As first reported by Girl Gamer, the latest entry into comic cons is Comikaze. Thankfully, it sounds like a very heartfelt project by a bunch of well-meaning and totally rad comics geeks. It does not directly compete with Comic-Con in San Diego. It simply is. What exactly it will turn out to be should be pretty awesome. Keep up with them at the Official Comikaze Site!
Filed under comic books, Comic-Con
Comics come and go so quickly it makes a regular observer’s head spin. So, when something this special comes along, it is a pleasure to share with all readers, those familiar with what I’m talking about and those without a clue. “Batman Inc” is a significant comic. So significant that it can truly be called a gateway comic for new readers.
Anyone who is into comics has been talking about this title since it was announced at this year’s Comic-Con in San Diego. Legendary designer Chip Kidd highly recommends it. Fans of the writer Grant Morrison, fans of comics in general, know this is where to be right now in comics.What is so amazing about this book is more than can be said in one review. Essentially, it is flawless. The artwork and the writing do a dance in your mind that will entrance you. It truly takes you away from your everyday routine and transports you to a happy place, a full comics experience.
Grant Morrison is known for his dark and multi-layered writing which brings in all manner of pop culture, history, myth and symbolism. That approach to writing has served Batman well as Morrison has navigated through a story, which has spanned a number of titles, that repositions Batman and Bruce Wayne after a long and tortured time when DC Comics had Bruce killed and it had looked like he’d stay dead. To bring Bruce back would need to be done with utmost care and so, presumably the best writing talent in the business, Mr. Morrison, has led the way to make this a truly special time in comics. For this current title, “Batman Inc,” we find Bruce in full command and running the show, the Batman part of his life, with the same vigor he runs his business empire.
Yanick Paquette (pencils) and Michel LaCombe (inks) provide spot on artwork, both beautiful, energetic and relevant. Not a missed note anywhere to be found. The colors too, by Nathan Fairbairn, are exquisite. We begin with Batman and Catwoman working together in Tokyo on the search for Mr. Unknown, who is supposed to figure prominently in Batman’s plans. But, oh wait a minute, actually, just before that, Mr. Unknown is killed by one very scary villain, Lord Death Man! And, yes, no matter how geeky that may sound, it is done with great elegance. This Lord Death Man looks like somebody from a Day of the Dead festival done up in a skeleton costume. But he looks fierce instead of festive and he means to kill without mercy just like the Grim Reaper himself. He comes upon Mr. Unknown and instantly takes away his hands. Mr. Unknown is in shock. He askes where his hands went. Lord Death Man says, “They are in hell! Awaiting the rest of you!”
This is just a little taste of the comic, with special consideration given to those of you out there who normally do not buy comics. I have to tell you, it will prove such an unexpected treat that I urge you to venture into your local comics shop and give it a try. You want to be in on the next big thing? This one will continue to reverberate for some time to come. It’s not exactly underground either. It’s DC Comics after all. But that’s the thing, so many of you just don’t know how good comics can be and this could be the first you hear of Grant Morrison, let alone “Batman Inc.” That said, do check it out.
And for those out there who already know the score. I love this line from Catwoman after she’s knocked out a bunch of Lord Death Man’s henchmen, all following a skeletal motif: “Bones don’t seem so scary when they’re broken in bits, do they?”
Batman, along with every comic book character around, keeps being revisited, tweaked, reborn, readjusted. This is a major shift. This is a new generation’s Batman.
The cover to “Batgirl #14” is rather confusing. You’ve got quite a candy colored bizzare, yet dazzling, composition. Batgirl. Supergirl. A bunch of Béla Lugosi Draculas. I swear, I saw this glorious train wreck of a cover, flipped through some very nice art, and snatched it up. I picked it up over at Zanadu, in downtown Seattle, and then took it across the steet to a fancy pizza place called, Serious Pie. They take their time there so I ordered a Moretti and sat down to escape for a few minutes.
So, getting a closer look, I realized that, no, this wasn’t some totally awesome new series teaming up Batgirl and Supergirl. And, of course, this wasn’t what I thought the title was at first, although that would be pretty rad: “Terror in the Third Dimension.” This was the latest issue of Batgirl, plain and simple. I remember when it first came out last year and it didn’t grab me then. I dare say, this is the issue that will bring in a whole new set of readers. Speaking of team-ups, writer Bryan Q. Miller and artist Lee Garbett, appear to have found their groove. The books bops along nicely. And, speaking of bops, as in Birds of Prey, this book reminds me of what I wrote recently about that title: I love when the Birds just hang out and talk. That is what I find can be very entertaining. Batgirl and Supergirl get to do a lot of that. It is allowing for these slower moments that make the action scenes that much more relevant, not to mention powerful.
A writer gets a chance to write and you get a chance at a little magic. I’m sure this wasn’t planned ahead by some marketing team: Stephanie and Kara are on a walk. Kara askes about how things are in Gotham. Stephanie responds by saying she’s relieved for the break in her routine. Just before she met up with Kara, she says, “I had sixteen points on my rack and was down three to one.” There is an awkward silence. Kara finally says, “I have no idea what any of that means.” Of course, Kara would never guess that Stephanie was talking about playing Scrabble with her mom.
So, more moments like that are most welcome. I can’t say that I really needed to see Kara and Stephanie subsequently fight off 24 Draculas but, what the hell, it was fun and having characters that are more full-blooded is definitely good. Of course, none of the Draculas got to find out just how good.
Filed under comic books, Comics, DC Comics
Brian Wood is an amazing graphic novelist, known for his ability to tap into the psyche of his often youthful and rebellious characters. Some of his best known work is “Local,” “Demo,” “DMZ” and “Northlanders.”
After learning that Brian Wood gained inspiration for his current run of “DV8” from the great John Huston film, starring Micheal Caine and Sean Connery, I had to go check it out for myself. If you’re like me, you enjoy those added layers of understanding, so go enjoy the movie and check out this brief interview:
I think the twelve year-old me was pretty impressed by it, I must admit.
As far as “The Man Who Would Be King”, it’s hard to review that properly, to do it justice. I can say that its a must-see if anyone is even halfway interested in current events i.e. the war, or the politics of war in general.
Filed under comic books, Comics, DC Comics, Interviews, Wildstorm, writers
Just for fun: if Wonder Woman and Captain America suddenly had to fight, who would win? And I’m talking about what is currently running: the JMS Wonder Woman and the Ed Brubaker Captain America. My point? Well, I respectfully say here that poor Wondy is really drifting away from us. But it’s not too late. I really feel the story needs to pick up and maybe that means a rewrite and a shifting of course. Is that possible? Anything is possible.
The Correctness Superhero Smackdown is onto to something with their match-up of Cap and Wondy and they give it to Wondy. But, between the current runs, it’s gotta go to Cap. But I would be more than pleased to see Wondy give Cap a run for his money.
Filed under Captain America, comic books, Comics, DC Comics, Marvel Comics, Wonder Woman
In a smack down with Wonder Woman, these days, Captain America wins big. Comparing Captain America #609 to Wonder Woman #602 is not a pretty sight. Maybe it shouldn’t be done but, then again, these are comics, your money, and you need to pick and choose. I know some collectors barely even read what they buy. There is such a thing as comics addiction: people who will simply buy every issue of a Batman or Spider-Man or Superman, etc. But, if you’re really in this to read and enjoy worthwhile comics, then you can’t go wrong with Captain America.
Ed Brubaker does not keep winning Eisner Awards for nothing. The fact is, a lot of people do read their comics and they’re discriminating readers. The thing with Mr. Brubaker is that he is a very talented and dedicated writer. He has been around the block a number of times. He can now speak for and interpret Captain America like it is part of his DNA. One important point, he understands the huge difference between padding and pacing. J. Michael Stracyznski’s Wonder Woman run is turning out to be a prime example in padding. Ed Brubaker, on the other hand, has a great feel for what is going to keep the story moving along at a natural pace that keeps you turning the page.
Now, I wasn’t sure if I would take to a Captain America story arc under the banner of “The Heroic Age” but Brubaker has managed to not get bogged down by any heavy Marvel history. I don’t always feel like slogging back to look up the continuity and, thankfully, this story is so smooth, that I can jump right in. Maybe you’re even better off just accepting events as they unfold. There’s just a touch of the Red Skull in this story to resonate throughout. Mostly, you’ve got Zemo, some freak who won’t let Bucky Barnes have a life. No, this psycho is bent on smearing Bucky’s face in his Winter Soldier past. He stalks Bucky. He taunts Bucky. And he finally lures Bucky into his trap. That’s all you really need to concern yourself about. This is a lean and mean story that holds up well because it knows where it’s going.
As I say, this stuff is smooth as butter. Art-wise too, I have no complaints. Usually, when I see a mass of artists involved in an issue, that will raise concerns. I, like you, would prefer one artistic vision by one really cool artist. But, if the styles don’t take you out of the story, then I’m more than okay with it. The styles can even cause a little tension between each other, and that can work too. You know, it’s always good to feel that human beings are out there creating this. You never want to have a “house style” dominate the comic. At least I don’t. Anyway, I find, and you should find, that the action scenes, the procedural scenes, all the scenes, work well in this issue.
Captain America #609 does not daddle in back story. There’s no need for it. Instead, the action takes center stage. Things move fast in this issue but with a purpose. Always remember, if the action is purposeful, then it is serving the story and the reader! Zemo, and his henchmen, have come for Bucky and Bucky is not ready for it! That’s what you need to know. Now, go out and read it.
Filed under Captain America, comic books, Comics, Marvel Comics
With all the ruckus over J. Michael Straczynski taking on the writing of both “Superman” and “Wonder Woman,” the best bet here is keep the quality up and remain consistently good, not just in the writing but it in the artwork too. The art in Wonder Woman #602 falls short way too many times that it is distracting and pulls you out of the story. Don Kramer takes the lead in #601 and it shows. But he shares art duties with a number of artists in this issue and it just feels like a busy mess. It’s certainly not the first time that this has happened in a comic. Not too long ago, Wonder Woman #44 suffered a bit from a clash in styles, although the art was superb throughout.
With #602, the problem might be chalked up to a rushed work schedule for the artists. Some of these compositions are simply ill-conceived. Only four pages in, and we get a filler montage of Wonder Woman taking on a army. Arms outstretched in a big portrait, apparently she’s using her bracelets to fend off bullets. Three smaller portraits have her running into the melee. One small portrait seems to be emerging from Wondy’s crotch. Is there deep meaning behind this? Wonder Woman giving birth to Wonder Woman? No, probably not.
As for the story, again, it’s not as intriguing as Wonder Woman giving birth to Wonder Woman. No, basically, you have it plodding along with the theme of WW, lost and trying to find her way. A fragment from WW’s Amazon past has lodged itself on Earth. It doesn’t belong on Earth and so it quickly becomes the target of military gunfire. Numerous fight scenes ensue, most of which find Wonder Woman plunging into the fray, arms outstretched. It feels more like a video game than a comic. There’s a drawn out scene of Wondy arguing with a huge bust of a fallen god that smells like filler. It is useless. It does not advance the story. It is filler. It does more to convince me that superhero stories daddle in back story at their own peril.
Filed under comic books, Comics, DC Comics, Wonder Woman
In the zombie wars of comics, and even movies, “Rotten” keeps rising to the top. This comic book, published by Moonstone Books, written by Mark Rahner (creator) and Robert Horton and illustrated by Dan Dougherty, is most assuredly a cult hit you need to be reading.
Issue 7 brings us a whole new story with what feels like a renewed energy for an already excellent comic. All you really need to know is that secret agents J.J. Flynn and William Wade are on a mission for Pres. Hayes, circa 1877, and are up to their necks in zombies. For Flynn, it is all research at the University of Chicago. For Wade, he’s face to face with the ghouls in the Pacific Northwest territory.
Cinematic. Smooth. Sexy. Horor done right. All this applies to “Rotten.”
“Revival of the Fittest,” the new arc, comes out of the gate kicking zombie ass: Wade, outfitted with zombie resistant leather and brass knuckles with spears, shoots down his first zombie just as he rides in on a horse into northwestern territory. Try as he might, he finds himself only a few steps ahead and not really getting a better understanding of the undead outside of refining the way he thrashes them. He seems to destroy them most of the time. There’s no way to know for sure. It’s not an exact science, as far as he knows. However, if there is a science to zombies, agent Flynn, back at the University of Chicago, does his best to uncover it with the help of Professor Chandler.
Dan Dougherty’s artwork, already impressive, seems even smoother with this story. I’ve always admired Dougherty’s angular lines. There is a distinctive precision to what he does. This far into the comic, you expect some tweaks. I think Rahner and Horton are digging deeper into the feelings of their main characters, Wade and Flynn, and Dougherty is portraying that feeling. It looks like very crisp pencil work. And he is opening up the space more to allow the characters to breathe. I always thought that “Rotten” could benefit from more of a human touch to balance out the zombies. So, it is good that Flynn gets laid, and by a vibrant pretty woman, without a hint of the undead funk.
The style of “Rotten” is coming more into its own too. It has always been a superior comic to a lot of what is out there. Sharp observers are already hip to that and I count myself among them! I’m just saying that what works for “Rotten” appears to be working even better, like its overall look. By now, regular readers are accustomed to the biting social commentary of “Rotten.” Politics can be a very prickly subject that this comic has not shied away from and I think that is evolving in a smoother fashion. It is not necessarily tilted in one direction or another. In the spirit of George Romero, it just is. Whatever your politics, having Charles Darwin within reach to discuss the potential evolution of the undead is hilarious and a stroke of genius.
And then there’s the cliff hanger ending to this issue which may linger for awhile. Flynn may or may not have been ground up into sausage! All signs point to it being the end of agent J.J. Flynn but, like any good cliff hanger, it really leaves you wondering. What this latest issue does it make us care even more about our main characters. Agent Wade, for his part, is feeling the wrath of a bunch of very freaked out zombies. He is looking fierce, determined and dangerous, to zombies. We can only hope some of the same for Flynn. This issue is clearly another “Rotten” success.
Bonus track: There was a contest recently inviting fans of this comic to win a chance at appearing in Issue 9. It was put on in connection with a very cool group of zombie and horror fans who happen to run ZomBcon. If you are in Seattle, you should definitely check out this convention devoted to all things zombie. It is October 29, 30 and 31 at Seattle Center.
Filed under comic books, Comics, Moonstone Books
I must confess that I totally missed the boat on “The Losers.” It’s been a very busy year outside of comics. That said, just as I’m getting caught up on the masterpiece by Andy Diggle and Jock, I have another Diggle book to look forward to in November. This is really the sort of stuff I like, offbeat, gritty, quality goods.
From the Vertigo blog:
According to underworld legend, the Rat Catcher is a peerless assassin who specializes in silencing mob snitches. There’s just one problem—he doesn’t exist. At least, not according to the U.S. Marshals who oversee the Witness Protection Program….
Now, there’s a pile of dead bodies in a burning safe house outside El Paso. The Rat Catcher has finally slipped up, and a washed up FBI agent has one last chance to hunt him down before he disappears forever. But as the two master manhunters spiral in towards each other in a deadly game of cat and mouse, each of them hides a secret from the other—secrets that could destroy them both.
New York Times best-selling author Andy Diggle (THE LOSERS) partners with future superstar Victor Ibanez in a tense Vertigo Crime thriller that’s unrelenting to the very last twist.
Filed under comic books, Comics, DC Comics, graphic novels, Vertigo
Funny, it occurs to me, with these two runs of Wonder Woman and Superman penned by J. Michael Straczynski, it’s like these two mighty giants of comics have been pulled aside, busted and grounded, as a colossal overhaul is performed on each of them, while in front of their respective mighty readership. Notice on the cover of Wonder Woman that at the top is states, “The All-New,” as if that had to be made clear. Hey kids, it’s the new and improved Wonder Woman! The same with Superman in its own way. These last two covers are so stilted that they could only appeal to the most fevered fanboys holed up in the deepest, darkest, dankest basements.
I was listening to the fuzzy stoner rock of Boston in a shaggy coffee shop, fit for only diehard fans of kitsch, and that really helped as I caught up on the JMS stuff. Wonder Woman #601 rocked for me, as I ingested the syrupy corporate rock of yesteryear. Maybe it was because WW is starting to look like the syrupy corporate rock of yesteryear. I don’t know. Maybe I’d had too much coffee by then. But maybe not. There is one panel in the comic, JMS or not, that really rocks. It is Wonder Woman back in her old gear and looking very freaky, like she led of some stoner cult. A whole issue, no, a whole story, could be devoted to that moment of witchy WW.
What actually happens in WW #601 is less compelling than a witchy WW. It’s looking more like a comic book that has been slowed down to the pace of a television soap opera. There’s a little of this and a little of that. WW talks to the shaman again for awhile. The shamn asks for gum again. Is that supposed to be what the cool street kids do? Ask for gum all the time? And then there’s another faux gritty urban scene with a kid demanding an “Orange Doodle Whizbang” popsicle from a strange clown in an ice cream truck. Finally, WW pursues the baddies that are after her for a bit. The art to all this is fun. Don Kramer gets in a lot of sexy determined looks from WW, including that really freaky look.
For Superman, I caught up with #701 and #702 and, again, music helped while I read. This time out, Blue Oyster Cult fit in nicely with “Don’t Fear the Reaper.” Some critics are dismissing the JMS Superman out of hand but sitting on the fence about Wonder Woman. Well, I say, just enjoy the spectacle. Superman is Superman, always vulnerable to hokum. But it is when the genre is fully embraced and done with style that you get gold like Richard Donner’s “Superman.”
Of the last two issues, I got a kick out of Superman doing his level best to help a girl in crisis. Superman puts on his therapist hat and gives a potential jumper all the time she needs to calm down. When she asks if he could do something about the spotlight shining right in her eyes, he zaps it off. Given enough time, Superman could keep at it with his super therapy and zap Prozac right out of existence. Now, that’s a superhero.
Filed under comic books, Comics, DC Comics, Superman, Wonder Woman
