The Silence of Our Friends

Hello and welcome to What Are You Reading? This week our special guest is Ao Meng, who writes about comics for the Daily Texan, the University of Texas newspaper, as well as Novi Magazine.

To see what Ao and the Robot 6 crew have been reading, click below …

*****

Michael May

Planet of the Apes

I’ve read a couple of issues of BOOM!’s Planet of the Apes since the last time I contributed to this feature, and it’s still my favorite monthly series right now. It’s scary how good it is because experience tells me that comics this awesome are too good to be true and don’t last. Not that I have any reason to believe PotA’s going away; it’s just one of those irrational fears you get when you really love something and can’t stand the thought of not having it around anymore.

Something else I read recently was Pilot & Huxley: The First Adventure by Dan McGuiness. I’d never heard of it before and the deceptively simple art didn’t grab me right away, but I grinned and chuckled my way all through this thing. It’s about a couple of kids with an overdue video game rental that–unknown to them–contains the password that activates an alien Weapon of Doom. Unfortunately for the aliens, they don’t remember the password and need the game, so they hire Death to capture the boys, but Death sort of botches the job and sends the pair into an alternate dimension where swamps are made of bees and little girls turn into giant monsters. It…is…awesome.

Tom Bondurant

Aquaman

It may be perpetuating a stereotype to say that this week I read a pretty good issue of Aquaman, but, well … issue #5 was pretty good. Beginning with Aquaman literally dropped into the middle of a desert, it sets up the next big arc (the real reason Atlantis sunk) while serving nicely as a standalone survival tale. Geoff Johns’ script is efficient and well-paced, using a nonlinear narrative to good effect. There seems to be a little more pointed puncturing of Aquaman’s perceived inferiority, which at this point is a little old, so thankfully there’s not a lot. (Johns does get good use out of Aquaman’s telepathic powers, and that’s always nice.) Ivan Reis and Joe Prado’s art is straightforward as ever, conveying both Aquaman’s determination and his world-weariness.

The Fury Of Firestorm The Nuclear Men #5 (written by Gail Simone and Ethan Van Sciver, drawn by Yildiray Cinar) was also a decent standalone issue, reframing Ronnie and Jason’s continuing struggles with their powers in the context of a global Firestorm network. Specifically, when said network places our heroes in a too-good-to-be-
true planned community — a plot device which by this point should come with a “Ye Olde” prefix — you just know things are going to go horribly wrong. And so they do, but in a well-choreographed way which gives the reader some hope that maybe this time will be different. In other words, despite the predictability, this turned out to be a rather suspenseful issue, infusing the overall storyline with some necessary momentum.

This week I finally got a chance to check out Jeff Parker and Erika Moen’s Bucko, only about eleven months after everyone else on Earth, and just in time for it to wrap up. Still, not surprisingly, I liked this sprightly farce a lot. The combination of Parker’s energetic script and Moen’s endearing art is instantly appealing, and the plot is like “Three’s Company” on acid. (In a good way, of course.) I’m only through the first part, but I’m eager to see the rest.

In other better-late-than-never news, last night I was up late polishing off The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, so that my wife and I could catch David Fincher’s adaptation before it leaves the local theaters. The last half of the book took just under three hours to read, and at the risk of spoiling it (even obliquely), I thought the denouement was somewhat anticlimactic. I mean, I liked the book pretty well, but the first half is all about adapting to life on the frozen tundra, the third quarter jumps full-on into the mystery, and the last little bit is an extended wrap-up. I don’t doubt that the new movie will be fairly faithful, but I can’t imagine how the upcoming DC adaptation will deal with some of it.

Brigid Alverson

In Dotter of Her Father’s Eyes, Mary Talbot weaves her own growing-up story with that of James Joyce’s daughter Lucia. Tying the two stories together is Mary’s father, who was an eminent Joyce scholar. That meant less to his daughter, of course, than the way he treated her, warm and cold by turns, and sometimes unbearably harsh. Mary’s own story is an engaging tale of growing up in a large family in England after the war; Lucia’s is equally fascinating in a different way, as she led a more artistic and demanding life but was equally frustrated by her father’s needs and prejudices and, ultimately, her own mental illness. The book is skillfully illustrated by Mary’s husband, Bryan
Talbot, and it sits comfortably on the shelf next to Alison Bechdel’s Fun Home.

Friends With Boys

Mary Talbot grew up in a house full of brothers, and so did Maggie McKay, the heroine of Faith Erin Hicks’s Friends With Boys. In both cases, the boys add a certain madcap energy to the story, constantly fighting and breaking things, but in Friends With Boys, they also bring emotional depth. As the book opens, Maggie is starting high school after years of being home-schooled by her mother—who has just left the family, for reasons that are left vague. Maggie quickly makes friends with a brother and sister, but there’s a strange tension between them and her older brother, and the boys on the volleyball team. Hicks unfurls the backstory slowly, then brings it all to a head with a theft and a fight. While the plot itself is a bit improbable, the characters are well grounded and believable, and overall it’s an enjoyable read.

I also picked up Kate Beaton’s Hark! A Vagrant this week. It’s very hit-or-miss—sometimes Beaton makes me laugh out loud, other times the strips make me wish I knew more about Canadian history. Overall, though, there are more yuks than WTFs, and it’s easy to give a “read” recommendation on this one.

Chris Mautner

Mark Twain's Autobiography

Is there something wrong with me? Is my sense of humor on the fritz? Am I becoming too jaded? What could possibly be the reason for my completely “meh” reaction to Michael Kupperman’s latest book, Mark Twain’s Autobiography 1910-2010. I mean, I really like Kupperman’s work. I think he’s one of the funniest cartoonists going today. But Twain felt somewhat undercooked to me.

Don’t get me wrong, it’s still funny, just fitfully so. I didn’t greet the book with the sort of over the top vocal laughter that I usually do when reading his comics. Perhaps I’ve grown blase. Perhaps I’ve just become accustomed to Kupperman’s style and tics and it’s harder for him to get me laughing. Perhaps he’s better with comics than straight prose. Perhaps I’m just not a fan of all the Mark Twain jokes (I’m kind of not).

Whatever the case, any fears I had that Kupperman’s magic had ceased to charm me were swept away with the latest issue (that’s no. 7) of his regular series, Tales Designed to Thrizzle. Kupperman is back to his usually hilarity here, at least as far as I’m concerned, with a side-splitting parody/mash-up of Inception and Quincy, and a lengthy list of funny names for shower heads (I’m especially fond of “Mrs. Dallospray”). I take it all back. There’s nothing wrong with me after all.

Ao Meng

Spera

I’m actually pretty bad about finding time to go down to my local shops, but my last haul from a few weeks ago was pretty big: I picked up a copy of Josh Tierney’s Spera Vol. 1, mostly to see some choice web cartoonists make their leap from humble RGB to glorious CMYK. I especially loved the contribution from UK-based Nobrow Press mainstay Luke Pearson, whose two-color-on-cream-paper short sat nicely in contrast with the colorful explorations found in the rest of the book. I’m a big fan of adventure comics, and the energy on display here is infectious.

Speaking of adventure comics, Ryan Cecil Smith’s SF Supplementary File minicomics (I’ve only got #1 through #2B) are a whole lot of fun, and are a huge bang for your buck. #1′s contained origin story is a great continuation of that groove Smith’s been riding since the CCC#9 anthology. I really fell in love with the extended three-part #2— a”cover” of a 1979 space opera manga— one of a new trend of risograph comics that, to the best of my limited knowledge, have been sparked off by those noisemakers in the Ryan Sands camp. I also picked up Jonny Negron and Jesse Balmer’s Chameleon #2, which I believe contains the North American debut of Uno Moralez, whose pixel-art nightmares have been the best-kept secret of cartoonist livejournal rings for a couple of years now. Chameleon‘s two editors’s contributions are as on point as always.

Anyways, back to Mr. Smith’s minis— they are absolutely beautiful. They’re not nostalgic as much as interested in the techniques used by previous generations of cartoonists, and how much emotional heavy lifting they were capable of. To use terms from hip-hop, the other great American art form, It’s not quite a sample as much as an interpolation, where a producer or artist will re-record, re-sing and/or re-instrumentalize a melody, usually (but not always) because of sample clearance issues. Another very good interpolation by Kevin Huizenga is in the new Kramers Ergot, his being one of an obscure 1956 Charlton sci-fi short with an unknown writer. Who knows if this “interpolation comics” thing will eventually become another alt-comics trend, but this new type of dialog with comic’s labyrinthine history is incredibly interesting, and tickles a particular bone that classical reprints don’t quite scratch.

Let’s see, I also read The Silence of our Friends, a very readable and a great all-around First Second issue. Nate Powell’s art totally caries the book from it’s Oscar-awards-season material and towards something of real craft. I picked up the new King Kat #72, which is as good as always, but significantly more melancholic than the last issue. As one of the titans of the auto-bio genre, Porcellino’s commitment to the rawness and expression of his work is humbling to see. He’s a true living legend, that one.

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.

The Comic Book Fan’s Worst NIGHTMARE!

Jeffrey Brown, Ming Doyle, Michael Kupperman and several other creators have contributed to The Comic Book Fan’s Worst NIGHTMARE!, a mini-comic that highlights the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund‘s current casework. In particular, the comic highlights the case of “Brandon X,” who is facing a minimum sentence of one year in prison for possessing horror and fantasy manga on his laptop computer. His case is expected to go to trial in 2012, and legal expenses are estimated to run around $150,000.

You can read the whole comic on the CBLDF site or download it via comiXology.

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

20th Century Boys, Volume 18

Chris Arrant

If I only had $15, I would only be buying one title this week: 20th Century Boys, Vol. 18 (Viz, $12.99). Sorry Americanos, but Naoki Urasawa is delivering a gripping, sprawling drama that most other books can’t live up to. Wait, I’m wrong – I’d buy two comics with a $15 budget this week; I’d snag the $1 The Strain #1 (Dark Horse, $1) for the price point and Mike Huddleston. I’ve read the novels, but for $1 I can’t miss sampling at least the first issue.

If I had $30, I’d be thankful to double-back and first get Uncanny X-Force #18 (Marvel, $3.99). This issue, the finale of the “Dark Angel Saga,” has been a long time coming and I’m excited for the writing, the art and the story itself; and I can’t forget colorist Dean White, sheesh he’s good. After that I’d pick up my usual Walking Dead #92 (Image, $2.99) and then try Ed McGuinness’ new work in Avengers: X-Sanction #1 (Marvel, $3.99). I’m a big fan of McG’s work, but also realize just how different he is than the standard Marvel (or mainstream super-hero) artist in general. I’ve loved his storytelling sense since Mr. Majestic, and will pick up most any of his work without knowing much about the book itself. Next up would be James Robinson & Cully Hamner’s The Shade #3 (DC, $2.99). I’m surprised DC hasn’t done more marketing for this book, especially considering it’s a character who’s never held a series before; they’ve done little-to-any marketing to define just who the character is, relying on his ties to a lesser-selling series that ended ten years ago (no matter how good it was). Getting off my soapbox: those that have been reading The Shade know it’s good. After that I’d round it off with the best looking comic on shelves, Batwoman #4 (DC, $2.99).

If I was to splurge, I’d double-up my J.H Williams 3 fix with the final volume of Absolute Promethea (DC/ABC, $99.99). Although I already own these issues in singles, getting it over-sized and in hardcover is a treat. I’m hoping it also includes some production art or process sketches – I’m a nut for that.

Jim Henson's The Storyteller

Graeme McMillan

If I just had $15 for comics this week, it’d be gone in one fell swoop, with Fables, Vol. 16: Super Team (DC/Vertigo, $14.99) filling that empty void in my heart I’ve had for the last few months as I’ve awaited the latest collection of Bill Willingham’s long-running series.

If I had $30, however, I’d be picking up The Shade #3, Batwoman #4 and Demon Knights #4 (All DC, $2.99) to continue some of my favorite reads from the New 52 set-up, and sampling the much-hyped Avengers: X-Sanction #1 (Marvel, $3.99) to see if the future of Marvel Comics looks significantly different from its recent past (I suspect that it won’t. Spoilers, as River Song would chide).

In the world of splurging, it really has to be Archaia’s Jim Henson’s The Storyteller hardcover for me ($19.95); with a creative line-up including Jeff Parker, Colleen Coover, Paul Tobin, Ton Fowler and more, this is pretty much an all-star must-read for me, and one I’ve been looking forward to for quite some time.

A Tale of Sand

Brigid Alverson

If I had $15, I’d stick to singles. Let’s start with Doctor Who #12 ($3.99), from IDW; it’s a Christmas story by Tony Lee. Sold! Next, issue #2 of P.C. Cast’s House of Night ($2.99), from Dark Horse. Yes, it’s vampires — oh, excuse me, “vampyres” — but Joelle Jones’s art kicks it up a notch, bringing in a sense of energy that pushes the story beyond the usual teen-vampire melodrama. Then just for fun I’ll take Atomic Robo and the Ghost of Station X #4 ($3.50) and Roger Langridge’s Snarked #3 ($3.99). Now that’s a nice stack of comics.

If I had $30, though…the floppies would have to wait, because I’ll be buying A Tale of Sand from Archaia ($29.95). Based on an unproduced film script by Jim Henson, illustrated by Ramon Perez, this book has a lot going for it — the art alone looks fantastic — and I can’t wait to see it.

Splurge: I think I would find it hard to resist the first volume of the Hermes Press collection of My Favorite Martian ($49.99). I loved the show as a kid (although come to think of it, I don’t remember the comics), and I’m hearing good things about Hermes’s production values. And there has to be room in my splurge for vol. 18 of Naoki Urasawa’s 20th Century Boys, still one of the best manga being published in English.

The Sigh

Chris Mautner

If I had $15: In what must be one of the most notable “gets” in a long while, Archaia picked up the rights to Marjane Satrapi’s latest graphic novel, The Sigh, a seeming Persian-styled fairy tale about love and longing. I really don’t know much about this book other than it’s out, but I’m extremely curious to see what the author of Persepolis is up to now.

If I had $30: I still haven’t gotten the first volume, but new Tezuka is always cause for celebration, so let’s herald the arrival of the second volume of Princess Knight. This brick-sized book collects the remainder of the maestro’s gender-swapping tale of a girl who must pretend to be a boy in order to inherit the throne. I’d also pick up the latest issue of Tales Designed to Thrizzle, because, hey, Michael Kupperman.

Splurge: 500 Portraits is a collection of drawings by the mighty Tony Millionaire of various people, some famous, some not so famous. I’m sure it all will be exquisitely rendered. If I was indeed splurging, this is what I’d go for.

Demon Knights #4

Michael May

If I had $15, I’d grab the latest issues to some series I’ve been enjoying. Frankenstein, Agent of SHADE #4 ($2.99) is my easiest pick. I love that series and I’m even more eager to continue reading it having heard about what Jeff Lemire has planned for the future.  Avengers 1959 #4 ($2.99) puts us into the home stretch on that exciting series and like Chris A and Graeme, I’m very much enjoying The Shade, so #3 ($2.99) is another must-get. Demon Knights #4 ($2.99) also goes on the pile, because I’m growing fond of the characters. It also has a fun, high-concept battle going on; I just wish the story moved faster than it is. Since I’ve got $3 left in my pocket, I’ll give Batwoman #4 ($2.99) a shot to see why everyone loves it.

If I had $30, I’d add Moonstone’s Airboy Presents: Air Vixens #1 ($3.50), because I like Valkyrie (no, not that one; the other one) and Black Angel. The rest of my money would go to Marjane Satrapi’s The Sigh ($10.95), because she’s only ever surprised and delighted me.

There are a ton of items I’d love to splurge on, but I managed to narrow the list to three. I’m reading a lot of old Wonder Woman comics lately, so Showcase Presents Wonder Woman, Volume 4 ($19.99) is a welcome release. But I’d gladly wait on that to get either one of Archaia’s Jim Henson books coming out this week: Jim Henson’s The Storyteller ($19.95) or A Tale of Sand ($29.95). Both sound fantastic, but if forced to choose, I’d grab Storyteller first for its impressive line-up of its own storytellers. In addition to the ones Graeme mentioned above, I’m especially looking forward to stories by Roger Langridge, Marjorie Liu, Ron Marz, Francesco Francavilla, Chris Eliopoulos, Colleen Coover, and Janet Lee.

Mark Twain's Autobiography 1910-2010

Humorist Michael Kupperman is the kind of storyteller that prompts a (long thought dead) legendary writer to reveal he’s undead. Such is the offered backstory on Kupperman’s new book, Mark Twain’s Autobiography 1910-2010, described by Fantagraphics as follows: “From WWI to the Great Depression, WWII to Woodstock, and through the present, Twain details his careers as an ad man, astronaut, hypnotist, Yeti hunter, porn star, drifter, grifter and more, rubbing shoulders and having never-before-told adventures with many major figures of the 20th Century.” After covering his new collection of writing and illustrations, Kupperman discusses the upcoming series of live performances (set to start tomorrow with his solo appearance, but future installments will often be in conjunction with Kate Beaton)—and how performing his work helps him gain a sense of his material. Once you’ve read the interview, be sure to peruse the publisher’s 32-page book preview and Kupperman’s reading of the Ant I Am Telling You portion of the 160-page book.

Tim O’Shea: Have you heard what Mark Twain thinks of what you did with the manuscript he gave you, or do you expect never to hear from him again?

Michael Kupperman: Actually I’ve been hearing from him a lot. I thought that one meeting would be it, but since then he keeps reappearing, asking for help dealing with today’s publishing industry. He’s written a new novel called Prairie Rumpus, which I feel is dated in its use of slang and locale. Meanwhile I’ve got a lot of interest in my novel The Fart Vampires, a lotta heat building up.

O’Shea: Back in 2009, you noted in this Onion/The A.V. Club interview: ” I grew up near Hartford, and they really pimp Twain out—they have for years—with one-man-shows and musicals. I remember even Buick commercials with Mark Twain.” Do you think your childhood exposure to Pimp Twain partially influenced this book?

Kupperman: Obviously it was all meat for the stew. Recently I realized that Twain is “owned” by a sleazy, greasy agency in Indianapolis, which has a roster of mostly buried underground talent. They were trying to pimp him out for a bit, they got a Twain absinthe made and also the Kennedy Center Twain Prize deal. They last made the news trying to intimidate the Carson City Chamber of Commerce out of publicizing Twain’s stay there. The pimping continues!

O’Shea: How did you first realize that the duo of Twain and Einstein made such great comedic fodder together?

Kupperman: It coincided with realizing that they could be drawn very similarly, and still make visual sense. It would have been sometime in the early 90s. In fact, I have the first comic here: it was when I was improvising comics on the page, and they weren’t even properly rectangularly-shaped. (enclosed!)

O’Shea: In developing this book, did you tackle the text first and pursue the illustrations after that, or did you develop the book’s two aspects in parallel?

Kupperman: The writing came first. It always comes first these days. Because time is always an issue.

O’Shea: Several years back Tom Spurgeon interviewed you–and at one point you confided: “I tend to be very self-critical, so there are things always that I wish I’d done better.” In the years since, have you become less self-critical?

Kupperman: No, but I’ve learned to force perspective on myself, so at least I work smoothly and don’t cost myself time with self-doubt and pointless flailing. And I try not to be too hard on myself afterwards.

O’Shea: Of all the great moments in history that Twain ended up in as retold in your book, do you have a favorite?

Kupperman: I do love the ants chapter, because it switches idiom so relentlessly. But maybe it’s too much for some people. The joke that always makes me laugh, though, still, is the “Fairytaleland/Fartland” bit in the Hollywood chapter.

O’Shea: Does it flatter you or put pressure on you when Conan O’Brien described you as one of the best comedy brains on the planet?

Kupperman: Both! I just wish more people had seen him saying it. It was in Entertainment Weekly, which a few hundred people read, and they used a picture of Snake’N'Bacon’s Cartoon Cabaret. That was unfortunate, because Harper Collins is about the sleaziest, most dishonest publisher there is. For that six-month period- which also included the TV pilot- they said they sold 46 copies. So I just can’t win.

O’Shea: For scale, in the the six-month period in which the one publisher claimed that you sold 46 copies, did you happen to notice how your books from other publishers performs (ballpark numbers if you are OK with that, not exact–and I understand if you do not care to answer). Is that part of what made you question the count on books sold?

Kupperman: My sales through Fantagraphics have been much higher. Part of what’s strange with Harper Collins is that, out of the initial print run, they claimed most had been destroyed, and they sold me the remaining original copies, a few hundred. Then they sold the book in a kind of print-on-demand arrangement… But lately my impression has been that when people do successfully buy a copy, it’s an actual printed book again. which would mean it’s been reprinted… It’s all pretty murky.

O’Shea: In this Jeet Heer review of the book, he wrote: “Here the art is more consistent and resembles, to my mind, W.W. Denslow’s charmingly blocky drawings in the original Wizard of Oz book.” Was your approach on this project artistically to emulate the work of Denslow or did that thought never cross your mind?

Kupperman: Well no, I never thought specifically of Denslow; I’m a huge Oz fan, but most of the books were illustrated by John R. Neill, who I also enjoy. I did want to illustrate the book in a different way, but part of that was not emulating anyone anymore, using reference as little as usual, just doing it, bringing it out of the imagination whenever possible. I was thinking of the illustrated humor books of the 30s, and so simple the art could be but so effective. I wanted the art to be simpler than my previous work.

O’Shea: At your website, upon Peter Falk’s passing, you did a piece in tribute to him, where you wrote:”Peter Falk, beloved by cartoonists, comedians, and everyone else.” What was it about Falk that clicked with storytellers like yourself?

Kupperman: Well, he was possibly the most iconic TV detective of all time, a great actor, and a great character. Also Falk was an artist himself, even later in his career he’d take life drawing classes at the Art Students League.

O’Shea: You just recently announced that you and Kate Beaton are emarking on a series of comedy shows (at Luca Lounge) featuring comics and readings on the fourth Tuesday of every month starting September 27 (when you will be doing the show solo). What is the appeal to live performance comedy (versus your printed work)? Also, how did it come to be that you and Beaton teamed up on this series?

Kupperman: I’ve been doing slideshows for years, Bob Sikoryak got me started. I’ve gotten better and sharper at it, and I find it helps my sense of my material. Kate has a similar style in performing, where she’s going for the laughs in a very brisk and efficient way. We decided to go ahead and do a show together. It’s fairly terrifying but I’m also quite excited…

Wonder Woman

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.

Graeme McMillan

If I had $15 this week, I’d continue to support the DC relaunch by picking up Wonder Woman #1, Legion of Super-Heroes #1 and Green Lantern Corps #1 (All DC, $2.99). I’d also grab the first issue of IDW’s new ongoing Star Trek book ($3.99), which adapts episodes of the original TV show into the new movie continuity, because I’m nerdy like that.

If I had $30, I’d add another couple of DC books to my pile (Batman and Birds of Prey, both $2.99), as well as Jay Faerber’s new crime book, Near Death #1 (Image, $2.99) and the first issue of Dynamite’s adaptation of George RR Martin’s Game of Thrones ($3.99) – I have to admit that, not only have I never read any of the original books, I’ve also not seen any episodes of the HBO series, either, so I’m coming to this entirely fresh. We’ll see if it makes any impact on me.

For splurge purposes this week, I’m torn between two collected editions of things I’ve already read: DC has the collection of Brian Wood’s New York Five ($14.99) coming out, and Marvel has the collected edition of Mark Waid’s recent Ruse revival (Also $14.99). Both are well worth reading, and if I’m really splurging, surely I should be able to pick up both, right…?

Chris Mautner

Monster Christmas

If I had $15:

I’m rather excited to see the arrival of Monster Christmas ($9.99) from Papercutz, a Lewis Trondheim book I had heard nothing about or knew was even coming out. I’m pretty much a Trondheim completest, so I’ll likely pick this up, even if it is a little early to be thinking about Christmas.

If I had $30:

I’m torn between two books from Fantagraphics. On the one hand there’s The Armed Garden by David B. ($19.99) which collects all the short stories that previously ran in early issues of the Mome anthology. I have all of those issues, however, so I’ll likely instead go with The Man Who Grew His Beard ($19.99) a collection of short stories by Olivier Schrauwen, most of which also appeared in Mome. Schrauwen’s work has appeared in English before, but in some ways this is his big American debut. His stuff is really sharp and witty and daring and deserves to be seen by a wider audience.

Splurge:

I’d probably pick up some of the other Fantagraphics books out this week, including the Mark Twain Autobiography by Michael Kupperman (note: it’s not really Mark Twain’s autobiography), Prison Pit Vol. 3 and the coffee-table-sized Art of Joe Kubert.

Michael May

If I only had $15, I’d spend it all on DC. There’s a lot of stuff for fans of DC’s female characters this week. I’m most excited to see Brian Azzarello and Cliff Chiang’s work on Wonder Woman #1 ($2.99), but thanks largely to Kelly Sue DeConnick’s leaving me with a good feeling about her after the last three months, I’m also eager to see the new Supergirl in Supergirl #1 ($2.99). And I’m a Black Canary fan, so I’m also looking forward to seeing how she fares in Birds of Prey #1 ($2.99). I feel like I can’t adequately sample the new DCU without reading some Batman and everyone tells me that Scott Snyder is the writer to read, so I’d also give Batman #1 ($2.99) a try. And though what I really want is to read Planet of the Apes #6, it’s a dollar out of my price range, so I’d try Legion of Super Heroes #1 ($2.99) instead. I’m not terribly excited to see that concept rebooted again, but I do like some of the characters.

If I had $30, I’d quickly add Planet of the Apes #6 ($3.99) because “wow, that series.” And I’d pick up Dark Horse Presents #4 ($7.99), leaving me enough money for a snack or something.

There are three things I’d like to splurge on this week. Hellboy, Volume 11 ($19.99) comes out, encouraging me to catch up on that series. I’m also very interested in returning to Mark Waid and Butch Guice’s Ruse with the collection of the Marvel reboot ($14.99) and finally, the collected Godzilla: Kingdom of Monsters ($17.99). Godzilla wins because it’s something I’ll read with my son (though he is developing an appreciation for Sherlock Holmes) and I’ll get twice the entertainment that way. Also: Phil Hester.

Chris Arrant

If I (only) had $15 for this week’s comics, it would be a massacre given the number of titles I’m interested in. Making the tough call, I’d put my money first behind Wonder Woman #1 (DC, $2.99); it’s easily in my top five most anticipated titles out of the New 52, and the release this week makes it the de facto winner of the week for me – sight unseen. Editors at DC are still just beginning to catch on to how good Cliff Chiang is, and I’m glad he’s finally gotten a plum assignment close to his full potential. Next up would be Dark Horse Presents #4 (Dark Horse, $7.99) with the Geof Darrow cover if you’re curious. My passion for anthology titles is one of the few passions I wear on my sleeve, and DH seems to be aiming for my sweet spot with new stories like Carla Speed McNeil’s Finder and a new Beasts of Burden by Evan Dorkin and Jill Thompson. Plus I’m interested to read the rare Geof Darrow interview – I’ve been trying to talk to him for years! Last up would be Avengers: Children’s Crusade #7 (Marvel, $3.99); Allen Heinberg and Jim Cheung haven’t disappointed me so far, and they’re creatively mixed the needs of this (prolonged) event book with continuing the Young Avengers narrative from their original series.

If I had $30 it’d be a little bit easier on me, as I’d be able to get the Brian Wood two-pack – DMZ #69 (DC/Vertigo, $2.99) and Northlanders #44 (DC/Vertigo, $2.99). After that, I’d check out Batman #1 (DC, $2.99), as I’m a big fan of Greg Capullo going back to Quasar and Scott Snyder has been great so far with his previous Bat comics. Last up would be the penultimate issue of X-Men: Schism, #4 (Marvel, $3.99). Although it’s more talking heads than I would have hoped, there’s some big wheels turning here and I’m interested to see how they get to X-Men: Regenesis.

If I could splurge, I’d dust off some 80s-era currency and finally buy New Teen Titans: Games (DC, $24.99). I’ve tried to styme my increased expectations of this, but to see this project finally come out is definitely getting the better of me.

And before I pass it off to the next person, I have to relent: there’s a lot of good titles out this week that because of the Food or Comics budget I wouldn’t be able to get. Chalk it up to “too much of a good thing” or “comics are too damn high”, but at these cut-offs I’d be missing out on Red Wing #3, Avengers #17, Captain America #, Daredevil #4, Invincible Iron Man #508, Spider-Island: Cloak & Dagger #2, Uncanny X-Men #543 and by most missed book, Detroit Metal City Vol. 10. *sigh*

Love & Rockets New Stories #4

Fantagraphics sent over their list of books debuting at the San Diego Comic-Con later this month, and boy is it packed tighter than my suitcase on vacation day. The publisher will have almost two dozen new books at the show, including the last Mome; new stuff from Michael Kupperman, the Hernandez Bros. and Johnny Ryan; tons of Eurocomics; a Lou Reed/Edgar Allan Poe joint; and more. Check them out:

Love & Rockets New Stories 4 by Los Bros Hernandez: Featuring new stories by Jaime and Gilbert, including new material featuring Maggie set in the present and during her teen years.

Mark Twain’s Autobiography by Michael Kupperman: Probably the one I’ve been looking forward to the most, Kupperman publishes Mark Twain’s “biography” since the day the author/humorist died through last year — including his affair with Marilyn Monroe and his time-traveling adventures with Einstein.

Prison Pit Vol. 3 by Johnny Ryan: More deranged, twisted ultraviolent fun from Ryan.

Mome 22, edited by Eric Reynolds: The double-sized last volume of Fantagraphics’ anthology, featuring comics by Kurt Wolfgang, Paul Hornschemeier, Gabrielle Bell, Tim Hensley, Anders Nilsen, Zak Sally, Tom Kaczynski, Andrice Arp, Eleanor Davis, Joe Kimball, Laura Park and many, many more.

The Raven by Lou Reed and Lorenzo Mattotti: Musician Lou Reed teams up with Stigmata creator Lorenzo Mattotti for “the definitive book version compiling the songs, verses and narratives that comprise POEtry/The Raven,” a musical and subsequent CD based on the works of Edgar Allan Poe.

The Art of Joe Kubert, edited by Bill Schelly: This is a coffee table book “that honors this legendary creator with beautifully reproduced artwork from every phase of his career as well as critical commentary by the book’s editor, comics historian and Kubert biographer Bill Schelly.”

Setting the Standard: Alex Toth

Setting the Standard: Alex Toth, edited by Greg Sadowski: Collecting the influential artist’s work from his time at Standard Comics.

Esperanza by Jaime Hernanadez: The fifth volume of “Locas” stories, collecting the remainder of the stories from Love and Rockets Volume II, picking up where 2010’s Penny Century collection left off.

Like A Sniper Lining Up His Shot by Jacques Tardi: Tardi “returns to the world of guns, crime, betrayal and bloodshed with this stunning, grisly, and remarkably faithful interpretation” of Jean-Patrick Manchette’s last completed crime thriller.

Murder By High Tide: Gil Jordan by M. Tillieux: A “never-before-translated classic from the Golden Age of Franco-Belgian comics,” this collects two stories featuring Detective Gil Jordan.

The Pin-Up Art of Humorama, edited by Alex Chun: A collection of single-panel pin-up cartoons and other material published under the Humorama banner in the 1950s in digest-sized magazines like Romp, Stare and Joker, by creators like Bill Ward, Jack Cole, Dan DeCarlo and more.

Drawing Power, edited by Rick Marschall and Warren Bernard: An oversized, full-color, 128-page book that looks at the history of cartoon advertising from the 1870s to the 1940s.

Sibyl-Anne vs. Ratticus by R. Macherot: A translation of Franco-Belgian all-ages comics, featuring mice fighting rats who want to take over their land. This is the first time it’s been translated into English.

Willie & Joe: Back Home hardcover and Willie & Joe: The WWII Years softcover by Bill Maulden: Both collect World War II-era cartoons by “the most beloved enlisted man in the U.S. Army.”

The Armed Garden by David B.: A collection of stories of “history, magic and gods” by the creator of Epileptic.

Complete Peanuts 1981-1982 (Vol. 16) by Charles Schutz: A new volume of the popular and charming strip.

Even More Jewish Comedians by Drew Friedman: The third and final volume collecting Friedman’s caricatures of Jewish comedians.

The Hidden

The Hidden by Richard Sala: A post-apocalyptic story of a group of survivors who end up at an abandoned trading post, where they try to figure out if the world has really ended.

The Man Who Grew His Beard by Olivier Schrauwen: The first American collection of stories by the popular Belgian cartoonist, whose work has appeared in Mome.

Nuts by Gahan Wilson: A collection of one-page stories that ran in National Lampoon in the 1970s, these focus on a normal kid dealing with life rather than the vampires and other ghoulies you might expect from Wilson.

Fantagraphics also provide a list of creators who would be at the show:

Wilfred Santigo
Anders Neilson
Rob Goodin
Joyce Farmer
Johnny Ryan
Los Bros Hernandez (Jaime, Beto, and Mario)
Easter Pearl Watson
Mark Kalesniko
Bill Schelly
Paul Hornschemeier
Tim Hensley
John Pham

Mark Twain's Autobiography 1910-2010

Fantagraphics has revealed the cover for Michael Kupperman’s new book Mark Twain’s Autobiography 1910-2010, which is due out in September.

Playing off of the often-misquoted Twain quote about exaggerated reports of his death, Kupperman tells us what Twain has been up to since the author and humorist “supposedly” passed away. It involves the Yeti, the Six Million Dollar Man and the “skin trade,” if this post from Kupperman is any indication. It sounds like a lot of fun.

Borders Rewards

Retailing | Borders Group says it’s determined that fewer than 150 customer names and emails were “obtained” by outsiders when a website published a searchable database of information associated with the retailer’s Borders Rewards loyalty program. The site, apparently set up by the marketing firm that helped the bookseller design and implement the program, was shut down over the weekend after Borders learned of its existence. A spokeswoman said the company is continuing its investigation. Borders Rewards has more than 41 million members. [AnnArbor.com]

Retailing | Amazon’s first-quarter profits tumbled 33 percent, even as revenue rose 38 percent, due largely to the costs of expanding its warehouse and data centers. [The New York Times]

Conventions | For the first time, organizers of the American Library Association’s Annual Conference & Exhibition will make space available for an artists alley — for free. This year’s conference, which will draw about 19,000 librarians, is held June 23-28 in New Orleans. [American Library Association, via The Beat]

Archie Comics in Spanish

Publishing | Archie Comics announced it will offer some of its titles for digital download in Spanish. Up next: French and Hindi. “In India, they all have mobile devices,” said Co-Chief Executive said Jon Goldwater. “It’s going to be crazy.” [The Associated Press, The New York Times]

Publishing | Matt Parkinson, Dark Horse’s online marketing manager, discusses the development of the publisher’s digital app. [Publishers Weekly]

Publishing | David Brothers spotlights First Second Books’ webcomics imprint To Be Continued … [Publishers Weekly]

Organizations | The family of the late Charles M. Schulz will match any donations, dollar for dollar up to $30,000, made to the Cartoon Art Museum in San Francisco through Sept. 15. [San Francisco Examiner]

Retailing | Terry Gant, owner of Third Coast Comics in Chicago, is profiled by Loyola University’s student newspaper. [The Loyola Phoenix]

Retailing | Columnist Daniel Patrick Sheehan pays a visit to The Portal Comics and Gaming in Bethlehem, Pa. [The Morning Call]

Comics | Forge: The worst X-Man ever? [The Cool Kids Table]

What kind of sociopathic monster would not want to pay the man who made this?

“Considering a career in illustration? The money now is LESS than in 1980s, + you spend half your time chasing it cuz NOONE WANTS TO PAY YOU.”

– The great cartoonist and illustrator Michael Kupperman, whose Tales Designed to Thrizzle is legitimately one of the funniest comics ever made, serves up some real talk on Twitter. Congress failing to extend unemployment benefits is still the most depressing thing I read about the economy this week, but Michael Kupperman — Michael Kupperman! — having a hard time getting paid to draw things is a close second.

Prison for Bitches art by Evan Hayden and Leslie Predy

“Bad Romance” yes! Bad comics no! Making its debut at last weekend’s Toronto Comic Arts Festival, Prison for Bitches is a no-holds-barred fanzine tribute to Lady Gaga. Taking its name from a segment in Gaga and Beyoncé’s instant-classic “Telephone” video and edited by Same Hat!’s Ryan Sands and newly minted Doug Wright Award winner Michael DeForge, the ‘zine contains artistic tributes to Lady Gaga from a host of underground art and comics stalwarts and up-and-comers, including Johnny Ryan, Michael Kupperman, Hellen Jo, Lisa Hanawalt, and Nick Gazin.

The book’s slated to go on sale online today; in the meantime, click the link for sample spreads, and click here for DeForge’s strip, which foresees another 86 years of world domination by the Haus of Gaga. (And click here for previous Robot 6/Gaga goodness.) Don’t be the last little monster on your block to get a copy!

Greendale

Happy day-after-Free Comic Book Day to everyone, and welcome to another edition of What are you reading? Our guest this week is Rick Marshall, editor of MTV’s Splash Page blog. To see what Rick and the rest of the Robot 6 crew have been reading this week, read on …

*****

Tim O’Shea

Starman Omnibus

There’s an underlying current of disappointment when I read most of James Robinson’s writing these days (the recent Blackest Night Starman 81, being a noticeable exception). My disappointment was reinforced even more when rereading the early days of Starman, thanks to Starman Ominbus Volume 1.”Talking with David, ’95″ is just an amazing example of how well Tony Harris and James Robinson worked together. Robinson put it perfectly when he wrote in this volume’s intro: “In my time working month after month with Tony Harris, our personalities were never quite on the same page, yet our differences combined to make something far more interesting that either of us, at that time, could have done on our own. (Do you think I would have had one pirate reference, if Tony hadn’t been on board? His version of Grundy–thin, gentle Grundy–led to me revising/explaining Grundy’s various incarnations/personalities to the point that that’s become a part of DC lore. Grundy would have been a one-appearance villain if Tony hadn’t ‘gotten all creative on me’–but again to the betterment of the opus as a whole.)” Harris has gone on to other strong storytelling successes (for example, Ex Machina by Brian K. Vaughan and Harris), but if he can spare the time, Robinson might benefit by collaborating with Harris again.

Kudos to DC for running Mike Carlin’s editorial this month about the late Dick Giordano under his classic Meanwhile… banner. Read the piece, it’s a good one.

I don’t know if Roger Stern and Lee Weeks would be willing to become one of the regular Spidey writers in the rotating lineup the book sports, but it would be a delight if they were. I know there’s a retro vibe to their work, in a sense (Weeks even does the half Spidey face bit [when Pete's in civilian mode], a bit I always liked), but for my money Stern and Weeks are as contemporary as any of the other comics creators on the Spider-Man books. I was pleasantly surprised to learn that over the coming issues (starting in Spider-Man 634) Stan Lee will be doing a two-page multi-issue tale with artist Marcos Martin. Interesting choices that Spider-Man editors are making these days, choices that make an old fanboy like me happy.

I continue to enjoy Mark Waid’s Incorruptible series at BOOM!, but as much as I appreciate the company’s effort to deliver on time every month, this issue suffered due to the absence of regular series artist Jean Diaz. Guest artist Horacio Domingues, at one point, is called upon to do a pivotal scene reaction shot with Max, and Domingues gives us a virtual Shaggy/Scooby Doo Yoinks! campy facial expression (a scene that Diaz would have handled quite, quite differently and less cartoonishly). In other BOOM comics, Incredibles 8 shines the spotlight on Elastigirl and brings back a character that has not been seen (unless I’m mistaken) since the actual film. I appreciate an all ages book like Incredibles that tries to expand the continuity as this series has to date.

Sean T. Collins

The Arrival

I’m back, back in the reviewing groove! Over the past couple weeks I’ve finally started reading and reviewing comics en masse on my personal blog after a month or two “prose break.” (Seriously, everyone, go read George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire novels.) Here’s the first half-dozen comics I took a crack at:

The Arrival by Shaun Tan: Can we please mail a copy of this awe-some look at the immigrant experience to every single resident of Arizona?

Young Lions by Blaise Larmee: A Xeric-winning slice-of-lifer that’s a thing of beauty for the Tumblr generation.

Skim by Mariko and Jillian Tamaki: Subtle and gutsy teen angst for the young-adult market.

Keeping Two by Jordan Crane: A lush and painful look at loss from one of comics’ best draftsmen, now available as a webcomic.

Death Trap by Lane Milburn: Another Xeric winner–a mutant Texas Chain Saw homage, with some really powerful cartooning.

Tales Designed to Thrizzle #6 by Michael Kupperman: After five unimpeachably funny issues, a let-down!

JK Parkin

I picked up several free comics yesterday, but due to company coming into town I’ve only gotten to read one, Marvel’s Iron Man/Thor team-up to save the world from … the moon? Written by Matt Fraction and drawn by the incomparable duo of John Romita Jr. and Klaus Janson, the two Avengers team up to save the world from a series of natural disasters being caused by a group of “multibillionaires” using old Stark technology to terraform the moon into a place they can build expensive condos and eat caviar while the rest of the world dies off. I was pleased to see JR Jr.’s take on Thor and Iron Man again, and there were some nice disaster pages (some caused by the moon, some caused by Thor).

Also, Iron Man? Kind of a smug jerk in this story. “Hey Tony, one of your inventions is causing tidal waves and what have you across the globe.” “Oh, that old thing?”

Up next: more free comics, including the first issue of The Sixth Gun, the other Iron Man comic, War of the Supermen, Love & Capes #13 and something I’m forgetting …

Rick Marshall

The Losers

With Splash Page’s focus on the area in which comics overlap with other media, my reading habits have shifted a bit toward titles that have been optioned for big- or small-screen adaptation or have some connection to the mainstream media world by virtue of subject matter, author, or any number of other factors.

That being the case, I often find myself mentally assigning what I read into one of three categories: work-related reading, personal reading with work-related potential, and purely personal reading.

What can I say? I’m a sucker for multitasking, and compartmentalizing all of it helps me keep all of the competing narratives separate in my head.

Here’s what I’m currently reading:

Work-Related: I recently finished Greendale, Joshua Dysart and Cliff Chiang’s Vertigo graphic novel based on the Neil Young album. I’m a big fan of all three of the creative minds involved in this one, and though it fell a little short in the end, it was a really fun read. It reminded me a lot of a smaller, simpler version of Stephen King’s The Stand, and I was surprised by how much I enjoyed it. It hits shelves in June.

I’ve also been catching up on The Losers and 100 Bullets, two series I was into early on but lost track of somewhere along their run. I sort of rediscovered the former series due to the movie hitting theaters this month, and the latter because it’s only a matter of time before it gets picked up somewhere. Brian Azzarello hinted to me in an interview last year that an option was likely at some point soon, so now’s as good a time as any to get caught up, right?

Personal/Work: Anyone who knows me is probably aware of my unhealthy obsession with all things Doctor Who. I’ve been devouring IDW’s Doctor Who comics as they hit shelves, especially during the drought between the last season and the current one. Tony Lee is doing an amazing job with the series, and it’s great to see what happens when you have someone writing a series like this who’s both a big fan and a supremely talented writer.

I’ve also been re-reading some of my favorite webcomics that were collected in print over the last year. In particular, Jon Rosenberg’s Goats collections feel like new material with all of the polish they received during the transition to paper. The publisher of the series, Del Rey, did a bang-up job freshening everything up and making the strips really jump off the page. Similarly, some of DC’s print collections of Zuda Comics have really impressed the heck out of me — especially High Moon and Bayou. To be honest, Zuda had never really been on my radar until I started reading some of the print collections of the series published there, but I’m glad that’s changed.

Finally, I just finished reading through all four books in Top Shelf’s “Swedish Invasion” line. All four are great reads, but Hey Princess and 120 Days of Simon were really good. The former felt like a Swedish version of a Jeffrey Brown or James Kochalka bio-comic, while the latter was an experience all its own. The author, Simon Gardenfors, is a popular Swedish rapper who travels around the country at the whim of fans who signed up on his website to feed him and let him crash with them. It’s a wild, wild story.

Personal: I usually read a novel as a counterpoint to all of the comics — a constant narrative that I can keep coming back to between issues and such. I’m currently about halfway through Robert Jordan’s Wheel of Time series, but I’ve been reading a novel between each Wheel of Time chapter so I don’t overload on the sword-and-sorcery stuff. This time around, it’s Isaac Asimov’s Foundation trilogy (I have them all collected in a single novel), a sci-fi classic I’d been meaning to read for ages but finally got around to recently. My copy of the book is a fairly old and was sitting on my bookshelf for years before I finally took the plunge. It’s a great reminder of why Asimov is such a big player in the sci-fi world, and given how much of today’s sci-fi is all shiny metal killer robots, it’s also a reminder of what can happen when science was just as important as the fiction. It’s a true classic, and I can’t recommend it enough.

So, there you have it! That’s what I’m reading these days — or trying to, at least.

Sean's MoCCA 2010 loot

I came to shop.

Seriously, I was just about as excited for this past weekend’s MoCCA festival as I’ve ever been for any comic convention. And it wasn’t because of the guests or the panels or even getting to see so many of my friends and colleagues — it was because of the comics. The best thing about a small-press show is your ability to dig into the tables and come away with enough treasures to keep you reading happily for weeks. Proceeding from the top left of the picture above in as logical a fashion as I can manage, here’s a rundown of my personal treasure trove…

Cage Variations Vol. 1 by Sean T. Collins & Matt Rota and The Side Effects of the Cocaine by Sean T. Collins & Isaac Moylan: I apologize if it seems crass to include comics I myself wrote and helped sell at the show, but I assure you, these books were as new to me as they were to anyone else who bought them. As a mere writer (though I prefer the phrase “pure writer,” of course), my involvement in the production of actual books to contain the comics I’ve done is beyond minimal. I just bankrolled the print run for The Side Effects of the Cocaine (a David Bowie bio-comic), while the very existence of the Cage Variations mini (containing interlocking stories about a college kid who imprisons one of his fellow students in a cage in his basement) was unknown to me until Matt told me about it two days before the show. Isaac and Matt did all the hard work, and the result was as much of a discovery for me as anything else I bought. Thanks, guys, and thanks to the Partyka table for giving me the table space to sell these!

Jumbly Junkery #9 by L. Nichols: The latest installment of Nichols’s one-woman anthology minicomic series, featuring maybe the most striking cover of the lot. I’ve got a backlog of Nichols material I’m psyched to make my way through in the coming weeks.

The Troll King by Kolbeinn Karlsson, Alec: The Years Have Pants by Eddie Campbell, and Second Thoughts by Niklas Asker: The results of my raid on the Top Shelf table. The Troll King was the weirdest-looking book in the publisher’s so-called “Swedish Invasion,” a creepy-cute fairy-tale-lookin’ thing, right up my alley. Second Thoughts was published before the “Swedish Invasion” proper and I had a review copy, but I wanted the real thing, largely on the strength of Asker’s gorgeous Farel Dalrymple-meets-Adrian Tomine art. Finally, Eddie Campbell’s art has always impressed the pants off of me (no pun intended), but at the same time the writing of his autobio work hit me as off-puttingly knowing and arch. I’m excited to plow through his entire autobio oeuvre in one go to see what I really think.

Mr. Cellar’s Attic by Noel Freibert, Closed Caption Comics #8 by Closed Caption Comics, and Held Sinister by Conor Stechschulte: The latest bounty from the Closed Caption Comics collective, a squad of MICA grads who seem to grow more ambitious and prolific with each show they attend. There are so many CCC’ers, and they make so many comics, that it’s almost impossible to keep up with them, but I always come away from their table with two or three new gems. Any issue of their flagship self-titled anthology is a good place to start.

Monstrosity Mini by Jorge Diaz: I met Jorge because he was sharing a table with L. Nichols and Jess Fink, and he was kind enough to hand me a copy of his new minicomic, a tiny package that looks like it was loaded with its tiny nine-panel-grids by some kind of machine. He’s got some real control over his line, that’s for sure. I’m looking forward to giving this a read.

Studio Visit by James McShane: I liked McShane’s ambitiously constructed minicomic Archaeology a lot, which I suppose is what persuaded him to hand me a copy of his new one. Flipping through it, it looks like it’s staking out some of the same territory as its predecessor, dealing with the interaction of physical space and emotion, but in a much less minimalist style. Intriguing!

Snow Time by Nora Krug: Krug was my big discovery at last year’s MoCCA, thanks to her killer suite of interwoven books collectively called Red Riding Hood Redux. I’ll now pick up whatever she’s doing, as if the lovely blues of Snow Time weren’t enticement enough.

pood #1, edited by Geoff Grogan, Kevin Mutch, and Alex Rader: I’ve admitted my skepticism about newsprint, but taking a look at this impressive, giant-sized anthology, it’s easy to put those doubts to rest. (Besides, as Geoff Grogan told me, the paper stock was a question of economic necessity, not nostalgia.) From its striking Sara Edward-Corbett front page on down, this is a compelling collection of comics off-the-beaten-path creators both (relatively) well-known and obscure. I ought to cut quite the figure flipping through this gigantic thing on the Long Island Rail Road!

Wiegle for Tarzan by Matt Wiegle and The Numbers of the Beasts by Shawn Cheng: My ersatz tablemates from the Partyka collective are among the most acclaimed practitioners of the art of the minicomic around, and it seems that at every show they have some new marvel of comic efficiency to boast of. This time out, we’ve got one maybe Wiegle’s funniest effort yet — about his run for the oft-neglected office of New York State’s official Tarzan — and a child-style counting book from Cheng once again showcasing his love of mythological monsters from around the world. These guys can draw, and the production quality of their little books is second to none, especially considering the low low prices.

Dose #1-2, edited by Brendan McGinley: My former Wizard coworker Brendan gifted me copies of the first two installments of the humor anthology he helms. For what it’s worth, I think there were fully a dozen former Wizard staffers on hand, two of us as exhibitors. There’s probably a message of some kind there.

To Teach by Bill Ayers and Ryan Alexander-Tanner: This comics adaptation of educator, activist, and former Weatherman Bill Ayers’ memoir was pressed into my hands by NYC altcomix gadabout Jeff Newelt/Jah Furry, who’s apparently more down with pallin’ around with terr’ists than Sarah Palin was. I still think not getting Ayers on a panel with Frank Miller was a major dropped ball for the show.

Chiggers by Hope Larson: I used the occasion of getting a David Bowie sketch from Hope as an excuse to buy her young-adult summer-camp graphic novel. I’d never read it before but, after checking out her new book Mercury, I really wanted to.

Artichoke Tales by Megan Kelso, Weathercraft by Jim Woodring, and Tales Designed to Thrizzle #6 by Michael Kupperman: These are three of the jaw-dropping 13 books Fantagraphics debuted at the show. Kelso’s Artichoke Tales has been almost a decade in the coming, Weathercraft is creepy-looking new tale from Woodring’s darkly psychedelic funny-animal Frank-verse, and Thrizzle is the latest installment in Kupperman’s killer humor series, now in full color. I already had copies of Tim Hensley’s Wally Gropius and Jacques Tardi’s It Was the War of the Trenches and Jaime Hernandez’s Penny Century and Gilbert Hernandez’s The High Soft Lisp or I doubtless would have picked those up, too. You could safely shop only from Fantagraphics and still experience a hella great comics industry in microcosm.

Trigger #1 by Mike Bertino and Shitbeams on the Loose #2, edited by Rusty Jordan and Dave Nuss: Look at those covers! I’d heard of and been intrigued by the Shitbeams anthology thanks to a Tom Spugeon review, but a Ron Rege Jr. cover is always gonna get me to pick something up sight-unseen; he’s one of the most fascinating, and graphically lovely, cartoonists in alternative comics. UPDATE: Ugh. After writing all that about how much I love Ron’s work, editor Dave Nuss informs me that isn’t Ron’s work, it’s Andy Rementer’s. Don’t I feel like a horse’s ass. Anyway, Trigger was sitting next to it on what I assume was the Revival House Press table, and got bought through a case of reverse-guilt by association. The contents aren’t as Providence-y as the cover might suggest, but Bertino’s style comes across like a greatest-hits tour of the past half-decade or so of altcomix, and I think it’ll be fun to discover if it reads as well as it looks. And the thrill of discovery is what a show like MoCCA is all about.

Strange Tales cover by Peter Bagge & Chip Kidd

A sequel to Marvel’s surprise-hit alternative-superhero anthology Strange Tales has long been rumored, and now a post at cartoonist Paul Hornschemeier’s blog reveals the truth: Strange Tales 2 is on its way. No official word on when it’ll arrive, or on who else will be joining the anthology this time out, but based on what The Perry Bible Fellowship‘s Nick Gurewitch has said about a Galactus strip he’s working on, and this table of contents from Jeffrey Brown’s Process minicomic boasting the inclusion of Strange Tales sketches, they seem to be likely candidates. Meanwhile, I’ve heard tell that Becky Cloonan and Michael Kupperman will be making their triumphant returns to the project. Stay tuned!

Best Show on WFMU art by Michael Kupperman

Free-form radio is an awesome but endagered art form, but this week it’s getting a shot in the arm from one of the media’s few other real Wild Wests: comics. Creators Matt Fraction, Evan Dorkin, Michael Kupperman, Danny Hellman and Brian Musikoff are pitching in to raise money for New Jersey-based WFMU via an exclusive donor prize pack available through The Best Show on WFMU.

There’s really no way to adequately explain The Best Show, which airs at 8 p.m. Tuesdays on listener-supported WFMU and online. Its host, Monk and Tom Goes to the Mayor writer Tom Scharpling, describes it as “three hours of mirth, music and mayhem.” It’s part traditional call-in show, albeit with a legendarily cranky host and weird group of regular callers. It’s part showcase for indie rock and alternative comedy, with luminaries like Patton Oswalt, John Hodgman, Ted Leo, Tim and Eric, Paul F. Tompkins and Aimee Mann making regular appearances. But at its core it’s comedy in and of itself, courtesy of Scharpling’s partner, Superchunk and Mountain Goats drummer Jon Wurster, and the bizarre characters he concocts as callers to the show. Ranging from the hoagie-eating, Eagles-worshipping Philadelphia native Philly Boy Roy to a vicious send-up of Gene Simmons to an ultraviolent senior citizen called the Gorch who claims to be the inspiration for Happy Days‘ Fonzie, The Best Show‘s rogues gallery and their long, largely improvised not-quite-prank calls need to be heard to be believed. It’s sort of like a three-hour inside joke, but once you’re on the inside, it’s so funny you never wanna get back out.

Fraction (who’s a regular guest on the show), Dorkin, Kupperman, et al are all a part of “The Best Show on WFMU 2010 Chump Steamroller Fun Pack,” a prize package available to donors who pledge $75 or more during tonight’s show. The Fun Pack includes a DVD starring Fraction, Patton Oswalt, Zach Galifianakis, Tim and Eric, John Hodgman, Todd Barry, Yo La Tengo, Aimee Mann, Ted Leo and more. It also includes a set of Best Show Trading Cards designed by Chris Moses and Joe Allen, featuring art by Kupperman, Dorkin, Hellman, Musikoff and more. After tonight’s show is over, they’re gone forever, so be sure to pledge at 800-989-9368 or online at wfmu.org. In the words of The Best Show, “Good guys win — bad guys lose!”

a rejected New Yorker comic by Michael Kupperman

Eustace Tilley’s loss is our gain! Michael Kupperman, writer/artist of Tales Designed to Thrizzle and Twitterer extraordinaire, has posted a slew of comics that didn’t quite make it into the pages of The New Yorker.

His submissions, which can be viewed on his Twitpic account, include a look at Microscopic Goings-On About Town, Pigeons in Film, Slightly Cursed Merchandise, Other Species’ Currency, and the eternal question seen here, How Much Do You Know About Your Mutual Fund Manager? And because he’s that kinda guy, Kupperman has even shared a pair of strips that actually wound up in the mag.

Kupperman’s trip down memory lane was prompted by a request from The New Yorker to pitch them some comics again. The problem there, he tweeted, was that “after years of working for them and other magazines like them, I am in the wrong income bracket to adopt their worldview/sense of humor.” Here’s hoping that at some point soon, the likes of Hendrik Hertzberg and David Denby will once again be guarded by McGritte the Surrealist Crime Dog.

His comics ain't so bad either

Brian Michael Bendis! At least according to Samuel Rules of Are You a Serious Comic Book Reader? In a post stuffed with evidentiary linkage, Sammy proclaims “No one used Twitter better in 2009 than Bendis,” citing the Siege writer’s honesty and humor, as well as the “little insights into his life” he provided. “I used to talk a lot of trash on him,” Sammy recalls — “Upon discovering his Twitter, however, I started to understand him as a person, and then kinda wanted to hang out with him.”

Which got me thinking: Who would I proclaim comics’ Twitter-er…Twit…uh, Tweeter of the year?

Would I stick with Bendis, for his informative Q&A alone?

What about Matt Fraction, for his performance-art masterpiece Hobo Darkseid?

Michael Kupperman, for a consistently hilarious feed that’s like reading Tales Designed to Thrizzle in pictureless 140-character snippets?

Paul Pope, for his philosophical musings?

Kate Beaton and Dustin Harbin, the dynamic duo of Tweeting webcartoonists?

Ryan “Agent M” Penagos, for having more followers than the rest of the comics industry combined?

But then I remembered the one man whose Twitter account impacted my life, or at least the blogging side of it, more than anyone else. For my money, no one tops the ever-interesting, refreshingly candid Tom Brevoort. Why, just the other day he took to his feed to breathe a sigh of relief about Captain America: Reborn finishing before The Flash: Rebirth as he predicted, size up his chances regarding Siege finishing before Blackest Night, criticize Rebirth artist Ethan Van Sciver for drawing convention commissions while his book is delayed, and defend Reborn artist Bryan Hitch from accusations of habitual lateness. Can you imagine if everyone in comics were that forthright? I can, and it looks like heaven from here. Tweetin’ Tom Brevoort, we salute you!

Tales Designed to Thrizzle, Vol. 1

Tales Designed to Thrizzle, Vol. 1
by Michael Kupperman
Fantagraphics Books, 160 pages, $24.99

The Red Monkey Double Happiness Book
by Joe Daly
Fantagraphics Books, 112 pages, $22.99.

It’s tough to be a humorist these days. Time was when simply pointing out the money-grubbing crassness of our culture in a clever way was enough to ensure laughs. Not no more. These days we’re well aware the stuff we like is junk. We’re far too hip to be told that the emperor wears no clothes. Surrounded by an increasing array of banal and inane pop cultural detritus, what can the modern satirist do but mock the utter absurdity of it all?

That’s the path taken by two cartoonists in the Fantagraphics stable — Michael Kupperman and Joe Daly, though they travel down that path in very different ways.

Michael Kupperman should, by this point need little introduction. His work has appeared on Saturday Night Live, the New Yorker and the Cartoon Network; he’s had his work featured in two separate Marvel comics recently, including the just-released Strange Tales; and his ongoing series Tales Designed to Thrizzle is one of the regular indie pamphlets that seems to draw a wide array of readers, regardless of affinity for the comics medium in general.

Looking at Tales Designed to Thrizzle Vol. 1, which collects the first four issues of the series in a handy hardcover format, it’s not too hard to see why. Kupperman uses the format and language of 20th century junk culture — advertisements, bad cop shows, old comic books, children’s books, etc. — but fills them with odd juxtapositions and nonsensical behavior. He will often mash up two seemingly unrelated genres, so that you have crime noir inexplicably mixed with, say, a nature documentary (how else to explain Modern Chimp Barber Romance or the Buzz Aldrin Mysteries?).The people in Kupperman’s world are often very excited about utterly mundane matters as well (“Look Bob! There are rodents in that garbage can!”), not unlike your average Hostess pitchman. What’s more, he does so at a maddening pace, moving from scenario to scenario at a speed that would make the Monty Python gang’s head hurt.

The incongruity ultimately underscores how useless and silly a lot of the material we grew up on and continue to consume today really is. Though far from savage, at its heart, Thrizzle has some rather pointed things to say about the crap we consume on a daily basis. Plus, it’s really, really, really funny.

The Red Monkey Double Happiness Book

Like Kupperman, South African cartoonist Joe Daly also mines an absurdist vein, though his latest graphic novel, The Red Monkey Double Happiness Book, is decidedly more focused and narrative driven than Thrizzle.

Daly’s previous work for Fantagraphics was Scrublands, a collection of offbeat, hallucinatory tales that owed quite a bit to the underground comix era of the 1960s.

Double Happiness doesn’t tread quite so far into that territory, though it has a healthy appreciation for the surreal. The “Red Monkey” of the title is actually Dave, a red-haired freelance illustrator and would-be cartoonist, who, through some bizarre turn of the genetic wheel, is blessed with monkey feet.

The book is divided into two tales. In the first, “The Leaking Cello Case,” Dave is faced with a challenging art assignment (drawing bricks for a catalog) but is endlessly distracted by an ongoing series of interruptions. These include: his girlfriend, who comes to call it quits, his hippie bud, who wants to borrow some dough and eat his cereal; and the quiet kid from down the hall, who just needs a place to hang while his mom minds the restaurant.

The biggest distraction though is the upstairs neighbor, a hostile foreign gentlemen, who seems to be making loud noises and doing … something … involving cellos and … frogs.

The story builds nicely, generating a good deal of laughs from Dave’s stoner attitude towards his increasingly odd day. As good as that is, though, the second tale, “John Wesley Harding” is the decided winner. Here Dave and hippie bud Paul go on an increasingly knotty and increasingly freakish adventure involving a nature sanctuary, a missing capybara, baboons, a seedy private detective with a habit of unzipping his fly, a ruthless real estate developer and a vaporizing ray. Or maybe not. The whole thing could just as easily be one big misunderstanding.

This is basically Herge by way of the Big Lebowski with a little bit of Repo Man thrown in for good measure. And I’m not making those references just to appear hip. Red Monkey fairly drips with that sort of out-of-place reference to movies, TV and comics, both in the plot and in the character’s hashish-inspired dialogue (“That was a great moment when Kermit the Frog and Ray Charles sang together on the Muppet Show, hey dude?”) Indeed, Red Monkey‘s characters are so observant of pop culture ephemera they seem hardly surprised by the bizarre twists and turns their own story takes.

Daly’s art is strong here, especially in “Harding,” where his character designs seem more confident. He maintains a near-perfect nine-panel grid structure throughout the entire book, and rarely moves his camera beyond a mid-level viewpoint, all the better to maintain the book’s low-key, chatty, and very funny tone.

It’s unfair to compare the two really, Kupperman is the more inspired cartoonist here, perhaps because he refuses to rely on a single narrative but pinballs around from reference to reference willy nilly. I really enjoyed Red Monkey though, and hope people take a chance on the book. Daly might hail from Cape Town, but sensibility-wise, he’s coming from the same place as Kupperman.

Action figures!

As a kid, I was a big fan of both comics and action figures; I probably spent my allowance equally on Uncanny X-Men comics and Star Wars action figures. The day I got my Emperor action figure in the mail was almost as good as the day I found a really cheap copy of Uncanny X-Men #129 at a used book store. Unfortunately, those two passions rarely met. It was a post Mego, pre-action figure boom world that I grew up in, so with the exception of the short-lived Secret Wars and Super Powers figures, there weren’t a lot of superheroes to be found on the toy aisle.

Nowadays, though, you can find action figures of just about any comic character on the shelves, from secondary X-Men like Forge and Banshee to independent characters like Madman. But there are still a few out there that the world needs, which is why Chris suggested we list a few characters who we felt needed to be captured in three-dimensional plastic with a kung fu grip.

Joining Chris and I this week is a special guest — High Moon writer and action figure aficionado David Gallaher. You can take a look at David’s collection of Marvel action figures right here.

So here we go …

1. Firestar (David Gallaher)

In looking over my collection, I thought about a character whose history dates back almost 30 years. Playing the lead role in one of the best Marvel cartoons, she starred in her own limited series, was in a couple of coloring books, was a member of the Avengers, an enemy of the X-Men, a founding member of the New Warriors, and is currently starring in Marvel Divas. Even better still – she was featured in her own Hardees kids meal!

Firestar

Of course, I’m talking about Angelica Jones. The one and only Firestar! Sure, there has been a Heroclix version of the character, an exclusive 5” inch Toyfare version, a minimate, and a newly-released 3 ¾” inch version of the character. But, the time for a 6” inch version of the character has never been greater! Besides, who else would want to stand beside both Iceman and Spider-Man?

Firestar

Costume-wise, I think it would be a shame not to have her sporting her classic costume from the cartoon, but having her Avengers-era costume as a variant would be extra awesome. Add some snap-on microwave bursts and a tiny Ms. Lion and she’s ready to do battle with the likes of Magneto, Kraven or Dr. Doom. Or, better yet –- break out Sub-Mariner, Captain America, Shanna, Dr. Strange and the Spider-Friends to re-enact scenes from 7 LITTLE SUPERHEROES!

So, what are you waiting for Hasbro – Go For It!

2. The Ti-Girls (Chris Mautner)

Jaime Hernandez’s ongoing story in the pages of the newly revamped Love and Rockets is one of the best superhero tales going these days, so why not spin the characters off into their own line of merchandising? I, for one, would love to own an Alarma action figure, both in her Fenomenons clothes and her old outfit. Angel, Cheeta Torpeta, Espectra, Golden Girl, the Weeper, Penny Century — man, I’d easily buy the whole set without thinking twice.

The Ti-Girls

3. Guy Gardner (JK Parkin)

Guy Gardner

I’m a big fan of the Justice League Unlimited action figure line, which was based on the excellent animated series of the same name. Although the show is gone, the action figure line lives on at Target and online, thanks to Mattel’s collector’s site.

And the Green Lanterns have been well-represented in the line. John Stewart, of course, has had multiple figures, including a Justice Lord variant. Kyle had his own figure. Sinestro has had a couple. Kilowag, Arkkis Chummuck and Katma Tui have been represented. There was even a Hal Jordan Green Lantern figure made in very limited numbers a few Decembers ago, and in San Diego this year, they’ll have a Hal Jordan in his flight suit, along with Abin Sur and another Sinestro.

So who are we missing? Well, the self-proclaimed greatest Green Lantern of all time, Guy Gardner. How else can we act out the “one punch” scene with one of the 1,000 Batman variants they’ve done unless we have Guy? They could even do a leisure suit variant at some point, as pictured to the right …

4. Atomic Robo (JK Parkin)

Some characters just scream to be made into action figures, based on their cool design alone. One of those is Brian Clevinger and Scott Wegener’s Atomic Robo:

Atomic Robo

I’m picturing something a little more old school than a simple plastic figure (although that would be nice, too) … something along the lines of the old G.I. Joe dolls, with all sorts of uniforms that could be changed based on the mission and cool accessories — one of those being the bomb shown in the image above.

5. Snake and Bacon (Chris Mautner)

If Tony Millionaire’s alcoholic crow and monkey can be immortalized in plastic, then why not Michael Kupperman’s legendary (and rather hilarious) crime fighters. Squeeze the end of Snake’s tail to hear him say “Sssss.” Push the end of Bacon to hear it tell you “Wipe me with a paper towel to remove excess grease.” Have them fight battles against evil criminals, travel back in time or party with their friends, Mark Twain and Albert Einstein (sold separately).

Snake and Bacon

6. Bandit, Tinker and Pirate from We3 (JK Parkin)

So admittedly, I was influenced a bit by all the love the series is getting in the comments section of last weekend’s Six by 6. Artist Frank Quitely’s images are already practically jumping off the page, so it wouldn’t be hard to imagine 3-D representations of the heroic trio from Vertigo’s We3. Make the armor removable, and you can recreate every scene from the book — from creation until the eventual ending. Kleenex not included.

We3

Whatever Happened to the World of Tomorrow?

Welcome to What Are You Reading, where we talk about stuff, but mostly books, especially comic books. Our guest this week is our fellow CBR blogger Brian Cronin, whom most of you no doubt know via the excellent blog Comics Should Be Good and author of the new book Was Superman Was A Spy: And Other Comic Book Legends Revealed!

To discover what Brian and the rest of the crew are reading, simply click on the link below.

Prince Valiant Vol. 1

Chris Mautner: I spent most of the past week reading the first volume of Fantagraphics’ new hardcover edition of Prince Valiant — the company had originally published the entirety of creator Hal Foster’s run in the 90s, but has decided to go back to the well with better production values, including sharper colors.

I had always equated Valiant with everything that is dull and lifeless and boring and supposedly good for you, but it turns out I was completely and utterly wrong. On the contrary, it’s a rip-snorting good time, full of high adventure and thrilling escapades. And Valiant, far from being the schoolmarmish goody two-shoes I imagined him being, is full of piss and vinegar and quite a bloodthirsty young chap, which makes him a good deal more interesting than some of his contemporaries on the comics page.

I also started reading God of Comics: Osamu Tezuka and the Creation of Post World War II Manga by Natsu Onoda Power and published by the University of Mississippi Press. As anyone who reads this column regularly knows, I’m a pretty big fan of Tezuka, so I’ve been looking forward to digging into this, though I haven’t gotten very far yet, and Power seems to be taking her sweet time in getting to the meat of her book. More impressions later, hopefully.

Yuri Monogatari 6

Brigid Alverson: I had the pleasure of having dinner with Erica Friedman last week, and she gave me a copy of Yuri Monogatari 6 to review. Yuri manga features romantic relationships between women, and Erica’s company, ALC Publishing, is the only dedicated publisher of yuri manga in the U.S.

Yuri Monogatari features short Western and Japanese comics, linked only by the fact that they’re about lesbian couples, and as is always the case with anthologies, there is a mix of subjects, styles, and quality. As a manga lover, I particularly appreciate the opportunity to see some new Japanese manga in non-mainstream styles. I always enjoy Rica Takashima’s work (Shaenon Garrity described her work as “cute as a blenderful of kittens,” which about sums it up), and the other Japanese stories tend to be very high quality as well. The non-Japanese stories are more of a mixed bag, and some are closer to indy comics than manga. Some are very good, and I have noticed a sharp uptick in quality from YM4. It’s nice to see a new generation of artists coming into their own.

From girls to boys: I picked up volume 3 of Naoki Urasawa’s 20th Century Boys last week. I like Urasawa’s work a lot, but there was something ultimately unsatisfying about Monster—he set up a complicated, multi-plot, multi-character story, but I felt like the story didn’t quite jell in the end. He left some plot threads dangling, and the end of the series raised more questions than it answered. Beyond that, I felt like he was always skirting something—some engine that was driving the story—but he never really showed it. After two volumes of 20th Century Boys, I’m worried that he’s heading down the same path, but I’m giving it another volume and hoping he will change my mind.

Detective Comics #854

Tim O’Shea: Leaving for vacation in 22 minutes. I’m sure a lot of reading will be done there. Not much time to spare. But I must must must highly recommend the Question co-feature on the backside of Detective Comics 854. Cully Hamner art colored by Laura Martin. Exquisite. One minor request for DC–when you have talent the like of Hamner on the inside, figure out a way to tell me on the cover, please.

JK Parkin: I saw somewhere (probably on Twitter) where someone described Fred Chao’s Johnny Hiro as “Scott Pilgrim in Brooklyn.” I didn’t make that connection when I was reading Johnny Hiro, but thematically, it makes sense — two young guys trying to find their way in the world, with the women they love, with a mix of zany, fun, fantastic elements thrown in for good measure. But there are a lot of differences, too, particularly in tone and the visuals.

Johnny Hiro, Vol. 1

But anyway, what I liked about Johnny Hiro was just how unpredictable it was. You move from big blockbuster-esque scenes involving Johnny fighting dinosaurs to scenes of Johnny’s girlfriend, Mayumi, dealing with office politics to guest appearances by New York Mayor Bloomberg and, um, the cast of Night Court. Which sounds cheesy, and in the hands of someone less talented than Chao, probably would be. And it’s that ability to move so effortlessly and naturally from the fantastic to the mundane that makes this such a wonderful comic.

Brian Cronin: Brian Fies’ follow-up to Mom’s Cancer, Whatever Happened to the World of Tomorrow, was a worthy successor to the magnificent Mom’s Cancer. World of Tomorrow examines the relationship of a father and son through the years as America (and the relationship) becomes progressively more cynical – interspersed with depictions of culture similarly changing over the years (like the change in Superman comics over 70 years). It’s a strong, poignant work by Fies.

Alexander Irvine has been doing a wonderful job with the Daredevil: Noir mini-series where he is matched perfectly with Tomm Coker’s beautiful noir-style artwork.

Scalped #29

Jason Aaron’s most recent Scalped storyline ended beautifully as Aaron managed to have a series of “spotlight” issues that still managed to tie together to form a cohesive and intriguing whole – the twists even followed organically. Meanwhile, after a somewhat disappointing first issue, his Wolverine: Weapon X series has been quite strong with the latest two issues.

J.H. Williams III gave us all one of the most amazingly illustrated comic books of this, or any, year with the debut issue of Batwoman in Detective Comics. The Greg Rucka story was pretty good, but my goodness, the art was simply stunning – Williams conveyed more mood, tone and characterization in one issue of Detective Comics than most artists convey in a year’s worth of books. Cully Hamner does a fine job with the Question back-up, as well, but boy, it has to be tough to be the back-up artist in a book with J.H. Williams doing the lead feature!

Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips continue to do wonderful noir work with Incognito. It often seems as though reviews of the series spend more time comparing the series to their other works together and less time just appreciating the fact that it is yet another well-written, well-drawn comic book from the pair.

Brubaker also produced an excellent lead story for Captain America #600, weaving together different artists to produce a commemorative issue that really felt like it was celebrating the whole tableau of Captain America stories (having back-ups by past Cap writing greats like Roger Stern and Mark Waid certainly did not hurt). It was too bad that Steve Epting didn’t get to draw any of the issue, though.

Tales Designed to Thrizzle #5, like all the previous issues by Michael Kupperman, did not fail at thrilling or dazzling me. The extended Twain and Einstein feature was brilliant this past issue (I particularly enjoy the parts where Kupperman does homage to classic comic book genres, only with Twain and Einstein).

Roger Langridge is about as close to a flawless comic book creator as you can get, and his work on the Muppet Show has been great, and hopefully it’s opening up new audiences to his brilliant work. In the Muppet Show #2, he even managed to get some pathos into the series! Such wonderful writing ability is almost unfair belonging to such a talented artist – he shouldn’t be allowed to be brilliant at both!

The latest Seaguy mini-series concluded with a final issue that was strong that it likely overshadowed the excellent work that Grant Morrison did in Batman and Robin #1, which is saying a lot, since Batman and Robin #1 was a very strong introductory issue featuring what seems to be the first impressive addition to the Batman’s Rogues Gallery in years. Also, one word – paracapes!!! So cool.

If I don’t stop myself now, I’ll just keep going for way too long. I read too many comics.