CWR WEEKEND BLOG EXTRA

It’s another biggie again this weekend, this time with five new number ones from the folks at Boom Studios.

2 GUNS #1 is written by Steven Grant and drawn by Mat Santolouco. Crime-master Grant adapts one of his screenplays for this tasty slice of graphic storytelling, the story of an undercover federal agent who finds himself needing to actually commit a crime of his own in order to save his life. Action, violence, betrayals, snappy dialogue… Grant is one of the only writers working in comics who actually understands how to make this genre work on the page. Part of that is evidenced in the storytelling; this is compressed work, featuring many pages with high panel counts and judicious camera movement that ratchets up the intensity of the scenes. Santolouco seems to have a solid grasp on how to interpret this type of story, and the book is visually appealing as well. The cliffhanger is terrific and takes the story in a fascinating direction, making this one to keep a serious eye on.

Andrew Cosby and Kevin Church write, and R.M. Yankovicz draws, COVER GIRL #1. Alex Martin is your classic out-of-work actor looking for a break when he finally gets one: he saves a woman from a burning car crash and a local new chopper captures it on film. Elevated onto the “A” list, he gets a cherry gig playing a spy from a series of popular novels. However, unbeknownst to him, the woman he saved was involved in some sort of conspiracy, and her pursuers are now after him. The studio’s solution: to avoid Alex looking like a wienie, they hire him a kick ass bodyguard… a female bodyguard. There’s a lot of charm here, and it zips along pleasantly, pace-wise. The only thing that really doesn’t work is that we don’t meet the title character until the final page. Cosby seems to have a decent Midas-touch so far, and Church is a funny guy, so I’m definitely onboard to see where it goes.

Biological warfare from outer space kicks off DOMINION #1, written by Michael Alan Nelson and drawn by Tim Hamilton. A group of random people in Chicago find their lives torn apart as they fall ill and begin manifesting strange powers or metamorphoses. Some go berserk; some destroy themselves; but no one knows quite yet why it’s happening. From the opening frames discussing the history of biological warfare on Earth to the mounting tension as people begin to transform to the absolutely insane cliffhanger, this is a dandy. An extra added happy note: good to see Tim Hamilton’s name in the credit box again, and it doesn’t look like he’s missed a step. At the hart of the story is a guy who hasn’t expressed a power as of yet except resolution to solve the problem. The pleasant thing is that you can’t be quite sure he’ll succeed.

RAY screenwriter James L. White writes HUNTER’S MOON #1, drawn by Dalibor Talajic. A wealthy businessman named Lincoln winds up stuck with his son for a weekend camping trip, instead of the woman he was hoping to have along. Unfortunately, the boy doesn’t like his father much, and dad doesn’t think very highly of his son’s dreams to become a rapper and music producer, either. Things really come to a head, however, when dad gets conked on the head while in the forest and wakes up to find the boy gone. I can admire HUNTER’S MOON in many respects; rare is the form of entertainment that focuses on the relationship between African-American men and their sons. And the story itself is executed well. But it is slooooooooooooow going to get to the final page. The pace here needed serious work. If it doesn’t pick up in the next issue, the mini risks going nowhere.

Or, worse, turning out like SALVADOR #1. Written by screenwriters Mark and Michael Polish and Sebastian Jones, with art by Steph Stamb, this is an unfortunate miss. The story: Salvador is the product of genetic engineering, born very brittle, but light as a feather, which allows him to fly. But I didn’t learn any of that from the actual comic; that’s from the in-house ads for Boom product. There isn’t a single caption or word of dialogue in this book, and you wouldn’t know a single thing about what the story was supposed to be without that p.r. The pictures are pretty, but they don’t flow or do any storytelling. There are inexplicable close-ups, and long shots that are rendered too dark to figure out by the way the book printed. It is the rare book from Boom that offers not even a sliver to recommend about it; even the first CTHULHU anthology, which I panned, had some good to it, and the company has carved out a nice, quality niche for itself. But this is a complete mess; avoid it.

That’s it for this weekend: the good, the bad, and the ugly from Boom. Thanks for reading; I’ll be back throughout the week for site updates after the Monday holiday.

/Mason

Finishing up the week... a look at Antony Johnston's post-apocalyptic WASTELAND...

The Big Wet begins here.

/Mason

Rounding third and heading for home... the great Lewis Trondheim gets another English adaptation of his work, the wonderful all-ages TINY TYRANT.

See why he's one of the few to buy, sight-unseen...

/Mason

It's time to do the humpty-hump, as Wednesday arrives and brings a review of RED EYE, BLACK EYE. K. Thor Jensen took a bus ride to remember in 2001, and it's something you won't quite ever forget yourself...

All aboard!

/Mason

Tuesday brings a look at the SASQUATCH anthology from Viper Comics, so it's bound to be some hairy reading...

Puns are all part of the package.

/Mason

Manga Monday! The next 400 posts starts off with a reminder to go check out my review of volumes 3 and 4 of STRAY LITTLE DEVIL...

Cuteness abounds!

/Mason

CWR WEEKEND BLOG EXTRA: 400TH ISSUE CELEBRATION

This marks the 400th post to this blog. Wow.

Now, I know that, compared to some other comics-related blogs, that’s pretty puny. But this puppy has a history to it that’s a bit different. I originally started the Comics Waiting Room as a blog only; the full website came years later. CWR began as a group blog, and folks like Graeme McMillan, Chris Allen, Alan David Doane, Joe Rybandt, and others participated in it. Eventually, the group format wound down, and I took back full control of the account, using it as a supplementary spot for reviews; my column at Movie Poop Shoot was always available to me, but sometimes I had so much material that I crossed the two over, hoping to pimp both at the same time.

But when the time came for me to leave View Askew and figured out my next move, this blog was sitting here waiting for me, offering me my best option: buy a new domain and start fresh with it, building from this blog. So comicswaitingroom.com was born, and I haven’t looked back. And even with the site to play with, I’ve kept this blog running; it acts as a site updater, plus, I still use it for extra reviews and the occasional commentary.

So, 400 posts later, it’s running strong. I feel pretty damned happy about that. And to celebrate, I offer up a huge Weekend Blog Extra, reviewing 7 titles from the good folks (especially my friend and former CWR contributor Mr. Rybandt) at Dynamite Entertainment.

LONE RANGER #5 is written by Brett Matthews and drawn by Sergio Cariello, and much like the first four issues of the title, it’s another sterling effort. Honestly, it’s difficult to find new things to say about this series; Matthews and Cariello have yet to hit a false note as the story’s progressed, and the characters only get stronger and more intriguing on the page, particularly Tonto. The slow, languid pacing might put off some fans, but for a western, it works just fine. And the iconic way that Cariello and colorist Dean White create the figures and backgrounds is some of the finest cinematography at work in comics right now. The book is up for an Eisner this year- it would be a very deserving winner.

Balanced against the wondrous RANGER, WITCHBLADE: SHADES OF GRAY #1 was already facing an uphill battle with me. Writers Leah Moore and John Reppion and artist Stephen Segovia also started in the hole because I’ve always loathed the Witchblade character (and the fact that the book birthed Michael Turner’s “career”). My primary issue with Sara Pezzini and her alter ego isn’t the ridiculous “costume,” however; my larger problem has always been in the portrayal of Sara herself, and the moronic ways the character has been drawn. No police detective would ever get away with wearing the stupid, revealing outfits artists put her in while she’s out on the job. So imagine my enormous surprise when this book opens with Sara dressed appropriately and joining forces with another female detective who does the same. And then the writers begin to put together a genuinely interesting mystery. All was good, and I actually found myself drawn into the story. Then, two-thirds of the way through the book, Sara shows up at headquarters to interrogate a suspect in a dress that would embarrass a street hooker, and the other female detective gets a shower scene and a “towel not long enough” butt shot. So close, but the trip and fall at the finish line leaves a good-sized strawberry.

From the same writers, Moore and Reppion, and artist Hugo Petrus, comes RAISE THE DEAD #2, DE’s entry into the zombie derby. The first issue felt a little flat to me, but the second picks up the pace a bit. We begin to get some background into what’s going on and the characters find a little time to get to know and hate one another, which proves to be a smart move on the authors’ part. Petrus also gets to stretch a bit more on the art side, given more locales and more zombies to work with, as well as some choice moments that take place before the dead got hungry and went out for brains. I’m still not fully sold on the book, but now I can at least see that the potential is there for it to happen. Another issue or two as solid as this one, and I’ll be fully onboard the bus.

My buddy John Layman writes DARK XENA #1, and new series artist Noah Salonga joins him for the tale, replacing the departed Fabiano Neves (currently drawing Layman’s excellent MARVEL ZOMBIES VS ARMY OF DARKNESS book). Layman’s first Xena book was a stunner; I’d never watched the show and kinda snickered at those who did, but he delivered a great story that made the characters extremely appealing. Now he’s traveled backwards; the TV series left Xena dead at the end, and now we’re finding out how she was resurrected. Sidekick Gabrielle makes a pact with an old god to bring back her friend, but in true “be careful what you wish for fashion” she’s returned as her old evil self. Whoops. The book necessarily lacks the joyful humor of Layman’s first book, and Neves’ absence is felt, but this is still entertaining and very readable. We know the ultimate outcome, but the journey is always the best part, right?

DARKMAN VS ARMY OF DARKNESS #3-4 concludes the titanic team-up of the year. No, not Ash and Dr. Westlake; writers Kurt Busiek and Roger Stern. They, with artist James Fry, have combined to produce one of DE’s more surprising recent efforts. Many attempts to combine franchises fall flat, but using the Necronomicon to resurrect Darkman’s mortal enemy and make some deadites was just about a perfect idea. The two classic pros at the keyboard then put together a nifty balance of action, character moments, and amusing dialogue and created a very “classic” reading comic book. Dense and compressed storytelling, art that serves the story and never itself… they don’t make ‘em like this very often anymore. Throw in some tasty covers from George Perez, and this is one of the more under-publicized and under-appreciated series in memory. Worth a look, either in pamphlet or the eventual trade.

Rick Remender’s CLASSIC BATTLESTAR GALACTICA #4-5 concludes his first series arc. The book has been maddeningly inconsistent; it started out terrific, dipped quickly into a slow, plodding pace, and swerves back around at the end to try and make it interesting. It will come as no surprise that Starbuck, Boomer, and their rescued colonists make it back to the rag-tag fleet; suffice it say, they return with the enemy in tow. Issue five sees artist Carlos Rafael finally turned loose for big action, and the book gets better for it. Part of what ailed Remender earlier in the series was not using his imagination in more expansive ways; there’s no limit to what you can do in comics, but until now, it seems like he’s been thinking “small” in many ways. The improvement here rescues the book and makes the arc successful on the whole, but I can’t help but think that it could have been so much better…

Why do I think that? Because CLASSIC BATTLESTAR GALACTICA: CYLON APOCALYPSE #2-3 shows just how effectively the original series can be done in comics. Writer Javier Grillo-Marxuach and returning artist Rafael take the ball and run with it, still producing the best comic currently featuring either crew. A rogue faction of Cylons has created a biological weapon to use upon its own citizenry, and that weapon falls into the hands of Adama and company, who must decide what to do with a genocidal gift. A war of the Lucifer models, robot protoplasm, hand-held laser fights in a vacuum, planetary assaults, debates over the ethics of bio-weaponry… Grillo-Marxuach has taken the best of the new series, melded it to the classic version, and let his creative side run wild. In fact, if the original series had been this good on a consistent basis (as the new one is), it would have survived, no matter the budget problems that dragged it down. On TV, I prefer Ron Moore’s vision to Glen Larson’s, but right now in the comics milieu, this one has ‘em all beat. Great stuff.

That’s it for issue 400. Thanks for reading. Thanks for your support. Please keep reading, both here, and over at the main site, and I’ll keep working. After all… Wednesday is never more than a week away.

/Marc Mason

Closing out the week: easily one of my favorite books of the year to date. The brilliantly absurdist JOHNNY HIRO mixes action, comedy, and giant monsters and robots perfectly.

Buy it. Immediately.

/Mason

Two for Thursday! Staffer Ericka Stricklett leaves the CWR behind and heads to her new life in Kentucky, but not before two new prose novel reviews that have comic tie-ins: TRAIN MAN : THE NOVEL and FROM THE NOTEBOOKS OF DR. BRAIN.

Text can be beautiful.

/Mason

On the mid-week hump: John Kovalic's brilliant fanboy masterpiece DORK TOWER gets a 10-year celebration collection. These days, strips like PVP and PENNY ARCADE may make a bit more noise, but no one has been doing it longer or better.

To ten more!

/Mason

It's Tuesday and we're still on schedule for the week. Yay! Today's review: THE RIDE: SAVANNAH, the latest entry in the series that (tangentitally) follows the adventures of a really hot car.

Is Georgia on your mind?

/Mason

Back in action! After two weeks of various personal matters taking up time, the site should start returning to full power this week. Starting off, of course, with a new Manga Monday! This week, PARASYTE returns to print, this time in the original right-to-left format. One of the classic sci-fi horror mangas ever...

Go be scared!

/Mason

Skipping past Wednesday (as I mentioned might happen), we dive into Thursday with a catch-up review on the modern BATTLESTAR GALACTICA series by Greg Pak. Just how is he doing, now that he's 2/3 of the way through his run?

I'll tell you.

/Mason

Tuesday... Ian Shaughnessy evokes the classic films of Billy Wilder and the Marx Brothers in SHENANIGANS...

Have a laugh, won't you?

/Mason

I'm baaaaaaaaaack!

For a bit, at least. Posting this week may be a bit sporadic as I settle back in and deal with some incoming visitors, but for today, at least, there's a new review. It's Manga Monday, and for your perusal today... meet PRINCESS RESURRECTION, a chainsaw-wielding, dead-raising ass-kicker in goth-gear.

Show me the love.

/Mason

So... I forgot to post a site update yesterday... whoops. But even more to the weird point, this will be the one and only update of the week because of it. The Room will not be update again until next week, as my day job will have me away from the computer for the rest of the week. But to tide you over... I've put up a full five days' worth of reviews anyway. They are:

Manga Monday: KURO GANE, the story of a samurai raised from the dead in a steel body.

Should It Be A Movie?: LEADING MAN... "Hollywood's biggest star is also America's best spy"

AiT/PLanetLar: THE LAST SANE COWBOY, collecting Daniel Merlin Goodbrey's award-winning minicomics.

Image Comics: FERRO CITY, which is "robots meet the Maltese Falcon"

Indy of the Week: British artist Tom Humbertstone tells HOW TO DATE A GIRL IN 10 DAYS and lectures on ART SCHOOL SCUM.

Please enjoy them. I'll see you on Monday!

/Mason

CWR WEEKEND BLOG EXTRA

Welcome to the third straight weekend with a new Blog Extra. I have to pat myself on the back for that, as well as say up front that there won’t be one next weekend, as I’ll be away and will return too late to post one. So I’ll just enjoy the heady rush of triumph now, thanks.

This week is request hour. My buddy Brandon Jerwa asked me if I hated the finale to his book since he hadn’t seen me write it up, and while it was tempting to fuck with him and tell him it blew goat, the truth was far less sinister- I was just running behind. So for my boy in the WA… here ya go. From the handsomely sexy folks at Dynamite Entertainment:

BATTLESTAR GALACTICA: ZAREK #3-4 are written by my evil twin, Brandon Jerwa and drawn by Adriano Batista. When last we left GALACTICA’s best-known revolutionary, he had just blown up that government building that Ron Moore’s excellent sci-fi series told us about. Issues three and four take us inside his incarceration, and his rise to true power, even without his freedom. In an interesting bit of synchronicity with the show itself, it begins with Zarek writing a manifesto from his cell, much as Baltar would do in season three (which, considering that Zarek was Baltar’s vice president, gives you the echo of Baltar taking a page from his political mentor) and expanding his following. This allows him to grow in stature, even as he is given opportunities to exit the penal system. But his refusal to fall in line or give in to those he considers oppressors is what sands out about the character- he will leave and live his life only on his own terms, and when he sees that the time is correct for it. Prison is merely a minor obstacle to what he truly wants and sees as necessary for himself and those he represents.

The conclusion finds Zarek finally on the way to his parole hearing,
picked up by the Astral Queen and on his way to Caprica. But as we know from the show, a little distraction arose: the Cylons invaded, and the Astral Queen was right in the middle of it. It’s here, in the heart of a pitched battle, that we see the final evolution of the man we’ll meet in season one. He’s more than willing to pick up arms and work against the new threat, because he knows that humanity is now at a complete disadvantage, and his voice will ring loud… not only with the survivors, but especially with his captors, who now owe him their lives.

Taken as a whole and read directly before watching the character’s first appearance on the series, ZAREK really works well, fleshing him out in ways that licensed tie-ins rarely can. This really is Jerwa’s best work to date in comics, and the level of his commitment to producing the book is obvious. If you’re a fan of the modern show, this is more of a must-read than the regular ongoing series.

Back tomorrow for a site update.

/Mason

The week's over! Celebrate by checking out our review of the finale of MOUSE GUARD.

Like you have anything better to do. ;-)

/Mason

Two more for Thursday! First up, Tom Pappalardo offers up one of the most uniquely entertaining novellas I've seen in a while, BROKEN LINES, which features the adventures of a cowboy, a spaceman, a vampire, and a waitress! Next, the fertile minds of Andrew Cosby and Johanna Stokes deliver the story of a teddy bear turned spy in MR. STUFFINS.

Ya gotta see 'em to believe 'em.

/Mason

For Wednesday... Brandon Jerwa makes a nice course correction on the HIGHLANDER title...

Draw your sword.

/Mason