Hey everybody, Village Idiot here. Just a couple of things:
1. Have you checked out Jon Quixote's interview with Geoff Johns yet? If not, what the heck is the matter with you? You go now! Click here to read one of the most popular comic writers in comics reveal his hockey betting pool strategy (among other things).
2. Are you into Manga? Well, you may be after reading Cormorant's latest edition of Big Eyes for the Cape Guy, right here in today's column. This time Corm explore the unholy marriage of Manga and Basketball. Yeah, that's right, I said Manga and Basketball. You have to read it to believe it.
Okay, time for reviews!
(Click title to go directly to the review)
BOMBABY: THE SCREEN GODDESS #2
Y - THE LAST MAN #20
MARVEL AGE: SPIDER-MAN #1
CAPTAIN AMERICA/FALCON #1
SWAMP THING #1
SUPREME POWER #8
SUPERMAN: BIRTHRIGHT #8
Cheap Shots!
Big Eyes For The Cape Guy!
BOMBABY: THE SCREEN GODDESS #2
By Anthony Mazzotta
Published by: SLG Publishing
Reviewed by Superninja
At its heart, BOMBABY is a coming of age tale set in modern-day India. It's the story of Sangeeta Mukherjee, a young woman from a family of privilege. Sangeeta's a dreamer, filled with youthful passion, yearning to be set free from the confines of her traditional society so she can begin to live for the first time. From that perspective, there's really nothing new under the sun here. It's a familiar story.
What really makes this series stand out is the charming animated style artwork and colorful characters set against the bright backdrop of Bollywood cinema. And even by that standard, I have to say it's still nothing new under the sun. It has all of the hallmarks of a Bollywood film: the annoying relatives, the arranged marriage, the cheezy fiancée, and the handsome suitor from the wrong side of the tracks. Not to mention the whacky subplot that keeps everything moving right along.
That is to say, there's nothing wrong at all with BOMBABY. Even if not groundbreaking, there's still a whole lot of fun to be had here. The art is truly gorgeous and each of the characters is a distinctly stylized personality. Sangeeta is a very likeable character, all lush curves and girlishness, trying to break against tradition while still being every bit the bored, spoiled princess that her father describes her to be. Her fiancée Sham is of course a cad, and amusingly wears a chain around his neck with a glass of wine attached to it. He's a decadent, amoral fop, who will no doubt try to kill someone before the story is over.
The main twist of the story as a whole is that Sangeeta is the reincarnation of a local goddess. She doesn't know this yet, but she has transcendental dreams, (which she doesn't quite seem to understand, or perhaps bother to) which tie her to the whacky subplot I mentioned earlier. The local mob is transporting some heavy merchandise in a mysterious suitcase ala PULP FICTION. In the first issue, Sangeeta goes on a dream walk and ends up caught in the middle of a gang war, stealing the suitcase. In this issue, the boy from the wrong side of the tracks saves Sangeeta from being raped by a trio of street thugs and in the panel you really see his face, you know it's love at first sight. The fact that she stole the suitcase from him in the last issue is one of those conveniences in a story like this, so it didn't bother me.
The pacing was very slow in the first issue, which gave me reservations about this title. But it turned out to be setup and it picked up the pace in issue #2 with the plot moving right along. I am curious about how Sangeeta will react to discovering that she's a reincarnated goddess, and how it will change her perceptions, and how the surrounding characters will react to that to create one big, giant Bollywood whirligig.
I feel that I couldn't recommend this comic to anyone, but if you'd like to see what it might be like if a Bollywood movie was animated, then check it out.
Y – THE LAST MAN #20
Written by Brian K. Vaughan
Penciled by Pia Guerra
Inked by Jose Marzan
Published by Vertigo (DC Comics)
Jon Quixote is your Daddy!
Wonder Woman, as many of you know, used to have an interesting vulnerability. Perhaps the most powerful superheroine ever created, if her hands were ever bound, her strength was completely sapped. It was just that simple. No kryptonite. No color yellow. Just tie her up and she's helpless.
So, of course, she charged into battle carrying rope.
I would like to use this as an example detailing the long and lurid history of kink and the mainstream American comic book. But I can't. Because with few exceptions, for the last forty years comic books have been decidedly, almost exclusively, vanilla.
Oh, there's sex. Lots of sex, especially between the lines. You can debate long and hard over whether or not Peter Parker lost his virginity to Gwen Stacy or the Black Cat. Old Captain America comics have him practically tapping his foot in anticipation of getting Sharon Carter reassigned to baby-making detail. Jesse and Tulip slipped under the sheets every second issue of PREACHER. Witchblade walks around in little more than a wrought-iron g-string and pasties.
It's out there. But it's all so very…normal. Even when it's abnormal, it's still normal.
Which is why the recent "Safeword" arc in Y – THE LAST MAN comes as such a shock. And why, I think, so many people don't really know what to make of it.
And why it is a must-read.
How well do you know someone until you know what they're like in bed? There are over forty years worth of Spider-Man comics… Is Peter Parker a spanker, or a spankee? To some degree he's one or the other; we all are. Does he like having power, does responsibility come naturally to him? Or is Spidey the type of guy who, deep down, resents having responsibility thrust upon him, and feels he should be punished for his failures? Does he long to escape his burden by darting into a bedroom where he only has to do what someone else tells him to?
There is no right answer. I know what I think, but it's informed by my own perceptions and bias. A case can be made for either but, really, we don't know. Yet
It is a testament to the abilities of Brian K. Vaughan, that Yorick Brown, Y – THE LAST MAN's protagonist, is perplexing without ever being contradictory. He's monogamous (but he almost cheated!). He's idealistic (but he turned on the reformed criminals!). Brave/Stupid! Idealistic/Naïve! He's…straight? Gay? Bi? Asexual?
He's hard to nail down.
In "Safeword", Vaughan employs sadomasochism and domination to give us a bit of a better handle on Yorick.
Oh, the things you can learn about somebody when they're strapped to a bed and threatened with a bullwhip!!
It turns out, Yorick is subby, or has strong submissive tendencies. Like many submissives, he is a victim of sexual abuse. Like many submissives, he has a tendency to be repressed and uptight about sex (which explains why, a year after discovering he's the only man alive, Yorick has yet to score. This is a bad track record).
"Safeword" uses its inflammatory subject matter to explore Yorick's character in a controversial manner. Like it or hate it, it's going to get a reaction. This is not a story you can really read neutrally, because it is so fucking different than anything else out there, and because it embraces something that each and every one of us has an opinion on.
The dark. The dirty. The nasty. The different.
Vaughan did his research, and both Yorick and the story are considerably stronger for it. Both the information revealed about Yorick's past and character, and his reaction to the events of "Safeword" – the torture, the teasing, and the mindfuck he endures – are not uncommon. Exercises in Bondage and Discipline, Dominance and submission are usually nothing if not cathartic in some manner.
The brilliance of the piece is that everything we learn about Yorick is congruous with everything we've seen – even if we didn't realize it. Vaughan is meeting, head on, our tendency to define the characters we read in ways that are comfortable to us. When Yorick risks his life, we see him as being brave and noble – because that's what our heroes are. It never really occurs to us that he might be apathetic or suicidal. When we're introduced to a character who considers himself an escape artist, why do we not snicker and think "that boy likes to be tied up"? Because he's our hero?
Yet for most of us, any experience we have with ropes and restraints will be when we tie or be tied up in the name of fun and games. But we choose not to apply that train of thought to our heroes. Largely because it doesn't usually come up. And now we see that we, the audience, have been exploited. Our own tendencies have been used to mislead us, play us for suckers. Mindfuck us.
Do you feel violated? Aroused?
Both?
"Safeword" is, if not in execution, brilliant and fascinating in concept. Especially in an industry where William Marston's once strong but kinky superheroine has been blanded up into a 70 year old feminist icon with a hymen drawn so tight her cherry has gone maraschino. Vaughan's refusal to allow his audience to comfortably define Yorick sexually or politically or emotionally makes for a journey that is rarely predictable and never anything less than compelling.
MARVEL AGE: SPIDER-MAN #1
Stan Lee & Steve Ditko: Story
Daniel Quantz: Script
Mark Brooks: Artist
Marvel Comics: Publisher
Vroom Socko: Marvel Aged
When I first heard about this new imprint from Marvel, featuring all new interpretations of classic Marvel comics, visions of the travesty that was SPIDER-MAN: CHAPTER ONE immediately started swimming through my head. Nevertheless, I went ahead and picked up the first issue. I also pulled out my reprint of AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #2, the story upon which this issue is based. And, since I was feeling a bit masochistic, I picked up issue #3 of SPIDER-MAN: CHAPTER ONE.
First things first, Ditko's original Vulture is still the creepiest looking version of all time. The original story, as told by Stan and Steve, is my favorite out of the three. It's just good, goofy fun, even forty years down the line. It also illustrates my favorite aspect of Spider-Man's character, that even though he's super strong he wins by outthinking his opponent. Yet, the sensational stylings of Smilin' Stan Lee are something of an acquired taste nowadays. I can understand why a kid who doesn't remember a time before Pokémon wouldn't find interest in these classics. There's no real harm in that.
But those same kids certainly aren't going to enjoy Byrne's mess of a story either. Not only is the artwork stiff as a board (not to mention the fact that Byrne's stuff always looks horrid when he does his own inks,) but he also made the rather strange attempt to merge the Vulture story with the backup tale of the Tinkerer and a group of alien invaders. Byrne's whole narrative is a mess, resulting in an unenjoyable reading experience. So it was, with trepidation, I moved on to the latest retelling.
Honestly, it's not half bad. In fact, it's pretty good.
Sure, there are one or two small nits to pick, like the Vulture going from knocking off diamond couriers to snatching purses, but the art is vibrant and colorful, and the script is solid. Both the main and backup stories from the Lee/Ditko original are told here, and while I was a bit upset to see the B story pared down in favor of expanding the main feature, I was glad that no ego-driven revisionism was to be had. In fact, in many sections it appeared that Steve Ditko's original layouts were left almost intact.
That's probably what surprised me the most. This book has been fashioned with an eye towards respect, first and foremost. Respect for the reader, and for the original stories that made Marvel Comics what it is today. Now, does this mean that the book is going to be for everybody? Probably not. I know I'm not planning on buying it regularly. Hell, I have the Essentials; I don't need another version. But I can tell you one thing. After I finished reading my copy, I gave this new version to my three-year-old neighbor. He loved every page of it. And that's fantastic. Any comic that's geared towards the ten and under crowd can't help but be considered a good thing. These may not be comics that I need to read, but I'm glad they're out there. I just hope that Marvel finds a way to market these books successfully, getting them into the hands of the next generation of comic readers.
So, anybody want a free copy of CHAPTER ONE #3?
CAPTAIN AMERICA/ FALCON #1
Writer: Priest
Pencils: Bart Sears
Inks: Rob Hunter
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Reviewer: Ambush Bug
Well, folks, it's March and you all know what that means.
Time to change Schleppy the @$$hole Mascot's diaper?
Well, yes. That too, but—waitaminnit? Who said that? Anyway. Once again it's time for Marvel to unleash a scad and a half of new number one issues that more than likely will not be around this time next year when Marvel does it all over again. It's a sad pitiful sales scheme that Marvel has deployed for years. The company either sees a rise in sales and decides to flood the market by spinning the hell off of any book that has an ounce of goodness going for it, thus sucking the property dry and leaving the original a shell of the title it used to be OR they see a drop in sales and decide to flood the market by throwing out as many new series as possible because they know that the mindless ones (AKA Marvel Zombies, AAKA SHEEP!) will buy whatever MARVEL puts out and WIZARD promotes. I usually try my hardest to stay away from these titles, knowing that which was stated above, but every now and then a golden nugget of joy surfaces through the muck-a-muck.
Out of this week's new number ones, CAPTAIN AMERICA/FALCON shines the brightest. I have long been a fan of Priest. Not only is he a dynamic storyteller and applicator of Marvel's rich history, but he's got a style all of his own. Part political drama, part hard-edged actioner, part-down-to-earth buddy flick, Priest's stories utilize the best parts of what comics are all about and spins them on its ear. I was sad to see BLACK PANTHER go the way of Mark Waid's hairline and was even more disappointed to see its spin off, THE CREW, given less than a chance to even begin to be interesting. Having received the royal shaft with those two titles, who would blame Priest if he wanted to run to another company and start fresh. But he didn't do that. And finally, Priest has a title with enough star power that it may guarantee that he'll be around on this one for a while.
CAPTAIN AMERICA/FALCON offers an alternative for those like me who are sick and tired of Marvel Knights CAPTAIN AMERICA which, in my opinion, reeks of the worst type of ass. Priest promised that this story would be set in the Marvel Universe. After reading this book and talking with my fellow @$$holes, I heard complaints that Priest had promised less real world politics in this book. Not so. Priest's stories have always had a political edge to them and this book is no exception. Priest uses a real world scenario, but remembers that this is a super hero we are talking about here, residing in a fantastic universe with which super heroics occur. Writers of the regular CAP title should take note. Priest uses Cap within the confines of the Marvel Universe to talk about issues that effect the real world. Other heroes and characters (in this issue it's the Scarlet Witch and Daily Bugle reporter, Robbie Robertson) exist in this story, which is propelled by the friendship between Cap and Falcon and the rich and complex history the two share. This is not "cut-and-paste" Cap into a real world situation. This is, "What if similar political situations occurred in the Marvel U?" It is a subtle difference, but one that is noticeable if you read this book and its MARVEL KNIGHTS counterpart side by side. CAPTAIN AMERICA/FALCON reads like a comic book, whereas MARVEL KNIGHTS CAP is more similar to used toilet paper.
One criticism I had for the book is the fact that both this story and MK CAPTAIN AMERICA occur in and around Guantanamo Bay. This I chalk up, as usual, to the horrible band of mongoloid monkeys Marvel uses as an editorial department these days. Any chimp with have a brain would've seen that both Cap stories took place in the same place and advised their writers to possibly go with different directions or locations or decided to space a few months between the release of the two books. But since each and every book at Marvel seems to function on an entirely different plane of existence these days, I can't hold the creators at fault because editorial forgot (or more than likely, never knew) how to do their job.
So how was the story? It was dynamic, action-packed, intriguing, electric, and had me questioning what was going to happen and teetering on the edge of my seat until the very last panel. The story begins with Cap uncharacteristically threatening a homeless man for information about the whereabouts of the Falcon. We learn from Robbie Roberston that the Falcon has broken into Guantanamo Bay and helped a New York community activist escape. A hurricane is rushing into Cuba, the Falcon is trapped there somewhere, and Cap is sent in to bring in his friend nicely before the government is sent in to do so not-so-nicely. What happens next, I'll keep to myself, but for a while I was going "What the fuh?" in this story, until the end when I said "Ohh, of course. Damn. Cool!" Priest even squeezes quite a bit of character moments into this issue that add to the momentum of the story, propelling it towards the meeting of the two title characters. This was a story with a complex and interesting structure, that leads to a cliffhanger that would compel even the shrewdest Marvel critic (*ahem* that means me) to chomp at the bit for the next issue.
Bart Sears is at the top of his game here. By now, everyone knows that the guy draws his characters in dynamic poses sporting some of the most exaggerated musculature in comics. Yes, all of his male characters have Steven Tyler's lips surrounded by Jay Leno's chin, but the guy knows how to show exhilarating action sequences from panel to panel. At the beginning of each "chapter" of this story, Sears treats us to a close-up of either Cap or Falcon. These images serve as a preview to the action that is about to take place. I've never seen this type of storytelling before, but it gives this book a unique way of sectioning out its chapters rather than the Priest's usual "Fraisier-esque" title cards that he has used in previous series.
The book looks good. It reads good. It leaves me wanting the next issue. Those of you who have been missing the real Captain America can look no further than CAP/FALCON. Priest is one of the most underrated comic book writers out there today. He's been creating solid stories for years, but has always been one hot book away from being a superstar. If Priest and Sears can keep up this kind of intensity and excitement, this could be that one hot book.
SWAMP THING #1
Writer: Andy Diggle
Artist: Enrique Breccia
Publisher: Vertigo (DC Comics)
Reviewed by: Sleazy G
SWAMP THING was the original Vertigo book. It was Vertigo before such a thing existed, and it laid all the groundwork for everything that's come for a little over a decade. I first started reading Swampy while he was still technically a mainstream DC character, partway through Alan Moore's run. Swamp Thing had some whacked-out crossovers with characters like Batman and The Demon. Everybody knows those two are some dark, creepy bastards most of the time. When Swamp Thing was around them, though, they looked like Fraggles by comparison. SWAMP THING was always a heavy, crazy trip, and he was pretty much the darkest thing in the DCU. I stuck with that book through the censorship problems and the changes in creative teams, and hung in there all the way through the Vertigo years and until the big ending of the series scripted by some unknown by the name of Mark Millar. The character's seen a lot of ups and downs, and at some point people began to lose interest. Brian K. Vaughan wrote a series based on Swampy's daughter Tefe, and while I liked it and bought every issue it was cancelled early on due to lack of interest from fans. Vaughan was interested in pursuing a slightly different type of horror that didn't quite click with some of the fans. It's a shame, because I think there's a lot going for this character, and found some of the situations presented by Vaughan to be really challenging.
Andy Diggle is behind the latest relaunch of this title, and while it's got new ideas to offer, it also feels closer in tone to the original book than the more recent series. It's clearly intentional, of course; Diggle wants to make sure people remember what made Swamp Thing the character (and book) it once was while still incorporating all of the newer elements. Admittedly, this is just the first issue, but so far he's doing a great job of it. This issue had everything I wanted to see—quick updates on Swampy himself, his wife Abby, and his daughter Tefe. John Constantine (a character originally introduced in SWAMP THING, but now the granddaddy of the Vertigo line) is here as well, since as a result of a switcheroo over in his book, Swamp Thing has been separated from the spirit of Alec Holland, which had been the only thing keeping the Earth Elemental in check. Without his human side, it looks like Swampy is ready to snap off and do some major damage, so we've already got a conflict brewing between him and his daughter. Throw in the reanimated corpse of Alec Holland taking a road trip with Constantine, and you've got a lot of good elements in place. Diggle's done a fine job of starting out right away with a major conflict brewing to keep the reader interested in what's to come. Maintaining a sense of grounded horror while also dealing with the larger, more trippy ideas about elementals is important, and so far Diggle seems up to the job.
Enrique Breccia's art is perfectly suited to the title. Like many of the SWAMP THING artists that came before him, Breccia has a knack for dark, atmospheric art. Often, though, that kind of art has problems because it captures the mood but can become muddied. That's not the case here. Each character is distinct and easily recognizable, but the art is still creepy as hell. Breccia also can draw a skull like nobody's business—the head of the reanimated Alec Holland is highly detailed, but still harkens back to the spooky style of the old EC horror comics. He also does a good job with a group of wild animals that pop in, not to mention all of the swamp and mountain environments. On a book like this, the art can make or break it. If this is any indication of Breccia's abilities, though, it's in really good hands. It's the kind of distinctive style that makes a book stand out, and it meshes perfectly with the mood and themes of the characters and title. I haven't seen another artist in the last few years who would be better suited here.
Any of you long-term Swamp Thing fans should make a point of picking this up. All indications are that it's going to tell the kinds of stories we remember and miss. Will new readers enjoy it? Well, that really depends on whether they care about the previous 150-plus issues. If you come on board worrying about what you've missed or what's come before, it'll throw you off. The best thing to do is buy this issue and act like it's a new series. The characters and conflicts are being laid out clearly enough that you'll know what's going on within half a dozen issues, and if the book appeals enough, you'll find yourself picking up back issues or trades anyway. Personally, as somebody who fell in love with this character back in high school, it's good to see him back. Seeing him back in the hands of such a gifted writer and artist, though, means that instead of just being a personal pleasure it's something I can actively recommend to new readers. SWAMP THING has always been a unique book that incorporates perspectives and subject matter you can't find in most other comics. It's allowed the title to remain interesting for decades, and if this first issue is any indication, it'll stay interesting for a good long while yet.
SUPREME POWER #8
J. Michael Straczynski: Writer
Gary Frank: Artist
Marvel Comics: Publisher
Vroom Socko: Supreme Reviewer
I engage in hyperbole about as often as the next @$$hole, but one word I don't throw around is perfection. In the two years I've been writing reviews, I think the only comics that I've considered to be perfect are BLANKETS and ALIAS #25. Well, add SUPREME POWER #8 to that list. Holy shit.
The issue starts with the absolute coolest knockdown brawl to come along in a good long while. Mark, a.k.a. Hyperion, has discovered the existence of Joe Ledger, the soldier who was bonded to the power crystal found inside Mark's spaceship. Searching for answers, Mark confronts Joe in Africa, only to receive a right hook for a reply. Mark's response…
I felt that. I… felt that. This must be what pain feels like.
Do it again.
And next thing you know, the most intense comic book fight of the 21st century gets rolling. Gary Frank does some of his most awe inspiring work on these pages, including the best use of vision powers since Superman let the word "Burn" slip past his lips. He's easily the best artist working at Marvel today. There's a two-page spread of these guys fighting that looks phenomenal. The first half of this issue is all Frank.
The second half? That belongs to Straczynski.
After the brawl, Mark goes to a church in search of guidance, asking the priest in the confessional for advice. Yes, this bit can be a cliché if used wrong, but Straczynski doesn't hit one sour note. The penitent who is absolved before Mark is useful in this, helping to make the priest more than a one dimensional cardboard character. Growing up Catholic, I've known quite a few priests, (No, not in the biblical sense, you freaks,) and for a character that's only shown over seven pages, this priest comes across as the real deal.
Straczynski and Frank started out having to escape from the shadow cast by the late, great Mark Gruenwald and his work on SQUADRON SUPREME. So far, they're succeeding admirably. This series is quite possibly the best book currently being published by Marvel. Why it's not pulling in Ultimates level sales, I'll never understand. If you're not reading this book, you're losing out on a perfect comics experience.
Of course, it'll be more perfect if and when they bring Tom Thumb into the mix. Honestly, what could be cooler than a super genius midget?
SUPERMAN: BIRTHRIGHT #8
Mark Waid – Writer
Leinil Francis Yu – Pencils
Gerry Alanguilan – Inks
Published by DC Comics
Reviewed by Village Idiot
And we have a new Luthor.
Okay, maybe not a new Luthor, but definitely a newly reassembled version of the guy. Mark Waid has taken a trip to the veritable buffet of characteristics that Lex Luthor has accumulated over the past 60 years and walked away with quite a plate, making BIRTHRIGHT #8 what could be my favorite issue in the limited series so far, and what could become one of my favorite Lex Luthors.
Young Lex lives in Smallville. And he's a pariah. Lex finds himself alienated from everyone, not just because of his arrogance and somewhat surly demeanor (he's permanently scowled), but because he's scary-genius. The only person with whom he manages to form any connection, the only person that seems to begin to understand him, is Clark Kent. Clark barely manages to keep Lex in check as Lex works on some mysterious grand experiment. What happens when Lex finally loses his connection with even Clark? As in all tragedies, everything falls apart. (For further info, consult the cover.)
The trend in comics for a good long time seemed to be turn the arch-villain into a character whose morality was so qualified by tragedy and fate, he soon became the anti-hero, e.g., Doctor Doom, Mageneto. Of course, the most recent trend has been to go in the other direction; to make them tragic perhaps, but also pretty irredeemable, e.g., Doctor Doom, Magneto. It's hard to say where Waid is going with Lex because it feels as if he's drawing a lot from Eliot S! Maggin's supremely arrogant/misunderstood genius version of Luthor; on the other hand, Waid is handling Lex's story with such seriousness, the tone seems so grave (reminiscent, I suppose, of Byrne's largely sociopathic Luthor and his story), I have a feeling he's headed towards the irredeemable side. Perhaps it's because this Lex is such a scientific genius, he seems so dangerous. He's definitely much more potent and malignant than the smarmy Lex from TV's SMALLVILLE.
And speaking of SMALLVILLE, one of the most striking ingredients of Lex's story in BIRTHRIGHT is, like with the show, the restoration of the Luthor's Smallville connection and his early friendship with Clark. Arguably, the lifelong connection between the two protagonists makes Luthor's story all the more mythic, the intertwining of fates makes the tragedy all the more Greek. (More so than a connection to, say, Perry White. I mean, come on.) I think it works. Whatever the case, we get a portrayal of Luthor as realized and as considered as we ever have.
This was a dark issue, literally at times, and Leinil Yu uses the dark hues to produce an effect that's a bit dream-like (nightmarish?). (Again, consult the cover.) My own appreciation for Yu's work has become a bit strained the past few months I've been reading BIRTHRIGHT. I prefer something a little cleaner, something a little more conventionally pretty when it comes to Superman in his more majestic moments, and Yu's bulging eyes, prominent gums, and general scratchiness hasn't been cutting it. But BIRTHRIGHT #8 is not a Superman comic per se, it's a Lex Luthor one, and for Lex's origin story, it works just fine.
And so, I'm recommending it. For anyone with a passing interest in Superman, or to anyone with a taste for a more refined villain origin story, pick up BIRTHRIGHT #8. Of course, the problem with recommending a particular issue out of a limited series, or even an issue out of a storyarc, is that it's somewhat akin to recommending a chapter out of a book: If you read the chapter, you're subject to the nagging feeling that the experience was incomplete without the rest of the book. (And really, this story of Luthor actually began in BIRTHRIGHT #7.) But I think this issue is strong enough to stand alone, and, if this version of Luthor sticks, it's an important blueprint to understanding of the character in the future.
Cheap Shots!
SCOOTER GIRL #6 - If you've been reading this series, you know that Chynna
Clugston-Major has wonderfully capped off a fun, yet dark romantic comedy.
If you haven't been reading this series, well, the trade is now available
for pre-order at your local comic shop. Do yourself a favor and reserve a
copy. - Vroom Socko
ALPHA FLIGHT #1 (Vol. 80-Gabillion) - To me, ALPHA FLIGHT hit it's high point in the first twelve issues of the John Byrne run. Ever since then, we've seen rehashes, second stringers, conspiracy theory storylines, and who can forget Chuck "What the fuck?" Austen's Battle Suit Shogun Warrior version of the team from recent issues of his God-awful UNCANNY run? This time the book has writer Scott Lobdell, who actually shows, in this issue, that he is a dramatic storyteller who fully understands the medium with which he works and the culture that reads it. Self-aware, but not to the point of annoyance, this book is quirky and fun. Fans of Giffen's JLI and FORMERLY KNOWN AS JUSTICE LEAGUE now have a Marvel book to appreciate. Lobdell knows and respects that Byrne did it all with this team, and builds an all-new, all different Canadian super-team from that fact. Still, there's no Puck. No Shaman. Not even a Snowbird or a Pink Pearl. But it looks like that will be dealt with in the next issue, entitled "Um, This Isn't The Alpha Flight I Remember! Where's So-And-So?!" As long as the book delivers this level of absurdity, I'm going to be there. - Ambush Bug
GI JOE REBORN #1 - Man, am I enjoying the innards out of this clever reboot of the GI JOE series. This issue and it's sister book, COBRA REBORN, have lit a fire fueled by GI JOE interest under me that had been going out from reading issues of the GI JOE ongoing series. I don't recall ever reading how the Joes and Cobra came together, but this intriguing origin tale and fresh rehash of the characters is everything the often-uninspired ongoing regular series should be. This book is the prequel to the new GI JOE RELOADED ongoing; an Ultimate GI JOE book, if you will. After reading it, I can't wait to see what else the folks at Devils Due Publishing have planned for our favorite Joes and their fanged foes. - Ambush Bug
GOON #5 - A-GOONIE-GOO-GOO everyone! This Goon-erific series from the demented mind of Eric Powell is chock filled with everything that makes comics fun. Up until this point we've seen stand alone tales introducing us to different corners of the Goon-verse: a place where cartoons, zombies, talking animals, and just about whatever else Powell can think up with that nasty noggin' of his co-habitate and punch, fight, maim, and entertain this morning's breakfast right out of me on a consistent basis. Issue #5 pulls all of these elements together in one amazing "search and rescue" Mission: Impossible-like tale. The Goon and Frankie visit the turban-wearing Psychic Seal and proceed to beat the flippers off of it for barking smack about their mothers. It's wrong. It's absurd. But it's beautifully drawn, cleverly written, and some of the most fun you'll have reading comics. It's a blessing and a curse that there is nothing like THE GOON out there on the stands today. Read this book and shit yourself laughing. - Ambush Bug
And now for another edition of...
Cormorant here with round three of my semi-recurring appeal to non-manga fans to look past the giant robot and sex-change schlock and read the ass-kickingly cool manga stuff I'm pointing you to! This week's a theme week, and the theme is...BASKETBALL! Sports comics are commonplace in Japan, but Stateside, even among manga enthusiasts, they're pretty obscure. Which is precisely why I'm covering 'em.
For whatever arcane reason, it seems b-ball's the only sport deemed worthy of translation at the moment, so I went out and put my hands on four – yes, four – different basketball manga to give you guys a sampling. Admit it – you want to know, you've just got to know - how the hell do those crazy Easterners pull off a basketball comic?! Well I'll tell ya...
HARLEM BEAT Vol. 1-9
Writer/Artist: Yuriko Nishiyama
Publisher: Tokyopop
See the credits above? Yep, the creator of HARLEM BEAT's a lady – Yuriko Nishiyama - but check your prejudgments at the door, 'cause this book's the top dog basketball manga when it comes to courtside action. There's a touch of soap opera lurking behind the scenes, naturally, but it's distinctly second fiddle to the kinetic, moment-to-moment action that is...street hoops!
Our man in HARLEM BEAT is Nate Torres, high school freshman and benchwarming schlub. He's a nice enough little guy, but his defining trait is his utter lack of follow-through on anything he tries. He buys the Jordan high-top shoes, the autographed soccer balls – all the poser stuff - but gives up on his pursuits at the first sign of struggle. I instantly related.
What motivates Nate to get off his ass is that most longstanding of male motivators – the cute girl. Her name's Mizzy, and she's a sweetheart athletic type who half encourages, half shames Nate into joining her in a game of street basketball in the rough part of town. He's pretty pathetic, of course, but gets his first boost of confidence in an amazing sequence where he jumps, "airwalks" like Jordan, and scores a shot on the reigning king of the court - an enigmatic but good-hearted badass nicknamed "Shoe." Turns out Nate's got some raw, unrefined talent, and if you can believe it, the choreographed sequence of that one single jump shot runs a full EIGHT pages – not unusual in this series - and it's worth every damn one of them for the energy it gives off! As in the best sports movies, these key moments are fragmented into a slow-mo ballets of athleticism and personal struggle. Amidst the moments we get lots and lots of reaction shots, close-ups on tangles of arms and legs, hurled balls hanging in mid-air, and inevitably if the moment is big enough, a huge splash page payoff. It's cinematic in the best sense of the word.
And Yuriko can draw these scenes with total confidence. In classic manga tradition, the characters skew slightly towards exaggeration, but the b-ball trappings - the chain link fences and basketball nets and athletic gear are drawn and halftoned with near photorealism. What impresses me most, though, is how Yuriko keeps the action clean and easy-to-read. There's a great authenticity to these three-on-three games of street ball, from the plays themselves to the captured poses of the players, and a single game can run the equivalent of what would be several American comics. The viewer's rarely confused, though, despite being right in the heart of sports showdowns that are treated with all the hyperactive melodrama of clashing samurai armies.
On characterization: Nate and Miz are both perfectly likeable, he out to find his inner champion, she to put together a true team, but there's no great depth to them. The play is the thing here, and the driving force of HARLEM BEAT is the variety of courtside challenges they face. We're talking grueling championships, showdowns with Shoe's unbeaten trio, and even infighting with the final member of their team - Kyle "Oz" Ozman. Kyle's my favorite character, a perfect macho foil for his teammates' clean-cut personalities. He smokes, hangs with gangbangers, kicks his opponents when they piss him off, and only joins the team in the first place hoping to get under Mizzy's skirt. He's got a good heart, though, as we see in one of the series' almost transcendental action sequences. It sees Nate trying to duplicate for a crowd his Air Jordan dunk of the previous day, with a similar build-up of many pages and many cuts to riveted onlookers - only to have the ball glance off the rim at the last instant. Nate starts to fall, the look on his face so pained he might as well have been shot – and that's when we suddenly get a close-up on the ball with two pairs of hands trying to tip it in. It's Miz and Kyle (who'd been riding Nate just seconds earlier), both seemingly drawn into action by pure instinct to get that ball in!
They don't.
The ball rolls off the rim, but everyone in the crowd is totally energized by the moment (I was too), and the three make an instant connection that becomes the series' driving force.
HARLEM BEAT is not a particularly deep series but it's one of my absolute favorites. It's got more heart and pure visceral energy than just about any other comic - American, Japanese, or otherwise - I've ever seen. And it's an ongoing story, so lots of room to play around within the formula. Some of the best moments are simple courtside acts, brought to life through expert staging: a miniscule tip of the ball that blocks a key shot, a perfect no-look pass, a painfully heroic leap into chairs to keep a ball from going out, or a slam dunk that's so astounding that even the ref has to have a beat panel of looking dumbfounded before he can say, "Wow." But we also get fun recruitment scenes (how to bring in the asshole who's only interested in money?), constantly changing group tactics, novelty teams like the all-girls group who flaunt their bodies as a tactic, and even a brutal off-court fist fight with a rival team.
Some folks will find the upbeat spirit of the series a little hokey on occasion – I call it a welcome change of pace. My only semi-serious gripe is with the occasional super-cartoony panels used to lighten the book. It's a common enough manga tradition – those little Charlie Brown interpretations of characters that crack wise – and I've just never cared for it.
Bottom line, however: HARLEM BEAT is the gold medal winner when it comes to American sports manga. I enthusiastically recommend this addictive nine-volume series to anyone with even a slight interest in the genre, though you may have to order the series online. Sadly, it's been crowded off the shelves by newer manga at many stores, including its sequel...
REBOUND Vol. 1-2
Writer/Artist: Yuriko Nishiyama
Publisher: Tokyopop
Gritty street hoops defined much of Yuriko Nishiyama's HARLEM BEAT, but volumes six through nine saw Nate Torres bringing the skills he'd learned in street competitions to actual high school basketball. Showy individualism began to fall by the wayside in favor of deeper team tactics, and pals Miz and Kyle moved to the background as official teammates took the fore. REBOUND is HARLEM BEAT's direct sequel, picking up where it's predecessor left off with Nate and the Johnan High School headed for Japan's National Basketball Championship representing Tokyo.
In many ways, the series' formula remains the same, with something like 85% of the pages given over to hoops and 15% to off-court antics and characterization. It's a little frustrating at times, despite the level of craftsmanship. I found myself wanting more backstories on characters largely defined by their style and quirks, but at the same time, you've got to admire the series' total dedication to the adrenaline of the game. Volume two, for example, is 180 pages devoted to one single grueling game! The second half of a game begun in the first volume, no less!
Johnan's opponents this time are the tanned, thuggish players from the Kyan Marine Industry Team representing Okinawa. "Looks like they just escaped prison," as one of the clean-cut Johnan kids notes. And indeed, the Kyan team has its own backstory as punks who went to school near an American military base in Okinawa. They earned their chops going up against adult soldiers in street hoops, and as with many of the series' major opponents, Yuriko makes them a sympathetic group behind their roughneck antics. They're also all visually distinctive, another series strength. One guy spikes his hair like a mohawk, another wears his ultra long. Then there are the two twins that talk like the mutants in DARK KNIGHT RETURNS, and one bald giant in the group. They even have a distinctive playing style to match their thuggish looks, with every position playing a de facto point guard so aggressively that Johnan's defense is simply overwhelmed trying to keep up with all the potential scorers. Ah, but a single one of them has to be calling the plays, and if he can be checked...
The tactics get pretty deep in this game. I lost a little bit of interest in the transition from HARLEM BEAT to REBOUND, preferring the more personality-driven three-on-three games of the former, but I admire the series' learning curve: open with simplified street ball – ideal for a dork like me who rarely follows basketball in real life – and then ease the reader into the more complex world of an official game with ten players and a full court. And Yuriko still plays up the personalities, if not quite to the over-the-top level of HARLEM BEAT. She even throws a potential love interest Nate's way in the form of a female player who's an ace on the court, a klutz everywhere else.
Like all the most recent Tokyopop books, REBOUND reads right-to-left – no problemo. Less appealing is the fact that the sound effects are no longer translated, leaving me wondering if those giant kanji characters indicate cheering, booing, panting...what?! I guess with the huge push to bring over as much manga to America as quickly as possible, niceties like sound effect translations are destined to be lost under the excuse of authenticity (yeah it's authentic, but how is it helping the story?). I hate it, though. The rowdy, sound-effect-heavy atmosphere of HARLEM BEAT contributed a lot to the energy it gave off, and it's slightly diminished sans translation.
I'm still onboard, though. I love the moment-to-moment action, love Yuriko's artistic talent for making Johnan's foes look utterly ruthless (lots of worm's-eye-views of them as looming giants), and frankly, I'm drawn into the classic "what happens next?" quality that manga does so well. It's not HARLEM BEAT, but it's pretty close, and the increasingly complex (and even exhausting) games counterbalance some of my criticisms. Even if you can't find back issue volumes of HARLEM BEAT, sure to enrich the reading experience, REBOUND stands reasonably on its own. I'm just getting around to playing catch up, m'self, but the series is approaching the double digits, topping out at eleven volumes I believe.
SLAM DUNK Vol. 1
Writer/Artist: Inoue Takehiko
Publisher: Gutsoon! Entertainment
Now this book was a struggle. Apparently SLAM DUNK volumes have sold more than 100 million copies worldwide – dear GOD! – but I had to work just to get through its opening chapter. It's far more a comedy than HARLEM BEAT and REBOUND, and maybe that's the problem. Maybe the comedy's just not translating to my Western sensibilities. Or maybe 100 million people just picked a shitty manga to rally around.
Sakuragi Hanamichi is a tall, athletic student with red hair and good looks, but he's lovesick because he can't ever seem to hook up with a girl. Precisely why, with his good looks, is never explained, which is pretty lame considering it's at the heart of the series' premise. Sure, he's kind of an idiot delinquent type, but...actually shouldn't he be getting more girls if that's the case? Anyway, Sakuragi is realistically drawn, while his scheming high school cronies are always drawn as a cartoonish mob following him around, always quick to remind him that he's been dumped fifty times in a row. Yep, fifty. The series is laden with exaggeration – talking almost Benny Hill levels of slapstickery and pratfalls here - so much so that it's hard to take any of it seriously.
The life-changing event in Sakuragi's story comes when a cute girl asks him if he likes basketball, which of course has him instantly determined to wow her with his greatness on the court. Too bad he knows nothing about the game, but that's not gonna stop him! Like some hulking Lucy Ricardo, he begins scheming to make his way onto the team any which way but through practice. Every once in a while, the book had me chuckling – most notably when Sakuragi tries his first slam dunk and, after a huge build-up, slams his head right into the backboard in the process. Another time, he tackles the basketball coach in a fit of frustration and – boing! – accidentally pulls his pants down in front of the assembled student body.
So, yeah – that level of humor. Benny Hill, Jackie Chan kind of stuff. And sometimes the timing is juuuuust good enough to make it work, but most of the time, Sakuragi's lovelorn antics are just repetitive. Very little actual game action in this one, either, being more of a high school romantic farce with a lout as the leading man and basketball as the random backdrop.
And did I mention that everyone shouts everything like a hopped-up Stan Lee narrator, circa 1963? It's actually wearying. I'm not sure what those 100 million readers are seeing that I'm not. Is this one of those series where I need to read five or six volumes to get to the "good stuff"? I'm more inclined to figure the sales numbers are part of some kind of conspiracy, the same way all the Scientologist loonies buy up multiple copies of DIANETICS to give the impression that their cult is actually...umm...a super-cult.
Caveat emptor.
GIRL GOT GAME Vol. 1
Writer/Artist: Shizuru Seino
Publisher: Tokyopop
Okay, this one I threw in just to showcase the variety you'll find even within what we'd consider the offbeat genre of sports. The title of the series should be a clue – yep, this baby's a romance! It's straight up shojo – girls' manga, that is – complete with the gender-bending trappings and hints of gay love that are all but commonplace in that world. The wacky premise aside, it's a moderately charming piece with stylish, minimalist cartooning.
And it's clear series' creator Shizuru Seino knows the premise is outrageous, as she gets it out of the way within the first two pages and pretty much never questions it again. It's actually pretty funny, a deliberately goofy explosion of exposition that's a total 180 from the decompressed style that typifies manga. Howls teenage girl Kyo's anguished father, streams of tears comically streaming from his eyes:
"As a young man, my dream was to someday play in the NBA. I dedicated every waking moment to that goal... Until my Achilles tendon tore, tearing my dream from me, too. But it's not too late for you to live my dream, Kyo!"
And away we go! Kyo wants to wear pretty clothes, find a nice boyfriend – all the usual standards – but a page or two later and she's ready to honor her pop's vicarious dream by living out a sports-themed variant of the classic '80s gender-bender, JUST ONE OF THE GUYS. With a haircut, her breasts strapped down, and her minimal curves hidden beneath the folds of the school uniform, she's good to go, and even has one or two female students flushing when she looks their way. Ah, the Japanese girls do seem to love the pretty boys, even if they're actually boyish girls. I like the manga tradition of indicating the flush of attraction with little "th-thUMP" sounds effects floating over characters chests. It's nicely evocative.
At the Seisyu Academy, famous for its basketball program, she meets Chiharu, a pretty looking guy with a surly temper. And yet he seems so happy when he's playing basketball...his snappish exterior lost amidst boyish enthusiasm – YEP , she's found her fixer-upper! Conveniently enough, he also ends up her roommate at the dorms. When he's away, she's sneaking in showers and uniform changes and hiding her used sanitary napkins (I know I'm supposed to say "ick" here, but details like that are among the many reasons why manga has such a strong female following). When he is around, she's trying to break through his rough exterior and figure out why he doesn't seem so interested in the cute girls who throw themselves at him (hmmm...). Even in this first volume, they begin to bond, and to no one's surprise, we even see the "th-thUMP, th-thUMP" sound coming off of Chiharu as he becomes closer to Kyo, still presumed to be a boy.
This is very much stock romance stuff, specifically a stock shojo romance with its queer subtext, shifting romantic triangles, hurt/comfort back-and-forthings, and sudden, dramatic breaks in friendships. For what it is, though, it's got a decent bit of heart and Kyo's earnestness and empathy are endearing. The art is wispy, ethereal, and sensual – again, typically shojo – and effective for it. Japanese comics are light years beyond American comics in conveying the subtleties of emotion purely through visuals, especially abstract backgrounds indicative of emotional states.
My biggest problem with GIRL GOT GAME is that all the damn characters look alike! With their downy heads of Backstreet Boys hair, I had to keep asking myself questions like, "Now is he the one whose hair ends at his eyebrows or whose hair hangs slightly over his eyebrows?" and "Could the entire cast possibly look more androgynous?"
Like SLAM DUNK, basketball is very tangential to the storyline, at least in this first volume. It figures into the story only insofar as it relates to relationships and personalities. It defines Chiharu's good qualities, for instance, and during one game, Kyo tries to help Chiharu reconcile with an old girlfriend by inviting her to watch Chiharu play.
I'd have to say this one's almost strictly for the young ladies, or anyone whose buttons are pushed by gender-bending romantic themes. Not my bag, but it's a solid offering.
Previous BIG EYES columns:
Reviews of PLANETES, BERSERK, and SHAOLIN SOCCER.
Reviews of .HACK, BUDDHA, and STAR WARS manga
