro City‘s suffering from Busiek’s attention to his excellent–and anthropomorphically-fresh–The Autumnlands: Tooth & Claw.
  • East of West #18 (Image) I&N Demand I always look forward to getting lost in Hickman’s fatal vision, particularly now with the increasingly-intriguing boy with the A.I. balloon.  Alas, Babylon: I wish you well on your journey!
East of West #18

East of West #18

  • Sheltered #15 (Image): Wait a sec.  This is the end?  Oh, well.  I guess the volcano’s gonna blow after all.  Kinda glad it’s over.
  • Sidekick #10 (Image): I’ve liked Sidekick a lot.  Hard to imagine I almost quit after the first one!  Oh, and then there was the time I accused J.M.S. of plagiarizing–his own material, for goodness sake!  (In an odd twist, Straczynski employed a plot device in The Twilight Zone [our #10 book of 2014, by the way] that just so happened to be an integral part of fellow shelf-sitter Sidekick.)  All blood under the bridge.  Can’t wait to see how this wraps up.
  • The Surface #1 (Image) Just I&N Ales Kot–love him (Change, Zero) or hate him (Suicide Squad, Bucky Barnes: The Winter Soldier)–demands attention with his off-beat, oft-rhythmic writing style.  He definitely does “mind-bending” well, so I’m definitely down with discovering what lies beneath The Surface.
The Surface #1

The Surface #1

  • Ant-Man #3 (Marvel) I&N Demand Never in my life–or at least in the last couple of months–did I expect to find myself excited about Ant-Man.  Ant-Man for God’s sake!  It’s mostly promotional material, isn’t it?  And what about Secret Wars?  I mean, is this series gonna get stepped on after #5?  But Spencer’s having a good time and it shows!  (See Darth Vader and Princess Leia for very much the opposite feeling.)  And, then, of course, there’s the promise of the Taskmaster, one of my all-time faves.
Ant-Man #3

Ant-Man #3

  • Silver Surfer #10 (Marvel) I&N Demand Any regular reader–or occasional clicker–worth his power cosmic knows that we love Slott and Allred’s Silver Surfer, our #4 book of 2014.  What you don’t know–no matter your status–is that #8 was a Top 5 Pick of January and #9 was a Top Five Pick of February.  (Yeah, no links.  Sorry: we’re kind of behind.  It happens.  A lot.)  It’s been the perfect balance of humor and huge moments–none huger than the coming of Galactus.
Silver Surfer #10

Silver Surfer #10

  • Star Wars #3 (Marvel): Of the three newly relaunched Star Wars books, this one’s the only one that seems to care.  How much do I care?  Not as much as I had hoped.  We’ll see if this one helps.
  • Thor #6 (Marvel): OK, so I’m intrigued.  Sure, there have been some terrible moments (#5, for example: What is that nonsense between Thor and Titiana?  Is it The Sisterhood of the Traveling Spandex?); but they’ve been generally tempered by the well-developed mystery and the emergence of the Odinson as a superior supporting character.
  • The Damnation of Charlie Wormwood #5 (Dynamite): A decent Twilight Zone-ish story with some literary notes comes to close.
  • Magnus: Robot Fighter #12 (Dynamite): Yet another series comes to a close–a merciful, merciful close.
  • Ninjak #1 (Valiant) I&N Demand Matt Kindt’s proving that Valiant picked the right guy to power up their universe–especially with his latest wave of books (The Valiant, Divinity)  Ninjak promises to be further proof.
Ninjak #1

Ninjak #1

  • Rachel Rising #32 (Abstract Studio): I had this book written off for dead after #29.  #30 found Terry Moore resurrecting everything that made Rachel rise above the rest–and into our Top Ten Books of 2013.  Pretty glad I kept it on my pull list.  Thing is, I know that Moore can slip to less–and that knowledge is going to linger, maybe even spoil.  Rats.
  • The Sixth Gun: Dust to Dust #1 (Oni):  If it’s The Sixth Gun, it’s going to find its way into my bag.
  • War Stories #6 (Avatar): Garth Ennis and Tomas Aria are telling the harrowing story of the Children of Israel, and I’m on the edge of my seat to find out how it ends.

What are you looking forward to this week?

Turning pages,

Scott

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What’s I&N Store (2/4)

04 Wednesday Feb 2015

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

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Angela: Asgard's Assassin, Annihilator, Antonio Campo, Birthright, BOOM!, Brian K. Vaughan, Brian Michael Bendis, Chris Burnham, Cullen Bunn, Dark Horse, David Lapham, DC Comics, Detective Comics, East of West, Ed Brubaker, Feathers, Fiona Staples, Frazer Irving, G.I. Joe, Geoff Johns, Grant Morrison, Hawkeye, Hellboy and the B.P.R.D., IDW, Image, Imperium, James RIch, Jason Aaron, Joelle Jones, John Cassaday, John Romita Jr., Jonathan Hickman, Joshua Dysart, Joshua Hale Fialkov, Joshua Williamson, Kieron Gillen, Lady Killer, Marguerite Bennett, Marvel, Matt Fraction, Michael Avon Oeming, Miracleman, Nameless, Nick Dragotta, Robert Venditti, Saga, Sheltered, Star Wars, Stray Bullets: Sunshine and Roses, Superman, The Bunker, The Sixth Gun: Days of the Dead, The United States of Murder Inc., Valiant, Velvet, X-O Manowar

Nothing beats a deep freeze like a bag of sizzling hot comics!  Right?

Right?

Of course not.  The deep freeze doesn’t give a sleet how hot the books are.

Still worth the risk, though, of jumping into the ol’ snowmobile and maybe–quite possibly–most assuredly–running off the road, ramming into another road warrior, and/or crashing right through the façade of your favorite comic shop.

Right?

Right.

Whoa, wait: I may have something here: a drive thru comic shop…

Somebody get on that.

  • Hellboy & The B.P.R.D. #3 (Dark Horse)
  • Lady Killer #2 (Dark Horse) I&N Demand I tweeted this out about a perfectly executed #1 because I had to:

@jarrodjones_ @Joelle_Jones @DarkHorseComics @jamieESrich Lady Killer #1 was pretty great. Familiar notes with a fresh face: “Avon calling!”

Very much looking forward to this one.

Lady Killer #2

Lady Killer #2

  • Detective Comics #39 (DC)
  • Superman #38 (DC) I&N Demand New costume?  Thank God.  New power?  Say what?  It’s as bright as day: Johns and JRJ have been like twin yellow suns re-energizing the Last Son of Krypton; so I’m down with whatever it is they want to do.
Superman #38

Superman #38

  • G.I. Joe #5 (IDW)
  • Birthright #5 (Image)
  • East of West #17 (Image) I&N Demand Everything about East of West has been great.  Hickman went bigger with this world of his, and he’s owned it–like a mad god suffering from significant stretches of lucidity.
East of West #17

East of West #17

  • Nameless #1 (Image) Just I&N Grant Morrison.  Chris Burnham.  See: not so nameless after all.
Nameless #1

Nameless #1

  • Saga #25 (Image)
  • Sheltered #14 (Image)
  • Stray Bullets: Sunshine and Roses #1 (Image) I&N Demand The follow-up to the killer Killers arc.  Didn’t read Killers?  Haven’t been hit by any Stray Bullets at all?  Consider this a jumping on point–one that’ll inspire you to jump backward into the satisfyingly-uncomfortable line of fire; into a shotgun blast of expertly-wielded ambiguity.  Pull the trigger, you son of a gun!  Give Sunshine and Roses a shot!
Stray Bullets: Sunshine and Roses #1

Stray Bullets: Sunshine and Roses #1

  • Velvet #9 (Image)
  • Angela: Asgard’s Assassin #3 (Marvel)
  • Hawkeye #21 (Marvel)
  • Miracleman #15 (Marvel)
  • Star Wars #2 (Marvel)
  • The United States of Murder #6 (Marvel/Icon)
  • Annihilator #5 (Legendary) I&N Demand Lots of lovely layers here.  Meta magic courtesy of Mr. Morrison.  Looks great, too, thanks to the digitally dreamy artwork of Frazer Irving.
Annihilator #5

Annihilator #5

  • The Bunker #9 (Oni)
  • Feathers #2 (BOOM!)
  • Imperium #1 (Valiant)
  • The Sixth Gun: Days of the Dead #5 (Oni)
  • X-O Manowar #33 (Valiant)

What?  No Wytches?  Risking stitches: didn’t care for it.  Tried.  Couldn’t.  I blame the tone problems rooted in #1.  Can’t unsee needless tirades, right?

Right?

What are you looking forward to this week?

Turning pages,

Scott

 

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What’s I&N Store (1/14)

14 Wednesday Jan 2015

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

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A Voice in the Dark, Copperhead, Daredevil, Fraggle Rock, Lazarus, Silver Surfer, Star Wars, The Twilight Zone, Wild's End

No hyperbole here: never has the I&N Demand designation been used in such a meiotic manner.

Oh, and, umm, by the way: Star Wars.

  • Astro City #19 (DC/Vertigo)
  • A Voice in the Dark: Get Your Gun #2 (Image):
  • Copperhead #5 (Image)
  • Lazarus #14 (Image) I&N Demand
Lazarus #11

Lazarus #14

  • All-New Captain America #3 (Marvel)
  • Daredevil #12 (Marvel)
  • Silver Surfer #8 (Marvel) I&N Demand
Silver Surfer #8

Silver Surfer #8

  • Star Wars #1 (Marvel) Just I&N
Star Wars #1

Star Wars #1

  • 13 Coins #1 (Titan)
  • Q2: The Return of Quantum and Woody #4 (Valiant)
  • Stumptown Vol. 3 #5 (Oni)
  • Thomas Alsop #8 (BOOM!)
  • The Twilight Zone #11 (Dynamite) I&N Demand
Twilight Zone #11

Twilight Zone #11

  • Wild’s End #5 (BOOM!) I&N Demand
Wild's End #5

Wild’s End #5

Avery’s Pick of the Week

  • Fraggle Rock: Journey to the Everspring #4 (BOOM!/Archaia)
Fraggle Rock: Journey to the Everspring #4

Fraggle Rock: Journey to the Everspring #4

What are you looking forward to this week–you know, besides Star Wars?

Turning pages,

Scott

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I&N Review: Wild Blue Yonder #6

01 Thursday Jan 2015

Posted by ScottNerd in I&N Review

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Austin Harrison, Battlestar Galactica, Colonial Viper, Cylon Raider, IDW, Mike Raicht, Nelson Daniel, Star Wars, Tie Fighter, Wild Blue Yonder, X-Wing, Zach Howard

This is it, folks: the explosive finale of the soaring spectacle that has been Wild Blue Yonder:

Wild Blue Yonder #6

Wild Blue Yonder #6

And by explosive, I’m not simply talking about all things coming to a head after all the tension that has been built up over five issues is released in a singular climactic burst.  I mean, literally: there are a lot of explosions.  A lot.  It’s clear–well, as clear as it can be for all the smoke and debris: the creative team–the Wild Blue myth masters–comprised of Mike Raicht (story/writer), Zach Howard (story/artist), Austin Harrison (story) and Nelson Daniel (colors) decided to go out with a FaDoom!

Told you so.

 

Despite the fact that there’s enough fiery fallout to warrant a a titular turn of the color wheel–from Wild Blue Yonder to Wild Orange Yonder–the biggest blast isn’t the result of offensive or defensive ordinance; instead, it comes from Raicht’s using the structure of the issue to further blow up archetypal conventions by turning the Judge–the story’s antagonist–into an antihero who’s worth rooting for, certainly as we recall his confident assertion in the previous issue: “we will rise above those flames for good” (good to be taken as “forevermore” and, relatively speaking, as “moral righteousness”); and thanks to a bloody flashback, which gives him even more power in the eyes of his people–and, more important, power over us.

Don’t be surprised, then, if you find yourself sympathizing with the Executioner before the axe comes down.  See: even though the world’s propped up on black (the Judge!) and white (Cola!) stanchions, the atmosphere of moral relativism takes on a shade of, well, blue.  It doesn’t take long, however, for our concern to turn back toward Cola and Co.  As the focus of the story switches to the defenders of the Dawn, we’re reminded that they’re the ones who deserve to carry on; they’re the ones who are meant to see a better day.

They are the ones–right?

But a better tomorrow doesn’t come easily.  Howard and Daniel–the former delivering a career-defining achievement and the latter wielding colors of mass destruction–make it look pretty easy, though, with their other-worldly attention to detail, which is showcased during the inevitable issue-spanning, sky-scarring dogfight that drives the narrative to its ultimate conclusion.  Oh, sure, it’s a familiar scene powered, in part, by cinematic urgency: heck, it comes preloaded with the energy of X-Wings vs. Tie Fighters and the desperation of Colonial Vipers vs. Cylon Raiders.  We see in this re-imagining a rag-tag air force–comprised of planes from a bygone era–led by Cola and supplemented by gutsy guns (including the high-caliber–and scene-stealing–Scram) vs. a swarm of Wraiths, this time spearheaded by the Judge, who knows that this is his last opportunity to provide a future for his people.  Undoubtedly–and unapologetically–the myth masters are sticking to a tried and true script; they’re pinning their hopes–and ours–on our familiarity–more, our sacred relationship–with genre tropes.  And it all works; it still feels fresh–thanks to special moments like the gorgeous final double-page splash, which hearkens back to a double-page splash from the past and which leaves us to do some Sol-searching of our own.

The clever fellas at Noble Transmission have left a few questions unanswered–questions that’ll tug at you long after you’ve bagged and boarded the book.  That’s got me thinking, expecting–and hoping–sequel.  Ah, now that will be a beautiful day.

I can’t wait to see what else they’ve got in store for us.

For now, though, you’ve got to wait for this:

Wild Blue Yonder #6 (IDW) is slated to hit the shelf of your favorite comic shop on 1/21.  I’ll be picking up my copy at Android’s Amazing Comics.

Turning pages,

Scott

 

 

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I&N’s Top Ten of 2013

31 Tuesday Dec 2013

Posted by ScottNerd in Uncategorized

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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 #4

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 #2

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

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

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

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 #13

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

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

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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

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