Sunday Readings 5-31-09

A few things I've read here and there and want to share:

Robert Crumb sells out? Mr. Natural appears on a shoe.

Speaking of selling things, one of Robot Six's clever columnists makes an e-bay wishlist of super-items.

Allan Harvey shows us that Jim Aparo was a very appreciative fellow towards his comic book co-wokers.

Yet Another Comics Blog takes DC to school about their collected editions. He makes some really valid points, speaking as a person who almost exclusively buys trades these days.

I don't care that almost everyone else has linked to it, too---Bully wants us to learn the truth about Peter Parker's "bad" love life.

Speaking of Bully, he's this week's Blog of the Week. Bully, a stuffed bull who stands in for his blog's creator, titled his blog "Comics Oughta Be Fun." I firmly agree, which is why I find his posts, like the Parker one above, or the similar cover shot profiles or the "365 Days with Ben Grimm" feature to be a must-read every day. Bully takes the funny road to comics blogging, and if you share my sense of humour, you'll likely share his, too. Check him out!

Infinity Gauntlet

Written by Jim Starlin
Illustrated by George Perez, Ron Lim, and Joe Rubenstein
Marvel

I guess I was feeling a bit nostalgic when I hit the library and
picked up this early nineties crossover penned by Jim Starlin, who wrote quite a few of marvel's cosmic stories over the years.

In this case, teamed with the rather jarring art team of George Perez and Ron Lim, Starlin tells the story of the time the mad Titan Thanos became god.

Not afraid to be bold about this concept, Starlin has Perez draw
it right into the first splash page of the comic, as Thanos, talking to Satan-analog Mephisto, contemplates his new status.

You see, Death is not pleased that the living outnumber the dead, so she asks Thanos, her biggest fan, for help. But she was not expecting him to take control of the Infinity Gems, jewels of vast power, and become far more powerful than she.

Soon, in the mother of all misguided presents, Thanos wipes out half of all life and zaps his granddaughter into the original Marvel zombie. This little trick doesn't go unnoticed by the remains of earth's mightiest heroes--minus the FF, oddly enough--who band together to change
artists and battle Thanos to the death.

This is where the series gets a bit strange from a reading and plot perspective. While the first half of the series has been primarily focused on talking and showing the power that Thanos wields, the second half moves into more traditional superhero slugfest mode. It's a bit jarring, especially when the end moves back into the more philosophical territory of the initial issues.

Plus, Lim has to try and draw all the pretty and detailed stuff Perez designed and that's just not going to happen. (There are precious few artists who can match Perez on detail work.) So instead of detailed skulls dotting a macabre shrine, we get little doodled circles. It's not Lim's fault at all. I generally like his work, and it's definitely above the average nineties work. Unfortunately, he just gets stuck doing the punch part of a cosmic drama and it pales a bit to what comes before, both in design and plotting.

At this point, in what is probably a bit of meta commentary, the heroes are useless and only meant as a distraction for Warlock (an old Thanos foe resurrected) to bring the real heavy hitters in. Worlds shudder as Eternity, Galactus, the Stranger, some Celestials, and others join the fight.

It goes about as you'd expect.

Just when all seems lost there's a chink in the armour of god and now reality is turned upside down--again. This time Thanos is on the receiving end but it may not be an improvment. There's just one chance left. Can what's left of earth's heroes, along with two unlikely allies, save the day after all? And will they like the result?

Looking back its clear to see that Infinity Gauntlet is just a stepping stone to Starlin's grand infinity arc, which Marvel not only gave a green light to, but took the whole Marvel universe along for the ride not once but three times. Though his changes were perhaps not quite as grand, that's still control over the entire sandbox on a level that I think only a few others at Marvel were ever given. Starlin is a bit like a proto-Bendis here, but with less impact.

The problem is that when you're on a cosmic level, only playing with earth heroes and their friends is a mistake. Let's face it, Captain America can't take on Thanos, but the Starjammers might have been able to. Unfortunately, Starlin likes to stick to people he's already written about for the Infinity cycle.

Still, there's a lot to like about this one. It's extremely well plotted and uses every character properly based on what we're used to seeing them do. (Well, maybe not Hulk, who seems to be
a bit of a jerk here.) The idea that Cap and company think they can handle something on such a high level is so true only to be shown as utter folly. All the clues given throughout are used, in a nice set of fair play. I also love the way Thanos is forced to see his true nature and realizing he must think about thew nature of his being.

It is a bit prosaic by modern standards. Starfox gets to narrate a lot, something unheard of today unless you're Brian Michael Bendis. But it's still nice to see a crossover that doesn't have to have huge implications, just setting up new characters or old characters in a new role. The story gets a bit weird in relation to the Soul Gem but at heart its just a good story pitting
characters against a great peril, and that's just fine by me.

Children of the Sea Chapter 1

Written by Daisuke Igarashi
Illustrated by Daisuke Igarashi
Viz

I mentioned this earlier today and figured I'd give it a try. The problem with shojo manga is that it takes time to build up to its stride, often taking two volumes or more. That's why reading it one chapter at a time is not necessarily the best.

It's almost certainly the case here, as the story takes a very long time to get rolling, feeling like it has to go through two different prefaces to get to the main event.

Our heroine is an aggressive outcast who finds herself separated from the one thing she loves--her sports. Deciding to go to Tokyo because too many know her and hate her, by the end of this chapter, she meets a strange boy who may have ties to the other prefaces at the start of the chapter.

The artwork is strong and partially in color--it's nifty to see manga fish with colors and the use of pointillism to show the majesty of the sea is pretty cool. The problem is that the pacing feels glacial, and no amount of pretty art can change that.

I can't say I was really drawn into this one--the pacing is slow and confusing to read as just one chapter. But hey, it's free, so I'm in for Chapter two. Now that the characters are in place, it should start moving more quickly. And if not, it's not like I've lost anything, and neither have you if you give it a try.

You can read Children of the Sea Chapter One online here.

Trebro Tees Off: Black Sun, Silver Moon Volume 1

Written by Tomo Maeda
Illustrated by Tomo Maeda
Go Comics

[Another in my periodic adventures in saying I thought something was really bad.]

I have absolutely no idea why this one is so popular at the library. Perhaps its because it involved zombies, but once you start reading it, that really doesn't make it worth the wait on the hold list. A young man goes to work for a sadistic priest who fights zombies at night. We wonder (well, I didn't) why he's so cruel until we learn the not-really-a-surprise-surprise about the priest and suddenly that changes everything.

The drawing is manga standard, as is the plot--two young men who may or may not have a romantic attraction get thrown into a situation and alternate between hating each other and angsting for either each other or themselves.

I was bored by the halfway point and only finished to be able to do the review. I will not be bothering to read Volume 2. You can save time by not bothering to read Volume 1.

Mail Volume 1

Written by Housui Yamazaki
Illustrated by Housui Yamazaki
Dark Horse

Dark Horse doesn't have a lot of manga to their name, but I like a fair amount of it--Oh My Goddess (which I read before I was doing reviews and need to go back and re-read from scratch), Blade of the Immortal, and Lone Wolf and Cub, to name a few. At least from the small sample I've read, what they lack in quantity they make up for in quality.

This is definitely the case for Mail, a horror manga based on a supernatural detective with an interesting gun--it can only hurt malicious ghosts. Akiba, with a lot of unwitting--or unwilling--help, enters a variety of situations and uses his gun and a prayer to send the ghosts to their final resting place.

The series opens with a photo shoot gone bad that leads to a serial killer who won't die. We also get a haunted condo, a twin with a a death wish, a haunted trunk, and even the old favorite--a haunted public bathroom.

These are all fairly standard horror tropes, as is the idea of a ghost hunter (though I love the origin story that makes up the final entry in this volume). What makes them work for me is Yamazaki's pacing. Each story is just the right length, with the build up, the tension, and the disbelief lasting just long enough before Akiba enters to save the day.

The "mails" feel very much like episodes of something like the Twilight Zone, and Akiba even intruduces them here and there. I'm a fan of the format and combined with artwork that is both straightforward and horrific--there's no "anime eyes" going on here--Yamazaki is able to bring to the reader a true sense of horror. There's not even a stupid amount of gore, which is rare for a modern horror comic. To give you one example, jagged fingernails are drawn in such detail as to bring a chill to my spine and make me glad I read the book on my porch during the day!

As with any good horror, all of the stories give you the impression that the protagonist is going to die and die horribly, only to be saved at the end. If there's one small problem, it's that so far, no one has crossed the line and been seriously harmed, so it loses just a bit of impact. I'll be curious to see how that plays out in the future volumes.

Mail is a great horror manga, my second favorite genre after shojo. I'm looking forward to more, and I definitely recommend it to others looking for a new series to start.

Manga Monday 5-25-09

Just a couple of things for this week as most folks hang out and grill...

Very shortly after announcing that Shojo Beat is closing up shop, Viz adds another free online site featuring similar work. Right now, it's in soft-launch mode, so we'll see what happens.

A little while back, Sporadic Sequential talked about addictive manga. What's yours? I tend to be so spread out I don't have any one series that I can't put down.

And finally, Manga Critic gives us the rundown on this week's new books. Nothing jumped out at me this time, and I was really mad Border's didn't have that Clover from last week...

Street Angel

Written by Jim Rugg and Brian Maruca
Illustrated by Jim Rugg
SLG

[Posting this today because I recently bought a copy after reading it initially at the library.]

In city facing a daily ninja threat, there's only one place to turn--Street Angel, a skateboard riding master of fighting. Armed only with the skateboard and her wits, she fights to save the mayor's daughter, a former superhero, and others. She is a woman of the people, ready to jump in and save the life of those worshiping in a church as she is the mayor's kid. There's only one problem--she's as homeless as a stray cat.

That's an interesting quirk to give a hero, and a new one on me...more In city facing a daily ninja threat, there's only one place to turn--Street Angel, a skateboard riding master of fighting. Armed only with the skateboard and her wits, she fights to save the mayor's daughter, a former superhero, and others. She is a woman of the people, ready to jump in and save the life of those worshiping in a church as she is the mayor's kid. There's only one problem--she's as homeless as a stray cat.

That's an interesting quirk to give a hero, and a new one on me. We don't know how or why, but our Street Angel has no roof over her head and when not fighting crime, she's dreaming of cupcakes and scouring the remains left behind by others. When brought into the story, it makes for a great way to temper the insanity of fighting hordes of ninjas or Spaniards. (Yes, I said Spaniards.)

This is mostly a satire comic, featuring sometimes lengthy setups to get to the punchline. But the timing is good and well worth it, the art fits the grittiness of the book, and how can you go wrong with an entire chapter playfully tweaking Luke Cage? I liked this quite a bit, I think you will, too.

Sunday Readings 5-24-09

A few things I read here and there that I found of interest for your extended weekend:

E.R. Serrano wants a male version of Marvel Divas (for those not in the know, it's a series with 4 female superheroes with no strong ties to each other). I don't want to pass judgment on the Divas project until we see it in full, but Serrano's idea is ROFL-worthy.

Jeffrey Brown gets philosophical about dinosaurs and our place in the world. This is part of Creative Times, who you can learn more about here.

Spent all your money on hot dogs? Then read digital comics for free! You can get all of the government comic publications here, in one handy location.

Blog of the Week: Mark Waid is often one of my favorite comic writers. In addition to still scripting stories for Marvel, Mark is also the Editor in Chief of Boom Studios. He runs a blog as part of his online presence, where you can find comments on his job as EIC, funny comic panels taken out of context, audio commentary, and tips for those looking to get into the industry. Mark is often very frank (if anyone read his recent interview awhile back about DC and "52", they know what I mean) and that means his blog is more than just a puff piece for his company. If you liked his work on JLA, FF, Superman, or any of the other things he's done, it's definitely worth checking into!

Coleen Coover wants us to know that she has a Clue.

Lastly for today, Tony Daniel plans to take us behind the scenes of Battle for the Cowl. Though I'm trade-waiting, I'm definitely looking foward to seeing what he wants to show us about the process of writing a major Batman crossover, no mean feat for anyone.

Emma Volume 1

Written by Kaoru Mori
Illustrated by Kaoru Mori
CMX

Those with weak hearts should pause for a moment before I reveal that this is a shojo manga that doesn't feature girls in a Japanese high school! The setting is in fact late Victorian-era London, with a meticulously researched setting by Anglophile Mori. Emma, the title character is a commoner straight out of a Henry James novel, working as a maid for an elderly widow. When the widow's former student returns for a visit, romantic sparks fly--but can the class barrier be broken?

The reason why I like this so much is that it does in fact capture the feel of James, arguably the first of the modernist writers. The characters still feel constrained by Victorian mores, but they want to break free of them, especially the male protagonist. Emma wants to be free of them, too, but she knows damned well that only heartache will come of it. And then there's the "foreigner"--an Indian friend of our male suitor--who walks in and promptly breaks all the rules, from class lines to fast cars and elephants. It's a great premise and Mori has each character reacting about as naturally as they would if this were a text adventure rather than a primarily visual one.

Mori's artwork does the job well enough--it's not very stylized and the characters mostly stay in their normal poses. We don't get any shrunken figures or extreme facial reactions--which is good because I think it would detract from the setting too much. She does a lot of visual work with faces, though, even without a lot of emotion lines. We know the Indian boy is in love with Emma just by the glance he gives her--no words or captions are necessary.

I am really impressed with this first volume. The story is a familiar one but the setting is sound and the characters are compelling to follow (which to me is the most essential thing in a manga--if you don't like the characters, the volume-by-volume drama is just tedious). I'm definitely going to keep going with this one.

Manga Monday 5-18-09

Better late than never, some things of interest in Manga that I thought I'd share...

Apparently, Rumiko Takahashi's work has a blog! I love her work, so getting to keep tabs on things will be helpful. Also, for the whopping two people that don't already know but might care, Viz is posting her new manga series online for free.

Speaking of free things online, TokyoPop is also placing one of its series online, Bizenghast. I have to admit, I didn't get a chance to look at it yet, but I thought I'd throw it out there.

The Manga Critic recently had a post about what "real" manga is. Personally, I tend to find the American-written manga less interesting, for whatver reason. I'm not sure "anything printed 6x9 is manga" is a valid argument, but perhaps maybe there's a certain style that qualifies? Anyone care to weigh in?

Also, Manga Critic is nice enough to give us a list of upcoming manga for the week. I think I'm gonna use my next Border's coupon on that Clover Omnibus...

Civil War: Black Panther

Written by Reginald Hudlin
Illustrated by Scott Eaton and a LOT of others
Marvel

Reggie Hudlin's Panther is frustrating. On the one hand, he's got the "Panther is always in control" part of things still nailed. Panther can get married, trot the globe, and fight with Cap, all while still managing his country and ready for seemingly anything.

That part is pretty cool.

What's not cool? Panther telling Storm, a Queen before she met him (Hudlin seems to have forgotten this), arguably the best leader the X-Men ever had, and (former?) head of the Morlocks that she has to be *subordinate to him* when he is making decisions. And unless Storm got a post-House of M lobotomy, this would and should have gotten him a lightning bolt in the nether regions. Then later, Panther tells the Black Widow he "never fights women" which hasn't been heard out of a Marvel character's mouth since about 1970. Oh, and with a battle raging, Storm and Sue Richards have to go find their men, because, you know, they're just not able to function without them.

GAH!!!!

Hudlin has taken one of the most forceful women in all of Marvel, second only to maybe Jean Grey, Emma Frost, or Sue, and turned her into a subordinate to her husband. Her family tells her to kick butt, but only until she's starting to have children. Because, after all, once a woman has kids, they should stay at home and lose their own identities.

Did I mention, GAH!!!!

I just can't get over the fact that Marvel has allowed Hudlin to turn Panther into a book that, while promoting one strong African American character, turns another into mush and makes all the women who show up look foolish and weak, whether it's Storm, Sue, Medusa, or the Black Widow. The mysogonistic comments are all over the place--Namor vows never to marry again, for instance, and everyone jibes Panther for not being able to keep Storm in check.

It's a shame, really, because I like the idea of Panther being truly feared by the rest of the Marvel U. After all, he's a guy who seems like he always is ready for anything, has one of the two best metals in Marvel, and keeps his nation safe from invasion. He also does the US reaction to Panther very well. After all, the country has never taken to a third world leader rising in power regionally very well--imagine if he had Vibranium, which is oil to the nth degree in terms of value?

Hudlin also did a great job of writing a crossover book. The story is woven into ongoing plotlines and things that would impact on Panther the most are what get featured. For that, the book gets at least a tolerable. Hudlin is great writing things that aren't women, basically. it's up to you to decide if that is too much to get over. For me, it almost was.

Final note is that the art is absolutely horrendous. Apparently, no one left in comics knows anything about a) finishing what they start (there's like 10 inkers on this thing) or b) anatomy and proportion. This is an increasingly annoying trend.

[Editor's note: That trend of an army of inkers is sadly only getting worse.--Rob]

Civil War (Main Story)

Written by Mark Millar
Illustrated by Steve McNiven and Dexter Vines
Marvel

[Today for no particular reason I think I'll repost some of my Civil War reviews.]

What happens when Marvel decides the best way to be culturally relevant is to ignore forty five years of suspension of disbelief and bring their heroes jarringly into a reality that doesn't make sense precisely because the whole idea of superheroes requires suspension of some known laws of humanity?

Well, you call it Civil War and put it in the hands of the man that used The Ultimates to parody the heroes he's been given to play with here in the first place.

I like Millar's writing a lot, but I don't think he's the best person to try and deal with the large number of heroes required in a crossover of this nature, and it showed in the action scenes, where we end up seeing Spidey, Cap, the FF, etc. repeatedly. Balancing all the actors in a large crossover is a tricky business, and Millar trips himself up a bit by trying too hard to show how this affects Marvel's "big guns."

The basic plot is that in a really stupid accident, the New Warriors, who are a reality TV show by this point, blow up a school and kill children. Now, we are supposed to believe--and this is the hard part for me--that either a) this has never, ever happened before in a world where for at least about seven to ten years or so of a constantly floating timeline, there have been a huge number of heroes and villains or b) that, without prior instances to back it up, this is the straw that breaks the camel's back. I find either idea to be, frankly, stupid.

There are some things that Buisek or David or Bendis would have used to set this up, but since it's Millar and he is either not as well versed in Marvel history or doesn't care to try, we get a law requiring superheroes to register or face being hunted down by S.H.I.E.L.D. Things fall apart as the heroes split over which side they should be on, and the story rolls on from there.

Once you get past the problems inherent in the set-up, the story moves along a lot better. The sides split down the middle, roughly, with the out-on-the-edge-to-start-with heroes going anti-registration, with one notable exception--Spider-Man. We then get a lot of fighting and some angsting by both sides about how horrible this all is, which is handled surprisingly well by Millar. The plot thickens as some heroes for various reasons start changing sides, and plans are made on how to "win" the war. Both sides get increasingly violent and awful, as we learn of plans for clones, prisons, and sanctioning of known killers in order to win the day. In the end, only one side can win, and the more I think about it, the more logical the ending is, if a bit anti-climatic upon first reading.

All in all, it's a great story that will lead to even better followups in the hands of Marvel's new "House of Ideas"--Bendis, Millar, David, JMS, Jenkins, Brubacker, Quesada, and a few others who basically write most of the books at this point. My main hope is that someone picks up on the idea that the one side really never had a clear goal of what to do if they won and that the other side seems to have forgotten the reason why they all became heroes in the first place, because those are the two things I think are the largest--and most full of potential--unanswered questions left in the wake of what I have to say was a good story.

My only problem is that, unlike most stories, there's no way to retreat from it gracefully. If they have no plans to do so, then fine, but they also need to understand that if they do the old "It was Loki, it was a Skrull plot, it can be fixed by a Charles Xavier mindwipe, etc." trick after a few years or slagging sales, all of this is going to look like so much crap.

Much as I'll miss my old Marvel stories done in the old way, I'd rather see them keep going than try to go back now. And in fact, the more I think about it, the more I think--rightly or wrongly--that Marvel's plan was to break out of the same stories with this arc, and if that was the case, bravo to them, and good luck. It may be the most ambitious thing they've done since some guy named Stan Lee said, "Let's make a teenage superhero with all the same problems of a regular teenager."

[Editor's note: Looking at this again, there's not much I'd say differently. Marvel did get to tell good stories from it, which is a major plus for a crossover. But again--that reason for the registration just stinks so bad. It's like picking at the "does the Hulk kill people?" scar. Best to leave those concepts alone. --Rob]

Sunday Readings 05-17-2009

Some interesting things I found here and there...

Blog of the Week: Comics Worth Reading is one of my first stops when I hit my RSS reader every evening after work. Put together by Johanna Draper Carlson "and friends", the blog provides reviews of everything from traditional superhero material to manga to new DVD releases. In addition, there are commentary pieces, a bit of industry peeking, and the odd interview. Reading this blog has been a large influence on how I put together Panel Patter and I consider it to be a model of how to run a good review blog.

Becky Cloonan has some cool sketches she made at the Emerald City con.

Brad Curran at Comics Should Be Good offers his take (along with a ton of comments by others) on the best creative duos in comics.

Now this is an example of word play!

Andrew Boscardin has a new jazz CD that's inspired by the work of Jack Kirby, Steve Ditko and others. That's a winning combination, even if I bet it sounds nothing like Greg Bendian's Interzone. He dedicates the album to Steve Gerber:

"Steve Gerber, to whom the whole CD is dedicated, passed away last year. He was a visionary writer for Marvel Comics in the '70s, just way ahead of his time in terms of the things he was trying to do with superhero comics back then. He would have fit in great now, but back then he was a bit of a misfit and an outcast—also because he was an early champion for the rights of creators, to own their own properties, and so he became very quickly a real outcast, a pariah, in the business."

Speaking of Jazz, check out these jazzy illustrations.

Here's a quick interview with writer J. Torres, who understandably lusts after Watchmen royalties.

Funny, I have the same side effects from my wife's chili....

Last but not least, in relation to the new, excellent Star Trek movie, here's someone's thoughts on various Star Trek comics.

Tiny Bubbles

Written by James Kochalka
Illustrated by James Kochalka
Highwater Books

It's been awhile since I read any Kochalka, so I grabbed this from the library. It's one of his "Magic Boy" books, basically featuring himself and his wife Amy in an extended slice of life adventure (think of an event in the daily diary extended out to book-length) with some fantastical elements that allow Kochalka to drift into whimsy.

The "day" starts with Kochalka being obsessed with not getting his hands endangered by doing the dishes (a fairly logical problem for a cartoonist, I think), continues as he gets wind burn and thinks he can cure his body by mind powers and ends with an encounter with a artistic robot, whom Kochalka then uses as a foil to explain why people make art.

Each of those sections dovetail into each other in a way that I thought was quite smooth. Where another writer may have separated the stories alltogether, Kochalka merges them as his artistic avatar goes about his life, making sure he brushes his teeth (noting blood because he skipped a day, in a typical "this is what life is about" moment), angsting because one of his favorite artistic tools may not longer be available, and having little races with his wife across city blocks. It's those linking passages that make Kochalka who he is and separates him a bit from the other artists in his "genre"--since him him art is everything, everything can become art.

I mentioned the aspects of fantasy in this work, and they show up mostly towards the end. James and Amy share a cigarette at the party, and it must be some cigarette, as they end up soaring over the heavens. Everything and anything is possible until they argue--bringing real life back and send them crashing to the ground. It's a wonderful metaphore.

The other fantasy element is that of the painting robot, who even needs to use the bathroom, so "human" is he. Designed by a friend at the party, the robot paints without noticing anyone around him. He doesn't seem to understand life, despite being somewhat self-aware, and it's up to Kochalka to teach him, whether he wants to or not. Not everyone is ready for Magic Boy's take on life, however. I'm sure, re-reading the passages, that there is at least a bit of metaphore going on in this section as well--Kochalka's opinions on life and art are certainly not shared by everyone and I have a feeling that this may be a commentary on his feelings about how some approach the craft.

Or it was just cool to draw a painting robot. Sometimes, it doesn't pay to think too much.

Regardless, this is a fun, quick read wit typical Kochalka wit, whimsy, and window into his everyday life. If you like Kochalka's daily diaries, this is definitely worth seeking out.

Single Issue Saturday: Gaiman's Batman, Power Girl 1, Jonah Hex 43 and the Fin Fang Four

I wasn't going to buy the single issues of "Whatever Happened to the Caped Crusader?" but since they decided to put together a hodgepodge of Gaiman Batman stories for the collection, I figured I'd go this route instead.

From all the reading that I did in the comics blog world, this two-issue set was more polarizing than a presidential election. Some writers, who love all things Gaiman, raved about how good they were. Others, like my wife, feel that Gaiman is a bit of a one-trick pony and that this story once again covers the same ground we've seen Gaiman tread before.

I can see where both sides are coming from, but I think this story, while certainly familiar, is one of Gaiman's successes. It works for me on two levels, the first being a nod to Batman's long history and the other ackowledging the complicated world of life and death for a creation that, like Sherlock Holmes, Robin Hood, and others before him, will never truly die along long as someone has a creative idea for them.

Gaiman and Kubert show off their knowledge of all things Batman, with little winks and nods to almost every incarnation (Kubert drawing Kelly Jones Batman with ears hanging out of the coffin was my personal favorite), right down to a panel straight out of Sienkiewicz. I'm not sure I'd have spent so much time on some of the stories, but otherwise, it's a great idea.

As far as the much-mentioned ending, I rather liked how Gaiman handled getting asked to write a final Bruce Wayne Batman story when we all know that's not going to happen. Those seeking finality from Gaiman were apparently not reading his other books.

I'd say it's definitely worth picking up for those who like Bats and/or Gaiman. If nothing else, the Kubert art is stunning.

I read Jimmy Palmiotti's blog posts, and people were talking about how Jonah Hex is great fun but not doing so well on sales. So I figured I'd give it a ride for a bit and see what I thought.

This first issue for me was interesting enough for me to put it on my pull list, but I didn't think it was amazing. I like westerns and western themes but for whatever reason, I just don't find it as compelling when it's in comic book form.

Hex is a fun character, being apparently (based on this issue) so chaotic that no one knows how to handle him. That intrigued me, and that's why I'll stick around for a bit.

In this issue, Hex goes into a hotel filled with hooligans and tries to save the day. When things don't go quite as planned, the folks who asked him in the first place try to welch. That's a really bad idea. Paul Gulacy's artwork on this series is quite good, though I hear he's not the regular.

Overall, I'd say give this a try if you grew up on John Wayne and Clint Eastwood like I did.

Palmiotti and his writing partner Justin Gray also had another book out when I stopped by, Power Girl. The nicely chested alternate reality member of the Superman Family gets her own series with art by the quite talented Amanda Conner.

Conner manages, as few have lately, to draw Power Girl in such a way that her cleavage doesn't look out of place on the rest of her body. Personally, I think people should buy this comic for that fact alone.

The story inside is a bit text-heavy, but that's okay for a first issue. It features the typical Gray/Palmiotti combination of humor and absolute horror that was on display in Heroes for Hire. Here, however, it works a bit better becuse I think they have a better feel for what they're trying to do.

Power Girl is trying to reset her life, and we get to see that on the ground floor. However, an old villain wants to upset the apple cart and is willing to kill all of the Big Apple to do it. One thing I do hate about not trade-waiting--this issue ends on a cliff hanger and I have to wait a month to learn the answers!

I liked this one a lot and would definitely recommend it to people who like good stories about superheroes without (for now at least) all the crossover drama.

Last but certainly not least is the Fin Fang Four, a hysterical one shot by Scott Gray and Roger Langridge. Four of Marvel's monsters are shrunk down to size and trying to cope in the modern world, with the help of Doc Samson.

Fin Fang Foom is the focus of the book, and he gets two stories, both of which are excellent. He works at a restaurant and manages to cure hair loss in his spare time. But he also thwarts supervillains, apparently more out of annoyance than anything else.

Meanwhile, Googam tries a scheme to get out of his menial job that involves playing on the emotions of a rich baby collector and ends up looking like a German child from the Frankenstein movies and Gorgilla gets curious with time travel and his idol, Abraham Lincoln.

But probably the best story is Elektro getting mistaken for Electro, and forced to wear Max Dillon's old suit and sit in jail with a veritable who's who of Spider-Man villains who only showed up once. Bet you your MMMS pin you can't name all the cameos, either!

There's several really nifty moments in those stories I don't want to spoil, but let's just say if you liked the Bwa-ha-ha Justice League, you HAVE to grab this.

Introducing Single Issue Saturdays!

I'm all about the new features this week!

Saturdays will now feature my reviews of the few things I'm still reading in single issue form. It's not a long list and I only hit my friendly local comic book shop about once a month or so, because I read almost everything in trade now.

On those Saturdays where I don't have new comics to review, I'll pull out some single issues from my long boxes and give you my thoughts on those.

I don't regret my move to trade as a rule, but there is something fun about reading things in short bursts. Follow along, why don't you, and if you're reading the same things, tell me what you think!

The Order Volume 2

Written by Matt Fraction
Illustrated by Barry Kitson and a ton of other artists
Marvel

Apparently Barry Kitson just doesn't like using the same inker or something, as the problem that mars his Legion of Superheroes work is back with a vengeance here.

I admitted in my review of volume one that this series really didn't grab me, but I wanted to finish it, and interlibrary loan helped me to do so. Unfortunately, the problems and concerns I had in volume one are present here, too.

The Order is about to get the Avengers Disassembled treatment, as a sinister opponent tries to take them apart, piece by piece. Unfortunately, he or she does it an awful lot like the ending of the first X-Men movie, where a reluctant, morally ambiguous hero is used against the human race.

As the team tries to overcome its obstacles and a rather odd appearance by Namor that's used only to make Anthem look better as a character, their odd structure as a team and powerset end up betraying them.

By the time Tony Stark arrives to pick up the pieces, the Order's pretty beat up and yet another one of Iron Man's plans for the post Civil War world are in shambles. But only sort of, just in case Marvel wants to use these characters again.

I do like that Fraction puts this team through the ringer in ways that point to the hubris of Stark and his inability to factor all the angles the way that Nick Fury used to. It allows this book to tie into the larger Marvel world without being so closely linked as to require a reader to be following along in every single Avengers or Iron Man book. The climax of the story, where we learn why someone has this obsession with destroying the Order, is the bait and switch that works, after so many that didn't.

The trouble is that I just can't bring myself to care for cannon fodder. I know DC takes shit for killing people like the Martian Manhunter, but at least the struggle of a character I have an attachment to makes me feel something when they die or are depowered--even if I know they're going to come back. I'm afraid I just never could get into the heads of Anthem, Calamity, or the rest and so their tragic ending and possible rebirth just don't grab me. Their powers are too generic, their problems too typical, and their characters just too one-dimensional for me to be upset when something bad happens to them. As a friend of mine recently noted, it's okay for a character to be unlikable as long as they're interesting. In this case, Fraction makes them too likable, and that's just as boring--if not worse.

It doesn't help that the art has all the consistency of an anthology. Kitson's pencils are so buried at times as to be unrecognizable and at one point, Pepper, who is probably early 30s in Marvel time, looks to be about 16. I can usually deal with this when I like the story, but since I wasn't all that engaged to begin with, the art just made matters worse.

Overall, this was an interesting idea that, for me at least, never panned out. It's a part of the Initiative story that I don't think is required reading unless you're a completist.

The Order Volume One

Kaput & Zosky

Written by Lewis Trondheim
Illustrated by Lewis Trondheim and Eric Cartier
First Second

I first met Trondheim's work as part of the Dungeon series that I really need to get around to re-reading sometime soon. This is similar in style and mindset and shows that one of the leaders of the current French comics scene is quite the creator.

Kaput and Zosky are two intergalactic travelers trying to take over the world--whichever one happens to be in their sights at the time. Like Pinky and the Brain or Excel Saga, their exploits do not go so well and often serious plans go comically wrong, much to the bewilderment of the protagonists (such as when Kaput can't stop making money or they land on a planet where their every utterance is followed to the letter). Trondheim plays everything he can for laughs, the more over the top, the better.

Try to take over a gaming planet? First you have to play games just to get a straight answer! Want to destroy everything you see? Well...try doing it without your trusty blaster! Or what about taking over a planet of the undead? (The latter really made me laugh because I think it's a gentle tweak at collaborator Sfar's "Vampire Loves" books.)

Every situation Kaput and Zosky enter end up working rather like an animated cartoon (and apparently, some of them were), none of the adventures lasting long enough for the joke to go stale, just like a good Warner Brothers cartoon used to do. Once the joke gets a bit played, Trondheim hits the escape button and they're off to find another planet to try and destroy.

Kaput is the wild one, ready to blast at a moment's notice, even if that means affecting his internal functions or eating a particularly bad piece of sausage. Zosky is the straight man, setting up the situations and trying to keep the pair grounded as much as possible while often getting in trouble himself. The pair work well together, and their height and weight differentials call back to Abbot and Costello or Laurel and Hardy. While compeltely primitive, Trondheim/Catrier's art style works just well enough to carry the jokes, and doesn't require perfect anatomy. In fact, in a more traditional artist's hands, the work wouldn't hold up nearly so well.

Spaced between the main stories are little one-page fillers by Trondheim that use a spaceman for one-shot gags ala Spy versus Spy. They're cute but not really necessary. I think they'd have worked a bit better if the gags somehow related to the Kaput & Zosky stories. Still, there's nothing wrong with quick visual gags--I do own Sergio Aragones comics after all!

I'm trying to read more foreign comics work, because, you know, I really don't read enough comics. If you want to experiment in the world of French comics, too, this is a great place to start. You can find a preview at the publisher's website.

Thrill Book!

Written by Stan Lee and others(?)
Illustrated by John Romita, Jack Cole, Joe Kubert, and others
Pure Imagination

This is a collection of pre-code horror and sci-fi comics, a lot of which are written by Stan Lee and several are illustrated by his future Marvel partner, John Romita.

Pulled from the ether from a time when comics had no restrictions, these are often gory tales of deception, greed, lust, and pure evil. But since they're done by some of the best in the comics business, the results rise above their ultra-pulpy origins to be things worth reading.

Watch as John Romita's work looks more like Robert Crumb! Thrill as Stan Lee uses a romance comic artist to tell a tale of womanly evil! Watch Jack "Plastic Man" Cole stretch his talents into a murderous sea monster or mysterious oriental death! If that's not enough, you'll even get Frankenstein!

There's all kinds of horror tropes within these glorious pages, from heads hung from living trees to men thinking they're just as monstrous as their intended deeds to space trips gone horribly wrong. (Stan Lee nails Venus as an unsafe planet, but not for the right reason.)

On top of that, comics historian Greg Theakston offers his insights into each story and why they were chosen, providing just enough context without bogging too far into the morass of comics history for those who aren't as interested as I am.

This book is part of a trend of finding old comics and saving them for future generations. I am solidly in favor of this practice, and if you want to see some Silver Age artists getting ready to work their magic, you'll find this book will thrill you almost as much as it did me.

The Last Muskateer

Written by Jason
Illustrated by Jason
Fantagraphics

The more I read of Jason's work, the better I like it. Though I admit at times I miss his non-speaking work, his newer, scripted material is just as strong with the usual quirky, stiff anthropomorphic characters acting out a story here that combines science fiction, classic literature, and a feeling of loss at old values long since devalued in comics.

Jason grabs Athos from the Three Muskateers and uses him as his focal character, and at the start, it's exactly what you'd think a story like this might be. Athos is destitute, living off others and trying to pretend that his status has not changed. He's basically a raving drunk until a crisis hits his beloved France that stirs him into action. Athos looks to his friend and former companion for aid, but none is coming. He must face the foe alone.

That's where the book takes a turn into the world of H.G. Wells, as Athos finds the fight moving across space to a distant planet. Using his antiquated fighting skills and tactics to good use, Athos must save the earth from destruction all on his own. Meanwhile, not all the aliens want to rule the world, and Athos finds new allies in his quest for justice.

Can one man make a difference? In a more cynnical comic, the answer would probably be no. But in this throwback to when stories were less complicated, Jason uses the values of a pillar of literature to show that sometimes, telling a good story can be as simple as black and white. Athos brings the fight to the foe and and a stunning reveal leads to a swashbucking conclusion.

It's a great story, but Jason takes it one step further by including a coda of sorts that shows the title of the book may not refer to who you might think. The story's plot is a bit of a throwback, but in true modern storytelling style, Jason adds that extra bit to make the story more than it seems on the surface.

Jason's art style is not for everyone. He tends to draw static characters who, even in the action of a fight scene, look as though they have boards in their backs. It's as though his drawings were snapshots taken at the most awkward moments possible. I like the style, but it's definitely not for everyone.

One particular highlight of this book, however, is the coloring, by a "Hubert." His choices for background coloring fit the atmosphere of each page in a way that definitely drew my attention. A throne room is bright yellow, like the sun-god. A heroine's bedroom gets shaded pink. There's quite a bit of green for reasons that will make sense when you read the story. This is definitely a case where the colorist had quite a bit to do with the feel of the overall story.

Jason's a pretty prolific artist that even has a gig lined up with Marvel comics, of all places. Once you start reading "The Last Muskateer," I'm sure it won't be the last Jason book you try.

Graphic Classics H.P. Lovecraft

Adapted by Various Writers
Illustrated by Various Artists, including Rick Geary and Richard Corben
Eureka Productions (Graphic Classics)

A collection of stories relating to or written originally by H.P. Lovecraft, with the star of the show being the 5-artist adaptation of "Reanimator. It's a tour-de-force of brief retelling and probably makes it worthwhile to pick this one up for that alone.

I'll be honest, the rest was rather so-so for me at least, since I am not as schooled in Lovecraft as many of my friends. For me, this was not as satisfying as the volumes I've read on Twain, Poe, and Doyle. If you are as interested in Lovecraft as I am in, say, Howard, then you may like this a bit better overall than I did.

There is one other story I'll call out, the epic poem "Fungi from Yuggoth," which is illustrated by a plethora of artists. It's a great way to end the book, and I just wish the middle parts had been a bit better so I could give this a stronger recommendation. Depending on your feelings about the source material, this is either worth the read or okay to skip.

Just don't tell C'thulhu I said that, ok?

Inuyasha Volume 3

Written by Rumiko Takahashi
Illustrated by Rumiko Takahashi
Viz

As we pick up the story, Kagome and InuYasha have only a few moments rest before needing to take on a toad-demon who feeds on the souls of women. There's only one problem--he's taken over a man, against which the new demon-sword is useless! If they manage to get past that, back in the modern world, Kagome must face another demon--exams!

Okay, so there's more than that--an ancient mask with one of the jewel shards is reactivated and Kagome must try to stop it on her own. Can she manage, or must InuYashsa move into the present to help her? Oh, and of course we set up another continuer for Volume 4, as the jewels fall pray to a thief who has a demon on his tail...

This continues to be a fun horror manga, with Takahashi trying to come up with new and interesting monsters for her two heroes to fight. The toad-demon part was kinda pedestrian, though the way he gains power led to a few nice scenes. However, the second villain--who merges people into herself to form a body--was nice and creepy. I also like the fact that Kagome is trying to do things on her own already, which could have taken longer but Takahashi decides to make her a strong fighter already. That leads to the other thing I like a lot---the character development. Both cast members are moving forward along with the plot, which should prove interesting. We're starting to see the same form of bond that appears in Ranma, which I kinda saw coming but I'm not sure how I feel about it here yet. Regardless, this is fun and definitely a manga I'd recommend without reservation for all.

Inuyasha Volume 2

Written by Rumiko Takahashi
Illustrated by Rumiko Takahashi
Viz

Yeah, I like my Rumiko Takahashi, what can I say?

When we last saw, Kagome, she was lured by thoughts of home but still plagued by demons after her now-shattered family heirloom. Aided reluctantly by the half-demon Inuyasha, she's trying to get the jewel back together. But things may end rather quickly, as a demon that uses human (and inhuman) hair to do her evil work has both of them entangled. Kagome must try to channel the archery skills of her ancestor to get them out of the jam.

As if this isn't bad enough, Inuyasha's brother comes calling, wanting the power of their lost father, that is held in the most secret of places. It's demon versus demon with Kagome as an innocent bystander--or is she?

This one still has the Rumiko humour but the darker tone and storyline keep it different from Ranma, though we still have that love-hate relationship that she seems to love writing no matter what the situation. This continues to be a great horror manga with good plotting and fun interplay amongst the characters.

Inuyasha Volume 1

Written by Rumiko Takahashi
Illustrated by Rumiko Takahashi
Viz

Happily, Ranma 1/2 is not the only manga drawn by Takahashi. In this series, she takes a shot at a horror-comedy, set in dual time periods of modern-day Japan and its feudal past. Kagome, a high school girl with a grandfather fond of ancient legends, stumbles down a cursed well and wakes up as the reincarnation of an ancient village heroine who gave her live to stop a demon's quest for a powerful stone. Which, coincidentally, Kagome just happens to own in the present day.

Demons of all sorts and horrors immediately flock to her as she tries to find a way home and her only hope may lie in teaming up with a half demon, InuYasha, who lusts after the jewel himself but is controlled by Kagome via a magic spell. When the jewel is lost, they must work together to find it, leading them back and forth through past and present.

Can this unlikely pair save ancient Japan? And what if they can't? Filled with great monsters, crisp artwork as usual from Takahashi, and a well written and plotted story, this is a great series I can't wait to read more of as I go along.

Introducing Manga Mondays

In an attempt to bring a bit of structure to the blog as well as to do a bit more reading in a genre I like but don't always get to, Panel Patter is proud to present Manga Mondays!

Manga Mondays will kick off with a post relating to any interesting manga news I happened to have read over the past week, then be followed up with a few manga reviews for your reading pleasure. As with the trade and graphic novel reviews, they'll often be older works, either old friends to you or something you might have missed. My manga reading is 95% library-based, which means I'm often a little behind the latest releases.

So if you're into shojo (and who isn't, other than my wife) and all the other things generally lumped into the manga category at Borders, then Monday is the place to be at Panel Patter!

I look forward to your comments!

-Rob

Chicken and Cat Clean Up

Written by Sara Varon
Illustrated by Sara Varon
Scholastic

Sara Varon's sequel to her first children's book has our two protagonists trying to run a business, namely a cleaning company. (I admit, I figured it was just two pals cleaning their house, but this premise is cooler.)

The trouble is, Cat is absolutely terrible at cleaning just about anything. He's a klutz at dishes, uses more laundry soap than a comedy routine, and can't even keep from eating the scenery.

Depressed, Cat can only watch as chicken tries to carry on. It seems all is lost until nature kicks in. After all, what's more natural for a cat than chasing things? By the end of yet another charming story, Chicken and Cat have learned to concentrate on what they do best.

I very much enjoy Varon's more adult-centric comics, but she's writing excellent children's work and I think she's got quite the career doing it. Her plots are simple but provide a valuable lesson for the young reader and the artwork is accessable to any age, which is part of the fun. The little touches are in there, including what I think may be a nod to the Babar stories I'm sure both Varon and I read as children. Every item gets a name, rooms get lighting, streets get enough detail to make it clear where we are, and so on. That's the stuff that separates a good work from a really good work, and Varon comes through again.

Not sure any adults need to read this, but if you have kids, you definitely should pick up a copy for them. Chicken and Cat are a winning combination, and I bet we'll be seeing more of them.

Re-Gifters

Written by Mike Carey
Illustrated by SonnyLiew and Marc Hempel
Minx

DC comics gets into the teen girl business with these series of comics, which are rather ghettoed into a Minx Line, which seems a bit odd, but there you go. This one's written by Mike Carey, who you may know best from Hellblazer, and two others I've not heard of before.

The plot is textbook shojo manga (and might have been a better fit for DC's CMX line, perhaps)--a young, hip girl has rather stern parents, one cool friend, and a very big hangup on a boy that's no good for her. She's Korean-American, fights in the traditional Hapkido style, and likes to talk to the camera, even noting once that it's her dialog balloon. Her boy crush is hurting her fighting style, and she'll do anything to get him to her side--even if that means risking her place in the tournament to get him a prize gift.

Things go sour when the gift isn't exactly wanted (hence our title), and Dixie is stuck with no tournament, no boyfriend, and no quirky friend, either. All looks lost when she meets up with the local toughie who takes a fancy to her style. Thanks partly to him and partly to the fact that her friend is far better than she deserves, Dixie gets to fight again.

Of course, this leads to her facing her crush, who tries to use it as a way to win the match. Dixie wavers, but fate intervenes just before the final match. Can Dixie get her "ki" back in time to show this ungrateful wretch what for?

Of course she can!

This is a rather good American version of the shojo style. Unlike other creators who've tried to adapt, Mike Carey writes as though he's actually read shojo manga, so the dialog sounds right and the characters act as I'd expect them to. Though this is a strength, it's also a weakness--there were times when I felt a little too much like Carey was playing by the numbers, such as when her friend forgives her without much prompting or when the tough guy kid falls for Dixie. Still, I'd rather see the tropes nodded to rather than abused, and Carey does a good job of it. (Though I do wonder why nothing comes of the fact that the tough guy is actually a minor criminal, which Dixie seems not to care about overly much.)

Liew's artwork for this works well--he gives us the characters without a lot of flash, and he makes it possible for me to tell everyone apart, which is really all I ask on a manga. Dixie gets a lot of descriptive looks while still maintaining structural integrity.

I like the idea of the Minx line, even if I wish it were a bit less stereotypical in its naming. I'd definitely read more books from this niche of DC in the future.

Or Else #4

Written by Kevin Huizenga
Illustrated by Kevin Huizenga
Drawn & Quarterly

I first read Huizenga as part of the Ignantz series from Fantagraphics, and I think I accidentally insulted him by saying I was surprised to find his work reviewed in the New York Times.

(I didn't mean it as an insult, Kevin! I'm not used to the print world doing quality comics reviews, that's all.)

"Or Else" is an almost zine-line creation featuring frequent Huizenga creation Glenn Ganges that he recently discontinued. This particular edition features Ganges waking up from a dream centered around Mutual of Omaha's "Wild Kingdom" and then interacting with the typical wild kingdom of a person who lives in the city-suburbs, namely squirrels, pidgeons, cats, and bugs.

The stories are very short and are very much life-captures. Nothing earth-shattering happens to Ganges or the things he interacts with, well, unless you're the pidgeon he tries hard not to kill with his car. If you're looking for dynamic action or movement, this is not the work for you. But if you can appreciate several panels of a cat playing with a beetle that has quite the pincer, then you're in the right place.

In the back of these tales, Huizenga plays with commercials on cheap television, with everything from toothpaste to carpet stains to medicine. (I think he also throws in a sly nod to Jason the cartoonist as well.) Finally, there's a section based apparently on a real series of books by a man called Maurice Maeterlinck and some backing material based on scenes in the main stories.

"Or Else" is a mishmash of things that would not appeal to all readers and is not the place to start for Huizenga's work. Those who like zines and those looking for more experimental works from cartoonists whose work is notable will definitely like this, however, and its to them I primarily recommend it.

Sunday Readings 05-10-2009

An all-Batman edition, because nothing says Mother's Day like Batman!

Blog of the Week: What else but the resurrected Daily Batman? Featuring a daily panel or something similar related to the Caped Crusader right to your RSS reader. I thought this one was a goner, but it recently returned to action. Hmm...Bruce dies and this site comes back...a coincidence...?

Living Between Wednesdays has a nifty little feature about some obscure Batman foes.

President Awesome thinks that our duly elected leader may have done some serious redecorating of the White House.

Io9 gives Bats an honor (of sorts) by having him head the list of top ten mentally ill superheroes.

The economy can even be hard on billionaires like Bruce Wayne to the point of holding a...garage sale?

And, in honor of my dubious holiday theme--a very long and well thought out article about the identity of Holiday from "The Long Halloween," which I badly need to re-read.

Remember to honor your mother the way she'd want you to--reading geeky comic links!

Supergirl and the Legion of Superheroes (Volume 3)

Written by Mark Waid
Illustrated by Barry Kitson and, no lie folks, seven other people (most notably Amanda Conner) as well as an art studio
DC

I sometimes think that there's a law against consistent artwork in DC and Marvel comic books. I mean, really--there's only 7 issues collected here and it took five pencillers, four inkers, and an art studio to do it?

No one's asking anybody to be Sal "five books a month" Buscema here, but still, this lack of artistic cohesion kills me.

I was digging the new Legion that Mark Waid put together along with Kitson, but I can't say that the introduction of Supergirl does a whole lot for me.

Basically, this time out, while the Legion tries to come to grips with its newfound popularity and the threat of being coopted by their grownup antagonists, Supergirl shows up out of the events of Infinite Crisis and claims she's dreaming the whole thing.

It's time for meta-fiction, boys and girls, and while I'm all for meta-fiction as a rule, it tromps on the teenagers learning to grow up overarching story which I am far more interested in. As this book begins, the Legion has to deal with what happens when you stop being the rebels and start being the leaders. It's a classic dichotomy--if you do manage to overthrow (at least partially) the man who's getting you down, what happens when you start being the Man?

I'd have loved to see what Waid did with this as a major plot point, as he is one of my favorite writers most of the time. And it's still there, around the edges--when the Legion helps the traditional police, they're resentlful, for example. Not all the Legion wants to be a part of the government either, and that's made clear--along with some unintended consequences if they do join. As with most of his other work, it's the little touches that make the whole better. I just wish this time the little touches were closer to the forefront.

That's not to say these aren't good stories--they are. Waid gets to show how much having a Superman enter the picture changes things, and Supergirl's insistence she's dreaming everything gives her actions a playful irreverence. Plus there's still the batshit crazy plot of Braniac--who is definitely not nearly as straight-up heroic as he may have been in other incarnations.

This is still a pretty dysfunctional team of teens in a world that fears them, just like I fear the lack of consistent art. If you liked the first two trades or are a fan of Mark Waid, I'd say keep reading. Plus, there's a set of hysterical letter columns at the end which show that in the end, Mark Waid is a comic reader's comic writer.

While not as good as the Legion-only books, I'm still going to keep reading. Considering I don't particularly care about the Legion OR Supergirl, that's saying something.

Water Baby

Written by Ross Campbell
Illustrated by Ross Campbell
Minx

DC pulled the plug on the Minx line awhile back before really giving it a chance to do anything. This is the second Minx book I've read, and it has the feel of an Oni Press book, which is not necessarily a bad thing. The other was more like a traditional shojo, part of the market DC was coveting when they launched Minx (even though they have a manga line, CMX). I'm starting to wonder if maybe that was the part of the problem with Minx (beyond the excellent points of Johanna from Comics Worth Reading). Designed as a line of comics for young women, DC just threw everything at the wall and hoped it would stick, propped by a significant amount of advertising.

Well, it didn't. "Water Baby" is a good example of why--this is a male-written book (I mean, really--would it have been too hard to talk to Louise Simonson or Devin Grayson, just to name two female comics creators that DC has used in the past?) that tries too hard to establish the strength of its female lead and then leaves her to flounder like a fish out of water, which is kinda ironic given the plot.

It's not that there's anything really wrong with the plot, as far as it goes: A rather wild-child teenaged girl named Brody gets bitten by a shark and has nightmares over and over relating to the incident. Rather than get help, she ignores the problem and finally runs away with her best friend and ex-boyfriend, who end up picking up a scary (and sexy) young woman with designs on our protagonists. Things get progressively weirder, and by the end, our heroine is left wondering wht the hell she did all this for.

Which is perfectly okay, because by the end, I was wondering why in the hell I was reading it. The builldup for the story just never has a payoff. The nightmares never lead anywhere, other than to make Brody jumpy. Her friend kinda gets tempted by the ex, but that, too, wanders off onto a side road and never gets addressed. It's as though Campbell was trying to set up a series, but there's no reason to think that, not even a "the end?" kind of thing that might make me feel better about how things peter out. Instead, this feels rather like book one of three, or a D&D campaign that didn't get finished (analogy used because the writer worked on RPG books).

Campbell's art is pretty solid, and honestly, his dialog felt fairly natural to me. The characters don't act too far out of place, though I wonder why such a strong young woman would ever stick around a loser like Jake. I just can't believe she'd agree to take a trip with him, even to get him out of the neighborhood. (This would have worked better, I think, if she had gone to try and "save" her friend, who sorta crushes on Jake.) In another place, I think I'd even like his style. But here it just falls flat for me, because I want something that reads more like, well, Andi Watson, a man who can in fact write women well in plots that, even if I don't always like them, at least end having accomplished something. Unfortunately, this book, rather like Minx as a whole, just doesn't get around to having a point for its existence.

Minx's claim was "your life, your books." The trouble is that this is is written by a man who got his start doing RPG books, as I mentioned above. There's nothing wrong with that, but it's hardly the type of person I'd be asking to help pilot a new line of books aimed at young women. I mean, I'm a total geek. I own more board games than Toys R Us will ever stock, I know what MMMS stands for, and I sing Monty Python in the shower. I'm reading every single Star Trek book adaptation in chronological order for Christ's sake. But even I don't do RPGs, and tend to think of the people who do as uber-geeks. A man who states he likes zombies, horror movies, and barbarians is a man I'd love to internet chat with. But I'm a 31 year old man.

And if you *are* going to get an uber-geek to write a female teen book, make sure he lists "shojo" as a main interest. If I were a parent, the bio on Campbell probably would have turned me off getting this for my daughter.

All in all, this feels very much like a man trying to write a story about what a girl might want to read and used a generic road trip template with a few plot ideas we don't get to see nearly enough of to flesh it out. Again, it's not bad, but hardly something I'd recommend and hardly something I can see leaping off the shelves. If you're looking to give the Minx line a try, I'd start elsewhere.

Sunday Readings 05-03-2009

Some cool comics-related stuff I found here and there over the week...

Can't get enough of Free Comic Book Day? Try Free Comic Book Month!

Who says comics aren't education? Not Seattle, who put together a comic about the 1918 flu outbreak in light of the recent pig flu. It's downloadable!

Paul Grist, who does the interesting series Jack Staff, is posting a new comic to his My Space, Eternal Warrior. That link takes you to the first page, use the previous button to work through what's up so far.

Need something to scare little children? Try Alan Moore reading Watchmen.

Kate Beaton, who writes a series of comics taking a wry look at history (and recently hit the big time on My Space Dark Horse Presents), finally gets a book out! I hear it's sold out already, which is really cool. I have a similar work in zine form from her, and it's laugh out loud funny. You definitely need to check her out.

Topless Robot will clue you in on a movie star's dirt every time, like Wolverine's 10 Least Badass Moments.

Blog of the Week: Peter David has long been one of my favorite creators, and his online presence is a strong one, going all the way back to the days of AOL chats, if I am remembering correctly. He's often a polarizing figure in comics (most recently for a very small part--if any--of the Scans Daily thing), and his strong opinions can sometimes lead to heated discussions on his blog. But, agree or disagree, David's pointed--and witty, of course--comments on everything from comics, movie, television, politics, and even bowling are always entertaining. He's out there just like the rest of us, sharing his thoughts, and I for one am glad for it. If you like his comics, you will, too.

Rampaging Hulk 1998 1-6

Written by Glenn Greenberg and Terry Kavanagh
Illustrated by Rick Leonardi, Luke Ross, Dan Green, and Tom Wegrzyn
Marvel

I have a fair amount of single issue comics I haven't read yet, grabbed on the cheap for when I feel like digging through long boxes and bags. I used to do this a lot more often before I moved on to trades as my primary comic medium.

This ongoing series-turned-limited series just begged to be read one day, so I did. Set "about six years ago" in the Hulk's past, it coincides with the end of Peter David's Hulk run, which makes it even more puzzling.

Retro comics just don't sell very well, and I guess this one was no exception. It didn't hurt that the comics themselves are pretty badly written, with artwork that's just not very good. I'm not sure if it was the artist pairing or a deadline issue (I mean this thing needed a fill-in artist by issue 4!), but the usually solid Rick Leonardi (think Spider-Man 2099) is just all over the place here.

The stories are loosely connected, as the Pentagon sends a goon out to try and take the Hulk down once and for all while Ross and Company keep using wacky gimmicks to stop him. There's a lot of hay they could have gotten out of the idea of "just kill Bruce, but it's only hinted at. Instead, we get a lot of re-treading the same ground Stan Lee, Bill Mantlo, and others have already traveled, and with better effect.

Here's the plot breakdowns:

1) Bruce and the Hulk persona fight for control after another scheme of Banner's to free himself leaves him almost dead. Ross and Co watch helplessly while Betty angsts.

2) Bruce finds an old colleague who is only too eager to help, despite his frail nature. Soon, a new gamma-spawned menace is afoot. You can do the math. This time, Talbot angsts.

3) Big battle between the Hulk and the new menace, who looks and acts like a poor-man's Maestro (a letter writer even comments on this later). Hulk must save the lives of Ross and Co. against a greater threat. This time, General Ross angsts.

4) Fill in artist issue! Bruce, while running away, find another man running away from his own inner demons. With the pressure of ice building thanks to an avalanche, can Bruce save the man and his child? This issue's theme: The Hulk's inherent goodness. This issues's angster? The troubled man.

5) Guest-star issue! The FF go after the Hulk for the umpteenth time and fail to capture him for the Umpteenth time minus a few meetings. This time, Ben Grimm angsts.

6) Last issue, new writer. Kavanagh decides that what the Hulk needs to do is meet up with a lame Spider-Man villain, the Puma. Can stereotypical Native American culture save Bruce Banner? Nah, that would mean having to explore things beyond the status quo. Not going to happen in the last issue, and this time, the reader (me) angsts because I really hope I only paid a quarter each for these.

This series obviously was a nostalgia trip purposefully trying to ape the late 1970s and early 1980s Hulk comics, many of which I own. But the problem is that the voice is off and the ideas are too similar to what was already done (again, a problem in retro comics). It's difficult to set a story in a character's past, even for the best writers. Byrne can do it, Busiek can do it, Loeb can do it, but wasn't able to with Banner--his retro Hulk story is my least-favorite Loeb/Sale work.

Greenberg's stab unfortunately ends up falling short of its goal and since the plots are things I've read dozens of times over, I'm just not interested. Better to read some Essentials than a modern try at the same time period, unless the writing is excellent.

I'm not planning on keeping these issues, so if you're interested in giving them a shot, ping me.