| #29 | 12/01/04 | #3 |
Boy o boy, do we have a massive column for all of you this week! Ambush Bug here, welcoming you to a very special AICN COMICS! Not only do we have a ton of reviews from your favorite @$$holes, but we also have another movie review from our very own mascot Schleppy the Monkey, and the Third Annual @$$hole Christm@$$ List! Looks like Christmas is coming a little early this year, folks! Enjoy this week’s pull!
(Click title to go directly to the review)
BLADE THE VAMPIRE SLAYER: BLACK & WHITE TPB
SCHLEPPY’S MOOBIE REVIEW: BLADE TRINITY
DETECTIVE COMICS #801
NEW AVENGERS #1
THE AWAKENING
ESSENTIAL SUPER-VILLAIN TEAM-UP VOL 1
HUMAN TARGET STRIKE ZONES TPB
THE ULTIMATES 2 #1
DOC FRANKENSTEIN #1
DEADSHOT #1
THE @$$HOLES’ CHRISTM@$$ LIST
BLADE THE VAMPIRE SLAYER : BLACK & WHITE TPB
Written by Marv Wolfman, Chris Claremont, James Felder & Christopher Golden
Art by Gene Colan, Tony DeZuniga, Ladronn
Published by Marvel
Reviewed by Buzz Maverik
MUTTERING : ...stupid BLADE TRINITY coming out in theaters makin' me have to rush reading this tpb so I could review it in a timely manner...
I often draw inspiration from the greatest character that writer Marv Wolfman and artist Gene Colan created specifically for the great, 1970s Marvel horror comic TOMB OF DRACULA. This character, which kept that series fresh and exciting, once said, "I hate research. I like to make up my own true facts."
Okay, I think hack writer Harold H. Harold was Wolfman and Colan's greatest TOD creation. Everyone else thinks it's Blade. And I must admit, I think Blade is pretty great myself.
Hating research, I believe that Marv Wolfman, one of the true greats of the Bronze Age who is still one of the true greats today, filed a lawsuit against Marvel and the producers of the BLADE movies. I don't know how it was settled, but I hope that Wolfman won. And I hope that artist Gene Colan or his family was represented. As long as the original creators live, work for hire is always going to be an issue. Unfortunately, the issue has lead to "reimaginings." Nobody wants to create a new character and sign it over to a publishing company forever.
There's the law, there's contracts, and there's the fact that BLADE, the character whom many acknowledged as saving Marvel with the movies, was created by the two guys who did most of TOD.
I've never actually seen a BLADE movie. I've-been-busy-shoot-me. Nothing against 'em, although Stephen Dorff as Deacon Frost? Why do they cast Stephen Dorff as villains whom guys like Snipes in BLADE and Harvey Keitel in CITY O' INDUSTRY could easily wipe out. Even though he's obnoxious, Dorff is an under-used and under-rated actor, but he is not as scary as the guys he's fighting in the movies.
Blade was always ahead of his time. Wolfman created and wrote him as a non-stereotypical African American in the days when black characters usually had the word "black" in front of their superhero names, i.e. Black Green Lantern. At the same time, Blade was not created as a politically correct statement. He was the son of a prostitute who'd been bitten by a vampire. Blessed with an immunity to the bite of vampires, he shared many of their abilities. His primary weapons were wooden knives. I know, I know, but it's much cooler than it sounds. Additionally, Blade had sex with strippers, always cool but not as mainstream as it is today (for those who can pull it off!). Remember, TOD was a comic that sold in places like RexAll Drugstores and supermarkets, about thirty years ago. My theory is that Marvel got away with this dark, adult material because it didn't make a big deal about it like they do today.
The stories in BLADE THE VAMPIRE SLAYER: BLACK & WHITE weren't in comics in the spinner rack at the SafeWay, nosireema'am. They were in a line of black and white magazines that were put out under the name of Curtis Publishing so no one would know they were Marvel Comics. You found them in the magazine section of the mini-mart and they were usually read by the kind of guy who would never read four-color comics. We're talking bikers, truckers and that guy up the street who sold pot and had the van with Frazetta Frost Giant mural on the sides.
As a serious Marvel Zombie, I give Marvel a lot of shit these days because I want Marvel to be as good as it can be. I'm like a John Wayne or Jack Webb drill sergeant that way. I'm tough because I want the best. But I have nothing but praise for Marvel for their new policy of releasing this great, almost lost material, material that is often edgier and more mature than today's comics.
I don't want to sound like a PR flack, but with BLADE THE VAMPIRE SLAYER: BLACK & WHITE, you're going to get exciting artwork and tough action/horror stories. You're going to get the maturity and darkness that you're looking for.
Like I said, I've never seen a BLADE movie, but the filmmakers have a lot to live up to if they're going to match the work in this tpb.
Greetings. I am the Moderator, the omniscient and lonely voice of reason haunting the halls of @$$hole HQ. In this special segment, we hand the keyboard over to our very own mascot, Schleppy the Monkey. The @$$holes don’t really do movie reviews, but that doesn’t stop our stinky little friend from putting on his special hat that allows him to talk and tapping reviews out himself. So prepare yourself for…
or “How the hell did that monkey get into the movie theater?!?” Take it away, Schlep.
Buh-naners! Schleppy go see BLADE TRINITY. Not enough Kong Fooey in moobie. What Blade thinking not doing lots of Kong Fooey in BLADE moobie? Why so many babies thrown in air in slo mo? Schleppy not understand why Dracalla dressed like lead singer of Creed. Creed scary but not in scary way. Schleppy sad when Willie Nelson died. Willie Nelson’s daughter made Schleppy’s diaper tight. Burt Reynolds was good. He funny in moobie like in VAN HAGAR. Moobie not same if Burt Reynolds not in it. Moobie loud and make Schleppy’s ears hurt. Schleppy put diaper on head to make noisy music stop. Now Schleppy’s head stink AND ears hurt. Schleppy like BLADE and BLADE II better, but if Blade said “Always bet on black.” in BLADE TRINITY, Schleppy would like BLADE TRINITY best.
Buh-naners!
DETECTIVE COMICS #801
Writer: David Lapham
Penciller: Ramon Bachs
Publisher: DC Comics
Reviewer: Sleazy G
I’ve heard some good things about STRAY BULLETS, David Lapham’s long-running independently published crime comic. However, having never actually read the book, I wasn’t sure what to expect of his work on a mainstream DC title. He’s off to a strong start with the first part of this 12-issue run, though, laying the groundwork for a complex and involved story with plenty of room to grow out in several directions at once.
Lapham throws a lot of different plot threads at the reader and he doesn’t waste any time doing it. We see several problems that Batman helps resolve—breaking up a domestic squabble, stopping a mugging, and taking out some dealers who just killed the guy Bats was after. We also see several he doesn’t manage to get to in time—looting a store, a brief gang-related skirmish, and most importantly a fire in an apartment building Batman couldn’t get to in time. It appears as if the fire was an accident but there may have been more going on there than we realize. Batman isn’t around to deal with those problems because he’s in dogged pursuit of a spoiled little rich kid—you know the kind. Mid to late 20’s, no job because he’s a trust-fund baby—a complete waste of time who lives to drink and do drugs while somebody else foots the bill. Only this time his actions have cost somebody their life. It turns out this particular somebody is a 14-year-old debutante who likes older men on the party scene and ended up O.D.’ing on heroin. She hits on Bruce Wayne at a business function of one of his rivals, and he realizes instantly what a lost, broken child she is, so when she turns up dead he feels obligated to track down those responsible.
Yeah, that’s some heavy shit right there. Lapham’s definitely going to be working with some of the costumed supervillains in this storyline—a few are scheduled to show up next month—but he’s rooting the story in some very dark, very real-world situations. It may be a bit much for those who prefer the comics a few extra steps removed from reality. I don’t think there’s a Batman fan anywhere, though, who hasn’t come to realize that if they were Bruce Wayne, they’d have no choice but to go after dealers, thugs, rapists and child molesters, and they’d come at this scum hard. These are the people in Gotham who keep a lower profile because they don’t go out in public wearing brightly colored outfits and masks, but they commit crimes that are just as heinous as what Bats is used to confronting. Finding out how the connections can be traced from these street-level criminals to those at the top of Gotham’s criminal food chain should make for a good read and it demonstrates pretty clearly that Lapham took the book’s title to heart. This storyline isn’t going to be all utility belts and Batplanes; it’s going to require some serious digging for Bruce to figure out what’s going on. I like seeing Batman in the kind of whiz-bang, brightly colored story Grant Morrison is telling in JLA: CLASSIFIED once in a while, but for me it’s the detective aspect of the character I really dig, so I’m definitely looking forward to whatever’s coming next.
Lapham’s writing style is a bit wordy, and there are one or two points where it doesn’t quite click or feels a bit unwieldy. For the most part, though, it’s pretty good. Sure, it’s dismal and depressing, but it’s well-written and evocative. Like certain other writers in the past, he takes the approach of writing Gotham as if it were a living, breathing thing with moods of its own, making decisions and putting events into motion. This idea, that the city itself is at odds with Bruce as much as his rogues are, is also one with a lot of potential. It frames the story out in such a way that it can be viewed as a metaphor for man’s constant struggle against entropy. It raises the question of whether such a battle can ever be won, and heroes are defined by their refusal to surrender to an unavoidable force, not whether they are ever actually able to claim victory.
Plus Bats is totally badass in this comic. He uses a batarang to drag one dude behind a truck, and then he kicks the shit outta these other dudes in their apartment and out onto the fire escape. It woulda been even more killer if somebody got curb-stomped, or if Robin dropped a bunch of guys with that collapsible bo stick he has, but we got like eleven more issues, so here’s hopin’. After all, the heavy subject matter, noir writing, and philosophical implications are pretty much irrelevant if the book doesn’t have at least a few beatdowns, and Lapham shows he definitely knows his way around those too.
For the last few years, DETECTIVE has also featured an eight-page backup story along with the main 22-page story. This issue features the first in a four-part story by LUCIFER and HELLBLAZER’s Mike Carey. It’s a story of a group of carnies who stop in a town well outside of Gotham City limits (since the death of the Flying Graysons, it’s explained, everybody goes around Gotham instead of through it) and set up camp, only to find one of their own murdered outside a tent while everybody’s watching the big show. When it becomes apparent the local cops are going to be of no help, the carnies decide to handle things themselves. It’s just the opening chapter, so there hasn’t been much going on yet. It’s worth mentioning, though, for long-time DC fans. See, apparently the story is going to lead to the return of a Golden Age character. Oh, and the name of the carnival is Brand’s. Could be a matter of misdirection, making us think we’re going to see the return of Deadman and then giving us something else instead—or not. I haven’t hunted down any rumors yet, so I don’t know one way or the other, but if you’re a longtime fan of Deadman (which I am), this may be something to keep an eye on.
I had no idea what to expect when I picked this issue up. What I found was a solidly crafted main story that has the potential to cover a lot of ground in Gotham before it’s wrapped up and a backup story that may serve as a draw for old-school fans of one of DC’s stranger characters. If you’re not a regular reader or you got scared off by the “War Games” crossover, this is worth checking out. Sure, it’s still Batman, but it’s a much different approach than we’ve seen taken with the character in a while, and it looks like it has the makings of an impressive arc.
NEW AVENGERS #1
Writer: Brian Michael Bendis
Pencils: David Finch
Inks: Danny Miki
Publisher: Marvel
Glutton for Punishment: Ambush Bug
”What?” you say, “Another Ambush Bug review of THE AVENGERS so soon after he blasted AVENGERS FINALE ? Why the hell does he keep reading Bendis’ work if he doesn’t like it?” Yeah, like I haven’t heard that one before. But the thing Bendis and his followers (which I have dubbed the Bendii) don’t seem to understand is that we write comic book reviews here at AICN COMICS! and right now Bendis is the “it” guy in comics. If we didn’t cover his stuff, we wouldn’t really be doing our jobs, now, would we? And that means that sometimes we read books that we don’t like. So yes, this is another Bendis review from that guy @$$hole who doesn’t really like Bendis’ work, but reads it anyway and sometimes has something to comment on. Since the rest of the @$$holes have chosen to protest the abomination that was “Avengers Disassembled” by not buying this book, it’s up to little ol’ me to bite the bullet and cover it.
The thing is, I didn’t think THE NEW AVENGERS #1 was all that bad. But I’ll get to that in a bit. Let’s start with the bad of this issue and then we’ll end on a positive note.
What frustrated me the most about this book is that Bendis doesn’t really care about anything other than this little nook he’s carved out for himself in the Marvel Universe. There are two specific things that really annoyed me about this book, causing me to explode in sudden bursts of frustration and anger. First we get an appearance from Matt Murdock, who does more in this issue of THE NEW AVENGERS than he has done in the last two issues of his own book AND ALL HE DOES IS WALK DOWN A FRIKKIN’ HALLWAY!. I’m not sure why, but the focus was mainly on him and Foggy in this issue (two people who aren’t even on the new line-up…or are they?). Look for more “action” of this sort in future issues when Foggy is trapped with the inmates at Rykers Island. That’s exactly what I come to expect when I pick up an issue of the AVENGERS: not team action, not Ultron, not even the Great Lakes Avengers. Oh no, I want more Foggy Nelson. This issue just didn’t feel like an AVENGERS book because, aside from three panels of Captain America, nary an Avenger appeared.
But don’t forget, I said above that I’d get to the part I liked about the book, so sit tight, while I talk about one other infuriating detail.
The second thing is that The Purple Man is apparently incarcerated at Ryker’s Island Superhuman Penitentiary in this issue DESPITE THE FACT THAT THE PURPLE MAN APPEARED FREE AS O.J. JUST LAST WEEK IN THUNDERBOLTS #2! I really have to take Marvel to task on this one. I would really love to know what it is that the editors at Marvel actually do because they don’t seem to be doing their job at all. To me, it seems as if they are nothing but talent scouts and ego fluffers. Any editor worth a lick would have caught that the Purple Man is in another book right this very minute and told Bendis that he couldn’t use him just yet. The books appeared on the shelves a week apart. The buzz at last year’s WIZARDWORLD CHICAGO COMIC CON was that Marvel was moving back to a more cohesive universe again. It was said that events in one book were going to resonate in other books. I guess if that means books that Bendis is involved with, this is happening, but the rest of the Marvel Universe? Not so much.
Hold your horses, though, folks, I promise the good is coming. In the meantime, let’s talk about that magic word called pacing.
On top of these tiny things, the story was extremely slow paced. The issue was drawn out with the usual Bendis-speak. Characters shot words balloons back and forth in an over-extended manner and once again I walked away from a Marvel book feeling empty; as if I’d read the first part of something that I didn’t know if I liked or disliked because not enough happened. This is a feeling that has been happening more and more in recent years at Marvel. Comics are supposed to be like the classic serials, teasing you to come back next time for more. I’m as big a sucker as the next guy for a good cliffhanger. The problem is that nothing really happens in this issue aside from build-up. What’s to make me think that things are going to change next issue? Bendis is the king of the build-up leading to the let-down. He’s like every date I had in high school. Everything that happened in this issue was a tease, a promise for something to occur in the next issue. I’m sick of reading books that serve as nothing but filler leading into the next issue of placatable fluff. Why can’t some thing happen in each issue to move the story along? Why can’t these stories stand on their own AND tell a bigger story at the same time? This issue was drawn out and paced like the slowest of movies. Bendis’ lack of imagination shows in every panel. These dynamic heroes are not being used to their potential and these stories could be so much more, but instead we get an inundation of word balloons, panel after panel of inaction, and a promise of something that never comes.
I know I promised you all that I’d get to the positive stuff, but now that the end of the review is here, I realize that there really isn’t much that I liked about this book. Sorry for the promise and the letdown, but now you know how I felt after reading this issue.
THE AWAKENING
Neal Shaffer: Writer
Luca Genovese: Artist
Oni Press: Publisher
Vroom Socko: Dozing
Horror tends to be a rather hard sell for me when it comes to comics. I guess I just don’t find much to be scared of in two-dimensional drawings. Oh there are exceptions: books like From Hell, various issues of The Gift, anything with both “Dracula” in the title and Gene Colan in the credits. That stuff spooks me. But not much beyond that tends to get my hairs to stand up. This, then, might explain my mixed reaction to the latest digest book from Oni.
THE AWAKENING is the story of Francesca, the new student at Grenrock Academy. She quickly makes several friends in her English class, as well as attracting some admiration from her teacher. Francesca’s a bit of a latchkey kid, so she readily welcomes these new friendships into her somewhat empty life. But then, while on her way to school, she stumbles across the bloody body of a fellow student. And the killer is still in the area, as Francesca is quickly bludgeoned into a coma. In this state, she is somehow able to see the rest of her friends’ deaths as well. She knows when they’re going to die, and how. But there’s nothing she can do to stop it. All she can do is watch them die, one by one.
Writer Neil Shaffer’s got an interesting concept running here, I’ll give him that. Inspired by Italian giallo films, the first half of the book is taunt, creepy, and pretty damn twisted. Unfortunately, midway the book starts to turn into some sort of FROM HELL-Lite. There’s a distracted cop, a secret society within the school, and the killer’s motives are never clearly revealed. As a result, the book doesn’t really end so much as slowly fade away. This is unfortunate, since the initial going was so strong.
Now the art, on the other hand, is a different story.
Luca Genovese black and white line work is what is commonly referred to as spooky shit. I’ve seen people killed in comics before, but excluding the aforementioned FROM HELL, they’ve never been this bloody, this suspenseful. There’s a page where one student is murdered while entering her car that is as perfect a death scene you’ll see in comics. While the story may not have been as strong as I’d like, the art makes this worth at least a read-through. The bad news is that now I have to hunt down this man’s work in Italian comics, and I can’t read Italian!
But then, there is the good news that this duo have plans for two more books in the giallo style. So there are two more books I’ll be taking a look at. While this volume may not have been the strongest story out there, it did pique my curiosity for more of this style of horror. I may have reservations about this book, but that’s not going to stop me from reserving the next one.
ESSENTIAL SUPER-VILLIAN TEAM UP VOL. 1
Written by Bill Mantlo, Steve Engelhart, Gerry Conway, Larry Lieber, Roy Thomas, Jim Shooter, Tony Isabella, Peter Gillis
Art by Herb Trimpe, Bob Hall, Gene Colan, George Perez, George Tuska, Keith Giffen, Wally Wood, Carmine Infantino, John Buscema, Larry Lieber, George Evans, Jim Shooter, Arvell Jones
Published by Marvel
Reviewed by Buzz Maverik
One thing I've got to hand Joe Quesada's Marvel is that it is starting to bring out the old material, the lost stuff. We can bitch about the disregard of continuity in modern Marvel comics, but how can you bitch too much when the old stuff is available?
The question about many of the recent Marvel essentials is the same: is this really essential? With ESSENTIAL SUPER VILLAIN TEAM UP, the answer is: a small portion of it.
The 1970s series SUPER-VILLAIN TEAM UP is ideal for a 2004 volume of the Essentials. It is a series that fits into one, over sized black and white volume. A great deal of it was very good, but the book was troubled by revolving door creative teams. Still, at the time, it was the only way you could see the Sub-Mariner and Dr. Doom in Marvel Comics.
The best thing about this volume is that several earlier Dr. Doom solo stories from ASTONISHING TALES are included. These have seldom, if ever, been reprinted. This series is essential. It features awesome artwork, particularly by Gene Colan and Wally Wood. The best story is Dr. Doom vs. the Black Panther. Doom and T'Challa, both being monarchs, geniuses, and superior athletes are natural antagonists. The vibranium angle in Wakanda is a little tiresome, but you've got to give Doom and the Panther some reason to fight. Another stand out story is Doom's encounter with the Red Skull, who would later turn the tables on Vic in SVTU.
The Essentials aren't necessarily in chronological order, so we could say that an ESSENTIAL SUB-MARINER should have come first. We're lucky, though, that SVTU caught Namor at an interesting point in his history. He'd lost his ability to breathe out of the water and functioned only while wearing a Black Bolt-like suit designed by Reed Richards (probably an effort to make him look a little more superheroish). Most his subjects were in comas and the rest of his supporting cast was living on an island called Hydrobase and made up of human/amphibian hybrids.
Doom and Subby tormented each other throughout the entire run of SVTU. Standout stories include those by writer Steve Engelhart and artist Herb Trimpe, which feature conflicts with the Fantastic Four and guest star former U.S. Secretary of State Dr. Henry Kissinger. Writer Bill Mantlo and artist Bob Hall give us an outstanding rematch between Doom and the Skull, guest starring Captain America; and Doom and Magneto tangling with both the Avengers and short lived L.A. based super group the Champions. To me, this was some of the best writing Bill Mantlo ever did. Other highlights include a crossover with THE AVENGERS featuring George Perez artwork.
HUMAN TARGET: STRIKE ZONES TPB
Writer: Peter Milligan
Artist: Javier Pulido
Publisher: DC Comics/Vertigo
Reviewed by Dave Farabee
This is round three in my ongoing reviews of the four current HUMAN TARGET trades, the first review to be found here, the second here.
The upside to setting myself to reviewing all four of the HUMAN TARGET trades is that, as a reader, I’ve discovered a kick-ass new Vertigo series to follow. Mighty cool. The downside is that, as a reviewer, I was kinda hoping the series would be a bit more uneven. You know, maybe a stinker of a story hidden between the good stuff? Some cringe-inducing dialogue so I could write, “Milligan’s good, but he’s not perfect…” See, the problem is that reviewing every issue of a book that’s always great makes for snooze-worthy reading. It’s why I’m not reviewing FABLES every month despite the fact that that series owns all our asses.
So apologies, y’all, ‘cause guess what? The third HUMAN TARGET collection (the first one to collect the monthly series) is just as good as what’s come before. Dammit! It’s clear that I can just wholeheartedly recommend the series by this point, but don’t move on just yet…we haven’t talked about baseball and steroids yet!
Yep, baseball and steroids. I can’t really call writer Peter Milligan prescient for doing a story on the subject a year before the current Barry Bonds scandal – that dam had to break at some point – but he’s timely to say the least. “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” is actually the final story in the trade, a two-parter that begins with the suicide of a Major Leaguer. He’s a Cuban immigrant who seems to embody the American Dream…at least until the gambling syndicate puts the heat on him to throw a game or risk them revealing evidence of his steroid abuse. He won’t bend over, though. Hits the game-winning homer, goes home…kills himself.
Our man, Christopher Chance – disguise expert extraordinaire – is called in by the team’s owner to try to root out the cause of the player’s suicide. This puts him in the mildly curious position of disguising himself as a black player who’s in a slump – an insider, definitely, but not a guy who’ll be called to play while Chance is imitating him. “I have a very un-American ambivalence toward baseball,” Chance warns the owner, but the owner reminds him that the New York ball team has come to represent the city’s fighting spirit in the wake of 9/11 – enough persuasion for him to give the case a go.
Gotta be a curve ball in the mix though, and in this case it comes about from a surprising turn of events that actually puts Chance on the field for one of the best nail-biters in recent comic history. How to keep his cover without revealing he knows precisely squat about playing ball?
Casting Chance as such an outsider to the game not only fits the character’s semi-elitism – he’s more wine and brie than beer and pretzels – but also casts him as an objective viewer of the game’s scandals. There’s a recurring nod to legendary hitter Ted Williams, known for his scientific approach to hitting, and Chance’s final comments about Ted and his cryogenically frozen body (true story) are a hilariously crass summation of his conclusions. Of course the story also has HUMAN TARGET’s trademark psychological twists and gunplay, so don’t worry if you’re not a big sports geek. I wasn’t and I still loved it.
Jumping back a bit, the first story’s almost a denouement to the graphic novel HUMAN TARGET: FINAL CUT. That story left Chance in a truly bizarre situation where it seemed he might’ve literally forgotten who he was, content to assume the identity of a dead Hollywood producer and live out the rest of his life in that guise. There’s a small part of him that knows something’s wrong, though, and so he subconsciously sets in motion a dangerous chain of events to “wake” himself up. There’s a neat subtext about both the numbing and motivating influences of ultra-violence in movies, appropriately marking the conclusion to Chance’s L.A. lifestyle and setting up the nomadic adventuring of the ongoing series.
The third story in the trade – yes, third; Milligan writes ‘em dense and potent! - features an encounter with a New Yorker who’s got identity issues to rival Chance’s. The guy’s a Wall Street investor who was on the verge of getting busted for shady pocket-lining when 9/11 changed everything for him. A bit of luck saved him from dying in the Trade Center, but he’s presumed dead and uses the event as an opportunity to make a break from his old life and let his family collect on his insurance policy. A year later, though, and things are different. He’s been living a hard life on the streets and comes to Chance’s attention when he begins making plans to take down the CEOs who did far worse than him and never paid any penance for it. Does Chance help the guy avenge himself against seemingly deserving targets? And if the guy’s no angel himself, is Chance in a position to judge him when the man’s desire for a new life is so reflective of Chance’s own demons?
One of the things that’s compelling about HUMAN TARGET is that, while it never loses its action/suspense movie trappings, the stories derive their bite through morally gray situations that always, always invite reader identification. The situations are larger-than-life, but the ethical questions boil down to the same dilemmas that tempt us every day.
Javier Pulido’s art is in ultra-minimalist mode here, notably more pared down than his work on HUMAN TARGET: FINAL CUT. And I like it but I don’t love it. The man’s anatomy is immaculate and he can still break down a scene like nobody’s business, but he trades the detail and weight of FINAL CUT’s art for iconic simplicity. It’s an interesting change no doubt (purely aesthetic or motivated by the demands of the monthly grind?), especially given the trade’s iconic themes of baseball, 9/11, and even violent movies – yet I miss the series’ previous visual lushness. I also missed Dave Stewart’s painterly coloring from FINAL CUT.
These are the biggest complaints I can muster, gang, and I still think the book’s pretty nice to look at. Next week we cover the fourth and final HUMAN TARGET trade to date. I’m probably gonna like that one too, but in the interests of dramatic writing, I’ll do my damnedest to find something to get pissed at.
No promises.
THE ULTIMATES 2 # 1
Written by Mark Millar
Art by Bryan Hitch
Published by Marvel
Thought About By Buzz Maverik
I'm channeling Don Carlos who is channeling Don Juan who is channeling John Byrne. Chew enough peyote and you will see Mescalito, a deity seen dancing over crop circles. Chew even more and you get a grumpy Canadian artist writer who might say something like: It's not the Ultimates 2. Why are they pretending they're doing movies ? It's the next issue of the ULTIMATES, whatever number it's supposed to be...I lost issue count after that sucky issue where the Skrull talked from cover to cover telling the Wasp his plans. Figured I'd pick up when the book looked good again and now they're pretending it's a movie sequel. Movie sequels suck. Why don't they just do a new movie instead? Now I'm going to wake up and somebody is going to tell me that I've been an eagle all this time.
The good news is that that ULTIMATES 2 # 1 is much better than the issues at the end of the Skrull saga. The book is back on track!
Between THE ULTIMATES and MK SPIDER-MAN, Mark Millar is currently my favorite modern comic book writer.
What about Brian Michael Bendis, Gail Simone, Bryan K. Vaughn, Mike Baron, Warren Ellis, Garth Ennis, Geoff Johns, Chris Claremont, Grant Morrison, Mark Waid, Kurt Busiek, Dan Slott, Brian Azzarello, Chuck Austen, Peter David, Marv Wolfman, Will Pfiefer and all those other guys?
Yeah, they're good too.
Today, though, it's Millar. The title Buzz' Favorite Modern Comic Book Writer changes often, but Millar has taken the honors more than once. Like Ellis, he's an idea writer, but his interests are more in character and pop culture than science and history so we can relate to his work easier.
ULTIMATES 2 # 1 is nothing like a movie sequel. It is not louder and cheesier than the "original" ULTIMATES. It comes across more as a great, ensemble T.V. drama covering a fairly large cast of characters. It is a true modern, team book in that we most often seeing the characters pursuing their own interests instead of ganging up on Moloch when he's back in town.
Alone among his comic writing graduation class, Millar writes good action. We open with Captain America rescuing some hostages in a Persian Gulf State. Being Captain America, he can do more with his Clint Eastwood attitude than his shield. Frank Miller called Cap "a soldier with a voice that could command a god...and does."
One of the best scenes involves Hank Pym being baited by SHIELD guards when he goes to visit a captive Bruce Banner. It's like, Pym is a genius, a superhero, a bona fide nut job, and he's still getting picked on by the kind of guys who would have snapped his butt with a towel in the high school locker room. And it's also interesting that Millar portrays Pym and Banner as a pair of reckless, slightly unbalanced fuck ups. This may bother some long time fans, but damned if it doesn't ring true. "Those notes you had for my Ultron project were absolutely brilliant." "I only turned into the Hulk once in the last six weeks..." "I can't believe you and me never worked together in the past. We've got such an amazing synergy going on here."
However, the best scene, bar none, is when Thor sits down for beers with our own Harry Knowles. Sure, they call him Volstagg, but we all know our fearless leader when we see him. As you all know, Mark Millar recently lost a bet with Harry over whether Jim Caviezel would play Superman or not. Harry said no, and he was right. However media savvy ya are, Mark, Harry can't be beat on stuff like this. Aside from the grand to charity, Harry must have made Mark include him in the comic, as a Norse god no less!
Usual Bryan Hitch brilliance. You don't need me to tell you. Just look at it. All comics should look this good.
My only problem with the issue and the book is where it all seems to be going. I know I just said that traditional fans would be bothered by the portrayal of Banner, but it rang true. It does. My problem is with the portrayal of the Hulk as a vicious killer. We're looking at "The Trial O' The Incredible Hulk." That's a cool idea. It's been done, not just on T.V., but in greenskin's own magazine, and yes Matt Murdock was his lawyer both times. That's okay. But I like the Hulk. I'm a life-long Hulk fan. I pretty much hate a great deal of the portrayals of the Hulk in the last ten years because Marvel can't get past the line from the T.V. show intro: "The Creature is driven by rage." In times past, rage could be a good thing. It could be an instrument of change. To me, the Hulk always symbolized righteous anger and the ultimate misunderstood adolescent. Now, he's just disgruntled and postal. He's not changing things; he's just the guy shooting up first period. Don't say "realism" either because there aren't any Hulks. And don't tell me he's not a superhero because if you say that, you're just proving that forty years ago a pair of guys who were already 40 years old were way ahead of you when they realized a superhero didn't always have to be the same old thing.
DOC FRANKENSTEIN #1
Writers: The Wachowski Brothers
Illustrator: Steve Skroce
Publisher: Burlyman Entertainment
Impressed as all get out: Ambush Bug
”Comics, more than film, gave us an appreciation for the ways that words and pictures can be used to tell a story. You can say what you want about the industry, but as an art form the comic book is superior to film in our opinion because of the excessive compromises that must be made every single day on a film set…Which is why, for us, so many comics today are disappointments. In a medium where you can draw ANYTHING, how can so many artists be content to simply imitate what’s already been done in film and television?”
--The Wachowski Brothers, DOC FRANKENSTEIN #1
When I read this quote from the intro page of DOC FRANKENSTEIN #1, I was literally shocked. Shocked that both Wachowski Brothers wrote this intro (it must’ve been tough typing with four hands!), but more so that these heavyweights in the filmmaking industry recognized the single biggest problem with the current comics industry. Comics today are limiting themselves; in artwork, in story, and in all around tone. What made comics amazing was the unbound imagination of creators like Lee, Ditko, Kirby, and the like. Comics showed you things that would be impossible to recreate in real life. It was an escapist medium, where you could lay on your belly and dive into a world where anything could happen. In today’s world of hyper-realism and “cinematic” pacing, the Wachowski Brothers and their new comic book company Burlyman Entertainment may be the shot in the arm this industry needs.
The Brothers Wachowski’s first attempt at greatness in comics succeeds on all levels. In DOC FRANKENSTEIN #1, we dive smack dab into the middle of the action. There’s no slow build. There’s no drawn out exposition. We get flung hip-deep into the wreckage of a battle between our hero and a Godzilla-like monster. Blink and we flash back to Frankie’s creation. This book is the Wachowski’s telling of the classic Frankenstein yarn which is more of a sequel or “what happened next” story to Mary Shelley’s tale than a re-imagining. We pick up right where Shelley left off with the monster bounding across the arctic tundra after his final battle with his creator. The Wachowski’s waste no time pitting Frank against his first new foe, an extremely pissed off and hungry Yeti. Blink again and we flash forward to the Old West, where Frank becomes a lawman in untamed America. Then we zip back to present day where it looks like the Pope has launched a massive holy war on Doc Frankenstein’s desert compound. A Godzilla battle, a tussle with a Yeti, gunfights in the Old West, and a full scale fighter plane armada attack in one single issue? Hell, that’s ten years worth of material if it were in the hands of Marvel. But in the hands of Burlyman Entertainment, this is just the introductory issue.
This book had an energy, a pace that was much more like films today than other books that try to ape the cinema. But it’s not all flash and glitz. The Wachowski’s find the time to squeeze in some really heartfelt moments of character and tenderness. This character (created by the legendary Geof Darrow) is a truly memorable one, filled with tragedy and strength. Everyone knows the story of Frankenstein, but the Wachowskis build and expand on this. They evolve the character into something much more than the wobbly reanimated corpse from the novel and the movies. Frankenstein’s monster cheated death. He’s lived through the ages, adopted his creator’s name, and has become a capable and powerful hero in a world filled with monsters and conflict.
This book wouldn’t have worked so well if not for the superior artwork by Steve Skroce. This is a talent that has been missing from comics for too long. I remember one day looking at his gorgeous panels in the otherwise forgettable X-MAN series on one day, and then wondering what edge of the earth he fell off of on the next. Sure, those Wachowski Brothers were keeping him busy with all of those MATRIX movies, but his absence was noticed and his return to comics in this book should be noticed by everyone. There is an expansive quality to Skroce’s art: one that makes you feel as if you are watching a wide-screen film where every inch of the screen is filled with detail and dynamics. Skroce is paying homage to Darrow’s hyper-detailed panels throughout this entire book. Cover to cover, this is a truly beautiful looking book. The power of Frankenstein and the scope of danger and drama that unfold in the panels are things that I haven’t seen in comics for a long time. Here’s hoping Skroce sticks around to feed these hungry eyes with those gorgeous panels.
This is a book you give people who don’t get why comics can be cool. This is a book that you read and re-read simply for the sheer enjoyment of it. The intro to this book should be read by every editor and writer in the industry and taken to heart. The power of the pen (be it in words or drawn images) is immeasurable. The only limitations in comics are in the minds of the writers and the mandates of their editors. Burlyman Entertainment seems to be a wake up call for this industry that is in definite need of a full-finger goose. Sure we @$holes have been saying it for quite a while now, but when some bigwigs in film give the current comics industry such a bold statement and the finger and then back it up with a comic like DOC FRANKENSTEIN #1, the rest of the industry had better catch up or they will be left in the dust with most of their products in the ten cent bins.
DEADSHOT # 1
Written by Christos N. Gage
Art by Steven Cummings
Published by DC
Reviewed by Buzz Maverik
The DC Universe is a superior place to visit, but zombie that I am, I still roam the Marvel Earth.
As a kid, I would only buy Marvel. Only read Marvel. DC was SUPERFRIENDS baby crap. As a result, I can tell you the plot of Roger Stern's fill-in issue of OMEGA THE UNKNOWN (Nitro mistook Omega for Mar-Vell, mayhem followed), but I actually know very little about the DC Universe. As an adult, since the mid-1980s, I've consistently found the work at DC to be of higher quality and great insight than that at Marvel, but Marvel is more comfortable for me.
Not knowing much about a superhero universe can be a good thing. It's exciting. You get to discover. I see post after post by fans of that Marvel writer who doesn't *do* continuity -- the one who isn't Chuck Austen -- saying they don't care about continuity. I always looked at the continuity before my comic reading days as esoteric knowledge I had to earn. That's why I'll still run out and buy almost every MARVEL ESSENTIAL.
I don't know much about Deadshot. A cool Batman villain who was a regular in the excellent '80s SUICIDE SQUAD series. He's supposed to be hitman, a rich Gothamite contemporary of Bruce Wayne's who turned to crime for the thrill. He had some old west or duelist costume, but Steve Engelhart and Marshall Rogers revamped him with a cool/freaky cyborg look in the '70s (best comic book prison escape ever: the Penguin is in the cell next to Deadshot. He shows Deadshot his monocle, which is actually a laser beam, and says he's going to bust out. Deadshot snatches it out of his hand and blasts his way to freedom).
This five issue series opens with Deadshot as part of a hit team consisting of Killer Frost (an Emma Frost lookalike with that silver hair that only women in comic books have unless they’re over 60 ), Firebug and the Closer. As a Marvel Zombie, I only knew about Killer Frost because I liked the original FIRESTORM series. Deadshot is a cool character here, reminiscent of Richard Stark's Parker or the Terence Stamp character in Steven Soderberg's THE LIMEY (who was really Parker). But he has a dark secret that long time DC fans probably know.
Events lead Deadshot to discover that he has a daughter by a former call girl. Mother and child are living poor in Star City. Deadshot is a villain, but he has a code. He offers the mother tons of money, but she also has a code and refuses. Noting their terrible surroundings, Deadshot checks into a local flophouse and without stating his intent, sets out to clean up their neighborhood, known as the Triangle.
We're into PUNISHER territory. Not the current stuff where Garth Ennis makes you feel like a badass while laughing at you for wanting to be a badass, either. I'm talking real PUNISHER. Mike Baron and Klaus Janson stuff. Deadshot doesn't pose. He doesn't say cold, cool punchlines. He just wastes drug dealers.
I have to say that while the art is nicely rendered, the action scenes are static and sedate. Gangbangers getting their heads blown off wear the same expression as Hogan's Alley pop-ups. Leaned on hoods have dopey grins, like they're posing for family polaroids. Steven Cummings needs to dig out his Frank Miller comics or watch some DIRTY HARRY movies to get his expressions right.
Merry Christmas.
Kiss my @$$.
Kiss his @$$.
Kiss your @$$.
Happy Hanukkah.
--Chevy Chase, National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation.
Happy Holidaze, everybody! Vroom Socko here, coming to you from AICN Comics annual Christm@$$ party. Right now most of our group has become incapacitated thanks to Buzz’s glorious combination of whipped cream, eggnog, and Captain Morgan Private Stock. Those of us still standing have decided, once again, to give you AICN Comics readers some gift ideas of the four-color variety, (or the black and white variety, we’re not picky.) Oh sure, your cousin may claim that he wants a new DVD burner, but we all know he wants one of these fine, fine funny books.
Dave’s Christm@$$ picks
1602 (HC) – There was a definite aura of disappointment when this eight-issue mini from Neil Gaiman wrapped, but I ended up won over on re-reading it in collected form. Swept aside were the expectations of literary depth, leaving me to enjoy a perfectly rich “What If?” style story that re-imagines the Marvel Universe in a medieval setting. This is Gaiman’s love-letter to the works of Lee, Ditko and Kirby, and in many ways I found its swashbuckling spirit to be closer in tone to Marvel’s ‘60s heyday than anything from the last decade. The hardcover in particular makes for a nice Christmas gift because the art of Andy Kubert and Richard Isanove just looks so damn nice in the biggie-sized format. Full review here.
DOOM PATROL VOL. 1: CRAWLING FROM THE WRECKAGE (TPB) - “Squeegee your third eye,” comedian Bill Hicks once exhorted audiences. Hicks was talking about imbibing hallucinogens as the means to world peace, but I submit that reading Grant Morrison’s DOOM PATROL might accomplish the same effect without danger of a bad trip. This is truly Morrison unleashed, pitting superheroes against chaos math, viral conquering books, and the forces of conformity in general. What puts Grant’s stuff head-and-shoulders above the competition is that he does his thing with such humanity. This is the superhero collection for the capes ‘n’ tights fan who thinks he’s seen it all, and Vertigo’s got a follow-up trade to boot. Full review here.
SANDMAN MYSTERY THEATRE Vol. 1 (TPB) - Not to be confused with Gaiman’s Sandman mythos, SANDMAN MYSTERY THEATRE was a cult ‘90s series focusing on the Golden Age Sandman. The setting is the ‘30s; the hero a mystery man packing a gas-gun with his trench coat, fedora, and creepy gasmask; and the tone is modernist action/mystery with a hard R rating. With a lead who’s a pudgy intellectual when the mask comes off, stunning art by Guy Davis and a host of equal talents, and a genuine empathy for victims of violence and injustice, SANDMAN MYSTERY THEATRE is a bold reinvention of the pulp genre. Two volumes available. Full review here.
SPAGHETTI WESTERN (TPB) - Perfect stocking stuffer here what with the trade being about the size of one of those horizontal GARFIELD collections. SPAGHETTI WESTERN is cartoonist Scott Morse’s fable of a modern-day bank robbery gone wrong, the robbery’s roots oddly enough in the ponchos and six-guns of Sergio Leone Westerns. It’s a melancholy story, but with painted sepia art that calls to mind the Warner Brothers cartoon designs of Chuck Jones and Maurice Noble, the grit goes down nice and easy. Ranks very high on the cool scale. Full review here.
THE HEDGE KNIGHT (TPB) - My favorite comic surprise of 2004, HEDGE KNIGHT was a comic book adaptation of a short story from fantasy author George R. Martin. Think of it as a serious version of the campy flick, A KNIGHT’S TALE, with a no-name squire finagling his way into a joust only to find himself caught up in brutally high stakes. Fine art, whip-smart dialogue, an unforgivingly real medieval world, and themes of true honor and virtue make this one of my highest recommendations of the year. It also seems to fall out of print occasionally, which really blows, but it appears to still be available through Amazon.com. Full review here.
Bug’s Christm@$$ picks
Dear Santy Claus,
I’m pretty sure I’ve been awful good this year and I hope to get lots and lots of presents. I already gave you my Christmas List when I sat on your lap in front of Sears the other day. I think I saw you put it in your pocket, but I’m can’t be sure since the guards were carrying me away so quickly. Who knew they didn’t let 32 year olds sit on Santa’s lap? Luckily, one of your elves let me sit on his lap in the park. Well, he said he was an elf, but I have my doubts because he smelled like cough medicine and mustard and I think he had a pickle in his pocket. And everyone knows elves hate pickles.
Anyway, Santy, instead of telling you what I want all over again, I think I will do one final good deed for the year and suggest a handful of unconventional comic book-type literature for others to look for when they go shopping this year.
First up is UNDERSTANDING COMICS by Scott McCloud. This is probably one of the most important books written about the comics medium. It’s informative and fun to read. This is a must read for anyone interested in getting into comics or for those who just want to know more about this medium we all love. It’s narrated by McCloud himself and told in comic book form. If more creators today would read this book, it sure would make my job as a comic book reviewer a whole lot easier.
Next is AMPHIGOREY. This book is the first in a set of books collecting the memorable works of the one and only Edward Gorey. His extremely dark, haunting, and expressionistic cartoons and stories linger in your head for days after reading them. Gorey’s work can only be described as deviously cute. His stories make me giggle with devlish glee. Notable standouts include “The Gashlycrumb Tinies” and “The Doubtful Guest.” Check out AMPHIGOREY TOO and AMPHIGOREY ALSO if this doesn’t whet your Gorey appetite.
Finally, I recently picked up one of my all time favorite books as a kid. This book never failed to keep me on the edge of my bed and crack me up at the same time. Written by Jon Stone and illustrated by Mike Smollin, THE MONSTER AT THE END OF THIS BOOK follows a blue haired puppet named Grover locked in desperate combat with you, the reader, to stop you from venturing to the last page of the book; a place where a monstrosity of horrific proportions resides. Relive your youth and check out this epic saga of courage, hardship, and self-discovery.
Well, that’s it, Santy Claus. See ya on X-Mas Eve. I’ll leave out a hamburger for you. And I’ll be sure to leave out the pickles. Because elves hate pickles, you know.
Trying not to be naughty,
Lizzybeth’s Christm@$$ picks
This Christmas, as your loved ones are weighed down with box sets, collections, and extended editions, why not give them a pocket-sized graphic novel? An OGN is a one-volume read that can be of any genre, any art style, and they can now be found in the manga-sized trade paperback form. Here are a few recent examples that I recommend for the holidays.
LOST AT SEA, by Brian Lee O’Malley, Oni Press Books.
This year’s SCOTT PILGRIM’S PRECIOUS LITTLE LIFE is a totally different animal from 2003’s stand-alone OGN, but if you enjoyed O’Malley’s hilarious hipster romance/manga spoof, you should really check out LOST AT SEA, soon to be re-released by Oni Press. This lovely book is the story of a shy teenager on a road trip with some complete strangers, worrying about the state of her soul (which may or may not have been stolen by a cat). It really captures the feeling of being young and overwhelmed by life, and was criminally underrated in the wake of Craig Thompson’s thematically similar breakthrough last year.
CLUMSY, by Jeffrey Brown, Top Shelf Productions.
The dedication is to anyone who’s ever loved and lost, and this wonderful OGN will bring back your best and worst memories of new love. The author wrote CLUMSY as a document of his relationship just as it was ending, and it is full of bittersweet memories of all the little moments you should have treasured before they were gone. CLUMSY is full of intimate detail and generous humor that really makes you hope, despite obvious evidence to the contrary, that these two are going to stick it out. The artwork is crude but never confusing, and eventually becomes endearing. Even though Jeff and Theresa don’t make it together, what they had will live forever because of this book, and there’s something very comforting about that. Funny, sweet, and real.
CARNET DE VOYAGE, by Craig Thompson, Top Shelf Productions. This beautiful travelogue is not the proper follow-up to BLANKETS, but is still a great book to read and re-read. As a diary, one can easily become frustrated with the relentless introspection of the author (dwelling endlessly on his last relationship while he’s having what would be for me the adventure of a lifetime, you kind of want to shake the guy), but as a sketchbook, you can’t argue with the amazing brushwork and the artist’s eye for detail as he captures the people and places of France, Morocco, and Spain. Most artists would be lucky to have their best work look like Thompson’s sketch diary, with his marvelous portraits and accomplished landscapes. Reading CARNET DE VOYAGE doesn’t replace that trans-global trip you’ve always wanted, but it may be the next best thing.
CATHEDRAL CHILD and CLOCKWORK ANGELS, by Lea Hernandez, Cyberosia Publishing. These first two books in Hernandez’s Texas Steampunk series are beautifully drawn, female-friendly fantasy comics that would be a great introduction for manga fans to American graphic novels (appropriate, since Hernandez worked on American translations of Japanese manga for years before publishing her own work). Both books take place in an alternate 1897 and are full of magic and romance while sporting genuinely nasty villains, steam-computers, unusual creatures (like the jackelopes), and involving stories. I look forward to seeing the next book, hopefully coming soon.
Finally, for my last recommendation I would like to point out that there are some awesome items for sale here that can’t be found anywhere else, such as Craig Thompson’s beautiful poster for Neil Gaiman’s “The Last Angel” tour. A lot of these items would make wonderful gifts, and the proceeds go to the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund, an important organization for fans of both comics and free speech.
Vroom’s Christm@$$ picks
ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN COLLECTION HARDCOVER: Here’s another volume exclusive to a certain chain bookstore. Thirty-Eight issues of the most consistently brilliant superhero comic Brian Michael Bendis writes, all in one volume? Hoo baby. If there’s a Spider-Man fan on your list, this is the book for them. And if there are people who aren’t Spidey fans, well, get it for them too.
AKIRA VOL. 1 HARDCOVER: Others may have a different opinion, (you know what they say about opinions,) but as far as I’m concerned this is the best comic book ever made. Filled with amazing action, memorable characters, and a drug filled mental mindfuck of a storyline that Grant Morrison probably has wet dreams about. That this edition is ten bucks less than the Dark Horse Paperback only makes this an even sweeter gift idea.
BONE: ONE VOLUME HARDCOVER: Also available in paperback, this is one of the best comics to emerge from the 90’s. Epic in scope
