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Food or Comics? | Conan the barberryan

Michael May — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 22:00:27 +0000

Welcome to Food or Comics?, where every week we talk about what comics we’d buy at our local comic shop based on certain spending limits — $15 and $30 — as well as what we’d get if we had extra money or a gift card to spend on a “Splurge” item.

Check out Diamond’s release list or ComicList, and tell us what you’re getting in our comments field.

Thief of Thieves #1

Chris Arrant

If I had $15, I’d start with Thief of Thieves #1 (Image/Skybound, $2.99). The gang at Skybound gave me an advance PDF of this issue, and I like it so much I want to hold the physical thing in my hands. Shawn Martinbrough really nails this first issue, and Nick Spencer really puts his Marvel work to shame with this story. Next up I’d get my favorite DC Book – Batwoman #6 (DC, $2.99) – and favorite Marvel book – Wolverine and The X-Men #5 ($3.99). I’d finish it all up with Northlanders #48 ($2.99). I’m not the biggest fan of Danijel Zezelj’s work, but I can’t let up now to see my long-running commitment to Northlanders falter at this point.

If I had $30, I’d dig into Richard Corben’s Murky World one-shot (Dark Horse, $3.50). Corben’s one of those “will-buy-no-matter-what” artists for me that Tom Spurgeon recently focused on, and this looks right up my alley. Next up I’d get Secret Avengers #22 (Marvel, $3.99) because Remender’s idea of robot descendents intrigues me, and then Wolverine and The X-Men: Alpha and Omega (Marvel, $3.99). I didn’t know what to expect from the first issue, and after reading it I still don’t know where this series is heading – but I like it so far. Finally, I’d get Haunt #21 (Image, $2.99). The combination of Joe Casey & Nathan Fox is like a secret code to open my wallet.

If I could splurge, I’d take the graphic novel Jinchalo (D+Q, $17.95) by Matthew Forsythe. I loved his previous book Ojingogo, and this looks to continue in that hit parade.

Berlin #18

JK Parkin

There’s a brand new issue of Jason Lutes’ Berlin ($4.95) hitting comic shops this week, which seems like a good way to spend the first third of my $15. According to Drawn & Quarterly, there are only about four issues of this excellent series left, which will give me a great reason to go back and read all the issues again in one sitting. Next on my list would be Thief of Thieves #1 ($2.99), the new Nick Spencer/Shawn Martinbrough/Robert Kirkman joint from Skybound. I’d also grab the new Conan series ($3.50), featuring the work of two of my favs, Brian Wood and Becky Cloonan. How cool is it to see the Demo team reuniting on something like Conan? Their Northlanders story rocked, so I’m looking forward to this. And speaking of which, Northlanders is coming to a close soon, so this is one of the last times I’ll be able to put it on my list here … so I’d spend my last few dollars on issue #48 ($2.99).

Based on the review Brigid gave it a few weeks ago, I’d spend all of my next $15 on Dotter of her Father’s Eyes by Mary and Bryan Talbot ($14.99)

For my splurge item this week, I dunno … The Strange Case of Mr. Hyde ($14.99) looks interesting, and there’s also the Fantastic Four Season One graphic novel that looks nice, but do I really need to spend $25 to yet again see how the FF become the FF? Probably not. No, instead I’d probably go with One Model Nation, by Dandy Warhols lead singer Courtney Taylor and artist Jim Rugg. Although I’m really hesitant to spend $25 on a graphic novel by a singer–Gerard Way notwithstanding, singers trying to write comics doesn’t always end well–the fact that Jim Rugg did the art is a great selling point for me. I missed it the first time it was published by Image, but I’d be willing to check out the new edition by Titan if, indeed, I had some splurge money to spend.

Memorial #3

Graeme McMillan

If I had $15 this week, I’d start with a book I’ve been curious about since its announcement: Conan The Barbarian #1 (Dark Horse, $3.50). I’ve never really been the biggest fan of Robert E. Howard’s fantasy hero, but the idea of Brian Wood and Becky Cloonan handling the character gets me very interested indeed. I’d also grab the first issue of the Robert Kirkman/Nick Spencer collaboration Thief of Thieves #1 (Image, $2.99), about which I’ve heard a lot of good things, and Memorial #3 (IDW, $3.99), the latest of this apparently-underrated book that I am completely in love with currently.

If I had $30, I’d also grab Kevin Keller #1 (Archie, $2.99), Batman and Robin #6 (DC, $2.99 and the best of the Batbooks from my point of view; sorry, Scott Snyder and everyone else) and Wolverine and The X-Men #5 (Marvel, $3.99), easily the best X-Book that’s been around since the first Chris Claremont run. It’s all about the creature comforts, sometimes.

When it comes to splurging, though, it’s all about the new takes on old stories: I’d go for Fantastic Four: Season One Premiere HC (Marvel, $24.99), to see how Marvel’s new line pans out; I’m unconvinced by the core concept of “retelling the origins all over again,” but the creative line-ups and OGN format makes me want this to work out for the House of Ideas.

Dotter of Her Fathers Eyes

Brigid Alverson

If I had $15, I’d spend it all on floppies, and I’m skewing young this week. Kevin Keller #1 ($2.99) from Archie is a must, of course. Up till now Kevin has been a bit too good to be true, and I’m hoping Dan Parent will at least get him into some scrapes now that he has his own series. Then I’ll take Princeless #4 ($3.99); I caught up with this series on Graphicly over the weekend because it was getting good buzz, and I like it a lot. The feisty-princess thing isn’t exactly new these days, but the creators get in some clever digs. Adventure Time #1 ($3.99) is another must-have, with the creative combo of Ryan North and artists Braden Lamb and Shelli Paroline. It’s based on some Nick show–yeah, whatever. This team can do no wrong in my book. That leaves just enough for the first issue of Brian Wood and Becky Cloonan’s Conan the Barbarian ($3.50) from Dark Horse, with change left over for some penny candy to munch on while I read.

If I had $30, I would add in Mary and Bryan Talbot’s Dotter of Her Father’s Eyes, from Dark Horse. The price looks like a typo: $14.99 for the hardcover? It’s a great story (I have already read it), layering Mary Talbot’s childhood as the daughter of an eminent Joyce scholar with the story of Joyce’s daughters and her own struggles against her family and the mores of the time. Mary’s voice is pitch-perfect, and Talbot’s illustrations really capture the era. I know it’s only February, but I’m already putting this on my top ten list for 2012.

Splurge: There’s no huge $50 collection of vintage comics calling out to me this week, but the regular comics are so good I want more. I would like to see IDW’s Archie Treasury: The Best of Dan DeCarlo ($9.99), and the first volume of Vertical’s GTO: 14 Days in Shonan ($10.95) (the prequel to the classic manga series GTO) are both calling to me. And for some stylish girls’ comics, I’ll take issue 4 of PC Cast’s House of Night ($2.99) just for Joelle Jones’s illustrations, and vol. 6 of The Story of Saiunkoku ($9.99) because it’s an elegantly drawn, charmingly written shoujo manga, and I’m really enjoying reading it.

Jinchalo

Chris Mautner

If I had $15, the new volume of Bakuman is calling out to me. I just finished Vol. 8 and am eager for more breathless treatises on how the manga industry operates. On top of that I’d also grab the latest issue of Berlin, Jason Lutes’ ongoing historical saga. Part of me feels a bit foolish for not trade-waiting on these — I tend to think the story reads better in solid chunks than piecemeal — but I’m such an impatient soul.

If I had $30; I’ll read just about anything Bryan Talbot does, so I’m definitely interested in picking up Dotter of Her Father’s Eyes. I might put it all back, however, and pick up Jinchalo, the latest wordless comic from Matthew Forsythe, a sequel of sorts to his rather charming Ojingogo.

Splurge: Casual Robert Crumb fans might be interested in The Life and death of Fritz the Cat. Jack Kirby fans will definitely be interested in Young Romance, a collection of heartthrob tales from Simon and Kirby (see my review). Myself, I might well go for the fourth volume of Torpedo, Jordi Bernet’s grim and gritty (and blackly humorous) gangster series.

Batwoman #6

Michael May

If I had $15, I’d start with the two, female Bat-heroes, Batgirl #6 ($2.99) and Batwoman #6 ($3.99) and the tangential Bat-heroine, Huntress #5 ($2.99). Rounding out my must-reads is Frankenstein, Agent of SHADE #6 ($2.99), but I’d also pick up Demon Knights #6 ($2.99), a comic that stays good enough to keep me interested if not overwhelmingly excited. The pin’s awfully close to the bubble on that one for me, but I’m still on board for now.

If I had $30, I’d add some more expensive comics starting with Conan the Barbarian #1 ($3.50). I switched to trade-waiting Dark Horse’s Conan comics a long time ago, but I’m as curious as everyone else about the Wood/Cloonan team on this. I’m also fascinated enough by Richard Corben’s work to want to try out his fantasy one-shot, Murky World ($3.50). I also have it on good authority (Diamond shipping list be damned) that the delayed Atomic Robo and the Ghost of Station X #5 ($3.50) is also coming out this week, so that’s good news. And finally, I’ve enjoyed the few episodes of Adventure Time I’ve seen, so I’d also like to pick up Adventure Time #1 ($3.99) from Boom!.

My splurge this week is another item that hasn’t been verified by Diamond, but it’s shown up on my LCS’ invoice, so I expect Jason’s Athos in America ($24.99) to be on the shelf tomorrow. Jason’s stuff is always awesome and this sort-of prequel to The Last Musketeer should be no exception.

Toronto Comic Arts Festival announces 2012 lineup

Brigid Alverson — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 16:00:49 +0000

The Toronto Comic Arts Festival, one of the high points of the indy comics year, has announced the first round of guests for this year. It doesn’t seem to be up on the TCAF site just yet, but Tom Spurgeon has the rundown at The Comics Reporter, and it’s an impressive list: Jeff Smith, Alison Bechdel, Guy Delisle, and Gabriel Bá and Fábio Moon are the headliners. Smith will be celebrating the 20th anniversary of Bone, while Bechdel’s Are You My Mother? and Delisle’s Jerusalem are both due out shortly before the show.

But wait! There’s more! Kate Beaton, German creator Arne Bellstorf, Scottish creator Tom Gauld (whose Goliath is due out soon from Drawn and Quarterly) Gabriella Giandelli, Jennifer and Matt Holm (Babymouse), Jason, Kazu Kibuishi (creator of Amulet and editor of the Flight anthologies), Bryan Lee O’Malley (Scott Pilgrim), Gary Panter, Michel Rabagliati, Andy Runton (Owly), Olivier Schrauwen, and Adam Warren (Empowered) will also be gracing the halls of the Toronto Reference Library this May. That’s an amazingly eclectic and talented group. If you have been thinking “Some day I’ll make it to TCAF,” this should probably be the year.

Exclusive Preview | Jason’s Athos in America

JK Parkin — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 20:25:01 +0000

Athos in America

Courtesy of the fine folks at Fantagraphics, we’re pleased to present an exclusive five-page preview of Athos in America, another collection of shorter stories by the incomparable Jason.

The preview is from the lead story, also called “Athos in America,” a prequel of sorts to Jason’s The Last Musketeer. The swashbuckler from that tale shows up in a New York bar in 1920s New York to relate the tale of how he went to Hollywood to play himself in the film The Three Musketeers.

This volume also includes:

“The Smiling Horse,” in which the characters from the story “&” in Low Moon attempts to kidnap a woman.
“The Brain That Wouldn’t Virginia Woolf,” a mash-up of The Brain That Wouldn’t Die and Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf, told in reverse chronological order.
The Bukowski pastiche “A Cat From Heaven” in which Jason works on his comic, has a reading in a comic book store, gets drunk and makes a fool of himself.
The dialogue-free (all the text occurs in thought balloons) “Tom Waits on the Moon,” in which we follow four people (one of them a scientist working on a teleportation machine) until something goes wrong.
“So Long Mary Ann,” a prison-escape love-triangle story.

This collection of stories comes out in February. Check out the preview below.

Thanks Jacq!

Food or Comics? | Jason Conquers Amaretto

Michael May — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 23:00:36 +0000

Check out Diamond’s release list or ComicList, and tell us what you’re getting in our comments field.

Batman Incorporated: Leviathan Strikes

Graeme McMillan

As we head into Christmas, I’m saving my pennies for last-minute presents. That said, if I had $15 to spend, I’d run towards Memorial #1 (IDW, $3.99), the debut of the new fantasy series by Chris Roberson and Rich Ellis. I admit to having sneaked a peak at this particular present, and I really enjoyed the tone, which is somewhere between Steven Moffat’s Doctor Who and some of Neil Gaiman’s work. I’d also grab Batman Incorporated: Leviathan Strikes #1 (DC, $6.99), the collection of what was supposed to be the final issues of Grant Morrison’s run on the Batman, Inc. series before the relaunch; I’d enjoyed Batman Incorporated a lot, and am ready for more of the weird, retro-but-somehow-off series again, especially with lovely Cameron Stewart and Chris Burnham artwork.

If I had $30, I’d also grab Fantagraphics’ Jason Conquers America ($4.99), a collection of some of the cartoonist’s work that’s so far gone unseen in the US, along with pin-up tributes from fans like Mike Allred and Rich Tommaso. My nostalgia would then compel me to grab Defenders: Coming of the Defenders #1 (Marvel, $5.99), a reprint of the original stories that launched the fondly remembered (and just relaunched) non-team. Hulk groove on old comics.

Were I to ask Santa for something to splurge on, I might go completely left-field and ask for John Byrne’s much-maligned Spider-Man: Chapter One TP (Marvel, $34.99), which I’ve never actually read, but have a strange fascination with. Would that make me naughty or nice?

Jason Conquers America

Chris Mautner

If I had $15, I’d pick up the sixth and final issue of the Boys spin-off, Butcher Baker Candlestickmaker, and the Batman Incorporated: Leviathan Strikes one-shot Graeme mentioned. I’m particularly interested in seeing how Morrison wraps up the Leviathan storyline, as up to the DC relaunch it was promising to be one of the better arcs in Morrision’s lengthy run with the caped crusader.

If I had $30: Following Graeme’s lead I’d pick up that Jason Conquers America book, as I’m trying to be as much of a Jason completist as possible. I’d also nab the latest issue of Tales Designed to Thrizzle, Michael Kupperman’s ongoing, frequently hilarious comic. This one features a riff on Inception and Quincy. Lots and lots of Quincy.

Splurge: I don’t know if I’d actually buy it, but I’d at least peruse Blondie Vol. 2, the second collection of Chic Young’s seminal strip. The first volume was interesting because it was so different from what the strip turned into, what with Blondie being a ditzy flapper and Dagwood being a wealthy (if slightly goofy) man about town. By the time the second volume picks up, the pair have started to settle into middle-class domesticity, with lots of jokes about bad bosses, henpecked husbands and giant sandwiches. Those elements have becomes so ubiquitous that I fear even the early strips may seem trite and cliched, but, on the other hand, I said the same thing about the early Family Circus strips and I ended up really digging those.

Nelson

JK Parkin

If I had $15, I’d start with Batman Incorporated: Leviathan Strikes #1 ($6.99), which finishes off the “first season” of the pre-New 52 Batman Incorporated. It’s sort of odd yet comforting to see the pre-relaunch Batman and gang again, and per Grant Morrison this will be the “last hurrah” of Stephanie Brown as Batgirl. I’d follow it up with something from the complete other end of the spectrum, the Jason Conquers America one-shot ($4.99), which features previously unpublished Jason strips and artwork, interviews and a tribute gallery by various artists. Finally, I’d finish off my shopping list with Daredevil #7 ($2.99). Because, you know, Daredevil.

If I had $30, I’d also get a couple of New 52 titles I’ve been enjoying — Wonder Woman #4 and DC Universe Presents #4 ($2.99 each), and two more Marvel books, New Mutants #35 and Fantastic Four #601 (also $2.99 each). Technically I only have $3 left, but ho-ho-hopefully Santa would lend me an extra 50 cents so I could grab the first issue of The Activity by Nathan Edmundson and Mitch Gerards ($3.50). Edmondson did some really nice stuff with Who Is Jake Ellis?, so I’m looking forward to checking this out.

There’s a lot of potential last-minute Christmas gifts coming out this Wednesday, which means there’s a lot to choose from for my splurge purchase. Image Comics is collecting Doug TenNapel’s Ratfist, ($19.99) which ran as a webcomic and they’re also releasing the first four issues of The Infinite as a $9.99 trade. The thing that probably intrigues me the most is the high-concept Nelson anthology ($24.99) by Blank Slate Books. Here’s the description from their site: “London, 1968. A daughter is born to Jim and Rita Baker. Her name is Nel. This is her story, told in yearly snapshots. Each chapter records the events of a single day, weaving one continuous ribbon of pictures and text that takes us on a 43- year journey from Nel Baker’s birth to 2011.” It features work by Roger Langridge, Paul Grist, Philip Bond, D’Israeli, Andi Watson and many, many more, and I really want it.

Dark Horse Presents #7

Chris Arrant

If I had $15, I’d grab up Dark Horse Presents #7 (Dark Horse, $.7.99). It’s carried on the tradition of its original series by showcasing new work by legends such as Mike Mignola, Howard Chaykin and Neal Adams, while also bringing in new blood like Andi Watson and long-lost favorites like Ricardo Delgado’s Age of Reptiles. The last issue was my favorite of the run so far, so #7 has a lot to live up to. Next up I’d get my two favorite Marvel ongoings: Daredevil #7 (Marvel, $2.99) and Uncanny X-Force #19 (Marvel, $3.99). Very different books, but using the same formula of A-List writer & A-List artist it’s easy to see why they’re succeeding.

If I had $30, I’d spent a good portion of it at Image with Invincible #86 (Image, $2.99) and Last Battle (Image, $7.99). Seeing Cory Walker reunite with Robert Kirkman is always invigorating, and I could honestly read a whole separate series chronicling the ongoing adventures of Allen the Alien. For Last Battle, it’s a book I’ve been waiting to get since it first came out in in 2005 – in Italy. Lastly, I’d next get the back-to-basics Wolverine & X-Men #3 (Marvel, $3.99), showing there’s new ways to use the old formula of school for superhumans.

If Jonah Claus were to allow me to splurge, I’d get the unique graphic novel Nelson (Blank Slate, $24.99). Robot 6 did a write-up earlier this year about the book, and like the aforementioned Dark Horse Presents it hits me right between the eyes with my love of anthologies.

Dark Shadows, Volume 3

Brigid Alverson

If I had $15, all but a nickel of it would go to vol. 2 of The Drops of God, the manga series about a wine rookie who has to prevail in a wine-tasting contest in order to gain his rightful inheritance. I love a good soap opera, and I love reading books that help me learn about a specialized subject, so this is a winner on both counts.

If I had $30, I’d add in Louis: Red Letter Day, the fantasy graphic novel by the team known as Metaphrog. I have seen some bits of their work before, and it looks gorgeous.

There’s a lot of splurge material on this week’s list. I’ll start with Nelson, which looks fantastic and brings together an impressive array of artists. Being a total pushover for old newspaper comics, I’m all in for Drawn and Quarterly’s Walt and Skeezix, even if it is volume 5, and the second volume of IDW’s Blondie collection–I loved the first book. And I am seriously lusting after vol. 3 of the Dark Shadows collection from Hermes Press. Finally, I can’t not mention Quality Companion, a look back at the Golden Age publisher that gave us Plastic Man. Big, fat, colorful books of old-time comics–that’s what I want to see this Christmas!

Strange Girl Omnibus

Michael May

If I had $15, it would all go to series that I’m already enjoying. Supergirl #4 ($2.99) and Wonder Woman #4 ($2.99) continue two of my favorite New 52 books and I consistently like Birds of Prey ($2.99) more than I thought possible without Gail Simone’s writing it. I’m also digging Fear Itself: The Fearless, so #5 ($2.99) goes on the stack and finally, I’ve been checking out (and liking) New Mutants lately, so I’ll get #35 ($2.99) too.

If I had $30, I’d grab some more expensive comics like Planet of the Apes #9 ($3.99), the next issue in my favorite new series of the year. I’d give Justice League #4 ($3.99) a chance too, though the expense of that comic has it on the surface of a fragile bubble for me. I’d also try Memorial #1 ($3.99) if for no other reason than Graeme’s comparing it to Moffat and Gaiman. Lastly, I want to check out some of DC’s female-hero books that I’ve previously passed up. I’ll be writing more about this later for the blog, but Catwoman #4 ($2.99) comes out this week and I’d like to judge for myself whether it deserves the reputation it got with that first issue.

There’s lots to splurge on this week – and that Nelson anthology does sound awesome – but I’ll pick something that hasn’t been mentioned yet, Rick Remender and Eric Nguyen’s Strange Girl Omnibus ($59.99). I loved the early issues of that series, but decided to trade-wait it and was sadly distracted by the time the collected versions came out. This’ll be a perfect way to catch up.

Comics A.M. | ComiXology top iPad app for past six Wednesdays

JK Parkin — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 13:55:02 +0000

Comics by comiXology

Digital | Comics by ComiXology has topped Apple’s charts as the top-grossing iPad application for the last six Wednesdays. ComiXology cited the launch of DC’s New 52 initiative, as well as many other comic companies moving to a same-day digital release schedule, as reasons for its success. “When have comic books, not comic book movies, not comic book merchandise, but the actual comic books been #1 in anything, much less high tech?” comiXology CEO David Steinberger said in a statement. “Being the number one grossing iPad application six Wednesdays in a row isn’t just a huge milestone for comiXology, but a huge milestone for comics as a medium … and we could not be prouder.” [press release]

Creators | An auction for the naming rights to a character in Mark Millar and Dave Gibbons’ The Secret Service raised $5,100 for St. Bartholomew’s Primary School, where Millar attended. The money will be used to pay for field trips for the school’s students. “I’m a former pupil at St. Bartholomew’s and have so many great memories of the place,” Millar said. “I know there’s not a lot of money in local government at the moment and I was sad to hear that the annual school trip for the children had been cancelled. By establishing this fund, I hope to have a pot the head-teacher can dip into every Christmas and take the entire school to a pantomime every year.” [Airdrie & Coatbridge Advertiser]

Brian Azzarello (by Seth Kushner)

Creators | Christopher Irving profiles Wonder Woman and Spaceman writer Brian Azzarello. [NYC Graphic]

Creators | Werewolves of Montpellier creator Jason discusses his career and influences, including Tintin creator Herge: “I borrowed his albums at the library as a kid. I started drawing my own cartoons. And I think you can have a much worse teacher than Hergé. It’s not really the clear line that is the most important thing, even if that is part of what I like with him, it’s more the very clear storytelling that you find in his books. On page three you’re hooked. I think you can read his books in a foreign language, in Russian, and still understand the story and enjoy it. I don’t re-read the books that often, but I often take them out, my favourite albums like The Broken Ear and The Shooting Star, and just look at the drawings.” [The Casual Optimist]

Manga | Deb Aoki interviews the editors of Viz Media’s new yaoi manga line SuBLime, which will offer boys-love stories in both print and download-to-own digital form—with many digital offerings being available worldwide. [About.com]

Manga | Shaenon Garrity turns her sights on the classic, criminally overlooked series Basara: “Almost alone among long-running manga, Basara reads not like a serial, but like a single 28-volume graphic novel.” [Anime News Network]

Digital | Mashable profiles Graphicly founder Micah Baldwin, who also started the “Follow Friday (#FF)” meme on Twitter. [Mashable]

Kobo Vox

Digital | While it’s not getting as much attention as the Amazon Kindle Fire, the Kobo Vox color e-reader shows some good potential as a comics reader, and it comes pre-loaded with an Archie comic. [The Beat]

Review | Greg McElhatton reviews Jim Ottaviani and Leland Myrick’s graphic biography of physicist, raconteur, and “major horndog” Richard Feynman: “Reading Feynman did what few other books about scientists have done for me; it made me think, ‘I wish I’d met this guy.’” [Read About Comics]

Accessories | The New York Times takes its readers inside the Brooklyn Superhero Supply Company, where the trendy New York superhero can buy particle guns, thunder inducers, grappling hooks and, of course, capes. [The New York Times]

Events | Isotope Comics in San Francisco will host Lark Pien, Thien Pham, Alex Puvilland, Jordan Mechner and Mark Siegel this Saturday for a Halloween-themed party. [Isotope Comics]

Conferences | Peggy Burns recounts, with many photos, her trip to the University of Iowa for the Comics, Creativity, and Culture Conference. Guests included Jeet Heer, James Sturm, Gilbert and Jaime Hernandez, and a host of other comics luminaries. [Drawn and Quarterly]

Comics A.M. | Reeve Carney extends Spider-Man musical contract

Brigid Alverson and JK Parkin — Fri, 16 Sep 2011 13:55:59 +0000

Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark

Broadway | Reeve Carney, who plays Peter Parker and Spider-Man in Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark, has extended his contract with the musical through May. Carney’s original contract was set to expire in November. “I can’t imagine a more wonderful, harder-working company than my mates on Broadway, and I look forward to being with them until shooting begins, and again as soon as we’ve wrapped,” he said. [Wall Street Journal]

Creators | The works of cartoonists Frode Överli, Lise Myhre, Christopher Nielsen and Jason are being featured on postage stamps in Norway, in celebration of the 100th anniversary of the first comic book to be published in the country, The Katzenjammer Kids. [cats without dogs]

Creators | Firebreather creator and former Wonder Woman writer Phil Hester is profiled in conjunction with a visit to Limited Edition Comics and Collectibles in Cedar Falls, Iowa. [WCF Courier.com]

Creators | Jamaica Dyer discusses her webcomic Weird Fishes, her inspirations and her imaginary friends. [Innsmouth Free Press]

Buffy The Vampire Slayer Season 9: Freefall #1

Creators | The Vampire Diaries writer Andrew Chambliss discusses his work on the new Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Nine comic, where he’s enjoying writing the character Spike: “So far, Spike lands at the top of my list of favorite characters to write. I think that’s for several reasons. One, he’s British and it’s just plain old fun to write with those cadences and syntax. Two, he’s a bad boy, which I am decidedly not, so it’s fun to step out of my persona and into his. And three, he and Buffy have been through so much together that there’s so much rich emotional history to draw from when I’m sitting down to write a Spike scene. I was a big fan of Buffy and Spike’s journey together in the later seasons of Buffy so it’s fun to be able to call back to some of those storylines.” [Hero Complex]

Creators | Robot 6 contributor Sean T. Collins interviews up-and-coming comics artist L. Nichols. [The Comics Journal]

Comics | io9 recounts how “Star Wars saved the comic book industry” back in the 1970s. [io9]

Manga | Kristy Valenti has eight reasons why you should read — or re-read — Moyoco Anno’s manga Flowers and Bees, a subversive take on the beauty industry featuring a teenage boy’s quest for bodily perfection. [comiXology]

My Faith in Frankie

Comics | Shaenon Garrity, who loves to rehabilitate forgotten comics, lists her five favorite Vertigo comics that you probably don’t even know exist. [comiXology]

Digital | Alex Zalben argues that same-day digital comics “must be released at 12:01 a.m. ET online.” Which would mean digital comics would come out in most of the United States on Tuesdays. [MTV Geek]

Design | Daniel BT describes panel and layout glitches that drive him crazy, such as a line that interrupts a panel and looks like a border — even though it’s not. [Sunday Comics Debt]

Exhibits | Michael Cavna looks at some of the artwork on display at the Library of Congress exhibit Timely and Timeless, which features artwork from comic strips, magazines, graphic novels and more. [Comic Riffs]

Previews: What Looks Good for November

Michael May — Fri, 09 Sep 2011 17:00:25 +0000

The Dark Crystal: Creation Myths

It’s time once again for our monthly trip through Previews looking for cool, new comics. As usual, we’re focusing on graphic novels, collected volumes, and first issues so that I don’t have to come up with a new way to say, “ Dark Horse Presents is still awesome!” every month. And I’ll continue letting Tom and Carla do the heavy lifting in regards to DC and Marvel’s solicitations.

Also, please feel free to play along in the comments. Tell me what I missed that you’re looking forward to or – if you’re a comics creator – mention your own stuff.

Ape

Puss in Boots Movie Prequel – I don’t care for movie prequel comics as a rule, but swashbuckling cats are awesome in any incarnation. As long as these are fresh gags and not just ones warmed up from Shrek, I expect to enjoy this.

Archaia

Jim Henson’s The Dark Crystal: Creation Myths, Book 1 - I just introduced my son to The Dark Crystal and Labyrinth a couple of weeks ago, so this is great timing. He had the same questions about The Dark Crystal‘s world that I always do, so I’m looking forward to seeing Archaia’s take on answering those. Totally feel like the world’s in good hands with this publisher and these creators.

The Sigh - If Archaia’s snagging Marjane Satrapi’s (Persepolis, Chicken With Plums) new book has been reported already, I missed it. I’m surprised that wasn’t bigger news.

Siegfried, Volume 1 – I’ve been meaning to read P Craig Russell’s Ring of the Nibelung adaptation for years, so I think this might be what pushes me to finally do it. It would be fun to read Russell’s and compare it to this version by Alex Alice.

Bone: One-Volume Color Edition

Boom!

Seven Warriors #1 – Francis Manapul draws this story of seven warrior-women who fight to save the king of 6th-century Libya from the armies of the Persian and Byzantine empires.

Betrayal of the Planet of the Apes #1 – I’m absolutely loving Boom’s ongoing Planet of the Apes series, so I expect to also like this mini-series set during the events of the ’68 film and featuring Dr Zaius.

Operation: Iron Cross #1 – Boom’s already got my attention this month, so this WWII spy thriller also stands out.

The first volumes of Stan Lee’s Soldier Zero, Stan Lee’s Starborn, and Stan Lee’s The Traveler - After Graeme’s warm recommendation of Boom’s Stan Lee line, I want to check them out. And at $10 each, these are made for checking.

Peanuts #0 – I’m still curious to know who the creators on this are, but the idea of new Peanuts material is exciting and Boom has a good record for getting this kind of thing right.

Cartoon Books

Bone: The One-Volume 20th Anniversary Slipcased Color Edition - The affordable version I’ve been waiting for. It’s still $150, but that’s money well spent on a book this good-looking.

Dark Horse

House of Night #1 – Ordinarily I wouldn’t be excited by yet another vampire story set at yet another school for supernatural teens. And indeed, I haven’t paid any attention to the series of YA novellas this is based on. It’s Joëlle Jones and Karl Kerschl on the art that sells it.

Uncharted

Avatar: The Last Airbender, Volume 1 – The Promise, Part 1 – Aang’s adventures continue as written by Gene Yang (American Born Chinese).

Brothers of the Spear Archives, Volume 1 - Collecting the back-up stories to Dell’s Tarzan series featuring art by Jesse Marsh and Russ Manning. I haven’t read this stuff, but it’s ’50s jungle adventure, so I imagine that the standard warnings about racist characterizations apply.

Disney Comics and Stories Classic Characters #5: The Phantom Blot – We usually stick to comics in this column, but a Phantom Blot statue warrants an exception.

Uncharted #1 – The treasure-hunting game that most makes me want to buy a PS3 becomes a comic with a Hollow Earth story.

Dynamite

Flash Gordon: Zeitgeist #1 – Dynamite puts their spin on the universe’s greatest space pulp hero.

EC Archives - I know that EC’s been reprinting archive editions of Weird Science and Two-Fisted Tales for a little while now, but this is the first time I’ve noticed their getting a whole Previews page to themselves to advertise it. Very eye-catching.

Mr Twee Deedle

Fantagraphics

Mr. Twee Diddle: Raggedy Ann’s Sprightly Cousin – The Forgotten Fantasy Masterpieces of Johnny Gruelle – I almost drowned in the amount of praise Fantagraphics poured on Gruelle’s work in the ad, but simply looking at the cover, it appears to be justified.

The Extraordinary Adventures of Adele Blanc-Sec, Volume 2: The Mad Scientist/Mummies on Parade – Even if I wasn’t already turned on to the awesomeness of Jacques Tardi’s Belle-Époquian heroine, “Mummies on Parade” would be enough to necessitate this purchase.

Athos in America – Jason returns to The Last Musketeer and includes other Jasony stories like “The Brain That Wouldn’t Virginia Woolf.”

Gumby Comics

Gumby’s Spring Specials Collection – I haven’t read these, but if they’re anything like the Gumby Summer Specials by the same creative team (Bob Burden, Steve Purcell, and Art Adams), they’ll be worth having.

IDW

Jack Avarice is The Courier #1-5 – I like the idea of a mini-series told in weekly installments over a month. That sounds cool and exciting, especially when it’s a spy/voodoo action-adventure thriller thingy.

Rocketeer Adventures, Volume 1 - The anthology about everyone’s favorite jetpack-wearing hero by everyone’s favorite creators is finally collected. I say “finally” like it’s been a huge wait only because it’s felt that way.

Hawken

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Micro-Series #1: Raphael - IDW’s determined to get me back into TMNT again. It’s working.

Godzilla: Goliaths and Gangsters – The Monster Island crime story is collected.

Godzilla: Legends #1 – TMNT isn’t the only IDW license getting a series of spotlight issues. In this one: Anguirus vs Destoroyah.

30 Days of Night: Night Again - The Joe Lansdale/Sam Kieth mini-series gets a collection.

Hawken #1 – IDW’s not going to let Oni and Image have all the Western weirdness with The Sixth Gun and Deadlands. And I can’t think of many artists I’d rather see do this kind of story than Tim Truman.

Shaman’s Tears - It’s been more than a decade since I read this story by Mike Grell, but my memory is that it was one of my favorite of Image’s second wave of creator-owned series. The other being Jerry Ordway’s WildStar, in case anyone wants to reprint that.

Image

Guns and Dinos #1 – I’m rooting for the dinos.

Mudman #1 – Paul Grist has a new superhero comic. That’s all fans of Jack Staff need to know.

Giant-Size Elephantmen #1 – I’ve got some catching up to do on Elephantmen and this inexpensive collection (three issues for $6) looks like a good place to jump back in.

Super Dinosaur

Girls: The Complete Collection – I got into the Luna Brothers’ creepy series late and always meant to go back and read the earlier issues, because it was really very good. It was underrated (the title and the abundance of naked women understandably leading many readers to think it was just about gratuitous nudity), but it’s a serious horror story with an unsettling vibe similar to something by Charles Burns.

Gladstone’s School for World Conquerors, Volume 1 – This collection was difficult to wait for, so I’m glad it’s here.

Reed Gunther, Volume 1 – Same with this one.

Super Dinosaur, Volume 1 – And this one too. Especially this one, ’cause I read the first issue and was immediately anxious to read the next. Fantastic, all-ages fun. Image is going to kill my wallet in November, but I’ll be smiling as I bury its poor, leather corpse.

Marvel

Northanger Abby #1 – Jane Austen’s parody of a gothic romance novel is as sensational as any actual gothic romance novel. I love Janet Lee’s work and am looking forward to this adaptation, but there’s a part of me that wishes Marvel had gone for a Haunted Love/House of Secrets vibe with it.

Six Guns #1 and 2 – It’s too soon to say that Western comics have made a comeback, but I’m really excited that we’re seeing so many of them lately. Even modern ones like this. Andy Diggle seems perfect for it too.

Victor Von Doom #1 – Doom’s early days as illustrated by Becky Cloonan. Thank you, Marvel.

Skaar: King of the Savage Land

Skaar: King of the Savage Land – Ka-Zar vs Son of Hulk, dinosaurs, and some giant robots.

Oni

Salt Water Taffy, Volume 5: Caldera’s Revenge, Part 2 – Jack and Benny continue trying to survive ghost ships and evil whale hunters.

Papercutz

The Smurfs, Volume 9: Gargamel and the Smurfs – I recently read one of Papercutz’ Smurf volumes to see what the fuss is about. I never really enjoyed the cartoon as a kid and I stayed far, far away from the movie, but Peyo’s comics are so well-liked that I got curious. And they’re really good. They remind me of what I loved about Casper when I was a kid: fantastic creatures having adventures in a forest fantasy world and occasionally learning some nice lessons about how to get along with other people. I’m looking forward to reading more.

That’s it for me. What are you looking forward to?

Why can’t I be Jason?

Michael May — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 19:00:52 +0000

Jason drew Robert Smith from The Cure. I just needed to point that out.

Skate, read or die? Penguin Classics turns altcomix book covers into skateboards

JK Parkin — Tue, 16 Aug 2011 19:00:15 +0000

Penguin Skateboards

Over the last few years, Penguin Books has gotten various cartoonists to draw covers for classic books, like Tony Millionaire, who drew the cover to Moby Dick, or Richard Salas, who drew the cover to Great Expectations, and so on.

Now via Flog comes word that some of those covers have made their way onto skateboards. Yes, classic literature covers, drawn by some of alt.comix’s best, featured on skateboards.

As you’ll see above, Penguin created some limited edition skateboards using the covers by Jason for Jack Kerouac’s Dharma Bums, Lilli Carré for Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, and Thomas Ott for Shirley Jackson’s We Have Always Lived in the Castle. These were given away in a photo contest on Facebook, which unfortunately is over, but they’ll be showing them off on various college campuses this month and next. Hopefully they’ll be available to purchase at some point … not that I’m coordinated enough to skate.

Jason: The Teen Years

Michael May — Fri, 17 Jun 2011 17:00:07 +0000

Jason: Then and Now

One of the most interesting things about following artists’ careers is seeing their styles evolve from mimicry of their influences to their own, unique way of depicting the world. Very rarely do we get to see an artist’s very earliest attempts at developing a style, mostly because so many artists are too ashamed of their early work to share it.

Not so Norwegian cartoonist Jason, who’s started a blog to showcase – in chronological order – his early work. It’s a fascinating look at a world-class artist figuring out his craft.

What Are You Reading?

JK Parkin — Sun, 12 Jun 2011 19:00:11 +0000

Athos in America

Welcome to another edition of What Are You Reading?, where every week we talk about the comics, books and other stuff we’ve been reading lately. Today our special guest is Kim Thompson, co-publisher, editor, translator and AutoChatter at Fantagraphics … and world traveler, as you’ll see below.

To see what Kim and the Robot 6 crew have been reading, click the link …

Chris Mautner

The Horror, The Horror

The best thing about The Horror, The Horror: Comic Books the Government Didn’t Want You to Read by Jim Trombetta is the accompanying DVD containing a 1955 episode of the TV show Confidential File, directed by none other than Irving Kershner of Empire Strikes Back fame. The show is all about the evils of comic book publishing (despite the fact that the comics code had by this point already been established) and panders in the most frothy, exploitative way imaginable, with a lengthy scene of young boys reading a batch of horror and crime comics and then tying up and torturing one of their younger playmates. A Current Affair never tried anything like this.

As for the book, it’s a bit of a mess. Trombetta seems more interested in psychoanalyzing the themes and subtext of most of these comics than exploring their history and worth (or unworth as the case may be) as literature, and he does so in a rather agonized, tortured manner. More to the point, he seems content to discuss mainly the covers of these comics and doesn’t spend much time talking about the stories found within. All in all, it’s a bit of a frustrating read, all the more so for the occasional appearances of genuine insight and spot-on analysis.

Tom Bondurant

Frankenstein and the Creatures of the Unknown

Appropriately enough, Frankenstein and the Creatures of the Unknown (written by Jeff Lemire, drawn by Ibraim Roberson) continues a concept which refuses to die. Successfully reproducing the fusion of horror and giddy mayhem which characterized the Grant Morrison/Doug Mahnke Seven Soldiers miniseries, this Flashpoint spinoff casts the monster as a Superman-style inspirational archetype, heading up the WWII-era Creature Commandos. In this case, though, after single-handedly defeating Hitler, he runs afoul of the military’s next supernatural-soldier project, and … well, it’s just the first issue; it’s mostly prologue. Very entertaining stuff, though, as you might expect from the high concept of “monsters fighting Nazis.” Now carry that into the present, add a healthy dose of paranoia, and you’ve got the makings not just of a diverting three-issue miniseries, but most likely of a promising ongoing series come September.

As it happens, another monsters-fighting-Nazis miniseries started this week, the American Vampire spinoff Survival of the Fittest. Written by the busy Scott Snyder and drawn by the fabulous Sean Murphy, it too is a good introduction to what should be a fine four issues. Our protagonist is Felicia Book, able literally to sniff out vampires (among other things) thanks to her late father’s encounter with AV‘s head villain, Skinner Sweet. Her back story is contrasted against that of Cash McCogan, himself the father of a vampire-infected child who wasn’t as lucky as Felicia. In turn, they’re both part of a secret anti-vampire society that’s uncovered some potentially game-changing information. Anyway, this first issue lays out the world of American Vampire pretty efficiently, mostly through Felicia’s encounter with a newspaper editor who’s been unwittingly drawn into the vampires’ plans. AV:SOTF is therefore reliant on its own paranoid perspective, and that almost spoils the plot before it even gets started. (If Felicia and Cash succeed, the series pretty much loses its reason for being.) However, Snyder and Murphy combine for a no-nonsense, tight-lipped, unflinching mood which makes the reader want to saddle up with Felicia and Cash regardless of the outcome.

Finally, I know Birds Of Prey will continue after Gail Simone leaves, and with current regular artist Jesus Saiz to boot, but this week’s issue #13 (drawn by Diego Olmos) is solid evidence it won’t be the same. This time it’s Black Canary and Dove versus Junior, with the rest of the Birds taking on various henchmen, just to get out of Junior’s headquarters alive. Like Saiz, Olmos’ work is clear but moody, and he has good layout and pacing skills. Naturally, Simone knows these characters so well by now, they spring pretty much fully-formed from her scripts. Whether it’s Black Canary trying to figure out how to hold off Junior while still ministering to Dove, or Huntress and the Question playfully renewing their partnership, the dialogue rings true and the plot proceeds from their motivations. If these are the last few issues of Birds Of Prey I read for a while, it’ll be because they can’t get much better.

Brigid Alverson

Black Butler

I was really disappointed when I read the first volume of Black Butler. I liked the idea of combining an action story, an attractive hero with superpowers, and a Victorian England setting with touches of refinement. I didn’t care at all for the execution, though—I thought the art was sloppy, the story was nearly incoherent, and the side characters, three clumsy servants, were so terrible that they really marred the book. Despite what I think, Black Butler has consistently made the New York Times manga best-seller list—this week there are two volumes on the list, vol. 1 and vol. 5. So, thinking maybe I was missing something, I went back and read the last four volumes, which include a Jack the Ripper story arc that is… incoherent and overacted. I guess there’s no accounting for taste, but the extreme popularity of this series continues to elude me.

Much more pleasing was Kevin Keller #1, the first issue of Archie Comics’ Kevin Keller mini-series. Kevin is re-introduced to the readers, and the fact that he is gay continues to be treated in a matter-of-fact way. This first issue includes his account of how he came out to his parents and his desire to pursue a career in the military. All this is handled in a very idealized way, but that’s Riverdale for you. And there’s a goofy segment about a pie-eating contest gone wrong as well.

Kim Thompson

My reading this past few weeks has been heavily influenced by a trip to Scandinavia to attend a Norwegian comics convention.

The Devil's Star

(1) Jo Nesbø’s latest thriller, The Devil’s Star, which I picked up in Copenhagen (in Danish; I thought it would be more faithful to the Norwegian original than the American translation) and which succeeded in making the endless flight back (three stopovers) much, much shorter. Creep-out bonus: Two of the characters meet in the Edvard Munch Museum in Oslo in front of the same painting my wife and I had just stopped at just three days earlier.

(2) The first book of the complete works of Jan Lööf, a Swedish cartoonist whose Felix is a great classic, sort of like a cross between V.T. Hamlin and Kim Deitch, which I’d never had a chance to check out before and which is genuinely amazing.

(3) Xeroxes of the entire upcoming volume of new short stories by the Norwegian cartoonist Jason, Athos in America, which he handed me in Oslo and I am now pretty much the only person in the world to have read—the perks of being a publisher.

(4) An amazing book of illustrated memoirs by the great Norwegian cartoonist Olaf Gulbransson (whose life was chronicled in the graphic novel Olaf G., easily one of the best new European graphic novels of the new millennium), given to me by its Norwegian publisher.

(5) Geniet (“The Genius”), a fascinating new biography of Lars Von Trier which I was reading even as that Cannes controversy erupted, and which shows that he is one genuinely fucked-up dude in addition to being my favorite living (although apparently barely) movie director. Skaal!

Food or Comics? | This week’s comics on a budget

JK Parkin — Tue, 07 Jun 2011 20:25:59 +0000

Space Warped

Check out Diamond’s release list or ComicList, and tell us what you’re getting in our comments field.

Brigid Alverson

If I had $15:

I’d surround myself with good-humored, good-natured comics. Sometimes you just gotta do that. My stack would include Veronica #207 ($2.99), which launches the new Kevin Keller miniseries; Donald Duck #367 ($3.99), with a rework of a classic Carl Barks story; Space Warped ($3.99), kaboom’s new Star Wars parody comic (I probably won’t get half the jokes, but it looks like it’s worth checking out); and Love and Capes Ever After #5 ($3.99), just because Love and Capes is such a charming comic. I may be poor, but at least I’ll be happy.

If I had $30:

I’d get a bit more adventurous — and philanthropic. Alterna Comics has been having financial difficulties, and this week they are publishing Rafer Roberts’ Plastic Farm, so I’ll take a chance on that. It sounds like an interesting mix of horror and weirdness. And volume 5 of Bakuman is a must-have for me.

Splurge:

Probably Fantagraphics’ Mickey Mouse vol. 1, Race to Death Valley, which promises to show us a different side of the familiar rodent. I have read about Mickey having a personality, which he really doesn’t now, so I’m curious about what he was like in the early days. And I’d also throw vol. 14 of Black Jack into the basket, because there is no better hammock reading, and it’s getting to be that time of the year.

Graeme McMillan

American Vampire: Survival Of The Fittest

It’s clearly movie week for me: If I had $15 this week, I’d not only pick up Green Lantern Movie Prequel: Kilowog #1 (DC, $2.99) and Green Lantern Movie Prequel: Tomar Re #1 (DC, $2.99), but also the first issue of IDW’s Transformers: Dark Of The Moon adaptation ($3.99). Then I’d remember that there are likely to be better books worth my money, and pick up the first issue of American Vampire: Survival Of The Fittest (DC/Vertigo, $2.99), Scott Snyder’s spin-off from the regular book with the amazing Sean Murphy on art. I mean, really: How could I resist that?

If I had $30, I’d feel rich enough to buy 15 Love #1 (Marvel, $4.99). I’m fairly convinced that I won’t really like this “From The Marvel Vault” attempt at manga-style romance stories, despite the presence of Andi Watson as writer, purely because the art I’ve seen in previews seems offputtingly “desperate” in its attempts to appeal to a manga audience, but I’m curious enough to give it a go… although I would’ve been a lot more curious if it had been a little cheaper. $5 for a taster? Really? Much cheaper is The Iron Age: Alpha #1 (Marvel, $2.99), a seemingly under-the-radar X-Men Forever/Avengers Forever kind of time-traveling tale pitting Tony Stark against Dark Phoenix because… well, fair fights are for wimps. It could be horrible, but I have to admit: I like the time travel stories. To round out, Marvel’s Mystery Men #1 ($2.99), just to see how this latest attempt of Marvel to give itself an instant Golden Age varies from The Twelve, The Marvels Project and all of the other tries we’ve seen in recent years.

Splurgewise, it’s another week where something just jumps out at me: Avengers: West Coast Avengers – Family Ties Premiere HC (Marvel, $34.99). I loved Steve Englehart’s 1980s work, especially on this and Green Lantern, and it’s been years since I’ve had a chance to read any of it, so I’ll eagerly be looking for this in the store. So much so that the $34.99 price tag doesn’t completely scare me off.

Chris Mautner

Glamourpuss #19

If I had $15:

I’d probably get the fifth volume of Bakuman ($9.99) and the 19th issue of Glamourpuss ($3.99 — with a cover by Mike Allred!). If you haven’t already got a copy yet, however, allow me to point you towards Isle of 100,000 Graves, the latest comic from the Norwegian artist Jason, this time working with writer Fabien Vehlmann. Rest assured this new collaboration sees no drop in quality and is a worthy addition to his catalog. (For the curious, I talk about that book, and other things he’s done here).

If I had $30:

After what seemed like a lengthy drought, Jim Woodring seems to have jumped back into comics full steam, releasing the second graphic novel, Congress of the Animals ($19.99) in two years. Congress isn’t quite as good as his last book Weathercraft, but that’s only because Weathercraft was really, really, really excellent. Woodring fans will be more than pleased at this latest tale involving the ever unperturbed Frank and his adventures in the Unifactor, which, I should note, take an interesting left turn 2/3 of the way through.

Splurge:

The new Mickey Mouse collection ($29.99) is the obvious pick of the week for me. Floyd Gottfredson has far too long ignored by comics and Disney fans and it’s nice to see Fantagraphics give the work the attention it deserves. They did a fantastic job too; this is easily one of the best designed reprint projects I’ve seen in awhile, and chock full of great extra essays and extra features. I really hope this goes a long way towards establishing Gottfredson in the comics canon (whatever that may be).

I’d also pick up Black Jack Vol. 14 ($16.95), because, duh, Tezuka.

Michael May

Mystery Men

If I had $15, I’d pick up each of DC and Marvel’s monster-team books: DC’s Flashpoint: Frankenstein and the Creatures of the Unknown #1 ($2.99) and Marvel’s Fear Itself: Fearsome Four #1 ($2.99). I find it delicious that both companies have prepared such similar books as spin-offs of their big events and I’m looking forward to each. I’d also check out Marvel’s Mystery Men #1 ($2.99) to check out their take on Pulp hero action and Vertigo’s American Vampire: Survival of the Fittest #1 ($2.99). I haven’t been reading American Vampire, but the SofF covers look awesome and pulpy. It’s sadly rare that a comic book cover makes me want to read what’s inside, so yay for Sean Murphy. Finally, I’d spend my last three bucks on Ka-Zar #1 ($2.99). I’m not super fond of the creative team, but I find that the famous pizza/sex quote from Threesome also applies to Ka-Zar comics.

If I had $30, I’d add Welcome to Oddville ($14.95), if it’s indeed out this week. It’s not on Diamond’s list, but Comic List has it and they’re often right. If so, AdHouse’s collection of Jay Stephens comics, including Jetcat and a ghost pumpkin, is mine-all-mine.

My splurge for the week is easily Marvel Masterworks: Atlas Era Jungle Comics, Volume 2 ($59.99). I’ve grown especially fond of Golden Age jungle comics lately, though reading them is a lot like eating fish. You have to sift through a lot of bones to find the good stuff, but the good stuff is worth the trouble.

Food or Comics? | This week’s comics on a budget

JK Parkin — Tue, 31 May 2011 21:00:59 +0000

Fear Itself #3

Check out Diamond’s release list or ComicList, and tell us what you’re getting in our comments field.

Chris Arrant

If I had $15, I’d first do a two-fisted grab of this summer’s big event series Flashpoint #2 (DC, $3.99) and Fear Itself #3 (Marvel,$3.99). It’s required reading if you’re writing about comics like I am, and as a reader I’m intrigued by both. Two questions come out of this: 1. I wonder which one jiggered their release dates to come out the same week as the other event book, and 2. I guess DC will have to take off its “Holding The Line at $2.99” logo, or at least add some fine print. Next up would be Uncanny X-Force #11 (Marvel, $3.99); Rick Remender and the artists here have made this the best x-book on stands, hitting me right between the eyes by revisiting older storylines and characters and giving them a modern spin. Lastly, I would get Turf #5 (Image, $2.99), because I’m one of the biggest Tommy Lee Edwards fans out there.

If I had $30, I’d triple-down with three #1s– S.H.I.E.L.D. Vol. 2 #1 (Marvel, $3.99) Criminal: Last of the Innocent #1 (Marvel/Icon, $3.50) and Flashpoint: Batman: Knight of Vengeance #1 (DC, $2.99). After that I’d get Who Is Jake Ellis? #4 (Image, $2.99) and Astonishing X-Men #39 (Marvel, $3.99). On the latter, I was sad to see Jason Pearson go, but drafting Nick Bradshaw to fill in is an inspired choice.

For splurging, I’d go all out on the Dark Horse collection of Citizen Rex (Dark Horse, $19.99). Trying to amp up my Hernandez Bros. reading, and this is part of that.

Chris Mautner

Citizen Rex

If I had $15:

I’d probably just stick to The Boys #55 ($3.99), cause there’s little else in that price range that excites me this week.

If I had $30:

Now we’re talkin’. I’d actually have to choose between two books: the sixth volume of Moomin ($19.95), which features work by Lars Jansson, who took over from his sister Tove on the strip. Word is the transition is seamless. And Citizen Rex ($19.99), the new hardcover collection of a sci-fi mini-series by Gilbert and Mario Hernandez. I didn’t hear much about this when Dark Horse was initially releasing it, but it seems to harken back to the early days of Love and Rockets, when everything was spaceships and funky haircuts. It’s Beto, though, so I know I’ll be getting it at some point. It’s just a question of when.

Splurge:

I wasn’t too impressed with Paul Hornscheimer’s Life With Mr. Dangerous ($22) when it was originally serialized in Mome, but perhaps it reads better collected. I’ll at least give it a flip-through. I’m also curious to check out The Tooth ($24.99), a superhero homage/parody by Cullen Bunn, Shawn Lee and Matt Kindt. That’s an interesting line-up.

Graeme McMillan

Flashpoint #2

I’m in the mood for some full-scale superhero action this week, so my $15 would go toward the latest installments of Flashpoint (#2, DC, $3.99) and Fear Itself (#3, Marvel, $3.99), although the latter might end up being the final time I’ll pick it up after a flat second issue. I’ll also be grabbing the debut of Flashpoint: Secret Seven (DC, $2.99), because I’m curious to see what Peter Milligan will get up to with an alternate Shade The Changing Man — although seeing George Perez not even manage a full issue is going to be somewhat of a disappointment, I must admit — and the Static Shock Special (DC, $2.99), because not only am I eager to see a tribute to the late Dwayne McDuffie, but I’ve also been a fan of Static for years, and long to see him get the comic he’s deserved since Milestone ended.

If I had $30, I might feel curious enough to pick up a couple more Flashpoint spin-offs. Both Flashpoint: Abin Sur, The Green Lantern (DC, $2.99) and The World of Flashpoint (DC, $2.99) have potential for me, although I have little-to-no interest in Brian Azzarello and Eduardo Risso’s Batman: Knight of Vengeance — and, on Marvel’s side, Fear Itself: The Deep #1 ($2.99) might be worth a look based on Cullen Bunn’s involvement and it being a Defenders title in all but name. That same curiosity might be enough to get me to pick up the second issue of Brian Michael Bendis’ and Alex Maleev’s Moon Knight (Marvel, $3.99), as well… Mind you, that might just be me being a glutton for punishment after the disappointing opener last month.

Splurgewise, it’s entirely nostalgic for me, but if I had the money, Marvel’s Captain Britain: Birth of A Legend collection ($39.99) would definitely be mine. I remember those stories the, uh, second time around (I was given a reprint when I was a kid, and kind of hated it. But oddly enough, I really, really want to re-read it anyway).

Michael May

Reed Gunther #1

If I had $15, I’d check out some new series that are starting this week. Reed Gunther #1 ($2.99) is about a cowboy who rides a bear, 50 Girls 50 #1 ($2.99) is a space pulp by Frank Cho, and Foster Broussard: Demons of the Gold Rush #1 ($3.50) is a steampunk Weird Western from Red 5. In addition to those I’d also grab Betty #192 ($2.99) since it wraps up the groovy spy story from last month’s Veronica.

If I had $30, I’d add Fabien Vehlmann and Jason’s Isle of 100,000 Graves ($14.99). It’s not on Diamond’s website list, but it’s on my comic shop’s invoice, so I’m hopeful that I’ll finally get to read this pirate story and forget my disappointment about On Stranger Tides.

My splurge item this week is the same as Mautner’s. Tooth ($24.99) is expensive, but the chance to see Cullen Bunn and Matt Kindt collaborating on a monster-fighting molar is irresistible. Of course, there’s also Walt Disney’s Mickey Mouse, Volume 1: Race to Death Valley ($29.99) featuring early stories of Mickey as a two-fisted adventurer. That sounds impossible to pass up as well, so I’m hoping for some super extra splurge money this week.

JK Parkin

Criminal:Last of the Innocent

If I had $15, I’d start with Flashpoint #2 and Fear Itself, for the reasons Chris outlines above. I’d also grab Criminal:Last of the Innocent #1 and the new SHIELD series, which would put me close to my limit.

With $30, I’d add Fear Itself: The Deep #1 ($2.99), because I can’t resist a Defenders tale by Cullen Bunn. Of the Flashpoint minis, I’m most tempted by Secret Seven, but I’d likely flip through all of them before heading to the counter to see which ones I was really interested in. So let’s round it out with a few ongoings I’ve been digging lately: Secret Six #34 ($2.99), Batman Beyond #6 ($2.99), Herc #4 ($2.99) and Irredeemable #26 ($3.99).

And for my splurging this week, I’ll take a page from Michael’s playbook and go “off Diamond” with Isle of 100,000 Graves ($14.99), the new Jason/Fabien Vehlmann collaboration, and Celluloid, the new erotic book from Dave McKean ($35). I’d also grab the Osborn: Evil Incarcerated trade ($16.99) from Marvel. And there’s not much chance I’d pass on Bunn and Kindt’s collaboration The Tooth ($24.99), so let’s hope that extra splurge money can cover all four.

Comics College | Jason

Chris Mautner — Fri, 27 May 2011 21:00:43 +0000

I Killed Adolf Hitler

Comics College is a monthly feature where we provide an introductory guide to some of the comics medium’s most important auteurs and offer our best educated suggestions on how to become familiar with their body of work.

With a few notable exceptions, most European cartoonists have a tough time getting noticed by U.S. audiences. That’s definitely not the case, however, with this month’s Comics College entry, the Norwegian artist John Arne Sæterøy, better known to most American readers by his pen name, Jason.

Why he’s important

Well, for starters, he’s just so consistently great. Since his U.S. debut in 2001, Jason has produced 15 books, with nary a drop in quality. More to the point, he’s been able to use and play with a lot of familiar genre cliches — movie monsters, the big heist, the man accused of a crime he didn’t commit — and make them seem fresh and inviting.

That’s largely because his characters are usually grounded in a strong emotional reality. What often drives them are not simplistic ideals about right and wrong but love, longing, guilt and anxiety, the same stuff that drives most of us. What’s especially fascinating about his work, though, is how he’s able to convey all these roiling emotions with such a placid, minimalist style. His characters rarely register anything other than a placid indifference to their surroundings, yet simply though context and some exquisite pacing he’s able to ensure the reader is fully aware of what’s going on behind those animal faces and pupil-less eyes. Anyone interested in learning about timing and tempo in comics to should be studying Jason’s comics.

Where to start

Hey, Wait was the first book that introduced America to Jason and it’s an extremely good book, but at this point I think I Killed Adolph Hitler serves as a better introduction as it’s more indicative of the artist’s interests and overall style. A lot of his familiar tropes can be found here: the blend of sardonic wit and affecting emotional drama, an awkward and occasionally one-sided romance and a playfulness with familiar genre tropes, in this case the time travel paradox. It also happens to be one of his best and most iconic works so far.

From there you should read

Hey Wait

As I mentioned, Hey Wait ... was Jason’s first book to be published on North American shores. The stark, heartbreaking tale, which shows how a ugly childhood tragedy affected the knocked many readers for a loop and even if if it doesn’t suggest the directions his work would later take it still packs a strong emotional wallop. Keep a box of tissues handy.

One of my personal favorite Jason books is The Last Musketeer, which puts noble swordsman Athos in the modern world, dissolute, but willing to face off single-handedly against a horde of Martian invaders. It’s a clever, frothy riff on classic adventure tales that nevertheless manages to tug your heart strings on the last page.

I’m also partial to The Left Bank Gang, a Reservoir Dogs-style thriller that re-imagines the modernist authors Hemingway, Joyce, Pound and Fizgerald as cartoonists who have to turn to robbing banks in order to pay their bills. A sly comment on the financial vagaries of working in comics? More than likely. A sharp riff on a familiar genre? Definitely.

In case you haven’t caught on yet, Jason is rather partial to crime stories and noirish thrillers, a fact evidenced by Why Are You Doing This, a Hitchcockian tale about an ordinary man who is framed for a murder he didn’t commit. And, of course, he finds one woman who believes in his innocence and is willing to help him. It’s a credit to Jason’s considerable talents that he’s able to create such a memorable story out of such familiar material.

Ancillary material

Those who want to see what Jason’s stories look like when he draws honest-to-goodness people should check out Pocket Full of Rain, which collects a number of early short stories and strips, most of which find him experimenting with a variety of styles and influences. If you want even more background information on the artist, track down a copy of Comics Journal #294, which features a lengthy interview with him.

Avoid

Of the five stories in Low Moon, two are excellent, two are “meh,” and one is decidedly lackluster. A lot of cartoonists would kill for a final tally like that but considering Jason’s overall track record, that makes Low Moon easily the weakest book in his bibliography. That doesn’t necessarily mean the book is to be avoided — those two stories are rather excellent after all — but it might be advisable to save that particular book for last.

Next month: George Herriman

Talking Comics with Tim | Jason

Tim O'Shea — Mon, 13 Sep 2010 22:30:24 +0000

Werewolves of Montpellier

Hopefully, if you’ve been reading Robot 6 for any substantial amount of time, you’re familiar with the work of Jason. In this email interview, we discuss his latest work released from Fantagraphics, Werewolves of Montpellier (a book aptly summed up by the publisher as “a lycanthropic thriller, a romantic comedy, and an existential drama — basically, your typical Jason book”), as well as some ideas shared in his blog, cats without dogs. My thanks to Jason for the interview (and for reminding me why I love Hal Hartley films) and to Robot 6′s Sean T. Collins as well as Fantagraphics Jacq Cohen for helping to make this interview feasible.

Tim O’Shea: Cinema clearly informs your work, does your appreciation of film date back to your childhood-or when and how did it begin?

Jason: I read comics as a kid, and books like the Hardy Boys, but I think what made the biggest impression on me were movies. In the 70s there was just one Norwegian channel and every Monday night they showed a feature film. I would watch every one of those. And I still remember a lot of them, sometimes better than some movie I saw last year.

O’Shea: In the comments section of your blog, you wrote: ” I like movies, non-musicals, where the characters do a dance or sing a song. Like Rio Bravo, Buffalo 66, Bande à part or Simple Men. It’s something that doesn’t work in comics.” If you don’t think it works in comics, I’m curious why did you have Audrey sing Moon River (a scene that I thought worked, by the way)?

Jason: It’s just four panels of her singing, and I guess it sort of works. But take the dance sequence in Simple Men (Hal Hartley’s 1992 film) as an example. I don’t think that could be recreated in a comic. You don’t get into the music and start tapping your feet like you would in a movie.

O’Shea: In discussing Simple Men, I’m curious, are you a fan of Hal Hartley’s other films? What is it about his storytelling that appeals to you (I ask this while conceding that I am a big fan of Henry Fool myself)?

Jason: The first film of his I saw was Trust, and I think that’s still my favourite. I also like The Unbelievable Truth and Surviving Desire. These early films have a charm that maybe is missing a bit in the later ones. I like how he creates small universes in his films, where the characters keep bumping into each-other. I like the visual look of his films. I thought he was going to be like a Woody Allen for my generation, but I guess that’s not what Hal Hartley wanted. He seems to have moved more in the direction of artfilms, like The Girl from Monday and the later shorts, that are less appealing to me.

O’Shea: In his recent review in praise of Werewolves, The Comics Journal‘s Rob Clough asserts that Werewolves is your “latest meshing of genre trappings with pure romance” in the same style of your past works The Living and the Dead (zombies), I Killed Adolf Hitler (time-travel sci-fi), and Tell Me Something (Frankenstein). I was particularly struck by the last line in Clough’s review “It’s remarkable to see a creator go to the same well so many times and yet continue to produce nuanced and powerful variations on the same themes.” First off, would you agree that Werewolves meshes genre trappings with pure romance? Were you hesitant to go this “well” (to borrow again from Clough) again for fear of retreading ground while exploring romance?

Jason: I’ve done boy meets girl and one of them dies in the end several times, so yes, I was a bit afraid of starting to repeat myself. But I think Werewolves is sufficiently different. It’s a platonic relationship between the two characters for one thing, and none of them dies in the end. But I’ve shown earlier I’m not afraid of killing characters, so hopefully in the scene where Audrey falls off the roof, there is real tension in if she will survive or not.

O’Shea: One of my favorite pages is when Sven and Audrey are extremely drunk and Sven fumbles for his keys. To convey the level of drunkenness you change the panel orientation (one panel is completely upside down with Sven reaching for his keys) making the reader feel as dizzy and unsteady as the characters. Did you always plan to have the word balloons oriented to match whatever shift the panel might take or did you try it the other way (all word balloons right side up) first?

Jason: Yes, the text in the wordballons were going to fit the angle of each panel.

I drew a second page that was going to show their hangover. The scene would be Sven at his breakfast table, eating, and Audrey coming in, asking for an aspirin, then leaving, and the whole scene drawn in a shaky line. But I wasn’t happy with the result and took it out. I rather reinstated the umbrellapage that I had originally rejected as too cute. But thinking about it I thought that scene could have been an outtake from Breakfast at Tiffany’s.

O’Shea: How do you decide on the point of view (POV) on certain scenes, I liked how you shifted the POV when Sven knocked on Audrey’s door and you shift so we see her view of Sven through the peephole as he waits and then walks away.

Jason: Well, that wasn’t really POV. Audrey isn’t on the other side of the door looking at him. It was just to get a break in the page structure, but also to give him a bit of a pathetic quality.

O’Shea: Do you think some of the deadpan comedy to your work depends on the rhythm of the dialogue and if so, how much is the comedy impacted when the dialogue gets translated?

Jason: Yes, the rythm of the dialogue is important to achieve that effect. I think Kim Thompson is aware of this when he does the translation, so I don’t have any complaints.

O’Shea: I love your blog, which you started in July. What led you to read the autobiography of Linda Lovelace? Does your nonfiction reading sometimes influence your storytelling?

Jason: I don’t remember where I found it, maybe in a library. I didn’t buy it. And I read it for the completely wrong reasons, thinking it would be titilating to read about a porn actress. The part with Sammy Davis Jr is the only thing I remember. I like to read biographies. I have a whole shelf of books about Hemingway. It’s almost never research. Wanting to put that information in a story comes later.

O’Shea: Of the many Hemingway books you have, do you have a favorite? What sparked your interest in Hemingway in particular?

Jason: I like the two first novels and short story collections. I guess The Sun Also Rises is my favourite novel, The Killers, Cat in the Rain and Indian Camp my favourite stories. I also like A Moveable Feast. I think it’s basically the language that appeals to me. It’s just very evocative. The things that are left unsaid. There’s a certain poetry to it. Actually, one reason I’m a bit hung up on Hemingway might be that he’s the first author I discovered on my own. I wasn’t told to read him in school. That always makes it a bit special. Of the biographies about Hemingway I especially like Michael Reynolds series of five books, covering all of Hemingway’s life. I also like Hemingway vs. Fitzgerald, The Rise and Fall of a Literary Friendship by Scott Donaldson.

O’Shea: Would you like to see some of your uncollected early work, like 1997′s Mjau Mjau (a sample here) collected?

Jason: A lot of the older material has been collected in Pocket Full of Rain. Not everything. There was weaker material I didn’t want to include, but I don’t mind putting up on the blog.

O’Shea: Back in 2007, in a Tom Spurgeon interview, you said: “The page design is very important to me. I see each page as a unit and also have the spread in mind. I try to give each page an energy, rhythm and balance. The most important thing for Herge was readability, and I try to learn from him. That’s also my favourite part of the cartooning, the early penciling. Solving the storytelling problems and placing the characters. Movement on the page, how you lead the reader’s eye, that each page is a satisfying whole, maybe even that something exciting happens in the last panel!” What were some of the storytelling problems that you had to solve in the planning of Werewolves?

Jason: It’s not really storytelling problems, but just thoughts about the look and the balance of the page that I’m sure no-one will notice. Like on page 1, panel 2 and 3 is the same angle and image, but with Sven appearing as the dressed up werewolf in the second one. In panel 4 and 5 Sven has the same size, but one is exterior, the other interior. In panel 6 and 7 he also has the same size, seeing his lower body in the first one, then upper body in the second one, searching through drawers. In the final panel the woman walks in, having the same size as Sven in panel 4 and 5. It gives the page a simple elegance, or at least that’s what I hope!

O’Shea: Reading the small print of the opening pages of Werewolves, I found out that Toronto’s The Beguiling sells your original artwork. Some artists are extremely attached to their work and cannot part with it, others like yourself can. Are there ever certain pages that you hold on to and do not wish to sell?

Jason: I don’t mind selling some of the older stuff. I’ve kept half the pages from Left Bank Gang and I Killed Adolf Hitler, and I’m keeping all of the pages from Musketeer and up, at least for now.

What Are You Reading?

JK Parkin — Sun, 11 Jul 2010 21:04:36 +0000

Batman: The Return of Bruce Wayne

Welcome once again to What Are You Reading? Today’s special guest is writer and artist Dean Trippe, creator of Butterfly and co-founder of the Project: Rooftop blog, among other credits. He posts regularly on his Tumblr site Bearsharktopus-Man, where he is currently selling this nifty Doctor Who/Batman crossover print. He also has some art in the Webcomics Auction for the Gulf.

To see what Dean and the rest of the Robot 6 crew have been reading, click below …

*****

Brigid Alverson

The Hunter

Intrigued by the sampler of Darwyn Cooke’s next Parker graphic novel that I picked up at ALA, I ordered the first book, Parker: The Hunter, from the library. Wow, is that hard boiled! Richard Stark (a pseudonym for Donald Westlake, who wrote funnier mysteries under his real name) came up with a hero who was almost superhuman (he can kill a man with his bare hands) but also resourceful, forging a driver’s license and hijacking a gun shipment with equal ease. The story is incredibly dated —most of Parker’s scams wouldn’t fly nowadays, and his treatment of women is beyond appalling—but Cooke takes it for what it is and captures the look of the era in both the setting and the style, a gestural ink line backed with washes of dull blue that would not look out of place in a 1962 issue of Esquire. The story is very straightforward—Parker was double-crossed and left for dead in a job gone bad, and now he’s looking for payback—and Parker slices through every obstacle like a hot knife through butter. The story itself isn’t too intellectually demanding, but Cooke’s art brings it to another level.

A bound galley of Moto Hagio’s A Drunken Dream and Other Stories arrived in yesterday’s mail, and I’m halfway through it already. Hagio’s art in some of these stories is absolutely beautiful to look at, but what’s interesting to me is that these really are girls’ stories. The ones I have read so far are about children and told from a child’s eye view; the adults are there, but they usually make things worse. These short stories remind me very much of their British contemporaries, the ghost stories in Diana and other girls’ comics that were running around the same time. I’m sure the finished book will be beautiful and expensive, but I sort of hope some girls find these stories as well, and get the same thrill I did.

Sean T. Collins

Click the links for reviews…

Werewolves of Montpellier

Werewolves of Montpellier by Jason: The Norwegian master serves up his latest mix of genre wackiness and ruminations about violence and loneliness. Every book’s a winner with this guy.

Where’s Waldo? The Fantastic Journey by Martin Handford: The maddening, fun search game book you remember from your childhood is also a really impressive feat of cartooning-as-worldbuilding.

FCHS by Vito Delsante & Rachel Freire: A sweet, sexy, smart summer soap set in high school circa 1990.

Graeme McMillan

For no real reason whatsoever, I dived into recent Inhumans stories from Marvel’s recent years this week, and got very frustrated as a result; I enjoyed Son of M a fair bit, really loved Silent War, and then felt cheated by the way that Secret Invasion: Inhumans pretty much threw away the wonderful cliffhanger that Silent War ended on – It’s one thing to say “Black Bolt was replaced by a Skrull,” but to ignore that War left all of the Inhumans except for Black Bolt and Quicksilver and Crystal’s daughter either insane or mind-controlled by Maximus (I’m not sure which, to be honest, and that may be the point; the real answer may be somewhere in between) and suddenly launch into a much-smaller “the family that fights together stays together” dynamic was incredibly disappointing. Did I miss something that wrapped up
David Hine’s story in between the two, does anyone know?

Tim O’Shea

Red Robin

Of the Bat-family of books, it’s odd to say that Red Robin is one of the strongest–but there it is. Grant Morrison can’t be bothered with character dynamics, as I doubt they’ve ever interested him as a writer. Fabian Nicieza constructs a great scene in this issue between Batman, Red Robin and Robin. Add to the mix that Marcus To continues to provide solid art on this book.

Having bought the initial Casanova b&w run, I almost did not get this revitalized full color version–the first issue of which came out from Marvel’s Icon imprint this week. But I’m glad I did, as otherwise I would not have read the bonus new story involving the Night Nurse from that first issue. Also, you get a Matt Fraction text piece which includes his admission that Casanova ultimately grew out of a Dominic Fortune/Marvel pitch.

I hate Jim McCann for populating the second issue of Mockingbird & Hawkeye with characters I like, only to kill some of them. Seriously though, strong second issue–but to be perfectly blunt you could have miniseries called “Hawkeye Does His Laundry” and I’d just be happy to be able to buy a monthly book featuring Hawkeye.

I don’t know how I missed the first issue of Peter Hogan, Chris Sprouse and Karl Story’s Tom Strong and the Robots of Doom (six-issue miniseries), but I caught up this week–buying issues 1 and 2. I never tire of the way Tom shouts his dialogue and the importance of family to the series.

I’m grooving to the comedic undercurrent that Chris Roberson and Mike Allred feed throughout iZombie (this week saw the release of issue 3).

I’ve got a Jeff Lemire Talking Comics with Tim interview in the pipeline for the coming weeks–and while recently editing I was unsure as to whether he’s more excited about his writing on Atom or his writing and drawing for the Vertigo ongoing, Sweet Tooth. It doesn’t really matter which he’s enthused most about, what’s important is his passion for both projects shows equally. In terms of Atom, I’m just grateful that DC editorial has allowed Lemire to ignore Palmer’s recent history (ex-wife as murderer, etc)–Lemire’s left to tell an updated style of a Silver Age Atom science story.

Thor and the Warriors Four (the four-issue miniseries) came to a satisfying happy ending for kids and adults alike. Like a good sitcom, I enjoy the snippets of dialogue that Alex Zalben works in–case in point when Thor, Frog of Thunder; and Beta Ray Bill acknowledge each other as they head into battle (Frog: “Thorse”‘ Bill” “Throg”). And I can’t be the only person left wanting to see a Colleen Coover sequel to this Hercules the Olympian Babysitter with the Power Pack?

Gail Simone? Thanks for taking a month off from the Secret Six and allowing John Ostrander to fill in for you. (And I agree with your comment here as I would like Ostrander to “…write an Oracle mini” one of these days). It’s a simple one and done story, which I never tire of reading.

Steve Rogers, Super-Soldier is a mixture of James Bond meets Nick Fury by Ed Brubaker nicely paired with artist Dale Eaglesham. I would be okay if this were an ongoing, instead of a miniseries.

Earlier this week Mark Waid got some folks riled about his Tweets on the superhero genre. It was an unfortunate week for the dust-up to occur, as I think it diluted any attention that his actual superhero comic writing deserved this week. I stepped away from Irredeemable for a few months (there’s only so many comics in a month I can read,
honestly) and I’m glad I came back with Irredeemable 15. They had been building up to a few things and while you don’t get any actual closure on anything, you definitely get some interesting battles and twists. I like it when Waid gets to play with the toys as a writer and they aren’t the holy DC or Marvel, because people can die, things can occur
and no one worries about the precious continuity status quo.

Finally with the first issue of Thor, The Mighty Avenger, writer Roger Langridge and artist Chris Samnee become my favorite all ages creative team at Marvel. I’m a sucker for a Thor who smiles. My one complaint? I have to agree with Kurt Busiek’s tweet from earlier this week when he wrote: “…Lettering’s too damn small, but the book is gorgeous!” One must assume that Langridge tried to fit as much dialogue in the book as he could. I don’t wish either storyteller to be more economic in their storytelling terms, but it may flow better with less words.

Chris Mautner

Solomon's Thieves, Book One

I read two books from First Second this week — Solomon’s Thieves and Resistance Book One.

On the latter, let me just say that I agree 100 percent with Michael May’s assessment of the book — this is a slam-bang, totally engrossing, rip-roaring adventure story from start to finish. Whereas creators Jordan Mechner, LeUyen Pham and Alex Puvilland tripped over themselves in trying to create something of substance in their Prince of Persia adaptation last year, Solomon has next to no pretense (though there’s a lot of info about medieval life and the Knights Templar — it’s apparent both artists and writer spent a lot of time on research). It’s really just a great, smart, fun read — the kind you’d swear people didn’t make anymore. I’m actually happy for once that the story is “to be continued,” because it means I have something to look forward to.

I was less enthused with Resistance, the second “kids in World War II” book FS put out this spring, though this has a more serious tone than City of Spies, as it deals with a brother and sister living in Vichy France attempting to get their Jewish friend out of the clutches of the Nazis and reunite him with his mom and dad. It’s OK — Kids will probably dig it, but I never really felt like the danger the children were in was sufficiently emphasized at all (with the exception of one incident). What’s more, Leland Purvis’ character art is a little on the stiff side and Carla Jablonski’s dialogue is a bit TV-movieish — everyone speaks in either dull exclamatory sentences or endless questions (“Where are you going?” “Where are you taking us?” “What’s going on?” and so on — for like every other panel). Ultimately the book just felt very rote to me. As down as I was on City of Spies the other week, I think I prefer it to Resistance.

Tom Bondurant

Batman & Robin #13

My haul of superhero comics turned out quite well this week. Batman And Robin #13 was especially good — suspenseful, well-paced, great art, and full of neat little bits like the “I’ll just call you ‘Commissioner Gordon’” exchange. I like how everyone who’s really close to the original Batman isn’t automatically dismissive of Dick/Batman, and I like that that group includes the Joker. I also enjoyed the first issue of Batman: Odyssey. I would call its author “the goddamn Neal Adams,” but I’m sure someone has already used that joke.

I liked John Ostrander and RB Silva’s issue of Secret Six — now where’s their Oracle miniseries?

Thought Great Ten #9 felt very rushed, but that’s not surprising. I did like the miniseries overall and hope to see these characters again soon.

Finally (in Brightest Day #5) Aquaman does something about the big oil spill! Too bad it’s DC-Earth’s version, somewhere near the Bermuda Triangle. Oh well — I’m sure the JLA cleaned up its Gulf of Mexico a while back. Seriously, I continue to believe that the Aquaman subplot is the strongest part of Brightest Day, and I’m hoping it will play a bigger part as the series rolls on.

And lastly, I liked both Fantastic Four books I bought this week. Fantastic Four Annual #32 (done up 2008-style by writer Joe Ahearne and penciller Bryan Hitch) was a nifty standalone story about Johnny Storm’s child and a new version of an old villain, and Spider-Man/Fantastic Four #1 (by Christos N. Gage and Mario Alberti) was just plain fun. How can one say no to a two-page spread involving the FF, Spidey, Doctor Doom, the Sub-Mariner, the ESU quad, “It’s Clobberin’ Time,” and “Imperius Rex!”?

Dean Trippe

Hellboy: The Storm #1

The only really terrible thing about being a comics creator (besides the pay and constant fear you might’ve been happier or at least healthier with a menial day job of any other kind) is that you know what good looks like.

I’ve become insufferable as a comics fan. I don’t like most writing, drawing, coloring, or lettering, and I’m sure as hell not shopping in a store that doesn’t let me flip through books to see if they look interesting. I can’t invest in crossovers anymore. I don’t even care about characters, even though I think nearly every mainstream comics character could be interesting. I follow creators because I’m spoiled.

Because I read Tom Strong, Promethea, Planetary, The Authority, Hellboy, B.P.R.D., Robin: Year One, and All-Star and Superman, I know comics can be absolutely incredible. When my favorite creators team up, that’s when I get interested. Were I President of Comics, I’d make it so every comic was amazing. Somehow. So vote for me.

What meets my impossibly high standards? Here you go:

Batman and Robin (and The Return of Bruce Wayne) by Grant Morrison and a whole host of artists. Grant Morrison’s not just writing these titles. He’s writing the entire DCU over the course of his lifetime. You just didn’t know it. Batman and Robin is the most fun Batman’s been in forever, but Grant’s DCU is all one thing, joined to his JLA, Final Crisis, All-Star Superman, DC One Million, Seven Soldiers of Victory and so on. These are easily the comics that I enjoy the most. So if Morrison writes it, I’m buying it. Speaking of which…

Joe the Barbarian by Grant Morrison and Sean Murphy. Great writing, great art. Dave Stewart on colors. That’s how you do it.

The Walking Dead by Robert Kirkman and Charlie Adlard. That is an excellent creative team, and the story is edge-of-your-seat fascinating, every month.

I, Zombie by Chris Roberson and Mike Allred is the silliest group of monsters, written and drawn so well it never seems unbelievable.

Hellboy and B.P.R.D. by Mike Mignola, Guy Davis, and a slew of awesome, awesome creators. These are the all-around best books in comics, from the writing on down the line. There are no problems. There is only win. Dave Stewart and Guy Davis make so much pretty. If the Big Two could match this level of quality, this consistently, sales would triple.

Besides those, I pretty much follow anything Mark Waid, Robert Kirkman, Mike Mignola, Matt Fraction, Ed Brubaker, or Jonathan Hickman writes, and anything Cliff Chiang, Frank Quitely, Dustin Nguyen, Cameron Stewart, Chris Samnee, or J.H. Williams III draws. Those guys do it right.

Your YouTube link of the day: Shhhh!

Chris Mautner — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 18:30:17 +0000

Oh my gollygosh. Someone’s actually adapting one of Jason’s short works to animated film.

Click on that first link to see Part one. (found via Mike Lynch)

Robot reviews: Low Moon

Chris Mautner — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 19:11:53 +0000

Low Moon

Low Moon
By Jason
Fantagraphics Books, 216 pages, $24.99.

For his latest and 13th (by my admittedly sloppy count) book, Jason has decided to try something a bit different. In addition to the snappy hardcover packaging, Low Moon collects not just the title tale, but four other stories as well, all presented in the same four panels to a page format, a quite different layout compared to previous works.

And yet this is still Jason. Anyone who’s read his work before will know the drill here, right down to the pupil-less animal-faced characters who seethe with inner pain while maintaining a stone-faced expression. In attempting to stretch himself, though, he offers some of his weakest work to date, but some of his strongest and emotionally wrenching as well.

The first story, Emily Says Hello, is a tight little noir drama between a hitman and his young, female client. The story focuses entirely on the meetings between the two characters — we never see any of the victims except for photographs, indeed we never leave the woman’s apartment (which, notably, is painted black). We never learn much about the two protagonists either, other than that she has hired him to kill some people and is offering limited sexual favors in return. Rather than frustrate, however, Emily tantalizes and inspires by withholding information. Best of all, it doesn’t overstay its welcome a second longer than it needs to.

The second tale, Low Moon, originally ran in The New York Times. Here, Jason cheekily plays with the Western, sending up the traditional cliches (the big noon gunfight, the barroom brawl) by throwing cell phones, lattes and, most importantly, chess, into the mix. The story doesn’t have the emotional heft that some of Jason’s other recent genre riffs have had (most notably The Last Musketeer) but it’s still fun to see him goof on such familiar idioms in his dry, deadpan manner.

The next story, &, is easily the weakest of the bunch, and really, the one big stumbling block in the book. It’s two tales (each facing each other on opposite pages) of two men who committ crimes for the women they love. In one case it’s a young man who steals to get money for his ill mother. In the other, it’s a lovestruck suitor who does away methodically with all his competition in order to win his beloved’s hand in marriage. The gags and action proceed at an almost furious pace, but the two stories don’t really mesh well at all, and then ending falls terribly flat. This is the one instance where Jason seems more interested in the set-up than the characters.

Proto Film Noir is, like Low Moon, an amsuing spin on a familiar tales, this one basically being The Postman Always Rings Twice, although the joke here is that the husband keeps coming back to life each morning, despite the couple’s increasingly gruesome attempts to keep him dead (everyone also wears caveman-style outfits just for added fun). Again, as with Moon, it’s has a bit of an inconsequential feel to it, but it nevertheless made me smile.

Finally we come to You Are Here, the best of the bunch. Here, Jason draws upon the old “alien abducts woman” sci-fi bit to create a surprisingly powerful and moving analogy about family break-ups. A husband and wife fight (Jason tellingly draws their word balloons as black ovals since the subject of their argument doesn’t matter much). Then, suddenly the wife is gone, spirited away in a rocket ship. The father and son are left adrift and try to muddle through. The father tries to build a rocket ship to try and win his wife back, but the years pass and the son gets older and soon it may be too late for everyone.

Jason’s quiet, understated style serves him well here, and he seems to understand his characters’ motivations and turmoil perfectly. There are a number of “tug-your-heartstrings” moments here, enough to remind you just how good a cartoonist Jason really is.

In the end, Low Moon probably isn’t the best entry point for newcomers, it’s far too uneven. Longtime readers, however, will definitely want to pick it up, if only for those stunning opening and closing tales.

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