I was really sad to wake up today and hear about Kurt Vonnegut’s passing. I spent a summer reading as much Vonnegut as I could get my hands on and while it may just be that I didn’t have cable it’s the last time I can remember getting so much constant enjoyment out of reading.
Vonnegut will always be that last summer in Antigonish, Nova Scotia for me where I spent my time with friends going to a pristine lake or the ocean for swimming, random road trips to Halifax for the hell of it, drinking and smoking too much and just generally milking the most out of each and every day. Those four months found a group of us that were constantly swapping Vonnegut books with one another that we managed to scrounge up second hand and turned us into a bunch of quick witted sons of bitches.
I also remember in my third year of university there was newspaper article in the Chronicle Herald that said Vonnegut was dead. Then I saw him in a credit card commercial and thought that was a bit distasteful. I’m sure he would have loved to hear about his own death long before it actually happened.
If you haven't read any of his books yet, you are truly missing out on one of the world's greatest writers.
As he wrote in the Book of Bokonon in Cat's Cradle - It is never a mistake to say good-bye.
Thursday, April 12, 2007
Wednesday’s Loot - 11 April 2007
52 Week 49
This issue would have been the best issue ever if they had a hypnoray instead of hypnogoggles, otherwise this is pretty much what I want from series like this. Good action, good intrigue, and a some retroactive setup for the year that was/will be. And I’m always a sucker for the swirly background image a go-go. This is more Science Squad hi-jinx but with action figure sized metal men and a decent moment between a couple of characters who had a civil relationship way back when this whole thing started – it’s nice to see two characters actually maintain a decent relationship even if both are mad scientists.
I rate this comic: One hypnoray away from perfect.
All-Star Superman #7
I like this issue but not as much as the others so far. I think it’s solely because this issue strays from the single issue format that I love so much (don’t ask me why I’m not reading Jonah Hex, I just don’t know). It doesn’t mean I was disappointed, not by a long shot. This issue is chalk full of great supporting cast moments, from Perry White fire-extinguishing a bizarro zombie, to Jimmy commandeering a blimp, to Lois having a quick and quiet moment with Superman. Plus Supes gets to put a blowhard in his place and we’re given the square Bizarro world with Anagram Zibarro – I can only image the dialogue about to come and how it will relate to the action in the next issue.
I rate this comic: I’m so happy I’m reading this.
Madman #1
I’ve never read a Madman comic before this one. I can’t afford the Gargantua volume but would probably enjoy it. I love the art and I’m happy with the gonzo storytelling here. There is lovely lovely art in this book - I love the strong linework and clarity of it all.
I rate this comic: A good pick for the uninitiated like me.
This issue would have been the best issue ever if they had a hypnoray instead of hypnogoggles, otherwise this is pretty much what I want from series like this. Good action, good intrigue, and a some retroactive setup for the year that was/will be. And I’m always a sucker for the swirly background image a go-go. This is more Science Squad hi-jinx but with action figure sized metal men and a decent moment between a couple of characters who had a civil relationship way back when this whole thing started – it’s nice to see two characters actually maintain a decent relationship even if both are mad scientists.
I rate this comic: One hypnoray away from perfect.
All-Star Superman #7
I like this issue but not as much as the others so far. I think it’s solely because this issue strays from the single issue format that I love so much (don’t ask me why I’m not reading Jonah Hex, I just don’t know). It doesn’t mean I was disappointed, not by a long shot. This issue is chalk full of great supporting cast moments, from Perry White fire-extinguishing a bizarro zombie, to Jimmy commandeering a blimp, to Lois having a quick and quiet moment with Superman. Plus Supes gets to put a blowhard in his place and we’re given the square Bizarro world with Anagram Zibarro – I can only image the dialogue about to come and how it will relate to the action in the next issue.
I rate this comic: I’m so happy I’m reading this.
Madman #1
I’ve never read a Madman comic before this one. I can’t afford the Gargantua volume but would probably enjoy it. I love the art and I’m happy with the gonzo storytelling here. There is lovely lovely art in this book - I love the strong linework and clarity of it all.
I rate this comic: A good pick for the uninitiated like me.
Wednesday, April 11, 2007
No comic books week continues
Here's some more footage of Troy Hurtubise, that Project Grizzly guy - now with an insane Halo type suit called the Trojan.
Tuesday, April 10, 2007
Dream Career Move, World's Colliding, and Chainsaw Bayonets
Okay, again little to no comic content today for which I apologize. I'm trying, I really am but I don't seem to be reading much comic book related material this week (or last for that matter).
Anyway, I was actually reading Posy Simmond's Gemma Bovery and really enjoying it. Such a wonderful change of pace to what I pick up weekly. Stay tuned for a better mildly informative review at a future date. So, I was reading this book and the television was turned to TLC when Honey, We're Killing the Kids came on and I discovered a very funny television quirk. Whenever they show the kids as the morbidly obese adults they tend to have either no hair left or a terrible haircut, cheapass glasses, some kind of moustache and possibly bad teeth to go with it. When they show the healthy adult the images have stylish glasses, well groomed facial hair and really nice haircuts, not to mention what appears to be fancier clothes. Now this may be an actual measured phenomenon, I'm not a scientist so I can't say for sure but the fat images generally look poor and unsuccessful - it may be a comment about self confidence and self-image issues that are connected to obesity but I can't say for sure.
All I know is that I want to be the dude who takes the photos and makes laughable fat people out of fat kids. It's as close as I can get to being an actual mad-scientist reshaping humans to my evil purposes - kind of interning for eventual world domination.
-----
Also, my wife read both Buffy comics last night. It was a bit creepy. Next, I'll be reading The Devil Wears Prada if these worlds continue to collide.
-----
Why didn't anyone tell me how utterly fantastic Gears of War is for the X-box 360. I spent way too much time playing this split-screen co-op over the long weekend. It's a fantastic narrative that just works on every level. Beautiful computer graphics, tense action, mature dialogue, and a truly engaging experience. It should get boring to keep ducking behind cover, peeking out to shoot aliens, running and ducking in a slow advance to the next boss fight but it never ever gets old. If you don't have access to an X-box 360 (like me who relies on a friend) and don't plan on getting one anytime soon or making friends with video gamers, then all I can say is that the entire game is like the D-Day scene in Saving Private Ryan only with bad-ass sci-fi soldiers with chainsaw bayonets on their guns fighting aliens who don't drop on one hit. Generally I get bored playing games where you keep repeating the same thing over and over in a slightly different environment but this game just sucked me in and wouldn't let me go.
Anyway, I was actually reading Posy Simmond's Gemma Bovery and really enjoying it. Such a wonderful change of pace to what I pick up weekly. Stay tuned for a better mildly informative review at a future date. So, I was reading this book and the television was turned to TLC when Honey, We're Killing the Kids came on and I discovered a very funny television quirk. Whenever they show the kids as the morbidly obese adults they tend to have either no hair left or a terrible haircut, cheapass glasses, some kind of moustache and possibly bad teeth to go with it. When they show the healthy adult the images have stylish glasses, well groomed facial hair and really nice haircuts, not to mention what appears to be fancier clothes. Now this may be an actual measured phenomenon, I'm not a scientist so I can't say for sure but the fat images generally look poor and unsuccessful - it may be a comment about self confidence and self-image issues that are connected to obesity but I can't say for sure.
All I know is that I want to be the dude who takes the photos and makes laughable fat people out of fat kids. It's as close as I can get to being an actual mad-scientist reshaping humans to my evil purposes - kind of interning for eventual world domination.
-----
Also, my wife read both Buffy comics last night. It was a bit creepy. Next, I'll be reading The Devil Wears Prada if these worlds continue to collide.
-----
Why didn't anyone tell me how utterly fantastic Gears of War is for the X-box 360. I spent way too much time playing this split-screen co-op over the long weekend. It's a fantastic narrative that just works on every level. Beautiful computer graphics, tense action, mature dialogue, and a truly engaging experience. It should get boring to keep ducking behind cover, peeking out to shoot aliens, running and ducking in a slow advance to the next boss fight but it never ever gets old. If you don't have access to an X-box 360 (like me who relies on a friend) and don't plan on getting one anytime soon or making friends with video gamers, then all I can say is that the entire game is like the D-Day scene in Saving Private Ryan only with bad-ass sci-fi soldiers with chainsaw bayonets on their guns fighting aliens who don't drop on one hit. Generally I get bored playing games where you keep repeating the same thing over and over in a slightly different environment but this game just sucked me in and wouldn't let me go.
Monday, April 09, 2007
No post for you
After three days trapped in the country with deer eating on the front lawn and five children running and screaming I have little brainpower left. I had to kill more houseflies this weekend then the rest of my life combined. I'm starting to agree with Woody Allen about leaving the city.
Thursday, April 05, 2007
Wednesday’s Loot – 4 April 2007
52 Week 48
I enjoyed the Montoya-Nightwing team-up. I was a bit lost with the whole Abbot guy leaving the evil animal men, was it because Mannheim was pissed at him and criminals like nothing more than helping the heroes when they’ve been betrayed by other criminals in order to get back at said first group of criminals? Otherwise I don’t mind Renee Montoya as The Question, although she was such a great character already it just seems unnecessary to me and that this was change just for the sake of change. But in the end, I’m fine with it because The Question can simply be anyone as long as The Question kicks people in the head – the addition of the space-gun was pretty cool though. The art was a bit scratchy in this issue and I think they explained in a very round about way why the Crime Bible interns didn’t go after Cassandra Cain instead of Katherine Kane as the twice named daughter of Cain – she was too young, I think? Whatever, they’re determined to use the new Batwoman although it would have been great if they actually killed her off in this issue and said they were just kidding about the whole new series thing a while back as a way to get some press.
I rate this comic: I’ll bit $3.99 for Black Adam.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer #2
Again, I like the series so I like this book. I did feel there were a few jump-cuts that had me a bit lost for a panel but otherwise this comic captures the characters essence perfectly. I’m a bit unsure about reading that Brian K. Vaughan will be writing issues 6-9 though. Not because I don’t like his writing, I think he’s a fantastic writer but it kind of makes me wonder how dedicated Whedon is to the whole thing. Then again, if I was him I’d be a bit sick and tired of going back to something that ended a long time ago and dealing with questions about characters who are treated as real people by a whole lot of whacky characters who actually are people. You get what I’m saying? It feels a bit like a cop out but at least it's Vaughan who is like the hardest working man in comics, and I respect that (not to mention love his writing).
I rate this comic: Hey, it’s got a giant, a Nick Fury homage and a horde of undead Scotts in kilts, what’s not to like?
Detective Comics #831
I think this story was done before. Not with the same characters or whatever, but the whole Harley Quinn going strait storyline. That being said, it’s still a fantastic issue that not only gives us a great Harley Quinn and Batman caper but makes the new Ventriloquist a lot more interesting – what’s her connection to both the old Ventriloquist and, perhaps, The Joker. Really, wonderful stuff.
I rate this comic: Did I mention how much I love Paul Dini writing Detective Comics?
I enjoyed the Montoya-Nightwing team-up. I was a bit lost with the whole Abbot guy leaving the evil animal men, was it because Mannheim was pissed at him and criminals like nothing more than helping the heroes when they’ve been betrayed by other criminals in order to get back at said first group of criminals? Otherwise I don’t mind Renee Montoya as The Question, although she was such a great character already it just seems unnecessary to me and that this was change just for the sake of change. But in the end, I’m fine with it because The Question can simply be anyone as long as The Question kicks people in the head – the addition of the space-gun was pretty cool though. The art was a bit scratchy in this issue and I think they explained in a very round about way why the Crime Bible interns didn’t go after Cassandra Cain instead of Katherine Kane as the twice named daughter of Cain – she was too young, I think? Whatever, they’re determined to use the new Batwoman although it would have been great if they actually killed her off in this issue and said they were just kidding about the whole new series thing a while back as a way to get some press.
I rate this comic: I’ll bit $3.99 for Black Adam.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer #2
Again, I like the series so I like this book. I did feel there were a few jump-cuts that had me a bit lost for a panel but otherwise this comic captures the characters essence perfectly. I’m a bit unsure about reading that Brian K. Vaughan will be writing issues 6-9 though. Not because I don’t like his writing, I think he’s a fantastic writer but it kind of makes me wonder how dedicated Whedon is to the whole thing. Then again, if I was him I’d be a bit sick and tired of going back to something that ended a long time ago and dealing with questions about characters who are treated as real people by a whole lot of whacky characters who actually are people. You get what I’m saying? It feels a bit like a cop out but at least it's Vaughan who is like the hardest working man in comics, and I respect that (not to mention love his writing).
I rate this comic: Hey, it’s got a giant, a Nick Fury homage and a horde of undead Scotts in kilts, what’s not to like?
Detective Comics #831
I think this story was done before. Not with the same characters or whatever, but the whole Harley Quinn going strait storyline. That being said, it’s still a fantastic issue that not only gives us a great Harley Quinn and Batman caper but makes the new Ventriloquist a lot more interesting – what’s her connection to both the old Ventriloquist and, perhaps, The Joker. Really, wonderful stuff.
I rate this comic: Did I mention how much I love Paul Dini writing Detective Comics?
Wednesday, April 04, 2007
Word of the Week - Teratogenetic
Teratogenetic – pertaining to the production of birth defects in embryos and fetuses.
Comic book usage: No Robin, don't drink that water! The diluded Clayface in Gotham's drinking water could be teratogenetic. Or so I suspect. To the Bat-cave!
Comic book usage: No Robin, don't drink that water! The diluded Clayface in Gotham's drinking water could be teratogenetic. Or so I suspect. To the Bat-cave!
Tuesday, April 03, 2007
Comics are Canadian
This just sort of brilliantly hit me so I had to log in and write it down before I lost it to the ether of my stray thoughts. Work deadlines be damned!
No this isn't about how Superman's Metropolis is based on Toronto or a detailed list of all the great comic creators who are Canadian.
What I realized is that comic book fans are like Canadians in that whenever we see comics in another medium we need to tell everyone we know about it, and especially tell them how said media got it wrong. Much like watching American television to see some hoser in a parka sprinkling his conversation with "eh," red serge and some weird pronunciation of the letter "o" means that you have to get disgusted and frustrated by the insult yet tell everyone at work/school the next day anyway is a sign of being a Canadian and seeing how those outside the Canadian community just don't really give a rat's ass about portraying us as anything but a stereotype.
Well, the same thing happens to comic book fans. We tend to go to comic book movies and bitch and moan about everything they got wrong but we'll tell everyone about it anyway. Or if you're watching TV and someone makes a mention of a comic book or superhero you'll feel the need to explain to whoever is in the room with you the history of said book or character. The same thing goes with being Canadian, we all felt the need to tell everyone when Kramer said he only watched Canadian Football, or how Kevin Smith is obsessed with Degrassi and why Degrassi is so definatively Canadian in the same way Beverly Hills 90210 is definatively American.
I don't have much of a point other than there are similarities here, and that really, there is a more predominant media catering to a predominant audience who don't really want to know the history of whatever it is you happen to be/like. But we'll do it anyway.
No this isn't about how Superman's Metropolis is based on Toronto or a detailed list of all the great comic creators who are Canadian.
What I realized is that comic book fans are like Canadians in that whenever we see comics in another medium we need to tell everyone we know about it, and especially tell them how said media got it wrong. Much like watching American television to see some hoser in a parka sprinkling his conversation with "eh," red serge and some weird pronunciation of the letter "o" means that you have to get disgusted and frustrated by the insult yet tell everyone at work/school the next day anyway is a sign of being a Canadian and seeing how those outside the Canadian community just don't really give a rat's ass about portraying us as anything but a stereotype.
Well, the same thing happens to comic book fans. We tend to go to comic book movies and bitch and moan about everything they got wrong but we'll tell everyone about it anyway. Or if you're watching TV and someone makes a mention of a comic book or superhero you'll feel the need to explain to whoever is in the room with you the history of said book or character. The same thing goes with being Canadian, we all felt the need to tell everyone when Kramer said he only watched Canadian Football, or how Kevin Smith is obsessed with Degrassi and why Degrassi is so definatively Canadian in the same way Beverly Hills 90210 is definatively American.
I don't have much of a point other than there are similarities here, and that really, there is a more predominant media catering to a predominant audience who don't really want to know the history of whatever it is you happen to be/like. But we'll do it anyway.
Limited Content Week Begins
It's going to be hard for me to gather and write up content for this blog this week, sorry about that. I should be able to review this week's comics and give you another word of the week but that's about it.
I did receive the second disk for the Superman animated series from Zip.ca but it was cracked in half so I couldn't watch it. I received the replacement disk yesterday and will try to watch it this weekend. Me and my wife are going away for the long weekend to a cottage in the Gatineau hills with some friends and their kids. Woo hoo, Easter chocolates, hyped kids, flying kites and getting stuck in mud all with a healthy dose of booze, cards, board games and possibly some X-box 360.
I really can't wait.
I did receive the second disk for the Superman animated series from Zip.ca but it was cracked in half so I couldn't watch it. I received the replacement disk yesterday and will try to watch it this weekend. Me and my wife are going away for the long weekend to a cottage in the Gatineau hills with some friends and their kids. Woo hoo, Easter chocolates, hyped kids, flying kites and getting stuck in mud all with a healthy dose of booze, cards, board games and possibly some X-box 360.
I really can't wait.
Monday, April 02, 2007
Yes, it is good.
Runaways Vol 6 – Parental Guidance
Brian K. Vaughan and Adrian Alphona
ISBN: 0785119523
I really love getting these digests and I may actually switch to this format for a few other comics that are available this way. On the same note I’m pretty sure the oversized or hard-cover formats that Runaways is printed in, is where the art really gets to shine. Don’t get me wrong, there’s nothing wrong with how it’s presented here but every time I’ve flipped through a copy on the stands the artwork stands out that much more because there is simply more to look at and appreciate.
This is one of those titles I heard everyone raving about but was far enough into the series that I just never bothered picking it up. Also, it was essentially a teen drama (same for Young Avengers) and I didn’t really need any more teen drama in my life. My job supplied me with enough melodrama and ineloquent angst for any one man. But it looked beautiful, so I gave myself a note to pick it up in trades. One library card later I’m more or less caught up on this series and I am extremely happy I’ve been picking these trades up.
This is a comic that reminds me of those cult movies that sort of hit the big time for a little while but aren’t exactly pop-culture worthy. Whenever you discover this item you’re surprised at how good it actually is because while people talked it up and said it was good they never really said how it was good or the explanation was sort of all over the place and sounded like a piece of work that’s been done a lot before. Well that’s sort of what Runaways is. It embodies the creative era of superhero comics because it’s giving us new characters but going through some pretty classic and time-tested ordeals.
Yes, there are teen-drama books, superhero team books, great-power vs. great responsibility stuff all over the place but here it’s new and it works because it simply doesn’t have the baggage of other big-two titles. It’s rare enough for a new book based on new heroes to survive at all beyond a few issues in today’s market which in and of itself should be hint enough to its quality. I’m just worried that the Q-Continuum at Marvel will see that this book is consistently performing and then cock it all up (and lets not turn the comments into a pro-Joss, anti-Joss dichotomy until we’ve seen a few issues).
I don’t think it was Spider-girl but this book that was the little comic that could. It simply works on all levels. Great art, interesting characters and team dynamic as well as the creator’s knowing both the history they are working with and creating. This is the nostalgic comic we all want to remember – the new one created for a new audience that hits all the notes that made those comics of yore stick in your mind for so long. This is that Marvel comic as a bookend to Marvel Adventures: The Avengers, which is pretty much a great Avengers book for anyone with a joi-de-vivre.
This is the “serious” counterpart to the summer action flick of the other. Drama versus action is sort of the dividing line in that one has drama and action while the other pretty much has action.
Oh yeah, the plot. The Runaways are back in LA and there’s the requisite Oliver Twist runaway children being exploited by a thief story. Then there’s another counterpoint team of older computer geeks who try to resurrect the Runaway’s traitor only for a very cool twist to pop-up. Heck, any book where the team’s mode of transport is based on a leap frog and they team up with a super-skrull in training who also happens to be betrothed to one of their members is really good in my book. Plus actual character development and consequences. Very good stuff that is wrapped in one of the most attractive art packages on the stands for the big-two.
Brian K. Vaughan and Adrian Alphona
ISBN: 0785119523
I really love getting these digests and I may actually switch to this format for a few other comics that are available this way. On the same note I’m pretty sure the oversized or hard-cover formats that Runaways is printed in, is where the art really gets to shine. Don’t get me wrong, there’s nothing wrong with how it’s presented here but every time I’ve flipped through a copy on the stands the artwork stands out that much more because there is simply more to look at and appreciate.
This is one of those titles I heard everyone raving about but was far enough into the series that I just never bothered picking it up. Also, it was essentially a teen drama (same for Young Avengers) and I didn’t really need any more teen drama in my life. My job supplied me with enough melodrama and ineloquent angst for any one man. But it looked beautiful, so I gave myself a note to pick it up in trades. One library card later I’m more or less caught up on this series and I am extremely happy I’ve been picking these trades up.
This is a comic that reminds me of those cult movies that sort of hit the big time for a little while but aren’t exactly pop-culture worthy. Whenever you discover this item you’re surprised at how good it actually is because while people talked it up and said it was good they never really said how it was good or the explanation was sort of all over the place and sounded like a piece of work that’s been done a lot before. Well that’s sort of what Runaways is. It embodies the creative era of superhero comics because it’s giving us new characters but going through some pretty classic and time-tested ordeals.
Yes, there are teen-drama books, superhero team books, great-power vs. great responsibility stuff all over the place but here it’s new and it works because it simply doesn’t have the baggage of other big-two titles. It’s rare enough for a new book based on new heroes to survive at all beyond a few issues in today’s market which in and of itself should be hint enough to its quality. I’m just worried that the Q-Continuum at Marvel will see that this book is consistently performing and then cock it all up (and lets not turn the comments into a pro-Joss, anti-Joss dichotomy until we’ve seen a few issues).
I don’t think it was Spider-girl but this book that was the little comic that could. It simply works on all levels. Great art, interesting characters and team dynamic as well as the creator’s knowing both the history they are working with and creating. This is the nostalgic comic we all want to remember – the new one created for a new audience that hits all the notes that made those comics of yore stick in your mind for so long. This is that Marvel comic as a bookend to Marvel Adventures: The Avengers, which is pretty much a great Avengers book for anyone with a joi-de-vivre.
This is the “serious” counterpart to the summer action flick of the other. Drama versus action is sort of the dividing line in that one has drama and action while the other pretty much has action.
Oh yeah, the plot. The Runaways are back in LA and there’s the requisite Oliver Twist runaway children being exploited by a thief story. Then there’s another counterpoint team of older computer geeks who try to resurrect the Runaway’s traitor only for a very cool twist to pop-up. Heck, any book where the team’s mode of transport is based on a leap frog and they team up with a super-skrull in training who also happens to be betrothed to one of their members is really good in my book. Plus actual character development and consequences. Very good stuff that is wrapped in one of the most attractive art packages on the stands for the big-two.
Friday, March 30, 2007
Word of the Week x 2
You get a double dose of vocab today because I haven't really read any comics this week other than the floppies I picked up. Oh yeah, Marvel Adventures: The Avengers #9 is probably one of the best comics printed by Marvel in recent memory. I just haven't had the chance to sit down and open the trade I picked up or the library trades I have.
Anyway, you get two words today because I found one, then needed to look up the second for the first to make sense - and all examples will be Batman addressing Robin from now on.
Microbiophotometer – an instrument for measuring the growth of bacterial cultures by the turbidity of the medium.
Turbidity – cloudiness of a solution caused by the scattering of light by colloidal particles or by suspended precipitate or sediment.
Comic book example: Robin, quick, get this sewer water-sample to the bat-cave and run it through the microbiophotometer. The turbidity of this water makes me think our old acquaintance Clayface didn't dissipate the way we thought he did when he fell into the water treatement plant's mainline. But I'd like scientific confirmation before I contact the commissioner.
Anyway, you get two words today because I found one, then needed to look up the second for the first to make sense - and all examples will be Batman addressing Robin from now on.
Microbiophotometer – an instrument for measuring the growth of bacterial cultures by the turbidity of the medium.
Turbidity – cloudiness of a solution caused by the scattering of light by colloidal particles or by suspended precipitate or sediment.
Comic book example: Robin, quick, get this sewer water-sample to the bat-cave and run it through the microbiophotometer. The turbidity of this water makes me think our old acquaintance Clayface didn't dissipate the way we thought he did when he fell into the water treatement plant's mainline. But I'd like scientific confirmation before I contact the commissioner.
Thursday, March 29, 2007
Wednesday's Loot - 28 March 2007
52 Week 47
We’re on the home stretch now and I’m thinking the bible of evil people have finally realized their mistake and are going after the proper daughter of Cain thus explaining the evil version of a certain character we saw one year later. Otherwise this was just a placeholder issue. Some plot points were tied up like rejecting membership into the Teen Titans, Montoya coming home, Bruce Wayne cooking his goose (metaphorically speaking), Wonder Woman having a moment, and a bit of Animal Man sprinkled into the mix. I do like the action figure sized Metal Men. I do have to say I like how Tim Drake is being portrayed ever since this book and the one year later stories have started. Even his little moments here make him really stand out as a great character who is both young and yet learning to take on responsibilities and grow into his role.
I rate this comic: A bunch of decent moments but not as great as the last one.
Batman #664
Finally more commando Man-bats and playboy Bruce Wayne in super-parachute-ski-action. Then I’m not sure I like the rest of the book. Oh, it’s interesting and presents a good idea but it feels a bit like a cheat as well. It’s about something we don’t get to see and know nothing about. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy this version of Batman and Bruce Wayne. I like that he’s beating up crooked cops and pimps while trying to help out the younger women. Although that hooker that looks sort of pregnant in the artwork was just a bit too creepy or perhaps realistic. This is really over the top action, and I hope it all makes sense in the end but I do wish it was a bit more one issue oriented – but that’s just me. I really don’t have a problem with decompressed stories but this one only makes the set up for the story very near the end of this issue which feels like a cheat to me.
I rate this comic: A great Bruce Wayne, Billionaire Playboy scene and a great Batman taking it to the streets for some info scene.
Godland #17
This is one of those comics I find hard to praise each time I get it. It is always delivering what I want it to and I’m always happy to read it. This time though I was a bit lost because I didn’t get a copy of the last issue. It just sold out before I could get my hands on it. I do love the nostalgic feeling this book introduces each month. Reading it makes me remember when “to be continued” wasn’t so reviled by me as a cheap excuse for lazy writing. This book always feels like it knows where it’s going and is having fun getting there all while managing to throw a lot of ideas at the wall to see what sticks.
I rate this comic: Cosmic fun.
I also picked up the Marvel Adventures: Avengers issue with MODOC and Batman: Snow trade but haven’t read either yet. I’ll just assume they’re both good.
We’re on the home stretch now and I’m thinking the bible of evil people have finally realized their mistake and are going after the proper daughter of Cain thus explaining the evil version of a certain character we saw one year later. Otherwise this was just a placeholder issue. Some plot points were tied up like rejecting membership into the Teen Titans, Montoya coming home, Bruce Wayne cooking his goose (metaphorically speaking), Wonder Woman having a moment, and a bit of Animal Man sprinkled into the mix. I do like the action figure sized Metal Men. I do have to say I like how Tim Drake is being portrayed ever since this book and the one year later stories have started. Even his little moments here make him really stand out as a great character who is both young and yet learning to take on responsibilities and grow into his role.
I rate this comic: A bunch of decent moments but not as great as the last one.
Batman #664
Finally more commando Man-bats and playboy Bruce Wayne in super-parachute-ski-action. Then I’m not sure I like the rest of the book. Oh, it’s interesting and presents a good idea but it feels a bit like a cheat as well. It’s about something we don’t get to see and know nothing about. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy this version of Batman and Bruce Wayne. I like that he’s beating up crooked cops and pimps while trying to help out the younger women. Although that hooker that looks sort of pregnant in the artwork was just a bit too creepy or perhaps realistic. This is really over the top action, and I hope it all makes sense in the end but I do wish it was a bit more one issue oriented – but that’s just me. I really don’t have a problem with decompressed stories but this one only makes the set up for the story very near the end of this issue which feels like a cheat to me.
I rate this comic: A great Bruce Wayne, Billionaire Playboy scene and a great Batman taking it to the streets for some info scene.
Godland #17
This is one of those comics I find hard to praise each time I get it. It is always delivering what I want it to and I’m always happy to read it. This time though I was a bit lost because I didn’t get a copy of the last issue. It just sold out before I could get my hands on it. I do love the nostalgic feeling this book introduces each month. Reading it makes me remember when “to be continued” wasn’t so reviled by me as a cheap excuse for lazy writing. This book always feels like it knows where it’s going and is having fun getting there all while managing to throw a lot of ideas at the wall to see what sticks.
I rate this comic: Cosmic fun.
I also picked up the Marvel Adventures: Avengers issue with MODOC and Batman: Snow trade but haven’t read either yet. I’ll just assume they’re both good.
Wednesday, March 28, 2007
There's a story in there somewhere.
I just realized that my office is located in a triangle of Starbucks all within a block (or so). I'm sort of in the Bermuda triangle of coffee houses, which is weird considering the Starbuck namesake. I'm sure there is some kind of conspiracy thing you could write about that.
Oh yeah, no comics content for two posts now.
Oh yeah, no comics content for two posts now.
Tuesday, March 27, 2007
So Long Rheostatics
Quintessential Canadian band The Rheostatics are calling it quits in three days time (March 30th) after 25 years. They’re one of those bands that a lot of people loved but I never really “got” them until much later in life. It must be an Ontario thing because they didn’t really say anything about my experiences growing up out East. But that all changed as I grew out of high-school and university. I remember a lot of people going on and on about how The Tragically Hip were the greatest contemporary Canadian band but they’re kind of like Tim Horton’s coffee – corporate crap. (I did really like their music at first but it just never grew all that much, while I did).
On the other hand, The Rheostatics have done nothing but grow and push their limits. They’ve used Canadiana to create their music and they’ve managed to contribute back to Canadiana in the process. They’re not just recording our history and culture but growing it and have made Canada uniquely, well, Canadian. Their Group of Seven album, inspired by the paintings by The Group of Seven is the album that rings in the Spring for me at this point in the year or around the long Easter weekend when my wife and I tend to rent a cottage just north of Ottawa. This album was basically commissioned by The National Gallery.
So anyway, here’s a suitably geeky video for The Tarleks with Frank Bonner reprising his role from WKRP, because he apparently liked the song so much. I bet you can’t find a song that puns Dr. Who villains. Now, if only I could find the video for The Ballad of Wendel Clark.
Group of Seven:
The Album by The Rheostatics
online gallery
Tom Thomson Memorial Gallery
Required Wikipedia entry for The Group of Seven
Required Wikipedia entry for The Rheostatics
On the other hand, The Rheostatics have done nothing but grow and push their limits. They’ve used Canadiana to create their music and they’ve managed to contribute back to Canadiana in the process. They’re not just recording our history and culture but growing it and have made Canada uniquely, well, Canadian. Their Group of Seven album, inspired by the paintings by The Group of Seven is the album that rings in the Spring for me at this point in the year or around the long Easter weekend when my wife and I tend to rent a cottage just north of Ottawa. This album was basically commissioned by The National Gallery.
So anyway, here’s a suitably geeky video for The Tarleks with Frank Bonner reprising his role from WKRP, because he apparently liked the song so much. I bet you can’t find a song that puns Dr. Who villains. Now, if only I could find the video for The Ballad of Wendel Clark.
Group of Seven:
The Album by The Rheostatics
online gallery
Tom Thomson Memorial Gallery
Required Wikipedia entry for The Group of Seven
Required Wikipedia entry for The Rheostatics
*Cough*Cough* - Excuse me, but I have a point, I think.
Monologues From the Coming Plague
Anders Nilsen
Fantagraphics, 2006.
ISBN: 1560977183 (pbk.)
This is the kind of book that I always think I should love and support but end up not liking. I’m happy to say that I’ve finally found an exception to that pattern in this book. This is the kind of book that I always think I should support and I ended up actually liking it quite a bit.
It’s a simple book that is basically riffing on whatever is in the creator’s mind at the time of creation. It’s a sketch book and a bit of an exercise sheet. I tend to not be the biggest fan of the whole stream of consciousness type of storytelling but this volume worked for me. I guess this volume had a lot of shared characteristics with those remix CDs that double as 45 singles. Instead of just giving us an A-side and a B-side we’re now given an A-Side a B-Side and either a few other songs as well as a lot of remixed versions of the original song. I’m not the expert on electronica, go ask Kevin for a better explination.
What I’m trying to say is that I liked it. I liked it because it was what it was and wasn’t really trying to be more than it was. I usually get the feeling when I read a lot of stream of consciousness indy books that the creator is trying to be arty and deep when they come off as incomprehensible and boring. Not so much here. It’s light, it’s rough, but more than anything it’s actually funny and sometimes poignant.
And the format is completely different from anything I’ve ever come across in comics at this point in my life – although I’m not the most well read in the medium. It looks like a paperback novel with stiffer coloured paper for the first three-quarters and regular white paper for the last part. This delineates two separate sketchbooks but it also makes the reading process unlike any other comic you’re likely to come across. If you want to look smart and catch the eye of that cool looking person working at the local coffee shop but you’re a bit too geeky then this might be your ticket into the art crowd (although you’re more likely to catch the eye of a self-important yuppie in a coffee shop these days).
My particular favourite in this book was the treatise of mediocrity. It kind of struck a bit too close to home but I liked it. There’s examinations of the modern pseudo-intellectual, modern Bhuddism, and a few other found conversations added to comic characters.
It’s not a long read by any stretch of the imagination but it is completely enjoyable and, shockingly, can give you a few things to really think about unlike a lot of the indy comics I have preconceptions of. Hey, they’re not all self-indulgent but I’ve read enough to be wary of them now. I was really happy this wasn’t one of them.
Anders Nilsen
Fantagraphics, 2006.
ISBN: 1560977183 (pbk.)
This is the kind of book that I always think I should love and support but end up not liking. I’m happy to say that I’ve finally found an exception to that pattern in this book. This is the kind of book that I always think I should support and I ended up actually liking it quite a bit.
It’s a simple book that is basically riffing on whatever is in the creator’s mind at the time of creation. It’s a sketch book and a bit of an exercise sheet. I tend to not be the biggest fan of the whole stream of consciousness type of storytelling but this volume worked for me. I guess this volume had a lot of shared characteristics with those remix CDs that double as 45 singles. Instead of just giving us an A-side and a B-side we’re now given an A-Side a B-Side and either a few other songs as well as a lot of remixed versions of the original song. I’m not the expert on electronica, go ask Kevin for a better explination.
What I’m trying to say is that I liked it. I liked it because it was what it was and wasn’t really trying to be more than it was. I usually get the feeling when I read a lot of stream of consciousness indy books that the creator is trying to be arty and deep when they come off as incomprehensible and boring. Not so much here. It’s light, it’s rough, but more than anything it’s actually funny and sometimes poignant.
And the format is completely different from anything I’ve ever come across in comics at this point in my life – although I’m not the most well read in the medium. It looks like a paperback novel with stiffer coloured paper for the first three-quarters and regular white paper for the last part. This delineates two separate sketchbooks but it also makes the reading process unlike any other comic you’re likely to come across. If you want to look smart and catch the eye of that cool looking person working at the local coffee shop but you’re a bit too geeky then this might be your ticket into the art crowd (although you’re more likely to catch the eye of a self-important yuppie in a coffee shop these days).
My particular favourite in this book was the treatise of mediocrity. It kind of struck a bit too close to home but I liked it. There’s examinations of the modern pseudo-intellectual, modern Bhuddism, and a few other found conversations added to comic characters.
It’s not a long read by any stretch of the imagination but it is completely enjoyable and, shockingly, can give you a few things to really think about unlike a lot of the indy comics I have preconceptions of. Hey, they’re not all self-indulgent but I’ve read enough to be wary of them now. I was really happy this wasn’t one of them.
Monday, March 26, 2007
Perfect Weekend Viewing.
Okay I haven’t read any comics this weekend but I did watch Bruce Timm and company’s animated Superman – the first disk of the first season. It is a nice contrast but equally fantastic to their Batman: The Animated Series. Where Batman was a collection of 22 minute hard boiled noir cartoons, Superman is 22 minute inspirational action cartoon.
Superman works as a cartoon because he is meant to do things that are unbelievable, so the drawn aspect of the medium give the audience that distance. But at the same time some of Superman’s powers are inherently hard to animate – his super-speed and some of his super punches and flying are just damned hard to animate convincingly – add a tight schedule and you’re into nigh impossible working conditions. And yet these bumps get worked out fairly quickly. For every time Superman doesn’t seem to be flying right or running as fast as he should be there is a great character moment or a stylized flourish on his character or any other character we’re culturally familiar with.
I wasn’t too keen on Lois at first. She comes off as cold rather than accomplished and competent. It may just be she suffered from what the whole series did at the beginning, and it’s that the people involved had to shift from one story telling mode to another. This is brighter and more fantastic but also dealing with animations not really a part of anything found in Batman. We’re also given a completely different cast of characters, and what feels a bit awkward at the beginning are really just unfamiliarity – at least for me as the viewer. I expect Batman, but this isn’t it.
I will say that I really like this Lex Luthor. He’s cold, calculating and the voice casting is spot on. And I’m also really happy that Superman is kept much like Batman was in that series – he’s there, the stories are about him, but he’s not necessarily the focus of each episode. He will win in the end, but he could spend most of the episode off screen.
In the end, getting these DVDs for my Saturday morning toast and coffee is really one of the highlights of my week. A bit of me-time to just shut out the world and watch some beautiful art in motion. I really do love this art style and I’m happy to see that it works in Metropolis as well as it does in Gotham. I love the redesigns and I find myself looking forward to see what gets added to the characters - not just costume wise, but story wise, as well as what additions to the character's mythos and rogues gallery are made along the way.
I've enver seen an episode of this series. It was broadcast during a point in my life when I didn't really own a TV so this is all new and wonderful to me.
Superman works as a cartoon because he is meant to do things that are unbelievable, so the drawn aspect of the medium give the audience that distance. But at the same time some of Superman’s powers are inherently hard to animate – his super-speed and some of his super punches and flying are just damned hard to animate convincingly – add a tight schedule and you’re into nigh impossible working conditions. And yet these bumps get worked out fairly quickly. For every time Superman doesn’t seem to be flying right or running as fast as he should be there is a great character moment or a stylized flourish on his character or any other character we’re culturally familiar with.
I wasn’t too keen on Lois at first. She comes off as cold rather than accomplished and competent. It may just be she suffered from what the whole series did at the beginning, and it’s that the people involved had to shift from one story telling mode to another. This is brighter and more fantastic but also dealing with animations not really a part of anything found in Batman. We’re also given a completely different cast of characters, and what feels a bit awkward at the beginning are really just unfamiliarity – at least for me as the viewer. I expect Batman, but this isn’t it.
I will say that I really like this Lex Luthor. He’s cold, calculating and the voice casting is spot on. And I’m also really happy that Superman is kept much like Batman was in that series – he’s there, the stories are about him, but he’s not necessarily the focus of each episode. He will win in the end, but he could spend most of the episode off screen.
In the end, getting these DVDs for my Saturday morning toast and coffee is really one of the highlights of my week. A bit of me-time to just shut out the world and watch some beautiful art in motion. I really do love this art style and I’m happy to see that it works in Metropolis as well as it does in Gotham. I love the redesigns and I find myself looking forward to see what gets added to the characters - not just costume wise, but story wise, as well as what additions to the character's mythos and rogues gallery are made along the way.
I've enver seen an episode of this series. It was broadcast during a point in my life when I didn't really own a TV so this is all new and wonderful to me.
Friday, March 23, 2007
Word of the Week
Comorbid: pertaining to a disease or other pathological process that occurs simultaneously with another.
Comic book usage: Harley was a brilliant psychiatrist once but her comorbid relationship with The Joker keeps getting her into trouble. Robin, get my bat-hang-glider.
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I'm not sure if all my examples should be from Batman or not.
Comic book usage: Harley was a brilliant psychiatrist once but her comorbid relationship with The Joker keeps getting her into trouble. Robin, get my bat-hang-glider.
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I'm not sure if all my examples should be from Batman or not.
Thursday, March 22, 2007
Wednesday's Loot - 21 March 2007
52 Week 46
When the first line is delivered by a walking egg-man on an island of mad scientists you have the feeling this issue will be great. When the first line is actually “He survived Dr. Death’s Acid Rainstorm” you pretty much expect this to be the best issue of 52. Then the next character to speak says “The most dangerous living being on the planet is now mere miles away from my soft, vulnerable guts” you’re pretty sure those two speech balloons are better than most entire superhero comics. Or at least that’s what I thought. Okay, I could pretty much just quote the first three panels here and you’d agree with me. This issue started out very strong and had a bit of a twist going into the whole World War 3 business that I didn’t see coming. Well, I wasn’t really looking for anything to begin with really. I’m exceptionally happy with these mad-scientist set pieces, let alone the great Clark Kent moment and JSA bit.
I rate this comic: Super-flammable liquid plastic plus thermo-breath awesome, with a side of insectron.
The Spirit #4
The washed out colours instantly set the mood for this issue. And this is the second comic I read that has me sold on how good it is with the first line. Four issues in and I’m still impressed with how Darwyn Cooke manages to create such a great comic from the moment it starts. His ability to create characters with minimal dialogue is stunning. This comic really does have everything you could ask for – heroes chained together with a bit of sexual tension, a car chase, a funny villain, witty dialogue, stunning art, beautiful and competent women, and tough guys. If you’re not, you’re really missing out.
I rate this comic: Four issues in and my new favourite.
Marvel Adventures: Avengers #11
I totally meant to buy the everybody is MODOC issue but forgot. Regardless I added this to my pull list and I’m really happy I did. Jeff Parker is writing the kind of comics I like – good action, great dialogue, and a love and understanding of the characters he’s writing. This issue has sarcastically unconfident cult leaders, a snakes on a plane joke, Spider-man doing a zombie impression as well as reminding everyone he’s actually a smart science guy. Then Storm uses Wolverine as a lightning rod to smash up the world domination pyramid scheme.
I rate this comic: Way better than I expected.
Detective Comics #830
And with that The Siege ends. This was a decent Batman and Robin story but I think it could have been reduced to one book. This issue felt really light and I think it could have been wrapped up sooner with a bit of editing.
I rate this comic: An okay conclusion.
All in all this was a pretty good week in the comics I bought. So far I'm quite happy with my subscription list.
When the first line is delivered by a walking egg-man on an island of mad scientists you have the feeling this issue will be great. When the first line is actually “He survived Dr. Death’s Acid Rainstorm” you pretty much expect this to be the best issue of 52. Then the next character to speak says “The most dangerous living being on the planet is now mere miles away from my soft, vulnerable guts” you’re pretty sure those two speech balloons are better than most entire superhero comics. Or at least that’s what I thought. Okay, I could pretty much just quote the first three panels here and you’d agree with me. This issue started out very strong and had a bit of a twist going into the whole World War 3 business that I didn’t see coming. Well, I wasn’t really looking for anything to begin with really. I’m exceptionally happy with these mad-scientist set pieces, let alone the great Clark Kent moment and JSA bit.
I rate this comic: Super-flammable liquid plastic plus thermo-breath awesome, with a side of insectron.
The Spirit #4
The washed out colours instantly set the mood for this issue. And this is the second comic I read that has me sold on how good it is with the first line. Four issues in and I’m still impressed with how Darwyn Cooke manages to create such a great comic from the moment it starts. His ability to create characters with minimal dialogue is stunning. This comic really does have everything you could ask for – heroes chained together with a bit of sexual tension, a car chase, a funny villain, witty dialogue, stunning art, beautiful and competent women, and tough guys. If you’re not, you’re really missing out.
I rate this comic: Four issues in and my new favourite.
Marvel Adventures: Avengers #11
I totally meant to buy the everybody is MODOC issue but forgot. Regardless I added this to my pull list and I’m really happy I did. Jeff Parker is writing the kind of comics I like – good action, great dialogue, and a love and understanding of the characters he’s writing. This issue has sarcastically unconfident cult leaders, a snakes on a plane joke, Spider-man doing a zombie impression as well as reminding everyone he’s actually a smart science guy. Then Storm uses Wolverine as a lightning rod to smash up the world domination pyramid scheme.
I rate this comic: Way better than I expected.
Detective Comics #830
And with that The Siege ends. This was a decent Batman and Robin story but I think it could have been reduced to one book. This issue felt really light and I think it could have been wrapped up sooner with a bit of editing.
I rate this comic: An okay conclusion.
All in all this was a pretty good week in the comics I bought. So far I'm quite happy with my subscription list.
Wednesday, March 21, 2007
Holy Great Comics Batman
Gotham Central Volumes 1-3
Written by Greg Rucka and Ed Brubaker; Art by Michael Lark
This is the day to day beat of the cops in the Major Crime Unit of the Gotham Police Department. The place where all the worthless spent gutter trash of the city of crime ends up. This isn’t the department that is out there helping the citizens of Gotham they’re the department that catches the bad guys. And in Gotham there are criminals then there are the bad guys. It’s one thing to have your average person crack and commit some horrific crime, it’s another thing altogether when that person is armoured and shooting ice or flames with the ability to fly.
There’s not a lot of glory in these stories. They’re just doing their jobs. There isn’t even a heck of a lot of originality in the idea after Powers and countless TV police shows. That doesn’t take away from these stories in the least though. They really are fantastic. In many ways the human level these stories are told on remind me of Kurt Busiek’s Marvels where we see the super-hero world through the eyes of a regular Joe doing his or her job.
On every level these comics really hit it out of the park. Interesting characters, well written characterizations, plots and dialogue, beautiful artwork and one of the best settings in all of comic books. I’m a bit surprised that this book didn’t come out sooner. Part of what makes Gotham such a great setting is the police force. They were one of the reasons Batman came into existence and having a few honest cops to interact with was what made the setting complete for the hero. There was always the commissioner and Bullock who were really used well in the animated series, but it was attempts to diversify the animated cast that gave us Renee Montoya. Much like Harley Quinn, Montoya was adopted into the comic-verse version of Batman with much success. And the second volume focuses entirely on her and her relationship with Two-Face which really exceeded my expectations for both characters.
I’m a bit torn on how these volumes have been collected. I love that each volume is pretty much centred around one complete story. It makes for a really coherent experience. Heck, in the second volume that focuses on Montoya we’re even give a few comics that weren’t Gotham Central but were like flashbacks so the reader wasn’t lost on the relationship between Montoya and Two-Face. The change in art was a bit jarring, but the fact that these two stories were included was really appreciated by me. It actually enhanced the story told in Gotham Central. But on the other hand a lot of issues are simply not collected here. I’m hoping there are plans to release the entire run sometime because some of their last issues about a dead Robin really intrigue me – although a lot of the tie-ins with Infinite Crisis pretty much put a nail into the coffin of the series I’m told. That’s a bit of an unfair assessment not having read those issues.
Michael Lark’s art is simply stunning. To me, it felt like a mash-up of Paul Pope, Jack Kirby and Joe Kubert throughout. It was equally moody and dynamic which is what the stories called for.
These are great police dramas. It’s tougher than nails at points but it’s also got moments of levity with a few moments where your brain just goes, “hmm, that’s cool.” From having the secretary being the only one allowed to turn on the Bat-signal to the writers names on the crime board this book is the perfect bookend to Batman’s own adventures in Gotham. There’s a few weird things for the uninitiated – different commissioner and Bullock not being present but they sort of get explained. Bullock does show up in the last arc and is his generally gruff self but with a bigger load to bear. It’s sad and touching but also a bit frustrating to see such a great character forced to the sidelines. Heck, same with Gordon.
In the end, these books are exceptionally good but was the victim of title-wide or company-wide events. It’s really too bad because I think the creators had a lot of good stories to tell. From what I saw and read here I’m really disappointed in myself for not having bought this title when it was available (I was new again to comics and stupid). But I also think it’s fitting that this title died like one of the deaths the MCU would need to investigate.
Written by Greg Rucka and Ed Brubaker; Art by Michael Lark
This is the day to day beat of the cops in the Major Crime Unit of the Gotham Police Department. The place where all the worthless spent gutter trash of the city of crime ends up. This isn’t the department that is out there helping the citizens of Gotham they’re the department that catches the bad guys. And in Gotham there are criminals then there are the bad guys. It’s one thing to have your average person crack and commit some horrific crime, it’s another thing altogether when that person is armoured and shooting ice or flames with the ability to fly.
There’s not a lot of glory in these stories. They’re just doing their jobs. There isn’t even a heck of a lot of originality in the idea after Powers and countless TV police shows. That doesn’t take away from these stories in the least though. They really are fantastic. In many ways the human level these stories are told on remind me of Kurt Busiek’s Marvels where we see the super-hero world through the eyes of a regular Joe doing his or her job.
On every level these comics really hit it out of the park. Interesting characters, well written characterizations, plots and dialogue, beautiful artwork and one of the best settings in all of comic books. I’m a bit surprised that this book didn’t come out sooner. Part of what makes Gotham such a great setting is the police force. They were one of the reasons Batman came into existence and having a few honest cops to interact with was what made the setting complete for the hero. There was always the commissioner and Bullock who were really used well in the animated series, but it was attempts to diversify the animated cast that gave us Renee Montoya. Much like Harley Quinn, Montoya was adopted into the comic-verse version of Batman with much success. And the second volume focuses entirely on her and her relationship with Two-Face which really exceeded my expectations for both characters.
I’m a bit torn on how these volumes have been collected. I love that each volume is pretty much centred around one complete story. It makes for a really coherent experience. Heck, in the second volume that focuses on Montoya we’re even give a few comics that weren’t Gotham Central but were like flashbacks so the reader wasn’t lost on the relationship between Montoya and Two-Face. The change in art was a bit jarring, but the fact that these two stories were included was really appreciated by me. It actually enhanced the story told in Gotham Central. But on the other hand a lot of issues are simply not collected here. I’m hoping there are plans to release the entire run sometime because some of their last issues about a dead Robin really intrigue me – although a lot of the tie-ins with Infinite Crisis pretty much put a nail into the coffin of the series I’m told. That’s a bit of an unfair assessment not having read those issues.
Michael Lark’s art is simply stunning. To me, it felt like a mash-up of Paul Pope, Jack Kirby and Joe Kubert throughout. It was equally moody and dynamic which is what the stories called for.
These are great police dramas. It’s tougher than nails at points but it’s also got moments of levity with a few moments where your brain just goes, “hmm, that’s cool.” From having the secretary being the only one allowed to turn on the Bat-signal to the writers names on the crime board this book is the perfect bookend to Batman’s own adventures in Gotham. There’s a few weird things for the uninitiated – different commissioner and Bullock not being present but they sort of get explained. Bullock does show up in the last arc and is his generally gruff self but with a bigger load to bear. It’s sad and touching but also a bit frustrating to see such a great character forced to the sidelines. Heck, same with Gordon.
In the end, these books are exceptionally good but was the victim of title-wide or company-wide events. It’s really too bad because I think the creators had a lot of good stories to tell. From what I saw and read here I’m really disappointed in myself for not having bought this title when it was available (I was new again to comics and stupid). But I also think it’s fitting that this title died like one of the deaths the MCU would need to investigate.
Tuesday, March 20, 2007
The Decompression Project: Part 3
Ultimate Spider-Man Vol. 5: Public Scrutiny
Bendis and Bagely
Yes, this is part three but volume 5. I read the first two hardcover books which cover volumes one through four of the trade paperbacks. As far as I can tell anyway.
This collection of stories did two things that I can think of just off the top of my head. The first is that it followed up the big action of the last arc (the return of the Green Goblin) with a lull in the action and made it a bit more personal in the lead up to the Venom storyline and it also marked the first time I saw panels copied directly to intersperse dialogue (you know those pacing reaction shots that people all over the internet make fun of).
The first issue covered is probably one of my favourites so far. It has Peter Parker at high-school trying to navigate the maze of his personal life to get into costume and stop The Rhino’s rampage downtown. On a side note I really like the Ultimate Rhino costume. I still prefer the classic version but this one actually makes a bit of sense to have it as a big suit of armour. Anyway, he finally shows up to see Iron Man has the threat contained. This issue just captures the essence of Spider-man perfectly. Personal problems affect his superheroing and that’s the entire basis of the issue. He’s not Mr. Perfect, he’s just a high-school kid trying to do right and isn’t ready for all the responsibility he’s taking on – but he’s heroic for taking it on and he mostly succeeds. This isn’t just a silly joke issue, although it is structured around a silly joke, but it gives us as a reader a break from Spider-man always fighting impossible odds and winning. We need to be reminded that he’s not perfect so when he does win the victory is all that more heroic.
The rest of the issues are about someone dressed up as Spider-Man robbing banks to retell the Captain Stacey arc. I found this arc a bit more personal than the last, even though the Green Goblin stories are always about striking at Peter where his heart and home are. This story allowed him to realize the fine line he walks. Whenever Spider-Man beats up the Green-Goblin he can pretty much go for broke, especially in the Ultimate books where this is an extremely powerful bad guy who has no problems killing anything in his path. Spidey’s back is essentially against the wall and if he doesn’t win he probably dies.
In this story Peter tracks down a killer masquerading as Spider-man, who not only robbed a lot of banks but kills Gwen Stacey’s father. So, he’s pissed when he finally catches up with him and lays the smack down. Only this time when the guy takes his mask off we see Peter has beaten up a regular person – a violent criminal sure, but not an overpowerful super-villain. Peter comes face to face with his own power and an otherwise run of the mill double identity story is suddenly much much better because it’s got emotional resonance.
On the personal side Peter doesn’t recognize how much MJ has been suffering since her traumatic run in with the Green Goblin. He did try to throw her off a couple of rather high structures which would affect anyone. Peter makes the mistake of all young people when dealing with those first relationships. He assumes that because he’s okay so is the other person. But MJ is far from okay, and on top of dealing with this trauma Gwen Stacey is now living with Peter because of some pretty ham-fisted plot developments. Personally I think the whole Gwen Stacey storyline could have been saved for a few years, but that’s just me rewriting something I never wrote in the first place. It serves the plot but it still feels forced to me in retrospect.
Anyway, the emotional bleacher break up scenes stood out for me because I noticed the duplicate panels stuck in to “pace” the scene. It felt a bit unnecessary to me. I don’t think these reaction shots added anything to the scene especially when it’s the exact same panel repeated. I’m happy they’re trying a few new things in the personal and emotional scenes, don’t get me wrong, it just doesn’t work for me is all. It doesn’t ruin the story and I don’t think it deserves the amount of online grief these scenes get but I can see how if overused this repetition will overstay its welcome.
- - - - -
Okay, here’s how I’d have handled the Gwen Stacey plot line, but bear in mind I haven’t read the rest of this series yet so I don’t really know what happens. Personally, I’d have her show up whenever Peter gets to University. I’d still have the relationship problems with MJ but when Peter goes to NYU or whatever, I’d have MJ go somewhere else and they’d pretend to be together but eventually realize they were fooling themselves into thinking they’d last in a long distance relationship. They’re young and need to make that type of mistake because anyone who has been to college or university knows people who have tried this or tried it themselves. Anyway, enter Gwen Stacey and then do the Stacey plotlines and the MJ conflict. After the Gwen plot reaches its inevitable conclusion that’s when you bring back MJ.
- - - - -
Oh, Vol. 6 is in repair at the library so it may take even longer before I get it an review it. Who knew Venom was so popular?
Bendis and Bagely
Yes, this is part three but volume 5. I read the first two hardcover books which cover volumes one through four of the trade paperbacks. As far as I can tell anyway.
This collection of stories did two things that I can think of just off the top of my head. The first is that it followed up the big action of the last arc (the return of the Green Goblin) with a lull in the action and made it a bit more personal in the lead up to the Venom storyline and it also marked the first time I saw panels copied directly to intersperse dialogue (you know those pacing reaction shots that people all over the internet make fun of).
The first issue covered is probably one of my favourites so far. It has Peter Parker at high-school trying to navigate the maze of his personal life to get into costume and stop The Rhino’s rampage downtown. On a side note I really like the Ultimate Rhino costume. I still prefer the classic version but this one actually makes a bit of sense to have it as a big suit of armour. Anyway, he finally shows up to see Iron Man has the threat contained. This issue just captures the essence of Spider-man perfectly. Personal problems affect his superheroing and that’s the entire basis of the issue. He’s not Mr. Perfect, he’s just a high-school kid trying to do right and isn’t ready for all the responsibility he’s taking on – but he’s heroic for taking it on and he mostly succeeds. This isn’t just a silly joke issue, although it is structured around a silly joke, but it gives us as a reader a break from Spider-man always fighting impossible odds and winning. We need to be reminded that he’s not perfect so when he does win the victory is all that more heroic.
The rest of the issues are about someone dressed up as Spider-Man robbing banks to retell the Captain Stacey arc. I found this arc a bit more personal than the last, even though the Green Goblin stories are always about striking at Peter where his heart and home are. This story allowed him to realize the fine line he walks. Whenever Spider-Man beats up the Green-Goblin he can pretty much go for broke, especially in the Ultimate books where this is an extremely powerful bad guy who has no problems killing anything in his path. Spidey’s back is essentially against the wall and if he doesn’t win he probably dies.
In this story Peter tracks down a killer masquerading as Spider-man, who not only robbed a lot of banks but kills Gwen Stacey’s father. So, he’s pissed when he finally catches up with him and lays the smack down. Only this time when the guy takes his mask off we see Peter has beaten up a regular person – a violent criminal sure, but not an overpowerful super-villain. Peter comes face to face with his own power and an otherwise run of the mill double identity story is suddenly much much better because it’s got emotional resonance.
On the personal side Peter doesn’t recognize how much MJ has been suffering since her traumatic run in with the Green Goblin. He did try to throw her off a couple of rather high structures which would affect anyone. Peter makes the mistake of all young people when dealing with those first relationships. He assumes that because he’s okay so is the other person. But MJ is far from okay, and on top of dealing with this trauma Gwen Stacey is now living with Peter because of some pretty ham-fisted plot developments. Personally I think the whole Gwen Stacey storyline could have been saved for a few years, but that’s just me rewriting something I never wrote in the first place. It serves the plot but it still feels forced to me in retrospect.
Anyway, the emotional bleacher break up scenes stood out for me because I noticed the duplicate panels stuck in to “pace” the scene. It felt a bit unnecessary to me. I don’t think these reaction shots added anything to the scene especially when it’s the exact same panel repeated. I’m happy they’re trying a few new things in the personal and emotional scenes, don’t get me wrong, it just doesn’t work for me is all. It doesn’t ruin the story and I don’t think it deserves the amount of online grief these scenes get but I can see how if overused this repetition will overstay its welcome.
- - - - -
Okay, here’s how I’d have handled the Gwen Stacey plot line, but bear in mind I haven’t read the rest of this series yet so I don’t really know what happens. Personally, I’d have her show up whenever Peter gets to University. I’d still have the relationship problems with MJ but when Peter goes to NYU or whatever, I’d have MJ go somewhere else and they’d pretend to be together but eventually realize they were fooling themselves into thinking they’d last in a long distance relationship. They’re young and need to make that type of mistake because anyone who has been to college or university knows people who have tried this or tried it themselves. Anyway, enter Gwen Stacey and then do the Stacey plotlines and the MJ conflict. After the Gwen plot reaches its inevitable conclusion that’s when you bring back MJ.
- - - - -
Oh, Vol. 6 is in repair at the library so it may take even longer before I get it an review it. Who knew Venom was so popular?
Monday, March 19, 2007
No post today
Okay, it's a bit of a sin to blog about blogging, I know. But I was on a bit of a roll here recently and I wanted to have something up today, no matter how trite.
I'm sick and home in bed. I don't have any other posts ready to upload in case of this. Hey, I walk a fine line in this hobby based internet writing lifestyle.
I just figured my 20 or so readers should get a bit of an explination. I try to get something up Monday through Friday, but today, you just get this. I should be back tomorrow after some orange juice and sleep.
I'm sick and home in bed. I don't have any other posts ready to upload in case of this. Hey, I walk a fine line in this hobby based internet writing lifestyle.
I just figured my 20 or so readers should get a bit of an explination. I try to get something up Monday through Friday, but today, you just get this. I should be back tomorrow after some orange juice and sleep.
Friday, March 16, 2007
Mind Control Drugs
Okay, you're feeling a little bit tired from the constant insomnia or you've had a massive tragedy and the doctor thinks a few good nights' worth of sleep will help you out physically. Well beware my friend. It seems that certain sleeping aids have a high enough occurance of people falling asleep then getting into their cars to drive away that Canada's governing body has decided to add some stricter labels.
I knew it was only a matter of time before some mad scientist tried to use somnambulism to create an army of slaves. With people trying to cook in their sleep because of a pill they took being a side effect, are we really that far off from cricketron invasions?
I knew it was only a matter of time before some mad scientist tried to use somnambulism to create an army of slaves. With people trying to cook in their sleep because of a pill they took being a side effect, are we really that far off from cricketron invasions?
300 will rock your brain, and you will thank it
I think 300 is the greatest Hollywood movie ever. It’s what they really want to make as long as porn is available for free online.
This is a movie filled with flesh. Man flesh, women flesh, hacked flesh, deformed flesh, you name it. There’s a lot of sex, a lot of violence, a lot of yelling and way more style than I was expecting. It was balls to the walls and I loved every minute of it.
Yes, they had to fill two hours so there were some political scenes added to fill time and to let the woman actor keep her breasts covered and have a few more lines to make the job worthwhile, as well as somehow give the audience a break from the carnage. But in the end, it’s all about the 300 dudes with abs as far as the eye can see and hairless chests which made me a bit envious, tearing shit up. And then talking shit after they fuck your shit up.
It is a very simple movie and while not a great movie it is certainly an awesome movie. The camera work and visual look are really a lot better than I was expecting.
How can a movie that has buff mostly-naked dudes going all matrix on freaks in slow motion while heavy metal guitars wail, be a bad movie? Seriously, this movie should have been much worse than it actually was. Okay the ending was a bit ham fisted, but the rest was fan-freaking-tastic.
If you’re looking for historical accuracy go elsewhere, I mean this is a bunch of hairless Greeks, which just doesn’t happen, but if you want to mainline radical through your eyes directly to your brain then this is the movie for you. Forget about that healthy diet of film, gorge yourself on this cheese-steak coated with pixie-sticks.
I rate this movie: 300 spears out of 5.
This is a movie filled with flesh. Man flesh, women flesh, hacked flesh, deformed flesh, you name it. There’s a lot of sex, a lot of violence, a lot of yelling and way more style than I was expecting. It was balls to the walls and I loved every minute of it.
Yes, they had to fill two hours so there were some political scenes added to fill time and to let the woman actor keep her breasts covered and have a few more lines to make the job worthwhile, as well as somehow give the audience a break from the carnage. But in the end, it’s all about the 300 dudes with abs as far as the eye can see and hairless chests which made me a bit envious, tearing shit up. And then talking shit after they fuck your shit up.
It is a very simple movie and while not a great movie it is certainly an awesome movie. The camera work and visual look are really a lot better than I was expecting.
How can a movie that has buff mostly-naked dudes going all matrix on freaks in slow motion while heavy metal guitars wail, be a bad movie? Seriously, this movie should have been much worse than it actually was. Okay the ending was a bit ham fisted, but the rest was fan-freaking-tastic.
If you’re looking for historical accuracy go elsewhere, I mean this is a bunch of hairless Greeks, which just doesn’t happen, but if you want to mainline radical through your eyes directly to your brain then this is the movie for you. Forget about that healthy diet of film, gorge yourself on this cheese-steak coated with pixie-sticks.
I rate this movie: 300 spears out of 5.
Thursday, March 15, 2007
Wednesday's Loot - 14 March 2004
52 Week 45
I really like the relationship among the Marvels and the Black Marvels that has been established in this series. And the scene with Black Adam and Montoya was actually quite touching. The whole set up with Black Adam returning to form as the despot hovering over people has really been handled well, when it looked like it could go off the rails at any point. I mean, there was even a death that wasn’t overly rendered. Restraint sometimes works better. And Waller has what I think is the best introductory line ever “The New Suicide Squad need to be one hundred strong…” Seriously, that’s like Shakespeare to me. And the ending with Dr. Sivana was also classic villainy.
I rate this comic: One of my favourite issues of 52.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season 8 #1
Yes, I’m a Buffy fan and it all happened well after the show was no longer on the air. Long story. For me this is basically G.I. Buffy, which I’m fine with, oddly. I can relive two things I don’t watch anymore – GI Joe and Buffy, although I’m not big on the X-treme Buffy approach it opens with. That being said, the conflict they set up with the US Army is actually quite clever, but that’s what I’m told Joss Whedon is good at - clever. This has got all the trappings of the TV show with the little quips and the hip-geek talk. If you know the characters and know the show it works really well. I do wonder what someone who hasn’t watched the show would think of this though? For me I can’t separate my enjoyment from my completist attitude on this one. My wife might actually read this as well so at least I can get an outsider’s opinion on it. I mean she told me last weekend that she just had no interest in comics after we had a chat about Wonder Woman. She likes the movies, the characters, TV shows and whatnot, but no interest in the medium, so it’ll be interesting to see if she reads it and to find out what she thinks.
I rate this comic: Basically Buffy with an unlimited budget but a bit too X-treme.
On a side note, I have to say the ad campaign for DC Countdown is quite good. I really like it and even put the "Jimmy Olsen Must Die" wallpaper on my home computer.
I really like the relationship among the Marvels and the Black Marvels that has been established in this series. And the scene with Black Adam and Montoya was actually quite touching. The whole set up with Black Adam returning to form as the despot hovering over people has really been handled well, when it looked like it could go off the rails at any point. I mean, there was even a death that wasn’t overly rendered. Restraint sometimes works better. And Waller has what I think is the best introductory line ever “The New Suicide Squad need to be one hundred strong…” Seriously, that’s like Shakespeare to me. And the ending with Dr. Sivana was also classic villainy.
I rate this comic: One of my favourite issues of 52.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season 8 #1
Yes, I’m a Buffy fan and it all happened well after the show was no longer on the air. Long story. For me this is basically G.I. Buffy, which I’m fine with, oddly. I can relive two things I don’t watch anymore – GI Joe and Buffy, although I’m not big on the X-treme Buffy approach it opens with. That being said, the conflict they set up with the US Army is actually quite clever, but that’s what I’m told Joss Whedon is good at - clever. This has got all the trappings of the TV show with the little quips and the hip-geek talk. If you know the characters and know the show it works really well. I do wonder what someone who hasn’t watched the show would think of this though? For me I can’t separate my enjoyment from my completist attitude on this one. My wife might actually read this as well so at least I can get an outsider’s opinion on it. I mean she told me last weekend that she just had no interest in comics after we had a chat about Wonder Woman. She likes the movies, the characters, TV shows and whatnot, but no interest in the medium, so it’ll be interesting to see if she reads it and to find out what she thinks.
I rate this comic: Basically Buffy with an unlimited budget but a bit too X-treme.
On a side note, I have to say the ad campaign for DC Countdown is quite good. I really like it and even put the "Jimmy Olsen Must Die" wallpaper on my home computer.
Wednesday, March 14, 2007
Alex Toth Model Sheets
Ripped directly from the headlines of Boing Boing, I'd like to point you to the ASIFA - Hollywood Animation Archive Project Blog where they are currently displaying a bunch of Alex Toth's Model Sheets. Here's one of Zartan that I love. We need more heroes with slingshots. I mean when was the last time you saw a hero with a slingshot - The Dark Knight Returns?
Be my fake internet friend
I've created a facebook account. You can now be my internet friend
without needing to read my mildly informative comic book assessments.
without needing to read my mildly informative comic book assessments.
So far I have 3 friends.
Swinging with the Great Apes
Tarzan: The Joe Kubert Years Vol. 3
Dark Horse, July 2006, 216 Pages
ISBN-10: 1-59307-417-4
If you've read any of my other reviews on these collections of Joe Kubert's work (writing, editing, drawing) on the seventies Tarzan comics you'll probably be able to say the next few sentences in tandem with me. These are great comics that showcase unbelievable artwork with a vibrant ability to draw anatomy of all sorts.
These books are a truly fantastic tour de force of recreating figures – both human and animal – and showcasing the tools of the trade for any comic book artist or cartoonist. It's not just the rollicking adventures that make these books the perfect Sunday afternoon read, it's all about the art when it comes to Joe Kubert.
The stories are nothing to scoff at though. I mean, it is Tarzan after all so there's always some kind of knock out punch and at least one animal gets stabbed to death or thrown off a mountain per issue. The stories are old school comic serials that pack in the danger, excitement and adventure only found in today's comic book press releases and the occasional comic book outside the main-stream comic target. Presenting the plot is the other half of the equation here and Joe handles things in a way that seems lost to me these days. What I mean is that Joe seems to be both workman like in his approach yet with enough artistic flourishes to make these stories stand out.
On one hand Joe is showing us his life drawing chops but on the other Tarzan isn't always in some realistic repose but in some extremely dynamic leap across unknown jungles and fantastic creatures. The artwork, for me, is beautiful to look at but it also reveals the tools used to create it. Looking at the landscapes and the wilderness scenes I see both Tarzan's jungle or a hidden valley of lizard-men at the same time I see the pens and brushes used to ink the scenes. I know Kubert didn't always ink his own work, and that's not the point here, the point is that I get caught up in each panel on both a storytelling and technical level
Basically, these collections can be reduced to naked man running around wilderness to fight some kind of animal or, on occasion, dinosaur. You need to know human anatomy to accomplish this as much as you need access to a major zoo or The Discovery Channel to reproduce all these animals. But this isn't just a bunch of reproduced still life pictures, it's an extremely dynamic creation. Kubert manages to give Tarzan every possible type of pose and have them all come off pretty much perfectly. They aren't photo realistic but that's what makes him one of the best comic artists out there. These are representative images that allow for enough exaggeration because they aren't limited by trying to reproduce the limitations of real life but at the same time they capture the proportions and structure of the subject in such a way as to make them appear just as real as any photograph. Sometimes catching the idea works better than the real life image and that's what makes these books some of my favorite discoveries. They're essentially the core of what adventure comics should be – realistic enough to keep you believing but dynamic enough to keep you entertained and turning the pages.
Plus, Tarzan snaps the neck of a large cat or crocodile, on average, every two issues. In this volume there were also higher incidents of Tarzan stabbing dinosaurs in the eye.
Dark Horse, July 2006, 216 Pages
ISBN-10: 1-59307-417-4
If you've read any of my other reviews on these collections of Joe Kubert's work (writing, editing, drawing) on the seventies Tarzan comics you'll probably be able to say the next few sentences in tandem with me. These are great comics that showcase unbelievable artwork with a vibrant ability to draw anatomy of all sorts.
These books are a truly fantastic tour de force of recreating figures – both human and animal – and showcasing the tools of the trade for any comic book artist or cartoonist. It's not just the rollicking adventures that make these books the perfect Sunday afternoon read, it's all about the art when it comes to Joe Kubert.
The stories are nothing to scoff at though. I mean, it is Tarzan after all so there's always some kind of knock out punch and at least one animal gets stabbed to death or thrown off a mountain per issue. The stories are old school comic serials that pack in the danger, excitement and adventure only found in today's comic book press releases and the occasional comic book outside the main-stream comic target. Presenting the plot is the other half of the equation here and Joe handles things in a way that seems lost to me these days. What I mean is that Joe seems to be both workman like in his approach yet with enough artistic flourishes to make these stories stand out.
On one hand Joe is showing us his life drawing chops but on the other Tarzan isn't always in some realistic repose but in some extremely dynamic leap across unknown jungles and fantastic creatures. The artwork, for me, is beautiful to look at but it also reveals the tools used to create it. Looking at the landscapes and the wilderness scenes I see both Tarzan's jungle or a hidden valley of lizard-men at the same time I see the pens and brushes used to ink the scenes. I know Kubert didn't always ink his own work, and that's not the point here, the point is that I get caught up in each panel on both a storytelling and technical level
Basically, these collections can be reduced to naked man running around wilderness to fight some kind of animal or, on occasion, dinosaur. You need to know human anatomy to accomplish this as much as you need access to a major zoo or The Discovery Channel to reproduce all these animals. But this isn't just a bunch of reproduced still life pictures, it's an extremely dynamic creation. Kubert manages to give Tarzan every possible type of pose and have them all come off pretty much perfectly. They aren't photo realistic but that's what makes him one of the best comic artists out there. These are representative images that allow for enough exaggeration because they aren't limited by trying to reproduce the limitations of real life but at the same time they capture the proportions and structure of the subject in such a way as to make them appear just as real as any photograph. Sometimes catching the idea works better than the real life image and that's what makes these books some of my favorite discoveries. They're essentially the core of what adventure comics should be – realistic enough to keep you believing but dynamic enough to keep you entertained and turning the pages.
Plus, Tarzan snaps the neck of a large cat or crocodile, on average, every two issues. In this volume there were also higher incidents of Tarzan stabbing dinosaurs in the eye.
Tuesday, March 13, 2007
Mildly Informative Review
Ocean
Written by Warren Ellis
Art by Chris Sprouse & Karl Story
Wildstorm Signature Series 160pg. Color Softcover $14.99 US ISBN 1401208495
I know I’m in the minority here but I wasn’t a big fan of Ellis’s Fell or Nextwave: Agents of H.A.T.E. Fell has sort of grown on me and I do like it if I can find it on the shelves because the occasional bad-ass noir police comic is generally a good thing to me – as odd as that sounds. But the first issue of Nextwave just didn’t sit right with me. It still sounds like something I should love but something about it just left me cold and I’m probably not going to return anytime soon, what with the cancellation and all. I like the art and I like the writer but that first issue convinced me to not try the rest of the series. .
Which brings me around to Ocean. I loved this story. This is a comic where I get to see what the big deal about Warren Ellis is all about. I’ve heard he’s well respected but my limited exposure to his work had so far left me cold. I did get one issue of Transmetropolitan back in the day and thought it was cool but promptly ran out of money or moved to the UK then ran out of money – my life is a bit hazy back then. Regardless of that, I managed to get a copy of Ocean from my local library. I read it and enjoyed it.
For those of you that don’t know it’s a sci-fi story about a UN weapons inspector who goes to Jupiter (well Europa the frozen moon of Jupiter) because a bunch of aliens, who are essentially a race of homicidal maniacs, are found in stasis and a more evil futuristic version of Microsoft is trying to get to the alien technology first.
The action and plot are pretty generic stuff, but I’m a fan of generic stuff, it’s the actual details of the plot and the players that gets interesting. Each character is instantly recognizable as a certain trope you feel familiar with but with enough tweaks and well written character driven dialogue to make them feel original. And a group of poor but well meaning good guys who befriend a crazy-talented bad-ass facing off against a well funded and highly organized criminal empire is a background setting I’ve come across before.
I have to admit I really think Ellis’s piss-take of Microsoft (and corporate culture in general) was the best one I’ve come across. I think it’s mostly because I have a friend who is a full blown Microserf who is becoming a bit of a high-flyer in the company. I like my satire biting and this was biting close to home, but not actually referring to me, so I found it delicious.
What makes this story work for me isn’t the fact that it is genre storytelling done well, but the fact that it is done well because of all the little details added to it that make it stand out. It stands out in a genre flooded with banality and well, generally melodramatically lame flourishes. Nope, here we’ve got hired thugs with hand held fire torches getting their throats slit, acid guns for use inside space-stations, and a UN weapons inspector obsessed with ancient space flight who could probably be Morpheus’s father the way he handles technology.
Chris Sprouse’s artwork is crisp and clean for a sanitized world of the future that has managed to adapt to outer spaaace. But at the same time the art is just simplified enough to allow the action to be over the top and exaggerated. The bright colours and clean lines are in contrast to the actions of the people involved and the pretty violent behaviour that remains inherent in humanity. The clean lines of man’s constructions are meant to show our intelligent system of ordering the universe and in this book it really offsets the images of human nature rearing its ugly head. For instance, there’s this fantastically sterile space station surrounding a man who gets shot with an acid gun and boils out from the inside. Clean lines versus chaotic mess. Both stand out more in their interaction.
This was a great read for anyone who likes their sci-fi with a bit of brains and balls behind it. Just occasionally those brains gets splattered all over an airlock.
Written by Warren Ellis
Art by Chris Sprouse & Karl Story
Wildstorm Signature Series 160pg. Color Softcover $14.99 US ISBN 1401208495
I know I’m in the minority here but I wasn’t a big fan of Ellis’s Fell or Nextwave: Agents of H.A.T.E. Fell has sort of grown on me and I do like it if I can find it on the shelves because the occasional bad-ass noir police comic is generally a good thing to me – as odd as that sounds. But the first issue of Nextwave just didn’t sit right with me. It still sounds like something I should love but something about it just left me cold and I’m probably not going to return anytime soon, what with the cancellation and all. I like the art and I like the writer but that first issue convinced me to not try the rest of the series. .
Which brings me around to Ocean. I loved this story. This is a comic where I get to see what the big deal about Warren Ellis is all about. I’ve heard he’s well respected but my limited exposure to his work had so far left me cold. I did get one issue of Transmetropolitan back in the day and thought it was cool but promptly ran out of money or moved to the UK then ran out of money – my life is a bit hazy back then. Regardless of that, I managed to get a copy of Ocean from my local library. I read it and enjoyed it.
For those of you that don’t know it’s a sci-fi story about a UN weapons inspector who goes to Jupiter (well Europa the frozen moon of Jupiter) because a bunch of aliens, who are essentially a race of homicidal maniacs, are found in stasis and a more evil futuristic version of Microsoft is trying to get to the alien technology first.
The action and plot are pretty generic stuff, but I’m a fan of generic stuff, it’s the actual details of the plot and the players that gets interesting. Each character is instantly recognizable as a certain trope you feel familiar with but with enough tweaks and well written character driven dialogue to make them feel original. And a group of poor but well meaning good guys who befriend a crazy-talented bad-ass facing off against a well funded and highly organized criminal empire is a background setting I’ve come across before.
I have to admit I really think Ellis’s piss-take of Microsoft (and corporate culture in general) was the best one I’ve come across. I think it’s mostly because I have a friend who is a full blown Microserf who is becoming a bit of a high-flyer in the company. I like my satire biting and this was biting close to home, but not actually referring to me, so I found it delicious.
What makes this story work for me isn’t the fact that it is genre storytelling done well, but the fact that it is done well because of all the little details added to it that make it stand out. It stands out in a genre flooded with banality and well, generally melodramatically lame flourishes. Nope, here we’ve got hired thugs with hand held fire torches getting their throats slit, acid guns for use inside space-stations, and a UN weapons inspector obsessed with ancient space flight who could probably be Morpheus’s father the way he handles technology.
Chris Sprouse’s artwork is crisp and clean for a sanitized world of the future that has managed to adapt to outer spaaace. But at the same time the art is just simplified enough to allow the action to be over the top and exaggerated. The bright colours and clean lines are in contrast to the actions of the people involved and the pretty violent behaviour that remains inherent in humanity. The clean lines of man’s constructions are meant to show our intelligent system of ordering the universe and in this book it really offsets the images of human nature rearing its ugly head. For instance, there’s this fantastically sterile space station surrounding a man who gets shot with an acid gun and boils out from the inside. Clean lines versus chaotic mess. Both stand out more in their interaction.
This was a great read for anyone who likes their sci-fi with a bit of brains and balls behind it. Just occasionally those brains gets splattered all over an airlock.
Monday, March 12, 2007
Word of the Week
In my new job I'm coming across a lot of new words and terms that should be used in comic books. I hope to keep this new feature going as long as I come across new words. Also, I used "dudity: mail nudity" in my e-mail with friends when planning our schedules to go see 300 and that became the word of the week last week. So blame my friends for encouraging and inspiring me.
Armamentarium: the equipment of a practitioner or institution, including books, instruments, medicines, and surgical appliances.
Comic book usage: "Later that evening, below Wayne Manor, billionaire playboy Bruce Wayne explores his armamentarium for his Batman cowl infused with herbicides for his inevitable clash with Poison Ivy.
Armamentarium: the equipment of a practitioner or institution, including books, instruments, medicines, and surgical appliances.
Comic book usage: "Later that evening, below Wayne Manor, billionaire playboy Bruce Wayne explores his armamentarium for his Batman cowl infused with herbicides for his inevitable clash with Poison Ivy.
If you're feeling sinister.
Put the Book Back on the Shelf - Various Creators inspired by the songs and music of Belle and Sebastian
What an interesting idea for an anthology. Stories influenced or reflecting Belle and Sebastian songs. I like this trend that I’m seeing in anthologies these days. Yes, they’re still artist showcases but building them around a theme, no matter how loosely interpreted, seems to work better for me. I’ve always liked the idea of anthologies better than the finished product, and while that’s still true with these themed based ones I do appreciate the effort and I’m more likely to get a themed anthology on something I really like, like race relations.
I find it a bit hard to review this collection though because I keep reducing my ideas down to aesthetics and, well, I guess maybe that’s the point. I don’t particularly want to detail my thoughts on each story influenced by a Belle and Sebastian song and I don’t want to particularly point out my favourites. I have them and that should really be enough because it doesn’t reveal anything about the book rather than reveal my personal tastes – and you don’t really need to know what they are, do you?
My experience with Belle and Sebastian is that they were one of the last two mixed tapes I ever received from a friend. Same friend, different bands for the last one I received. You remember tapes don’t you? The most indestructible recording form known to man. So, anyway, I know some Belle and Sebastian songs when I hear them but have no idea what they’re called or what album they’re from. Some I’ve managed to figure out and others are easily identifiable, or my friend who gave me the tape kept referring them by name so I now know what they are. What I’m trying to get at here is that this anthology plugged into a whole set of memories for me. The collection itself is essentially a mixed tape of stories and should be enjoyed as such. There are the songs you like, the songs you fast forward and the songs that you don’t like at first but grow on you to become your favourites because they’re not as obvious as the ones you first liked. The same goes for this collection really.
There is enough art here to make any fan of the comic book medium happy. If you want more than just purdy pictures you’re also in luck as there are some pretty solid narratives here as well. Part of the fun is just in seeing how vastly different these stories are. Like a lot of Belle and Sebastian songs this collection has an instant feeling of cute and comfortable but under the surface there is something. There’s a lot of cute and artsy-cute type of artwork but there’s also some pretty dark subject matter thrown in throughout. You feel it should be more airy and light but it only appears that way next to something that is fairly dark. Some of the contributors chose to focus on the airy light presentation while others focused on the dark narratives while others tried to capture both.
The only thing I really wish is that my mixed tape didn’t break years ago so I could pop it into my decaying cassette player and reacquaint myself with these songs. I felt at a bit of a loss because I wasn’t totally and instantly familiar with Belle and Sebastian’s oeuvre, although I do consider myself a fan. I guess I’m just lucky that my local pub’s manager has their CDs on his weeknight rotation so I’m not totally out of the loop. In the end I can recommend this book to anyone looking for an anthology to see how utterly different one comic book story can be from another but I’m just not familiar enough to say if you’re a fan of the band you’ll like a comic book inspired by their songs. Still, it wouldn’t hurt to give it a shot because there’s enough variety to have at the very least one story you like.
What an interesting idea for an anthology. Stories influenced or reflecting Belle and Sebastian songs. I like this trend that I’m seeing in anthologies these days. Yes, they’re still artist showcases but building them around a theme, no matter how loosely interpreted, seems to work better for me. I’ve always liked the idea of anthologies better than the finished product, and while that’s still true with these themed based ones I do appreciate the effort and I’m more likely to get a themed anthology on something I really like, like race relations.
I find it a bit hard to review this collection though because I keep reducing my ideas down to aesthetics and, well, I guess maybe that’s the point. I don’t particularly want to detail my thoughts on each story influenced by a Belle and Sebastian song and I don’t want to particularly point out my favourites. I have them and that should really be enough because it doesn’t reveal anything about the book rather than reveal my personal tastes – and you don’t really need to know what they are, do you?
My experience with Belle and Sebastian is that they were one of the last two mixed tapes I ever received from a friend. Same friend, different bands for the last one I received. You remember tapes don’t you? The most indestructible recording form known to man. So, anyway, I know some Belle and Sebastian songs when I hear them but have no idea what they’re called or what album they’re from. Some I’ve managed to figure out and others are easily identifiable, or my friend who gave me the tape kept referring them by name so I now know what they are. What I’m trying to get at here is that this anthology plugged into a whole set of memories for me. The collection itself is essentially a mixed tape of stories and should be enjoyed as such. There are the songs you like, the songs you fast forward and the songs that you don’t like at first but grow on you to become your favourites because they’re not as obvious as the ones you first liked. The same goes for this collection really.
There is enough art here to make any fan of the comic book medium happy. If you want more than just purdy pictures you’re also in luck as there are some pretty solid narratives here as well. Part of the fun is just in seeing how vastly different these stories are. Like a lot of Belle and Sebastian songs this collection has an instant feeling of cute and comfortable but under the surface there is something. There’s a lot of cute and artsy-cute type of artwork but there’s also some pretty dark subject matter thrown in throughout. You feel it should be more airy and light but it only appears that way next to something that is fairly dark. Some of the contributors chose to focus on the airy light presentation while others focused on the dark narratives while others tried to capture both.
The only thing I really wish is that my mixed tape didn’t break years ago so I could pop it into my decaying cassette player and reacquaint myself with these songs. I felt at a bit of a loss because I wasn’t totally and instantly familiar with Belle and Sebastian’s oeuvre, although I do consider myself a fan. I guess I’m just lucky that my local pub’s manager has their CDs on his weeknight rotation so I’m not totally out of the loop. In the end I can recommend this book to anyone looking for an anthology to see how utterly different one comic book story can be from another but I’m just not familiar enough to say if you’re a fan of the band you’ll like a comic book inspired by their songs. Still, it wouldn’t hurt to give it a shot because there’s enough variety to have at the very least one story you like.
Friday, March 09, 2007
Once Upon a Toon - Disney Inspirations
I just came across an online photo gallery on CBC.ca detailing an exhibit in Montreal entitled "Once Upon a Toon" about Walt Disney's inspirations and references for his animation. If I were in Montreal I'd be heading out to see this instantly.
I'm a big fan of Uncle Walt's art and I'm still hoping to one day see the test reel he did with Salvidor Dali to animate his surreal imagery.
I'm a big fan of Uncle Walt's art and I'm still hoping to one day see the test reel he did with Salvidor Dali to animate his surreal imagery.
Wednesday’s Loot – 7 March 2007 (late)
52 Week 44
Was it me or was the art a bit off this week? I do like Black Adam keeping it real and taking on the four horsemen of the apocalypse but the “big reveal” of hunger, although not a complete cheat, wasn’t what I was hoping for. At least there were enough mild hints at the situation throughout the storyline. I do like the idea of Black Adam taking on the world because he was trying to make nice and it wasn’t allowed. I think it works more than that other company’s attempt at division. This at least has established motive. Also, I think that Montoya interlude was the backup this week.
I rate this comic: Good plot, not so good art.
Shazam and the Monster Society of Evil #2
Man this is a good comic. It really is one of the high water marks in current superhero comics. There were a few panels that seemed sketchy to me, but it could just have been me trying to read through a haze of beer. Still, I expect more from every single panel Jeff Smith produces which is unabashedly unfair of me. I think this miniseries is now how I’m going to forever see Cpt. Marvel and family. Mary Marvel was a great addition to humanize Billy a bit more, and Talky Tawny was amazing artwork. This is what comics are like in my memories.
I rate this comic: Grrrreat!
Manhunter #29
Wow, a character from 52 used extremely well, I’m glad that happened and I’m not surprised it happened in this book. I finally get to see Kate in her costume, fighting evil and whatnot which is also nice because I jumped on this title really late (i.e. for this last arc) and she’s really never been fighting crime with her secret identity. I’m thinking Andreyko needs to take over a JLA book or at least have a go at JLA: Classified because the big three as presented in this book are pretty much my ideal. He captures their essence perfectly in really limited space. Wonder Woman is noble with all the good traits of loyalty and idealism but also the mere pigheadedness of never doing thing a different way than hers, Superman is a big presence who is confident and impressive in his calmness, and Batman is imposing, even over the telephone, and brilliant with his Bat-science. Plus there’s a guest appearance by Firefly’s costume. I feel like this comic was allowed to build it’s own toys out of the broken bits of the rest of the DCU and when it actually started to have fun with them and make a new game that was better than the store bought contraptions the cool kids were then allowed to come over and play.
I rate this comic: Always good since I’ve been buying it.
Detective Comics #829
So is Dini off this to work on Countdown now? I was a bit disappointed, but I should probably keep better track of the DC website or something for this comic and Batman to see when the creators aren’t creating it. That being said, I did enjoy it. I like seeing more of Bruce Wayne trusting Robin and then showing up as Batman only near the very end. Some of the plot felt a bit heavy handed, I don’t remember exactly what at the moment but I remember thinking that as I read it. And my initial reaction to Andy Clarke’s art wasn’t warm but the hints of Moebius and Frank Quietly won me over in the end and I really quite liked it by the time I finished the book. I realized I actually do like artwork in my comics that doesn’t look like the norm.
I rate this comic: A decent first half of a two part filler.
Was it me or was the art a bit off this week? I do like Black Adam keeping it real and taking on the four horsemen of the apocalypse but the “big reveal” of hunger, although not a complete cheat, wasn’t what I was hoping for. At least there were enough mild hints at the situation throughout the storyline. I do like the idea of Black Adam taking on the world because he was trying to make nice and it wasn’t allowed. I think it works more than that other company’s attempt at division. This at least has established motive. Also, I think that Montoya interlude was the backup this week.
I rate this comic: Good plot, not so good art.
Shazam and the Monster Society of Evil #2
Man this is a good comic. It really is one of the high water marks in current superhero comics. There were a few panels that seemed sketchy to me, but it could just have been me trying to read through a haze of beer. Still, I expect more from every single panel Jeff Smith produces which is unabashedly unfair of me. I think this miniseries is now how I’m going to forever see Cpt. Marvel and family. Mary Marvel was a great addition to humanize Billy a bit more, and Talky Tawny was amazing artwork. This is what comics are like in my memories.
I rate this comic: Grrrreat!
Manhunter #29
Wow, a character from 52 used extremely well, I’m glad that happened and I’m not surprised it happened in this book. I finally get to see Kate in her costume, fighting evil and whatnot which is also nice because I jumped on this title really late (i.e. for this last arc) and she’s really never been fighting crime with her secret identity. I’m thinking Andreyko needs to take over a JLA book or at least have a go at JLA: Classified because the big three as presented in this book are pretty much my ideal. He captures their essence perfectly in really limited space. Wonder Woman is noble with all the good traits of loyalty and idealism but also the mere pigheadedness of never doing thing a different way than hers, Superman is a big presence who is confident and impressive in his calmness, and Batman is imposing, even over the telephone, and brilliant with his Bat-science. Plus there’s a guest appearance by Firefly’s costume. I feel like this comic was allowed to build it’s own toys out of the broken bits of the rest of the DCU and when it actually started to have fun with them and make a new game that was better than the store bought contraptions the cool kids were then allowed to come over and play.
I rate this comic: Always good since I’ve been buying it.
Detective Comics #829
So is Dini off this to work on Countdown now? I was a bit disappointed, but I should probably keep better track of the DC website or something for this comic and Batman to see when the creators aren’t creating it. That being said, I did enjoy it. I like seeing more of Bruce Wayne trusting Robin and then showing up as Batman only near the very end. Some of the plot felt a bit heavy handed, I don’t remember exactly what at the moment but I remember thinking that as I read it. And my initial reaction to Andy Clarke’s art wasn’t warm but the hints of Moebius and Frank Quietly won me over in the end and I really quite liked it by the time I finished the book. I realized I actually do like artwork in my comics that doesn’t look like the norm.
I rate this comic: A decent first half of a two part filler.
Thursday, March 08, 2007
Comic book chess
Seven Soldiers of Victory Volume 4 - by Grant Morrison, et al
I’ve missed a few updates as I get settled into my new job, which I love by the way. Unlike my old job where I pretty much got paid to fuck the dog and be extremely sarcastic and smug – okay that wasn’t in the job description or anything but it’s what I did in complete defiance of any attempts to manage me.
Anyway, when I read The Life and Times of Scrooge McDuck on the train, I followed it up with Grant Morrison’s Seven Soldiers of Victory Vol. 4. It was a bit of a mind fuck to go from one book to the other because I think Seven Soldiers as a collected work is good for the exact opposite reasons I consider The Life and Times of Scrooge McDuck to be a good book. Seven Soldiers is an intentionally divided narrative, there are multiple artists working on multiple storylines which explore multiple sub-genres of superhero comics, all the while littered with adult themes and visuals. Sure The Life and Times of Scrooge McDuck explored different types of adventure stories from cowboys to river-boat captains on the Mississippi it was used to explore different phases of one life whereas Seven Soldiers is exploring the actual genre of superhero comics and the team comic in particular. The stories in Seven Soldiers are presented as separate and complete yet connected simply because the company and author tell us they are, and while they share some root imagery or broad themes they’re not existing simultaneously per se. They exist as separate and play in a shared fictional universe whereas The Life and Times of Scrooge McDuck is one whole narrative following one life created to fit into a previously established history of the character.
I may be stretching for connections here but there are some even if both projects approach those shared points of storytelling from completely opposite ends. Where one story leads the other implies; where one story is chronological the other is multidimensional; and, where one story is focused on an individual the other is focused on multiple individuals rather than the team (as an individual).
I do feel I should start at the beginning again and read the whole Seven Soldier series in a few different combinations - in one prolonged sitting. I could read the different mini-series in their self-collected parts one-by-one as well as the issues in their chronological order as they are collected. It’s been a while since I read the previous volumes, so I was the teensiest bit lost on a few of the plotlines. I do feel that if I gave the entire shebang another read or two I’d be able to pick out a few more of the subtleties I missed on first pass. That’s just how my brain works anyhow. First read is plot, and if I’m lucky I pick up a few themes. Second read allows me to be way more open and analytical towards what is being presented – to follow themes, characterizations, and motifs throughout the work a bit more closely. On the first read I pick things up but don’t really hold onto them for very long as I move on to continue the plot.
It’s a bit like mental chess reading this series – fitting the pieces together and seeing how they move in anticipation of the other players. It’s not a puzzle because it’s too active and dynamic and the players don’t fit together to create a static and complete whole in the end. And, personally, I can start to play chess and be doing a fairly decent job but I get bored about a half hour into it (god forbid a game lasts that long) because I don’t have the mindset, or possibly patience, to consider how each piece will interact with each other in all possible combinations. Some people do, but not me. I’ve learned a bit and can learn more but I don’t really have the mindset anymore to care to spend the time to learn more. Okay, that was a long drawn out metaphor to explain how I think Seven Soldiers is a dynamic process between characters in the books, the books to each other, between book and reader, and ultimately between reader and creator. I think each of us can bring something new and different out of the act of reading this series and still not get to the crux of what Morrison was attempting – then again I also think we can. It’s a wonderful play between all these wonderful pieces which you will either love, hate or appreciate but not really have the patience to put up with it long enough to invest more time to discover more subtleties.
So what did I really think? I liked it. Not as much as I thought I would though but maybe I was expecting a bit more from the series than I got – it happens. I did enjoy the actual miniseries more than the two bookend issues. I feel like I could appreciate what the bookends were but I didn’t really love them the same way I instantly loved something like All-Star Superman or The Spirit. But what this series did do to me, which almost no other comics do, is make me want to start over from the beginning right away. I wanted to instantly re-read the entire thing – and that tells me there is something about this series I find enjoyable.
It’s not just the challenge of reading a dense comic. I have nothing to prove on that front, really. I can analyze and theorize until the cows come home (sometimes well, sometimes presenting nothing new as you, dear reader, have probably witness on this blog countless times). For me to want to go back and read something it needs to be more than just a challenge, it needs to be simply enjoyable as well. The shifting artwork, the different sub-genres are all aspects of this series that I really respect and find pleasure in. If it wasn’t for their beauty and interesting characters/plots then re-reading would simply be a completionist chore in order to prove I can draw connections that, honestly, someone else online probably has already completed long ago.
Nope, for me, this series was both familiar and unlike anything else I’ve read. They work alone but together, which is how it was advertised but I’m still cynical enough to be shocked when a comic book series actually delivers what it was promoted as.
Plus, Zatana was used as a hero, and a powerful one as a direct dichotomy to the way she was used as a weapon of mass hypnotic destruction in another mini-series. I’m also partial to superhero comics that break the fourth wall, so there was that.
I’ve missed a few updates as I get settled into my new job, which I love by the way. Unlike my old job where I pretty much got paid to fuck the dog and be extremely sarcastic and smug – okay that wasn’t in the job description or anything but it’s what I did in complete defiance of any attempts to manage me.
Anyway, when I read The Life and Times of Scrooge McDuck on the train, I followed it up with Grant Morrison’s Seven Soldiers of Victory Vol. 4. It was a bit of a mind fuck to go from one book to the other because I think Seven Soldiers as a collected work is good for the exact opposite reasons I consider The Life and Times of Scrooge McDuck to be a good book. Seven Soldiers is an intentionally divided narrative, there are multiple artists working on multiple storylines which explore multiple sub-genres of superhero comics, all the while littered with adult themes and visuals. Sure The Life and Times of Scrooge McDuck explored different types of adventure stories from cowboys to river-boat captains on the Mississippi it was used to explore different phases of one life whereas Seven Soldiers is exploring the actual genre of superhero comics and the team comic in particular. The stories in Seven Soldiers are presented as separate and complete yet connected simply because the company and author tell us they are, and while they share some root imagery or broad themes they’re not existing simultaneously per se. They exist as separate and play in a shared fictional universe whereas The Life and Times of Scrooge McDuck is one whole narrative following one life created to fit into a previously established history of the character.
I may be stretching for connections here but there are some even if both projects approach those shared points of storytelling from completely opposite ends. Where one story leads the other implies; where one story is chronological the other is multidimensional; and, where one story is focused on an individual the other is focused on multiple individuals rather than the team (as an individual).
I do feel I should start at the beginning again and read the whole Seven Soldier series in a few different combinations - in one prolonged sitting. I could read the different mini-series in their self-collected parts one-by-one as well as the issues in their chronological order as they are collected. It’s been a while since I read the previous volumes, so I was the teensiest bit lost on a few of the plotlines. I do feel that if I gave the entire shebang another read or two I’d be able to pick out a few more of the subtleties I missed on first pass. That’s just how my brain works anyhow. First read is plot, and if I’m lucky I pick up a few themes. Second read allows me to be way more open and analytical towards what is being presented – to follow themes, characterizations, and motifs throughout the work a bit more closely. On the first read I pick things up but don’t really hold onto them for very long as I move on to continue the plot.
It’s a bit like mental chess reading this series – fitting the pieces together and seeing how they move in anticipation of the other players. It’s not a puzzle because it’s too active and dynamic and the players don’t fit together to create a static and complete whole in the end. And, personally, I can start to play chess and be doing a fairly decent job but I get bored about a half hour into it (god forbid a game lasts that long) because I don’t have the mindset, or possibly patience, to consider how each piece will interact with each other in all possible combinations. Some people do, but not me. I’ve learned a bit and can learn more but I don’t really have the mindset anymore to care to spend the time to learn more. Okay, that was a long drawn out metaphor to explain how I think Seven Soldiers is a dynamic process between characters in the books, the books to each other, between book and reader, and ultimately between reader and creator. I think each of us can bring something new and different out of the act of reading this series and still not get to the crux of what Morrison was attempting – then again I also think we can. It’s a wonderful play between all these wonderful pieces which you will either love, hate or appreciate but not really have the patience to put up with it long enough to invest more time to discover more subtleties.
So what did I really think? I liked it. Not as much as I thought I would though but maybe I was expecting a bit more from the series than I got – it happens. I did enjoy the actual miniseries more than the two bookend issues. I feel like I could appreciate what the bookends were but I didn’t really love them the same way I instantly loved something like All-Star Superman or The Spirit. But what this series did do to me, which almost no other comics do, is make me want to start over from the beginning right away. I wanted to instantly re-read the entire thing – and that tells me there is something about this series I find enjoyable.
It’s not just the challenge of reading a dense comic. I have nothing to prove on that front, really. I can analyze and theorize until the cows come home (sometimes well, sometimes presenting nothing new as you, dear reader, have probably witness on this blog countless times). For me to want to go back and read something it needs to be more than just a challenge, it needs to be simply enjoyable as well. The shifting artwork, the different sub-genres are all aspects of this series that I really respect and find pleasure in. If it wasn’t for their beauty and interesting characters/plots then re-reading would simply be a completionist chore in order to prove I can draw connections that, honestly, someone else online probably has already completed long ago.
Nope, for me, this series was both familiar and unlike anything else I’ve read. They work alone but together, which is how it was advertised but I’m still cynical enough to be shocked when a comic book series actually delivers what it was promoted as.
Plus, Zatana was used as a hero, and a powerful one as a direct dichotomy to the way she was used as a weapon of mass hypnotic destruction in another mini-series. I’m also partial to superhero comics that break the fourth wall, so there was that.
Thursday, March 01, 2007
Wednesday's Loot - 28 February 2006
52 Week 43
I was hoping for more Animal Man because of the cover. Oh well. Also, from what I've read online recently and from my experience in reading his work I figure that it was Geoff Johns who is obsessed with Black Adam and evisceration so that's probably him making Tawky Crawky eat his crippled friend, right? I don't mind so much that the emo Black Adam is hopefully gone, but then again Animal Man died and came back, and how many times did The Question die? I guess if you're going to show the death by crocodile eating scene in multiple panels you could at least have him go into a death spiral or something.
I rate this comic: Okay, not bad but not one of the best either.
I was hoping for more Animal Man because of the cover. Oh well. Also, from what I've read online recently and from my experience in reading his work I figure that it was Geoff Johns who is obsessed with Black Adam and evisceration so that's probably him making Tawky Crawky eat his crippled friend, right? I don't mind so much that the emo Black Adam is hopefully gone, but then again Animal Man died and came back, and how many times did The Question die? I guess if you're going to show the death by crocodile eating scene in multiple panels you could at least have him go into a death spiral or something.
I rate this comic: Okay, not bad but not one of the best either.
Wednesday, February 28, 2007
Easy like Wednesday Morning.
So Civil War ended. I passed on it. Can someone let me know if this is the longest timeline for a six issue summer crossover? I'm sure it has records other than sales under its belt.
I give the following odds for World War Hulk events:
3:1 - Thor is the big reveal to take down Hulk in the last issue
3:1 - Thor appears on the last page of the second last issue
7:5 - Cpt. America suits up
4:1 - Nick Fury returns
10:1 - Nick Fury returns masquerading as Cpt. America
12:1 - Dr. Doom was behind everything for the last few years
2:1 - Magic or Mind Control was the cause of Civil War
Even - it will be a simple concept mishandled
I'm not sure these are Las Vegas worthy or anything but I'll gladly take your payments via paypal or cash in unmarked brown envelopes left behind Brown's cleaner's on 3rd Ave between noon and 3 p.m. - receipts will be provided.
I give the following odds for World War Hulk events:
3:1 - Thor is the big reveal to take down Hulk in the last issue
3:1 - Thor appears on the last page of the second last issue
7:5 - Cpt. America suits up
4:1 - Nick Fury returns
10:1 - Nick Fury returns masquerading as Cpt. America
12:1 - Dr. Doom was behind everything for the last few years
2:1 - Magic or Mind Control was the cause of Civil War
Even - it will be a simple concept mishandled
I'm not sure these are Las Vegas worthy or anything but I'll gladly take your payments via paypal or cash in unmarked brown envelopes left behind Brown's cleaner's on 3rd Ave between noon and 3 p.m. - receipts will be provided.
It should work, and it should be awesome but they'll just have Banner ripping heroes a'twain instead of just smashing the buildings around them and letting Green Cross pick up the pieces. Then Iron Man will shed a single tear before sacrificing himself and hopefully Nick Fury will show up and do something crazy awesome while smoking a cigar - oh wait he's probably got to be on the patch or that nicotine gum now because Marvel has a policy, right?
Blame Sims:
Tuesday, February 27, 2007
Black Thursday/Tuesday
I went into the comic shop last week and got a supscription. I have a feeling this will become a bad idea at some point but I do think my current selection of titles is fairly decent. If, let's say, I had room for one more that had nothing to do with super heroes what would you suggest?
Current list:
52 (until it's done)
Manhunter (until it's, oh wait it's not cancelled? It is? Well I'm getting it regardless so I don't need to keep track)
The Spirit
Detective Comics (for as long as Dini is on it - it's pretty dang good)
Batman (As long as Morrison isn't writing any more drug fueled essays)
Shazam: Monster Society of Evil
Godland
DC Countdown (Hey, I like 52 and weekly Dini seems just too good to pass up right now - this is on sight unseen and if I don't like it - gonzo!)
All Star Superman
The Ultimates (so I don't need to worry about that schedule anymore. I mean really, this'll cost me three bucks every year or so but it's the one title I won't drop for being late for some undefinable yet extremely hypocritical reason)
Marvel Adventures: Avengers (Still need to get the All-M.O.D.O.C. issue but Jeff Parker's Agent's of Atlas and Chris Sim's gushing have me signed up for a few issues at least)
Marvel Adventures: Iron Man (This is likely to get dropped before the book even comes out but for some reason I felt I needed an Iron Man book that had nothing to do with the Ultimate or 616 universe)
Buffy the Vampire Slayer (Shut the hell up, I'm a late comer to the series, I like it and will give this a chance. And by latecomer to the series I mean rented some DVDs for my sick wife after it was off the air for a few years then proceeded to rent the whole damned thing.)
Possible additions:
Hellblazer when Iain Rankin takes over as writer.
Any additional Mouse Guard, Northwest Passage or Agents of Atlas comics.
Checkmate (do I really need more DC though?)
Totally forgot about until right now and will need to add:
Action Philosophers
Will be now relegated to, or already collected as, trades for various reasons:
The Walking Dead
Y: The Last Man (It's been a while but I'll be back - no rush)
Fables (Still need to start this sometime)
Wasteland (couldn't find the first few issues but if the trade catches me up - onto the monthly list)
Fear Agent (this just disappeared too fast from the local shops for me to keep up with and I was really enjoying it)
Hellboy and BPRD (when I'm done with the HB trades)
Any glaring errors you may see there. I have a list of comics I'm not interested in if you, dear reader, give a crap about my reading and buying habits.
Current list:
52 (until it's done)
Manhunter (until it's, oh wait it's not cancelled? It is? Well I'm getting it regardless so I don't need to keep track)
The Spirit
Detective Comics (for as long as Dini is on it - it's pretty dang good)
Batman (As long as Morrison isn't writing any more drug fueled essays)
Shazam: Monster Society of Evil
Godland
DC Countdown (Hey, I like 52 and weekly Dini seems just too good to pass up right now - this is on sight unseen and if I don't like it - gonzo!)
All Star Superman
The Ultimates (so I don't need to worry about that schedule anymore. I mean really, this'll cost me three bucks every year or so but it's the one title I won't drop for being late for some undefinable yet extremely hypocritical reason)
Marvel Adventures: Avengers (Still need to get the All-M.O.D.O.C. issue but Jeff Parker's Agent's of Atlas and Chris Sim's gushing have me signed up for a few issues at least)
Marvel Adventures: Iron Man (This is likely to get dropped before the book even comes out but for some reason I felt I needed an Iron Man book that had nothing to do with the Ultimate or 616 universe)
Buffy the Vampire Slayer (Shut the hell up, I'm a late comer to the series, I like it and will give this a chance. And by latecomer to the series I mean rented some DVDs for my sick wife after it was off the air for a few years then proceeded to rent the whole damned thing.)
Possible additions:
Hellblazer when Iain Rankin takes over as writer.
Any additional Mouse Guard, Northwest Passage or Agents of Atlas comics.
Checkmate (do I really need more DC though?)
Totally forgot about until right now and will need to add:
Action Philosophers
Will be now relegated to, or already collected as, trades for various reasons:
The Walking Dead
Y: The Last Man (It's been a while but I'll be back - no rush)
Fables (Still need to start this sometime)
Wasteland (couldn't find the first few issues but if the trade catches me up - onto the monthly list)
Fear Agent (this just disappeared too fast from the local shops for me to keep up with and I was really enjoying it)
Hellboy and BPRD (when I'm done with the HB trades)
Any glaring errors you may see there. I have a list of comics I'm not interested in if you, dear reader, give a crap about my reading and buying habits.
The Life and Times of Scrooge McDuck - Don Rossa
The Life and Times of Scrooge McDuck is precisely the kind of comic book triumph everyone needs to own and read to forget about the state of everything else. It makes you remember what is good and wonderful in the medium. It reminds you of the amazing adventures characters are capable of having. It let’s you laugh and cry and ever so gently reminds you that America is capable of more than super-hero melodrama and violent crap to rock your comic book world. All the while appearing simply beautiful and utterly enjoyable to get lost in while looking at the pretty pictures in every single panel.
Yes it’s taken me a long time to get and read this book but it’s been on my priority list for a long time. My wife bought it for me this Christmas and I’ve been saving it until a time when I had enough time to read it in one sitting. When we booked tickets to Toronto via train I knew I should hold off until then. Boy am I glad. I was captivated from page one panel one.
I know the Disney Ducks mostly from growing up with Donald Duck cartoons then watching the Duck Tales cartoons – which I need to remember to pick up on DVD for some kids I know. I loved the adventures of Unca Scrooge and the three nephews because they filled my serial adventure appetite on a daily basis when I didn’t own any Indiana Jones on VHS. Heck they even had a Duck Tales Nintendo game that was probably the last time (before the first Spiderman movie) there was a truly great product tie-in. So I got to know Scrooge McDuck, not as the miserly caricature he was meant to be in passing, but as the wily, creative and brave upright character he is under the surface. When seen in passing glances he’s a very simple character but scratch the surface and spend time with him and you see a fascinating duck.
The comparisons to Charles Foster Cane are unavoidable, and Rossa actually starts the last tale in this book like Citizen Cane only we’re given a character that knows the meaning of his life and has actually earned each and every penny. We get to see the making of a character from humble and poor beginnings to seeking and losing multiple fortunes as well as meeting success with familial tragedy. We see the story of a life and how a life can be turned into the stuff of legend and stories. And under it all we’re given a sympathetic character that embodies the whole “lift yourself with your own bootstraps” mentality so his fall, however brief, from those ideals is more drastic and seemingly harsh to us as a reader.
What Rossa does is not just fill in blank space left by Carl Barks who never intended to fill in any details in the first place, but to simply add a layer to a great character by wedging those details into Barks’ own fabled run on the Duck comics. You know all this already since the book is well over a year old at this point. I knew this would be a tour de force of comic bookery but I was not ready to enjoy it as much as I did. This book has hit a note in me and reminds me of what the medium is capable of outside of big punch up cross-over events. This was a continuing story that is told in strong single issues that follow a pattern and are seeking an end. It tells many tales in telling one just how Scrooge’s character is simple yet full of individual tales that make him unbelievably complex – again reflected in his fortune as one object made of billions of memories.
In one sentence this comic can be summed up as every single type of adventure tale in one book.
It is quite simply some of the best comics you’ll ever read. Forget about the latest and greatest stuff that you want simply because it is new. Go for quality and pick this up. You will be overjoyed at having experienced this comic and saddened by the utter crap you’ve recently bought. I was, and I've got a limited pull list.
Yes it’s taken me a long time to get and read this book but it’s been on my priority list for a long time. My wife bought it for me this Christmas and I’ve been saving it until a time when I had enough time to read it in one sitting. When we booked tickets to Toronto via train I knew I should hold off until then. Boy am I glad. I was captivated from page one panel one.
I know the Disney Ducks mostly from growing up with Donald Duck cartoons then watching the Duck Tales cartoons – which I need to remember to pick up on DVD for some kids I know. I loved the adventures of Unca Scrooge and the three nephews because they filled my serial adventure appetite on a daily basis when I didn’t own any Indiana Jones on VHS. Heck they even had a Duck Tales Nintendo game that was probably the last time (before the first Spiderman movie) there was a truly great product tie-in. So I got to know Scrooge McDuck, not as the miserly caricature he was meant to be in passing, but as the wily, creative and brave upright character he is under the surface. When seen in passing glances he’s a very simple character but scratch the surface and spend time with him and you see a fascinating duck.
The comparisons to Charles Foster Cane are unavoidable, and Rossa actually starts the last tale in this book like Citizen Cane only we’re given a character that knows the meaning of his life and has actually earned each and every penny. We get to see the making of a character from humble and poor beginnings to seeking and losing multiple fortunes as well as meeting success with familial tragedy. We see the story of a life and how a life can be turned into the stuff of legend and stories. And under it all we’re given a sympathetic character that embodies the whole “lift yourself with your own bootstraps” mentality so his fall, however brief, from those ideals is more drastic and seemingly harsh to us as a reader.
What Rossa does is not just fill in blank space left by Carl Barks who never intended to fill in any details in the first place, but to simply add a layer to a great character by wedging those details into Barks’ own fabled run on the Duck comics. You know all this already since the book is well over a year old at this point. I knew this would be a tour de force of comic bookery but I was not ready to enjoy it as much as I did. This book has hit a note in me and reminds me of what the medium is capable of outside of big punch up cross-over events. This was a continuing story that is told in strong single issues that follow a pattern and are seeking an end. It tells many tales in telling one just how Scrooge’s character is simple yet full of individual tales that make him unbelievably complex – again reflected in his fortune as one object made of billions of memories.
In one sentence this comic can be summed up as every single type of adventure tale in one book.
It is quite simply some of the best comics you’ll ever read. Forget about the latest and greatest stuff that you want simply because it is new. Go for quality and pick this up. You will be overjoyed at having experienced this comic and saddened by the utter crap you’ve recently bought. I was, and I've got a limited pull list.
Thursday, February 22, 2007
Thursday's Loot - 22 February 2007
52 Week 42
Okay then, looks like I'll have to re-read this entire series at some point to see if any of the reveals make any sense. That being said I liked this issue, if only for a stretchy dude beating the crap out of an evil sorcerer.
I rate this comic: Back into a bit of a good stretch. wukka wukka wukka.
The Spirit #3
This can't be right. A comic that's essentially "to be continued..." has a complete origin story. Someone didn't send Darwyn Cooke that memo about writing for the trade. Yes, it's familiar territory but we're still given different points of view that manage to establish each of the characters and their relationship to Denny Colt (even when they're not on panel). I feel like reading this series is like buying carbon credits for my wasteful spending on other titles. If you're wanting a unique perspective on this book just read it and make up your own mind, I'm sure it's been praised everywhere and I can't add too much to what's already out there.
I rate this comic: A breath of fresh air that is much needed.
Okay then, looks like I'll have to re-read this entire series at some point to see if any of the reveals make any sense. That being said I liked this issue, if only for a stretchy dude beating the crap out of an evil sorcerer.
I rate this comic: Back into a bit of a good stretch. wukka wukka wukka.
The Spirit #3
This can't be right. A comic that's essentially "to be continued..." has a complete origin story. Someone didn't send Darwyn Cooke that memo about writing for the trade. Yes, it's familiar territory but we're still given different points of view that manage to establish each of the characters and their relationship to Denny Colt (even when they're not on panel). I feel like reading this series is like buying carbon credits for my wasteful spending on other titles. If you're wanting a unique perspective on this book just read it and make up your own mind, I'm sure it's been praised everywhere and I can't add too much to what's already out there.
I rate this comic: A breath of fresh air that is much needed.
Tuesday, February 20, 2007
Couriers #3 - The Ballad of Johnny Funwrecker
Like the previous two volumes of Couriers this one if full of manic energy and life you expect from urban living. Cool kids who you probably wouldn't want to meet unless you were their age.
This volume sets up the background for the other stories and shows the protagonists in a bit of a darker light. I find that interesting because in the other volumes they were still being portrayed as heroic but here we see them more as young criminals who are trying to set themselves up to be self-sufficient. Yes, they weren't exactly shining examples of purity and goodness in the other volumes but they were loyal, trusting and well, cool. Here we see how they meet and develop that trust.
What I like the most about these books is that they're like floppies of yore. Chalk full of a single story and overflowing with action but with a page count that lets the story take shape and conclude in one volume. It's basically a fast and energetic narrative that delivers bubblegum action and stylized violence with an art style that fits the story like a Hugo Boss suit.
And Johnny Funwrecker is probably the best name ever.
This volume sets up the background for the other stories and shows the protagonists in a bit of a darker light. I find that interesting because in the other volumes they were still being portrayed as heroic but here we see them more as young criminals who are trying to set themselves up to be self-sufficient. Yes, they weren't exactly shining examples of purity and goodness in the other volumes but they were loyal, trusting and well, cool. Here we see how they meet and develop that trust.
What I like the most about these books is that they're like floppies of yore. Chalk full of a single story and overflowing with action but with a page count that lets the story take shape and conclude in one volume. It's basically a fast and energetic narrative that delivers bubblegum action and stylized violence with an art style that fits the story like a Hugo Boss suit.
And Johnny Funwrecker is probably the best name ever.
Monday, February 19, 2007
Woo Hoo!
Today I just accepted a job as the Coordinating Editor for the Canadian Journal of Psychiatry. I have been pre-occupied with waiting to hear about this hence the lack of posting.
For those of you who didn't figure it out yet, I was working for the Green Party of Canada. I am very happy to be leaving them behind me.
Heck, I'm announcing it on my blog before I've even officially resigned which shows you my priorities (and the executive director has been trapped in a web-team meeting since I got the call).
I am now waiting for my day to end so I can go to my favourite pub with my favourite people and drink copious amounts of liquor.
Then I'll be out of town until next Tuesday so I'll be totally radio silent until then.
For those of you who didn't figure it out yet, I was working for the Green Party of Canada. I am very happy to be leaving them behind me.
Heck, I'm announcing it on my blog before I've even officially resigned which shows you my priorities (and the executive director has been trapped in a web-team meeting since I got the call).
I am now waiting for my day to end so I can go to my favourite pub with my favourite people and drink copious amounts of liquor.
Then I'll be out of town until next Tuesday so I'll be totally radio silent until then.
Wednesday, February 14, 2007
Wednesday's Loot - 14 February 2007
The Valentine's Day edition! But Diamond has no love for Mr. Cormier as Godland doesn't seem to have been delivered to Ottawa.
52 Week 41
I didn’t know much about The Question but 52 got me to like him. Then he got cancer and died, only he kept showing up in stories until he died off panel and this is the first we hear of it. Or did he die in that snowstorm a few weeks ago. I have to say that’s a bit mishandled in my opinion. Otherwise this is a solid issue. Wonder Woman with the monks and Montoya going all Kung-fu were some great moments that I think serve her plot very well. The space heroes are back in action with some great action sequences with Mogo as the latest spheroid last page reveal. I think Egg-fu was the first. I’m glad to see Ralph and Fate’s Helmet show up and go all Booster and Skeets on an old dude with no legs then disappear. But honestly, the parts with Adam Strange were just handled perfectly for me. Finally, like Steele, we get a hero who faces his own demons and takes about a second to overcome them. It’s a brilliant contrast to Starfire who just never stopped acting like a hero from the start. Naturally it looks like she’s been killed off because having heroes without self-doubt seems to be the big no no one year later if that promotional image of the headless statue of liberty has anything to say about it.
I rate this comic: Really quite good after a few slower weeks.
Manhunter #28
Page one pokes fun at Justice League of America in classic Blue Beetle form but the love of the Bwa-ha-ha era of the character continues throughout. I sort of feel like this book should have been billed as 52 since it’s dealing with a lot of the continuity and story scraps in a very strong and convincing manner. The main character stays out of costume and lets the guest stars shine, and shine they do. The presentations of Blue Beetle, Wonder Woman and Batman are all top notch here but adding Kate Spencer’s voice over to the proceedings just gives these scenes an edge I can appreciate. I’m a bit lost on some of the side stories because I’m fuzzy on the whole Azreal era of Batman which may not be a bad thing but my plan to get the Manhunter trades should help me catch up on the supporting cast. I’ll be sorry to see this title go but I wasn’t buying it either until recently and I feel like an idiot because of it.
I rate this comic: Making for a strong week so far, even if I can’t get a copy of Godland in Ottawa.
Batman #663
Well that was certainly different with enough twisted romance for any Valentine's Day curmudgeon.
I rate this comic: More of a text essay than a comic book and a subversive attempt to get superhero comic fans to read something trying to push the limits of the form.
52 Week 41
I didn’t know much about The Question but 52 got me to like him. Then he got cancer and died, only he kept showing up in stories until he died off panel and this is the first we hear of it. Or did he die in that snowstorm a few weeks ago. I have to say that’s a bit mishandled in my opinion. Otherwise this is a solid issue. Wonder Woman with the monks and Montoya going all Kung-fu were some great moments that I think serve her plot very well. The space heroes are back in action with some great action sequences with Mogo as the latest spheroid last page reveal. I think Egg-fu was the first. I’m glad to see Ralph and Fate’s Helmet show up and go all Booster and Skeets on an old dude with no legs then disappear. But honestly, the parts with Adam Strange were just handled perfectly for me. Finally, like Steele, we get a hero who faces his own demons and takes about a second to overcome them. It’s a brilliant contrast to Starfire who just never stopped acting like a hero from the start. Naturally it looks like she’s been killed off because having heroes without self-doubt seems to be the big no no one year later if that promotional image of the headless statue of liberty has anything to say about it.
I rate this comic: Really quite good after a few slower weeks.
Manhunter #28
Page one pokes fun at Justice League of America in classic Blue Beetle form but the love of the Bwa-ha-ha era of the character continues throughout. I sort of feel like this book should have been billed as 52 since it’s dealing with a lot of the continuity and story scraps in a very strong and convincing manner. The main character stays out of costume and lets the guest stars shine, and shine they do. The presentations of Blue Beetle, Wonder Woman and Batman are all top notch here but adding Kate Spencer’s voice over to the proceedings just gives these scenes an edge I can appreciate. I’m a bit lost on some of the side stories because I’m fuzzy on the whole Azreal era of Batman which may not be a bad thing but my plan to get the Manhunter trades should help me catch up on the supporting cast. I’ll be sorry to see this title go but I wasn’t buying it either until recently and I feel like an idiot because of it.
I rate this comic: Making for a strong week so far, even if I can’t get a copy of Godland in Ottawa.
Batman #663
Well that was certainly different with enough twisted romance for any Valentine's Day curmudgeon.
I rate this comic: More of a text essay than a comic book and a subversive attempt to get superhero comic fans to read something trying to push the limits of the form.
Monday, February 12, 2007
Sidebar updates
I just updated my sidebar links because I realised I wasn't linking to Bully Says: Comics Oughta Be Fun! And, well, that's just not right.
There's a few more links in my Miscellany section as well.
So to make amends here's the Dead Robot's take on Black Hole Vs. Event Horizon.
Enjoy!
There's a few more links in my Miscellany section as well.
So to make amends here's the Dead Robot's take on Black Hole Vs. Event Horizon.
Enjoy!
Prject BD Book 10
Tintin au Tibet
Unfortunately this is the last of the BD I'll be reviewing for a while as I ran out of time from the library and can't renew any of the books I have out. Which means no Marshal Blueberry reviews because the rest of my life took more time from me than I thought. I simply didn't have time to read comics in my second language this weekend. From what little I did read, Blueberry is a pretty decent western comic with art provided by Jean (Moebius) Giraud who has everyone looking beat and mean rather than the clean and precise linework I'm used to in his sci-fi work.
Compared to the other two Tintin books I've read this is probably the least exciting. It's basically a mountaineering trip in the Himilayas for the entire book. The big star this time though is Captain Haddock who spends most of the book receiving massive head trauma from stones and the rest of the book either complaining and threatening to leave Tintin to die alone, drinking whisky or otherwise letting his emotions over-run his logic. He's probably the best curmudgeonly companion ever created for comics.
The plot seems phoned in this time with Tintin getting a dream vision that his friend Tchang, from Tintin and the Blue Lotus is lost and hungry but still alive in the mountains after a plane crash. Turns out he is and the Yeti was taking care of him. That's about it. Oh yeah, and the dog gets drunk and falls off a mountain pass.
Unfortunately this is the last of the BD I'll be reviewing for a while as I ran out of time from the library and can't renew any of the books I have out. Which means no Marshal Blueberry reviews because the rest of my life took more time from me than I thought. I simply didn't have time to read comics in my second language this weekend. From what little I did read, Blueberry is a pretty decent western comic with art provided by Jean (Moebius) Giraud who has everyone looking beat and mean rather than the clean and precise linework I'm used to in his sci-fi work.
Compared to the other two Tintin books I've read this is probably the least exciting. It's basically a mountaineering trip in the Himilayas for the entire book. The big star this time though is Captain Haddock who spends most of the book receiving massive head trauma from stones and the rest of the book either complaining and threatening to leave Tintin to die alone, drinking whisky or otherwise letting his emotions over-run his logic. He's probably the best curmudgeonly companion ever created for comics.
The plot seems phoned in this time with Tintin getting a dream vision that his friend Tchang, from Tintin and the Blue Lotus is lost and hungry but still alive in the mountains after a plane crash. Turns out he is and the Yeti was taking care of him. That's about it. Oh yeah, and the dog gets drunk and falls off a mountain pass.
Friday, February 09, 2007
So tired, so sleepy
Last night me and my wife were at a friend's house to take care of their five year old son and twin soon-to-be 3 year old girls. On top of that their bedroom doubles as two home offices and I believe a server farm.
I am too tired to write anything and had no time to read any comics whatsoever, nevermind anything in a second language.
I'm in the right frame of mind to be at my job though, so that's a plus.
I am too tired to write anything and had no time to read any comics whatsoever, nevermind anything in a second language.
I'm in the right frame of mind to be at my job though, so that's a plus.
Thursday, February 08, 2007
Generic and Possibly Clever Title
I think I wanted more from the Action Comics Annual than just a bunch of set ups for the next few story arcs. Although the multi-flavoured kryptonite Metallo was pretty cool and I like the villain wanted posters and the Fortress of Solitude tour. But I wanted a bit more. Too much of it felt truncated to me - kind of like this rather uniformative review.
So here's some working titles for some of my current writing projects I'm, uh, working on:
The Great Upheaval
Tick Tock
Life of the Party
Deadlocked (or Jon of the Dead, or From Dusk till Jon, or Crack of Jon - ew, not that last one).
The Many Lives of Mr. X
So here's some working titles for some of my current writing projects I'm, uh, working on:
The Great Upheaval
Tick Tock
Life of the Party
Deadlocked (or Jon of the Dead, or From Dusk till Jon, or Crack of Jon - ew, not that last one).
The Many Lives of Mr. X
Wednesday, February 07, 2007
Wednesday's Loot - 07 February 2007
52 Week 40
A smack down drag out fight between Steel and Super Luthor. I liked it for being so darn simple. And while I like coming of age stories that involve traveling, like On The Road, I’m not sure I can take another meandering travelogue in the pages of 52 with Osiris off to the Rock of Eternity, although if Batshit insane Billy is still there it could be fun.
I rate this comic: A good distraction with punching.
Detective Comics #828
Bruce Wayne, Shark Detective. Again, I’m finding it hard to compliment this book again under Dini’s pen. It’s quite frankly, exactly what I want from my Batman stories. Self contained mysteries with a few random facts thrown in and some banter amongst the supporting cast. Including Bruce summing up the difference between friends, allies and families with a mention of Aquaman chucked in for good measure.
I rate this comic: Still really good.
Jeff Smith’s Shazam! The Monster Society of Evil
Remember when comics were these amazing four colour creations that let you escape the world by telling amazing adventures that looked so pretty you wanted to go live in that world even if they were a bit scary but at least there were superheroes and stuff. Yeah, me too. It happened about ten minutes ago when I read this book.
I rate this comic: GLGZOOB ZDVHLNV!
Action Comics Annual #10
Still haven’t read it but it looks like old-school Annual brilliance. Can’t wait to get home, pour a glass of Alt-a-bhain whiskey (preview copy before the distillery opens - one of the benefits of marrying a lass with a few Scottish roots) and enjoy this.
A smack down drag out fight between Steel and Super Luthor. I liked it for being so darn simple. And while I like coming of age stories that involve traveling, like On The Road, I’m not sure I can take another meandering travelogue in the pages of 52 with Osiris off to the Rock of Eternity, although if Batshit insane Billy is still there it could be fun.
I rate this comic: A good distraction with punching.
Detective Comics #828
Bruce Wayne, Shark Detective. Again, I’m finding it hard to compliment this book again under Dini’s pen. It’s quite frankly, exactly what I want from my Batman stories. Self contained mysteries with a few random facts thrown in and some banter amongst the supporting cast. Including Bruce summing up the difference between friends, allies and families with a mention of Aquaman chucked in for good measure.
I rate this comic: Still really good.
Jeff Smith’s Shazam! The Monster Society of Evil
Remember when comics were these amazing four colour creations that let you escape the world by telling amazing adventures that looked so pretty you wanted to go live in that world even if they were a bit scary but at least there were superheroes and stuff. Yeah, me too. It happened about ten minutes ago when I read this book.
I rate this comic: GLGZOOB ZDVHLNV!
Action Comics Annual #10
Still haven’t read it but it looks like old-school Annual brilliance. Can’t wait to get home, pour a glass of Alt-a-bhain whiskey (preview copy before the distillery opens - one of the benefits of marrying a lass with a few Scottish roots) and enjoy this.
Project BD Book 9
Tintin: L’ile Noir
Story and Art by Herge
Casterman
Tintin goes to Scotland in this one and the story has a lot more humour in it than the previous volume I read. Okay, Tintin does get shot on page one but trust me there’s some humour later on when his dog develops a taste for whiskey and Tintin wears a kilt.
This volume felt a lot less dense than The Blue Lotus simply because there was more visual action rather than dialogue. What that translates to on the page is a lot more beautiful artwork showing Herge’s ability to recreate landscapes and nature in a believable fashion while populating this world with simplified characters.
Let’s see how the action goes in this volume. Hmmm. Tintin is shot on page one, then knocked unconscious, knocked over by a goat, knocked out by chloroform, pulls down a tree branch with a flood light attached onto his head, runs full on into a rake, tries to jump onto a moving car and misses, is in a trailer that detaches and crashes into a tree shooting him out into a pond, bumps into numerous people on numerous trains, gets hauled around by Dupont and Dupond with a cane around his throat, is in a plane crash, fights a gorilla repeatedly, tries to scare the gorilla by shooting into the air only to knock a brick out of a castle tower that lands on his head, then finally trips down the tower stairs of the same castle into the police. I’m telling you, he’s Jimmy Olsen without the brain damage. He’s a cub reporter who holds his own in adventures around the world, uses disguises, cunning and brute force to escape thugs and has probably stopped more counterfeiting rings than the FBI.
These adventures are pure gold and I enjoy totally at face value, rather than finding enjoyment on some ironic level. It’s totally refreshing and reminds me of what good comics can be – exciting, simple and beautiful to look at.
Read more Tintin if you’re ever feeling out of sorts and angry at the medium. You’ll get pretty much everything you’re missing from superheroes.
Tintin goes to Scotland in this one and the story has a lot more humour in it than the previous volume I read. Okay, Tintin does get shot on page one but trust me there’s some humour later on when his dog develops a taste for whiskey and Tintin wears a kilt.
This volume felt a lot less dense than The Blue Lotus simply because there was more visual action rather than dialogue. What that translates to on the page is a lot more beautiful artwork showing Herge’s ability to recreate landscapes and nature in a believable fashion while populating this world with simplified characters.
Let’s see how the action goes in this volume. Hmmm. Tintin is shot on page one, then knocked unconscious, knocked over by a goat, knocked out by chloroform, pulls down a tree branch with a flood light attached onto his head, runs full on into a rake, tries to jump onto a moving car and misses, is in a trailer that detaches and crashes into a tree shooting him out into a pond, bumps into numerous people on numerous trains, gets hauled around by Dupont and Dupond with a cane around his throat, is in a plane crash, fights a gorilla repeatedly, tries to scare the gorilla by shooting into the air only to knock a brick out of a castle tower that lands on his head, then finally trips down the tower stairs of the same castle into the police. I’m telling you, he’s Jimmy Olsen without the brain damage. He’s a cub reporter who holds his own in adventures around the world, uses disguises, cunning and brute force to escape thugs and has probably stopped more counterfeiting rings than the FBI.
These adventures are pure gold and I enjoy totally at face value, rather than finding enjoyment on some ironic level. It’s totally refreshing and reminds me of what good comics can be – exciting, simple and beautiful to look at.
Read more Tintin if you’re ever feeling out of sorts and angry at the medium. You’ll get pretty much everything you’re missing from superheroes.
Tuesday, February 06, 2007
Project BD Book 8
Tintin: Le Lotus Bleu 
Story and Art by Herge
Reading Tintin is always a pleasure. It’s this great combination of classic adventure storytelling with amazing artwork. Streamlined is the best way I can describe it. A simplified lead character in a rather detailed world. It shouldn’t work but it does, and I’m fairly certain it works because the detailed world is still brightly coloured to an almost surreal level.
If you’ve never read Tintin before he’s basically Jimmy Olsen without the mind numbing stupidity. Okay, sometimes those whacky Jimmy Olsen stories are insanely funny but mostly in an openly ironic poking fun at a story aimed at kid’s type of way instead of a wow that scene was hilariously written way. Tintin is basically Indiana Jones without the sex. I mean this kid is meant to be a reporter but I’ve never seen him write much in pretty much the same way Indiana Jones is meant to be an Archeologist but we’ve never seen him mark off some dirt and start digging for fossils and pottery shards.
This episode has Tintin going to China in the lead up to (or cool down from) the Second World War. At least I’m pretty sure that’s meant to be the time frame because there is a lot of politics involving the English and the Japanese. There are faked terrorist acts, armed force invasions, corrupt cops, at least three time Tintin beats the crap out of grown men (sometimes three at a time) and two visits to an opium den. Because I’ve read this as a kid I always think these books are aimed squarely at the kid demographic but it’s got a lot of content that isn’t totally kid friendly. It’s basically for the new readers who think Disney is fluffy crap and want something with a bit more edge.
It certainly delivers. There are imaginative traps and double crosses to keep younger readers captivated as well as enough beautiful artwork to keep us older fuddy duddies happy with the medium. It’s a reminder that even when comics were aimed at a younger demographic they weren’t the total pabulum we imagine them being. Perhaps it’s because this book was created before parent interest groups but having a bit of darkness and danger in the story is what makes it feel classic. And for me, as well as a lot of readers, it was probably some of the first times we’ve read comics that seemed serious while still maintaining a sense of adventure.
What the heck fits that description today, with a similar expressive approach?
Story and Art by Herge
Casterman
Reading Tintin is always a pleasure. It’s this great combination of classic adventure storytelling with amazing artwork. Streamlined is the best way I can describe it. A simplified lead character in a rather detailed world. It shouldn’t work but it does, and I’m fairly certain it works because the detailed world is still brightly coloured to an almost surreal level.
If you’ve never read Tintin before he’s basically Jimmy Olsen without the mind numbing stupidity. Okay, sometimes those whacky Jimmy Olsen stories are insanely funny but mostly in an openly ironic poking fun at a story aimed at kid’s type of way instead of a wow that scene was hilariously written way. Tintin is basically Indiana Jones without the sex. I mean this kid is meant to be a reporter but I’ve never seen him write much in pretty much the same way Indiana Jones is meant to be an Archeologist but we’ve never seen him mark off some dirt and start digging for fossils and pottery shards.
This episode has Tintin going to China in the lead up to (or cool down from) the Second World War. At least I’m pretty sure that’s meant to be the time frame because there is a lot of politics involving the English and the Japanese. There are faked terrorist acts, armed force invasions, corrupt cops, at least three time Tintin beats the crap out of grown men (sometimes three at a time) and two visits to an opium den. Because I’ve read this as a kid I always think these books are aimed squarely at the kid demographic but it’s got a lot of content that isn’t totally kid friendly. It’s basically for the new readers who think Disney is fluffy crap and want something with a bit more edge.
It certainly delivers. There are imaginative traps and double crosses to keep younger readers captivated as well as enough beautiful artwork to keep us older fuddy duddies happy with the medium. It’s a reminder that even when comics were aimed at a younger demographic they weren’t the total pabulum we imagine them being. Perhaps it’s because this book was created before parent interest groups but having a bit of darkness and danger in the story is what makes it feel classic. And for me, as well as a lot of readers, it was probably some of the first times we’ve read comics that seemed serious while still maintaining a sense of adventure.
What the heck fits that description today, with a similar expressive approach?
This is a story exploring a Eurocentric approach to the Far East that is problematic while it does make obvious attempts to avoid criticism by having a conversation between Tintin and Tchang proving both cultures are equally racist. Yeah. Underneath all that is a bit of a mystery involving crossed wires, incomplete messages and a quest to find an antidote to a poison that makes you insane. It's all a bit of a macguffin to have Tintin go to China really as well as avoid corrupt powers that be.
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