LEAVE A MESSAGE AFTER THE TONE

Building the new site wouldn’t be nearly as time consuming if I wasn’t insistent upon getting 139 SIBAM columns transferred over to the new place. Gah.

INNOCENCE AND SEDUCTION: THE ART OF DAN DECARLO
Written and Edited by Bill Morrison
Published by Fantagraphics

Anyone who’s read me for any length of time knows how I feel about the legendary Dan DeCarlo. To wit: he was one of the first artists whose work I fell in love with, he was an icon, and the opportunity to meet him at San Diego was one of the highlights of any con for me. So I’ve been highly pleased to see such items as the previous compilation of DeCarlo’s single-panel cartoons, to put it mildly. But that collection pales in comparison to this magnificent over-sized hardcover.

Not content merely to display DeCarlo’s art, Morrison provides an excellent and informative biography of the man as well. From his humble beginnings to his wartime service to his lengthy career in comics, it’s all here. Told in simple passages, and illustrated by the work he was doing during the parts of his life Morrison is discussing in each chapter, INNOCENCE AND SEDUCTION paints a portrait of a fascinating man who lived a full, yet somewhat tragic, life. From the highs of his days working with Stan Lee to the lows of losing his court battle against the Archie folks who wouldn’t acknowledge his creation of JOSIE AND THE PUSSYCATS or their house art style, Morrison puts it all on the page.

However, for my money, nothing tops Morrison’s coverage of how Dan met the love of his life, Josie. They met under simple circumstances; DeCarlo was stationed in Europe during World War Two, and Josie was a gorgeous Frenchwoman brought along as part of a double date scenario. But DeCarlo told a much more fantastic and ludicrous tale of how the two came together. I won’t spoil it, but needless to say, the man was a born raconteur.

But if that doesn’t sell you the book, you need look no further than the amazing amount of classic DeCarlo art in these pages. From early childhood sketches to forgotten comics to his classic work on MILLIE, you can watch his development into one of the giants of the medium. There’s also plenty of work from later in his career here as well, not skimping on how he developed Betty & Veronica into the true icons they are today.

INNOCENCE AND SEDUCTION reminds you more than just a bit of Fantagraphics’ previous hardcover works covering B. Kriegstein. And like those books, I expect this effort to be in strong contention when awards season rolls around next year. Truly a treasure, worthy of a place of honor on any true fan’s shelf.

/Mason

PLEASE HOLD. WE WILL ANSWER YOUR CALL AS SOON AS WE CAN…

While trying to get the new site together… some efforts from Image Comics.

EMISSARY #1
Written by Jason Rand and Drawn by Juan Ferreyra

A disparate group of people finds their lives turned upside down when a man floats above Times Square and announces that he has arrived to lead Earth to enlightenment in the latest effort from the Valentino-verse. Naturally, a stereotypical military leader decides that talking or exploring is right out and sends in the fighter planes, but beyond that distracting and annoying cliché, the book feels like is has some promise. The Emissary character is still a cipher, but there’s a sincere sense that his presence will call many peoples’ lives and faiths into question, and that usually makes for interesting drama. Rand has a grasp on when to shut up and let Ferreyra’s nicely attractive art take over, but otherwise, his dialogue is pretty mezzo-mezzo. I’d like to see the book get past the stereotypical use of the military leadership, but beyond that, there’s plenty of room for growth here.

LIBERTY MEADOWS #37
Written and Drawn by Frank Cho

Please turn on the Weather Channel… Hell may be freezing over. Two years later, Cho has finally produced a new issue of LIBERTY MEADOWS. Now, as someone who’s been a fan of the book long before it came to Image to roost, I think I have a bit more license to be snippy than most. That aid, I’m still damned pleased to see it return, even if we may not see another one until the day when I can grow a proper beard. However, anyone without a long memory is going to be screwed; the strips in this issue still don’t take the series up to the events in the WEDDING ALBUM issue, which dealt with Brandy’s aborted marriage to Roger. Fortunately, the ones that are here mix Cho’s usual blend of cheesecake and slapstick well, and remind you that he still does his best work in 3-to-4 panel gags instead of regular comics (sorry, SHANNA). I hope that the next one isn’t two years away… Monkey Boy.

UMBRA #1
Written by Stephen Murphy and Drawn by Mike Hawthorne

The first chapter of this mystery is an absolutely terrific gut-punch. Set in Iceland in 1999, we are introduced to young forensics investigator Askja Thorasdottir. She’s raw, inexperienced… and has to take psych meds in order to do many of the aspects of her job. But her need for those drugs is about to go through the roof when a dead body is found in a cave beneath a glacier. What appears to be an interesting find of a Neanderthal skeleton turns into so much more; the Neanderthal was wearing a sweater made by Benetton, and had been shot by a classic Soviet pistol. While dealing with the attraction between her and the woman who gets assigned the case, she must also face that someone out there doesn’t want this strange mystery to be solved. Murphy’s script and story are tight, and Askja is a very interesting character. But the whole enterprise would crumble without someone as talented as Hawthorne at the drawing board (say, Mike, where are the last two issues of HYSTERIA, anyway?). UMBRA looks great, and he sells Murphy’s work perfectly. Can’t wait to see where this goes.

/Mason

!MOOB

Ross Richie, head honcho of Boom Studios, seems to have things backwards when it comes to running a comics publisher. Instead of flooding the market with ill thought-out concepts centered on a “universe,” he’s insisted upon slow expansion, individual ideas, and solid scheduling. Doesn’t he know that’s not the road to bankruptcy? What’s he trying to do? Stay in business and make a profit?

JEREMIAH HARM #3
Written by Keith Giffen and Alan Grant and Drawn by Rael Lyra

Giffen and Grant’s testosterone-fueled sci-fi book really kicks into gear with issue three. The action and violence quotient fairly well explode off the page, as Harm faces off with the psychotic alien murderer, Ayoma. She’s ruthless, ugly, and likes to eat the flesh of her victims. In the meantime, the human doctors introduced in issue two must attempt to follow the carnage, figure out what the Hell is happening, and possibly save the world from being destroyed by Ayoma’s partners in genocide. There’s nothing too cerebral going on in these pages; this is pure lunatic fun. Lyra’s art continues to impress, though the color scheme still doesn’t flatter his work the way you’d like. Solid.

SECOND WAVE: WAR OF THE WORLDS #3
Written by Michael Alan Nelson and Drawn by Chee

The second Martian invasion continues, but the real battleground moves from the scorched Earth to the inner workings of Miles’ mind. Before the aliens returned, Miles had been medicated, believing that he was being abducted and experimented on by monsters. But not, the truth is revealed: his experiences were real. He’s validated. Now, his task is to find psychological stability and forgive himself. However, standing in his way are some horrific creatures, terrifying machines, and surviving humans who are even poorer adjusted than him. Nelson mixes pathos, action, and suspense just right, creating one of the more atmospheric efforts on the stands. This feels like a series that will sell like hotcakes once a trade gets into bookstores.

CTHULHU TALES
Written and Drawn by Various

CTHULHU TALES represents a first for me when it comes to Boom’s products. Even though some of the publisher’s previous efforts didn’t light my world on fire, I still found something interesting and intriguing about them. Unfortunately, this book is the first complete swing and miss for me. The publisher has stepped away from zombie anthologies, not wanting to press their luck; smart move. However, this paean to Lovecraft’s work never connects for me. The idea of setting stories around H.P.’s ideas works on the surface, but the material in here is so broad that it just doesn’t grab. Another issue is that there’s no real explanation of what Lovecraft’s work is actually about; everyone knows zombies, but not everyone knows the Cthulhu background. There’s some lovely art in these pages, and the effort is there, but… there was just too much missing here.

HERO SQUARED #1
Written by Keith Giffen and J. M. DeMatteis and Drawn by Joe Abraham

Besides zombies, Boom came to notice by publishing the original HERO SQUARED mini-series. Seeing the authors return to their classic “Bwa Ha Ha” style of superhero stories was a treat for longtime comics fans, and many like myself were ecstatic when it was announced that the series would return to the schedule as an ongoing book. Milo, Captain Valor, and Stephie are here in all their amusing glory, as the book picks up directly from where the mini ended. Milo slept with Stephie’s evil alternate universe self, Caliginous and is keeping it secret. Captain Valor is pining for Milo’s Stephie. And Caliginous has plans of her own for Stephie, not the least of which might be breaking her heart by spilling about Milo. Few books offer you more for your money than a book by Giffen and DeMatteis; tons of dialogue, lots of laughs, a little action thrown in… superhero soap opera done on a focused scale. Delightful.

TAG #1
Written by Keith Giffen and Drawn by Kody Chamberlain

It just isn’t Mitch’s night. A dinner with his girlfriend has gone south, and their relationship looks to be over. But things can always get worse, never more so than when a ghastly looking man stumbles out of an alley, touches Mitch, and screams “Tag, you’re it!” Why? Because that action happens to kill Mitch. So you can imagine his surprise, along with the surprise of his girlfriend and the authorities, when he wakes up still walking and talking. That’s the premise of this clever burst of modern horror from Giffen. Telling you more about it would be criminal, as there are plenty of other nifty shocks in store for the reader. Chamberlain’s dark and sensual art provides the perfect backdrop for the story, and Giffen is really at his best here. Mitch and his girlfriend feel like real people, and you can’t help but get completely sucked into their story. Best comic I read this week, hands down.

/Mason

A QUICK TEASE

Coming soon... Comics Waiting Room: The Next Generation.

Hopefully, it'll be really, really cool.

Make sure you read next week's SHOULD IT BE A MOVIE? for a big clue.

/Mason

FUN THINGS

Recent press releases that caught my eye:

Chicago, IL – May 9, 2006 – In May, Devil’s Due Publishing kicks off a FREE comic book promotion - the Devil’s Due’s RIPPED-OFFer! With so many comics coming out every month from “The Big Two” these days, they can’t all be that great. We know, we read them too. If you bought a “Big Two” book you don’t like, vent your frustration and RIP THE COVER OFF! Send the cover to DDP, and we’ll send you a FREE BOOK. That’s right, a free book! It’s finally your turn to rip them off!

“I came up with this idea a few months ago when stores were beginning to get inundated with a deluge of crossover comics.” said DDP President Josh Blaylock, “This isn’t going to topple any ‘empires’, but it can be a fun way to discover a new comic and vent one’s frustrations at the same time.”

“I just dropped 2 books published by “The Big Two” from my pull box recently. I just wasn’t interested in the stories any more,” began DDP VP of Marketing Susan Bishop. “It’s nice that there’s a place for readers to send these unwanted books and get another title for free!”

To Participate – Send your name, mailing address, email address, a torn-off comic book cover and 3 comic title preferences, if any (visit http://www.devilsdue.net/ to view titles) to: Devil’s Due Publishing, Inc., Attn: Free DDP Comic, 4619 N. Ravenswood #204, Chicago, IL 60640

RULES – The comic cover sent in must have been released in the last 2 months. Covers must be from “The Big Two”. If you don’t know what that means, we’re not going to tell you. Devil’s Due does not guarantee any specific comic title will be sent, regardless of sent choices. No more than one comic per address. Comics will be shipped Media Mail within two weeks after the above is received. Ripped-off covers become property of Devil’s Due and are non-returnable.

and

Shocker Toys Announces 6" Figure Line Based on Indie Comic Characters

Buffalo NY, May 8 2006- Shocker Toys recently burst into the fully articulated action figure game with the announcement of a 7 inch line based on the cult music phenomenon GWAR. Now, Shocker takes a crack at a line including heroes, fiends, monsters, robots and other characters created by some truly unique minds. Welcome to INDIE SPOTLIGHT! Focusing on classic characters as well as underground favorites and new arrivals to the panels, INDIE SPOTLIGHT will bring these icons of the Independent Comic Universe to comic shops all over the world and into the homes of the fans who have come to love them. For the first time ever, the likes of Witchblade and Grim Jack will stand toe to toe with Scud the Disposable Assassin and Dick Tracy!

Companies who have signed onto Indie Spotlight, pitching some of their characters into the line include Top Cow, Classic Media, Image, Troma, AAApop, Blue Water Productions and King Features. Some characters in the Indie Spotlight include Solar:Man of the Atom, Magnus Robot Fighter, Dick Tracy, Lone Ranger, Jack Staff, Madman, The Atomics, Witchblade, Darkness, Nexus, Shark-Man, The Moth, Retro Rocket, The New Toxic Avenger, The Phantom, Sachs & Violens, The Wraith, Scud the Disposable Assassin, Isis, Victoria Secret Service, Judo-Girl, Shadowhawk, OZF5, Grim Jack, Fallen Angel, Badger, Cyberforce, Jetcat, Atomic City, Smoke & Mirror and God of Thunder.

Indie Spotlight will feature 20+ pts of articulation in every 6 inch scaled figure. President of Shocker Toys, Geoff Beckett stated ”We want you to be able to recreate classic moments from your favorite comics so posability and accessories are key. Shocker Toys wants to have as close a relationship with the creators of each character as you have come to have over the years of reading their books, so our figures will reflect that. We also realize that Indy Spotlight will create it's own universe as it grows, so look for scale to play a big part in expressing the diversity from character to character with giant robots staring down super powered vixens and over muscled supermen going toe to toe with sickly creatures..we'll have it all!"

I don't know about you, but...

I want a SACHS & VIOLENS, a JACK STAFF, and a FALLEN ANGEL.

/Mason

HERE THERE ARE MONSTERS

Issue one of this book exploded with potential, but act two is always the toughest to get right. Fortunately, the creative team delivers.

WAR OF THE WORLDS SECOND WAVE #2
Written by Michael Alan Nelson and Drawn by Chee
Published by Boom Studios

When last we left Miles, he was buried in guilt and grief over the death of his wife during the first Martian invasion. Gina was killed in their own home, after Miles had insisted she stay inside. There was no way to know that a tripod would destroy the dwelling, but forgiving yourself for random chance can be impossible.

Now, the Martians have returned, and Miles’ guilt and anger have an outlet: revenge. Of course, nothing is quite that simple, and gaining vengeance against a technologically superior invading force just isn’t as conceivable as Miles thinks. Plus, he’s beginning to remember the problems in his marriage, including some things buried in his subconscious that suggest that perhaps the Martians might have been on Earth a bit longer than anyone knows…

For a story that suggests a wide-screen action tenor (and which includes a nifty truck vs. tripod chase sequence), SECOND WAVE is extremely quiet and subtle as it explores Miles’ psyche and his torment over Gina’s death. Nelson keeps the story on a basis human level, making it emotionally accessible as well as viscerally exciting. Complimented by some nice work by Chee, Nelson is putting together one of the more intriguing success stories of 2006 so far. SECOND WAVE has come out of nowhere to become what looks to be a top-of-the-pile read.

/Mason

KNOWING IS HALF THE BATTLE

If I had to guess, I’d suspect I’ve probably used that gag before.

G.I. JOE #7-9
Written by Joe Casey and Drawn by Stefano Caselli and Nelson Blake II
Published by Devil’s Due

Comics’ longest running military soap opera continues its re-launch, as Casey works to try and find ways to satisfy readers who’ve been following the team for years as well as make the book simple enough to follow for the new readers Devil’s Due is hoping to bring to the title. His efforts are a mixed bag, but for the most part, the series remains steadily entertaining.

When last we left the Joes, they had taken vacation to go on an off-the-books rescue mission. Scarlett had been captured by classic baddie Destro, and with the government declining to support their efforts to get her back, the team was granted some shore leave to do with what they wanted to. Unfortunately, their efforts bring about the seeming demise of the most popular Joe, Snake Eyes, so no one is very happy when they get back home.

Now, if you believe that Snake Eyes, the Joes’ equivalent to Wolverine in popularity, is actually dead, then you probably believe that Iraq was behind the immigration marches of the past couple of weeks. And your lips are moving as you read this. However, if you have a couple of brain cells to rub together, you can probably guess that there’s a resurrection ahead for the silent guy in black. The key is for Casey to at least present the illusion of change, no matter how temporary, because that’s the way that a soap opera keeps fresh over time. The illusion of change keeps a series like G.I. JOE feeling vital; it can incorporate bits and pieces from the real world and maintain a zippy connection to us all, and giving the audience a vicarious thrill is always what successful soaps have done well.

G.I. JOE will never, ever, be Shakespeare. But thanks to a large number of trade paperbacks and back issues, it will always be a comforting presence for your inner thirteen-year old boy, and for many a reader, that’s more than enough.

/Mason

IT WAS ONLY A MATTER OF TIME

It already seems like most of the comics on the stands these days have forsaken character development altogether and focused on action. Now, we have one of the first books to hit stands that does so willingly and on purpose. The question is: how does it work?

HYSTERIA: ONE MAN GANG #1-2
Written and Drawn by Mike Hawthorne
Published by Image Comics

Port Aesteria is subdivided and ruled by four gangs. One simple tenet sets the tone: cross into another gang’s territory for any reason, no matter if it is justified, and it’s war. So when Bruce Lopez, the ass-kicker known as One Man Gang, saves a little girl from being hit by a runaway truck, he’s about to find that no good deed goes unpunished, because he crossed into the Eggs Gang’s turf to do it.

The action kicks off fast and furious, as by the bottom of page one, the tale is underway. Essentially, OMG is one long action sequence, moving from set-piece to set-piece and never really stopping to take a breath. Kung-fu fights, rooftop chases, car chases… Hawthorne is leaving no stone unturned as he moves Bruce and the little girl from one place to another. Along the way, he pays homage to some of the best action actors and sequences ever, as well as classic manga like LONE WOLF AND CUB.

Making the book even more intriguing is the behind-the-scenes material provided in issue two. Hawthorne demonstrates how he puts his pages together, and how OMG isn’t actually “written” in the traditional sense; instead, he storyboards the flow in a huge notebook and comes back to add words much later. That creates what he refers to as a “freestyle” comic, and while I think it would suck bunches for most comics to adopt this method, for OMG it works.

Why? Because the book sets out to deliver a certain type of comics with a certain type of look and tone, and it delivers what it sets out to do. If I were in a shop and looking for a pure-action book that would occupy my attention and provide plenty of cool moments, I’d eat this stuff up with a spoon. And because Hawthorne is a talented guy with the ability to mix action and sight gags like a professional chef, so much the better. I suppose some reviewers might say that HYSTERIA: ONE MAN GANG is a guilty pleasure, but they’ve got it exactly wrong. There’s no guilt here at all. This book works.

/Mason

Getting Literary…

GIVE IT UP! and Other Short Stories
Written by Franz Kafka
Adapted and Illustrated by Peter Kuper
Published by NBM

Now on its fourth printing, this NBM collection has clearly struck a chord with readers. Kuper, who also adapted Kafka’s THE METAMORPHOSIS, doesn’t really do a straight translation of Kafka’s short work here; instead, what he depicts is almost an impressionist take on the classical author’s work.

Kuper’s artistic style is very bold and striking; knowing that the work will be published in black and white, he uses that to his advantage in these pages. Much of Kafka’s work was drenched in darkness and despair, and Kuper embraces it by using the inks on the page in smooth concert with the open areas to allow the negative space to tell as much of the story as the delineated art does. It’s an effect that few artists do well (Frank Miller being one of the obvious exceptions), but Kuper is definitely one of them.

My reaction to the rest of the book isn’t necessarily enthusiastic as it pertains to story execution, however. I understand that Kafka’s works resist literal translation to the sequential format; at the very least they’d be a little dull. But at times it feels like Kuper takes his impressionist act a little too seriously, and some of the stories get loose in the delivery. However, when Kuper puts the focus to material, like “The Hunger Artist”, the book sings and displays an amazing vitality.

In the absence of series like CLASSICS ILLUSTRATED, only NBM seems to be taking aim at the literary graphic novel market. Books like GIVE IT UP! have an important niche to fill in the market, and it’s gratifying to know that there’s enough of an audience for them to require multiple printings. This book wasn’t my cup of tea for the most part, but I respect the effort and concept.

/Mason

BATTLE HYMN VOL.1
Written by B. Clay Moore and Drawn by Jeremy Haun
Published by Image Comics

BATTLE HYMN was a book that I ran hot and cold on as it shipped its individual issues. Installment one seemed to be trying too hard to “darken” the classic INVADERS or ALL-STAR SQUADRON concept and lacked interesting characters. By issue three, I’d softened on it, believing that Moore and Haun had done a decent job of carving out their own niche with the archetypical characters. But as issue five concluded, I felt like they had rushed through the story and closed with an unsatisfying ending. So taken together as a whole, how does it read?

Pretty much like the individual issues did: inconsistent, and somewhat frustrating.

Seeing the story collected and reading it in one sitting, the issues with pacing become much more apparent. By the time the end of the series rolls around, you feel a bit like it needed another issue to flesh out the characters and make the tale feel more complete. Characters come and go, and much of the motivation of the background players (i.e. the government types who put the team together) is fuzzy.

The Captain America. The Union Jack. The Namor. The Human Torch. The Whizzer. The types we’re all familiar with are here, and set against the Nazis in the Second World War. But in Moore’s take, they’re mostly sleazy and un-heroic, plus they get their own hooker who sleeps her way through the team. Not quite Roy Thomas, is it? But throw in a conspiracy angled towards an unknown goal and the lack of an obvious reason for the team to be together, and you have genuine intrigue.

Part of the issue is that there’s no real perspective from where the tale is told. Betty, the hooker, is the add-in, but she’s vacant except for her sexuality. The one heroic character, the Mid-Nite Hour (the British hero), is never quite given as much to do as you’d like, rendering him sort of impotent as far as affecting the story. His purpose seems to be mostly observational, which is deliberate as far as the plot goes, but that prevents him from giving the reader the foothold so desperately needed.

If I were looking at BATTLE HYMN from a cynical point of view, I’d question whether or not it was a deconstruction of the archetypal stories from the Silver Age or simply a middle finger extended in their direction. In my final analysis, though, I don’t think that Moore was aiming for cynicism, so much as he was hoping to ground the comics that he loved from his youth. But whether or not he had purity in his purpose, BATTLE HYMN doesn’t quite reach the mark he’s targeting, despite a number of fine elements (including Haun’s art) that get him in the nearby zone. Noble effort, misguided result.

/Mason

GETTING BACK TO IT (I HOPE)

Just because I’m not over-extended enough, check out the new version of the Comic Foundry; you’ll see me there monthly doing my new column “Buy The Numb3rs,” playing swami and trying to guess sales numbers.

THE FREEBOOTERS
Written and Drawn by Barry Windsor-Smith
Published by Fantagraphics

FREEBOOTERS is one of the more high-profile “rescue” projects undertaken by Fantagraphics in the past couple of years. After Windsor-Smith’s STORYTELLER was unceremoniously under-promoted and under-noticed while being produced by Dark Horse, the series and the material languished and the creator stewed. Enter the fine folks in Seattle to take the reins and get the work back into the public eye.

Windsor-Smith became a household name in comics by drawing a barbarian; Conan to be exact. He’d move on to a variety of other projects, and return to the concept of traveling barbarian warriors in the early 90s with ARCHER AND ARMSTRONG. Clearly, the milieu suits his eye. STORYTELLER contained three series within its pages, and FREEBOOTERS, his latest take on ancient warriors was a big part of it. The set-up is pretty simple: young warrior Aran has had a vision detailing the end of the world. The last time this evil surfaced, it was dispatched by Axus the Great, so he heads off to the big city to find Axus and draw him into the fray. What he doesn’t know, however, is that Axus has gotten old, fat, and drunkenly stupid… and that he licenses his name and image to idiotic pretenders so he can rake in some extra coin.

Printed in an over-sized format and in luscious color, FREEBOOTERS is Windsor-Smith’s finest comedic work. Rather than take things too seriously, even when dire moments occur in the story, he throttles back on the angst and lets the natural humor of his loutish hero take control of the story. The best sequence in the book finds Axus aggravated by the arrival of another warrior who happens to be everything Axus isn’t: young, in-shape, and stout. So in a fit of self-loathing, the modern pirate decides to take his friends and rob the local governor (known as the Kalif). Unfortunately, this spells trouble, because he not only chooses to do so on a night when many people have entered his tavern in other to hear him discuss his adventures… but he has painted “The Kalif is an asshole” on the side of the balloon he puts his men in for the attack… and misspelled “asshole.” It’s a gut-busting series of scenes that still keep a slight dramatic undertone as the threat to the world finds its way into the night’s pillaging.

I’ve long admired Windsor-Smith’s work, and he remains one of the most distinctive creative presences on the shelves. Fantagraphics has treated him right with this excellent book design and packaging, and I certainly hope that someday we’ll see more work from him in this format. He’s one of the real legends in the biz, and he certainly deserves it.

/Mason

SINGLES

Gotta start trying to get the pile back under control.

FELL #4
Written by Warren Ellis and Drawn by Ben Templesmith
Published by Image Comics

It’s a joy to see a new issue of FELL arrive, because the series not only started out strong (and made my top ten list in 2005) but it’s remained strong. In fact, in sixteen short pages, Ellis and Templesmith somehow seem to be able to present more character growth and nuance than many creators do in six-issue arcs. This issue finds Richard Fell investigating a random body dump in the river. Discovering that they are considered low-priority cases and never solved, he takes it upon himself to solve the current one, just to prove that it can be done. What makes the story excellent isn’t the resolution, which is sort of rote; instead, it’s the discovery that Fell is a man of ethics… but not necessarily an ethical man. That subtlety is what makes this book brilliant.

INVINCIBLE #29
Written by Robert Kirkman and Drawn by Ryan Ottley
Published by Image Comics

Over the last few issues INVINCIBLE has ground to a seeming halt. If it hasn’t been the release schedule dragging at the book, it’s been the pace at which the story has moved (the tortoise has been kicking the book’s ass in a footrace). Issue twenty-nine begins to address at least one of those problems; after many issues, we finally get to the big battle we’ve been promised pitting Invincible and his estranged father against the finest killer warriors their home planet has to offer. It’s a violent, brutal slugfest that harkens back to the father/son fight that capped year one on the book. Fortunately, Kirkman delivers some emotional impact to go along with the battle, and the book feels like it works for the first time in ages. We’re still far away from what made the book great to begin with, particularly the supporting characters back on Earth, but on the surface it seems like maybe INVINCIBLE is ready to return to form.

PLANETARY BRIGADE #1
Written by Keith Giffen and J.M. DeMatteis and Drawn by Various
Published by Boom Studios

BRIGADE is an amusing semi-prequel to the writers’ smash series HERO SQUARED. The common link is Captain Valor, something of a Captain Marvel/Superman pastiche who eventually makes his way into a different dimension where there are no super-powered beings at the beginning of SQUARED. However, this story takes us back earlier in his career to where he was aligned with his planet’s mightiest heroes, the Planetary Brigade. If you’re asking yourself if they resemble the Justice League a smidge, you get a gold star. The primary threat the team is facing is a poor guy whose body is being used by a nasty bunch of demons to invade the Earth, but the primary purpose of the story is for the dynamic writing duo to have a lot of fun, and they succeed. Nothing here will shock you with its originality, but like a comfy shoe, the work of Giffen and DeMatteis fits and brings on the smiles.

WAR OF THE WORLDS: SECOND WAVE #1
Written by Michael Alan Nelson and Drawn by Chee
Published by Boom Studios

On the flip side, this is precisely the sort of homerun I’ve come to expect from Boom’s publishing output. By turns scary, exhilarating, emotionally intense, and unpredictable, SECOND WAVE has more depth (and a much more interesting lead character) than the Tom Cruise vehicle that populated theatres in the summer of 2005. Miles is an everyday schmoe who loves his wife and lives a quiet suburban existence until one day aliens land and he makes a choice that destroys his life. And in the throes of his pain and guilt, he begins to find an inner-self that he didn’t know existed. All he lacks is the ability to redeem himself. Unfortunately, when the invaders are felled, he loses that chance. However, diverting from Wells’ classic novel, one simple question was always left unanswered: what if the Martians developed a vaccine for what brought down their first invasion? Miles and his prayers for revenge are about to find out. SECOND WAVE is uniformly excellent, a cold splash of water on a hot day. I’m fascinated to see where the series will go.

/Mason

IF I DIDN'T HATE TO FLY...

This would be damned cool:

Kyle Baker to be Harvey Awards’ Master of Ceremonies!

9 days left (March 3) to submit Harvey Award Nomination Ballots!

Kyle Baker, recently named as a guest of the 2006 Baltimore Comic-Con, has been announced as the Master of Ceremonies for the Harvey Awards, to be held Saturday night, September 9 in Baltimore, Maryland. Kyle Baker is a Harvey and Eisner Award winning author and illustrator.
Baker is the creator of nine Graphic Novels: YOU ARE HERE, WHY I HATE SATURN, THE COWBOY WALLY SHOW, KING DAVID, I DIE AT MIDNIGHT, UNDERCOVER GENIE and Plastic Man On the Lam for Vertigo/DC Comics and CARTOONIST VOLUME 1 & 2 through his own press, KYLE BAKER PUBLISHING.

“As a creator, Kyle Baker has an impressive, eclectic body of work ranging from superheroes to the sublime, including high profile work for Marvel and DC, his own independently published projects, and multimedia work for HBO, Disney, Warner Brothers, and DreamWorks.” said Baltimore Comic-Con promoter Marc Nathan. “Having seen Kyle accept industry awards and having read his work, we think he will help us to present a funny, engaging awards show. He’s an excellent representative of the industry, and we’re thrilled to have him as the MC of this year’s Harvey Awards.”

The awards are named for Harvey Kurtzman (1924-1993), a cartoonist, writer, editor, and comics genius. The Harvey Awards recognize outstanding work in comics and sequential art. They will be awarded in co-operation with the Baltimore Comic-Con on September 9, 2006.
The Harvey Awards Nominating deadline is March 3, 2006. Ballots are still available at www.harveyawards.org and can be submitted via ground mail or electronically. Nominations for the Harvey Awards are selected exclusively by comics creators - those who write, draw, ink, letter, color, design, edit or are otherwise involved in a creative capacity in the comics field. They are the only industry awards both nominated by and selected by the full body of comic book professionals.

For additional information about Kyle Baker, visit www.kylebaker.com

For additional information about the Harvey Awards, visit www.harveyawards.org.

For information about the Baltimore Comic-Con, visit www.comicon.com/baltimore.

SWINGIN’ SINGLES

So, last week Warren Ellis made his case for calling the standard 32-page comic a “single” rather than “floppy” or “pamphlet.” And while I generally am not in favor of ankle grabbing for British men with frightening beards (or any other type of man), I’ll give it a shot just this once.

SEASON OF THE WITCH #3
Written by Jai Nitz and Drawn by Nicola Scott
Published by Image Comics

Young Jessica’s growth into a hero of great stature reaches its apex as she takes the battle to free the peasants to the King himself. But even if she succeeds, that may not satisfy her mentor; her methods have gotten a bit extreme, and he fears that he has created a monster.

I’ve enjoyed each issue of SEASON to date, and this one was really no different, though the change in artists definitely hampers the book. The brilliant Kevin Sharpe is gone, and while Nicola Scott turns in some nice artwork, some of the zest that made the characters jump off the page in the earlier issues is missing. Still, I think Nitz does a terrific job of allowing the reader to decide for himself whether or not Jessica is truly out of control or just assuming the role of savior in the way that most people would. I’m looking forward to seeing how he concludes matters.

INTIMIDATORS #2-3
Written by Neil Kleid and Drawn by Miguel Montenegro and Cafu
Published by Image Comics

I was mezzo-mezzo on the first issue of this title, as it didn’t really allow Kleid to tap a deeper satirical vein; it was mostly set-up. Fortunately, that problem gets rectified in the next two issues, as goody two-shoes hero Astroman arrives in the present and finds himself dropped into the middle of a battle featuring the sickly violent and perverse Intimidators. Then the fun really starts. But first, we also get a hilariously executed flashback of Astroman’s final days in the past, right down to simpler art and yellowed pages. Good stuff.

As the poor bastard wakes up in the present, he discovers that today’s heroes are crude, drunken, vile people, and he’d just as soon not stick around. But rather than head back to the past, he’s saddled with trying to turn the twistos into true good guys. However, just learning about who his teammates are in their off hours might give him a heart attack and kill him. After all, no heroines from the sixties had a website that sold self-created porn.

Telling you too much more about the beautiful nastiness in these two issues would spoil the fun. Suffice it to say, this was much more what I was expecting when the book was announced. I’m not sure that “fun” is the best word to describe this comic (unless you’re someone who gets sent to solitary with some frequency), but it’s in the ballpark.

DEAD @17 PROTECTORATE #3
Written by Alex Hamby and Drawn by Benjamin Hall
Published by Viper Comics

This DEAD prequel (the first series under the title not written or drawn by creator Josh Howard) concludes on a startlingly grim and harsh note. What looked in issue one to be a bit of a fluff, and soft excuse to have the girl with the huge rack on the cover running around in a nightie, ends as a tale grounded in a sense of the hopeless. And you know what? That was just surprising enough to make me give it a passing grade.

One thing I will say: I missed issue two, and the lack of any sort of front cover recap just about killed my ability to understand what was going on in the book. Even parsing out some of what was happening, there was plenty at work here where I could have used the help, and I think anyone picking the book up off the shelf in a comics shop would have enjoyed a recap as well.

Hall’s art looks a bit more confident in this final issue. Grace is drawn in a bit less cheesecake fashion and more towards having the ordeals in the miniseries having stripped away her innocence. The ending also does finally come around to letting a sliver of light shine on the proceedings, so there is a sense that the series does truly have purpose as pertains to the DEAD universe. All things being equal, this turned out better than I anticipated.

MEGACITY 909 #8
Written by Jacob Lee and Andrew Dabb and Drawn by Kano Kang and Zack Suh
Published by Devil’s Due

I managed to miss the concluding issue to MEGACITY when it came out, but thankfully, the magnificent Susan Bishop at DDP was able to help me out. This was a book that I personally enjoyed a great deal; it was off-the-hook crazy, running the gamut from working as a military action yarn featuring demons as the enemy to taking the characters to Hell to the near-destruction of the world. Crazy, manga-flavored insanity where just about anything could happen and generally did. I can’t get enough of comics like that.

Issue eight fell right in line with the rest, delivering over-the-top moment after over-the-top moment. Miniature nuclear weapons against the hordes of Hell. Possessed good guys. Heroes sentenced to new lives as carriers for demonic entities. And the creative team is promising more down the road. That’s just news to my ears.

MEGACITY 909 never seemed to become the “buzz” book that it deserved to be, but I think that with a good trade edition and some solid promotional efforts, the next go-around for these characters might get its due. If you’re a fan of books like THE ULTIMATES and THE AUTHORITY, then this is a book you should be onboard for.

BLACK HARVEST #3
Written and Drawn by Josh Howard
Published by Devil’s Due

DEAD @17 creator Howard’s newest work continues in earnest, but issue three brings my first real reservations about the project. When last we left our protagonist, Daniel, he was heading off to watch the “Jericho Lights” with Zaya, the disappeared girl he had found wandering the local roads. Fair enough. But then trouble begins to set in.

Zaya, having disappeared and returned after three years, has approached Daniel without telling anyone else where she’s going, which makes her family think she’s gone again. Then when the local cops find her and Daniel out and about, they overreact again without engaging in anything resembling common sense or logic. Instead, Howard’s plot suddenly relies on what I call “Idiot Logic”; events will only move forward because the characters act out of character or refuse to use basic intelligence to handle a situation. It feels artificial, and kicks you out of the story.

Really, that’s too bad. The rest of the book is just fine, and even though things could use a bit more speed in the “explain this shit to me” department, I’m onboard and enjoying most of it. It just doesn’t quite get to the level of excellence that it could, and that’s always a shame.

POLLY AND THE PIRATES #3
Written and Drawn by Ted Naifeh
Published by Oni Press

The charmingly cute series gains steam as it reaches the halfway point, as Polly finds herself on the cusp of a dilemma; she can sell out the older pirate, Scrimshaw and his map to her mother’s treasure, or the son of the Pirate King will spread rumors that they’re having a “secret affair” at her school. What’s a young lady concerned about her reputation to do?!

All-ages comics don’t get much more fun than this. Naifeh gets the mindset of young Polly nailed perfectly; for the time period when this takes place, reputation truly was everything, and the poor young girl is a woman of her era. Yet, there’s a naïve innocence to the entire proceedings that makes you smile like an idiot; the young pirate opposing her is precisely the kind of adventurously cute boy that Polly and her friends secretly dream about, giving the poor girl a much more subtle conundrum.

However, the true crux of the story comes when Polly is faced with making decisions that affect the lives of others and how she deals with that and slowly is educated about the concept of integrity. There’s nothing too overt about it, but you’re given every piece of information you need in the looks on Polly’s face, as she understands what she’s done. POLLY is a rousing success so far; check it out.

/Mason

REVIEW ROUNDUP

Lots of books, and I’m behind. What else is new?

FALLEN ANGEL #2
Written by Peter David and Drawn by J.K. Woodward
Published by IDW

The origin of our heroine continues, as does her serious drinking. David gives us our first glance into what the true role of a guardian angel is as pertains to the heavenly host, and it’s a tragic one. In the meantime, the son that she convinced everyone to be dead has decided to show up in Bete Noire and screw up the works. The lesson? Never give up your mystical child, because he may grow up to be a priest and have his existence threaten yours. Or something like that.

Levity aside, this book has reached and surpassed the first volume, both in depth and quality. Set free, David has sharpened up the knives and really begun telling the story his own way. Plus, the book looks fantastic, IDW’s excellent production values matching nicely with Woodward’s painted art. This weekend, Peter noted that even at the higher price point, FALLEN ANGEL at IDW is outselling the DC version. Living well is the best revenge.

JEREMIAH HARM #1
Written by Keith Giffen and Alan Grant and Drawn by Rael Lyra
Published by Boom Studios

When some nasty aliens stage a prison break to remember, the warden and his aides decide to free another prisoner: Jeremiah Harm. Harm is no charming fellow himself, but he has one thing going for him: he’s the guy who captured the escapees’ ringleader to begin with. Making matters even worse: the escapees have escaped to a nasty, dirty, backwater world by the name of Earth, where they intend to loot, destroy, and pillage everything in sight. What else could Harm do but to take the warden up on his offer and head home?

HARM gets off to a bit of a rough start, in part because is struggles with how it looks on the page. In portraying this rough, hard future, the bland, green/khaki color scheme blunts some of the effect the violence and depravity are meant to give the reader. That’s too bad, because Lyra turns in an amazingly detailed job on the art, calling to mind the work of guys like Geof Darrow. The places where he struggles are in depicting facial expressions and body language; because of that, what humor is dropped in to this grim story loses its impact. Still, nothing here suggests that there’s no room to grow and gain that skill. Call issue one a decent effort and see where ti goes from here.

GUNCANDY/THE RIDE #2
Written by Doug Wagner and Chuck Dixon
Drawn by Brian Stelfreeze, Rob Haynes, and Phil Noto
Published by Image Comics

Owing to injury and other factors, we finally get part two of Wagner and Stelfreeze’s magnificently insane tribute to the correlation between sex and violence. GUNCANDY was a notorious project from the start; the cover to the first issue (of this flip book series) depicted the teenage assassin/heroin in a blatantly sexual pose, and the story didn’t back away from following through. Laci spends her part of the book driving, running, shooting, and masturbating her way through killing an extraordinary number of baddies. But you have to bear in mind that this is, first and foremost, a satire. (Which we’ll get into even more in the next review down.) Taking this seriously would be hazardous to your common sense. I got a good laugh out of all of it, which shows that I’m either very bright or completely detached from reality. Your mileage may vary.

Sadly, GUNCANDY eats up so much of your energy that it’s difficult to invest much of yourself in Dixon’s THE RIDE tale. It looks great, and the story is solid, but it would have been far better off living on its own and not having attention sucked away from it. Still, any book that contains art from both Stelfreeze and Noto is worth more than the price on the cover, no question.

BOMB QUEEN #1
Written and Drawn by Jimmie Robinson
Published by Image Comics

Speaking of satire… wow, is this book going to set off some alarms for people who don’t get it. Hell, I get it, and it set off alarms for me. The Bomb Queen is a supervillain who has won; at this point in time, she effectively rules the city of New Port, and the citizens have no problem with it. There are designated “crime zones,” the advertising has gone almost strictly pornographic, and the Queen occasionally just likes to blow some shit up or kill some folks for fun, but her- that’s the price you pay for security, right? And the razor-edged wit only starts there. There’s also the question of her costume, which is so ludicrously skimpy that it not only satirizes comics as a whole, but it is really taking a pointed jab at the worst excesses of the company publishing the book itself. (See: Blade, Witch.)

There are those who are going to argue that Robinson simply skips the idea of true satire and is just publishing a magnificent piece of exploitation and having us all on, and I can’t dispute that it would be easy to read the book that way. Still, I think he more than presses the satire button, especially considering the thrust of the overriding plot: someone in the town, a candidate for mayor, has hired a superhero to come in and clean the Queen out. Given that idea, it feels like Robinson is taking the route of examining our focus on celebrity as authority figure and America’s sad nature to give up liberty in the face of fear. So far, I’m onboard, interest piqued.

SAVAGE DRAGON #122
Written and Drawn by Eric Larsen
Published by Image Comics

After a long hiatus, thanks to Larsen taking on the duties of Publisher at Image, his long-running superhero masterwork returns to the stands. When last we left Dragon, his powers were fading, his wife had lost hers, his daughter had grown to the size of an eight-story building, and Dragon had been involved in a crazy run for President on the same ticket as a guy named “Urass.” Oh- and there was a giant killer robot on the way from Iraq to Washington.

One of the hallmarks of SAVAGE DRAGON has always been that Larsen packs as much into each issue as he possibly can. There’s no decompression in DRAGON; it’s all compression, all the time. There’s a genuine focus on plot movement and bang for the reader’s buck, and nothing has changed as the book makes its return. Actually, that’s not entirely true; if anything, the one problem with this issue is that it almost feels like there’s too much going on. This book is so dense that some of the plot points feel kind of rushed and unexamined.

Still, that beats the alternative. And I expect that Larsen will get back into his traditional groove quickly enough. For now, I’m guessing he’s just happy to be back. I think his readers feel the same.

LOST SQUAD #2
Written by Chris Kirby and Drawn by Alan Robinson
Published by Devil’s Due

Issue two of this title gets away from the one-and-done format of issue one and starts the title onto a longer story arc. That has both good and bad consequences for the title. On the one hand, it allows the book to spread its wings and explore the characters and their backgrounds a bit more, which is a solid idea. On the flip side, none of the characters really jump up and spring to serious life yet, so it may be a test to get the reader emotionally invested in the long run.

The LOST SQUAD is a group of soldiers charged with handling missions with occult overtones during the Second World War. That makes the book something of a cross between SGT. ROCK and INDIANA JONES. (By the way, that’s a great way of pitching it to Hollywood, but I digress.) This story arc begins “Operation: Crystal Ball”; the Nazis have gained control of a device that acts as a “window” into the future, allowing them to change the direction the war is taking and mold it to their advantage. Therefore, our brave and expendable heroes must wade into a sea of Nazis, possessive spirits, and walking dead in the hopes of stealing or destroying the Axis’ new toy.

A book like this fairly demands that you shut off your brain and simply enjoy the proceedings. Expecting things like a narrative that makes exacting sense and severe story logic will only make your head hurt. LOST SQUAD is simple, dumb fun, and should be enjoyed only as such.

/Mason

Standing On The Shoulders Of Giants

Vince Moore- a friend and all-around good guy- is doing a nifty serious of creator interviews at Comic Book Resources for Black History Month. Show him some love by checking them out, won't you please. The first one is with FIRESTORM artist Jamal Igle. Good stuff.

/Mason

LOCAL #3
Written by Brian Wood and Drawn by Ryan Kelly
Published by Oni Press

The third episode in Wood and Kelly’s slice-of-life series is a quantum leap forward, as it relegates main protagonist Megan to a cameo and explores the featured locale’s population in an expanded role.

We find ourselves in Richmond, VA this time out, home of the band Theories And Defenses, which has broken up after a number of years together. After breaking out from the local music scene, they had hit the big time, left to find their fortunes, and have now returned not so much as conquering heroes, but as legends in exile. Wood’s story follows each band member on their separate journeys back into the community, showing the emotional toll and fallout from the end of such an enduring set of relationships.

Sex. Arrogance. Rampant egotism (there is a difference). No matter how much we love our friends and co-workers, in the end, many of their traits become things we ignore and tolerate, because that’s what love does, and that’s what it takes to make things work. But for Theories And Defenses, there was a breaking point, and while that moment is never defined in the story, it never feels like it needs to be. Wood’s script and subtext tells you everything you need to know, without ever coming close to being explicit. It’s obvious that these four people shouldn’t be together anymore at the point where the tale begins.

Of course, all that subtext would be for naught if Kelly’s expressive artwork weren’t working on all cylinders. As good as the first two issues looked, this is leaps and bounds ahead of them. Even Megan has a little more spring and verve to her body language during her brief appearance. Looking back at his work in GIANT ROBOT WARRIORS and comparing it to this stuff… it’s sick how good this guy is going to be over the span of his career. He’s gone from a question mark to a homerun hitter. Awesome.

I wasn’t sure after the first two issues if the title could sustain itself in the direction it was going, focusing solely on Megan and her travails. However, seeing how the creative team has mixed it up here shows that they’re aware of that limitation, leaving me excited to see how it will all play out.

/Mason

BETTER

This series got off to a damned shaky start. The first issue was bland, tired, and more than a little derivative. But as the book has progressed, each issue has gotten a little better. Issue five continues that trend.

SNAKE EYES: DECLASSIFIED #5
Written by Brandon Jerwa and Drawn by Emiliano Santalucia
Published by Devil’s Due

The credits page in each issue has been offering up a nod to the story being based upon the work of Larry Hama (in the original Marvel series), and that’s never been truer than in this installment. For those of us who were diehard JOE fans as a kid, we finally get the expanded version of the death of the Hard Master and Snake Eyes’ falling out with Storm Shadow and leaving behind his ninja training. Even though you know (if you were there the first time around) how it all plays out in the basic sense, Jerwa still manages to create a sense of tension, which genuinely surprised me.

What really gets you is how well Jerwa manages to tie together other elements, such as the real beginnings of what Cobra was meant to be. If the whopper of a reveal late in the story was covered in the classic series, it was after I stopped reading. On the surface, it seemed like a bit of a stretch, but after I mulled it over, I found that it worked for me, and fit perfectly with the soap opera underpinnings that G.I.JOE has always been constructed upon.

Unlike ORIGIN, another series that laid bare the background of a beloved character, DECLASSIFIED has played things a lot closer to the vest and been much more involved in delivering what the fans would want and be expecting. I wasn’t sure this would ultimately be the case, but the creative team has really come through with solid work. Throw in an outstanding cover, and this makes for a very good comic.

/Mason

NIFTY

Top Shelf, maker of fine graphic novels, has recently been increasing their web presence. Not only is co-publisher Brett Warnock blogging, but the company has also added a number of new webcomics to the site.

SUPER SPY WEEKLY
Written and Drawn by Matt Kindt

Chief among those is the new weekly effort from the creator of 2 SISTERS and PISTOLWHIP. Kindt’s espionage-drenched 2 SISTERS was a surprise hit with me, and seeing him return to the genre with this material was a welcome development. And much like that graphic novel, these smaller tales have plenty of character depth alongside the action and intrigue.

There are four stories in this mini-comic presentation, and the collection leads off with the strongest effort, simply titled “Super Spy.” A young woman who believes she’s found love in her dreary life is about to find out a horrible secret about the man she loves and the friends he keeps. It’s a haunting, dark tale that leaves you sad and grieving with the only ending that would be acceptable. Other stories in the book have a bit lighter touch, balancing out your emotions, but it’s difficult to put aside how you feel by the time you finish chapter one.

Kindt’s art is excellent, presenting the spies in a naturalistic element, and never making them seem anything other than grounded and human. I don’t know if there’s a mechanism in place to put together larger collections of Kindt’s weeklies, but it would be a damned shame if they weren’t. They deserve a place of honor on the shelf next to 2 SISTERS, more excellent work from a creator whose voice I have yet to tire of.

/Mason

Comic Bloggers' Poll 2005: Winners

Go take a look. I voted. It was fun.

Hats off to Chris Tamarri and friends for doing a kick ass job.

/Mason