| #33 | 1/6/10 | #8 |
X-FACTOR: NATION X One-Shot
Writer: Peter David Penciler: Valentine De Landro Inks: Pat Davidson Published by: Marvel Comics Reviewed by: BottleImp
With decades of plotlines involving such outlandish elements as alien races, hidden prehistoric worlds and demonic possession, it’s easy to forget that at one time Marvel’s mutants were a simple metaphor for prejudice and intolerance. Granted, that was before the comic book racks were overflowing with multiple X-titles and it seemed that every other character in the Marvel Universe was either a mutant or Wolverine, but nevertheless—just as racism and bigotry still exist in the real world, they remain an integral facet of the mutant comics.What’s interesting is how this theme has been explored over the years. In the 1960s and early‘70s, the anti-mutant prejudice was largely presented as mob violence. Later on as the ‘70s gave way to the ‘80s, the notion of government conspiracies and watchdog agencies controlling the mutant population became the norm—perhaps this was an extension of the mistrust that the American public felt for the government in that post-Watergate era? The 1990s gave comic book readers the fictional island of Genosha as a proxy for Apartheid-era South Africa, where mutants were second-class citizens and even slaves. And now the majority of Marvel’s mutants (supposedly far less numerous than they once were, thanks to the Scarlet Witch and the whole “Decimation” thing) live in a self-imposed isolation on the floating island of Utopia.
That last part was news to me, ‘cause the only mutant title I’ve read over the past few years has been X-FACTOR, and the characters in there sure don’t live up on a cloud. That’s the issue that Peter David explores in this one-shot, as Madrox’s team of mutant detectives meets with Cyclops and other less down-to-earth mutants to discuss their present situation. The argument basically boils down to this: is it better to live out in the real world, exposed, or to live in a sort of protected, self-imposed isolation?
It’s a talky one-shot (there’s the obligatory fight scene, but even that is resolved with words rather than fists), but if there’s one writer who knows how to keep the reader’s attention with dialogue rather than action, it’s David. He compares the isolationism of Utopia to the ghettos and concentration camps of World War II—a rather heavy comparison, seeing as one is self-imposed and the other was forcible (not to mention real), but that also brings the argument around to the question of whether a self-imposed isolation is really any better than being forced to be apart from the rest of the world. One gets the feeling that David (speaking through his characters) favors X-Factor’s method of living, but hey, it is their title, after all. This issue also serves as a coda for the previous X-FACTOR storyline involving Madrox’s jaunt into the future, and manages to suggest that the seeds for that possible dystopia are planted within Cyclops’ own vision of Utopia.
Don’t worry; this comic’s not all intellectual discussion. David also gives the reader some fun blasts from the past as the X-Factor crew relives some of the good old days with former teammates Boom-Boom and Dazzler. David also seems to be taking an almost indecent amount of pleasure in fleshing out the formerly one-dimensional Shatterstar—reveling in sticking it to Rob Liefeld, perhaps? From flirting with both the long-out-of-the-closet Northstar and Boom-Boom to discussing his relationship with Rictor, David continues to evolve the once-bland killing machine into a character that is actually interesting.
The only criticism I’ll make about this issue is that it seems like there was an editorial snafu somewhere in regards to the timing. There are a couple of characters (I’m not going to say who they are) that appear as part of the team within this comic that are presently absent from the team in the X-FACTOR monthly series. It’s not a huge issue, but this publication glitch does take a little of the drama away from the regular title. All in all, though, this one-shot is an interesting look at the problems of dealing with hatred and prejudice, lightened considerably with slapstick and situation comedy, and couched comfortably in brightly-colored spandex.
When released from his Bottle, the Imp takes the form of Stephen Andrade, an artist/illustrator/pirate monkey painter from the Northeast. You can see some of his artwork here. He’s given up comics more times than he can remember. But every time he thinks he's out, they pull him back in.
WINTERWORLD HC TPB
Writer: Chuck Dixon Art: Jorge Zaffino Publisher: IDW Publishing Reviewer: Ambush Bug
WINTERWORLD...like WATERWORLD only colder.OK, that's about as jokey as I'm going to get with this review because this is a seriously awesome comic. Probably one of the best trade paperback's I've read this year.
We all know the set-up: A post-apocalyptic world. Society has crumbled. Food, fuel, and humanity are endangered commodities. Tribes of ruthless cannibals roam the wasted land. It's a set-up we've read in many a comic and book and seen in many a movie and TV series.
That's where writer Chuck Dixon comes in and does what he does best. Dixon is one of those writers who takes age-old action movie premises and breathes new life into them. Here, basically we've got Hoth meets THE ROAD WARRIOR as our hero Scully makes his way across a snow covered land. There are remnants of modern living here, but most things in today's popular society are looked at as either the ridiculous things that they really are or are worshipped as false gods and temples. I especially loved the reverence Pizza Hut gets in this book as a sacred place. Dixon has created a world that could be our own given a couple of dropped bombs and a couple of decades.
WINTERWORLD has Scully cross paths with Wynn, a youthful sprite who sparks Scully's paternal side. And of course, a man's life is always pretty simple until a girl comes along. Soon, Scully and Wynn are captured by savages. Scully escapes and should make his way for the hills, but of course he can't do that and must return to rescue the captive girl.
The real star of this book, despite Dixon's masterful handling of intense scenes of action and danger, is the artist Jorge Zaffino. Unfortunately, Zaffino passed away before the sequel to WINTERWORLD was able to be published and the series kind of sat in limbo for a while. Thankfully, IDW swooped in to save the day and get this book seen by the masses.
Zaffino's art is absolutely amazing. I remember his work on THE PUNISHER and TERROR INC. back in the day and honestly wondered what happened to his distinctive art; a murky and gritty style with a truly unique sense of facial expression and shape. When I heard the artist had passed, I couldn't help but feel bad for 1) not knowing about it and 2) that I wouldn't be seeing any more of Zaffino's mesmerizing panels. WINTERWORLD would not be as effective without Zaffino's art. His art brings a stark intensity and bitterness that fits the tone of the book like a glove.
Fans of Zaffino will already be picking this book up, but once they hear this, they're likely to barrel past you in line at the comic store to get a copy of this amazing hardcover trade; this issue also contains Zaffino's unfinished sequel to WINTERWORLD entitled WINTERSEA which follows Scully and Wynn as she searches for her lost family. Everything I said about WINTERWORLD goes double for WINTERSEA. I prefer this one even more because it seems like both Dixon and Zaffino were finally comfortable with the tone and layout of this world they created. WINTERSEA is a fantastic sequel and one fans of the original WINTERWORLD will not want to miss.
I can't word-ify the awesome that this trade paperback embodies. It's got guns and cannibals and bears and pet badgers and Pizza Huts and snow machines and boats on tanks and volcano fortresses. Released in the eighties when movies like EMPIRE STRIKES BACK and THE THING were taking full advantage of the cinematic gold a winter backdrop can produce, WINTERWORLD is one of those classic books you'll read, put on your shelf, but it won't be able to gather dust because you'll want to revisit it over and over.
Ambush Bug is Mark L. Miller, reviewer and co-editor of AICN Comics for over eight years and one of the original @$$holes. Check out his comic book shorts from Cream City Comics’ MUSCLES & FIGHTS VOL.3 and MUSCLES & FRIGHTS VOL.1 on his ComicSpace page. Bug was interviewed here and here at Cream City Comics and here and here about his latest comic from Bluewater Comics, VINCENT PRICE PRESENTS: THE TINGLER #1-2. Look for more comics from Bug in 2010 from Bluewater, including VINCENT PRICE PRESENTS WITCHFINDER GENERAL, ROGER CORMAN PRESENTS DEATHSPORT, and the just announced vampire miniseries NANNY & HANK (and check out Jazma Online’s new interview with Bug about NANNY & HANK here).
THE BOYS #38
Writer: Garth Ennis Artist: Darick Robertson Publisher: Dynamite Entertainment Reviewer: Optimous Douche
“The Female of the species is more deadly than the male.”Kipling wrote it, Space infected our brains with it during their “shock, shock, horror, horror” ditty and now Robertson has used this phrase to deliver one of the most provocative, engaging and downright creepy covers I have ever had the pleasure of beholding. The embryo (or is it a zygote or a fetus at that stage – not sure, pregnancy freaks me the fuck out — tried not to learn about it) floating in the sea of darkness, with the Kipling line directly underneath is not only a visual feat, but it makes sense given the material inside. This is important. How often these days does the cover actually resonate with what’s inside the actual comic? 50% of the time…maybe. No, the norm is to take a pretty overproduced splash page and slap it on the front in hopes that the customer will be duped into buying the book. Then once the unwitting consumer looks inside the book, they are “treated” to a different artist, the characters that were on the cover might or might not make an appearance in the book and the story might or might not tie back. With this cover, though, you are looking at page one of the book.
Like the two issues prior, THE BOYS 38 continues to explore the origin of Ennis’ team of modern day watchmen, this time focusing on the member…wait for it…The Female.
Shrouded in silence and mystery for the past 37 issues, we have never seen The Female’s powers in action. Each issue during the broo-ha-has, Ennis has kept her actions off panel, merely alluding to her deadly potential. Well now the gloves are off, the cat’s out of the bag, the taint is fully exposed to the light of day. Major spoilers ahead — fans of THE BOYS tread with caution.
Well one thing we do know is that The Female’s powers are not attributed to Hiroshima, never Hiroshima. Ennis cleverly (and I might say poetically) drives home this phrase repeatedly as The Female recounts her ancestry through the Frenchman. Quite honestly, I never even noticed the Female was Asian, much less Japanese, so Hiroshima wasn’t even a place I was thinking about going (no pun intended – OK, yes it was).
No, just like the rest of THE BOYS, The Female’s powers are a direct result of the greed and irresponsibility of others. With her Father a dead moron and her Mother a gadfly slut, the wee Female one crawled away from her Mother’s cushy desk job at the Japanese equivalent of Vought-America. Once inside the secret labs the lil’ XX chromosome devoured a heaping helping of radioactive goo. The result was a mouth to be reckoned with. Essentially, The Female’s power is to devour anything her mouth gets near. Guns, walls, human flesh…there is nothing this little lady won’t suck dry (OK, could have phrased that better). Since the entire origin is told by the Frenchman with every dialogue bubble in quotes, I’m going to guess there’s a little bit of telepathy happening here as well, although it’s never implicitly stated despite Wee Hughie’s request for clarity. What is eminently clear, though, is why The Female lives a life of quiet solitude.
One doesn’t expect a soul-lifting moral message from a book like THE BOYS, but the heart is there if you look close enough. After devouring the goo, The Female was placed through a set of circumstances that led to her essentially being raised like an animal test subject — that is, until THE BOYS show up to rescue/recruit her. Once in THE BOYS’ charge the Frenchman makes eminently clear that he is Henry Higgins and The Female will be his own Eliza Doolittle, but instead of making a refined lady The Frenchman merely wants to make her a person. One always wondered whether the connection between these two was familial or sexual; well, wonder no more. It’s that of a father and a very very deadly child.
Someone much braver than I could say that Ennis is making a statement about the power of the female mouth in our world. How it can slay and entrance men all at once. However, since both my wife and mother read this column and I work in a department of all women, I’m not going to be that guy. I welcome the single members of our TalkBack community to have at it, though.
Naturally one would expect issue 39 to reveal the origin of THE BOYS' ringleader The Butcher, but don’t count on it. It’s an origin only he knows and apparently he’s not talking. For anyone that has ever wanted to try THE BOYS, issues 36-38 are a perfect jumping on point. Part of me has to wonder if this origin story arc was used instead of that god-awful diversion to Russia whether THE BOYS would have bled so many readers. To those that left during that dark run, consider coming back. The past three issues have pulled at every emotion from sympathy to laugh-out-loud joy. An incomparable arc for this series; kudos to all involved.
Optimous is lonely and needs friends. Even virtual ones will fill the gaping hole, join him on Facebook or he will cry like a newborn kitten.
INDEPENDENTS: A GUIDE FOR THE CREATIVE SPIRIT DVD
Written, Directed and Produced by: Chris Brandt More info can be found here. Reviewed by: superhero
A couple of months ago I reviewed a documentary short called Dig Comics which focused mostly on why people didn’t read comic books and how comic fans could get the “average” Joe and/or Jane to read comic books. INDEPENDENTS is a full feature documentary about comics that isn’t really all that concerned with how to save comics so much as it is to what is behind the creative process of actually making comics, mainly independent comics. What is behind the drive or inspiration that makes an artist or writer strive to break free of the norm that the big two have squeezed mainstream comics into. What lies behind the creative spark that makes people want to create comics, namely comics that most of the populace may not even be likely to read? More importantly, what is the force behind the creative act itself?These are some pretty heady questions that aren’t likely to be answered in the span of a documentary feature but INDEPENDENTS does a good job of trying to discover the answers. In the course of his search director Chris Brandt goes to the source interviewing a who’s who of the indie comic scene. Everyone from Wendi Pini to Eric Larsen to Scott McCloud to Carla Speed McNeil is interviewed in INDEPENDENTS and they all bring their own unique and often interesting and humorous perspectives to the questions at hand. What ends up being presented is an interesting look into the mind of the independent comic book artist. Each interviewee brings a fascinating take on the dilemmas that probably face anyone who’s ever thought they could strike out on their own and become the next big comic book artist. INDEPENDENTS offers a glimpse into a world within the world of comic books that many people, particularly those just getting started on their own comic property, may not know exists.
INDEPENDENTS tries to take a look inside the nooks and crannies of what makes an indie artist work. Why are they driven to do what they do? What makes them want to create and what drives them to push that creation forward into the world? As a film it works pretty well, especially for someone like me who loves comics of all kinds. It’s always interesting to hear the perspective of someone who’s “made it” in any industry and INDEPENDENTS gives fans the chance to get an idea of what it takes to not only come up with an idea but to actually create something solid out of it. I can tell you one thing...the consensus is that it ain’t easy. But that’s something that I’m sure most of us out there in comic-dom know all too well. Regardless, INDEPENDENTS actually turns out to be somewhat of an inspirational piece just because it presents the creative act as what it really is: something born of actual blood, sweat and tears…that will eventually reward you in its own way. It may not be accolades or money that you receive but what seems to come across with every professional interviewed is the sense of satisfaction at having done something on their own, something that they themselves are responsible for. That alone is worth checking this film out for.
Now, this documentary isn’t perfect…it does have flaws. My biggest problem with it is that it does present the indie scene, or many of the indie creators, as a bit too disdainful of the mainstream comic book scene. It seems in many cases that many of the creators here seem to think that they’re a little bit too cool for school when it comes to the mainstream comics world. One creator actually states that the average person would rather read something about philosophy/existential thinking as opposed to a Daredevil comic book. To that train of thought I could just as easily point to the box office receipts of “Star Wars” compared to something like “My Dinner With Andre” and say, “Really?” Which doesn’t mean I disagree with said creator, but I think that statements like that may alienate the audience that may be most interested in your work or this documentary. Coming across too smugly could easily turn off the audience that you’re trying to convert.
But that’s pretty much a minor quibble because most of this documentary is presented with a respectful tone towards the field of comic books in general. I’d highly recommend this documentary to anyone interested in comics. Whether you’re interested in creating them or just reading them, INDEPENDENTS is worth a watch. From what I understand copies are available for rental on Netflix. Go check it out.
Discovered as a babe in an abandoned comic book storage box and bitten by a radioactive comic fan when he was a teenager, superhero is actually not-so mild mannered sometime designer & cartoonist, Kristian Horn of Los Angeles, California. He's been an @$$hole for three years. Some of his work can be seen at www.kristianhorn.com.
PUNISHER MAX: GET CASTLE! #1 ONE SHOT
Writer: Rob Williams Art: Laurence Campbell Publisher: Marvel MAX Reviewer: Mr. Pasty
When I finished digesting GET CASTLE! I was surprised that James Cameron’s AVATAR was the first thing I thought of. Then I got to thinking about the similarities between the two works and while few (if any) exist, I realized it wasn’t the fact that THE PUNISHER was toe-tagging ten feet of baggable blueness – rather it was the realization that any story (no matter how familiar or how many times it’s told) can be enjoyable if it’s done competently and with a certain amount of artistic affection.Any idiot can paint by numbers and unfortunately many idiots do, which is why we have to wade through so much crap to get to the gems. Will GET CASTLE! pick you up and dump you on your head? No, but it’s a well told story and writer Rob Williams knows how to take the Punisher’s familiar elements and let them play out to a very satisfying conclusion. I was particularly impressed with how one small variable early in the story set the tone for the entire book. Has Frank Castle lost his edge? Or even worse – is he developing a conscience? The answer may or may not surprise you but the fact that Williams was able to inject a level of suspense in such an established (and ultimately predictable) franchise tells me this is a writer who is comfortable inside the Punisher universe.
I mentioned the ending earlier and it should be stated again how rewarding the payoff is and why I’m so fond of one-shots. Without the pressure of having to set up future story lines or justify the actions of previous ones, writers can have the freedom to create crisp arcs and quicker pacing. I’m also a big fan of Laurence Campbell’s art and he compliments Williams beautifully here, much like he did on BREATHING SPACE for 2000 A.D. You can feel their chemistry at work and it should come as no surprise that with these two at the helm our beloved Frank Castle ends up across the pond. Campbell lets his brush go under the MAX label and the results are dark and dour, just as you would expect Castle’s world to be. The paints are splattered across the page like blood stains and the book has just the right tone. Yes, this is a story you’ve seen more than once but since it’s done so well, why not just sit back and enjoy it? Do yourself a favor and GET CASTLE!
Web heads who can’t get enough of Mr. Pasty’s word vomit are encouraged to watch him operate as Nostradumbass over at here. MMAmania.com. Love, hate and Mafia Wars requests should be directed here.
And now for another opinion on THE PUNISHER: GET CASTLE!
PUNISHER MAX GET CASTLE! #1 ONE SHOT
Writer: Rob Williams Artist: Laurence Campbell Inker: Array Publisher: Marvel MAX Reviewer: William
My local comic book shop, knowing how many Punisher titles I regularly have on my subscriber list, threw in this copy with the bunch last week. After reading it I felt it was great enough to review here, and hopefully this will encourage other Punisher fans out there to pick it up.First off, forget all this Franken-Castle crap that Marvel is subjecting everyone to now. This one-shot looks like something Marvel put out so that they wouldn’t seriously piss off ALL Punisher fans out there. So now we have a nice little one-shot featuring the vintage Frank Castle we all know from his glory days.
The tale is simple enough. Frank is doing his usual corporal punishment in New York when he intercepts a letter letting him know that the son of a deceased friend of his, Yorkie, was found to have committed “suicide” during a routine SAS training operation. Of course Frank knows better, and sets off on a path to England to avenge this. Along the way he meets past associates of Yorkie and his son, each looking to put Frank out of the picture before he can get to the truth.
If this reminded you of “Get Carter” then you are correct. Rob Williams clearly molded this tale after the cult favorite, even titling the comic as such. I was happy to see how naturally the Punisher’s world fits into the “Get Carter” environment. One can easily picture Frank deciding to put down whatever he’s doing, and fly hundreds if not thousands of miles away, to avenge what should be the seemingly unimportant death of somebody nobody knew or cared about (there’s even a great moment when the main villain of the story asks such a thing from Frank, and his response is classic). But to Frank it was the most important thing to do at the time, and nothing is going to stop him from doing it. Any other hero and it would seem ridiculous (even someone as obsessed as Batman), but with Frank it fit like a perfectly tailored glove.
The writing by Williams was spot on in my opinion. I don’t know if this guy is from Wales, but the way he structured the dialect one could practically imagine those Gallagher brothers from Oasis speaking in your head. It’s that encoded with the local dialect from England. I also really liked how Williams kept this story within one issue. God how I miss those days. It was so refreshing to have a story nicely wrapped up within one comic. That last page in fact nicely summed up an interesting thought Frank had from the start of the comic, and it put a nice smile on my face.
The one fault I found here though is the artwork by Campbell. I was reading some other reviews, and I found it very strange how others kept constantly praising this dodgy artwork. You know how sometimes comics print special pencil previews of artwork, where you can see a rough pencil page before all the detail is added in by the artist? Well now imagine that, but instead of the artist adding said detail, he/she simply inked that rough artwork and counted it as the final product. That’s what the artwork looks like here, and I personally didn’t like it. I know Campbell was going for the gritty look but this guy went way overboard on it. It made me think that he spent a quick 10 minutes on each page before moving onto the next, and for $4.99 I want better than that.
In any case I still recommend this comic if you’re a big Punisher fan out there. Skip the Franken-Castle crap and instead pick this up if you want a good taste of vintage Punisher.
THE BEST OF BATTLE TPB
Creators: Pat Mills, Cam Kennedy, Joe Colquhon, Various Publisher: Titan Books Reviewer: steverodgers
I’m starting to see why the lads who are now all grown up and writing for American Comics got so damn good at writing enthusiastic, blood and guts comics. It’s because they were weaned on some relentless, big time battle action in their youth, where the violence is drawn in loving detail and anyone who dares to cross the British boys in uniform ended up on the wrong side of a bullet, knife, or just pounded in the face with whatever was handy courtesy of the Queen’s justice. The BEST OF BATTLE collects a sampling of 18 standout stories and characters from BATTLE PICTURE WEEKLY that ran in the UK under various names from 1975 until 1988. The book is packed with cliffhangers and determined men, and if you fondly remember GI COMBAT or you like over-the-top war comics, there is a lot in the collection to be happy about.Done in three-page bursts, each episode follows a rag tag group of soldiers, a noble hero, or a down-on-his luck scrapper as they take the fight directly to the Germans or Japanese. Most of the tales are set in WWII, but you also get a Vietnam story drawn by Cam Kennedy. Most of the stories are told from the English point of view, but there are also tales of German soldiers who are at odds with their commanders, including a tank commander named Hellman who bashes people (though not civilians) with a giant Thor Hammer. [Awesome!] Not every story worked for me, but the ones that did deliver big time. My personal favorite is DARKIES MOB, about Captain Joe Darkie (who may or may not be part of the English Army) who finds a group of busted up and broken down soldiers deep in the jungles of Burma who are ready to quit the fight. Darkie takes these lollygaggers, slaps them around Patton-style and builds them up to be a tough-as-nails, jungle fighting force. Darkie is a big, bald soccer thug type, with a K’un-L’un dragon symbol taped to his stomach, and when he isn’t knifing the Japanese in the throat, he spends his time in Buddhist prayer or giving inspiring speeches to his men, like “If you stay with me, I’m gonna give you hell, you’ll eat, drink and sleep jungle, you’ll curse me, and hate me, but I promise you one thing… you’ll kill Japs!” As you can imagine that pumps up the lads pretty good.
One of the more delightful aspects of these tales is it seems that the editorial staff would green light any concept as long as the writer and artist were fully committed. For instance, JOHNNY RED tells the mad tale of the dishonorably discharged R.A.F pilot stuck on a Merchant Marine ship in the midst of an attack. He commandeers a Hurricane airplane that’s sitting on deck and kills some Germans, during which his ship is blown to bits and he is forced to land in Mother Russia. Once in Russia he joins an under-equipped unit of Russian pilots, learns to love their Russian ways and joins up. This comic ran for 12 years on that premise; you don’t mess with a good thing. In BEST OF BATTLE, each story comes with a quick write up, usually from Pat Mills, of how the story came about. He assures us that JOHNNY RED is very authentic.
There are several other stories I really enjoyed, like D-DAY DAWSON. He only has one year to live, so you can bet he isn’t going down without taking as many Germans as he can with him. DEATH SQUAD is sort of a Dirty Dozen story about a German punishment brigade on the Russian front that gets into all kinds of shenanigans. Also included in this collection is the seminal WWI story CHARLEY’s WAR (reviewed here by Baytor) that’s just as good and horrific as everyone says it is. If you ever find yourself in a time machine, it would be best to avoid France in 1916.
BEST OF BATTLE is a great ride. The pages are thick with panels and words, as the creators seemed to want to pack as much into each three-page story as they could. The pace is relentless, as the heroes are tossed into one impossible situation after another. The art is uniformly excellent, and although some of the stories are pretty dry, there is usually something to admire in every page. I don’t recommend reading this one sitting down, as it might make you believe there is a war going on in your backyard and you’ll start building trenches. Otherwise, this is a solid pick up full of adventures and visceral detail of the evils of war, with panel after panel of Nazis getting exactly what they deserve.
COWBOY NINJA VIKING #3
Writer: AJ Lieberman Artist: Riley Rossmo Publisher: Image Comics Reviewed by Humphrey Lee
The best way I can think to sum up this comic is “By Golly, they’ve done it again!!!” In one aspect, I feel kind of condescending as I can’t help but seem, I dunno, almost surprised that this book is as good as it is, but on the other hand the ten year old in me that used to play Cowboy Ninja Viking (or something similar) still cannot believe that this title exists. And that it’s good. It’s very good. Let’s all vow to focus on that aspect now, because this is a very fun title that had me LOLing (as the kids call it) quite a damn bit.What I think it is about this book that really gets me is the humor and how it presents itself. The prime example of this in this particular issue is the introduction of two new Triplets. For those not in the know, yes, there is a very practical, almost ingenious explanation to the CNV, in that he’s a multiple personality, and those have been honed to their own talents to make him a hell of a deadly person, hence the term triplet. In this issue the Triplets introduced have their own little quirks, each of which made me chuckle at the seemingly randomness at it all, which is obviously part of the joke. A Cowboy Ninja Viking is one thing, but then in these we get a, uh, Karate Chef Sniper and a Marine Quaker Demolition’s Expert. The fact that Mr. Lieberman is able to make these qualities work from a functional aspect, besides being there to make the reader do an obvious double take, is where the true beauty of this book lays.
The other thing that really stands out is the back and forth between the characters. Everything here is very snappy all while moving along the plot involving our CNV, Duncan, and his getting caught in the middle of, I don’t want to say power grab, but some machinations between two men that have had a big impact on him being where he is now. There’s always some sort of banter going here, whether between allies or enemies. It actually goes into overdrive a bit when Triplet Grear, the aforementioned Karate Sniper Chef, and apparently Duncan’s ex-wife. Punching and hilarity ensues and this book really shows off why it is so good in a “rompy” way.
Also, credit where it is due, Riley Rossmo’s expressions are pretty key to getting across all of this inherit humor value that I just went on about. There’s a little device that gets used in this book where sometimes the panel shifts to the personality that is talking, all decked out in their respective attire and with an appropriate expression to go with whatever outrageousness they’re putting forth. Half the time one of those LOLs emanates from me, it’s not just because of what is being said, but how it is being presented, and that is because of Mr. Rossmo’s very skilled command over his expressions. His art also really drives the action because of how surprisingly kinetic it is, and the kind of motion he can convey with just a few air lines and some trailing figures to portray what exactly is happening. I am still not a fan of the monochromatic scheme this book has decided to use though, or at least not in this issue as this time it’s an almost lime green that almost makes me seasick, but it does not overshadow the marvelous job that Rossmo is doing here.
One thing is for certain though, it is pretty much unfair to keep touting something like CNV as a “Guilty Pleasure”; it’s just a pleasure. There’s great dialogue and banter, lots of humor, fantastic action, and there really is a solid spy/espionage/assassin plot going on, it just happens to be a bit tongue-in-cheek. But that’s the beauty of this book, it shows that you are indeed allowed to have your cake and eat it too. You don’t have to make a book like this and be one-note with it, but you also don’t have to keep pushing the exploitative envelope with it. You just have to be creative, and these two chaps cranking this out are definitely that. Everyone would do well to expand their minds a bit and see what the fuss is about.
Humphrey Lee has been an avid comic book reader going on fifteen years now and a contributor to Ain't It Cool comics for quite a few as well. In fact, reading comics is about all he does in his free time and where all the money from his day job wages goes to - funding his comic book habit so he can talk about them to you, our loyal readers (lucky you). He's a bit of a social networking whore, so you can find him all over the Interwebs on sites like Twitter, The MySpaces, Facebookand a Blogger Account where he also mostly talks about comics with his free time because he hasn't the slightest semblance of a life. Sad but true, and he gladly encourages you to add, read, and comment as you will.
KING OF RPGS Vol. 1
Written by Jason Thompson Illustrated by Victor Hao Released by Del Ray Official Site Reviewer: Scott Green
In part, the assessment is due to the book's writer, but KING OF RPGS marks an interesting place in the cross pollination of American and Japanese pop culture. Its exuberant adventure of college age gaming nerds is a hybrid of geek comedy from both sides of the ocean that coalesces into a densely packed odyssey of thrown dice and sprayed Mountain Dew. "Densely" not being applied as an empty platitude... crammed with visual gags, references and excess motion, it's not a graphic novel that you can tear through in minutes.Fans of role playing games will find much to delight in. It both articulates a passion for the subject and knows how to have fun with it. Some of the mania will translate and the humor in writing and art sells itself well enough for some amusement regardless of reader attachment to the subject. From manga, it borrows the zeal of competition for presenting its topic. In that, it sidesteps a lot of geek baggage. As nerdy as the endeavor is, the intensity in the eyes of his principals is that of a dreamer or an athlete rather than a fantasy wonk. The gamers are neither Genshiken style embodiments of justification nor Eltingville Club style troglodytes. While the reader is invited to judge them and does not need to embrace their passion, getting caught up in their enthusiasm is encouraged.
Yet, there is a dependency on the perspective of the reader. If you're not familiar with RPGs, your grasp of the humor will be diminished. If you know about RPGs but don't care for them, you're enjoyment will likewise probably be diminished. To really love KING OF RPGS, you probably need to be a fan of the subject.
In the English language discussion of the subject, "wrote the book on manga" can only refer to a few people. There are certainly other English books on manga, but "the book" is either Frederik Schodt’s seminal MANGA! MANGA! (absolutely invaluable, but even updated and expanded upon with DREAMLAND JAPAN, coming to require the qualification that it reflects the nature and evolution of manga up to the point where it began competing with mobile devices for consumer attention and gained a considerable following among English language readers) or it's Jason Thompson's MANGA: THE COMPLETE GUIDE (an insightful survey of the manga that gas been translated into English).
To stretch the point a bit, a Thompson written manga is like a Peter Bogdanovich directed movie...the exciting possibility of seeing a highly respected commentator on the craft produce their own work (Thompson has previously edited the English editions of manga, including JOJO’S BIZARRE ADVENTURE, BASTARD!! and the SHONEN JUMP anthology and he's created his own Lovecraft comics).
As advertised on the tin, KING OF RPGS is modeled after one of those "I'll be the greatest..." manga in which green and tentative and/or volcanically enthusiastic leads set themselves on the path to achieve greatness in some endeavor. And, here, that endeavor is RPGs, of the gather around a card table with character sheets variety.
Once maniacal massively online RPG addict Shesh Maccabee, along with long time buddy/anime geek Mike Ba, matriculates to University of California, Escondido. And, while wandering around during orientation, they wander into a game club meeting/recruitment trap. From there, they are further lured to the "Mages & Monsters" table of fanatical RPG evangelist Theodore Dudek. So Shesh, Mike, their ren faire/acting/wannabe fantasy novelist neighbor Jen, a cute girl named Callie, and a chunky extra wind up around the RPGing in the deep end.
Most of these players don't get it to one extent or another, but Shesh really doesn't get it. As Theodore lectures Shesh after his twitch competition instincts kick in and he proposes having his character kill a crying foundling at the moment of encounter, "It's not 'the players vs the game master’. I don't just play the monsters! I also play the millions of people in the world who bear you no ill will whatsoever!"
The pairing begins looking a bit like irresistible force versus immovable object. Theodore attempts to roll out his RPG gospel with mood music, sound effects and live snakes. While the other gamers are only distracted, thinking about other things and sort of playing along, Shesh is cheating and otherwise loudly insisting on ensuring victory. And yet, more than a marriage of convenience, Theodore becomes convinced that he must convert Shesh into a right minded tabletop gamer as a step to realizing his RPG world order.
A hallmark of manga is the tradition's capability for inspiring interest in an just about anything. Wine is said to have not had many connoisseurs in Japan before THE DROPS OF GOD and Sommelière inspired people to learn about the drink. SLAM DUNK is said to have developed a Japanese following for basketball. HIKARU NO GO is said to have reignited interest in Go. If there is a manga about American football (EYESHIELD 21, for which NFL Japan sponsored an anime adaptation) or competitive Chinese cuisine cooking (IRON WOK JAN) or competitive bread beading (YAKITATE!! JAPAN), it has to be created with the assumption that the reader is largely unfamiliar with the subject. A badminton manga (there are several, including YAMATO NO HANE, BADMINTON GIRL and SMASH!) isn't pitched to the reader with the assumption that they have any familiarity or interest in the subject matter.
KING OF RPGS builds with the mechanisms of many of the shonen style, aspirational manga that complements these stories of striving for greatness. Beyond Shesh's combustible demeanor and Theodore’s dreaming, it has the ticks of manga. For example, it explains the mindset and creates sympathy for an antagonist by using a flashback the way a tournament fighting manga series would. And yet, the way it reaches its audience with its central endeavor is far closer to the approach of American geek comedies than competition manga.
In DOCTOR SLUMP, and then again in early DRAGON BALL, Akira Toriyama created adventures in which anything could happen. Look how DRAGON BALL started. It's the religious/culture epic JOURNEY TO THE WEST, with pilgrimaging Buddhist monk Xuánzàng replaced by a blue haired girl named Bulma who pulls various shrunk down vehicles and gadgets out of capsules, while her Monkey King companion Son Goku is turned into an adventurous tailed kid... and there's wish granting dragons and dinosaurs and hermits wearing turtle shells. It's the spirit of imaginative sputter that inspired Eiichiro Oda (One Piece), Masashi Kishimoto (Naruto) and a generation of shonen manga artists. For example, the official line for why Hiro Mashima's (FAIRY TAIL, RAVE MASTER) work looks remarkably like Oda's is that both were Toriyama devotees.
Between the antics of Shesh and Theodore, KING OF RPGS ignites the anything can happen Toriyama spirit. Beyond simple, excessive, escalating behavior, there's dice throwing provoked terrorist scares, grand theft auto and a sub-game store oubliette of collectable card game commons.
Anything can happen volatility needs a handle: Goku's boisterous curiosity, Naruto's belief that he can overcome his alienated past, Luffy's boundless forward momentum.
Contrary to the general composition of "I'll be the best" manga, KING OF RPGS chief handle is its subject. It does sell the appeal of RPGs. Late in the volume, Theodore treats Shesh, and by extension, the reader, to the nature of his vision of an RPG enthused world. Earlier, the pitch is framed in opposition to other branches of gaming under the RPG label... massively multiplayer online ones, Japanese console based video games and so on. While no reader is going to be entirely left out in the cold, that conversation is largely pitched to an audience familiar with the domain. Unlike a manga that guides its reader into the subject and uses caution when introducing humor based on jargon or familiarity, KING OF RPGS in-jokes have recursive in-jokes. As Shesh, Mike and Jen walk into the gaming club meeting, the Dead Alewives' Dungeons and Dragons sketch is quoted by a couple of giggling club veterans.
A nice chunk of the book is devoted to a gaming session, cutting between the players and their characters, with dice roles overlaying the action in the latter case. As much as the recognition humor draws from game trappings and terms, it also draws from patterns of behavior...which happens pretty quickly as the adventure opens with the group paladin (an ultragood-guy) opting to kill a ship full of sailors rather than pay them. And, the in-jokes extent to tangential subjects. A flame spell is called Red Colored Elegy, while a stream of projecting blades is called BEAUTY LABYRINTH OF RAZORS.
Thompson and Hao have a handle on situation comedy in addition to their parody humor. A memorable scene features the characters "diversity training role-playing" during orientation. During the activity, they composite identifying characteristics drawn from barrels, yielding assignments like Mike's "Latino woman with struggling business" and Jen's "African American lesbian with Asperger's Syndrome." It's a great instance of something familiar taken to extreme lengths that also gives the characters an avenue by which to express themselves. In a great turn, Shesh draws "18 year-old college student, Jewish American," then tosses the assignment behind a coach "No! I'm 17. Not 18. I'll leave the acting stuff to the experts." However, as good as that scene is, the jokes more typical revolve around Wallet Monster cards or Capitalism board games.
Personally, I haven't played a table top RPG in 15+ years. It was largely in middle school. It was largely with people I'm not too broken up about not seeing anymore. And, like the King of RPG's first game, our sessions almost ways either imploded or exploded. As such, I have a bit of an antipathy towards RPGS. Though I don't follow it too closely, from what I can tell, the domain hasn't evolved to a point where I don't understand it anymore. From that standpoint, King of RPGs rang true to me.
I think I got the Guild (a digitally distributed comedy about MMORPG players), but never found it funny... I think I get KoRPGs. While I was not falling over laughing, I was amused by it. In addition to appreciating manga references, I smirked at its critique of console RPG characters as wind up automata and King Conan nods. Yet, throughout KING OF RPGS, I had the impression that my active indifference towards what the characters were getting excited about was inhibiting my enjoyment.
Scott Green has been writing for AICN ANIME for over eight years. If you like what you see here and love anime & manga, be sure to check out his latest AICN ANIME column every week on AICN.
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