THE ESCALATOR-BATOR, or WHO SUBSCRIBES TO ‘HORSEFISTING ILLUSTRATED?’

This is kind of a Saturday/Sunday combo post. I woke up late this morning and decided to go finish the con instead of writing first. Turned out to be the right idea, as I was three hours and out at the show today.

Yesterday was a monster. First, at some point midday, they stopped selling new badges. To my knowledge, that’s a first. Attendance records have been obliterated, I’d think. Every day was packed beyond belief. I did only two panels, surprisingly; the “Adapting comics to the screen” screenwriters panel, and the “Hack/Slash” becoming a movie panel. My favorite con moment of the day, though, came after those, however. John Ridley was signing free copies of his novel THOSE WHO WALK IN DARKNESS. I’m a huge fan, so this was going to be a treat.

Then he ran late.

So late, in fact, that I decided to wander off and come back later. So I get a few aisles over and what do I see? Ridley at a different publisher’s booth, asking if they know where Warner Books is located. So I stepped in and played tour guide, delivering him to a grateful Warner’s staff. Fun.

The evening was again spent with friends, all but one of who was leaving today. I made some new friends this year that made this an amazing show, and I’m very grateful. Brandon, Jess, Lee… safe travels. Along with old friends Joe and Chris, we made Saturday one for the books. Not going to over-detail, but Joe helped get a guy arrested; Chris broke a waiter’s fragile heart; we marveled at a young boy who was riding the Hyatt escalators barefoot and in the wrong direction (running up the ‘down’, etc.) while playing with himself through his pockets; decisions were made about what horses drawn by Rob Liefeld would look like (no visible hooves, star-shaped tattoos over their eyes, and twenty-eight hands tall if you include their shoulder-mounted guns); and we created a trade magazine for people who artificially inseminate mares.

It went downhill from there. :-)

Today is my traditional shopping day. I focused heavily on minis, though the number of interesting efforts was way down this year. Still, I picked up new efforts from Paul Horn, Raina Telgemeier, Dave Roman, and Marion Vitus among others, so I left as a happy consumer.

As usual, with the show over, I’m wishing I were flying out tonight. I miss my house and bed. But thinking about it, I know I’ll miss my friends (those named above, plus Matt, Kevin, Steven and everyone else even more. See you next time gang…

/Mason

STICK A FORK IN ME…

Ugh.

I’ve tired of wandering around to promote myself and the site. I know it must be done; I need content; content brings readers, readers will bring advertisers when the time comes. But after a while, even someone with an ego the size of mine tires of talking about themselves. Hell, even typing this makes me want to smack myself.

Four panels yesterday. The blogger panel, which was fun. Spurge and Heidi are such wildly different people and are a combustible combo when in each other’s proximity. Next was IDW, supporting friends. Ryall is doing great there as EIC, and buddy John Layman had his SCARFACE mini announced. I’ve known about that one for a while, and it should be great.

Later in the day, it was BET’s animation panel. Reggie Hudlin is pushing hard to change the channel’s rep, and this was positive stuff. The highlight was a short piece called “Bid ‘em in” that dramatized a slave auction. It was a powerful punch to the gut. If the majority of their material is half as good, BET will be a huge force in animation for years to come.

The last panel stop for me was the art of Dan DeCarlo, put on by Bill Morrison, who did the book. Fantastic slides and stories, good fun.

Night saw dinner and drinking with friends, the way it should be. Back to the show…

/Mason

IT ALL LEADS TO FELLATIO RATHER QUICKLY…

Today’s quote comes from the genius of Brandon Jerwa. Funny guy, that Brandon. Good writer, too.

Thursday was Friday. That was the general consensus of the folks I polled. We had a Friday level of traffic, a Friday-sized crowd, and the Hyatt bar was at Friday fervor. The weekend may be fearsome.

Hit three panels. Del Rey manga, which was fun. Their e-i-c, Dallas Middaugh, has exactly the right attitude towards some of the mangas’ crazier plots. Sat in on Jimmy Palmiotti’s panel late afternoon. Jimmy remains one of my favorite folks in comics; good guy, works hard, and really cares. I’ll be doing a new interview with Jimmy this fall. Those are always fun.

Last panel was Random House’s graphic novel panel. More of Dallas, plus the discovery that Kazu Kibuishi’s name is pronounced “Kazoo”. I felt a twinge of sympathy for him at that moment. The FLINTSTONES must have made his life Hell.

Did a lot of catching up with publishers I know. One told me something very surprising; he said that last year was very “producer heavy” and lighter on the fan end. However, so far in the show, they weren’t as besieged by Hollywood as expected, but were surprisingly customer heavy. I liked hearing that.

Pressed the flesh with publishers I don’t know as well, trying to spread word about the new site. I’ve put in some good work so far. Ended the night with dinner and drinks with friends, the way you should here. Back to work now…

/Mason

GRANT MORRISON HAS A FIRM PIMP HAND...

...and other Preview Night notes.

S ix-year old children will go insane when "Hell's Bells" plays. I began my day at Petco Park, watching baseball. The Padres took a lead into the ninth, meaning Trevor Hoffman was brought in to get the save. The park goes insane when the song plays, including young kids. What a great Pavlovian response!

Registration this year was incredibly smooth. And if you had the barcode letter, you were gold. I was done in under five minutes, and I even needed a change in my info. Great job by the con folks.

Saw some familiar faces early. Laurenn McCubbin, Stephen Buell, Jeff Davidson, Rob Osborne, Ryan Yount, to name a few. But con is about seeing old friends, so the highlights involved John Layman and the genius of Matt Maxwell (who coined this post's title after I explained why I lack a firm pimp hand myself).

I think Top Shelf and Boom have good chances to make a splash. LOST GIRLS is now here and in print, and the package is incredible. Plus, Melinda Gebbie is here to sign them. Amano's HERO arrived at the Boom booth last night while I was visiting, and it looks gorgeous. Decent price point, too.

Off to the show!

THE WEATHER IS HERE, WISH YOU WERE LOVELY

San Diego, first full day. Taking my own advice, I arrived last night to stay a full week. Checked in, treated myself to dinner, and got a good night’s sleep.

Woke this morning and had a bagel on the patio of a nearby café. Enjoyed the breeze and the temps. Planning on hitting the Padres game tonight with Chris Allen, before all Hell breaks loose tomorrow.

The rest of the country is suffering stupid heat right now, Al Gore’s inconvenient truth rearing its ugly head. San Diego remains blissfully immune for now… the humidity is high, but that’s a fair trade. Hopefully the con a/c will be in top form, and we’ll shop and network in relative comfort. Won’t hold my breath, though.

Did my Ralph’s shopping today as well. 5 days worth of lunches for $8.65. Hard to beat that…

Sight of the day: a man exiting the Ralph’s garage in a car upon which he had painted/written some sort of manifesto. He was driving like an asshole (surprise,surprise), but I managed to catch something about Jesus being the defense attorney for the chosen somethings or other. Yeesh.

Con reports proper will begin Wednesday night or Thursday morning. Check back then…

Mason

Today at the main site... PENNY ARCADE makes my acquaintance, and the FRAGILE PROPHET tells my future.

Plus: read below for the CWR WEEKEND BLOG EXTRA!

/Mason

CWR WEEKEND BLOG EXTRA!

No reason just to use this blog as my news feed, right? Instead, I’ll be putting up new weekend content as often as I can, in this very space. Woo-hoo!

LOVE AND ROCKETS #16
Written and Drawn by Los Bros Hernandez
Published by Fantagraphics

I’ve made no secret out of the fact that I tend to prefer Gilbert Hernandez’ L&R stories over Jamie’s. It’s basically a question of the characters whose lives I find most interesting. However, that doesn’t diminish the respect and admiration I have for Jaime’s work. He’s every bit the amazing, talented genius that Beto is. And the lead story in this issue shows exactly why.

He takes his entire cast and puts them through an evening, viewing it through the eyes of one of the supporting characters. Yet, he manages, through body language and facial expressions, to tell everyone’s story effectively. By using this sort of “dual perspective”, he creates a near-perfect “slice of life night” that would tell even the newest reader who everyone is and why they react as they do.

The rest of the book contains even more fantastic goodies from both brothers, making this your usual excellent effort from the dynamic duo. Extra kudos for an outstanding cover that relates the theme of Jaime’s opening story in wonderful fashion.

DARK HORSE: 20 YEARS
Drawn by Various
Published by Dark Horse

This $.25 book offers up 20 cool pin-up style portraits of the characters that made Dark Horse the company it is today. Hellboy, Groo, Aliens, Grendel, Concrete… they’re all represented in these pages. And on the surface, that would be cool enough to get your two bits.

However, this book takes it one better. The primary creators do not provide the looks at their characters. Instead, there’s been some swapping, both direct and indirect. Stan Sakai draws SIN CITY; Frank Miller draws USAGI YOJIMBO, for instance. Then you get the train: CONAN artist Cary Nord draws ALIENS; CONAN is then drawn by Sergio Aragones; GROO then appears via Paul Chadwick; then we get CONCRETE done by Chris Warner; then Warner’s BLACK CROSS by Killian Plunkett, and so on.

I was a Dark Horse reader pretty much from the company’s inception, so this book is sort of an extra-special treat for me. I was buying DARK HORSE PRESENTS faithfully and marveling to the early appearances of many of these characters, plus many others, like FLAMING CARROT, HEARTBREAKERS, and HOMICIDE. So I tip my cap and send my warm wishes to the folks in Oregon for their first twenty years. Hopefully, the next twenty will be just as interesting.

/Mason

Why THE TOURIST is better than I expected and why FIVE FISTS OF SCIENCE disappoints... today at the main site!

/Mason

Today's new stuff: LUBA #8 from Fantagraphics, and CRYPTOZOO CREW vol.2 from NBM. Check it out!

/Mason

New today at the Site... 5 Tips for a Better San Diego experience and a review of the manga SCHOOL RUMBLE...

/Mason

RANDOM ENCOUNTER, from Viper Comics, and THE NIGHTMARIST, from Active Images, get reviewed today over at the Main Site!

/Mason

Today at the main site... reviews of G.I. JOE DECLASSIFIED #1 and VAMPIRELLA: REVELATIONS...

/Mason

Today at The Waiting Room...

TALENT and SECOND WAVE from Boom Studios go under the microscope...

/Mason

Now Open For Business!!!!!

After losing a metric ton of my work due (mainly) to stupidity and inexperience, I'm up and ready to go. Make with the clicky and check it out, I beg of you...

/Mason

A PAIR OF PREVIEWS

As God is my witness, the new site will open next week. You heard it here first.

Two from Oni Press, both reviewed from black & white photocopies:

THE LEADING MAN #1
Written by B. Clay Moore and Drawn by Jeremy Haun

Nick Walker is one of those guys the rest of us envy. He’s good looking, rich, and oh, yeah… one of the highest paid action movie stars in Hollywood. One of those guys who has it all. But Nick has even more than that; he’s also a real-life spy who uses his movements to filming locations to mask his covert activities.

That’s the plot behind THE LEADING MAN, Moore and Haun’s second stab at working together. Their first effort was last year’s wildly uneven BATTLE HYMN, so I went into LEADING MAN with some skepticism. With such a near-shark jump of a plot, would the creative team be able to hold the book together? In the broadest sense, that remains to be seen, but they’re at least off to a good start.

Where HYMN came out of the gate like Barbaro on a bum leg, LEADING MAN shows high energy and life immediately. From page one, where we meet Nick in the middle of filming a big action set-piece, to the sly scenes where his female co-stars try and figure out his sexuality, everything here feels pretty much right on target. Enjoyable.

LOVE THE WAY YOU LOVE #1
Written by Jamie S. Rich and Drawn by Marc Ellerby

Tristan is the lead singer of Los Angeles’ best unsigned band, Like A Dog. Isobel has just flown in from Tokyo to meet her fiancée’s grandparents. But after locking eyes at the airport, fate brings them together again when Isobel goes to scout out a band for his label and it turns out to be Tristan’s.

LOVE THE WAY YOU LOVE reads like… well, it reads just like a Jamie S. Rich story. Rich has long been comics’ hippest and slyest cat, with a knowledge of music matched by few. His novel work, like CUT MY HAIR, demonstrates his mastery of this sort of tale, so you’d expect no less than a comic that not only has a twinge of real heart to it, but also makes you feel like the coolest kid in the room for reading it.

Full of terrific supporting characters, like Tristan’s amusing brother Lance and Isobel’s best friend Branden, LOVE is fun even when it turns its focus to the edges of the story. And Rich smartly doesn’t make Isobel’s fiancée an unrepentant dick; he genuinely seems to care for her. By giving everyone in the story a stake in the outcome, LOVE gets elevated from cute toss-off to something with real deep potential. It may not have been complete love at first site, but I am definitely in deep like with this book.

/Mason

INTERIM

Site construction on the new place is nearly complete. But in the meantime, the pile must be addressed…

X ISLE #1
Written by Andrew Cosby and Michael Nelson and Drawn by Greg Scott
Published by Boom Studios


Dr. Alex Keller is a man who has some trouble balancing the priorities in his life. Unfortunately, that isn’t going to improve anytime soon; just as his daughter arrives to meet him in Hawaii (after she’s given up a vacation in France), he’s called to the shore, where a creature never seen before by man has washed up dead. And when the stomach of the creature yields more bizarre life forms, it’s clear that family time is about to get pushed to the side once again.

Of course, all of that could change in a hurry when a freak storm pushes Alex, his daughter, and his crew of scientists off course and onto the shores of an uncharted island…

Part JAWS, part LOST, and part JURASSIC PARK, the plot and concept of X ISLE more than make up for the shallowness of the character set-ups. You’ve seen the parent-child conflict in this situation plenty; plus you get the requisite surly sailor, and plenty of supporting cannon fodder as Keller’s associates. Still, you go to these types of movies, and buy these types of comics, expecting the tropes of the genre to be in place to push the tale along. Therefore, X ISLE reads true to itself.

Greg Scott’s art looks really good here, supporting the suspense and mystery being laid down, too. I probably sound like a fuddy-duddy, but I really liked X ISLE; it’s a tight piece of pop entertainment, and that’s all I was asking for.

SIBAM?

After TALENT got optioned a couple of weeks ago, I’d imagine that Hollywood’s eyes are trained a bit more closely on Ross Richie and company’s output. I can’t imagine that X ISLE, which reeks of summer tentpole flick, won’t wind up in a producer’s pocket soon enough.

PARADOX #2-3
Written by Chris Gage and Drawn by Luis Henrique Ribeiro
Published by Arcana Studio


Detective Sean Nault must leave his magic-based world and enter ours as LAW AND ORDER scribe Gage concludes his tale of sorcerers and bullets. When last we left Nault, he had discovered that parallel worlds existed, and someone in our science-based reality was crossing over and causing big trouble. Aided and abetted by a science believer from his own world (the standard love interest), Lenoir Rhyne, he must unravel the clues and expose a conspiracy to destroy two universes.

PARADOX is a clever book, and it reads almost purely as a screenplay in many ways. The art is pretty static for the most part, almost purposefully lacking dynamism, instead interpreting its role as more of a set of storyboards. That’s acceptable, of course, but you wouldn’t be disappointed if Ribeiro stretched himself a bit. Story-wise, my one qualm is that the story feels a bit rushed by squeezing it into three issues. I’d have liked to have seen a bit more in the way of fleshing out some of the smaller pieces of the plot, and in adding some extra character material. Still, I expect this to serve its purpose and find the story a Hollywood home at some point, even it winds up being to expensive to ever film.

CRY YOURSELF TO SLEEP
Written and Drawn by Jeremy Tinder
Published by Top Shelf Comix


It’s sort of difficult to know what to make of CRY. The book focuses on three very distinct individuals: Jim, a rabbit who lives an unfulfilling life while working at a sandwich shop; Andy, a young writer struggling to find his voice; and Robot, who decides he wants to find his humanity by following a bird out to the forest and following its example.

Tinder chooses to make Robot a robot for obvious purposes; a machine finding its soul is a common literature trope. But it’s the decision to make Jim a rabbit that really offers up some questions to the reader. Jim is a sad spirit, and his parents put him upon horribly. His father doesn’t accept excuses for losing a job because he’s a rabbit; it’s a tantalizing take on race, but Tinder doesn’t quite sink his claws as deep into it as you’d like. I like that he made the attempt, though.

Each character’s quest for self and meaning winds up coming together in different ways, as the trio’s path will intersect in ways they couldn’t imagine, but Tinder manages to put together a conclusion that feels right, fair, and satisfying. CRY YOURSELF TO SLEEP isn’t a book to set the world on fire, but it is a very solid debut from this creator.

MOUSE GUARD #2
Written and Drawn by David Petersen
Published by Archaia Studios Press


As the mice from issue one were on their mission, others were also working, too. Issue two of this fantastic book follows Guard member Sadie as she heads off to the shore of the Mouse territory to find out why fellow guard member Conrad has suddenly stopped responding to messages. Needless to say, that silence is a very bad sign for all mice…

Petersen’s tale of heroic mice picks up steam with this second issue. It could have been severely damaging to the story to move away from the characters we met in issue one, but he manages to make Sadie and Conrad more fascinating characters than our prior protagonists. The story movement also allows for an expansion of the story’s scope and the picture we get of the backdrop the tale is playing against.

The primary action sequence this issue involves our heroes taking on an armada of crabs bent on taking their lives. Petersen makes this scene exhilarating, putting aside thoughts of what the creatures involved are and delivering perfectly executed scenes of mayhem. Unfortunately, that leads to the one problem MOUSE GUARD faces in this issue: the story feels pretty thin and doesn’t get as far forward as it really needs to in order to keep momentum. Still, this remains a wonderful surprise, and I look forward to reading more.

STRANGETOWN #1
Written by Chynna Clugston and Ian Shaughnessy and Drawn by Chynna Clugston
Published by Oni Press


Mysterious circumstances send a young girl named Vanora on a ship ride far away from home. However, an accident at sea leaves her stranded and living in a small town off the coast of Oregon. Stranger circumstances yet then leave her looking for a room to rent, and she finds one located above a bar named THE CUTTY SARK TA HOUSE. But as weird as all that may sound, her housemates might just be weirder. And sadly for Vanora, the past is not so easily outrun.

I’ve just written that paragraph, yet I read it knowing that it’s all somewhat of a lie: by the end of STRANGETOWN, you have absolutely zero clue as to what’s going on or what the real plot of the book is going to be. But no matter; it’s all executed with such gusto and energy that you can’t help but be drawn into the tale without a problem.

Much of that is due to the presence of Chynna Clugston as co-writer and artist. Clugston is one of those creators who can do almost no wrong in my eyes. I’ve been a fan since I first laid my eyes on BLUE MONDAY, and her excellent SCOOTER GIRL did nothing to dull that shine. Chynna has a gift for making the absurd seem perfectly rational and normal, which is precisely why STRANGETOWN works. More please. Soon.

PAUL JENKINS’ SIDEKICK #1
Written by Paul Jenkins and Drawn by Chris Moreno
Published by Image Comics


Eddie Edison’s life is full of hassles. By day, he delivers pizza to people who treat him like dirt and try and screw him over. When night rolls around, though, he’s the sidekick to Mister Excellent, the greatest superhero in the city. Of course, Mister Excellent is also a dimwitted, pain-in-the-ass, prig. So you’ll pardon Eddie if he doesn’t feel guilty about fucking Mister Excellent’s wife.

Of course, Eddie’s hassles also extend to his having a voluptuous, kinky stripper for a girlfriend. So, yeah, Eddie’s kind of a dick who’s due for a little comeuppance himself. So when he schemes to get away from Mister Excellent and earn a little side money sidekicking for another hero in town, he bites off a bit more than he can chew when they all hire him…

SIDEKICK is pretty damned funny, scouring modern pop culture and classic superhero comics for every little cliché it can find, and then taking a leak on them. Whether it’s poking fun at Superman, or taking swings at hip hop culture, Jenkins observes no boundaries and no fear in aiming at his targets. Moreno finds just the right mix of slapstick and action to sell the gags. As disappointed as I was in THE LAST CHRISTMAS, I’m surprised, happy, and enthused about SIDEKICK. This is a winner.

/Mason

I WAS HOPING THE NEW SITE WOULD BE READY BY NOW…

Oh, well. Keep checking The NEW Comics Waiting Room this week, and cross your fingers.

CASANOVA #1
Written by Matt Fraction and Drawn by Gabriel Ba
Published by Image Comics

Casanova Quinn is the world’s greatest thief, a sex magnet, and luckier than anyone deserves to be. Sort of a reverse-image of James Bond, he eschews his family’s commitment to doing good in the world, leaving the secret agent stuff to his father and his twin sister. But when she’s killed in the line of duty, Casanova gets drawn into a strange scenario involving time travel, dimension shifting, giant floating brains, and more. I’d try and explain more of that, but wrapping my head around the twisty plot that Fraction put together gave me a headache. Fortunate, then, I was enormously entertained by the whole affair. CASANOVA is a blast of pop energy, not taking itself too seriously and delivering maximum bang for the buck. Plus, it looks brilliant; Ba’s pages are simply gorgeous to look at. At $1.99 this, like FELL, is something you simply cannot ignore.

DORK TOWER #33
Written and Drawn by John Kovalic
Published by Dork Storm



After a long layoff, due to some cool real world distractions for Kovalic, DORK TOWER returns, as strong as ever. This issue puts the focus on Ken, as Kovalic continues to spread the spotlight out amongst the cast. Ken’s problems are two-fold; one, he’s struggling to write good game modules for his friends, because he lacks an inherent passion and zest that pushes his stories to the next level. And that problem informs the second issue facing him: he’s oblivious to the needs of the girl in his life. Kovalic makes Ken’s troubles as a writer feel very real; anyone who’s ever sat at the keyboard and couldn’t figure out how to make their story jump from “okay” to “great” knows exactly how he feels. And you don’t have to be a writer to know how hard it is to read the signals from your significant other that she’s being neglected. Throw in well-executed movement on Matt and Igor’s plots, too, and this is a strong return for a terrific book.

SKYSCRAPERS OF THE MIDWEST #3
Written and Drawn by Josh Cotter
Published by AdHouse Books


I had the good fortune to read the first two SKYSCRAPERS back when they were published as mini-comics a couple of years ago (AdHouse reprinted them at standard floppy size). They had won the Isotope Award for minis, and deservedly so; Cotter was clearly an insane genius, melding the absurd with deep emotional pathos with alacrity. Issue three is more of the same. The main storyline involves a withdrawn fifth-grader whose name we never get, but we know him well. He’s shy, loves his toy robot and dinosaur, and is terrified of declaring his feelings for the girl he admires from afar. He also gets pushed around a lot. Even if we weren’t that kid, we knew him. But alongside that plot, we also follow the path of a giant robot wandering the plains and dealing with a bizarre pack of flying cats, and a lonely farmer who likes to wander the roadside picking up cans with his faithful dog. Someway, somehow, Cotter manages to make these plots work together and feel perfectly normal and logical. It’s quite a feat. Beautifully drawn, and cleverly put together around a design resembling a fifth grade yearbook, this is an excellent book.

ELEISON #1
Written by Elena Carillo and Drawn by Jaime Carillo
Published by Here There Be Monsters Press


ELEISON isn’t a standard comic. Instead, it’s an illustrated prose story. Set in 1833, we discover a young woman teacher with a strange sickness: a bloodthirst, a hunger, that causes her to attack a student as though she were a vampire. That sends a young priest named Peck out into the wild in the hopes of returning with a legendary clergyman named Jean-Marthe Baptiste who it is believed can solve the problem. Baptiste, known to the local Native American population as Waabooz (“Rabbit”) supposedly has experience with the supernatural. But with such a strange malady, it is unclear whether or not his experience will be enough. The illustrations by Jaime are really quite lovely, though they don’t really do much to push the tale along. They are very much a solid, literal translation of what we get from the text. The story itself is fine; I never felt as grounded in the environment as I’d have liked, but that is something that can be rectified as the book progresses. Solid, if unspectacular, debut.

AUTOPSYROTICA
Written and Illustrated by Chad Michael Ward
Published by NBM


This is about as dark and disturbing of a book as I’ve seen in a while. I’m fine with that, though.

AUTOPSYROTICA is a collection of illustrated photographs, accompanied by short text pieces that present a crisply inferred story. By illustrated photographs, I mean that Ward has used a model (usually a goth or fetish model), set up a scenario and captured it on film, and then gone to work with digital paints and other media in order to complete the picture. It’s a remarkable and deeply involving set of artistic creations. This book is about the conjunction of sex and death, and the illustrations here meld the two as though there is no separation between them at all. It would be easy to say that, looking at Ward’s work, there is nothing attractive about what he puts on the page here, but you have to look deeper than that. Yes, there’s a horror in many of his pieces, but in many of the others, there’s something beautiful simmering just below the surface. This is a challenging work, but an admirable one in the attempt. I wouldn’t recommend it to any but the most advanced and open-minded readers though.

RED SONJA #10-11
Written by Mike Oeming and Drawn by Mel Rubi, Pablo Marcos, and Lee Moder
Published by Dynamite Entertainment


Issue ten concludes the storyline wherein Sonja acquires a protégée much like herself, and it is quite satisfactorily executed. Oeming sends Sonja on the girl on their mission, and it feels genuinely like the title character has come fully alive on the page. She’s clever, caring, and really seems like she has her shit together. Of course, that can’t last, so issue eleven goes a long way towards putting her life in the toilet. I’m fine with that, as it’s a dramatic necessity, but the execution was off through the issue. As she faces a foe far stronger and smarter than her, there’s a sense that Sonja regresses needlessly; with this enemy, even at her fullest strength, it would take more for her to win. There’s also an added tragedy thrown into the mix, which again, didn’t feel completely necessary for the plot to achieve its aims. SONJA continues to be a solid book, but I’m reserving judgment as we see where the next issue, revealing the series’ main villain to date, takes the character.

ARMY OF DARKNESS #7-8
Written by Kames Kuhoric and Drawn by Kevin Sharpe
Published by Dynamite Entertainment


ARMY #7 concludes the “Old School” plotline, which sent Ash back out to that cabin in the woods where he lost the love of his life and his hand those many years ago. This has been the most fun the series has delivered to date; nothing feels more like a Bruce Campbell moment than kicking a severed head and shooting it with a shotgun while it’s still in the air. Funny stuff. But Kuhoric also manages to make the ending a bit sad, as Ash discovers that he can never even consider giving up the fight for a long, long time. Issue eight begins a new story, “Ash vs. Dracula”, and it gets off to kind of a disappointing and slow start. Kuhoric decides to start us at the end of the tale and tell it in flashbacks, which is a fine device… when your opening place is a whopper. But Ash’s situation at the start of this issue is kind of pedestrian. Sadly, Sharpe’s pencils, which get colored directly, also look a little loose in issue eight as well. Disappointing, but there’s room to recover.

PAINKILLER JANE #2
Written by Jimmy Palmiotti and Drawn by Lee Moder
Published by Dynamite Entertainment



On the other hand, this book delivers exactly what you bought it for: ridiculous, over-the-top action, story logic be damned. In issue one, the basically indestructible Jane took out a bad guy who was being guarded by dirty cops. Now, the cops want her dead, and only her insiders on the force feeding her information keep her a step ahead of the bullets. However, the bad guy from issue one had family, and they’ve taken the women he was keeping as slaves into their own home for nefarious purposes. So Jane’s job isn’t done, and more people are going to have to die. Daring escapes, rooftop gun battles, long falls from high windows… they’re all here. Palmiotti is smart enough to know that no one picks up this book expecting to find a sensitively told tale of a woman struggling with her inability to die. This is pure fun, and I dug it.

/Mason

SNAKES IN THE GRASS

The NEW Comics Waiting Room is still a week or so away. I swear to you: it’s coming. But in the meantime, these comics aren’t going to review themselves. So here are three new efforts from Viper Comics, one of my favorite indy publishers.

MIDDLEMAN #2.4
Written by Javier Grillo-Marxauch and Drawn by Les McClane

The second MIDDLEMAN limited series draws to a conclusion, and it’s all kinds of happy goodness. Wendy parachutes into the Mexican jungle on a mission to save her boss and Sensei Ping, but her problems are far greater than that. For instance, her skill at delivering a snappy one-liner when she takes down a baddie needs more than just a bit of work (the single funniest gag in the eight issues published to date). Plus, she had to leave her critically wounded ex-boyfriend behind to possibly die. Nothing’s easy for the poor girl.

That bit of sadness aside, the conclusion to the story packs a ridiculous amount of action, funny jokes, and even character development into the remaining space. The final battle against an army of Mexican wrestlers is executed with both panache and lot of hilarity, cementing my love for this book. MIDDLEMAN is one of my favorite comics, period. Can’t wait until we get to see some more!

VILLAINS #1
Written by Adam Cogan and Drawn by Ryan Cody

Nick is a fuck-up. He has a great girlfriend who loves him, but he can’t keep out of his own way long enough to keep his job. Nor does he show her enough respect to tell her the truth. But his life is about to change, because Nick walks into the middle of a fight between the local superhero and a bad guy. And armed with the bad guy’s gun, he gets bold. Bold enough to discover that the superintendent of his apartment building used to be one of the most notorious supervillains of all time. Bold enough to decide that he doesn’t want to go looking for a regular job…

No question, the concept here is very strong. We don’t necessarily need to get behind Nick right away; there’s a character arc to be discovered here. But Cogan does make something a misstep that may make this difficult. Why? The first thing Nick does when he winds up with the aforementioned gun is to put on a mask and mug his former boss. Risky at that point to be able to sculpt an arc that will fully redeem him… if that’s even Cogan’s plan. I suppose it says a lot that I was struck hard enough by that action to care to see what happens as the story progresses. Have to call that a win for VILLAINS.

YOU’LL HAVE THAT
Written and Drawn by Wes Molebash

YOU’LL HAVE THAT is an enormously charming comic strip, done in the classic four-panel format. Molebash premieres his work on the web, and this is the first printed collection of his work. And hopefully, it’s just the first of many.

YHT is the story of newlyweds Andy and Katie. They met cute, fell in love, and now they have the true battle ahead of them: how to live together and figure out just how their marriage is going to work. Whether it’s a minor issue like how to properly share a bowl of salsa or a major issue like hygiene, the adorable pair has some work to do.

Molebash has a nice, simple art style, and his figures are very appealing. He has a solid grasp on his timing, so the punchlines flow exactly how they should. Nothing feels forced or mischaracterized. I enjoyed the book immensely, and it should do well in bookstores, having lots of appeal to the non-comics reader.

/Mason

QUARTER HORSES

All yours for a shiny two bits.

G.I.JOE: THE HUNT FOR COBRA COMMANDER
Written by Mike O’Sullivan and Drawn by Josh Medors
Published by Devil’s Due

As the main JOE series has maneuvered through its first year if issues, scribe Joe Casey has been careful not to bring out too many of the trappings from the previous volume. Cobra has been seen in spurts, and putting continuity aside in order to make the book friendlier to new readers has been paramount. But even a new reader knows that the series’ primary villain cannot be held back forever. Much like the Fantastic Four will always have to face Dr. Doom and the X-Men will have to square off against Magneto, the Joes are going to have to go head-to-head with the king snake himself, Cobra Commander. O’Sullivan’s short story that leads this issue details what’s been going on behind the scenes of the regular series since the beginning, whetting the appetite for whatever the world’s worst terrorist has in store. The back matter, which offers up dossiers and histories for the series and its characters, are very well executed and useful to readers new and old. Perfectly executed.

BATTLESTAR GALACTICA #0
Written by Greg Pak and Drawn by Nigel Raynor
Published by Dynamite Entertainment

To say that I’m a huge fan of the TV show would be undercutting it a tad, so I was extremely anxious to see how this was going to turn out. What makes GALACTICA the show a success are the characters and their conflicts; science fiction barely plays a role in the show. Therefore, one of my greatest concerns about taking the series into the comic realm was that the lack of budget hindrances would send Pak away from what’s brilliant about the concept and into the land of kewl. Fortunately, while there is a bit more of a sci-fi feeling here than you might get on the show, this generally feels right, story-wise. That isn’t to say that there aren’t struggles; character voice is an issue; in particular, Apollo and Starbuck aren’t quite right. But Pak nails President Roslin and the elder Adama to a t. The ending cliffhanger is either an idea steeped in genius or a scenario that Pak will never be able to satisfactorily resolve, but either way, I’ll be in it for the long haul to see how it plays out.

/Mason

LEAVE A MESSAGE AFTER THE TONE

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

/Mason

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

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

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

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

LIBERTY MEADOWS #37
Written and Drawn by Frank Cho

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

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

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

/Mason

!MOOB

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

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

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

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

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

CTHULHU TALES
Written and Drawn by Various

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

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

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

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

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

/Mason

A QUICK TEASE

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

Hopefully, it'll be really, really cool.

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

/Mason

FUN THINGS

Recent press releases that caught my eye:

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

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

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

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

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

and

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

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

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

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

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

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

/Mason

HERE THERE ARE MONSTERS

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

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

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

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

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

/Mason

KNOWING IS HALF THE BATTLE

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

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

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

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

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

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

/Mason

IT WAS ONLY A MATTER OF TIME

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

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

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

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

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

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

/Mason

Getting Literary…

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

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

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

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

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

/Mason

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

/Mason

GETTING BACK TO IT (I HOPE)

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

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

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

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

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

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

/Mason

SINGLES

Gotta start trying to get the pile back under control.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

/Mason

IF I DIDN'T HATE TO FLY...

This would be damned cool:

Kyle Baker to be Harvey Awards’ Master of Ceremonies!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

SWINGIN’ SINGLES

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

/Mason

REVIEW ROUNDUP

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

/Mason