SIBAM OCTOBER 4, 2005 EDITION: PART TWO
Image Comics
FELL #1
Written by Warren Ellis and Drawn by Ben Templesmith
Ellis’ latest creator-owned gamble turns out to be a worthy one with this nifty little detective book. Using a straight, restrictive format (sixteen pages of story, all nine-panel grids), he brings Richard Fell to vivid life as a detective working homicide in the worst part of the city. I’ve seen some online whining that Fell feels like a standard tough guy Ellis protagonist, but I think he veers away from that quite well. Fell is more of a man of reason, a descendent of Holmes, not a Spider Jerusalem type who chooses violence for its own sake. Fell is haunted and saddened by the world and truly seems to be dedicated to making his little corner of it better. For a while now I’ve been telling those who would listen that Ellis is comics’ biggest romantic writer, and FELL continues to prove me right. Extra kudos to Templesmith for his beautiful art; getting away from vampires agrees with him nicely.
BODY BAGS #1-2
Written and Drawn by Jason Pearson
When bounty hunter/killer Mack gets a surprise visit from his precocious, ass-kicking teenaged daughter Panda, all Hell starts to break loose in the big man’s life. What’s a father to do when his daughter decides she wants to follow him into the family business and won’t take no for an answer? Shoot her? Or teach her the tricks of the trade?
Obviously, shooting her would make for a very short book, so instead the training begins and the body count begins to grow in this absurdist piece of entertainment. Pearson manages to tap into a vein of pure lunacy as he finds ways to take the levels of graphic violence and bubbling sexuality to new places. This is a down and dirty hit of pop comics, with zest, gusto, verve, and not a single ounce of redeeming social value. Perfect.
GODLAND #3
Written by Joe Casey and Drawn by Tom Scioli
The first two issues of this book didn’t do much for me. I could sort of see where Casey was aiming; by using Scioli’s pure Kirby-pastiche art, he was working a modernist tribute to the late King and his wealth of ultra-cosmic ideas. Cool. But at the same time, I’ve held a strong distaste for Scioli’s art for a long time. I’m sick of pastiches; Kirby left behind a solid body of work for me to enjoy, and I don’t need someone muddying up the water. So the story took a strong backseat.
However, I tried to take a stronger look at the story and concepts with this issue, and yeah, it’s kinda groovy. Don’t get me wrong; Casey isn’t reinventing the wheel, but he is doing a nice job of creating a solid retro-pop sound on the four-color page. He’s embraced one of the fundamentally great things about comics: you can go anywhere and do anything, as long as you create a world where that makes sense. That’s what GODLAND is really all about. I’m in.
DEATH JUNIOR #3
Written by Gary Whitta and Drawn by Ted Naifeh
The conclusion of this wonderful miniseries is just about as perfect as you could ask for. The characters grow and complete their arcs, the plot resolves itself nicely, and you walk away feeling good about the whole series and its potential for a sequel. It was only missing a bow.
The third issue finds Junior working with his friends so that he can undo his blunder and return his father to his rightful job as Death. Earlier in the series, Junior had blundered a bit and a bad guy had stolen Dad’s powers and locked him away. Plus, Junior had accidentally killed one of his best friends. This could have played very heavy, but Whitta works it all note perfect so that the book is still a great read for younger readers. Throw in some lovely work from Naifeh, and this was truly one of the year’s more pleasant surprises.
EXPATRIATE #3
Written by B. Clay Moore and Drawn by Jason Latour
No. No no no no no.
This is, quite simply, the single worst plot twist of 2005. Nothing else even comes close. This makes murdering the Blue Beetle look like WATCHMEN. This makes “House Of M” read like LOVE AND ROCKETS.
No. No no no no no. Bad Clay. No soup for you.
DEVILS DUE PUBLISHING
G.I. JOE #43 AND AMERICA’S ELITE #0
Written by Brandon Jerwa and Joe Casey
Drawn by Emiliano Santalucia, Tim Seeley, and Stefano Caselli
The old JOE endeth and the new one begins as Devils Due restarts the franchise and shifts the focus to a smaller version of the team. I’m guessing this is to streamline the storylines and make the series more inviting for new readers, but I also think it has the effect of whittling away some of the deadwood that can gather in the plot lines of a long running soap opera, which is what G.I. JOE has always been. It’s just a soap opera with ninjas and a lot of gunplay.
In the aftermath of the original team’s breakup at the end of issue #43, we meet the new version fairly quickly in ELITE, as a satellite crashes into Chicago, causing a cataclysmic event in Chicago and setting the Joes on the scene not only to assist in the aftermath, but to find the bad guy responsible for the thousands of deaths that have occurred. This Joe team already feels a bit more contemporary than past takes, and it will be interesting to see how that plays out as the book continues on. And hats off to Caselli, who is now freed from DEFEX and working on a book well suited to his talents. ELITE is a very good-looking comic.
MEGACITY 909 #7
Written by Andrew Dabb and Drawn by Kano Kang and Zack Suh
This is the penultimate chapter to this terrific series, and while I’m sad to see that it’ll be heading off into the sunset, I’m sort of glad, as well. This insane mishmash of demons, techno soldiers, meta-powers, and futuristic landscapes works hard to keep its balance and move the characters and plot forward; keeping it going indefinitely would be risky, and the risk of lapsing into self-parody would loom large as the road got longer.
I’ve been recommending this book from issue one, because it does offer a very unique blend of gorgeous art and off-the-hook storylines; nothing else on the stands reads quite like it, and the sort of “painted manga” look to the art is also something else you won’t see somewhere else. But I fear that my waving my arms around and screaming have done no good, which makes me sad. So as there is only one issue left after this one, I will save my breath and shout at you to buy the trade when it comes out, and savor the last remaining piece of the story for myself when it arrives.
HACK/SLASH: THE FINAL REVENGE OF EVIL ERNIE
Written by Tim Seeley and Drawn by Aadi Salman
This latest HACK/SLASH one-shot works very hard to be the best of the bunch, working in very strong character arcs for both Cassie and Vlad, which lends an air of depth to the book that the earlier, more high-concept driven stories lacked. Of course, the high-concept stories were also a real fun time, so whether or not it was necessary to give Cassie and Vlad strong character arcs is a “your mileage may vary” decision. However, sadly, the forward character movement is almost completely negated by the book’s titled guest star.
Evil Ernie. Ugh. I know that Chaos Comics and its characters had extremely loyal fans, but I was never even remotely one of them. Indeed, my distaste for the majority of them was pretty strong. So that made the appearance of Ernie a tough sell to me, and even though Seeley does yeoman’s work in trying to fit the character in and make him work with Cassie and Vlad, I just wasn’t having any of it. So basically, I just tuned his parts out as much as I could and did my best to enjoy the character bits Seeley was working so hard to get across. I’m truly a fan of this book, and its next incarnation as a miniseries bodes well for increasing its audience. Hell, maybe even Ernie’s appearance will bring some of those Chaos readers to future issues of the title. Maybe, just maybe, that will have made this guest appearance worth it.
/Mason
Saturday, October 01, 2005
Friday, September 16, 2005
OWLY
My love of OWLY is nearly uncontainable. This is a nifty little interview with Andy Runton about how he got this wonderful series off the ground. If you haven't read OWLY, you're missing out.
If you've read it and don't like it, I may have to get Doane on your ass.
/Mason
My love of OWLY is nearly uncontainable. This is a nifty little interview with Andy Runton about how he got this wonderful series off the ground. If you haven't read OWLY, you're missing out.
If you've read it and don't like it, I may have to get Doane on your ass.
/Mason
Sunday, August 14, 2005
SIBAM #101… PART TWO!
HERO SQUARED #1
Written by Keith Giffen and J.M. DeMatteis and Drawn by Joe Abraham
Published by Boom Studios
This is the first issue of a miniseries follow-up to last year’s one-shot of the same name. Keith and J.M. bring the same wonderful lunatic zeal to this book that they brought to their JUSTICE LEAGUE collaborations, telling the story of a superhero displaced to an alternate world where his counterpart is an annoying slacker. Unfortunately for him, his nemesis from his home universe has followed, and in the new world his counterpart is dating her counterpart. It may sound silly and confusing, and it is. It’s also damned funny. I never read the one-shot. Now I have to go find it.
100 GIRLS #5
Written by Adam Gallardo and Drawn by Todd Demong
Published by Arcana Studio
Picking up from the trade paperback, we jump right back into the story of young Sylvia and her search for her super-powered clone sisters. The issue is solid enough, and there’s some plot movement in the reactions of her pursuers, but the book sticks pretty tight to its formula of finding a new sister and absorbing her. While the segment works fine, the book is going to have to be careful to not become too repetitive in its efforts. The cliffhanger ending points towards the thought that the creative team realizes this as well.
BOOKS FROM VIPER COMICS
RANDOM ENCOUNTER #4
Written and Drawn by Nicc Balce
I didn’t like the first issue of this mini, but I thought it picked up nicely the rest of the way, delivering a solid action story and climax here in the finale. Balce’s art was the real star for me, his ameri-manga style easy on the eyes and simple in its storytelling. There were some genuinely intriguing experiments attempted by the author here, as he joined the select few artists attempting to complete a real melding of sequential art and the video game world. Not completely successful in that effort, mind you, but close enough to suggest he’ll do even better next time.
ODDLY NORMAL #4
Written and Drawn by Otis Frampton
On the flip side, I fell for this mini right out of the gate, but I’m a little disappointed in the ending. We get a lot of exposition and no true resolution to Oddly’s main problem (the disappearance of her parents). Instead, we get the pieces put in place for further Oddly adventures, and an ending that offers resolution rather than resolve. Couched within the exposition and furtherance of the plot is a good message about believing in oneself, and in the end, I believed that ODDLY was more than worth my time and I was ready to read more of her journey right away. Good enough.
BOOKS FROM IMAGE COMICS
STRANGE GIRL #2
Written by Rick Remender and Drawn by Eric Nguyen
I was hesitant when I picked up this book to read it. I had really enjoyed issue one, as I had enjoyed the first issue of Remender’s RED SEA. However, that book fell apart early in issue two, so I could only cross my fingers and hope for better results here. Happily, issue two of this book was a dandy, even more exhilarating than the first. Young Bethany, left behind after the biblical rapture, must navigate the new world of demons and insanity very carefully, and it doesn’t help when she pisses off her boss, her prime protector against the rest of Hell’s hordes. Nguyen’s art is simply gorgeous and would be worth the price of the book even if the story sucked. It doesn’t.
THE ATHIEST #2
Written by Phil Hester and Drawn by John McCrea
With two issues now out, this has immediately become a top ten book for me. Hester’s protagonist, the ultimate debunker, travels to visit a man slowly turning into living cancer, as he tries to unravel why a number of people are heading for Winnipeg and claiming to be the spirits of the dead returned to posses the living. Full of sharp ideas and characters you can’t help but want to read about, THE ATHIEST may just well be the frontrunner for next year’s “Best New Series” Eisner.
BATTLE POPE #1
Written by Robert Kirkman and Drawn by Tony Moore
Kirkman’s first comics work returns, now in color, in an attempt to find it the larger audience it lacked the first time around. POPE is, by turns, foul, disgusting, blasphemous, sexist, and grotesque. I recommend it highly. If you can’t laugh at Jesus wearing a t-shirt that says “What Would I Do?” then you’re probably already stocking up on holy water to throw on Kirkman next time you go to San Diego. Here’s a hint: he won’t melt. Tony Moore’s art is pretty rough here, but you can see in spots that he’s going to develop into the amazing artist who co-created THE WALKING DEAD and made it look so pretty.
GIRLS #3
Written and Drawn by the Luna Brothers
This has blossomed into a full-blown sophomore slump of mammoth proportions. We’re threw issues in, and not only is there not a single believable character, there’s still absolutely no clue as to what the fuck the plot is. Besides naked women hatching from eggs, that is. Yes, it looks pretty, but if you’ve asked someone to spend nine bucks at this point, they should have inkling as to what the story is. ULTRA laid it out in issue one: Pearl saw the psychic and was told she’d find love within the week. One more issue like this, and GIRLS is officially a disaster.
ZOMBIE KING #0
Written and Drawn by Frank Cho
See the zombie. See the cow. See the zombie fuck the cow slowly and gently. Moo, Bessie, moo. See Frank Cho having a good laugh at how much he can get away with. Laugh, Frank, laugh. Actually, ignoring the cow-fucking, this is a decent enough start to Cho’s next big project. He’s always had an appreciation and desire to draw monsters; you can see that in LIBERTY MEADOWS when he meanders in the Sunday-sized strips. So this is quite lovely to look at. The only downside is that it lacks balance, as we suddenly shift to an exposition-laden scene at the end of the issue that nearly drags the rest down like an anchor. Will be keeping an eye out for issue one, no doubt.
STUPID COMICS #3
Written and Drawn by Jim Mahfood
Loves me some Mahfood. As a Tempe resident, I’ve been privileged to follow his work for a long time, and this issue of STUPID COMICS is even a bit more fun, because most of the material originally appeared here in Arizona in the PHOENIX NEW TIMES. Still, many of Mahfood’s themes are universal, whether it’s his pokes at the stupidity of government or his tirades against manufactured pop culture. He isn’t for everybody, but he’s pretty much always for me.
FERRO CITY #1
Written and Drawn by Jason Armstrong
“THE MALTESE FALCON with robots” best describes this tasty little slice of cyber noir. Armstrong gives us a protagonist we’d have no problem seeing Bogey playing (though Brian Dennehy is the more modern choice) and a murder mystery wrapped around the civil rights movement of Circuited-Americans. Densely plotted and told, this is a nice antidote to the number of new books that seem to ship and decide they don’t need to tell you anything right away and you’ll still come back. Armstrong gets a nice pat on the back and thanks from me on that one.
PVP #0
Written and Drawn by Scott Kurtz
I happen to really enjoy PVP, and it’s hard to quibble with the $0.50 price tag, but this brief collection of highlight strips to introduce the characters and background of the book feels a little haphazard and not as tight as it should. The strips Kurtz chose are good, but they leave a certain lingering sensation that something is missing, and I can’t help but feel like a pointer to where the original strips could be found would be a solid idea. Since they’d been plucked from storylines, the new reader could have known right then where to go and read the full story. The brand new strip featuring the origin of Skull is dandy, though.
GUN CANDY #1/THE RIDE: MARDI GRAS #1
Written by Doug Wagner and Chuck Dixon and Drawn by Brian Stelfreeze and Sanford Greene and Jason Pearson
GUN CANDY is a prequel to the adventures of Laci, the teenaged assassin made infamous by Stelfreeze’s art the in THE RIDE trade paperback (see part one of the column), and given room to play, Stelfreeze completely cuts loose in gonzo fashion. Absurdist layouts, over-the-top violence, gratuitous sexuality, you name it… Stelfreeze has found a way to put it in here and make it look glorious. The pure neo-porn cover for his side of the flipbook adds to that dimension as well (trust me- go find it and look at it). I almost felt sorry for Dixon having to share with this stuff; his story is really very good, his artists do an amazing job of bringing a very dark and cynical story to life, and it damned near gets swallowed whole by its companion. On the other hand, maybe the pervs picking up the Stelfreeze cover will discover the excellent stuff awaiting them on the other side when they would have ignored something of this quality before. Looking forward to issue two.
SEASON OF THE WITCH #0
Written by Jai Nitz and Drawn by Kevin Sharpe
It’s gorgeous to look at. Has solid action. A good heroine. But once again, I say: tell the reader something in your story. Apparently, if you read the notes in the sketch section, etc, the heroine of this book slides back and forth between our world and this fantasy one, but nothing in the sequential pages would explain that, not even her mentioning of Missouri. It’s all well and good for Nitz to note that he’s putting some time between the solicits of issues zero and one so he can use this one to get orders and interest up, but he’d have been better off actually explaining what the story is going to be about. And if it’s supposed to be a book that appeals to teenaged girls, maybe it would be a little less icky for them if an orc didn’t call the heroine a whore, huh?
/Mason
HERO SQUARED #1
Written by Keith Giffen and J.M. DeMatteis and Drawn by Joe Abraham
Published by Boom Studios
This is the first issue of a miniseries follow-up to last year’s one-shot of the same name. Keith and J.M. bring the same wonderful lunatic zeal to this book that they brought to their JUSTICE LEAGUE collaborations, telling the story of a superhero displaced to an alternate world where his counterpart is an annoying slacker. Unfortunately for him, his nemesis from his home universe has followed, and in the new world his counterpart is dating her counterpart. It may sound silly and confusing, and it is. It’s also damned funny. I never read the one-shot. Now I have to go find it.
100 GIRLS #5
Written by Adam Gallardo and Drawn by Todd Demong
Published by Arcana Studio
Picking up from the trade paperback, we jump right back into the story of young Sylvia and her search for her super-powered clone sisters. The issue is solid enough, and there’s some plot movement in the reactions of her pursuers, but the book sticks pretty tight to its formula of finding a new sister and absorbing her. While the segment works fine, the book is going to have to be careful to not become too repetitive in its efforts. The cliffhanger ending points towards the thought that the creative team realizes this as well.
BOOKS FROM VIPER COMICS
RANDOM ENCOUNTER #4
Written and Drawn by Nicc Balce
I didn’t like the first issue of this mini, but I thought it picked up nicely the rest of the way, delivering a solid action story and climax here in the finale. Balce’s art was the real star for me, his ameri-manga style easy on the eyes and simple in its storytelling. There were some genuinely intriguing experiments attempted by the author here, as he joined the select few artists attempting to complete a real melding of sequential art and the video game world. Not completely successful in that effort, mind you, but close enough to suggest he’ll do even better next time.
ODDLY NORMAL #4
Written and Drawn by Otis Frampton
On the flip side, I fell for this mini right out of the gate, but I’m a little disappointed in the ending. We get a lot of exposition and no true resolution to Oddly’s main problem (the disappearance of her parents). Instead, we get the pieces put in place for further Oddly adventures, and an ending that offers resolution rather than resolve. Couched within the exposition and furtherance of the plot is a good message about believing in oneself, and in the end, I believed that ODDLY was more than worth my time and I was ready to read more of her journey right away. Good enough.
BOOKS FROM IMAGE COMICS
STRANGE GIRL #2
Written by Rick Remender and Drawn by Eric Nguyen
I was hesitant when I picked up this book to read it. I had really enjoyed issue one, as I had enjoyed the first issue of Remender’s RED SEA. However, that book fell apart early in issue two, so I could only cross my fingers and hope for better results here. Happily, issue two of this book was a dandy, even more exhilarating than the first. Young Bethany, left behind after the biblical rapture, must navigate the new world of demons and insanity very carefully, and it doesn’t help when she pisses off her boss, her prime protector against the rest of Hell’s hordes. Nguyen’s art is simply gorgeous and would be worth the price of the book even if the story sucked. It doesn’t.
THE ATHIEST #2
Written by Phil Hester and Drawn by John McCrea
With two issues now out, this has immediately become a top ten book for me. Hester’s protagonist, the ultimate debunker, travels to visit a man slowly turning into living cancer, as he tries to unravel why a number of people are heading for Winnipeg and claiming to be the spirits of the dead returned to posses the living. Full of sharp ideas and characters you can’t help but want to read about, THE ATHIEST may just well be the frontrunner for next year’s “Best New Series” Eisner.
BATTLE POPE #1
Written by Robert Kirkman and Drawn by Tony Moore
Kirkman’s first comics work returns, now in color, in an attempt to find it the larger audience it lacked the first time around. POPE is, by turns, foul, disgusting, blasphemous, sexist, and grotesque. I recommend it highly. If you can’t laugh at Jesus wearing a t-shirt that says “What Would I Do?” then you’re probably already stocking up on holy water to throw on Kirkman next time you go to San Diego. Here’s a hint: he won’t melt. Tony Moore’s art is pretty rough here, but you can see in spots that he’s going to develop into the amazing artist who co-created THE WALKING DEAD and made it look so pretty.
GIRLS #3
Written and Drawn by the Luna Brothers
This has blossomed into a full-blown sophomore slump of mammoth proportions. We’re threw issues in, and not only is there not a single believable character, there’s still absolutely no clue as to what the fuck the plot is. Besides naked women hatching from eggs, that is. Yes, it looks pretty, but if you’ve asked someone to spend nine bucks at this point, they should have inkling as to what the story is. ULTRA laid it out in issue one: Pearl saw the psychic and was told she’d find love within the week. One more issue like this, and GIRLS is officially a disaster.
ZOMBIE KING #0
Written and Drawn by Frank Cho
See the zombie. See the cow. See the zombie fuck the cow slowly and gently. Moo, Bessie, moo. See Frank Cho having a good laugh at how much he can get away with. Laugh, Frank, laugh. Actually, ignoring the cow-fucking, this is a decent enough start to Cho’s next big project. He’s always had an appreciation and desire to draw monsters; you can see that in LIBERTY MEADOWS when he meanders in the Sunday-sized strips. So this is quite lovely to look at. The only downside is that it lacks balance, as we suddenly shift to an exposition-laden scene at the end of the issue that nearly drags the rest down like an anchor. Will be keeping an eye out for issue one, no doubt.
STUPID COMICS #3
Written and Drawn by Jim Mahfood
Loves me some Mahfood. As a Tempe resident, I’ve been privileged to follow his work for a long time, and this issue of STUPID COMICS is even a bit more fun, because most of the material originally appeared here in Arizona in the PHOENIX NEW TIMES. Still, many of Mahfood’s themes are universal, whether it’s his pokes at the stupidity of government or his tirades against manufactured pop culture. He isn’t for everybody, but he’s pretty much always for me.
FERRO CITY #1
Written and Drawn by Jason Armstrong
“THE MALTESE FALCON with robots” best describes this tasty little slice of cyber noir. Armstrong gives us a protagonist we’d have no problem seeing Bogey playing (though Brian Dennehy is the more modern choice) and a murder mystery wrapped around the civil rights movement of Circuited-Americans. Densely plotted and told, this is a nice antidote to the number of new books that seem to ship and decide they don’t need to tell you anything right away and you’ll still come back. Armstrong gets a nice pat on the back and thanks from me on that one.
PVP #0
Written and Drawn by Scott Kurtz
I happen to really enjoy PVP, and it’s hard to quibble with the $0.50 price tag, but this brief collection of highlight strips to introduce the characters and background of the book feels a little haphazard and not as tight as it should. The strips Kurtz chose are good, but they leave a certain lingering sensation that something is missing, and I can’t help but feel like a pointer to where the original strips could be found would be a solid idea. Since they’d been plucked from storylines, the new reader could have known right then where to go and read the full story. The brand new strip featuring the origin of Skull is dandy, though.
GUN CANDY #1/THE RIDE: MARDI GRAS #1
Written by Doug Wagner and Chuck Dixon and Drawn by Brian Stelfreeze and Sanford Greene and Jason Pearson
GUN CANDY is a prequel to the adventures of Laci, the teenaged assassin made infamous by Stelfreeze’s art the in THE RIDE trade paperback (see part one of the column), and given room to play, Stelfreeze completely cuts loose in gonzo fashion. Absurdist layouts, over-the-top violence, gratuitous sexuality, you name it… Stelfreeze has found a way to put it in here and make it look glorious. The pure neo-porn cover for his side of the flipbook adds to that dimension as well (trust me- go find it and look at it). I almost felt sorry for Dixon having to share with this stuff; his story is really very good, his artists do an amazing job of bringing a very dark and cynical story to life, and it damned near gets swallowed whole by its companion. On the other hand, maybe the pervs picking up the Stelfreeze cover will discover the excellent stuff awaiting them on the other side when they would have ignored something of this quality before. Looking forward to issue two.
SEASON OF THE WITCH #0
Written by Jai Nitz and Drawn by Kevin Sharpe
It’s gorgeous to look at. Has solid action. A good heroine. But once again, I say: tell the reader something in your story. Apparently, if you read the notes in the sketch section, etc, the heroine of this book slides back and forth between our world and this fantasy one, but nothing in the sequential pages would explain that, not even her mentioning of Missouri. It’s all well and good for Nitz to note that he’s putting some time between the solicits of issues zero and one so he can use this one to get orders and interest up, but he’d have been better off actually explaining what the story is going to be about. And if it’s supposed to be a book that appeals to teenaged girls, maybe it would be a little less icky for them if an orc didn’t call the heroine a whore, huh?
/Mason
Wednesday, August 03, 2005
YAY! MINI-COMICS!
Alrighty… time to start digging through the San Diego pile.
STRANGEWAYS
Written by Matt Maxwell, Drawn by Luis Gurana, Cover by Steve Lieber
Available from the Author
The horror-western genre will add a new face this fall when the first issue of this book hits the shelves via Speakeasy Comics. In the meantime, you can easily enjoy and appreciate this nifty preview of what looks to be a darkly entertaining story.
Alrighty… time to start digging through the San Diego pile.
STRANGEWAYS
Written by Matt Maxwell, Drawn by Luis Gurana, Cover by Steve Lieber
Available from the Author
The horror-western genre will add a new face this fall when the first issue of this book hits the shelves via Speakeasy Comics. In the meantime, you can easily enjoy and appreciate this nifty preview of what looks to be a darkly entertaining story.
STRANGEWAYS brings together cowboys and werewolves (where most stories in this genre seem to have an affinity for cowboys and vampires). That means a different type of action being brought to the page, and a different depiction of the western landscape, one moodily developed by Gurana in shadowy, scary tones.. Maxwell’s story finds us focused on the travels of a carriage and its occupants, and as the genre demands, they find themselves traveling in lands that maybe they should have avoided.
Of course, if they did, the story would be damned dull, and over quite quickly.
We’re given just a glimpse here of what’s to come, but it’s made apparent that there will be thrill, chills, and gore aplenty to give the reader a visceral experience. Matt’s a friend, and I know how much time and effort he’s put in to making this book a quality read, right down to the beautifully gruesome cover by the great Steve Lieber. It’s cool to read this and see how it’s all paying off for him. I’m expecting big things from STRANGEWAYS once the pamphlets start shipping in November.
FLYTRAP #1
Written by Sara Ryan and Drawn by Steve Lieber
Available from the Artist
If this were the only thing I had returned from San Diego with, I would still consider that trip to be a huge success.
I’ve made no secret about it: Steve Lieber is my favorite comics artist, and if I had my choice, he’d be the first person I’d hire to draw just about anything I’d want to write. There’s very little he can’t do, from high-level action heroics, to quiet, talking heads. Few people have his level of versatility, and few ever will.
This little book finds him working with his (very) talented wife, Sara Ryan, again. Their first effort, ME AND EDITH HEAD, was a supplemental project to her excellent novel EMPRESS OF THE WORLD. This time out, they start fresh, introducing us to public relations ace Maddy. Maddy is a nice normal woman with a crazy job, an asshole of a boyfriend, and too much to do with her life in too little time. However, the intervention of an alternative circus starts a tumble of dominoes that leave her with a new direction in life.
FLYTRAP is just about perfect. In fourteen pages, we get a well-rounded portrait of who Maddy is, what moves her as a character, a feel for the “world” she lives in, and a solid step towards who she is going to become in the next phase of her life. If this were published by Marvel, it would have taken six issues to get to this point. Wonderful stuff.
COOL JERK 2005 SAN DIEGO SAMPLER
Written and Drawn by Paul Horn
Available at the Cool Jerk Website
I picked up Paul’s 2004 effort last year and was immediately smitten with his sharply wicked sense of humor and lack of reverence for, well, everything. I even put myself on his mailing list, and now I get the weekly strip e-mailed to me. So I guess you’d call me a fan.
COOL JERK follows the denizens of Spittle Beach, primarily wiseass Armpit and his superior-in-every-way girlfriend Puppy as they roll through their normal lives battling the forces of stupidity, inanity, and pop culture horror. Horn has been doing the strip for about fourteen years now, so he’s solidly found the voices for his characters. He also only does a strip a week, so you don’t get the sense of burnout or exhaustion that you find in many other long-running strips.
Paul does real-world artistic stuff and does JERK for fun at this point, but I’d like to see him roll the dice and start talking to Image or Speakeasy or someone about finally starting to collect the JERK strips in trade paperback. He deserves to find a larger audience for the work, and I think it’s out there; besides, once in a while, it’s nice to get paid for doing what you love.
ASTRONAUT ELEMENTARY #5-7
Written and Drawn by Dave Roman
Available from the Author
ASTRONAUT ELEMENTARY is a book I always look for when I go to a show. Dave Roman’s “mini-manga” is one of the few being produced in this format that has an all-ages reach in its storytelling, and I like being able to pass it around to the younger set in my life.
The titular school is located on a space station somewhere out in the far reaches of the universe, and its student body is comprised of the best, brightest, and oddest that the galaxy has to offer. The primary story here in this triple-sized effort focuses on a robot named Cybert who has been sent to the school to destroy another student. Amusingly, this doesn’t get him sent to the principal; instead, he is given a far worse fate: a trip to the guidance counselor, whose job it is to make him see how limiting his career goal is. It’s even funnier than it sounds.
Other stories follow the Cybert’s target, a young gay student named Spike, and Team Feety Pajamas (a group of kids who believe they’re bullies who run the school). Each segment is drawn in Roman’s wonderfully whimsical style, and those segments are packed with story. Previous issues were eight pages each, but this one is truly triple-sized, with 24 pages of packed-to-the gills goodness. I hope Roman soon finds the opportunity to publish all the AE stories together in a nice collection.
WANNABEE #1
Written by Rich Johnston and Drawn by Thomas Reidy 3rd
Available from The Vicious Circle Project
When I saw this on the table, I couldn’t resist it. I swear, I actually heard a booming voice say, “The power of Satan compels you to buy Johnston’s book!”
Just so you know.
So what has comics’ biggest rumor monger done this time? WANNABEE is the story of a time traveler who has come backward to live out his dreams of becoming a big-time comic book writer. His conveyance draws him to an ambitious young woman named Julie who shares that dream. Together, they work to try and find success by bringing together Alan Moore and Marvel Comics for a dream project.
Nah… that’s the end of trying to describe this thing in serious terms. Fuck that.
WANNABEE is really just Johnston taking the odd crap he’s heard and absorbed over the years and living out a personal parody and fantasy of himself and his quest to write comics. Roberto kidnaps Alan Moore, shaves him bald, and tries to use him to get a series of his own greenlit by Joe Quesada. And you’re telling me Rich hasn’t tried this already?
Sell me another one.
Still, it’s mostly harmless and inoffensive, and Rich doesn’t try and play it too broadly. Reidy’s art is too inconsistent to do the book any favors, but it could have been worse: Johnston could have drawn it himself. WANNABEE isn’t anything great or fantastic, but it settles in for pleasantly dumb and diverting, and that may just be enough to call it a success.
/Mason
Sunday, July 17, 2005
I AM AN IDIOT
My final take home tally from the con:
25 minis
9 small sized graphic novels and trades
3 oversized items
5 standard sized trades
36 floppies
Plus: 5 extra floppies (dupes or actual copies of things publishers sent me electronically), 2 novels, and 5 samplers.
I was supposed to shrink my haul this year. 7 books doesn’t really significantly fulfill that goal.
/Mason
My final take home tally from the con:
25 minis
9 small sized graphic novels and trades
3 oversized items
5 standard sized trades
36 floppies
Plus: 5 extra floppies (dupes or actual copies of things publishers sent me electronically), 2 novels, and 5 samplers.
I was supposed to shrink my haul this year. 7 books doesn’t really significantly fulfill that goal.
/Mason
Saturday, July 16, 2005
Friday, July 15, 2005
Thursday, July 14, 2005
MIDDAY REPORT: THURSDAY
News and notes: have had a good time so far. Thank God.
Ross Richie of Boom Studios has some cautiously ambitious plans, and I’m intrigued to see where they’ll lead.
Bumped into old pal Tom Spurgeon last night, and he’s growing facial hair. It’s somewhat disturbing.
A man larger than me is walking around the con wearing a Harry Potter costume. This is surely a sign of the apocalypse.
Not enough anime girls so far. Dunno what’s up with that.
Brett Warnock of Top Shelf has sent me back to my room to unload my bag, as he is a pro at getting you to look at their books, Glad to see Alex Robinson’s follow-up to BOX OFFICE POISON is finally ready and out. TRICKED is huge, by the way.
One thing I left out of the previous audio post: at 4:30 this morning, my hotel room phone rang, and a whispering caller claiming to be a comics pro of my acquaintance was on the other end of the line offering me oral sex. I politely declined, as the caller was not a woman.
Everyone has their deal breakers, after all.
/Mason
News and notes: have had a good time so far. Thank God.
Ross Richie of Boom Studios has some cautiously ambitious plans, and I’m intrigued to see where they’ll lead.
Bumped into old pal Tom Spurgeon last night, and he’s growing facial hair. It’s somewhat disturbing.
A man larger than me is walking around the con wearing a Harry Potter costume. This is surely a sign of the apocalypse.
Not enough anime girls so far. Dunno what’s up with that.
Brett Warnock of Top Shelf has sent me back to my room to unload my bag, as he is a pro at getting you to look at their books, Glad to see Alex Robinson’s follow-up to BOX OFFICE POISON is finally ready and out. TRICKED is huge, by the way.
One thing I left out of the previous audio post: at 4:30 this morning, my hotel room phone rang, and a whispering caller claiming to be a comics pro of my acquaintance was on the other end of the line offering me oral sex. I politely declined, as the caller was not a woman.
Everyone has their deal breakers, after all.
/Mason
Wednesday, July 13, 2005
FEELING GOOD
God, I love being in San Diego.
Sure, Nerd Prom can be insane, but what can’t you know? All I know is that I’m sitting in my hotel room right now with the window wide open, enjoying the weather. It will be four months before I can open a window back home.
Four long fucking months.
I got up this morning, worked out, cleaned up, and then headed out for breakfast and a nice walk. One thing I see in SD guides is recommending that people shop at the downtown Ralph’s grocery store, but as coda, I’d go further and recommend getting a Ralph’s shopper’s card. I acquired one about five years ago, and I’ve done well with saving money since then. If you come to the show every year, it just makes good sense. It was certainly helpful today as I bought Gatorade, Propel water and Power Bars. It knocked $7 off of my bill.
The show kicks off at 5:30pm this evening, and I’m thinking I’ll head down there sometime around 4:45. By the time I finish the walk, and get through the press badge line, I figure I’ll get inside around 6pm, hopefully missing some of the madness of the initial geek rush. The nice thing about going as press is that I’ll avoid being in the attendee line, period; what a scary place that can be. Last year it was particularly bad, as the con was slow to get the hall open on Preview Night, and there was a near riot.
My goal for this year is to come home with less stuff. Last year I returned to Arizona with 85 items in my bag for review. My suitcase could have held a dead body and been lighter. It took me until November to get through the pile. Part of it was my intent on getting the MPS column a little bit more out in front of people (which was very successful), and part of it was my sorority girl-like inability to say no. But this year, I’m gonna be a rock. A rock, dammit!
Anyway… audioblogging will probably start tomorrow. I’ll drop in with impressions of Preview Night, etc. Until then, adieu!
/Mason
God, I love being in San Diego.
Sure, Nerd Prom can be insane, but what can’t you know? All I know is that I’m sitting in my hotel room right now with the window wide open, enjoying the weather. It will be four months before I can open a window back home.
Four long fucking months.
I got up this morning, worked out, cleaned up, and then headed out for breakfast and a nice walk. One thing I see in SD guides is recommending that people shop at the downtown Ralph’s grocery store, but as coda, I’d go further and recommend getting a Ralph’s shopper’s card. I acquired one about five years ago, and I’ve done well with saving money since then. If you come to the show every year, it just makes good sense. It was certainly helpful today as I bought Gatorade, Propel water and Power Bars. It knocked $7 off of my bill.
The show kicks off at 5:30pm this evening, and I’m thinking I’ll head down there sometime around 4:45. By the time I finish the walk, and get through the press badge line, I figure I’ll get inside around 6pm, hopefully missing some of the madness of the initial geek rush. The nice thing about going as press is that I’ll avoid being in the attendee line, period; what a scary place that can be. Last year it was particularly bad, as the con was slow to get the hall open on Preview Night, and there was a near riot.
My goal for this year is to come home with less stuff. Last year I returned to Arizona with 85 items in my bag for review. My suitcase could have held a dead body and been lighter. It took me until November to get through the pile. Part of it was my intent on getting the MPS column a little bit more out in front of people (which was very successful), and part of it was my sorority girl-like inability to say no. But this year, I’m gonna be a rock. A rock, dammit!
Anyway… audioblogging will probably start tomorrow. I’ll drop in with impressions of Preview Night, etc. Until then, adieu!
/Mason
Saturday, July 09, 2005
SOLID ADVICE
More brilliance from the Comics Foundry gang: a guide to doing San Diego. My fave advice, from Marvel editor Andy Schmidt:
"Please don’t get drunk and harass the female editors in particular. Cons are often sort of seen as a boys’ club, but, man, that’s a mistake you don’t want to make."
Go read and enjoy!
/Mason
More brilliance from the Comics Foundry gang: a guide to doing San Diego. My fave advice, from Marvel editor Andy Schmidt:
"Please don’t get drunk and harass the female editors in particular. Cons are often sort of seen as a boys’ club, but, man, that’s a mistake you don’t want to make."
Go read and enjoy!
/Mason
Thursday, July 07, 2005
Wednesday, June 29, 2005
HEY KIDS! COMICS!
Speakeasy Comics
ATOMIKA #3
Written by Andrew Dabb and Drawn by Sal Abbinanti
I wasn’t particularly sold on the first two issues of this series. I felt like they didn’t do a good job of explaining the alternate timeline, and the stories suffered from confusion because of it. However, this is a much better effort. The story is stripped down to essential components, the setup is quick and effective, and there’s a sense of completeness to the proceedings. If ATOMIKA could continue to improve in this manner, I think it’d have a good chance of becoming Speakeasy’s “flagship” title.
THE HUNGER #1
Written by Jose L. Torres and Drawn by Chris DiBari
Instead, this book immediately leaps to the top of the Speakeasy reading pile. Zombie books are all the rage these days, but this one does a fine job of standing out as something different. A poor bastard makes a wrong turn during Mardi Gras and winds up as a zombie in the control of a very bad group of men. But when a torture session goes bad, and his controller dies, suddenly the undead fellow finds himself possessing a small bit of his life’s memories… and an unquenchable thirst for brains. Now he’s on the run with blood on his hands and a bag full of drug money. Believe me, it sounds cool, and it reads even cooler. More books like this, please.
THE GRIMOIRE #3
Written by Sebastien Caisse and Drawn by Djief
This tale of a young witch on the run from her mother and the raccoon who protects her hasn’t gotten much love from the critics, but I’m continuing to enjoy it well enough. It’s beginning to suffer from plot overload; I’d like to see Caisse pull back and put some focus on the main character and her mother rather than continue to throw new mystical threats at her every other page. That’d go a long way towards keeping this book accessible to new readers. That, and a front cover recap of what’s happened previously. I cannot emphasize enough how important that is for a new book in this crowded market.
BEOWULF #2
Written by Brian Augustyn and Drawn by Dub
The first issue of BEOWULF was a nice setup for the series, though it could have been a little tighter in the plotting. Decompression is the last thing a new book from a new publisher needs. This second issue is a far stronger effort, as the title character meets a potential love interest and invades a prison for super-freaks and kicks a lot of ass. Really, when your lead character is an immortal warrior of legend, that’s where the focus needs to be. Give the reader some top-notch action, and you’ll satisfy every month. I hope Augustyn stays on this path.
Viper Comics
RANDOM ENCOUNTER #3
Written and Drawn by Nicc Balce
This issue is sort of a rarity: too many mini-series these days have a poor sense of pacing, and don’t have good structure as far as the acts play out, but RANDOM executes itself perfectly. We’re heading for a climax in this story of strange invading monsters and the teen heroes battling them in their small town, and the battle reaches a nice crescendo in these pages. I still don’t have a great idea of what exactly is happening here, but that’s what issue four should provide: the solution to the mystery. I wasn’t fond of this book out of the gate, but each issue has improved steadily. I’m definitely curious how it will end.
ODDLY NORMAL #3
Written and Drawn by Otis Frampton
On the flip side, as much as I’ve enjoyed this series, ODDLY has suffered from some really odd pacing. We have one issue left, and the uber-plot of the book (Oddly’s home and parents vanishing) seems to have completely faded from the book. Now, maybe I’ll be surprised, and next issue will be very tidy; I don’t know. Maybe this is just the first of many planned minis, and that plot has taken a backseat on purpose. But you’d sort of expect some sort of indication. Still, what’s here is really enjoyable. Oddly is a terrific protagonist, and this is a perfect book to give to a younger girl who might be interested in trying comics.
Dark Horse Comics
HELLBOY: THE ISLAND #1
Written and Drawn by Mike Mignola
It’s Mignola. He’s written and drawn a new HELLBOY story for the first time since before the film came out. It’s really fucking good. If you need me to tell you that, you need help. Or you ride a very short bus to work every day. Yummy, yummy, yummy.
Image Comics
GIRLS #2
Written and Drawn by The Luna Brothers
I dug ULTRA. Issue one of the Lunas’ follow-up series was, on the other hand, damned near a complete disaster. The protagonist was obnoxious, the dialogue was clumsy, and the pace was horridly languid. Issue two is so much better, that you wish they’d scrapped issue one and started the story in media res. In fact, after I thought about it, I went back and read the book again, and there was really nothing stopping them from doing so. I found myself wishing for firmer editorial guidance. However, as I said, this issue really works well, and the ending was a doozy. Now the book has my complete attention. Good job, boys.
IRON GHOST #2
Written by Chuck Dixon and Drawn by Sergio Cariello
The first issue of this series felt like Dixon was basically transplanting Alan Moore’s V FOR VENDETTA into a Nazi Germany milieu. That problem lingers, but Dixon does a better job in creating more interesting characters for the Ghost to kill. In fact, the radio man spotlighted in this issue was so compelling, I actually forgot about the title character/serial killer and was genuinely surprised when he reappeared in the book. Full credit to Dixon there. Cariello’s art is pretty sweet as well. IRON GHOST gets a little more rope from me.
NOBLE CAUSES #11
Written by Jay Faerber and Drawn by Fran Bueno
I’ve talked at length about my enjoyment of Faerber’s superhero soap opera, and of my enjoyment of it, so I’m not going to in this review. Instead, I’d like to take special note of the end of the back-up feature OPPOSITES ATTACK. I’m a longtime fan of Brian “Hollywood” Joines, the writer, and I’ve enjoyed his witty and entertaining work on this strip. He and his artist, Chad Thomas, got the most out of their four-to-six pages every issue, and I hope to see their work collected in a square-bound one-shot of some sort. Barring that, I’d like to see Joines’ promised return to THE 7 GUYS OF JUSTICE happen. It was due a couple of years ago, but has been in a holding pattern since. Image? Speakeasy? Somebody help the dude out.
/Mason
Speakeasy Comics
ATOMIKA #3
Written by Andrew Dabb and Drawn by Sal Abbinanti
I wasn’t particularly sold on the first two issues of this series. I felt like they didn’t do a good job of explaining the alternate timeline, and the stories suffered from confusion because of it. However, this is a much better effort. The story is stripped down to essential components, the setup is quick and effective, and there’s a sense of completeness to the proceedings. If ATOMIKA could continue to improve in this manner, I think it’d have a good chance of becoming Speakeasy’s “flagship” title.
THE HUNGER #1
Written by Jose L. Torres and Drawn by Chris DiBari
Instead, this book immediately leaps to the top of the Speakeasy reading pile. Zombie books are all the rage these days, but this one does a fine job of standing out as something different. A poor bastard makes a wrong turn during Mardi Gras and winds up as a zombie in the control of a very bad group of men. But when a torture session goes bad, and his controller dies, suddenly the undead fellow finds himself possessing a small bit of his life’s memories… and an unquenchable thirst for brains. Now he’s on the run with blood on his hands and a bag full of drug money. Believe me, it sounds cool, and it reads even cooler. More books like this, please.
THE GRIMOIRE #3
Written by Sebastien Caisse and Drawn by Djief
This tale of a young witch on the run from her mother and the raccoon who protects her hasn’t gotten much love from the critics, but I’m continuing to enjoy it well enough. It’s beginning to suffer from plot overload; I’d like to see Caisse pull back and put some focus on the main character and her mother rather than continue to throw new mystical threats at her every other page. That’d go a long way towards keeping this book accessible to new readers. That, and a front cover recap of what’s happened previously. I cannot emphasize enough how important that is for a new book in this crowded market.
BEOWULF #2
Written by Brian Augustyn and Drawn by Dub
The first issue of BEOWULF was a nice setup for the series, though it could have been a little tighter in the plotting. Decompression is the last thing a new book from a new publisher needs. This second issue is a far stronger effort, as the title character meets a potential love interest and invades a prison for super-freaks and kicks a lot of ass. Really, when your lead character is an immortal warrior of legend, that’s where the focus needs to be. Give the reader some top-notch action, and you’ll satisfy every month. I hope Augustyn stays on this path.
Viper Comics
RANDOM ENCOUNTER #3
Written and Drawn by Nicc Balce
This issue is sort of a rarity: too many mini-series these days have a poor sense of pacing, and don’t have good structure as far as the acts play out, but RANDOM executes itself perfectly. We’re heading for a climax in this story of strange invading monsters and the teen heroes battling them in their small town, and the battle reaches a nice crescendo in these pages. I still don’t have a great idea of what exactly is happening here, but that’s what issue four should provide: the solution to the mystery. I wasn’t fond of this book out of the gate, but each issue has improved steadily. I’m definitely curious how it will end.
ODDLY NORMAL #3
Written and Drawn by Otis Frampton
On the flip side, as much as I’ve enjoyed this series, ODDLY has suffered from some really odd pacing. We have one issue left, and the uber-plot of the book (Oddly’s home and parents vanishing) seems to have completely faded from the book. Now, maybe I’ll be surprised, and next issue will be very tidy; I don’t know. Maybe this is just the first of many planned minis, and that plot has taken a backseat on purpose. But you’d sort of expect some sort of indication. Still, what’s here is really enjoyable. Oddly is a terrific protagonist, and this is a perfect book to give to a younger girl who might be interested in trying comics.
Dark Horse Comics
HELLBOY: THE ISLAND #1
Written and Drawn by Mike Mignola
It’s Mignola. He’s written and drawn a new HELLBOY story for the first time since before the film came out. It’s really fucking good. If you need me to tell you that, you need help. Or you ride a very short bus to work every day. Yummy, yummy, yummy.
Image Comics
GIRLS #2
Written and Drawn by The Luna Brothers
I dug ULTRA. Issue one of the Lunas’ follow-up series was, on the other hand, damned near a complete disaster. The protagonist was obnoxious, the dialogue was clumsy, and the pace was horridly languid. Issue two is so much better, that you wish they’d scrapped issue one and started the story in media res. In fact, after I thought about it, I went back and read the book again, and there was really nothing stopping them from doing so. I found myself wishing for firmer editorial guidance. However, as I said, this issue really works well, and the ending was a doozy. Now the book has my complete attention. Good job, boys.
IRON GHOST #2
Written by Chuck Dixon and Drawn by Sergio Cariello
The first issue of this series felt like Dixon was basically transplanting Alan Moore’s V FOR VENDETTA into a Nazi Germany milieu. That problem lingers, but Dixon does a better job in creating more interesting characters for the Ghost to kill. In fact, the radio man spotlighted in this issue was so compelling, I actually forgot about the title character/serial killer and was genuinely surprised when he reappeared in the book. Full credit to Dixon there. Cariello’s art is pretty sweet as well. IRON GHOST gets a little more rope from me.
NOBLE CAUSES #11
Written by Jay Faerber and Drawn by Fran Bueno
I’ve talked at length about my enjoyment of Faerber’s superhero soap opera, and of my enjoyment of it, so I’m not going to in this review. Instead, I’d like to take special note of the end of the back-up feature OPPOSITES ATTACK. I’m a longtime fan of Brian “Hollywood” Joines, the writer, and I’ve enjoyed his witty and entertaining work on this strip. He and his artist, Chad Thomas, got the most out of their four-to-six pages every issue, and I hope to see their work collected in a square-bound one-shot of some sort. Barring that, I’d like to see Joines’ promised return to THE 7 GUYS OF JUSTICE happen. It was due a couple of years ago, but has been in a holding pattern since. Image? Speakeasy? Somebody help the dude out.
/Mason
Why I Love Neil Kleid
"It isn’t a bad thing. Stephen King makes a very good living being sinister and creepy, as does Rich Johnston."
Go check out this beauty.
/Mason
"It isn’t a bad thing. Stephen King makes a very good living being sinister and creepy, as does Rich Johnston."
Go check out this beauty.
/Mason
Plasm-Boy
I love David Lapham's work, and I love even more that he's perfectly willing to discuss his early work without equivocating. STRAY BULLETS is a timeless masterpiece, and MURDER ME DEAD is well worth your time to check out.
More good stuff from the Foundry crew.
/Mason
I love David Lapham's work, and I love even more that he's perfectly willing to discuss his early work without equivocating. STRAY BULLETS is a timeless masterpiece, and MURDER ME DEAD is well worth your time to check out.
More good stuff from the Foundry crew.
/Mason
Wednesday, June 22, 2005
The Surrogates
I reviewed this book over at The Shoot a couple of weeks ago. It's good. Read it.
This is another terrific interview from the Foundry gang. It's good. Read it.
That is all.
/Mason
I reviewed this book over at The Shoot a couple of weeks ago. It's good. Read it.
This is another terrific interview from the Foundry gang. It's good. Read it.
That is all.
/Mason
Monday, June 20, 2005
QUICK HITS
FAILURE, INCOMPETENCE
Written and Drawn by Tom Pappalardo
Published by Standard Design
Creator Pappalardo refers to this book as a retrospective of the last ten wasted years of his artistic life. While he’s being a bit facetious, I do wish he’d have been a bit more judicious about presenting the best of his material, rather than seemingly all of it. The inconsistency here is enough to drive you insane, and it exposes his weakest ability, which is finding a solid ending to a story or gag. It’s like watching an episode of SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE made up solely of material presented in the last 30 minutes of the show. There’s talent here; they key is for the artist to mine through his stuff and find 20-22 pages to put out a really solid comic.
IMAGE BOOKS
STRANGE GIRL #1
Written by Rick Remender and Drawn by Eric Nguyen
I was sort of looking forward to this one, and I didn’t feel let down. What starts as an amusing look at the adventures of a misfit little girl takes one of the great left turns in recent memory: the true biblical rapture occurs, leaving the girl behind on Earth with demons and assorted other baddies. The character is appealing, the scenario wide open for just about anything, and Nguyen’s art looks nifty to boot. Good stuff.
FLAMING CARROT #3
Written and Drawn by Bob Burden
More ingenious madness from the mind of Bob Burden. I don’t know if I could easily persuade a newbie to dive into the Carrot’s world, but anyone out there with a warped sense of humor is missing out on comedy genius. Telling you about what happens in the issue misses the point; but if you really must know, an evil giant chicken wing is on the loose, and the Carrot and his buxom former lover Dynamite Girl are on its trail. If that doesn’t make you giggle, don’t buy the book. If it does, welcome to the club.
SEA OF RED #3
Written by Rick Remender and Kieron Dwyer and Drawn by Salgood Sam
Issue one of this series was damned near brilliant. Issue two killed just about every last bit of goodwill that issue one built up. Issue three gets the book somewhere back close to the middle. There’s still another twist in the middle of the book that’s enough to make you want to throw the book across the room, but the last half of the story begins to work again. I wish I knew what this really was: either there’s something really amazing brewing here, or the book is using the reader as a bukkake target. Your guess is better than mine.
HERO CAMP #2
Written by Greg Thompson and Drawn by Robbi Rodriguez
The second issue of this title is even more quaintly amusing than the first. A young boy, the child of two superheroes, has been sent off to a camp for super-powered teens. Unfortunately, no one believes that he doesn’t have powers. This time out, one of the girls in his class uses her personal elves (formed when she spits them out) to keep an eye on our young hero. Hilarity ensues. Good stuff that reminds you of comics’ simpler and more fun days.
NYC MECH: BETA LOVE #2
Written by Miles Gunter and Ivan Brandon and Drawn by Andy Macdonald
This is developing into one of the more interesting love stories I’ve seen in a while. Set in the creators’ world, which is populated by nothing by sentient machines, there are philosophical opportunities here, but they never overwhelm the basics of the story. Plus, Macdonald’s art is a gorgeous revelation with each passing page. I’m gonna have to hunt down the first series in San Diego.
BATTLE HYMN #3
Written by B. Clay Moore and Drawn by Jeremy Haun
This book seems to really be finding itself. I didn’t find myself thrilled with issue one, but last issue and this one have really begun taking the story and characters in directions I wasn’t anticipating. What started out looking like a darkened take on THE INVADERS has found it’s own unique hold on the iconic characters it’s examining. I’m officially hooked.
INVINCIBLE #23
Written by Robert Kirkman and Drawn by Ryan Ottley
Last issue was the “0” one which recapped the character’s origin and set him on the path to losing his virginity. This issue takes the focus away from the character completely, focusing on the background plots that have been brewing for almost a year now. It’s a risky move, having just given new readers a perfect jumping on point, but it works. The key is in making the character Kirkman focuses on, Allen The Alien, fleshed out well and interesting in his own right. Big things are promised for issue #25, and at this point, I’m not exactly sure what they’ll be. That’s a good feeling when it comes to comics.
WALKING DEAD #19
Written by Robert Kirkman and Drawn by Charlie Adlard
Kirkman’s other creator-owned series picks up from last issue’s cliffhanger and resolves it nicely. We also get the introduction of a new cast member, a great battle against the zombie hoards, and even more secrets to be buried. Good stuff. And congrats to Kirkman on his kudos from ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY. He deserves it.
NOBLE CAUSES #10
Written by Jay Faerber and Drawn by Fran Bueno
Faerber’s super-soap opera continues plugging along nicely with this issue. I think what he’s done is rather wise in this day and age: every issue, Faerber provides the reader with a number of solid twists and turns, shifting directions on the fly, and keeping the readership guessing. I’ve seen some critics say that NOBLE CAUSES is nothing but a “b” level comic that never seems to aspire to make a statement or aim for greatness. My response? That’s exactly why the book succeeds. Sometimes, people want to know exactly what they’ll get and Faerber doesn’t disappoint them.
FLAK RIOT #1
Written by Robert Napton and Michael O’Hare and Drawn by O’Hare
I was pleasantly surprised out how this book came out of nowhere to capture my attention. Set in the near future, we meet the klutzy and put-upon Zoe, getting ready to face another shitty day at a job she hates. That’s about to change however, because she decides to answer a strange ad in that day’s paper. Zoe, you see, has decided to become an inter-dimensional bounty hunter. Equal parts comedy, science fiction, and adventure, it’s easy to get behind the protagonist and cheer her on. Plus, O’Hare’s art is absolutely gorgeous.
CASE FILES: SAM AND TWICH #17
Written by Marc Andreyko and Drawn by E.J. Su
Our dynamic police duo continue their investigation into a string of crimes seemingly committed by vampires as the tale begins a downhill race towards what looks to be a violent and bloody conclusion. This continues to be a strong, well-written title, and E.J. Su’s art is perfectly suited for this kind of material.
SMALL GODS #9
Written by Jason Rand and Drawn by Juan Ferreyra
The current storyline draws to a close in this book, and it feels long overdue. The second time around just didn’t have the joy and zest that the first story did, and none of the characters clicked for me. Too much here just doesn’t work, although the morally ambiguous climax holds promise that the creative team will have this book back on target soon. They’re too good not to.
COMMON FOE #1
Written by Keith Giffen and Shannon Denton and Drawn by Jean-Jacques Dzialowski
1944. Germans vs. Allies. Standard World War II setup. Then the writers throw the curve: an ancient demonic evil rises on the battlefield, and suddenly killing one another must be put by the wayside: there are more human concerns to be dealt with. There’s a metric ton of kick-ass potential in these pages, and Giffen is a guy I have always trusted to come through for me. I’m looking forward to seeing how this one plays out. It looks lovely, too.
GIRLS #1
Written and Drawn by the Luna Brothers
Notable out of the gate for introducing its lead character while he’s masturbating, that still doesn’t stop the disappointment from creeping in as you get through the story. I’m all for having an unlikable lead character, but Ethan is such a waste of space that the Lunas are going to have to cover some ground to make him redeemable. On the bright side, their work continues to grow, artistically. Worth watching.
EXPATRIATE #2
Written by B. Clay Moore and Drawn by Jason Latour
Unlike BATTLE HYMN, I really liked the first issue of this Moore production. Happily, nothing changes my mind this time around. This is a unique looking book, with a warm (yet noir) texture to the proceedings, and there’s an unpredictability at play that makes it a real joy to read. Jason Latour is a true find, and I’m excited about the idea of watching him grow and develop.
DEATH JR. #2
Written by Gary Whitta and Drawn by Ted Naifeh
This charming little series continues as Junior’s innocence has let loose an unspeakable evil that may cost him his father forever. There’s a surprising level of pathos and sadness in this second outing, but it never feels icky or inappropriate. Instead, the book takes on the feel of a classic Brothers Grimm tale or other pre-Disneyfied fable. The dialogue has charm to spare, and Naifeh’s art is sweet perfection. I can’t wait for the next one.
DEVIL’S DUE BOOKS
G.I. JOE: RELOADED #14
Written by Chuck Dixon and Drawn by Grafiksismik
This alt-universe story of the Joes draws to a tidy close as the company begins clearing the decks for the Joes’ re-launch next month. The inevitable problem with this book was never its quality; it was always reasonably well produced. Instead, the problem was market saturation; there’s really only room for one G.I. JOE, and fans wanted the original. They knew it, and they knew the characters. Re-imaginings should be done after long periods of gestation (see: GALACTICA, BATTLESTAR). That makes them go down easier with the fanbase.
G.I. JOE #42Written by Brandon Jerwa and Drawn by Tim Seeley and Drawn by Emiliano Santalucia
This is the penultimate issue of the regular title, and it looks to be going out on a high note. Rather than having to close everything down, Jerwa looks to be setting the table for Joe Casey’s new version by wrapping up some outstanding plot points and putting some pieces onto the board for Casey’s pleasure. While there’s plenty of action in this issue, Jerwa does a nice job of reminding the reader that the Joes are addictive reading because you like the characters.
BLADE OF KUMORI #5
Written by Ron Marz and Drawn by Grafiksismik
This has been the best of the Aftermath titles, and the one that I’ll definitely miss reading. Marz’ modern samurai tale has mixed action, drama, and romance in matching amounts, and remains the book with the most long-term potential (depending on how the series ends in issue six). Marz did a lot to damage his reputation in the 90s, but over the last five years, with his Crossgen work and this book, he’s been through comic-writer rehab. Keep it up, Ron.
DEFEX #6
Written by Marv Wolfman and Drawn by Giancarlo Caracuzzo
On the flip side, this was the weakest of the Aftermath launch, and this final issue does nothing to change my mind about that. Even the art falls down this time around. Marv Wolfman is a legend in the field, and has produced some of the best comics ever. But I suspect that this book will slide quietly off his resume, never to be seen or mentioned again. I’m okay with that.
BREAKDOWN #6
Written by Chuck Dixon and Drawn by Dave Ross
This ran a clear second in my list of how I felt the Aftermath titles ranked in quality. Dixon and Ross created a solid action saga/family drama that held my attention and didn’t let go. Dixon sends the series off with a bang, delivering a climax straight out of a Bruckheimer movie, and Ross doesn’t let him down with the visuals. Dixon and I may never agree on political philosophy, but I’ll always agree that he’s one of the great action writers in comics. Good job, gents.
/Mason
FAILURE, INCOMPETENCE
Written and Drawn by Tom Pappalardo
Published by Standard Design
Creator Pappalardo refers to this book as a retrospective of the last ten wasted years of his artistic life. While he’s being a bit facetious, I do wish he’d have been a bit more judicious about presenting the best of his material, rather than seemingly all of it. The inconsistency here is enough to drive you insane, and it exposes his weakest ability, which is finding a solid ending to a story or gag. It’s like watching an episode of SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE made up solely of material presented in the last 30 minutes of the show. There’s talent here; they key is for the artist to mine through his stuff and find 20-22 pages to put out a really solid comic.
IMAGE BOOKS
STRANGE GIRL #1
Written by Rick Remender and Drawn by Eric Nguyen
I was sort of looking forward to this one, and I didn’t feel let down. What starts as an amusing look at the adventures of a misfit little girl takes one of the great left turns in recent memory: the true biblical rapture occurs, leaving the girl behind on Earth with demons and assorted other baddies. The character is appealing, the scenario wide open for just about anything, and Nguyen’s art looks nifty to boot. Good stuff.
FLAMING CARROT #3
Written and Drawn by Bob Burden
More ingenious madness from the mind of Bob Burden. I don’t know if I could easily persuade a newbie to dive into the Carrot’s world, but anyone out there with a warped sense of humor is missing out on comedy genius. Telling you about what happens in the issue misses the point; but if you really must know, an evil giant chicken wing is on the loose, and the Carrot and his buxom former lover Dynamite Girl are on its trail. If that doesn’t make you giggle, don’t buy the book. If it does, welcome to the club.
SEA OF RED #3
Written by Rick Remender and Kieron Dwyer and Drawn by Salgood Sam
Issue one of this series was damned near brilliant. Issue two killed just about every last bit of goodwill that issue one built up. Issue three gets the book somewhere back close to the middle. There’s still another twist in the middle of the book that’s enough to make you want to throw the book across the room, but the last half of the story begins to work again. I wish I knew what this really was: either there’s something really amazing brewing here, or the book is using the reader as a bukkake target. Your guess is better than mine.
HERO CAMP #2
Written by Greg Thompson and Drawn by Robbi Rodriguez
The second issue of this title is even more quaintly amusing than the first. A young boy, the child of two superheroes, has been sent off to a camp for super-powered teens. Unfortunately, no one believes that he doesn’t have powers. This time out, one of the girls in his class uses her personal elves (formed when she spits them out) to keep an eye on our young hero. Hilarity ensues. Good stuff that reminds you of comics’ simpler and more fun days.
NYC MECH: BETA LOVE #2
Written by Miles Gunter and Ivan Brandon and Drawn by Andy Macdonald
This is developing into one of the more interesting love stories I’ve seen in a while. Set in the creators’ world, which is populated by nothing by sentient machines, there are philosophical opportunities here, but they never overwhelm the basics of the story. Plus, Macdonald’s art is a gorgeous revelation with each passing page. I’m gonna have to hunt down the first series in San Diego.
BATTLE HYMN #3
Written by B. Clay Moore and Drawn by Jeremy Haun
This book seems to really be finding itself. I didn’t find myself thrilled with issue one, but last issue and this one have really begun taking the story and characters in directions I wasn’t anticipating. What started out looking like a darkened take on THE INVADERS has found it’s own unique hold on the iconic characters it’s examining. I’m officially hooked.
INVINCIBLE #23
Written by Robert Kirkman and Drawn by Ryan Ottley
Last issue was the “0” one which recapped the character’s origin and set him on the path to losing his virginity. This issue takes the focus away from the character completely, focusing on the background plots that have been brewing for almost a year now. It’s a risky move, having just given new readers a perfect jumping on point, but it works. The key is in making the character Kirkman focuses on, Allen The Alien, fleshed out well and interesting in his own right. Big things are promised for issue #25, and at this point, I’m not exactly sure what they’ll be. That’s a good feeling when it comes to comics.
WALKING DEAD #19
Written by Robert Kirkman and Drawn by Charlie Adlard
Kirkman’s other creator-owned series picks up from last issue’s cliffhanger and resolves it nicely. We also get the introduction of a new cast member, a great battle against the zombie hoards, and even more secrets to be buried. Good stuff. And congrats to Kirkman on his kudos from ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY. He deserves it.
NOBLE CAUSES #10
Written by Jay Faerber and Drawn by Fran Bueno
Faerber’s super-soap opera continues plugging along nicely with this issue. I think what he’s done is rather wise in this day and age: every issue, Faerber provides the reader with a number of solid twists and turns, shifting directions on the fly, and keeping the readership guessing. I’ve seen some critics say that NOBLE CAUSES is nothing but a “b” level comic that never seems to aspire to make a statement or aim for greatness. My response? That’s exactly why the book succeeds. Sometimes, people want to know exactly what they’ll get and Faerber doesn’t disappoint them.
FLAK RIOT #1
Written by Robert Napton and Michael O’Hare and Drawn by O’Hare
I was pleasantly surprised out how this book came out of nowhere to capture my attention. Set in the near future, we meet the klutzy and put-upon Zoe, getting ready to face another shitty day at a job she hates. That’s about to change however, because she decides to answer a strange ad in that day’s paper. Zoe, you see, has decided to become an inter-dimensional bounty hunter. Equal parts comedy, science fiction, and adventure, it’s easy to get behind the protagonist and cheer her on. Plus, O’Hare’s art is absolutely gorgeous.
CASE FILES: SAM AND TWICH #17
Written by Marc Andreyko and Drawn by E.J. Su
Our dynamic police duo continue their investigation into a string of crimes seemingly committed by vampires as the tale begins a downhill race towards what looks to be a violent and bloody conclusion. This continues to be a strong, well-written title, and E.J. Su’s art is perfectly suited for this kind of material.
SMALL GODS #9
Written by Jason Rand and Drawn by Juan Ferreyra
The current storyline draws to a close in this book, and it feels long overdue. The second time around just didn’t have the joy and zest that the first story did, and none of the characters clicked for me. Too much here just doesn’t work, although the morally ambiguous climax holds promise that the creative team will have this book back on target soon. They’re too good not to.
COMMON FOE #1
Written by Keith Giffen and Shannon Denton and Drawn by Jean-Jacques Dzialowski
1944. Germans vs. Allies. Standard World War II setup. Then the writers throw the curve: an ancient demonic evil rises on the battlefield, and suddenly killing one another must be put by the wayside: there are more human concerns to be dealt with. There’s a metric ton of kick-ass potential in these pages, and Giffen is a guy I have always trusted to come through for me. I’m looking forward to seeing how this one plays out. It looks lovely, too.
GIRLS #1
Written and Drawn by the Luna Brothers
Notable out of the gate for introducing its lead character while he’s masturbating, that still doesn’t stop the disappointment from creeping in as you get through the story. I’m all for having an unlikable lead character, but Ethan is such a waste of space that the Lunas are going to have to cover some ground to make him redeemable. On the bright side, their work continues to grow, artistically. Worth watching.
EXPATRIATE #2
Written by B. Clay Moore and Drawn by Jason Latour
Unlike BATTLE HYMN, I really liked the first issue of this Moore production. Happily, nothing changes my mind this time around. This is a unique looking book, with a warm (yet noir) texture to the proceedings, and there’s an unpredictability at play that makes it a real joy to read. Jason Latour is a true find, and I’m excited about the idea of watching him grow and develop.
DEATH JR. #2
Written by Gary Whitta and Drawn by Ted Naifeh
This charming little series continues as Junior’s innocence has let loose an unspeakable evil that may cost him his father forever. There’s a surprising level of pathos and sadness in this second outing, but it never feels icky or inappropriate. Instead, the book takes on the feel of a classic Brothers Grimm tale or other pre-Disneyfied fable. The dialogue has charm to spare, and Naifeh’s art is sweet perfection. I can’t wait for the next one.
DEVIL’S DUE BOOKS
G.I. JOE: RELOADED #14
Written by Chuck Dixon and Drawn by Grafiksismik
This alt-universe story of the Joes draws to a tidy close as the company begins clearing the decks for the Joes’ re-launch next month. The inevitable problem with this book was never its quality; it was always reasonably well produced. Instead, the problem was market saturation; there’s really only room for one G.I. JOE, and fans wanted the original. They knew it, and they knew the characters. Re-imaginings should be done after long periods of gestation (see: GALACTICA, BATTLESTAR). That makes them go down easier with the fanbase.
G.I. JOE #42Written by Brandon Jerwa and Drawn by Tim Seeley and Drawn by Emiliano Santalucia
This is the penultimate issue of the regular title, and it looks to be going out on a high note. Rather than having to close everything down, Jerwa looks to be setting the table for Joe Casey’s new version by wrapping up some outstanding plot points and putting some pieces onto the board for Casey’s pleasure. While there’s plenty of action in this issue, Jerwa does a nice job of reminding the reader that the Joes are addictive reading because you like the characters.
BLADE OF KUMORI #5
Written by Ron Marz and Drawn by Grafiksismik
This has been the best of the Aftermath titles, and the one that I’ll definitely miss reading. Marz’ modern samurai tale has mixed action, drama, and romance in matching amounts, and remains the book with the most long-term potential (depending on how the series ends in issue six). Marz did a lot to damage his reputation in the 90s, but over the last five years, with his Crossgen work and this book, he’s been through comic-writer rehab. Keep it up, Ron.
DEFEX #6
Written by Marv Wolfman and Drawn by Giancarlo Caracuzzo
On the flip side, this was the weakest of the Aftermath launch, and this final issue does nothing to change my mind about that. Even the art falls down this time around. Marv Wolfman is a legend in the field, and has produced some of the best comics ever. But I suspect that this book will slide quietly off his resume, never to be seen or mentioned again. I’m okay with that.
BREAKDOWN #6
Written by Chuck Dixon and Drawn by Dave Ross
This ran a clear second in my list of how I felt the Aftermath titles ranked in quality. Dixon and Ross created a solid action saga/family drama that held my attention and didn’t let go. Dixon sends the series off with a bang, delivering a climax straight out of a Bruckheimer movie, and Ross doesn’t let him down with the visuals. Dixon and I may never agree on political philosophy, but I’ll always agree that he’s one of the great action writers in comics. Good job, gents.
/Mason
Tuesday, May 17, 2005
Enter And Be Worthy
Like R. Crumb's work? Old friend Alan David Doane is running a spiffy new contest. Go forth and place your name upon it.
/Mason
Like R. Crumb's work? Old friend Alan David Doane is running a spiffy new contest. Go forth and place your name upon it.
/Mason
Monday, May 16, 2005
Now Back On His Meds: Neal Adams
Almost.
Neal makes a lovely attempt at humility, and it comes very close to taking hold, but he narrowly escapes it in the end. Good stuff by the Foundry crew.
/Mason
Almost.
Neal makes a lovely attempt at humility, and it comes very close to taking hold, but he narrowly escapes it in the end. Good stuff by the Foundry crew.
/Mason
Thursday, May 12, 2005
From The Man Who Brought Us SKATEMAN And MR. T AND THE T FORCE
It looks like Neal Adams is the latest comics legend to come out of the crazy closet. Fun!
The Comic Foundry is doing some terrific work. Go check this one out. It's a hoot.
/Mason
It looks like Neal Adams is the latest comics legend to come out of the crazy closet. Fun!
The Comic Foundry is doing some terrific work. Go check this one out. It's a hoot.
/Mason
Saturday, May 07, 2005
FREE COMIC BOOK DAY REPORT
There are two comics shops in Tempe. I decided to check both of them out and see how they were handling the big day.
Shop one: fuck all happening. 12:30pm.
Shop two: fuck all happening. 12:45pm.
Did pick up some of the free comics that I didn't get from publishers. Some amazing stuff, really. A new OWLY story. COMIC FESTIVAL, the Canadian artist showcase. RONIN HOOD. SUPERIOR SHOWCASE. THE ADVENTURES OF PAUL. Even the BETTY AND VERONICA book was lots of fun. But local turnout sucked ass, so no one is going to see these great books.
This was your Free Comic Book day report.
/Mason
There are two comics shops in Tempe. I decided to check both of them out and see how they were handling the big day.
Shop one: fuck all happening. 12:30pm.
Shop two: fuck all happening. 12:45pm.
Did pick up some of the free comics that I didn't get from publishers. Some amazing stuff, really. A new OWLY story. COMIC FESTIVAL, the Canadian artist showcase. RONIN HOOD. SUPERIOR SHOWCASE. THE ADVENTURES OF PAUL. Even the BETTY AND VERONICA book was lots of fun. But local turnout sucked ass, so no one is going to see these great books.
This was your Free Comic Book day report.
/Mason
Wednesday, May 04, 2005
The Luna Brothers
Shouldn't they be film stars with that name?
Anyway, the increasingly fine Comic Foundry has an interview with the Lunas running right now. It's worth it just for the preview art for GIRLS that accompanies the piece. Interesting that they chose the pages of their male lead having a wank and cleaning up after himself, hmm?
/Mason
Shouldn't they be film stars with that name?
Anyway, the increasingly fine Comic Foundry has an interview with the Lunas running right now. It's worth it just for the preview art for GIRLS that accompanies the piece. Interesting that they chose the pages of their male lead having a wank and cleaning up after himself, hmm?
/Mason
Sunday, May 01, 2005
THE TRUTH ABOUT ROBERT KIRKMAN
It’s simple, really. Kirkman is a terrific writer, a guy who makes some truly gonzo entertainment.
As long as he owns it, that is.
Kirkman came to some prominence with his first creator-owned comic, the wonderfully blasphemous BATTLE POPE. That led him to Image Comics, where he’s currently writing two titles: INVINCIBLE and THE WALKING DEAD. That led him to Marvel, where he’s written titles such as CAPTAIN AMERICA, JUBILEE, FANTASTIC FOUR: FOES, and MARVEL TEAM-UP.
Stop yourself from yawning through that last sentence. I dare you.
Kirkman’s a young writer, and I certainly don’t begrudge him going out and increasing his fame and the amount of dollars in his pocket, but the gap in the quality level between his personal stuff and his work-for-hire stuff is staggering. His Marvel work suggests a deeply cynical response to it on a reader’s level; reading the titles brings a near revulsion. The inability to get excited about those books could, quite frankly, induce a pandemic of apathy in any fan of quality comics. And believe me: I read JUBILEE (at first).
On the flip side, INVINCIBLE and WALKING DEAD remain two of the most genuinely exciting books on the market, and two of the best creator-owned works currently being published. They’re books wherein anything can happen, there’s a constant sense of change and exploration, and they consistently engage me with every issue.
INVINCIBLE 21, 22 and the 0 issue have arrived over the last six weeks or so, and they’re really terrific. Kirkman has worked hard and managed to create a really interested hybrid of a superhero comic: take one part Lee/Ditko SPIDER-MAN and mix it with one part SAVAGE DRAGON, and you have INVINCIBLE. Essentially, the strong emotional core of teenage angst and romance is intertwined with Erik Larsen’s freakshow mélange of monsters and assorted odd characters. These three issues have plenty of action and plot movement, but their heart is the relationship between Mark (Invincible) and his girlfriend Amber, who has come to believe that his perpetual absences and excuses mean that he’s a drug dealer. Their confrontation, and his revealing of his secret identity, is the basis of the zero issue. In this $.50 priced book, Kirkman has his lead recap the book to date, which has the dual effect of letting Amber in on Mark’s secret life, but also makes the book much more new-reader friendly. It also leads to a momentous and mature choice for where Mark is headed next with his life.
Balancing the wonderful, brightly colored world of INVINCIBLE is THE WALKING DEAD. DEAD is a dark, bleak look at a world in the throes of a different Armageddon: an unknown plague has raised the dead, and zombies are walking the Earth in search of fresh, live food. The book follows a small band of survivors, led by a cop who missed the first month of the plague because he was recovering from being shot in the line of duty. The book isn’t so much about the zombies, though they are a brutal background presence. Instead, WALKING DEAD works as a different horror story: the creation of a new society, a new rule of civilization in the face of the collapse of the old one.
Issues 17 and 18 complete the latest arc, and they’re a stark example of this type of tale. When one of the survivors turns out to be a serial killer, Rick is forced to go against popular opinion and makes the unilateral decision to hang the perpetrator. Of course, nothing is ever quite that simple, and the resulting story is sad and gut wrenching. There’s so much depth of character, and such unpredictability to the plot, that you can never be even the slightest bit sure where the book is going.
This summer sees BATTLE POPE re-released, this time in color, and I’m hoping it finds the sick, twisted, depraved audience it deserves. It’s Kirkman in his rawest form, but I suspect that those brave enough to sample it and have a sense of humor about it will really enjoy it. And maybe, just maybe, some of those Marvel readers will trickle over and help Kirkman’s sales on the books that represent his best work
/Mason
It’s simple, really. Kirkman is a terrific writer, a guy who makes some truly gonzo entertainment.
As long as he owns it, that is.
Kirkman came to some prominence with his first creator-owned comic, the wonderfully blasphemous BATTLE POPE. That led him to Image Comics, where he’s currently writing two titles: INVINCIBLE and THE WALKING DEAD. That led him to Marvel, where he’s written titles such as CAPTAIN AMERICA, JUBILEE, FANTASTIC FOUR: FOES, and MARVEL TEAM-UP.
Stop yourself from yawning through that last sentence. I dare you.
Kirkman’s a young writer, and I certainly don’t begrudge him going out and increasing his fame and the amount of dollars in his pocket, but the gap in the quality level between his personal stuff and his work-for-hire stuff is staggering. His Marvel work suggests a deeply cynical response to it on a reader’s level; reading the titles brings a near revulsion. The inability to get excited about those books could, quite frankly, induce a pandemic of apathy in any fan of quality comics. And believe me: I read JUBILEE (at first).
On the flip side, INVINCIBLE and WALKING DEAD remain two of the most genuinely exciting books on the market, and two of the best creator-owned works currently being published. They’re books wherein anything can happen, there’s a constant sense of change and exploration, and they consistently engage me with every issue.
INVINCIBLE 21, 22 and the 0 issue have arrived over the last six weeks or so, and they’re really terrific. Kirkman has worked hard and managed to create a really interested hybrid of a superhero comic: take one part Lee/Ditko SPIDER-MAN and mix it with one part SAVAGE DRAGON, and you have INVINCIBLE. Essentially, the strong emotional core of teenage angst and romance is intertwined with Erik Larsen’s freakshow mélange of monsters and assorted odd characters. These three issues have plenty of action and plot movement, but their heart is the relationship between Mark (Invincible) and his girlfriend Amber, who has come to believe that his perpetual absences and excuses mean that he’s a drug dealer. Their confrontation, and his revealing of his secret identity, is the basis of the zero issue. In this $.50 priced book, Kirkman has his lead recap the book to date, which has the dual effect of letting Amber in on Mark’s secret life, but also makes the book much more new-reader friendly. It also leads to a momentous and mature choice for where Mark is headed next with his life.
Balancing the wonderful, brightly colored world of INVINCIBLE is THE WALKING DEAD. DEAD is a dark, bleak look at a world in the throes of a different Armageddon: an unknown plague has raised the dead, and zombies are walking the Earth in search of fresh, live food. The book follows a small band of survivors, led by a cop who missed the first month of the plague because he was recovering from being shot in the line of duty. The book isn’t so much about the zombies, though they are a brutal background presence. Instead, WALKING DEAD works as a different horror story: the creation of a new society, a new rule of civilization in the face of the collapse of the old one.
Issues 17 and 18 complete the latest arc, and they’re a stark example of this type of tale. When one of the survivors turns out to be a serial killer, Rick is forced to go against popular opinion and makes the unilateral decision to hang the perpetrator. Of course, nothing is ever quite that simple, and the resulting story is sad and gut wrenching. There’s so much depth of character, and such unpredictability to the plot, that you can never be even the slightest bit sure where the book is going.
This summer sees BATTLE POPE re-released, this time in color, and I’m hoping it finds the sick, twisted, depraved audience it deserves. It’s Kirkman in his rawest form, but I suspect that those brave enough to sample it and have a sense of humor about it will really enjoy it. And maybe, just maybe, some of those Marvel readers will trickle over and help Kirkman’s sales on the books that represent his best work
/Mason
Sunday, April 24, 2005
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
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
Saturday, April 16, 2005
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
Thursday, April 14, 2005
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
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
Friday, April 08, 2005
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
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
Monday, March 28, 2005
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
- 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
Sunday, March 27, 2005
"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
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
Thursday, March 24, 2005
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
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
Tuesday, March 08, 2005
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
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
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