Hey folks, Harry here with the stunningly cool Lizzybeth and her alternative comic tastes... Anyone that worships the goddess Jill Thompson is way way waaaaay cool in my book, and here she turns ya on to some damn cool comics....
100 BULLETS #25. BRIAN AZZARELLO, WRITER. EDUARDO RISSO, ARTIST. VERTIGO (DC COMICS).
Vertigo, the "Mature Readers" imprint of DC Comics, has had astounding luck in producing offbeat titles that find a major cult audience. 100 BULLETS is often mentioned as a successor to earlier Vertigo cult hits THE SANDMAN and PREACHER, a strange comparison in more ways than one, but not without merit. It’s a different type of comic, more in the vein of criminal underworlds and conspiracy theories than occult mythologies, but like its predecessors it follows its own carefully laid-out path and trusts that the audience will keep up. There is a distinct feeling that the book is going somewhere. But, does Azzarello really deserve to be mentioned alongside Neil Gaiman and Garth Enis? In my eyes, not as yet. 100 BULLETS is an enjoyable and engrossing read, but it’s not yet reached that level. Some story arcs are stronger than others, and it remains to be seen how long the clever premise can be maintained. Still, if you are looking for a new title in order to keep up with the current state of comic books, this is the one to read. It’s a creative, well-told, good-looking title with a growing fanbase that may very well become a classic.
We’re familiar with this premise by now. But in case you’re not, here’s the nutshell description: Victim of wrongdoing is approached by a man with a suitcase containing 1) irrefutable evidence of who was responsible for screwing them over 2) a gun, and 3) 100 untraceable bullets. The mysterious man offers an opportunity for the wronged to exact revenge, without the threat of legal consequences. Mystery man disappears without a trace, leaving his gift for the benefacted to do what they will with it – some will kill with it, some will choose not to kill, and some will be killed.
That’s the frame story, for individual story arcs to ride through, but there’s also the larger story of Agent Graves (the man with the suitcase) and the Minutemen. We find out a little bit more about Graves all the time, but not enough to really explain why he is doing this, why he offers this opportunity to the people he does, and who he is working for. Sometimes it seems to be a psychological experiment of some kind, testing different people to see what they are willing to do with no legal boundaries to reign them in. Sometimes you wonder if Graves doesn’t have his own grudges to take care of. Such is the case in the latest story arc, "Red Prince Blues," where Graves takes an even more offensive role against the "Trust", the thirteen powerful families who have used the Minutemen as a weapon of retribution to keep each other in line. They seem to believe that the Minutemen are a thing of the past, and Graves is no longer a threat to any of them. He quickly proves them wrong. Like many Vertigo titles, the color artwork is competent but not striking, with a few nice touches, for the most part taking a backseat to the story. The covers, on the other hand, are stylish and intriguing, and far more interesting than the images contained within.
Another comparison often made with this book is to the early seasons of the X-Files, where individual stories were combined with "mythology" stories in a precarious balance of suspense, mystery, and conspiracy. Of course, we all know how that turned out. Azzarello and Risso seem capable enough to know where to quit, and it is worth hoping that a satisfying final conclusion is in the cards. But I already look back to the earliest stories as the best of the lot, and there’s a point where too many revelations can weigh down a story. I recommend the first trade, FIRST SHOT LAST CALL, without reservation, and a good jumping-on issue should see the stands next month in #26, which promises to be a stand-alone story that’s new-reader friendly.
LUCIFER #15. MIKE CAREY, WRITER. PETER GROSS AND RYAN KELLY, ARTISTS. VERTIGO (DC COMICS).
I ignored this series for a fair number of issues when it came out. Not that I was opposed to the idea of spinning off the Sandman/Dreaming incarnation of Lucifer for his own series, but the idea didn’t thrill me. Lucifer was interesting as a threat to the Dreaming, as one of the only creatures in existence to make Morpheus visibly fearful, and amusing as a Nick Cave-ean piano bar owner later on in the Sandman run, but I never really wondered what the Morningstar would be doing with himself following the events closing the series. Lucifer is the kind of character that you want wandering around your literary world, a lingering menace hanging over your protagonists, but I couldn’t picture him as a central character. Fortunately, someone else could.
Mike Carey, along with the artists that have joined him so far in his 15-issue run with the Lucifer comic, has produced a Sandman spin-off worthy of its origins. As with Sandman and The Dreaming, The series exists in the Sandman/Dreaming universe with respect for what has gone before and real care with the characters that it has taken up. Issue #14, for example, centers on Lucifer’s consort Mazikeen, who was restricted to a few panels in the Sandman series but has a wonderfully expanded role here that fits right in with what we’ve known of her previously. But Carey’s not afraid to shake things up in the Sandman universe. The first major story arc has left Lucifer, more commonly known as The Devil, with the power to reshape the universe in his own image. To recreate Creation, so to speak, a task which he takes to with some gusto. The current "Triptych" arc follows some of the minor characters, I’m presuming there will be three of them, reacting to Lucifer’s actions, though the Morningstar himself is conspicuously absent but for a few stunning pages.
LUCIFER would be a good read for anyone interested in a mature dark fantasy, but it’s an especial treat for SANDMAN readers. Issue #15 alone has a number of appearances and happenings that wouldn’t be quite as fun if I weren’t already familiar with characters like Brute and Glob, who Elaine encounters and cleverly escapes in her travels. I am amused to see that Hell is now run by a woman, the Lady Ilys. And Duma speaks! It’s hard to say how such an issue would be received by a completely new reader, but the series has been well-received in general judging from the five Eisner award nominations it just received. A new trade paperback should be hitting stores about now containing the first major story arc, so it’s a great time to start reading this interesting title. I’ve only just started with it, but I’m already thinking of it as a must-read.
THE COLLECTED BEOWULF. GARETH HINDS. THECOMIC.COM.
Just after looking over TheComic.com for last week’s column, I came across this book in the shop and made an impulse purchase. It wasn’t the art that caught my eye, although I was impressed by the samples included on the webpage, or the notion of supporting an online venture such as TheComic. I got it because Beowulf is a great story, perhaps one of the best stories, and I couldn’t resist an illustrated edition of one of the finer translations. The words of this illustrated edition are straight from the Gummere (1910) translation of this centuries-old epic poem, lettered in elegant script and beautiful to read. Just listen: "Grendel this monster grim was called, march-riever mighty, in moorland living, in fey and fastness; fief of the giants the hapless wight a while had kept, since the Creator his exile doomed." It begs to be read out loud. The illustrations accompanying the text capture Grendel quite well, the black sinewy awfulness of him, his careless cannibal brutality as he bites through skulls and kneecaps and gourges on the blood of men. Grendel’s mum is in here too, fat and narled and nasty, and so is the dragon that Beowulf fights as King. Beowulf ages, as he must, in the course of the story, but always he is the embodiment of the hero - the prototypical Superman, who leads ordinary men through extraordinary circumstances with little sign of fear. One of the more striking images shows Beowulf rising from bloody waters with Grendel’s head between his teeth and a broken sword thrust into the air, a gory imitation of flight. The three chapters of Beowulf’s heroism is presented in slightly different tones, first tinted yellow like parchment and in the end as an ancient grey. I don’t personally like the one liberty taken with the text (concerning the heroism of Wiglaf) but I understand what Hinds was going for, and for the most part it’s an excellent adaptation. It’s elegant, bloody, vivid, well-crafted, and very very cool.
MURDER ME DEAD #6. DAVID LAPHAM. EL CAPITAN COMICS.
David Lapham has taken a break from his well known hard-boiled crime series, STRAY BULLETS, for this 9-part miniseries, now 2/3 completed. Is this side project worth the wait for STRAY BULLETS readers? Somehow I don’t think so, but it’s a good read on its own, and a good introduction to Lapham for new readers. MURDER ME DEAD is a noirish tale focusing more on character and dialogue than action. It follows Steve, a restaurant owner whose wife has just committed suicide, and Tara, his high school sweetheart as the noir-required Pretty Girl Who May be More Trouble Than She’s Worth. The current issue finds Steven in jail for manslaughter after Tara’s shady dealings have caught up with the two of them. All is still lovey-dovey in the beginning, with Tara visiting Steve in jail (setting off trouble for him, as it’s not always a good idea for your fellow inmates to get a look at your attractive girlfriend), but with a few strange turns of events Steven’s out of prison, Tara has disappeared, and Steve’s hot ex-sister-in-law is helping him look for her. Lapham’s crisp black-and-white renderings and simple panel layouts manage to fit a surprising amount of story in a small space, which is both good and bad. It allows for little time for events to sink in, but keeps things moving along at a brisk pace. With 3 issues to go, there’s probably a whole lot more twists and turns where that came from, but there’s still time to go back and catch up with the series before it comes to an end.
THB #6c. PAUL POPE. HORSEPRESS COMICS.
Paul Pope is still at it, continuing his science-fiction coming-of-age story of a girl and her THB through the latest story-arc, "Mek-power." Martian girl HR Watson and her mek-bodyguard are currently fugitives being chased by giant mek robots, or something like that. I’m not familiar with current happenings in THB, but I was still impressed by Pope’s dense black-and-white drawings, his imaginative robot, alien, and human creatures, and dialogue that actually sounds like different people talking and not like one person talking to himself. It’s a bit hard to make out what’s going on, but that’s probably because I’m jumping in on the 3rd part of a story-arc. The writer-artist does give you your money’s worth, with 72 pages at the price of $3.95. I respect THB more for its existence than for its actual contents, but I do like the characters and I wish the book could come out more regularly. THB #6d should be coming out this month, but the latest issue I could find came out last December. Sci-fi junkies and indie-indie comic fans should try this story arc from the beginning – Pope is a hard-working and well-respected independent comic creator whose work is interesting and smart, and rewards re-reading.
WANDERLUST #3. BRYANT SHIU, BRETT WELDELE. CHISELED COMICS.
Here’s another science-fiction series in a more familiar setting - aboard a starship. Obvious comparisons to a certain space-franchise abound, but WANDERLUST is more action-oriented than you would expect. Interplanetary League territory has been penetrated by a fleet of mysterious ships that seem to be bent on taking over the colonial planets, and space battles ensue. The coloring caught my attention for reasons I can’t quite discern – it’s not flashy or distinctive, but gives a real sense of place, and impressions of chill and warmth. The penciling is capable of rendering both flashy meka-battles and more delicate character work. Overall the art was much better than I was expecting, and what story there is is well told. I didn’t find it gripping, but am interested in seeing more. It’s hard to gage the quality of such a book with only three issues out so far, but for people looking for a space serial to follow that’s not Star Trek-related, this could be the one.
DAVID BORING. DANIEL CLOWES. FANTAGRAPHICS.
Daniel Clowes deserves a more prominent description, but for now I am just going to mention that the latest collection from his EIGHTBALL series, "David Boring," is out in hardcover. Old news to Clowes fans, but with the "Ghost World" film approaching release I expect there to be an increased demand for this talented writer/artist. "Ghost World" is a natural choice for a film adaptation, but in my book this is just as good of a read. David is a jaded young man, a kind of representative for a generation of young people who lack both a future and the idea of one. He can’t seem to get out of his rut no matter how many strange things happen to him, and imagines suicide as a way of cheating his fate. The story is more interesting than the character it surrounds, which is most of the point. For those looking to catch up with Clowes before the movie’s release, this is a fine edition of some of Clowes’s best work, and something to hand to new fans if the Ghost World movie is a success.
THE LITTLE ENDLESS STORYBOOK. JILL THOMPSON. VERTIGO (DC COMICS).
We’ve been promised a Jill Thompson DELIRIUM mini-series for some time. Hopefully we can get a little closer than this someday, but it’s entirely adequate. As the title suggests, this is actually a kid-friendly-ish storybook style story featuring big-eyed kid versions of the Endless, in which puppy Barnabas chases baby-Delirium through each of her baby-siblings houses, collecting their tokens along the way. It’s, well, pretty adorable. Jill Thompson’s quirky art (currently seen in her own book SCARY GODMOTHER) brings good humor along with the cuteness, and it’s a nice little read. Still, it’s no substitute for the real thing. Which leads me to my pick for this week, and naturally after all of the Gaiman-related reading I’ve done lately it has to be one of the Sandman collections.
I admit to being a Gaiman fangirl. I admit to having every individual issue of Sandman and its related mini-series, and a lot of unnecessary merchandise such as a plush Death doll that makes my roommates uneasy for some reason. So I’m probably not the best person to explain why this is a crucial read for anyone interested in comic books, since I was won over a long time ago and have a hard time imagining why anyone else wouldn’t be. Still, I can tell you that SANDMAN is the title that convinced me to stay with comics as a teenager, when my interest had begun to fade. It also convinced me that comics could be stacked up next to any other medium and called literature, art. That comics could do just about anything, with the right people making them. A lot of people came to this realization with this book, or with other titles that looked to SANDMAN as a benchmark for serious comic-books. Outside of comics it is a horror-fantasy milestone, drawing together mythologies well known and obscure onto the same playing field with real and realistic ordinary people. It’s a reference point for modern-day fantasy.
Enough gushing. I am asked every once in awhile to recommend The Sandman to someone, and nearly every time I give them the Pick of The Week, A DOLL’S HOUSE (Book II in the Sandman graphic novels). It’s not the generally agreed upon "best" story arc (which would be "A Season of Mists"), nor is it my personal favorite story arc (which would be "A Game Of You"). But I find it to be most representative of what the series is capable of. It has the horror elements, and the weird shit elements, creatures of the Dreaming, and plenty of appearances from Morpheus, the Sandman himself. A DOLL’S HOUSE follows, for the most part, the travels of a seemingly ordinary girl named Rose Walker, as she uncovers some rather unseemly family secrets. Her grandmother Unity, who she did not become aware of until recently, had fallen to the sleeping sickness created in the wake of the Sandman’s capture in the previous story arc. It is the first, but far from the last, time we are shown the effects of these clashings of gods and dreams on the lives of mortals. When Unity awakes suddenly an old woman with a daughter she doesn’t remember birthing, Rose is sent to find her brother Jed, who had gone to live with her distant father, to reunite the family. This proves to be difficult. Which is sort of like saying a hurricane can prove to be loud, especially since Rose’s father is long dead and two imaginary creatures have taken over Jed’s head in order to hide from Morpheus the Dream King, and escaping these creatures along with Jed’s abusive foster parents leads him right into the path of the Corinthean, a nightmare from the Dreaming whose pastime is eating the eyeballs of young boys and basking in the respect of his serial killer worshippers. The serial killer convention sequence ("Collectors") is arguably one of the most inventive passages in the Sandman series, able to make one laugh and squirm simultaneously.
During its run, The Sandman was one of the most intelligent and imaginative creations in comicdom, and time is already proving it a classic. A DOLL’S HOUSE is an early story-arc in the 75-issue run, but an important one that introduces crucial and beloved characters such as Rose, Matthew the Raven, Barbie, Fiddler’s Green, Lyta Hall,and the Corinthean, many of whom carry on today in the DREAMING series and other Vertigo projects. No writer can combine the horrible and the beautiful quite like Gaiman can, and this was one of his best works.
As a final addendum, I have to mention Neil Gaiman’s new novel, AMERICAN GODS, which I am about halfway through, and I had a hell of a time putting it down to write these reviews. With some authors, when you have read them enough you are disappointed to find that you already know all their tricks. Gaiman, I am pleased to report, is still getting better. Some elements are familiar, but incredibly, he has managed to improve upon them, and pull out some new elements besides. It’s a wonderful book.
If you want to recommend your favorite comic to me, email me at Neverwhere333@angelfire.com I am slow to respond but I read every piece of mail that comes in. Next week is my vacation, but following that I would like to look at some comics appropriate for the kiddies, like Akiko and Herobear.
Thanks for reading.
