SOME REVIEWS

All books courtesy Image Comics.

BEYOND AVALON #2
Written by Joe Pruett and Drawn by Goran Sudzuka

Issue one of this title showed a lot of promise, with its entertaining plot and strong appeal to young female readers. When we left Princess Megan at the end of that tale, she had left her mystic island home to go off into the bigger world in search of adventure (and her missing father).

Her second issue finds her on a new island and in the company of something of a local flim-flam man. He takes her under his wing and decides to use her for his personal quest: slaying a dragon and stealing its gold. Megan’s charming combination of naiveté and thirst for adventure make her something of an easy mark, even though she knows that Jerome (the ne’er do well in question) is seedy and somewhat full of shit.

This is really a delightful little book, and the second issue reinforces its perfect appeal to young girl readers. There are so few books on the stands (that aren’t manga) aimed at that demographic, that you can’t help but hope when a new one hits the stands it will succeed (and not suck). BEYOND AVALON doesn’t suck. I hope it succeeds. Grade: B+

MORA #2
Written and Drawn by Paul Harmon

Issue one of this title, on the other hand, left me sort of ambivalent. I thought it was an alright start, and Harmon’s artistic talent is really terrific. But story wise, it was a little thick, and it felt like Harmon was trying to shoehorn too much stuff in without enough explanation.

That’s a strange criticism on the surface, and I know that. No one is sicker of decompressed comics than I am. But I also understand the need to let your story breathe.

Issue two actually does do a better job of letting the story breathe a bit, but it still ran into problems right out of the gate. And the biggest problem was the fact that I needed to go read my review of issue one to remember anything about the book.

For all of Jim Shooter’s faults, his motto that “every comic is someone’s first” is more applicable (and important) today than it ever has been. With so many comics fighting and clawing for retail shelf space, you have to give readers a reason to buy your book, especially if they never have before. And one way to make sure they never do buy it… is to not tell them a single thing about what’s happened previously and leave the new reader clueless and not caring. Anyone picking up MORA #2 would have absolutely zero clue who the characters are, or why there’s a tortoise and hare narrating the book or anything else. Not having a recap page is just a huge error on Harmon’s part, and it made enjoying the book difficult. He’s a dynamic talent, and the book is very, very beautiful, but better planning is required here. Grade: C+

THE ATHEIST #1
Written by Phil Hester and Drawn by John McCrea

This is an immediate contender for the year’s best new series.

Antoine Sharpe is an unusual professional. His specialty? Debunking the supernatural. However, his rigid sense of logic is about to undergo a huge test, as there’s an epidemic striking random people all over the world: they’re suddenly speaking with different voices, the voices of people long dead and who claim to be possessing the living.

From its stirring opening sequence where a phony John Edward-type psychic suddenly really starts communicating with the dead to the exhilarating sequence where Sharpe destroys a doomsday cult by talking the leader into committing suicide, this book fires on every cylinder. To make matters even more exciting, the risen dead and their possessed bodies are congregating en masse in Winnipeg, Canada for an unknown (but likely sinister) purpose.

ATHEIST is a fantastic piece of entertainment, and it solidifies a personal feeling for me: as much as I can appreciate Hester’s artistic talents, I find him far more interesting behind the keyboard. Solidifying this book’s look on the artistic end, McCrea tones down some of the more gonzo aspects of his art and delivers dark, brooding pages that enhance the drama of Hester’s plot. I could go on about this book, but what it boils down to is that, when I was finished reading it, I wanted the next issue Right. Fucking. Now. Grade: A

FLAMING CARROT COMICS #2
Written and Drawn by Bob Burden

Only Bob Burden can do what Bob Burden does.

More than most creators in the business, Burden creates such a unique product that it’s damned near impossible to homage it, mock it, or duplicate it. And partially, it’s because FLAMING CARROT is already full of self-mockery and strange homages.

The Carrot himself is such a strange creature that you must move well beyond suspending disbelief to read the book. This issue finds pygmies building a giant ear on the outskirts of town, Carrot’s personal zombie following him everywhere and causing chaos, Carrot sleeping with a hottie reporter writing an expose of his insane life, a two-headed female pop star, and a baloney-shooting gun. And in Bob Burden’s world, it all makes perfect nonsense.

I’ve been reading CARROT since its earliest days, and while I understand that the book is a serious acquired taste, I still love it immensely and get a smile on my face whenever I sit down to read a new adventure featuring the character. If you read that previous paragraph and held your nose, I have no problem with that. But if that even remotely appealed to you, I encourage you to seek out an issue and give the book a try. Grade: A-

/Mason

COLOSSAL COMICS COLUMN CROSSOVER 2: THE DEVIL IN THE DETAILS

Click here to go to Part One of this column

This time around, I’m digging through a ton of issues from Devil’s Due Publishing. 35 of them, actually. This portion focuses on some of their licensed material.

MU #1-2
Written by Andrew Dabb and Manson Khan and Drawn by Mark Lee

MU is apparently based on an online role playing game. Now, let me open and honest right now, because this applies to the next two books I’m going to review as well. I don’t play video games. Not at home, not at work, not at the mall. I’ve never so much as owned a Nintendo, let alone a Playstation, X-Box, or whatever else. So I know fuck-all about the games these books are based upon. Got it? So that has no bearing on how I feel about the comics.

This book has what feels like a pretty standard fantasy scenario: long ago, an evil god came to the land and conquered most of the world. He was stopped by two warring wizards who united as one to bring him down. Unfortunately, a thousand years have passed, the kingdom is weakening, and the evil god looks to be returning in some form or another. Only a wizard considered to be mad seems to realize it, however, and he engages the services of a young warrior on a quest to aid him in preventing the god from returning and destroying everything.

Like I said, nothing very fresh there.

What makes MU readable, though, is that it does its best to stand on the gas pedal and plow through its lack of originality. There’s an effort here to simply ignore the familiar trappings and just try and entertain the reader. It isn’t always fully successful, but I can appreciate the effort. The one truly terrific element to the book is the art by Mark Lee. I’d call what he does “compu-manga,” and he’s kind enough to provide a primer on how to do it at the end of the story. Grade: B-

DARKSTALKERS #1-4
Written by Ken Siu-Chong and Drawn by Alvin Lee

This book, however, is much stronger. The premise is at least interesting: a powerful entity that consumes planets and their inhabitants decides to start seeding worlds so that they will grow “tastier” over time, and he can return to them for a better meal. That includes Earth. Of course, rather than superheroes, the seeds have sprouted catwomen, demonic creatures, succubae, and other oddities.

Wisely, Siu-Chong quickly puts the world eater in the background, and puts his focus on the lives (and deaths) of the strange creatures populating the Earth. One story spotlights a girl brought back from the dead and her Frankenstein monster of a brother; another follows a catwoman who only wants to get a good role on Broadway, but her feet are holding her back. There’s a certain charm to the way the scenario for this “universe” is thought out, and I appreciated that some of the less-familiar paths were traveled.

The weakest aspect of the book is the art. The layouts range from the uninspired to the confusing, and the coloring simply overwhelms some portions of the book in the early issues. There is improvement as you get through issue four, but Lee and the Udon crew are capable of better. Grade: B+

STREET FIGHTER #11-13
Written by Ken Siu-Chong and Drawn by Arnold Tsang

I didn’t mention this problem with DARKSTALKERS, though it was present. I had all published issues to work with. But the Udon crew demonstrates quite well how to make new-reader unfriendly comics with this book.

Dear Gentlemen: I don’t play the video game. I haven’t read the first ten issues of your comic. That shouldn’t prevent me from enjoying your work. But if you don’t bother to welcome new readers with a RECAP page I can’t. Not the way I should be able to. If a new reader isn’t made comfortable, your sales are in for some nasty surprises.

All I can tell you, really, is there there’s a conspiracy being run by some bad guys, and a crew of good guys out to stop them. They mostly seem to be made up of characters from the game. One woman apparently used to work for the bad guys (she was brainwashed, I think), and when she joins the good guys, one of the goodies is suspicious because brainwashed girl killed her father.

The intrigue and unpredictability that Siu-Chong brings to DARKSTALKERS is lacking in this title, though (amusingly) the art here is considerably better. Tsang brings a rather loopy and over-the-top element to his manga stylings, and it looks really good. The colors are more in control here as well. Grade: C

G.I. JOE #37-40
Written by Brandon Jerwa and Drawn by Tim Seeley

There’s a single key element to successfully writing the main (continuity heavy) JOE title: remembering that the book, at its core, is a military soap opera drama. The fights are never what really matter; instead, it’s all about the characters, the interplay, the double crosses, and the obstacles facing the cast that don’t involve bullets.

Jerwa understands this quite well.

Reading this much of the book in one sitting, you get a good grasp of Jerwa’s gift for soapy plotting. Sure Cobra is out there, and they’re a big threat with their new weapon. Sure, the Joes are going to have to face down the snakes and stop them, in the process blowing up a lot of stuff. But the hook is the intrigue behind the Joes being in trouble with the government and getting a new military leader. The hook is in The Baroness being pregnant with Destro’s baby and facing assassination from a vengeance-seeking Cobra Commander.

I have always had a soft spot for the Joes, from the time their first issue came out from Marvel when I was a kid. I never expect literary brilliance from the title; I expect to be solidly entertained by fun characters and solid action. That’s all I ask. And Jerwa delivers. Grade: B+

G.I. JOE: RELOADED #9-13
Written by John Rey Nieber and Chuck Dixon and Drawn by Various

RELOADED is sort of the comics equivalent to the new BATTLESTAR GALACTICA television series. The JOE concept was re-imagined from the ground up, continuity free. I guess you could also equate it to Marvel’s ULTIMATE titles.

What this does is provide an opportunity for new readers to sample the title and characters. However, this is sort of hit-and-miss as far as how it’s executed.

The cast is shrunk and tightened up, which is a wise move. That allows you to invest in characters that are drawn more fully, and spend more time in the spotlight. But beyond that, there doesn’t feel like there’s an enormous amount of difference between this and the main title. There’s one character whose allegiance has changed, but aside from that… not much in the way of changes.

I’m torn about this. If you’re going to go this route, why not make deeper and more fundamental changes? The point is somewhat moot now; the title will be vanishing as the company re-launches and refurbishes the entire JOE franchise, but I can’t help but think that maybe RELOADED as it appeared was misconceived. The comics were perfectly entertaining and Chuck Dixon really brought some intensity to the book when he came on board, but I don’t think it will be mourned. Grade: B-

Thanks for reading.

/Mason

He's Back!

Not only has old buddy Chris Allen opened up his own website, he's also brought back his classic column, Breakdowns. This is good news for comics reviewing, indeed.

Chris has been someone whose work and opinion I've respected greatly since the moment I began reading his stuff, and he's never dull. Go forth and check him out.

/Mason

Meme-d and Linkblogged

Not quite "armed and dangerous" but it'll do. First, taking up the challenge of Joe Rybandt:

The "Uh, It's Great, I Guess" Meme: List five things that people in your circle of friends or peer group are wild about, but you can't really understand the fuss over. To use the words of Caesar (from History of the World Part I), "Nice. Nice. Not thrilling...but nice."

1. James Kolchaka. Sorry, ADD.

2. The O.C. Tried it. Hated the kids. Love Melinda Clarke, though, so I had to give it a try. Bring back Lady Heather, C.S.I.!

3. Howard Stern. Why does something that is supposed to help you wake up just make me want to have myself put to sleep out of embarrassment that I'm a human?

4. Modern rap and R&B music. Call me a snob, but the current wave continues to demonstrate just how good the classic singers and groups were.

5. Chuck Palahniuk. Edward Norton spoke for me at the end of the film version of Fight Club. Gun, please.

Howzabout some fun links?

I'm so hot for this woman that it's disturbing.

Milo goes to the movies.

These guys are giving away scary comics.

Logan Polk is giving away the kick ass Bluesman graphic novel.

The Galaxy is having a super fucking contest.

Jason Martin, creator of SuperReal has started a blog.

John Layman wishes to be entertained.

And finally, someone believes these are the 100 greatest comics of the 20th century.

/Mason

The Book Meme to End All Book Memes -- Nicked from Alan David Doane (among others):

- Bold those you have read
- Italicize those you started, but didn't finish
- Add three books after the last one

001. The Lord of the Rings, JRR Tolkien
002. Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen
003. His Dark Materials, Philip Pullman
004. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Douglas Adams
005. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, JK Rowling
006. To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee
007. Winnie the Pooh, AA Milne
008. 1984, George Orwell
009. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, CS Lewis
010. Jane Eyre, Charlotte Bronte
011. Catch-22, Joseph Heller
012. Wuthering Heights, Emily Bronte
013. Birdsong, Sebastian Faulks
014. Rebecca, Daphne du Maurier
015. The Catcher in the Rye, JD Salinger
016. The Wind in the Willows, Kenneth Grahame
017. Great Expectations, Charles Dickens
018. Little Women, Louisa May Alcott
019. Captain Corelli's Mandolin, Louis de Bernieres
020. War and Peace, Leo Tolstoy
021. Gone with the Wind, Margaret Mitchell
022. Harry Potter And The Sorcerer's Stone, JK Rowling
023. Harry Potter And The Chamber Of Secrets, JK Rowling
024. Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban, JK Rowling
025. The Hobbit, JRR Tolkien
026. Tess Of The D'Urbervilles, Thomas Hardy
027. Middlemarch, George Eliot
028. A Prayer For Owen Meany, John Irving
029. The Grapes Of Wrath, John Steinbeck
030. Alice's Adventures In Wonderland, Lewis Carroll
031. The Story Of Tracy Beaker, Jacqueline Wilson
032. One Hundred Years Of Solitude, Gabriel Garcia Marquez
033. The Pillars Of The Earth, Ken Follett
034. David Copperfield, Charles Dickens
035. Charlie And The Chocolate Factory, Roald Dahl
036. Treasure Island, Robert Louis Stevenson
037. A Town Like Alice, Nevil Shute
038. Persuasion, Jane Austen
039. Dune, Frank Herbert
040. Emma, Jane Austen
041. Anne Of Green Gables, LM Montgomery
042. Watership Down, Richard Adams
043. The Great Gatsby, F Scott Fitzgerald
044. The Count Of Monte Cristo, Alexandre Dumas
045. Brideshead Revisited, Evelyn Waugh
046. Animal Farm, George Orwell
047. A Christmas Carol, Charles Dickens
048. Far From The Madding Crowd, Thomas Hardy
049. Goodnight Mister Tom, Michelle Magorian
050. The Shell Seekers, Rosamunde Pilcher
051. The Secret Garden, Frances Hodgson Burnett
052. Of Mice And Men, John Steinbeck
053. The Stand, Stephen King
054. Anna Karenina, Leo Tolstoy
055. A Suitable Boy, Vikram Seth
056. The BFG, Roald Dahl
057. Swallows And Amazons, Arthur Ransome
058. Black Beauty, Anna Sewell
059. Artemis Fowl, Eoin Colfer
060. Crime And Punishment, Fyodor Dostoyevsky
061. Noughts And Crosses, Malorie Blackman
062. Memoirs Of A Geisha, Arthur Golden
063. A Tale Of Two Cities, Charles Dickens
064. The Thorn Birds, Colleen McCollough
065. Mort, Terry Pratchett
066. The Magic Faraway Tree, Enid Blyton
067. The Magus, John Fowles
068. Good Omens, Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman
069. Guards! Guards!, Terry Pratchett
070. Lord Of The Flies, William Golding
071. Perfume, Patrick Susskind
072. The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists, Robert Tressell
073. Night Watch, Terry Pratchett
074. Matilda, Roald Dahl
075. Bridget Jones's Diary, Helen Fielding
076. The Secret History, Donna Tartt
077. The Woman In White, Wilkie Collins
078. Ulysses, James Joyce
079. Bleak House, Charles Dickens
080. Double Act, Jacqueline Wilson
081. The Twits, Roald Dahl
082. I Capture The Castle, Dodie Smith
083. Holes, Louis Sachar
084. Gormenghast, Mervyn Peake
085. The God Of Small Things, Arundhati Roy
086. Vicky Angel, Jacqueline Wilson
087. Brave New World, Aldous Huxley
088. Cold Comfort Farm, Stella Gibbons
089. Magician, Raymond E Feist
090. On The Road, Jack Kerouac
091. The Godfather, Mario Puzo
092. The Clan Of The Cave Bear, Jean M Auel
093. The Colour Of Magic, Terry Pratchett
094. The Alchemist, Paulo Coelho
095. Katherine, Anya Seton
096. Kane And Abel, Jeffrey Archer
097. Love In The Time Of Cholera, Gabriel Garcia Marquez
098. Girls In Love, Jacqueline Wilson
099. The Princess Diaries, Meg Cabot
100. Midnight's Children, Salman Rushdie
101. Three Men In A Boat, Jerome K. Jerome
102. Small Gods, Terry Pratchett
103. The Beach, Alex Garland
104. Dracula, Bram Stoker
105. Point Blanc, Anthony Horowitz
106. The Pickwick Papers, Charles Dickens
107. Stormbreaker, Anthony Horowitz
108. The Wasp Factory, Iain Banks
109. The Day Of The Jackal, Frederick Forsyth
110. The Illustrated Mum, Jacqueline Wilson
111. Jude The Obscure, Thomas Hardy
112. The Secret Diary Of Adrian Mole Aged 13 1/2, Sue Townsend
113. The Cruel Sea, Nicholas Monsarrat
114. Les Miserables, Victor Hugo
115. The Mayor Of Casterbridge, Thomas Hardy
116. The Dare Game, Jacqueline Wilson
117. Bad Girls, Jacqueline Wilson
118. The Picture Of Dorian Gray, Oscar Wilde
119. Shogun, James Clavell
120. The Day Of The Triffids, John Wyndham
121. Lola Rose, Jacqueline Wilson
122. Vanity Fair, William Makepeace Thackeray
123. The Forsyte Saga, John Galsworthy
124. House Of Leaves, Mark Z. Danielewski
125. The Poisonwood Bible, Barbara Kingsolver
126. Reaper Man, Terry Pratchett
127. Angus, Thongs And Full-Frontal Snogging, Louise Rennison
128. The Hound Of The Baskervilles, Arthur Conan Doyle
129. Possession, A. S. Byatt
130. The Master And Margarita, Mikhail Bulgakov
131. The Handmaid's Tale, Margaret Atwood
132. Danny The Champion Of The World, Roald Dahl
133. East Of Eden, John Steinbeck
134. George's Marvellous Medicine, Roald Dahl
135. Wyrd Sisters, Terry Pratchett
136. The Color Purple, Alice Walker
137. Hogfather, Terry Pratchett
138. The Thirty-Nine Steps, John Buchan
139. Girls In Tears, Jacqueline Wilson
140. Sleepovers, Jacqueline Wilson
141. All Quiet On The Western Front, Erich Maria Remarque
142. Behind The Scenes At The Museum, Kate Atkinson
143. High Fidelity, Nick Hornby
144. It, Stephen King
145. James And The Giant Peach, Roald Dahl
146. The Green Mile, Stephen King
147. Papillon, Henri Charriere
148. Men At Arms, Terry Pratchett
149. Master And Commander, Patrick O'Brian
150. Skeleton Key, Anthony Horowitz
151. Soul Music, Terry Pratchett
152. Thief Of Time, Terry Pratchett
153. The Fifth Elephant, Terry Pratchett
154. Atonement, Ian McEwan
155. Secrets, Jacqueline Wilson
156. The Silver Sword, Ian Serraillier
157. One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest, Ken Kesey
158. Heart Of Darkness, Joseph Conrad
159. Kim, Rudyard Kipling
160. Cross Stitch, Diana Gabaldon
161. Moby Dick, Herman Melville
162. River God, Wilbur Smith
163. Sunset Song, Lewis Grassic Gibbon
164. The Shipping News, Annie Proulx
165. The World According To Garp, John Irving
166. Lorna Doone, R. D. Blackmore
167. Girls Out Late, Jacqueline Wilson
168. The Far Pavilions, M. M. Kaye
169. The Witches, Roald Dahl
170. Charlotte's Web, E. B. White
171. Frankenstein, Mary Shelley
172. They Used To Play On Grass, Terry Venables and Gordon Williams
173. The Old Man And The Sea, Ernest Hemingway
174. The Name Of The Rose, Umberto Eco
175. Sophie's World, Jostein Gaarder
176. Dustbin Baby, Jacqueline Wilson
177. Fantastic Mr. Fox, Roald Dahl
178. Lolita, Vladimir Nabokov
179. Jonathan Livingstone Seagull, Richard Bach
180. The Little Prince, Antoine De Saint-Exupery
181. The Suitcase Kid, Jacqueline Wilson
182. Oliver Twist, Charles Dickens
183. The Power Of One, Bryce Courtenay
184. Silas Marner, George Eliot
185. American Psycho, Bret Easton Ellis
186. The Diary Of A Nobody, George and Weedon Gross-mith
187. Trainspotting, Irvine Welsh
188. Goosebumps, R. L. Stine
189. Heidi, Johanna Spyri
190. Sons And Lovers, D. H. Lawrence
191. The Unbearable Lightness of Being, Milan Kundera
192. Man And Boy, Tony Parsons
193. The Truth, Terry Pratchett
194. The War Of The Worlds, H. G. Wells
195. The Horse Whisperer, Nicholas Evans
196. A Fine Balance, Rohinton Mistry
197. Witches Abroad, Terry Pratchett
198. The Once And Future King, T. H. White
199. The Very Hungry Caterpillar, Eric Carle
200. Flowers In The Attic, Virginia Andrews
201. The Silmarillion, J.R.R. Tolkien
202. The Eye of the World, Robert Jordan
203. The Great Hunt, Robert Jordan
204. The Dragon Reborn, Robert Jordan
205. Fires of Heaven, Robert Jordan
206. Lord of Chaos, Robert Jordan
207. Winter's Heart, Robert Jordan
208. A Crown of Swords, Robert Jordan
209. Crossroads of Twilight, Robert Jordan
210. A Path of Daggers, Robert Jordan
211. As Nature Made Him, John Colapinto
212. Microserfs, Douglas Coupland
213. The Married Man, Edmund White
214. Winter's Tale, Mark Helprin
215. The History of Sexuality, Michel Foucault
216. Cry to Heaven, Anne Rice
217. Same-Sex Unions in Premodern Europe, John Boswell
218. Equus, Peter Shaffer
219. The Man Who Ate Everything, Jeffrey Steingarten
220. Letters To A Young Poet, Rainer Maria Rilke
221. Ella Minnow Pea, Mark Dunn
222. The Vampire Lestat, Anne Rice
223. Anthem, Ayn Rand
224. The Bridge To Terabithia, Katherine Paterson
225. Tartuffe, Moliere
226. The Metamorphosis, Franz Kafka
227. The Crucible, Arthur Miller
228. The Trial, Franz Kafka
229. Oedipus Rex, Sophocles
230. Oedipus at Colonus, Sophocles
231. Death Be Not Proud, John Gunther
232. A Doll's House, Henrik Ibsen
233. Hedda Gabler, Henrik Ibsen
234. Ethan Frome, Edith Wharton
235. A Raisin In The Sun, Lorraine Hansberry
236. ALIVE!, Piers Paul Read
237. Grapefruit, Yoko Ono
238. Trickster Makes This World, Lewis Hyde
240. The Mists of Avalon, Marion Zimmer Bradley
241. Chronicles of Thomas Convenant, Unbeliever, Stephen Donaldson
242. Lord of Light, Roger Zelazny
242. The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay, Michael Chabon
243. Summerland, Michael Chabon
244. A Confederacy of Dunces, John Kennedy Toole
245. Candide, Voltaire
246. The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar and Six More, Roald Dahl
247. Ringworld, Larry Niven
248. The King Must Die, Mary Renault
249. Stranger in a Strange Land, Robert Heinlein
250. A Wrinkle in Time, Madeline L'Engle
251. The Eyre Affair, Jasper Fforde
252. The House Of The Seven Gables, Nathaniel Hawthorne
253. The Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne
254. The Joy Luck Club, Amy Tan
255. The Great Gilly Hopkins, Katherine Paterson
256. Chocolate Fever, Robert Kimmel Smith
257. Xanth: The Quest for Magic, Piers Anthony
258. The Lost Princess of Oz, L. Frank Baum
259. Wonder Boys, Michael Chabon
260. Lost In A Good Book, Jasper Fforde
261. Well Of Lost Plots, Jasper Fforde
262. Life Of Pi, Yann Martel
263. The Bean Trees, Barbara Kingsolver
264. A Yellow Rraft In Blue Water, Michael Dorris
265. Little House on the Prairie, Laura Ingalls Wilder
267. Where The Red Fern Grows, Wilson Rawls
268. Griffin & Sabine, Nick Bantock
269. Witch of Black Bird Pond, Joyce Friedland
270. Mrs. Frisby And The Rats Of NIMH, Robert C. O'Brien
271. Tuck Everlasting, Natalie Babbitt Bleh.
272. The Cay, Theodore Taylor
273. From The Mixed-Up Files Of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, E.L. Konigsburg
274. The Phantom Tollbooth, Norton Jester
275. The Westing Game, Ellen Raskin
276. The Kitchen God's Wife, Amy Tan
277. The Bone Setter's Daughter, Amy Tan
278. Relic, Duglas Preston & Lincolon Child
279. Wicked, Gregory Maguire
280. American Gods, Neil Gaiman
281. Misty of Chincoteague, Marguerite Henry
282. The Girl Next Door, Jack Ketchum
283. Haunted, Judith St. George
284. Singularity, William Sleator
285. A Short History of Nearly Everything, Bill Bryson
286. Different Seasons, Stephen King
287. Fight Club, Chuck Palahniuk
288. About a Boy, Nick Hornby
289. The Bookman's Wake, John Dunning
290. The Church of Dead Girls, Stephen Dobyns
291. Illusions, Richard Bach
292. Magic's Pawn, Mercedes Lackey
293. Magic's Promise, Mercedes Lackey
294. Magic's Price, Mercedes Lackey
295. The Dancing Wu Li Masters, Gary Zukav
296. Spirits of Flux and Anchor, Jack L. Chalker
297. Interview with the Vampire, Anne Rice
298. The Encyclopedia of Unusual Sex Practices, Brenda Love
299. Infinite Jest, David Foster Wallace.
300. The Bluest Eye, Toni Morrison.
301. The Cider House Rules, John Irving.
302. Ender's Game, Orson Scott Card
303. Girlfriend in a Coma, Douglas Coupland
304. The Lion's Game, Nelson Demille
305. The Sun, The Moon, and the Stars, Stephen Brust
306. Cyteen, C. J. Cherryh
307. Foucault's Pendulum, Umberto Eco
308. Cryptonomicon, Neal Stephenson
309. Invisible Monsters, Chuck Palahniuk
310. Camber of Culdi, Kathryn Kurtz
311. The Fountainhead, Ayn Rand
312. War and Rememberance, Herman Wouk
313. The Art of War, Sun Tzu
314. The Giver, Lois Lowry
315. The Telling, Ursula Le Guin
316. Xenogenesis (or Lilith's Brood), Octavia Butler (Dawn, Adulthood Rites, Imago)
317. A Civil Campaign, Lois McMaster Bujold
318. The Curse of Chalion, Lois McMaster Bujold
319. The Aeneid, Publius Vergilius Maro (Vergil)
320. Hanta Yo, Ruth Beebe Hill
321. The Princess Bride, S. Morganstern (or William Goldman)
322. Beowulf, Anonymous
323. The Sparrow, Maria Doria Russell
324. Deerskin, Robin McKinley
325. Dragonsong, Anne McCaffrey
326. Passage, Connie Willis
327. Otherland, Tad Williams
328. Tigana, Guy Gavriel Kay
329. Number the Stars, Lois Lowry
330. Beloved, Toni Morrison
331. Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal, Christopher Moore
332. The mysterious disappearance of Leon, I mean Noel, Ellen Raskin
333. Summer Sisters, Judy Blume
334. The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Victor Hugo
335. The Island on Bird Street, Uri Orlev
336. Midnight in the Dollhouse, Marjorie Filley Stover
337. The Miracle Worker, William Gibson
338. The Genesis Code, John Case
339. The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Robert Louis Stevensen
340. Paradise Lost, John Milton
341. Phantom, Susan Kay
342. The Mummy or Ramses the Damned, Anne Rice
343. Anno Dracula, Kim Newman
344: The Dresden Files: Grave Peril, Jim Butcher
345: Tokyo Suckerpunch, Issac Adamson
346: The Winter of Magic's Return, Pamela Service
347: The Oddkins, Dean R. Koontz
348. My Name is Asher Lev, Chaim Potok
349. The Last Goodbye, Raymond Chandler
350. At Swim, Two Boys, Jaime O'Neill
351. Othello, by William Shakespeare
352. The Collected Poems of Dylan Thomas
353. The Collected Poems of William Butler Yeats
354. Sati, Christopher Pike
355. The Divine Comedy, Dante
356. The Apology, Plato
357. The Small Rain, Madeline L'Engle
358. The Man Who Tasted Shapes, Richard E Cytowick
359. 5 Novels, Daniel Pinkwater
360. The Sevenwaters Trilogy, Juliet Marillier
361. Girl with a Pearl Earring, Tracy Chevalier
362. To the Lighthouse, Virginia Woolf
363. Our Town, Thorton Wilder
364. Green Grass Running Water, Thomas King
335. The Interpreter, Suzanne Glass
336. The Moor's Last Sigh, Salman Rushdie
337. The Mother Tongue, Bill Bryson
338. A Passage to India, E.M. Forster
339. The Perks of Being a Wallflower, Stephen Chbosky
340. The Phantom of the Opera, Gaston Leroux
341. Pages for You, Sylvia Brownrigg
342. The Changeover, Margaret Mahy
343. Howl's Moving Castle, Diana Wynne Jones
344. Angels and Demons, Dan Brown
345. Johnny Got His Gun, Dalton Trumbo
346. Shosha, Isaac Bashevis Singer
347. Travels With Charley, John Steinbeck
348. The Diving-bell and the Butterfly by Jean-Dominique Bauby
349. The Lunatic at Large by J. Storer Clouston
350. Time for bed by David Baddiel
351. Barrayar by Lois McMaster Bujold
352. Quite Ugly One Morning by Christopher Brookmyre
353. The Bloody Sun by Marion Zimmer Bradley
354. Sewer, Gas, and Eletric by Matt Ruff
355. Jhereg by Steven Brust
356. So You Want To Be A Wizard by Diane Duane
357. Perdido Street Station, China Mieville
358. The Tenant of Wildfell Hall, Anne Bronte
359. Road-side Dog, Czeslaw Milosz
360. The English Patient, Michael Ondaatje
361. Neuromancer, William Gibson
362. The Epistemology of the Closet, Eve Kosofsky Sedgwick
363. A Canticle for Liebowitz, Walter M. Miller, Jr
364. The Mask of Apollo, Mary Renault
365. The Gunslinger, Stephen King
366. Romeo and Juliet, William Shakespeare
367. Childhood's End, Arthur C. Clarke
368. A Season of Mists, Neil Gaiman
369. Ivanhoe, Walter Scott
370. The God Boy, Ian Cross
371. The Beekeeper's Apprentice, Laurie R. King
372. Finn Family Moomintroll, Tove Jansson
373. Stormbringer, Michael Moorcock
374. Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep, Philip K. Dick
375. Assassin's Apprentice, Robin Hobb
376. number9dream, David Mitchell
377. A Game of Thrones, George R. R. Martin
378. Five Quarters of the Orange, Joanne Harris
379. Darkness at Noon, Arthur Koestler
380. Einstein's Dreams, Alan Lightman
381. Dance On My Grave, Aidan Chambers
382. Left Hand of Darkness, Ursula Leguin
383. Hyperion, Dan Simmons
384. Martian Chronicles, Ray Bradbury
385. Checkmate, Dorothy Dunnett
386. To Say Nothing of the Dog, Connie Willis
387. A Clash of Kings, George RR Martin
388. The Egyptian, Mika Waltari
389. Moab Is My Washpot, Stephen Fry
390. Contact, Carl Sagan
391. Mythago Wood, Robert Holdstock
392. Feersum Endjinn, Iain M. Banks
393. The Golden, Lucius Shepard
394. Decamerone, Boccaccio
395. Birdy, William Wharton
396. The Red Tent, Anita Diaman
397. The Foundation, Isaac Asimov
398. Il Principe, Machiavelli
399. Post Office, Charles Bukowski
400. Macht und Rebel, Abu Rasul
401. Grass, Sheri S. Tepper
402. The Long Walk, Richard Bachman
403. Neverwhere, Neil Gaiman
404. The Joy Of Work, Scott Adams
405. Romeo, Elise Title
406. The Ninth Gate, Arturo Perez-Reverte
407. Memnoch the Devil, Anne Rice
408. Dead Famous, Ben Elton
409. Scarlett, Alexandra Ripley
410. Dead Souls, Nikolai Gogol
411. Look to Windward, Iain M. Banks
412. The Colossus of Maroussi, Henry Miller
413. Branded, Alissa Quart
414. The Idiot, Fyodor Dostoyevsky
415. Dharma Bums, Jack Kerouac
416. White teeth, Zadie Smith
417. Under the bell jar, Sylvia Plath
418. The little prince of Belleville, Calixthe Beyala
419. Madame Bovary, Gustave Flaubert
420. A King Lear of the Steppes, Ivan Turgenev
421. The Brothers Karamazov, Fyodor Dostoyevsky
422. Memoirs of a Revolutionist, Peter Kropotkin
423. Hija de la Fortuna, Isabel Allende
424. Retrato en Sepia, Isabel Allende
425. Villette, Charlotte Brontë
426. Steppenwolf, Herman Hesse
427. Ubik, Philip K. Dick
428. Mein Kampf, Adolf Hitler
429. Solaris, Stanislaw Lem
430. The Sun Also Rises, Ernest Hemingway
431. Nausea, Jean Paul Sartre
432. The Island of the Day Before, Umberto Eco
433. The Elementary Particles, Michel Houellebecq
434. The Angel Of The West Window, Gustav Meyrink
435. A Farewell To Arms, Ernest Hemingway
436. Naked Lunch, William S. Burroughs
437. Slaughterhouse-Five, Kurt Vonnegut
438. In the Eyes of Mr. Fury, Philip Ridley
439. Consider Phlebas, Iain M. Banks
440. Into the Forest, Jean Hegland
441. Middlesex -Jeffrey Eugenides
442. The Giving Tree -Shel Silverstein
443. Go Ask Alice -Anonymous
444. Waiting For Godot, Samuel Becket
445. Blankets, Craig Thompson
446. The Girls' Guide To Hunting And Fishing, Melissa Banks
447. Voice of the Fire, Alan Moore
448. The Geography of Nowhere, James Howard Kunstler
449. Coraline, Neil Gaiman
450. All The King's Men, Robert Penn Warren
451. Lucifer's hammer, Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle
452. Fletch, Gregory McDonald

"MARC MASON'S MANHOOD.... UNDER FIRE!!!"

Heh. I could write Stan Lee cover blurbs all day and never get tired of it. But picking up from Chris's challenge to me:

You're stuck inside Fahrenheit 451, which book do you want to be?

Anything by Nathanial Hawthorne. I hated reading that fucker's writing when I was younger, and subsequent attempts have never convinced me that he wasn't an overrated, self-loathing, piece of shit. Burn, hawthorne, burn!

Have you ever had a crush on a fictional character?

Sure, plenty of them, though many more from the screen rather than the page. Since thismeme deals with books, I'll go with that, and mention Shadow's wife Laura in Neil Gaiman's AMERICAN GODS. While her death and the circumstances surrounding it were unpleasant, there was a certain wretched sadness and love to Laura's actions as she came back from the dead to see Shadow through his trials. I found myself feeling a great deal of emotional warmth for her, particularly in her final actions.

The last book you bought is:

Oh God. This is a tough one. I do work in a library, after all. Wait... I bought Jenna Jameson's autobiography HOW TO MAKE LOVE LIKE A PORN STAR (A CAUTIONARY TALE), and I think that was the last one that cost me funds. Still need to finish reading it.

The last book you read:

Not coincidentally, it was Gaiman's AMERICAN GODS, which I literally finished about forty minutes ago. He's a much greater writer of prose than he is of comics, and considering how good his comics are, that's freaky scary.

What are you currently reading?

Having just finished one, I am between books. I'll likely dive into the review pile, rather than prose. Lots of stuff to read, from BLACK HOLE to a pile of 28 books from Devil's Due. There's also a shitload of other books in the pile, too. Oy.

Five books you would take to a deserted island:

THE FOUNTAINHEAD by Ayn Rand. A PRAYER FOR OWEN MEANY by John Irving. SKIPPED PARTS by Tim Sandlin. The PORTABLE SHAKESPEARE. And my all-time favorite novel, Robert Penn Warren's ALL THE KING'S MEN.

Who are you going to pass this stick to (3 persons) and why?

Probably no one, because I suck at this kind of thing, but maybe someone will pick it up and run with it after reading mine.

/Mason

TWO THINGS OF NOTE

Tom Spurgeon has lost his fool mind. I had trouble thinking of 100 things I loved about comics. But Tom decided to lap the field with his 1000 Things He loves About Comics. This is why he's the King.

Sunday I had the chance to chat on the phone with Chris Allen for a while, which was great. Chris was one of the first guys in the comics reviewer field that I befriended, and he's working on making comics of his own, which we'll hopefully see later this year. He's a terrific writer, an intelligent guy, and he's finally opened up his own website and started blogging. Go visit him and pay him homage.

Mason

TURN YOUR HEAD AND COUGH

It’s time for your weekly pamphlet update. Or something like that.

FALLEN ANGEL #19
Written by Peter David and Drawn by David Lopez
Published by DC

This title grabbed some interesting headlines this week, as Rich Johnston reported that it might be headed to IDW after the next (and final) issue ships from DC. This is happy news if it’s true.

One, IDW is the perfect spot for it. David will be freed of the DC yoke and able to cut loose and write all the disturbing and creepy shit he wants. He’d also be working with one of the best editors in the business in my buddy (and boss) Chris Ryall. And if the book did even half of its DC sales level at IDW, it’d be considered a runaway hit. So I hope this is true. It makes too much sense not to be.

This issue is special for other reasons, though. David and George Perez’ SACHS AND VIOLENS show up in the title for a guest appearance, and that’s a welcome sight, indeed. The lovely bondage model/vigilante Sachs and her lover/photographer/partner-in-ass-kicking Violens have arrived in Bete Noire on the tail of a child pornographer. Of course, this being comics, the obvious team-up is currently avoided, and instead the Angel is set on a course to wipe out Sachs and Violens before they can achieve their goals. Of course, before they can get to that confrontation, the Angel has the opportunity to demonstrate just how poor her mental state is, and to hire herself a male prostitute.

It’s even more fun than it sounds. One thing nagging at me, though: how is the original SACHS AND VIOLENS not in trade paperback? I hope to Hell, if the IDW thing plays out, that Ryall and company are able to rectify that.

DEAD @ 17: REVOLUTION #3
Written and Drawn by Josh Howard
Published by Viper Comics

The latest DEAD mini is now running on a speedy downhill course towards its conclusion, as Nara takes a huge step towards confronting Bolabogg’s Earthly manifestation. And what she doesn’t know is that the friends she believes she’s left behind are about to re-involve themselves in her battle.

I was more than a bit critical of the first DEAD series, but as Howard has progressed through the second (and now the third) the saga has really leapt forward in entertaining and provocative ways. Rather than standing pat and treading familiar ground, he’s pushed the characters and their world outward and expanded their playing field in ways that TV and film often have difficulty with. He’s also deepened his mythology and added some welcome complexity.

DEAD isn’t the most perfect comic being published right now, but with each passing issue, it improves, which is really what you want to see out of a comic and its creator. This is Viper’s signature title, and it’s earning its keep.

AMAZING JOY BUZZARDS #3
Written by Mark Andrew Smith and Drawn by Dan Hipp
Published by Image Comics

Speaking of comics that are improving… issue three of this title is a good step forward. The band finds itself off to Hollywood to make their first film, and wacky hijinx follow. There’s work to be found on two different movie sets, and a strange series of attempted murders is plaguing one of them.

Part of the problem with issue two was that it felt like the art and the writing were letting each other down at various points of the story; each showed deficiencies in carrying the other when it was needed. But this problem is much less prevalent here. I think part of that is the nature of the story itself; far fewer “fantastic” elements are present here, allowing each creator to play to their strengths.

I was a bit surprised that the choice was made to make this issue “to be continued,” but I can give it a bit of leeway, as it’s already pretty packed with story and ideas. If it had been decompressed in any way, I would have had to call bullshit. But you can unequivocally get your money’s worth out of the AMAZING JOY BUZZARDS.

CASE FILES: SAM AND TWITCH #14
Written by Marc Andreyko and Drawn by E.J. Su
Published by Image Comics

This is just good shit. Seriously.

Andreyko is back in the driver’s seat after a terrific one-off from Steve Niles, and he’s standing on the gas from the moment he sees the light turn green. The detective duo is brought into investigating some nasty deaths that appear to be both the work of a gang war… and vampires. And if you don’t believe in vampires, then how do you explain the eighty-year old woman who looks as luscious and young as Shu Qi?

Making this even more top-notch is artist E.J. Su, who is back working in black and white, where his art looks best. He’s been doing some VOLTRON lately, and all that color does him no favors. This guy is severely underrated, a real talent, and I’m pleased to see him get an assignment of this nature. Eric Stephenson of Image told me a few weeks back that CASE FILES was one of the best titles Image publishes, and when the man is right, he’s right.

DR. BLINK: SUPERHERO SHRINK #1
Written by John Kovalic and Drawn by Christopher Jones
Published by Dork Storm Press

The long delayed issue one has finally arrived! Huzzah!

Seriously, this was due last fall, and originally meant to be a black and white title. However, Kovalic and company changed their minds and went to color, and I’m going to be interested in seeing how that decision plays out.

BLINK is exactly what the title describes: he’s the psychoanalyst to the super, the guy for whom the supers come to talk to when they’re feeling inadequate. This being a Dork Storm title, it’s also a winsomely charming little comedy, and nothing to take too seriously. The script is laid out to make sure the laughs aren’t dumb or insulting; the book works hard to be inviting to the audience, and that’s to the book’s credit.

The color adds a touch more of an “animated” style to Jones’ art, which may be an effort to attract the younger reader, though I’m not sure they’d quite get the book. Still, there’s plenty of stuff for anyone who picks up the book: action, comedy, romance, and existential crises. This is a good reminder that sometimes, comics get made just for the purpose of making fun comics.

/Mason

GO HERE AND READ PART ONE OF THIS COLUMN, THEN COME BACK, OKAY?

Welcome to my first-ever COLOSSAL COMICS COLUMN CROSSOVER! Thanks for stopping by, and please, bookmark this place and keep coming back, especially those of you who just read my column at The Shoot. This is a fun little place, and I’ve been using it a lot more as of late.

To catch you up, whether you read part one or not, I’ve been taking a look at the breadth and diversity of the Image Comics line. It’s pretty exciting, really; Image has risen far above its roots under the guidance of Jim Valentino and Erik Larsen, becoming the most committed mainstream publisher in the area of creator-driven works and the variety they offer. Let’s jump back in to the mix.

WALKING DEAD #16
Written by Robert Kirkman and Drawn by Charlie Adlard

I’m starting right at the top. WALKING DEAD is, quite simply, one of the ten best books being published in comics, period. Kirkman has created a darkly apocalyptic tale of a zombie-plagued world and those trying to survive the hunger of the dead, and every issue the story takes twists and turns that no reader without telepathy could ever anticipate. I like to believe that I’m a pretty shrewd guy, and I’ve read more than my share of comics, but somehow, Kirkman manages to surprise me at least once every issue. There are no sacred cows in WALKING DEAD, and no sacred characters, either. Death lurks around every corner, and as the book progresses, the complexity of how the zombie “virus” works gets more fascinating. Making the book even better is the terrific art of Charlie Adlard; Adlard is one of those artists whose work is best left in black and white, like it is here, as his phenomenal eye for detail and character is almost inevitably ruined by computer colors. If I were making a list of people I’d want to draw comics written by me, Charlie would be on that very short list. Seriously- buy this book. It’s great. Grade: A

SAVAGE DRAGON #120
Written and Drawn by Erik Larsen

SAVAGE DRAGON is really something to behold and appreciate. 120 issues, written and drawn by Larsen… that’s pretty damned impressive. Larsen basically only has Dave Sim in front of him. But what’s really impressive about DRAGON is that after all this time, it’s still a stupendously gonzo bit of comics creation. Larsen has always subscribed to the theory that bigger isn’t better (but it’s a good start), crazier isn’t crazy enough, and anything resembling a sense of normal proportion (whether in body or personality) must be eliminated. Right now, Dragon has reluctantly been drawn into the 2004 Presidential Election as a third party candidate, even though he has no interest in governing. Of course, that doesn’t deter his running mate from using a Dragon robot, or a wildly pissed former-superhero from showing up at his house to use the dimensional portal in the basement. If that sounds pretty loopy to you, that’s because it is. DRAGON is best enjoyed for what it always has been: the comicbook equivalent of a B-movie. And in this case, I give that grade as a tribute.

AMAZING JOY BUZZARDS #2
Written by Mark Andrew Smith and Drawn by Dan Hipp

There’s been some interesting buzz building around this book, and reading it, I can see why. There’s a simple and goofy charm to JOY BUZZARDS that many comics seem to lack these days. Take the setup, for instance: the Joy Buzzards are a rock and roll band, and while they tour, they also solve mysteries, fight giant robots, and investigate the paranormal. This issue finds them assisting a young woman on an archaeological expedition, and of course things go awry; rather than finding a nice simple cave, they stumble into the resurrection of a terrible god, and much worse:

KILLER VAMPIRE ROBOTS.

Sure, there’s some tonal disconnect between the art and the story, with each letting the other down at times in the book, but you can cover that up if you bring enough infectious spirit to the proceedings and you give the reader a good reason to throw up their hands and just play along. And in this case… KILLER VAMPIRE ROBOTS. Yeah. Grade: B

NOBLE CAUSES #7
Written by Jay Faerber and Drawn by Gabe Bridwell, Kris Justice, and Fran Bueno

NOBLE has been one of the niftier comics soap operas since its inception, but with this issue, it really feels like Faerber is really hitting his stride. Taking some time away from the multitude of subplots and soapy maneuvering, he focuses the bulk of the issue on the reunited Race and Liz, and their efforts to build a normal relationship. It plays as a sweet slice-of-life tale, as Race actually (working against cliché) does spend a day living at normal human speed and not jumping in to use his powers at the slightest hint of need. There’s some humor in the situation as well; Liz is used to breakfast in bed, but she’s definitely thrown by the idea that she has to wait for it when it’s cooked in normal fashion. This issue also continues a fun little backup story by Brian Joines; Joines is a witty fellow, and I’m still waiting for him to ship me a plot of issue one of the book we plotted two years ago at SDCC. Hey Joines- whatever happened to our flying monkey pirates, dude? ;-) Grade: B+

CASE FILES: SAM AND TWITCH #12
Written by Marc Andreyko and Drawn by Paul Lee

I’m actually reviewing this out of order, so I apologize. This is the final part of a storyline, but Andreyko does a very nice job of filling in the blanks for the new reader, and the front cover recap is also very effective. Sam and Twitch are following the trail of a killer, and the victim’s lover has gotten wind of the killer’s location before the title characters can stop him from heading off for revenge. What follows is a terrific bit of drama. While there is a smidge of action in these pages, the real action takes place in the characters and their movements. Andreyko keeps his script tight, and his dialogue to a minimum, allowing Lee’s lovely art to carry the story and its actors to a logical and earned conclusion. I also appreciated the truly gray nature of the lover’s actions; you can easily put yourself in his place and ask yourself what you’d do. The two issues of this book that I’ve read recently were a real revelation. This is one of Image’s best titles, no question. Grade: A-

SMALL GODS #7
Written by Jason Rand and Drawn by Juan Ferreyra

I reviewed the trade of issues one through four a couple of weeks ago, and I really liked it a lot. It had a lot of spirit and some real grit to the characters. I don’t mind telling you that I was really looking forward to digging into this one when I saw it, but boy, did I feel disappointed when I was finished reading it.

Sure, the art is still beautiful. The action is nicely done. But the story really feels flat. The character focus has changed now; we’re following a psychic con man named Bobby, and Bobby is on the run from corrupt cops who want him dead. Now, as standard as that plot is, it doesn’t bother me. But saddling Bobby with a stripper girlfriend (or she at least works at a club)? And playing coy with her post-coital nudity? It takes the story into areas that just aggravate you. Plus, she also teaches Judo. It’s a bit much to ask the reader to swallow. It also adds confusion. Is this a mature readers book? If it isn’t, why isn’t it? The language content and body count would suggest it is, so there needs to be a commitment one way or the other. At some point we need every form of entertainment to forget about Janet’s tit and just tell stories that look and feel real. These guys are capable of better; I hope we see it next issue. Grade: C+

JACK STAFF #7 AND BURGLAR BILL #2
Written and Drawn by Paul Grist

Paul Grist is one of those guys who should be selling about 80,000 copies of every comic he makes, and it’s brutally unfair that he doesn’t. Take JACK, for instance; issue seven is a stunning work of art, as Grist continues telling multiple stories set in multiple eras while setting new ones in motion. But none of it feels forced, confusing, or over-written. Indeed, Grist offers up some amazingly experimental artwork, particularly in a sequence where the book drops the color except for the green of a character’s jacket. And there’s a reason for that. BILL is a more light-hearted book, following the adventures of a genial and somewhat introverted thief. In fact, Bill barely speaks at all in what I would consider to be a fairly dialogue heavy book. Instead, Grist allows Bill’s reactions to express the directions the story takes. As a bonus for both books, I’d point out that Grist is one of the best creators at presenting interesting female characters in his works. He also displays the very dry and surprising humor that his fellow Britons are so well known for. Buy his books; they’re really good. Grade: A-

FREEDOM FORCE #1-2
Written by Eric Dieter and Drawn by Tom Scioli

I’m not the audience for this book. Let me just get that out there so you can take my words with whatever grains of salt you like. This is what I would call a “Kirby tribute” book, written and drawn in the King’s style, circa 1974. And for it’s ambitions in that, I would call it successful. Every page, every stilted bit of dialogue, reads like it could have come from Jack’s pen thirty years ago. The books are filled with retro charm from front to back. But to be blunt, I have never ever liked tribute books of this nature. In fact, I’ve generally hated them. I used to have the strong desire to take every issue of Ron Frenz’ THOR off the shelf and give them to the homeless to burn for warmth at night. Therefore, I’m going to leave this book gradeless, as I cannot judge it fairly. I’ll leave it to someone with more distance to judge.

INVINCIBLE #19-20
Written by Robert Kirkman and Drawn by Ryan Ottley

And so we come full circle with more Kirkman. INVINCIBLE has been one of the more fun and lively superhero comics on the stands from the moment it hit, and while it has been surpassed in popularity by WALKING DEAD, you can still see Kirkman’s enthusiasm and love for the title in every page. What’s really nice is seeing the book reach issue twenty; it began as part of a group launch of titles, and none of those other books has survived. After some struggle, though, INVINCIBLE proved it had some staying power. These issues get back to the core focus of young Mark Grayson and his struggles to balance his personal life and his life as one of the most powerful heroes on the planet. Keeping a secret identity is kind of a bitch, you know? Especially when your girlfriend has begun to think you’re a drug dealer because you’re always answering your pager and running off. Or worse, she just thinks you’re a coward. This second scenario is one of the best bits in recent memory, as it’s a quiet homage to the early Lee/Ditko SPIDER-MAN issues and Peter Parker’s problems. One brewing problem with INVINCIBLE: there are enough issues out now that the plot and characters have grown quite complex, and it’s time to start a front cover recap/intro page. Larsen can live without one in DRAGON because he effectively uses exposition to inform the new reader, every issue. This is NOT Kirkman’s forte. Grade: B+

Thanks for joining me for the big column crossover. Keep watching this space for more reviews, lists, essays, and blog memes.

/Mason

CATCHING UP WITH SOME FUN STUFF

GAMBIT #7
Written by John Layman and Drawn by Georges Jeanty
Published by Marvel

GAMBIT rolled in last year as part of the usual new glut of X-Men related product. Normally, I tend to avoid those types of things like the plague, but since I’ve had the pleasure to get to know scribe Layman a bit, I checked it out. Mind you, I like John, but you couldn’t pay me to buy an issue of THUNDERCATS, but GAMBIT was close enough for me to ring up. The series started out a bit slow, but by part four of the six part opening storyline, Layman really seemed to find his voice and the book kicked into gear. Unlike many Marvel books these days, Gambit gets back to the character’s original essence, rather than trying to modernize it or attach it to some sort of hip pop culture phenomenon. Remy LeBeau is a thief, a scoundrel, and a womanizer, and Layman embraces those traits rather than ignoring them. This issue kicks off a three-issue story that finds Gambit bedeviled by a sexy cop who’s not all she seems, and a young mutant whose death is only the beginning of a much bigger problem. This has turned into a terrific piece of monthly entertainment, and even with the glut, it’s proved itself.

CONCRETE: THE HUMAN DILEMMA #2
Written and Drawn by Paul Chadwick
Published by Dark Horse

I reviewed issue one here a few weeks ago, and I’m pleased to say that issue two is even better. Chadwick is crafting an elegant and layered tale about the current state of the human race in this small, intimate character study. He’s also creating plot points that are not only interesting for the new reader, but that also pay off threads that stretch back to the first stories told with the character. In particular, Chadwick finally addresses head-on that Concrete has been in love with his scientist handler Maureen for all this time. Indeed, we’ve often wondered about how she feels about him as well, whether it’s with scientific detachment or any sense of caring, even though she’s always called him by his human name, Ron. Of course, a man made of rock (and no genitalia) has more than a few issues with what love and sex mean to him, and beyond that, he must for the first time contemplate that he may be immortal in that body. There’s so much great stuff in here that I feel sorry for comics that aren’t this good. Chadwick may not return to the character very often, but it is always, always, worth the wait.

GUN FU #4
Written by Howard Shum and Drawn by Joey Mason
Published by Axiom

GUN FU is just good, clean, loopiness. When you have a Hong Kong cop from 1936 traipsing around the world and speaking in modern hip-hop, you either love this kind of thing, or you leave it on the shelf. Personally, I fucking dig it. Shum and Mason have created a book that rewards the atypical comics fan, the one who has a deep and abiding love for both classic pulp and neo-modern pop culture. This is the final issue of “The Lost City” mini-series, which found hero Cheng Bo Sen heading to the jungles of South America to stop a Nazi plot and falling in love with a native girl. Each of those classic tropes was treated with the complete disrespect they deserved, maximizing the laugh quotient. There are only two real problems with GUN FU; one, it takes too long between issues (though I totally understand it) and two, there’s an ad on the back cover announcing the next GUN FU mini, but the bastards don’t say when it’s coming out. Evil!

JLA CLASSIFIED #4
Written by Giffen and DeMatteis and Drawn by Kevin Maguire
Published by DC

This is basically issue one of the classic creative team’s sequel to FORMERLY KNOWN AS THE JUSTICE LEAGUE, and as per usual, it’s fuggin’ funny. The team, calling itself “Super Buddies,” is settling into their new offices when a supervillain decides to move in next-door and open a bar. Plus, Fire buys Mary Marvel her first ever cup of coffee, there’s some confusion about Sue Dibny’s reproductive system (this story takes place before the wretched IDENTITY CRISIS), and that supervillain has a silent partner known to the team who isn’t. Quite. So. Silent. The gags fly fast and furious from page one, panel one, and Maguire lends his usual beautiful art work to the proceedings. To this day, no one else in comics has displayed his skill and ability to render facial expressions and body language. I first became a JLA reader and fan when this team got together to make magic nearly twenty years ago, and they still have the goods.

STRANGE DAY
Written by Damon Hurd and Drawn by Tatiana Gill
Published by Alternative

I ordered this because the solicitation really stuck out to me. STRANGE DAY is the story of a young man who skips school to buy the new Cure album and winds up meeting a girl who does the same. I read that and immediately found myself drawn backward fifteen years. Yeah, I could totally remember those years. Sold. I sat down to actually read it this past weekend, and it was just as charming as it sounded. Teenage love stories can be a sticky wicket; there’s plenty of room to over-write the pathos of the young heart, but Hurd manages to keep the characters on a fairly even keel as their attraction to one another develops. He’s abetted nicely by Gill’s relaxed and loose art; the kids look like kids, and more so, they look like kids who would skip school to buy a Cure album. I’m a sucker for sweet love stories, and I don’t apologize for it. I haven’t read other work from either creator, but I’m certainly going to keep my eyes open for it now.

/Mason

100 Things I Love About Comics

What the Hell… I might as well jump in.

1. Transmetropolitan
2. The Trouble With Girls
3. Dinosaurs For Hire
4. Kyle Baker
5. Mark Beachum
6. Sandman
7. Concrete
8. Comic-Con International
9. Peter David’s Hulk
10. Miracleman
11. Warren Ellis
12. Roger Stern’s Spider-Man
13. Marvel Essentials
14. Ty Templeton
15. mini comics
16. Larry Young’s enthusiasm
17. Stormwatch: Change Or Die
18. Travis Charest
19. David Mazzucelli
20. Mark Gruenwald
21. Claremont/Byrne Uncanny X-Men
22. Frank Miller’s Daredevil
23. Christopher Priest
24. Giffin/DeMatteis Justice League
25. Fantagraphics’ commitment to archiving classic material
26. Love And Rockets
27. Quantum And Woody
28. The CBLDF
29. old romance comics
30. John Lustig
31. Stray Bullets
32. Andi Watson
33. Cages
34. Chynna Clugston
35. Owly
36. Evan Dorkin
37. Paul Dini and Bruce Timm
38. the “animated” art style
39. Box Office Poison
40. Steven Grant
41. Simonson’s Thor
42. Zot
43. Jimmy Palmiotti and Amanda Connor
44. Complete Peanuts
45. Hellboy
46. Queen and Country
47. Harley Quinn
48. original graphic novels
49. The Dodsons
50. Strangers In Paradise
51. Byrne’s Fantastic Four
52. Howard Chaykin
53. buying from Khepri
54. The Walking Dead
55. From Hell
56. Astro City
57. Cerebus
58. Supernatural Law
59. Lea Hernandez
60. Flaming Carrot
61. Paul Grist
62. Baker Street: Honour Among Punks
63. Absolute Authority
64. Colleen Doran
65. Age Of Reptiles
66. Battle Royale
67. Fanboy Rampage (Hi, Graeme!)
68. The Comics Journal
69. Lewis Trondheim
70. 100 Bullets
71. Patrick Atangan
72. Kid Firechief
73. Suicide Squad
74. Jill Thompson
75. Friends Of Lulu
76. Jim Mahfood
77. Stuck Rubber Baby
78. Pedro and Me
79. Small Favors
80. Christine Norrie
81. The Ballad Of Dr. Richardson
82. Luis Royo
83. Electric Girl
84. Morrison’s Animal Man
85. Barry Ween, Boy Genius
86. Joe Sacco
87. Starman
88. Finals (why isn’t this in trade?)
89. Terminal City
90. Watchmen
91. Charlie Adlard
92. The Complete Bone
93. Steve Lieber
94. Top Ten
95. Hepcats
96. Persepolis
97. anthologies
98. Jinx
99. Charm School
100. writing about them

/Mason

HE'S UP TO NO GOOD, I TELL YA!

If you're looking for someone to give you an opinion about something comics-related, and it doesn't matter if you like the opinion or not, you could do a lot worse than going to my old buddy Alan David Doane for it. Alan loves and cares about comics the way you love and care about breathing. He takes bad comics personally, because someone took the time to waste his. He wants his happy spot tickled and his heart to grow three sizes when he reads a book.

Who can blame him?

If we all felt that way about comics, maybe, just maybe, we'd force the publishers to make better ones, instead of churning out another Jeph Loeb SUPERMAN book or anything by Frank Tieri. But because the fanbase loves Kool-Aid, we get HERCULES, PRINCE OF REALITY SHOWS, coming to a comic shop near you. Yay.

Anyway, Alan has been playing with Photoshop lately, and this morning, a nifty little gem has appeared at the Galaxy. Check it out. For those who still want to claim that ADD is an elitist, you should finally be cured of that notion by looking at this.

Trust me. It's fuggin' neat.

/Mason

NEWS FROM FRIENDS

Two cool bits of info hit my mailbox this week. First from the dapper and killer-cool James Sime:

SAN FRANCISCO (February 9th, 2005) Acclaimed San Francisco comics retailer James Sime, proprietor of Isotope - the comic book lounge, announced today that submissions for the much-celebrated 2005 Isotope Award for Excellence in Mini-Comics will be accepted until March 15th at midnight. "Alright mini-comic creators, it's time to fire up your printers and copy machines again," said Sime, "And it's time to score yourself some of the gold and the glory that is the third annual Isotope Award for Excellence in Mini-Comics!"Established in 2003, the Isotope Award was created to celebrate the thousands of unique, hand-produced mini-comics that are created each year. Focusing on this often overlooked segment of the comic industry and the creators who make them, the Isotope Award for Excellence in Mini-Comics is known internationally for launching the professional comic careers of Rob Osborne (1000 STEPS TO WORLD DOMINATION) and Josh Cotter (SKYSCRAPERS OF THE MIDWEST)."

Mini-comics are the basement tapes of the comic industry," Sime said, "And just like basement tapes, this is where the raw creative spark is at it's brightest. Mini-comics represent the bleeding edge of comics innovation and evolution and this where the industry's superstars of tomorrow are perfecting their riffs and chops today. We want to shine the spotlight on the work these future superstars are making... that's what the Isotope Award is all about!" Sime's goal of bringing greater glory to the mini-comic artform has resulted in great success for Isotope Award winners with 2003's winner Rob Osborne having his full length 1000 STEPS TO WORLD DOMINATION graphic novel published by AIT-PlanetLar last October and 2004's winner Josh Cotter having his winning entry SKYSCRAPERS OF THE MIDWEST published in all it's glory by AdHouse Books in January of this year. Both books have been well received by the comic reading public at large and have been lavished with tremendous critical success.

Mini-comic creators from the four corners of the globe are once again encouraged to submit their minis for a chance to win this annual prize, "Sometimes it seems this little pond of industry that we call comic book making is riddled with awards, so it's nice when an award comes along that not only stands for something new, but also serves a greater good" said AdHouse Books publisher Chris Pitzer who began publishing 2004's Isotope Award winner Josh Cotter's SKYSCRAPERS OF THE MIDWEST in January. "The Isotope Award for Excellance in Mini-Comics" is our industry's Sundance. It's a chance for an unknown comic to gain exposure, and hopefully gain something from it. And heck, any award that pointy has to be great to win!"

The Isotope Award for Excellence in Mini-Comics trophy is as unique as the award itself, designed by famed sculpter Crowe; the trophy stands nearly ten inches tall and is made entirely from carved ebony fossil stone and satin silver. "It's an honor to get to present one of these awards each year to a well-deserving winner," said Isotope Special Projects Director Kirsten Baldock, "And thanks to the exceptional work that has been submitted to our judges in past years, the Isotope Award continues to be an unmistakable symbol of leadership and innovation in the comics industry.""I don't want to sound cliche," 2004's Isotope Award winner Josh Cotter said, "But winning the Isotope has changed a lot of things for me... primarily with going from making comics that not many people other than my wife and parents were reading to getting published (by AdHouse Books) within just a matter of months of receiving the award. James and the Isotope folks are truly doing a great thing for the world of mini-comics, by not only giving a bunch of otherwise non-competitive introverts something to strive for, but by helping an often overlooked niche of the comics medium to get some well-deserved attention." 2003's Isotope Award winner Rob Osborne agrees, "Making mini-comics is a labor of love, and the blood, sweat and tears that you put into your comics can be very rewarding. The Isotope Award for Excellence in Mini-Comics will bring some talented person the adoration they have coming to them."

AiT/PLanetlar publisher Larry Young knows a thing or two about the Isotope Award bringing recognition to mini-comic creators like Rob Osborne, it was because of the award that he first discovered 1000 STEPS TO WORLD DOMINATION which he published a greatly expanded version of as an original graphic novel in October. 1000 STEPS has proven to be an excellent seller and one of AIT-PlanetLar's most critically acclaimed titles of last year."I'm luckier than most in that the Isotope is my local shop," Larry Young said, "and I see lots of the cool stuff that passes over its transom. When Rob Osborne's 1000 STEPS TO WORLD DOMINATION was anointed with the very first Isotope Award for Excellence in Minicomics, though, I knew it was something special and signed up Rob nearly on the spot. We're even publishing a new work by Osborne, SUNSET CITY, this fall, so that proves that the attention an Isotope award brings you pays off in career accolades. I mean, seriously, when the Boston Red Sox finally beat the Curse of the Babe and won the World Series for the first time in 86 years, the ARIZONA REPUBLIC led the story with a mention of Osborne's comic. That's the sort of attention winning the Isotope gets for your work."

The award selection committee for 2005 remains a mix of comic aficionados, entrepreneurs, artists, and industry impresarios. Including self-publishers, mini-comic creators and, of course, a person who sells comics for a living, "We like to keep the committee fresh by bringing in new blood each year, but we still ensure that the Isotope Awards Committee covers the entire spectrum of the mini-comic equation," Sime declared, "

Like last year I'll be on the judging committee once again, as will be mini-comic success story Rob Osborne. Representing for the classic literature set we've got our comic lovin' Librarian in the form of Isotope Special Projects Director Kirsten Baldock who heads up our judging committee. And for our new additions this year we're bringing on board self-publisher and PopImage columnist Jason McNamara who always keeps his finger on the pulse of what's happening and has exceptional taste in minis, and the penultimate comic connoisseur Jim Cox... I've walked the floor at San Diego with Jim and let me tell you this, that guy has an incredible ability to find greatness."

The only fee for entry to this competition is five copies of your mini-comic sent to Isotope's Special Projects Director Kirsten Baldock at the Isotope address (1653 Noriega St San Francisco, CA 94122) before the March 15th deadline. As is tradition, the award will be given out at a grand ceremony during APE AFTERMATH at the Isotope in conjunction with San Francisco's ALTERNATIVE PRESS EXPO. San Francisco’s APE convention has been a forum for small and independent publishers in the industry for many years. Because of the nature of this award, the winner will be contacted in advance and must be present at the Isotope at 9 PM on Friday, April 9th for the award presentation ceremony."These award ceremonies are a blast, and I don't doubt that this year's award ceremony to be the best one yet!" enthused Sime, "Our entire judging committee is going to be there to honor this year's winner, and both Osborne and Cotter will be in attendance to welcome the next generation of Isotope Award recipient into the winner's circle. And for those who attended APE AFTERMATH last year, you can expect our usual massive turnout of supporters and creators... but this year we're going to be having even grander superstar entrances for the Isotope Award winners!"

Like Sime and the rest of the Isotope Award Committee, Rob Osborne encourages all mini-comic creators to take a chance on their work and get their minis in before deadline, "Winning this award completely blew the doors of the comic industry open for me," said Osborne, "That step from the shadows of mini-comic obscurity to the limelight of big time published creator may be just one submission away, I highly recommend that you submit your mini-comic for the Isotope Award. You may be a mini-comic star and not even know it!"The Isotope Award for Excellence in Mini-Comics could be yours, submissions of five copies accepted until March 15th at 1653 Noriega St. San Francisco, CA 94122. For more information contact the Isotope at (415) 753 - 3037 or at jamessime@earthlink.net

Then the great Tom Spurgeon came along with this news:

I'll be hosting Bart Beaty's European comics reviews on the Comics Reporter for a short while, as he gets in the habit of writing regularly and decides whether or not he wants to do a European comics review blog. I know it's not really news, but Bart's the person I go to with all my Euro-comics questions, and I can't imagine too many other people I'd do this for.

Trust me: if Spurge thinks this is a good thing, then it's a great thing. He's the Man.

So this one has been making the rounds of various pros and bloggers as of late, having started from Joss Whedon sending it out to the folks in his address book (and though I wish I was in it, I'm not). So here's my take:

1. What is your favorite color?

Black. I'm also partial to darker greens and purples.

2. What is your quest? (Monty Python geeks only.)

To write more, whether it's about comics, pop culture, my life, etc. Maybe even break down and write a comic. Eventually.

3. Name a movie you think is underrated.

Like Johanna, I love My Favorite Year. It's funny, touching, and a smart reminder about what happens when the walls between fans and idols begin to come down.

4. What book are you reading/did you just finish?

Right now I'm reading HANGIN OUT WITH THE DREAM KING, Fantagraphics' book about Neil Gaiman.

5. Are you just saying that to impress us?

Nope. It was sent for me to review, and review it I shall.

6. Name a quality you envy in a particular person.

I envy Rebecca's patience as a parent.

7. What is most likely to cause blinding rage in you?

Stupid people. Stupid people acting stupid. Stupid people saying stupid things.

8. It's your last meal. What'll you have? (Bonus question: Why are you on death row?)

16oz prime rib, baked potato. Or a double pepperoni pizza. I'm on death row because my patience ran out and I killed someone for being too stupid to live.

9. What superpower would you like to have? (Flight, invisibility and super-strength are only worth half a point.) (Not that we're grading.)

If I can't have any of those, I'd go with a healing factor.

10. My God! You've switched genders! Who would you like to look like?

Like to look like? Charisma Carpenter. Would look like? Sadly, the world's most hideous drag queen.

11. The old dinner-party-with-anyone-in-history chestnut. Let's go there.

Robert Penn Warren. John Belushi. Marilyn Monroe.

12. What's your best physical feature?

My eyes.

13. What really terrifies you?

Anything worth doing and risking is something that induce at least a little terror. But in the end, not fulfilling my potential and my goals haunts me the most, because it's always lurking.

14. You're shipwrecked. A helicopter pulls you out of the freezing waterbut your spouse, your best friend and your mother are all in the water and only one can be saved. What drink do you order later to feel better about the terrible ordeal?

A margarita. Frozen. No salt.

15. Who will play you in the movie of your life?

Not even a question: Oliver Platt. No one else even comes close.

16. Name a song that transports you to another time. Do not attempt to be classy.

"Sweet Dreams" by the Eurythmics. My best friend and I rewrote it into a commercial jingle for a schiool project and I still hear our lyrics when the music starts.

17. You're jammin'! You're the best, at your peak! Check you OUT! What instrument and with what band? (classiness acceptable but in no way mandatory.)

Drums, backing up Trent Reznor when he takes Nine Inch Nails out for live shows.

18. What current trend bothers you?

Shitty pre-manufactured pop stars. See: Simpson, Ashlee.

19. The Amish. Cool or uncool?

WAY cool. Visit a community and eat there some time. You will be blown away at what these folks can accomplish.

20. Which New Years resolution are you most likely to blow first?

Rebuilding bridges to people I've lost track of.

/Mason

HEY ADULTS! COMICS!

Okay, I’m jaded, no question. Very little excites me anymore, comics-wise. But something I’ve been waiting years for finally hit. And I’m happier than a pig in shit.

CONCRETE: THE HUMAN DILEMMA #1
Published by Dark Horse

It’s this simple. Those of us who developed a taste for black and white indy books in the eighties usually did so in one of three ways: CEREBUS, LOVE AND ROCKETS… or CONCRETE. I fell into that latter category in a huge way.

At first, it seemed like an unexplainable oddity: the guy who drew DAZZLER was doing a book about a speechwriter stuck in a body made of stone, and the book was all about plumbing the depths of the character and his cast, and exploring the human condition and what it meant to our modern society. And yet as time passed, it moved further and further up the new books stack, whether it was a short in DARK HORSE PRESENTS or the eventual regular series, until it reached the top. I got hungry for the stories, as brilliant pieces such as Concrete’s journey to work on a family farm deserted by its patriarch left me slack-jawed in amazement at their power and heart.

Writer/artist Paul Chadwick quickly became one of my favorite creators; one of the first things I do when the artists’ alley list goes up at the Comic-con International website is see if Chadwick has a table, because that’s one place where I will always stop. This past year, he wisely had a sign posted at his table announcing the schedule for HUMAN DILEMMA and the status of the long in development feature film adaptation. Wise man, that Chadwick.

So after a lull of years, Concrete is back with this issue, and I’m beyond pleased. Chadwick has used the miniseries format over the years to have Concrete explore various ideas and concepts that can be considered controversial (gun control, monkeywrenching) and this mini is no different: Concrete is approached by a wealthy patron who is looking for a spokesman for a program that encourages population control through voluntary sterilization. A hot button topic to be sure.

That said, HUMAN DILEMMA is also about reintroducing the characters, period, and giving a new generation an idea about who Concrete and his friends are, and this is where the heart of every Concrete story ultimately lays. His assistant Larry has asked his girlfriend to marry him. Concrete himself has been in love with his other helper, Maureen, almost since he met her. These are the true human dilemmas that Chadwick will bury himself in exploration of.

Not content with making his fans happy with a new story, Chadwick also throws in an article written by “Concrete” about his favorite painting, plus some art pages for a comic that Chadwick briefly worked on before deciding to concentrate on publishing CONCRETE all those years ago. I don’t get excited about too much these days, but you can bet your sweet ass that when this series is over I’ll find the time to pull out all those trades and dive back into what easily ranks among my top five comics of all-time.

INCREDIBLE HULK #77
Published by Marvel

Speaking of long-awaited returns… Peter David returns to the character that he, more than any other creator, helped define over a run of more than 130 issues. It’s one thing for Chadwick to come back to CONCRETE; no one else has done the book in his absence, and he owns the character. It’s another, more risky, thing for a creator like David to take on an assignment like this. He has to compete not only against the work of other creators, but also against the memory of his own great work in the fans’ minds. It definitely isn’t for someone with small cajones.

You run the risk of turning into Chris Claremont, a creator who came back to the place where he was best known and refused to evolve, rendering himself a shallow parody of his former self whose work reads like comics have passed him by.

David wisely seems to realize this and addresses it by writing an issue of HULK that bears virtually no resemblance to anything he did on the title before his departure many years ago. Indeed, it feels like an interesting hybrid of the work of the previous scribe, Bruce Jones, and some of the darker and more introspective stuff he’s been doing in FALLEN ANGEL. He’s also acquired a bit more of the “decompression” flu that pervades Marvel these days, but I’m willing to forgive it for the moment.

Apparently sales have been good enough so far that David has been offered the gig through the end of the year, which is a good sign for David. I’m very curious to see if he can keep up the quality of this issue over the long haul. I think he can.

LOVE AND ROCKETS #12
Published by Fantagraphics

Another sweet dose of Hernandez Brothers goodness… ahhhhh. This issue’s highlights are the opening story, “2 Rs, 2 Ls” by Jaime, and the Gilbert’s closing story, “A Gift For Venus.” As usual, what works best is the brothers’ absolute commitment to not getting overwhelmed by plot; LOVE AND ROCKETS works because you get sucked in to what the characters are saying and feeling. The rest is really peripheral to whether or not you enjoy the book. A latecomer to the world of L&R, I always find myself amazed at how deep I let the hook get stuck into my cheek as I plow through the Hernandez’ work. I’ve got PALOMAR checked out from my library right now; 512 pages of Gilbert goodness. I just need to find the time to read it. That’ll be a happy day, indeed.

BELLY BUTTON COMIX #2
Published by Fantagraphics

Sophie Crumb returns with another terrific set of autobiographical stories in this collection. Now, normally I can take a very dim view on autobio comics; too many people who do them use them as an excuse to discuss how much they jerk off and how that makes them a brilliantly tortured soul. Spare me, you know? But Crumb’s work is a lot smarter than that. Yes, she discusses in depth her issues, problems, and dysfunctions; fair enough. She also discusses those same issues as they pertain to her friends. However, what she never does is try to make excuses for her behavior or make claims that her errors make her something of a tortured genius that no one can appreciate. She just gets the story out and lets the reader decide. Why is that so goddamned hard for others to figure out? You may read her work and come to the conclusion that spending the day with Sophie Crumb isn’t your cup of tea; however, you will read her work and come to the conclusion that you’d like to spend more time reading Sophie’s work.

Mason

COMIC OF THE YEAR

Yeah, I know Graeme used the exact same header. Bite me.

However, in my case, I have decided to take the the POV of what comic provided the most entertainment value, thought-provoking moments, and general brilliance in 2004. And much to my surprise, it wasn't a comic book.

It was a comic strip.

For my money, no comic was as relevant, shocking, or well-executed this year as DOONESBURY. It wasn't even close. In producing the "B.D. loses a leg in Iraq storyline, Garry Trudeau brought the war home to readers in a way that they never expected or anticipated. And taking such an enormously risky step with his amputation and the removal of his helmet! for the very first time demonstrated a willingness to move forward and change that comic books seem to lack. And taking the time to explore B.D.'s emotions and reactions to his new status quo allowed Trudeau to mine some razor sharp humor from a dark situation. The strip where his daughter discusses his injury in class and leaves her schoolmates frustrated because their parents seem lame next to hers is a classic, both in its truth and its bravery in presenting a point of view that isn't exactly P.C.

Of course, there was plenty of other good stuff in the strip this year, as Trudeau did one of the better jobs of detailing the crimes and stupidity of the Bush administration and he did so in an efficiently fun manner. Late in the year he amusingly took a poke at the rush of cabinet members who abandoned ship, bringing back one of his sleazier characters as "Secretary of Toady Affairs," someone who would be the "yes" man that men like Colin Powell were not. Awesome stuff.

There were some terrific comic books this year, without a doubt. But when it boils down to it, the thing I looked forward to reading most, day in and day out, was the next installment of DOONESBURY. I can't offer much higher praise than that.

Mason

FANTA FUNTIME AGAIN!

Let’s take a look at some spiffy new books, shall we?

LUBA’S COMICS AND STORIES #5/LUBA #9
Written and Drawn by Gilbert Hernandez

Hernandez’ LUBA tales begin drawing to a close here, and comics are that much poorer for it. These two excellent books demonstrate his wonderful mastery of the art form, his gift for exacting soap opera storytelling, and his wicked sense of humor. I wish more creators would take a look at these works and get a better sense of how to make great comics.

COMICS AND STORIES #5 is one of the funniest things I’ve read this year. The story is an amusing piss-take on the movie “DUDE, WHERE’S MY CAR?” that finds Luba’s sister Petra sending her severely stoned (and horny) boyfriend Hector to give Luba a ride home. Of course, Hector is out of his mind on the weed, he loses his way, gets very paranoid, and when he finally finds Luba (on accident) he can’t remember where he parked. Along the way he bumps into a number of the rest of the cast and continues to dig a bigger hole for himself as he finds newer and bigger ways to screw up in his haze. Tossing in some wonderful moments of poignancy involving Luba and her disfigured husband Khamo (in their youth) adds some welcome depth to the tale and offers a reminder to Hollywood about how to properly execute this kind of farcical entertainment.

However, it’s LUBA #9 that delivers the serious goods in huge doses. Bringing together all of the dangling plots about Luba and her extended family, this book races towards an absolutely stunning cliffhanger conclusion. After an issue of nothing but hijinx, Hernandez reasserts himself as a dramatist of the highest order. As the theme of loves both lost and rekindled works its way through the issue and highlights who each of the characters really is and who they wish to be, we are caught off guard by a spare and powerful emotional dagger in the final two panels of the book that left me cursing Fantagraphics P.R. and Marketing master Eric Reynolds for not having packed the next and final issue in the box. That, friends, is good comics.

WORN TUFF ELBOW #1
Written and Drawn by Marc Bell

This, on the other hand, is just flat out weird. Canadian cartoonist Bell is a fantastic cartoonist whose work looks like Jim Woodring mated with Geof Darrow, making this a visually arresting book, but the stories contained within are utterly nonsensical. The primary tale, which features an incident the threatens to tear apart a small town politically and socially, seems to be metaphorically drawn from what I would guess to be a real life situation, but I just not sure which one. However, the joy is in the telling and the artistry involved in putting the book together. Bell’s level of detail extends deep into the margins, and he does a wonderful job with his inks in setting the mood, even in a lark like this one. The main story is a bit heavy handed, but in the end, I sat back and just enjoyed Bell’s talent for what it is.

/Mason

FREE COMICS: JUST BE CLEVER...

Go here.

This is not a joke. This is, instead, me being thankful for a great year of comics reviewing and interviewing. Just be clever. That's all I ask. Give me a reason that this stuff should go to you.

I want this to be really great.

/Mason

GRANT'S QUESTIONS/BEST RAMPAGE EVER

The always great Steven Grant asked these questions in one of his recent columns, and I have answered:

1) What's your favorite comic of 2004?

Tough one. As far as trades or graphic novels go, I’ll go off the beaten path and say EGG STORY, OWLY, and B. KRIEGSTEIN COMICS really floated my boat. Also the fine manga, REMOTE. As far as floppies go, Peter David’s MADROX and Mark Waid’s underappreciated EMPIRE both gave me much enjoyment.

2) What's your favorite comics related moment?

It happened on screen. Batman singing for the life of Wonder Woman in the JUSTICE LEAGUE UNLIMITED cartoon. Paul Dini’s sly and hilarious middle finger to the people who take Bats way too seriously, as he slipped out the door to write for the excellent LOST.

3) What's the worst thing to happen in comics in 2004?

Marvel is beginning to flood the market again. Stupid, stupid, stupid.

4) What's your most fervid hope for comics in 2005?

Innovation. More original graphic novels. Material that attempts to broaden the audience. An industry that appeals more to women and young girls.

5) What aspect of comics in 2005 are you most looking forward to?

Finding more quality works by unknown creators and small press entities. Every time I find a book like STYX TAXI, it gives me hope for comics’ future.

6) What's your worst fear for comics in 2005?

That we’ll continue to see more of the same shit. That comics will continue to be unfriendly towards the fairer sex. That we are headed for another market collapse.

I was also pondering the always outstanding Fanboy Rampage today when I had an epiphany about what the site really is:

It's BEST WEEK EVER for comics. The motley collection of folks who post and rant about the foibles of the comics industry and the stupidity of fans are the comics equals to Jessi Klein, Sherrod Small, Patton Oswalt and the rest. It puts the site into perfect context and explains why I love it so much.

/Mason

APOLOGIES

I suck, and I have no excuses. There is absolutely no reason for me to have been silent for three weeks. I will flagellate myself in repentance.

SIDEKICKS book 4: THE CANDY MAN COMETH
Written by Dan Danko and Tom Mason
Published by Little, Brown

Book four of this series of young adults novels is, happily, just as charming as the first three. Guy Martin, the teen sidekick known as Speedy, is still dealing with his cowardly idiot mentor Pumpkin Pete, the absurd thought processes of his fellow heroes in training, and bizarre supervillains, all the while trying to make the football team and impress the prettiest girl in school. It’s all very universal- I still deal with that kind of crap every day I get out of bed and head to work.

All kidding aside, what makes these novels work is the fact that there is a universality to the nonsense that Guy is going through. He is a young boy dealing with the changes in his body, pressures from school, struggles with his destiny, and adults who are less than helpful or honest about what his life is supposed to be.

However, while these may be the underlying issues at the heart of these books, Danko and Mason never let that overwhelm or stunt the humor that carries the pace of the story along. Like the first three books, CANDY MAN is littered with sidesplitting dialogue, outlandish characters, and situations that leave the reader in stitches. For instance, this book adds a new sidekick to the group: Super Vision Lad. From his name, you might guess he can see through walls, but nope; instead, his mother brings him to sidekick tryouts because he’s a hyperactive pain in the ass that has chased away all her potential babysitters. Hence… his name… and the $10 an hour she offers Pumpkin Pete to keep an eye on him.

Former comics scribes Danko and Mason continue to show a deft touch in creating a series that is truly entertaining for child and adult alike. According to a recent missive from Mason, the series may now continue on past the originally scheduled six books; I think that’s a capital idea. It’s clear two-thirds of the way through their original plan that they have plenty of imaginative ideas left in the tank, and there should be no hurry for them to end Speedy’s comical adventures.

WHO WATCHES THE WITCHBLADE?

I happen to like Ian Edginton’s work. He’s a solid writer, if not flashy, and whenever I’ve bumped into his work, I’ve never really came away unhappy. Lately however, I have come away feeling sorry for him. You see, Ian has recently been writing WITCHBLADE. The poor, poor bastard.

My distaste for WITCHBLADE goes back pretty much to the title’s inception. When it hit, it was quite the rage, and the guy who was drawing it, Michael Turner, was an instant superstar because of it. I didn’t pick it up at the time, but once a trade paperback hit the shelves I picked it up to see what the fuss was about. And boy, was I pissed.

It wasn’t like the concept was awful. At heart, the idea of a New York policewoman coming into possession of an ancient weapon and using it to battle evil is a decent enough one. But the art… my God. I was pretty sure it had been drawn by a retarded monkey who was jacking off to the Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue at the same time. Fuck almighty. It was bad stereotype, playing up to the drooling fanboys who had no chance of ever seeing a real woman wearing a thong without having to pay for it. And to this day, I can’t stand Turner’s art. Awful. Just awful.

But not nearly as bad as Turner-lite artist Tony Daniel. Daniel has managed, in his career, with books like F5 and HUMANKIND, to ape Turner’s art style’s worst excesses. So when I found myself on the receiving end of two recent WITCHBLADE issues, and I saw that Daniel drew them, I opened them up and awaited the train wreck. It didn’t take long; page one of issue 78 looked just like this:



This is the scene of a multiple homicide. And rather than have Sara Pezzini show up looking like a police professional, she hits the crime scene looking like a completely different kind of professional. How is she not suspended, for Pete’s sake?

She manages to ditch the four inch heels and hooker dress for three inch heels and cameltoe pants when she gets back to the office. What an improvement:



But that sense of decorum goes out the window by the next issue when she wears an outfit that a nineteen year-old sorority girl would have trouble pulling off. Think the NYPD in this reality has a lot of sexual harassment problems?



What’s sad here is that Edginton is trying to tell a serious story with some gravity to it, but the art is just sabotaging him at every turn. I’d love to see the original script for these issues. I’d be willing to bet that the stage directions Edginton wrote in don’t say stuff like “she should be dressed like an expensive whore when she gets to the murder scene” or “the other characters will take her more seriously if she arches her back and sticks her tits out.” Now, I could be wrong, but I feel good about where I stand on that one.

I guess it mostly leaves me wondering how the writer, any writer on WITCHBLADE, feels when they start getting pages back from the artist. Is there just some switch you have to flick in your head when you take the assignment, a sense of resignation you have to adopt, knowing that your work is about to be fucked by some guy who’s more interesting in drawing women’s asses rather than your cool police story? We all take jobs here and there that are just for the paycheck, ones that bring us needed money to pay the bills; I just have to believe that writing WITCHBLADE is an even more bitter pill to swallow than most.