Gumby Free Comic Book Day Special, May 2007, Wildcard Ink
contributors: Shannon Wheeler, Rick Geary, Mike Hersh, Mark Bode, Steve Oliff, Bob Burden
No matter where you grow up, no matter what your interests are, most American youth are united by a few unalienable inquiries in their childhood: Why can't real life be as fun as what I read? When will I fit in? When will I go to Disneyland? And, of course, Betty or Veronica? Indeed, these questions are best represented by the universal icons of our culture's long-standing, youth-oriented media: Gumby, Charlie Brown, Micky Mouse, and Archie, respectively. These characters' appeal, best summed up by those simple, innocent motivations, is universal on both visual and existential levels. Indeed, one must not neglect their individually unique appearances; from Archie's redheaded freckledness to Micky's trademarked ears, from Charlie Brown's singularly squiggled locks to Gumby's misshapen green noggin, the fact that even these characters' heads are so distinctive proves that they are inspired "brain-children" for America's children, and have held that standing for years.
Therefore, their participation in Free Comic Book Day is more than a treat -- it's an expectation they couldn't avoid. These icons are the proverbial Student Council for FCBD's annual comics class reunion; they're the glue that holds child-centric visual entertainment together . . .
Which is why I'm not surprised to discover three of these four comics are about escapism, a common theme that children easily understand. In fact, if one accepts that the imagination is a more substantial influence in childhood, then "escape" is an ongoing commonality for the average tyke, utilizing television, books, and toys as conduits of projectionist adventure. As we grow up, we steadily remove ourselves from the media we enjoy, no longer imagining ourselves as the hero (and thus safety-pinning towels around our necks and jumping off of coffeetables . . . oh, like that was just me) but rather simply enjoying the hero's epic as an entertaining entity outside of ourselves. A movie becomes less of a window to another world and more of . . . well, a movie. Even for collectors, toys aren't manipulated but instead displayed as proud shelf pieces. The fourth wall is safely and securely erected.
Which is why I've always liked Gumby.
Gumby was one of the most flexible characters I can recall from childhood, pun intended. Gumby was responsible and sensitive, arguably acting older than his intended age, yet his ability to leap into books reinforced the youthful concept that books were portals of imaginative discovery. I fondly remember Gumby's supporting cast: the ever-faithful Pokey, Prickle, Goo, and those dastardly Blockheads. When Wildcard Ink recently launched a comic book series inspired by Gumby's old adventures, despite my love for the character, I was hesitant to investigate, because the crudity of that old, still-developing claymation is what sparked part of the charm for me. Gumby was more real than any cartoon character, a tangible entity, but still raw in his presentation and (yes, even as a kid I thought) his production value, just as Oswald the Rabbit must have appeared in Walt Disney's pre-Micky days. A comic book could easily clean up those rough edges and present a crisp package, and I wasn't sure if Gumby could wear "streamlined" well. Fortunately, the contributors to Gumby's illustrated adventures apparently realized the sheer exploratory nature of the character and, rather than resort to a standard sequential adventure, have instead opted to test the bounds of the visual storytelling format, implementing different artists' take on a script throughout one issue. In this free sample, the Blockheads swipe a valuable painting from Pokey's favorite museum, and Gumby pops in and out of the other exhibited works to catch them. Geary, Hersh, and Bode divide these artistic responsibilities and really play with Gumby's malleability, and though the final production is hit and miss, the effort is respectfully recognizable. Surreal and sympathetic, Gumby's flexibility obviously entails a transcendence of time and forum, and honestly I couldn't be happier.
Yet, if Gumby represents our inherent drive to delve into make believe worlds, Mickey Mouse represents our childish need to visit one real place, the Mecca of spoiled little brats everywhere: Disneyland. Really, what kid doesn't want to go to Disneyland? When I moved to Southern California, I was amazed that I lived in driving distance of the Happiest Place of Earth, and though I could theoretically go there every night if I wanted to, something about that land holds a reverence for me. That Walt Disney's creative and entrepreneurial achievements reached fruition there is nothing short of admirable, and that said achievements can be reduced to the image of three conjoined circles is phenomenal. Yes, I'm talking about Mickey Mouse, and specifically those trademarked ears. Reading his FCBD installment, I never would've thought that he had something between those ears, but under the pen of animator/illustrator Floyd Gottfredson, Mickey was something of an idiot savant with a pinch of a bruiser to boot. This issue reprints a story that spanned six months' worth of strips in 1936, and seventy-one years later, their just as visually vibrant as ever. This guy wasn't one of Disney's founding Imagineers for nothing. Further, this epic's concept is quite ambitious: while attempting to concoct a growth formula for the plants in his garden, Mickey accidentally creates a reduction component and shrinks himself, then shortly stumbles into the illustrated adventures of a Robin Hood storybook, fighting alongside the Merry Men and rescuing one of Minnie's royal ancestors! Of course, he eventually stumbles out and regains his original height, but the parallels to Gumby's later book-hopping shtick aren't lost to me, nor is the happenstance meeting between two icons of literature that might warrant the first distinction of a "crossover!" Even before Disneyland's groundbreaking in the mid-'50s, Mickey was teaching us the value of escape. Man, those ears have it.
Fantagraphics' Unseen Peanuts is one of the most tasteful FCBD offerings of the entire bunch, respectfully sampling a compilation of heretofore "lost" Peanuts comic strips of the '50s and '60s. What Disney did on film, Charles Schultz did on newsprint, establishing a rich roster of characters that children could adore for generations, and Fantagraphics was wise enough to mine the Peanuts gangs' early years in both a scholarly yet colloquial way so readers could feel like their on the ground floor of something already too comprehensive not to investigate, if you're a fan of sequential art, anyway. These strips, which were omitted from reprints or later compilations mostly because of character or content inconsistencies and thus only appeared once as their original run, are laced with ongoing commentary by editor Kim Thompson, whose giddy yet scholarly excitement at the chance to present these little treasures is absolutely infectious. I confess, thanks to the sheer volume of strips in this issue, just a fraction of what Fantagraphics is packaging in their Complete Peanuts anthologies, I have yet to finish this collection, but only because I refuse to rush through it just for the sake of completing it. I want to carefully crack open the shells of these Peanuts and digest them thoughtfully, as Thompson intends, reveling in their innocence and enjoying their originality. In fact, based on what I've already read, I think I prefer these early strips to what we know of these characters nowadays; Schultz drew the heads more round, the bodies smaller, and captured the vitality and sometimes unmitigated violence of youth without the filters we established later in his career. Not only are we beholding youth in all its glory here, but we're watching a young artist mature with his craft. Although these inconsistencies must have plagued Schultz later in life, perfectionist that he was, considering the joy of retrospection here, it must have been a good grief. Get it?
Finally, Little Archie: Legend of the Lost Lagoon may not have been as compelling as its peers in the "iconic characters from childhood" department, but its subtle themes of sexual tension are telling of what Archie really contributed to kid-oriented comics. As his usual adolescent-self, Archie is an awkward womanizer, torn between the bookish Betty and the vivacious Veronica, and despite his inability to juggle their affections for his own gain, they always forgive him if only to maintain their unending anxiety. Little Archie is a tad more innocent, and in this adventure he and some friends (regrettably sans a li'l Jughead!) are camping and discover a lost lagoon, until then only relegating to urban myth. Of course, girls from the campsite on the other side of the river join Archie's gang to seek refuge from a storm, and in the process, the female camp counsellors become infatuated with the male chaperon, resulting in a strange scene using bandages as some metaphor for intercourse, I can only imagine. Ultimately, though I appreciate what Archie has done for comics and would insist that Aaron Spelling's adolescent soap opera empire owes much to the Riverdale clan, I wonder why "Little Archie" was blatantly called "Little Archie" throughout this issue. None of the other kids' names were preceded with "little," and how would the supporting cast know that this issue's readership would be so more familiar with Archie's older counterpart to make such a moniker-based distinction? It's a narrative flaw based in corporate identity, I'm sure, but distracting nevertheless. Thankfully, Archie didn't keep the nickname as a high school student; otherwise, I think Betty and Veronica would've had nothing to do with him.
I hope these characters' participation in Free Comic Book Day was mutually beneficial to the cause, bringing some attention to the medium's marketing opportunity and also shining a spotlight on the roles these icons have played in child-oriented entertainment. Mickey, Gumby, Charlie Brown, and Archie have been so widely known and embraced for generations that they supersede their native media, from newspaper strips and comic books to animation and claymation, and have achieved success in any incarnation -- a testament to our youth's commitment to their mission. Even if other franchises dominate pop culture in the future, this "comic quartet," alongside a few others, should be respected for paving way to a realm of imagination, a place where children of all ages can escape for a few precious moments . . . even to escape from their own impending adulthood. Something about leaping into a comic book makes even one's most suppressed inner child come out for a spell, and as these characters proclaim to their respective media, it never hurts to remember where you've come from.
Saturday, May 12, 2007
Friday, May 11, 2007
Buzzboy/Roboy: The Buzz and the 'Bot #0: FCBD Exposed! part 8a: Remember the Children!
Buzzboy/Roboy: The Buzz and the 'Bot #0, 2006, Sky-Dog Press
by John Gallagher, Rich Faber, and John Green
More so than any other medium, children have always played a critical role in comics. When the industry became mainstream in the early '40s, comic books translated a difficult era in America's history for an entire generation of kids to understand; before Cartoon Network and YouTube, comic books weren't just the primary but the only conduit of information exclusively for kids. No wonder Superman was an infant when he rocketed to Earth, or Bruce Wayne was a child when his parents were murdered, or even Peter Parker was an awkward adolescent when that radioactive spider bit him. Children could relate to them, and even understand their simplistic, morale-based motivations. "Truth, justice, and the American way" and "With great power comes great responsibility" are just modern Aesop riffs, like, "Slow and steady wins the race." Unfortunately, comics didn't evolve quite so steadily, and the industry has grown with its original readership, adapting more mature and even controversial situations for those once childlike icons. Primary colors have receded for moral shades of gray, and, as a person that works with children, I've often wondered why I can't share my medium of choice with them, especially when many of their heroes still come from it. Can I really just grab the latest issue of Spider-man, fresh from the "Civil War" and "Assassin!" story arcs and share it with an eight-year-old? Fortunately, Free Comic Book Day realized this dilemma and offered some youth-oriented alternatives. Aside from the Legion of Superheroes and Marvel Adventures comics, timeless characters like Micky Mouse, Archie, Charlie Brown, and Gumby all made worthy contributions (which I will review this weekend), and other alternative titles like Owly, Amelia Rules!, and Buzzboy offered a different avenue of innocent adventure for readers of all ages.
And let me tell you, I appreciate a comic book that addresses childlike antics with some maturity . . .
Buzzboy/Roboy: The Buzz and the 'Bot #0 is a jam piece starring two fresh adolescent characters, and although their adventures were action-oriented and lingually shallow, Sky-Dog Comics' corporate identity was the most substantial of all of the comics I've read thus far. Both in the inside cover essay and on the back cover, publisher John Gallagher asks, "Who knew comics could be this much fun again?" With that simple mission statement, all presuppositions about what this issue is supposed to be fade, leaving only an anticipation for rollicking frivolity, and sure enough, these short stories deliver. Sure, Buzzboy and Roboy don't pack the emotional wallop of their teenaged superhero peers like Robin or Marvel's Runaways, but they deliver in pun-riddled wisecracks and high flying fisticuffs, which, for a kid, is a very worthy introductory course in the pure escapism of the medium. Why muddle a young person's mind with continuity when the fine art of sequential storytelling is enough to convince them that comics are a valiant alternative to the Internet? Not that Buzzboy and Roboy don't exploit the technology angle: the former depends on his "buzzbelt" for his powers, and the other is a little android with the downloaded abilities and personalities of a cartoon character. So, naturally, these characters feel right at home fighting big city-stomping robots or flying through space to recover broken satellites -- things kids would do, if they could. See, while Batman and Spider-man grapple with their inner demons, which is certainly one form of evolution from whence comics came, Sky-Dog went the other way, simply manipulating the window-dressing; fighting big robots is today's suction-cup climb up a building, you know?
Owly is a bit more existential in its approach to appealing to youth. While Buzzboy earns his name and his issue is generally very busy, Owly is void of narrative and instead tells its tale via its characters' melodramatic expressions, which are effective is not a tad exaggerated for kids' sake. As an adult male reading this comic book alone, I confess a sense of awkwardness, as if I were partaking in something not meant for me. I mean, how would you feel if you saw a guy at your local Starbucks reading a comic about an owl and his rabbit friend trying to present a potted plant to the rabbit's grandfather for his birthday? Little tragedies throughout this issue intended to elicit sympathy and propel the plot forward are actually kind of pathetic through a casual reader's perspective, but from a purely storytelling point-of-view, Andy Runton has mastered his role as an artist of few words, and in fact I hope his style inspires a generation to consider the same technique. Indeed, a script can be overrated if pictures can tell a story so vividly the absence of dialogue is an after thought. Further, since language is a skill humans develop, albeit early in their lives, I wonder if Runton is sending a subliminal message to his readers to embrace the simpler things in life. Leave it to an owl to be so subversively wise.
Finally, Amelia Rules! is a simple story about childhood relationships. As I've mentioned, since I work with kids, I'm very cognizant of how children are depicted in comics. Needless to say, we've come a long way since a tear-streaked Bruce Wayne praying bedside vowing his parents' revenge. In many comics, the modern comic lets kids be kids, and in this case, when Amelia double books a play date with a study session, everybody reaction seems particularly appropriate. Though the language could stand some "dumbing down" (kids in comics are always too smart for their own good), I think a child would completely relate to this material, and in fact might have some similar stories of their own to share. If Amelia Rules! offers anything to the medium, besides fun, cartoony art, it's the inspiration that a young person doesn't have to turn into a superhero with a bolt of lightning to have significant experiences to offer -- and experience through artistic expression. In comics, regarding content, thanks to the independent scene, there are no rules anymore.
Offered alongside the likes of Micky Mouse and Gumby, Buzzboy, Amelia, and Owly had some tough competition. Archie and Snoopy have decades of successful history behind them, and on Free Comic Book Day, I can imagine that a parent accompanying their child would've encouraged one of those old standards: "Oh, look, I read Charlie Brown when I was a kid! Read this!" Fortunately, the comic books I read and reviewed today were so handsomely packaged, with cover illustrations too vivid to ignore, that I think they stood up to their predecessors, hopefully laying the foundation for their own respective legacies. Just like us, comics have to grow up sometime, and when they do, they'll wish they never did.
by John Gallagher, Rich Faber, and John Green
More so than any other medium, children have always played a critical role in comics. When the industry became mainstream in the early '40s, comic books translated a difficult era in America's history for an entire generation of kids to understand; before Cartoon Network and YouTube, comic books weren't just the primary but the only conduit of information exclusively for kids. No wonder Superman was an infant when he rocketed to Earth, or Bruce Wayne was a child when his parents were murdered, or even Peter Parker was an awkward adolescent when that radioactive spider bit him. Children could relate to them, and even understand their simplistic, morale-based motivations. "Truth, justice, and the American way" and "With great power comes great responsibility" are just modern Aesop riffs, like, "Slow and steady wins the race." Unfortunately, comics didn't evolve quite so steadily, and the industry has grown with its original readership, adapting more mature and even controversial situations for those once childlike icons. Primary colors have receded for moral shades of gray, and, as a person that works with children, I've often wondered why I can't share my medium of choice with them, especially when many of their heroes still come from it. Can I really just grab the latest issue of Spider-man, fresh from the "Civil War" and "Assassin!" story arcs and share it with an eight-year-old? Fortunately, Free Comic Book Day realized this dilemma and offered some youth-oriented alternatives. Aside from the Legion of Superheroes and Marvel Adventures comics, timeless characters like Micky Mouse, Archie, Charlie Brown, and Gumby all made worthy contributions (which I will review this weekend), and other alternative titles like Owly, Amelia Rules!, and Buzzboy offered a different avenue of innocent adventure for readers of all ages.
And let me tell you, I appreciate a comic book that addresses childlike antics with some maturity . . .
Buzzboy/Roboy: The Buzz and the 'Bot #0 is a jam piece starring two fresh adolescent characters, and although their adventures were action-oriented and lingually shallow, Sky-Dog Comics' corporate identity was the most substantial of all of the comics I've read thus far. Both in the inside cover essay and on the back cover, publisher John Gallagher asks, "Who knew comics could be this much fun again?" With that simple mission statement, all presuppositions about what this issue is supposed to be fade, leaving only an anticipation for rollicking frivolity, and sure enough, these short stories deliver. Sure, Buzzboy and Roboy don't pack the emotional wallop of their teenaged superhero peers like Robin or Marvel's Runaways, but they deliver in pun-riddled wisecracks and high flying fisticuffs, which, for a kid, is a very worthy introductory course in the pure escapism of the medium. Why muddle a young person's mind with continuity when the fine art of sequential storytelling is enough to convince them that comics are a valiant alternative to the Internet? Not that Buzzboy and Roboy don't exploit the technology angle: the former depends on his "buzzbelt" for his powers, and the other is a little android with the downloaded abilities and personalities of a cartoon character. So, naturally, these characters feel right at home fighting big city-stomping robots or flying through space to recover broken satellites -- things kids would do, if they could. See, while Batman and Spider-man grapple with their inner demons, which is certainly one form of evolution from whence comics came, Sky-Dog went the other way, simply manipulating the window-dressing; fighting big robots is today's suction-cup climb up a building, you know?
Owly is a bit more existential in its approach to appealing to youth. While Buzzboy earns his name and his issue is generally very busy, Owly is void of narrative and instead tells its tale via its characters' melodramatic expressions, which are effective is not a tad exaggerated for kids' sake. As an adult male reading this comic book alone, I confess a sense of awkwardness, as if I were partaking in something not meant for me. I mean, how would you feel if you saw a guy at your local Starbucks reading a comic about an owl and his rabbit friend trying to present a potted plant to the rabbit's grandfather for his birthday? Little tragedies throughout this issue intended to elicit sympathy and propel the plot forward are actually kind of pathetic through a casual reader's perspective, but from a purely storytelling point-of-view, Andy Runton has mastered his role as an artist of few words, and in fact I hope his style inspires a generation to consider the same technique. Indeed, a script can be overrated if pictures can tell a story so vividly the absence of dialogue is an after thought. Further, since language is a skill humans develop, albeit early in their lives, I wonder if Runton is sending a subliminal message to his readers to embrace the simpler things in life. Leave it to an owl to be so subversively wise.
Finally, Amelia Rules! is a simple story about childhood relationships. As I've mentioned, since I work with kids, I'm very cognizant of how children are depicted in comics. Needless to say, we've come a long way since a tear-streaked Bruce Wayne praying bedside vowing his parents' revenge. In many comics, the modern comic lets kids be kids, and in this case, when Amelia double books a play date with a study session, everybody reaction seems particularly appropriate. Though the language could stand some "dumbing down" (kids in comics are always too smart for their own good), I think a child would completely relate to this material, and in fact might have some similar stories of their own to share. If Amelia Rules! offers anything to the medium, besides fun, cartoony art, it's the inspiration that a young person doesn't have to turn into a superhero with a bolt of lightning to have significant experiences to offer -- and experience through artistic expression. In comics, regarding content, thanks to the independent scene, there are no rules anymore.
Offered alongside the likes of Micky Mouse and Gumby, Buzzboy, Amelia, and Owly had some tough competition. Archie and Snoopy have decades of successful history behind them, and on Free Comic Book Day, I can imagine that a parent accompanying their child would've encouraged one of those old standards: "Oh, look, I read Charlie Brown when I was a kid! Read this!" Fortunately, the comic books I read and reviewed today were so handsomely packaged, with cover illustrations too vivid to ignore, that I think they stood up to their predecessors, hopefully laying the foundation for their own respective legacies. Just like us, comics have to grow up sometime, and when they do, they'll wish they never did.
Thursday, May 10, 2007
Last Blood #1: FCBD Exposed! part 7
Last Blood #1, May 2007, Blatant Comics
writer: Bobby Cosby
artist: Owen Gieni
I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. Six days and thirty-two comics books later, Free Comic Book Day has transformed from annual event to week-long marathon in my attempt to read every issue I managed to acquire last Saturday (which, as I've said before, was all of the available issues sans the Comic Shop News and Virgin Comics offerings). With just two days left, I'm wondering, do I have a better grasp of what this beloved medium is really all about? Not that reading and reviewing a comic a day since the first of last July hasn't been a challenge, but to cram a deliberately diverse selection of comics in such a short period of time, with the intent to gleaming some insight from the experience . . . Have I actually learned anything? Actually, yes. I've determined that the best contemporary storytelling can be summed up in three words: David vs. Goliath. That old Biblical tale has become an allegorical paradigm for compelling modern fiction, namely, the little guy versus the big guy. From Superman combating Lex Luthor's overwhelming intellect to the protagonist in True Story Swear to God trying to process love and loss in his life (to pick one random title from the slew of indies out there about, well, love and loss), each protagonist is cornered by a situation that seems bigger than him and yet through which he must claw his way out. Although other fans or critics of comics may have observed this paradigm a long time ago, today's particular selection of FCBD installments were so similarly thematically transparent that the epiphany was too hard to ignore.
And if you don't agree with my new found philosophy, what else could explain comics' cultural appeal? Let's say zombies. Everybody likes zombies . . .
In fact, zombies star in two of the five comics I read today, which I dare say may represent the zombie titles to other titles ratio on the new release stands nowadays. Zombies have just become too popular for their own good, as if the only way they could really eat our brains is by first infiltrating them with zombie comics. Although I've flipped through many of these issues and even reviewed Pieces for Mom: A Tale of the Undead for both A Comic A Day and Geek in the City, the genre hasn't really gripped me . . . until Blatant Comics' Last Blood. Along with Castle Rain's Jack the Lantern, I was convinced that I wasn't going to like this book, that it was just one of many gothic escapist fantasies that takes itself way too seriously. Yet, from the first few pages, I felt invested in these characters' plight, as a small commune of human survivors living in a world overrun by zombies. When a couple of vampires arrive to save them from a meandering band of the undead, things get interesting; although the vampires stereotypically require human blood to stay alive, they aren't blood-drunk and in fact treat the humans with respect. After all, since these people are the last living community in America (as much as a shock them as the reader, I assure you), a neck-biting would be counterproductive. In fact, one of the vampires sparks a kinship with the community's teacher, who inspired the survivors' business-as-usual living strategy, and he reveals that zombies are merely bloodthirsty Nosferatu -- their only equivalent to death. So, ironically, while the vampires live as the survivors' saviors, their undead race is responsible for their situation in the first place. Although the art was inconsistent, thanks in some part to printing quality I presume, the story and especially the dialogue were completely engaging, almost charming in its zest for hope. I dare say I'd pursue Last Blood #2; while other zombie books are content with stumbling off of the shelves, seemingly with the same vigor as their subject matter, Last Blood boasts a vitality that I hope lasts.
I wondered if Jack the Lantern would surprise me, too. It didn't. Like Last Blood, some of the pages seemed muddy, perhaps a result of poor production, but the script didn't capture me much, either. Jack the Lantern is a Etrigan the Demon rip off, with unnecessary bouts of make believe demonic jargon sprinkled throughout its story to imply some sense of depth, but, in my opinion, this is just the comic book equivalent to a straight-to-video B-movie horror. I would have returned this video half way through, and I would've eaten the fine for not rewinding it lest I run the risk of actually seeing this stuff again.
Harsh, I know, but all is not lost thanks to Digital Webbing Jam 2007 and Ape Entertainment's Comic Spectacular. Each of these issues offered a string of short samplings of their ongoing series, a phenomenon I explored earlier this week, and that each up-and-coming company made work in their own way. Digital Webbing's issue, for example, contained five shorts that captured the essence of their respective titles respectively; in just a few action-packed pages, we gleam that BloodRayne is a vampire-hunter, that the Fist of Justice is a superhero spoof about how crazy capes-'n-tights adventures really are, that E-Man is an alien embodiment of pure energy fighting the good fight on Earth, that Zombie Highway is a poignant, character-driven piece about a world overrun by the undead (again), and that Punks is a surreal sociopolitical commentary via digitally montage imagery. Whew. Though these concise descriptions cannot do their subjects' justice, they prove that it was just that easy to get a grasp on Digital Webbings' canon. I don't know much about DW's origins, but I believe I've heard them billed as a credible source of creative networking, so, based on this issue, I'm willing to find out.
Ape Entertainment's self-proclaimed is equally concise, presenting six samples with a more diverse selection of genres from which to choose. Here's another synopsis synopsis: Athena Voltaire is Indiana Jones-meets-Lara Croft, with an appropriate loathing for Nazis and masculine insecurity; White Picket Fences is about a high school experiencing the side effect's of man's constantly evolving (and dangerously experimenting) intellect; The Goblin Chronicles is about a young goblin intended to become a warrior but whose brainpower inspires him toward gadgetry; Teddy Scares is about a band of misfit toys and the soft-hearted nostalgic bear among them; Go-Go Gorilla and the Jungle Crew is a tongue-in-cheek animal-driven; Bizarre New World, which I've read press about recently, is about the hard-luck life of a man that learns he can fly. Each of these stories were charming in their own right and I will definitely pursue a few of them beyond this free sample, but I must specifically commend Go-Go Gorilla's crew for their onslaught of comic book/animal related puns, including Lizard Magazine and Civil Boar references. Since Free Comic Book Day has become a beast in its own right, standing out like these issues have is quite impressive.
Of course, Oni Comics' Whiteout #1 didn't even have to try, especially with contributors' like Greg Rucka and Steve Lieber at the helm. Rucka's Antarctic murder mystery series is a finely crafted modern homage to the classic mysteries akin of Conan Doyle himself, and by setting his compelling characters in the only spot on the globe void of contemporary trappings, where the personalities of people are the only force of nature aside of the ever present chill, his canvas is as blank as the ice below his protagonists' feet. In this case, in addition to the standard murder mystery, Rucka explores gender roles, as well, as his detective du jour is a woman seemingly cornered in the primarily man's world of polar exploration. Cold shoulder indeed.
So, if it isn't an army of zombies or Nazis, or a band of isolated perverted men, to every little story in between, all of the tales I read today (fourteen yarns in five comics) are about singular heroes facing those overwhelming odds. As I eluded, I'm somewhat embarrassed I've taken so long to come to this thematic conclusion about a medium I've enjoyed for over a decade, but while the motif is familiar and commonplace for superheroes, to experience such a variety genres simply drives the point home. I guess this week-long attempt to review all of the Free Comic Book Day offerings, not to mention a comic a day, is my personal Goliath. Can anybody spare a sling?
writer: Bobby Cosby
artist: Owen Gieni
I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. Six days and thirty-two comics books later, Free Comic Book Day has transformed from annual event to week-long marathon in my attempt to read every issue I managed to acquire last Saturday (which, as I've said before, was all of the available issues sans the Comic Shop News and Virgin Comics offerings). With just two days left, I'm wondering, do I have a better grasp of what this beloved medium is really all about? Not that reading and reviewing a comic a day since the first of last July hasn't been a challenge, but to cram a deliberately diverse selection of comics in such a short period of time, with the intent to gleaming some insight from the experience . . . Have I actually learned anything? Actually, yes. I've determined that the best contemporary storytelling can be summed up in three words: David vs. Goliath. That old Biblical tale has become an allegorical paradigm for compelling modern fiction, namely, the little guy versus the big guy. From Superman combating Lex Luthor's overwhelming intellect to the protagonist in True Story Swear to God trying to process love and loss in his life (to pick one random title from the slew of indies out there about, well, love and loss), each protagonist is cornered by a situation that seems bigger than him and yet through which he must claw his way out. Although other fans or critics of comics may have observed this paradigm a long time ago, today's particular selection of FCBD installments were so similarly thematically transparent that the epiphany was too hard to ignore.
And if you don't agree with my new found philosophy, what else could explain comics' cultural appeal? Let's say zombies. Everybody likes zombies . . .
In fact, zombies star in two of the five comics I read today, which I dare say may represent the zombie titles to other titles ratio on the new release stands nowadays. Zombies have just become too popular for their own good, as if the only way they could really eat our brains is by first infiltrating them with zombie comics. Although I've flipped through many of these issues and even reviewed Pieces for Mom: A Tale of the Undead for both A Comic A Day and Geek in the City, the genre hasn't really gripped me . . . until Blatant Comics' Last Blood. Along with Castle Rain's Jack the Lantern, I was convinced that I wasn't going to like this book, that it was just one of many gothic escapist fantasies that takes itself way too seriously. Yet, from the first few pages, I felt invested in these characters' plight, as a small commune of human survivors living in a world overrun by zombies. When a couple of vampires arrive to save them from a meandering band of the undead, things get interesting; although the vampires stereotypically require human blood to stay alive, they aren't blood-drunk and in fact treat the humans with respect. After all, since these people are the last living community in America (as much as a shock them as the reader, I assure you), a neck-biting would be counterproductive. In fact, one of the vampires sparks a kinship with the community's teacher, who inspired the survivors' business-as-usual living strategy, and he reveals that zombies are merely bloodthirsty Nosferatu -- their only equivalent to death. So, ironically, while the vampires live as the survivors' saviors, their undead race is responsible for their situation in the first place. Although the art was inconsistent, thanks in some part to printing quality I presume, the story and especially the dialogue were completely engaging, almost charming in its zest for hope. I dare say I'd pursue Last Blood #2; while other zombie books are content with stumbling off of the shelves, seemingly with the same vigor as their subject matter, Last Blood boasts a vitality that I hope lasts.
I wondered if Jack the Lantern would surprise me, too. It didn't. Like Last Blood, some of the pages seemed muddy, perhaps a result of poor production, but the script didn't capture me much, either. Jack the Lantern is a Etrigan the Demon rip off, with unnecessary bouts of make believe demonic jargon sprinkled throughout its story to imply some sense of depth, but, in my opinion, this is just the comic book equivalent to a straight-to-video B-movie horror. I would have returned this video half way through, and I would've eaten the fine for not rewinding it lest I run the risk of actually seeing this stuff again.
Harsh, I know, but all is not lost thanks to Digital Webbing Jam 2007 and Ape Entertainment's Comic Spectacular. Each of these issues offered a string of short samplings of their ongoing series, a phenomenon I explored earlier this week, and that each up-and-coming company made work in their own way. Digital Webbing's issue, for example, contained five shorts that captured the essence of their respective titles respectively; in just a few action-packed pages, we gleam that BloodRayne is a vampire-hunter, that the Fist of Justice is a superhero spoof about how crazy capes-'n-tights adventures really are, that E-Man is an alien embodiment of pure energy fighting the good fight on Earth, that Zombie Highway is a poignant, character-driven piece about a world overrun by the undead (again), and that Punks is a surreal sociopolitical commentary via digitally montage imagery. Whew. Though these concise descriptions cannot do their subjects' justice, they prove that it was just that easy to get a grasp on Digital Webbings' canon. I don't know much about DW's origins, but I believe I've heard them billed as a credible source of creative networking, so, based on this issue, I'm willing to find out.
Ape Entertainment's self-proclaimed is equally concise, presenting six samples with a more diverse selection of genres from which to choose. Here's another synopsis synopsis: Athena Voltaire is Indiana Jones-meets-Lara Croft, with an appropriate loathing for Nazis and masculine insecurity; White Picket Fences is about a high school experiencing the side effect's of man's constantly evolving (and dangerously experimenting) intellect; The Goblin Chronicles is about a young goblin intended to become a warrior but whose brainpower inspires him toward gadgetry; Teddy Scares is about a band of misfit toys and the soft-hearted nostalgic bear among them; Go-Go Gorilla and the Jungle Crew is a tongue-in-cheek animal-driven; Bizarre New World, which I've read press about recently, is about the hard-luck life of a man that learns he can fly. Each of these stories were charming in their own right and I will definitely pursue a few of them beyond this free sample, but I must specifically commend Go-Go Gorilla's crew for their onslaught of comic book/animal related puns, including Lizard Magazine and Civil Boar references. Since Free Comic Book Day has become a beast in its own right, standing out like these issues have is quite impressive.
Of course, Oni Comics' Whiteout #1 didn't even have to try, especially with contributors' like Greg Rucka and Steve Lieber at the helm. Rucka's Antarctic murder mystery series is a finely crafted modern homage to the classic mysteries akin of Conan Doyle himself, and by setting his compelling characters in the only spot on the globe void of contemporary trappings, where the personalities of people are the only force of nature aside of the ever present chill, his canvas is as blank as the ice below his protagonists' feet. In this case, in addition to the standard murder mystery, Rucka explores gender roles, as well, as his detective du jour is a woman seemingly cornered in the primarily man's world of polar exploration. Cold shoulder indeed.
So, if it isn't an army of zombies or Nazis, or a band of isolated perverted men, to every little story in between, all of the tales I read today (fourteen yarns in five comics) are about singular heroes facing those overwhelming odds. As I eluded, I'm somewhat embarrassed I've taken so long to come to this thematic conclusion about a medium I've enjoyed for over a decade, but while the motif is familiar and commonplace for superheroes, to experience such a variety genres simply drives the point home. I guess this week-long attempt to review all of the Free Comic Book Day offerings, not to mention a comic a day, is my personal Goliath. Can anybody spare a sling?
Wednesday, May 09, 2007
Comics 101: How-to & History Lessons from the Pros: FCBD Exposed! part 6
Comics 101: How-to & History Lessons from the Pros, May 2007, TwoMorrows Publishing
contributors: Bret Blevins, Mike Manley, BobMcLeod, Danny Fingeroth, Roy Thomas, John Morrow, Michael Eury
Today's Free Comic Book Day expose is rife with paradoxes. For example, the three (only three?) free comics I read today aren't really comics at all, but rather comic book sized how-to guides for creating comics. Further, from the contributors mentioned above to Kevin Maguire and Joe Kubert in Wizard's How to Draw offering, to Colleen Doran and Tom Nguyen in Impact University volume #3, opportunists that scored these three issues were exposed to some of the best talents in the industry, yet not via comics content, but rather prose-driven instruction. Sure, Nguyen embellishes his drawing suggestions with dynamic illustrations, but nothing beats his inks on top of Doug Mahnke's pencils -- though I'm grateful to observe that his talents exceed mere "tracer" status. Indeed, today's reading experience was extremely education, and though I only devoured three issues, the breadth of their material was more than comprehensive enough for a single evening's musings.
And soon said we geeks couldn't read books without pictures. As long as they're books about books without pictures . . .
First of all, obviously, Comics 101, Wizard, and Impact all presented the standard eight-head high stick figure skeleton of the average comic book character, but I must confess, I preferred Blevins' scholarly approach in the former than the pop oriented how-to suggestions of the latter two issues. As I mentioned last December in A Comic A Day, I had the privilege of meeting Bret Blevins in in Prescott, Arizona, where he was kind enough to sketch my favorite B-listers Cloak & Dagger (whom he illustrated in Strange Tales volume 2) for free. Colleen Doran and Jim Calafiore are excellent instructors on paper, but my unique opportunity to behold Blevins put this beginner's course in action on paper in real time reinforced the importance of these basic steps. Otherwise, my only critique would've been the sheer similarity of these three issues in this regard; since Free Comic Book Day is a cooperative effort, these companies would've benefited from discussing their instructional content before pulling excerpts from their previously published guides. Contrary to my tastes, I guess I'm suggesting that the least cloak and dagger tactics here, the better.
(Blogger's note: When I scan that Blevins sketch, I'll finally post it here in all of its glory. Really, it's very good.)
Segments on perspective and dynamic covers/pin-ups were abundant between these three issues, as well, and as an aspiring artist, truly, it wasn't anything I hadn't read of referenced before. Since these issues were free, I'd recommend them to children or adolescents struggled with their skills and seeking inexpensive instructions, especially since Maguire's visuals are so amusing, what with his exaggerated facial references, the kind of bwa-ha-ha shtick that made Justice League International such a memorable five years of superhero frivolity. If anything, multiple chapters on the same cornerstones of illustration simply provide the perspective that these founding steps are that important.
On a sidenote, I was surprised to read that Wizard Magazine is "sold in 40 countries and translated into five languages," according to its sampling's introduction. I've never liked Wizard and had always been perplexed by its writers' incessant need to interject sophomoric humor in what could otherwise be considered inside-scoop journalism. Its trademarked "Twisted Toyfare Theater" was funny until every article was written in that tongue-in-cheek style, claiming allegiance to comics while inadvertently mocking the material like a high school bully that just found an issue of Sad Sack in your locker. (Google the Frank Miller/Wizard incident; apparently at some con Miller held up an issue and proclaimed, "This represents everything that's wrong with comics today." Of course, it took Miller two years to get his statement out, but . . . I'm kidding! That's only when he asked Jim Lee to draw it . . . Arg! See what reading Wizard does to you?) This freebie was tame in comparison to their usual monthly romp, but I'm wondering how superhero fart jokes are translated into five different languages without losing some of that definitive Western humor? How do you say Skeletor in German? But I digress . . .
The most interesting columns of all of these issues were Impact's "Art Critique" by Bob McLeod and Danny Fingeroth's "Top 10 Tips for Writers." In an industry that touts creativity, both columnists suggest that wanna-be creators mimic their idols' styles to develop a voice of their own. I understand the point but am amused that two separate professionals would recommend it in the same volume. Further, while the "Art Critique" analyzes some hapless artist's submission page, which is a common practice in the con circuit, Fingeroth tells writers that they are both the industry's largest commodity and most overlooked resource. If you aren't already in the writing business, the likelihood of getting noticed is slim to none. (Gail Simone asserts this in her Impact introduction, as well.) I've never understood why the industry hasn't streamlined a submissions or portfolio process for writers; artists have it so easy, with their draw-a-page thing. Editors have little time as it is, rewriting origins sequences and killing off iconic characters to boost sales and what not, but a one-page plot pitch would make for some amusing toilet reading, no? Really, the tip Fingeroth neglected, and that McLeod endorsed, was, "To be a writer, don't write. Learn to draw and folks will think you can write later, like Todd McFarlane."
Truly, the ultimate dichotomy of the comic book industry contrasts the historical essays about comics by Roy Thomas and Michael Eury with the very how-to-draw genre of these three comics. The history of comics is as compelling as the stories this medium tells, and every account of those early boiler room days of drawing impresses upon me the raw creative energy of that era that I envy those founding fathers. Can you believe that the most coveted comic in history, Action Comics #1, is just a cut and paste job of rejected newspaper strips, particularly in the context of the fine art of page layout today? That's the paradox, that publishers were so quick to crank out material that I'm convinced the most respected old timers in the business didn't implement these careful, thorough sketch-to-ink practices Mike Wieringo and Joe Quesada say we should use. The Golden Age assembly line pales to the indie artist's action figure ridden loft apartment drawing desk . . . and look at the difference in their sales figures. Could I have just solved the comics sales slump of the past decade?
I did appreciate Fingeroth's seventh point, which implied that writing perfectly isn't as important as writing to completion. Starting a project is hard enough, but finishing one is even more taxing to the self-criticizing wanna-be. Yes, I'm speaking from experience. The effort to create a comic is indeed an internal struggle, but educational material like these issues proves that knowing is half the battle. Doing is just another front, entirely.
contributors: Bret Blevins, Mike Manley, BobMcLeod, Danny Fingeroth, Roy Thomas, John Morrow, Michael Eury
Today's Free Comic Book Day expose is rife with paradoxes. For example, the three (only three?) free comics I read today aren't really comics at all, but rather comic book sized how-to guides for creating comics. Further, from the contributors mentioned above to Kevin Maguire and Joe Kubert in Wizard's How to Draw offering, to Colleen Doran and Tom Nguyen in Impact University volume #3, opportunists that scored these three issues were exposed to some of the best talents in the industry, yet not via comics content, but rather prose-driven instruction. Sure, Nguyen embellishes his drawing suggestions with dynamic illustrations, but nothing beats his inks on top of Doug Mahnke's pencils -- though I'm grateful to observe that his talents exceed mere "tracer" status. Indeed, today's reading experience was extremely education, and though I only devoured three issues, the breadth of their material was more than comprehensive enough for a single evening's musings.
And soon said we geeks couldn't read books without pictures. As long as they're books about books without pictures . . .
First of all, obviously, Comics 101, Wizard, and Impact all presented the standard eight-head high stick figure skeleton of the average comic book character, but I must confess, I preferred Blevins' scholarly approach in the former than the pop oriented how-to suggestions of the latter two issues. As I mentioned last December in A Comic A Day, I had the privilege of meeting Bret Blevins in in Prescott, Arizona, where he was kind enough to sketch my favorite B-listers Cloak & Dagger (whom he illustrated in Strange Tales volume 2) for free. Colleen Doran and Jim Calafiore are excellent instructors on paper, but my unique opportunity to behold Blevins put this beginner's course in action on paper in real time reinforced the importance of these basic steps. Otherwise, my only critique would've been the sheer similarity of these three issues in this regard; since Free Comic Book Day is a cooperative effort, these companies would've benefited from discussing their instructional content before pulling excerpts from their previously published guides. Contrary to my tastes, I guess I'm suggesting that the least cloak and dagger tactics here, the better.
(Blogger's note: When I scan that Blevins sketch, I'll finally post it here in all of its glory. Really, it's very good.)
Segments on perspective and dynamic covers/pin-ups were abundant between these three issues, as well, and as an aspiring artist, truly, it wasn't anything I hadn't read of referenced before. Since these issues were free, I'd recommend them to children or adolescents struggled with their skills and seeking inexpensive instructions, especially since Maguire's visuals are so amusing, what with his exaggerated facial references, the kind of bwa-ha-ha shtick that made Justice League International such a memorable five years of superhero frivolity. If anything, multiple chapters on the same cornerstones of illustration simply provide the perspective that these founding steps are that important.
On a sidenote, I was surprised to read that Wizard Magazine is "sold in 40 countries and translated into five languages," according to its sampling's introduction. I've never liked Wizard and had always been perplexed by its writers' incessant need to interject sophomoric humor in what could otherwise be considered inside-scoop journalism. Its trademarked "Twisted Toyfare Theater" was funny until every article was written in that tongue-in-cheek style, claiming allegiance to comics while inadvertently mocking the material like a high school bully that just found an issue of Sad Sack in your locker. (Google the Frank Miller/Wizard incident; apparently at some con Miller held up an issue and proclaimed, "This represents everything that's wrong with comics today." Of course, it took Miller two years to get his statement out, but . . . I'm kidding! That's only when he asked Jim Lee to draw it . . . Arg! See what reading Wizard does to you?) This freebie was tame in comparison to their usual monthly romp, but I'm wondering how superhero fart jokes are translated into five different languages without losing some of that definitive Western humor? How do you say Skeletor in German? But I digress . . .
The most interesting columns of all of these issues were Impact's "Art Critique" by Bob McLeod and Danny Fingeroth's "Top 10 Tips for Writers." In an industry that touts creativity, both columnists suggest that wanna-be creators mimic their idols' styles to develop a voice of their own. I understand the point but am amused that two separate professionals would recommend it in the same volume. Further, while the "Art Critique" analyzes some hapless artist's submission page, which is a common practice in the con circuit, Fingeroth tells writers that they are both the industry's largest commodity and most overlooked resource. If you aren't already in the writing business, the likelihood of getting noticed is slim to none. (Gail Simone asserts this in her Impact introduction, as well.) I've never understood why the industry hasn't streamlined a submissions or portfolio process for writers; artists have it so easy, with their draw-a-page thing. Editors have little time as it is, rewriting origins sequences and killing off iconic characters to boost sales and what not, but a one-page plot pitch would make for some amusing toilet reading, no? Really, the tip Fingeroth neglected, and that McLeod endorsed, was, "To be a writer, don't write. Learn to draw and folks will think you can write later, like Todd McFarlane."
Truly, the ultimate dichotomy of the comic book industry contrasts the historical essays about comics by Roy Thomas and Michael Eury with the very how-to-draw genre of these three comics. The history of comics is as compelling as the stories this medium tells, and every account of those early boiler room days of drawing impresses upon me the raw creative energy of that era that I envy those founding fathers. Can you believe that the most coveted comic in history, Action Comics #1, is just a cut and paste job of rejected newspaper strips, particularly in the context of the fine art of page layout today? That's the paradox, that publishers were so quick to crank out material that I'm convinced the most respected old timers in the business didn't implement these careful, thorough sketch-to-ink practices Mike Wieringo and Joe Quesada say we should use. The Golden Age assembly line pales to the indie artist's action figure ridden loft apartment drawing desk . . . and look at the difference in their sales figures. Could I have just solved the comics sales slump of the past decade?
I did appreciate Fingeroth's seventh point, which implied that writing perfectly isn't as important as writing to completion. Starting a project is hard enough, but finishing one is even more taxing to the self-criticizing wanna-be. Yes, I'm speaking from experience. The effort to create a comic is indeed an internal struggle, but educational material like these issues proves that knowing is half the battle. Doing is just another front, entirely.
Tuesday, May 08, 2007
The Astounding Wolf-Man #1: FCBD Exposed! part 5
The Astounding Wolf-Man #1, May 2007, Image Comics
writer: Robert Kirkman
artist: Jason Howard
letterer: Rus Wooton
Ever since the "Got Milk?" ad campaign began several years ago, I've wondered why it exists in the first place. I mean, has milk ever been in danger of going out of business that it needed some positive p.r.? Like air or land, milk has always struck me as an irreplaceable staple in the realm of necessary consumption; one cannot dip cookies in juice or eat their cereal in soda. What else is like milk that it needs to advertise its worth to the world? It's always been here, it isn't going anywhere, and even if we turned our back on it for a while, we'd eventually need something to drink after a peanut butter sandwich. 'Nuff said.
Many would feel the same way about DC and Marvel Comics. Their properties are so well known, their characters are branded on kids' underwear. In fact, I dare anybody out there to go an entire day without seeing Superman, Batman, or Spider-man. You can't get a Slurpee without spotting old Webhead, nor can you stroll through a Target without spotting them on T-shirts, school supplies, or fruity gummy snacks. Really, DC and Marvel stopped making comics tomorrow, their companies could thrive off of licencing rights for the rest of their shareholders' lives.
So why do they need Free Comic Book Day? What does DC and Marvel gain by just giving these priceless icons away, even for a day? Honestly, it's all about image . . .
Pun intended. Through the A Comic A Day challenge, I've learned a great deal about comic book publishers, specifically that many other comic book publishers have existed! Eclipse and Comico are just two of the "secondary" companies that thrived in the '80s, yet none held a candle to the mass market impact of Image Comics' debut 1992, when the creator-driven model inspired collectors of all types to flood specialty shops for their multi-cover commemorative number one issues. Of course, as is the case for most comics' enthusiasts nowadays, when entrepreneurs realized that they couldn't sell those books for big bucks because everybody that wanted one already had one, Spawn and Youngblood #1 ended up in the quarter bin. From what I've perceived, Image has changed their business model quite a bit since then, and if their beginnings left any mark in the industry, it was the resurgence of the secondary publishers' market. Would we have Oni, IDW, or Dynamite Entertainment without the hasty rock 'n roll antics of early Image? It's a worthy debate about American capitalism, if anything, that's for sure.
So, DC and Marvel had to raise their game. Superman died, the cosmos wrestled for the Infinity Gauntlet, and fans found a balance between their superhero fare of their childhood and the more mature material offered by up-and-coming companies. The Astounding Wolf-Man is one such title. Though not blatantly "mature" in the existentially introspective sense of the term, this reinterpretation of a classic Universal Studios-esque monster boasts the bottomless depths of Robert Kirkman's imagination, and if his Invincible is any indication, I'm not fooled by this inaugural issue's happy-go-lucky domestic formula. When Gary Hampton was fatally wounded by a creature in the forest, he fully recovered only when he transformed under a full moon into a werewolf, a change in himself he didn't discover until a full month later, when the next full moon produced the same result, now captured on his home security cameras. Although his family is supportive of his struggling self-owned business, his wife isn't quite all that she seems, and when some old vampire shows up in time for a last page splash to take Gary under his wing, you know things are about to get complicated. Thus far, The Astounding Wolf-Man has been one of the best issues I've read that was offered during FCBD, not just because of its content, but because of its context: this is a brand new series starting with this issue, which stars a recognizable character (a werewolf), sans the baggage of decades' worth of continuity. If a casual reader asked me which free comic book might immerse them into the hobby, I'd recommend this one. Jason Howard's art is crisp and easy on the eye, and Kirkman's script balances domestic drama with the supernatural superbly. A very image conscious offering, in more ways than one.
Not that DC and Marvel didn't play their A-game, either. Each company offered two comics, as both gold and silver sponsors, and their efforts were an obvious attempt to reach a multi-generational audience. For DC, the new Legion of Superheroes in the 31st Century is their strongest tie to the cereal-munching (with milk!) Saturday morning cartoon enthusiast, matching past year's The Batman Strikes! and Justice League Unlimited cross-promotional samplings. Legion is by far the most ambitious of these kid-friendly titles, since its characters are less familiar in the mainstream, but in this issue by emphasizing each character through their first impression of nerdy Clark Kent, aloof readers attain a casual first impression of them. Hopefully, kids can get their heads around this kind of storytelling, because I doubt they'd comprehend New York Times best-selling author Brad Meltzer's Justice League of America #0, a yo-yo through the past, present, and future of the League, like we haven't been through that before. Despite the incredible array of artists that contributed original material to this issue, which explores the relationship of DC's "trinity" Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman through various stages of DC continuity (if any of it even exists anymore), I don't understand why we readers are subjected to these now frequent self-styled history lessons. Listen, Justice League: Incarnations was more than enough; please stop trying to legitimize your present work by roping it in with the successes of the past. Seriously, you have some of the most dynamic illustrators at your disposal to create a comic book starring three of the most globally recognized characters in modern fiction which will be distributed for free, and New York Times best-selling author Brad Meltzer gives them a script rife with talking heads. Is DC trying to eat that old bullet of theirs or what?
Marvel, on the other hand, still wants us to make them ours, as their two free issues star characters with huge public appeal: Spidey, the Hulk, and Iron Man, the latter of which is obviously thrust into the spotlight to build awareness and anticipation for his feature film next summer. (Tell me you didn't see a bit more of the Sandman over the last year, in action figures and more widely circulated comics like Target's Marvel classics compilations, if only to introduce him to younger readers.) The Spider-man story is a day-in-the-life yarn of the hard luck hero, epitomizing the perfect balance of heroism, humor, and dynamic illustration (Phil Jiminez!) in a continuity-free lead story that all ages would enjoy. (This type of Spidey script is exactly what I described in my review of Spider-man 3, and I hope it convinces layman fans that Peter Parker can pull off a win in the end, at least in the heart of his forgiving aunt!) A back-up excerpt from Amazing Spider-man is more entrenched in current Marvel happenings, but who can blame them for an opportunistic teaser, if only as a disclaimer that not all monthly offerings are as light as the headlining story. The Marvel Adventures issue is similarly continuity-free, with simple, character-driven tales about Iron Man's dual identity and ingenuity and the Hulk's reclusiveness yet ironically big heart. Thankfully, both of these characters will soon star in their own ongoing Marvel Adventure series, so younger readers ignorant of the recent Civil War or World War Hulk arcs can still enjoy these icons without spending all of their money on back issues just to know what's going on. Nice to see Marvel giving peace a chance, eh?
No, for all of my talk about various comic book companies, I didn't forget about Dark Horse, which has arguably experienced the most success aside from the DC/Marvel juggernaut thanks to Mignola's Hellboy franchise. As its name would imply, Dark Horse has been a steady underdog in the industry since its inception twenty years ago, strategically acquiring licencing rights to Star Wars and that dangling issue of The Rocketeer, while taking chances with prospective talent-driven niche books like The Goon and its most recent gloom fest The Umbrella Academy. While their corporate identity hasn't specifically settled on the horror genre, macabre is a better word to describe their preferred imagery, and as a widespread genre, it holds its own against superheroes and monster mashes. I liked The Umbrella Academy and its strange twist on the X-Men paradigm, featuring a band of young anti-heroes with weird powers and their hard-nosed professors that will seemingly go to abusive lengths to teach them a lesson. Their powers are surprisingly original (whatever "the Rumor" says comes true and "the Horror" is a walking house for transdimensional pet monsters) and their adventures are appropriately raucous; if this story is any indication and the gothic coming of age adventure shtick is well played in their ongoing series, I'm sold. Plus, Gabriel Ba's Mignola-meets-Wagner style is a perfect match for Gerard Way's eccentric script. Follow-up samplings of Zero Killer and Pantheon City weren't as innovative and struck me as variations of titles I've read before, like Rush City and Terminal City, respectively, as an off-the-cuff reference for each. Believe me, this is one dark horse you can place your bets on; if their subtle marketing strategy is any indication, they're going to be around a long time.
I have a confession: I don't really like milk. I'm the kind of guy that needs Nestle's chocolate, strawberry, or banana varieties to consume my daily calcium supplement, if at all. When it comes to comics, I've only just begun to appreciate the variety of books that are hidden in back issue bins out there, but my inner child will always betray a fondness for these superheroes. I don't need any sugar to sweeten their taste, and, in fact, from Meltzer's inundation of DC history to Marvel's ongoing wartime efforts, I've learned I prefer less to more. It's once in a blue moon that a title like The Astounding Wolf-Man opens the door for new readership to swing toward either side of the aisle, from superhero fantasy to character-driven drama -- and without the baggage of a lifetime's of collecting, it's whatever image they first perceive that will help them make a decision. Comics . . . they do a mind good!
writer: Robert Kirkman
artist: Jason Howard
letterer: Rus Wooton
Ever since the "Got Milk?" ad campaign began several years ago, I've wondered why it exists in the first place. I mean, has milk ever been in danger of going out of business that it needed some positive p.r.? Like air or land, milk has always struck me as an irreplaceable staple in the realm of necessary consumption; one cannot dip cookies in juice or eat their cereal in soda. What else is like milk that it needs to advertise its worth to the world? It's always been here, it isn't going anywhere, and even if we turned our back on it for a while, we'd eventually need something to drink after a peanut butter sandwich. 'Nuff said.
Many would feel the same way about DC and Marvel Comics. Their properties are so well known, their characters are branded on kids' underwear. In fact, I dare anybody out there to go an entire day without seeing Superman, Batman, or Spider-man. You can't get a Slurpee without spotting old Webhead, nor can you stroll through a Target without spotting them on T-shirts, school supplies, or fruity gummy snacks. Really, DC and Marvel stopped making comics tomorrow, their companies could thrive off of licencing rights for the rest of their shareholders' lives.
So why do they need Free Comic Book Day? What does DC and Marvel gain by just giving these priceless icons away, even for a day? Honestly, it's all about image . . .
Pun intended. Through the A Comic A Day challenge, I've learned a great deal about comic book publishers, specifically that many other comic book publishers have existed! Eclipse and Comico are just two of the "secondary" companies that thrived in the '80s, yet none held a candle to the mass market impact of Image Comics' debut 1992, when the creator-driven model inspired collectors of all types to flood specialty shops for their multi-cover commemorative number one issues. Of course, as is the case for most comics' enthusiasts nowadays, when entrepreneurs realized that they couldn't sell those books for big bucks because everybody that wanted one already had one, Spawn and Youngblood #1 ended up in the quarter bin. From what I've perceived, Image has changed their business model quite a bit since then, and if their beginnings left any mark in the industry, it was the resurgence of the secondary publishers' market. Would we have Oni, IDW, or Dynamite Entertainment without the hasty rock 'n roll antics of early Image? It's a worthy debate about American capitalism, if anything, that's for sure.
So, DC and Marvel had to raise their game. Superman died, the cosmos wrestled for the Infinity Gauntlet, and fans found a balance between their superhero fare of their childhood and the more mature material offered by up-and-coming companies. The Astounding Wolf-Man is one such title. Though not blatantly "mature" in the existentially introspective sense of the term, this reinterpretation of a classic Universal Studios-esque monster boasts the bottomless depths of Robert Kirkman's imagination, and if his Invincible is any indication, I'm not fooled by this inaugural issue's happy-go-lucky domestic formula. When Gary Hampton was fatally wounded by a creature in the forest, he fully recovered only when he transformed under a full moon into a werewolf, a change in himself he didn't discover until a full month later, when the next full moon produced the same result, now captured on his home security cameras. Although his family is supportive of his struggling self-owned business, his wife isn't quite all that she seems, and when some old vampire shows up in time for a last page splash to take Gary under his wing, you know things are about to get complicated. Thus far, The Astounding Wolf-Man has been one of the best issues I've read that was offered during FCBD, not just because of its content, but because of its context: this is a brand new series starting with this issue, which stars a recognizable character (a werewolf), sans the baggage of decades' worth of continuity. If a casual reader asked me which free comic book might immerse them into the hobby, I'd recommend this one. Jason Howard's art is crisp and easy on the eye, and Kirkman's script balances domestic drama with the supernatural superbly. A very image conscious offering, in more ways than one.
Not that DC and Marvel didn't play their A-game, either. Each company offered two comics, as both gold and silver sponsors, and their efforts were an obvious attempt to reach a multi-generational audience. For DC, the new Legion of Superheroes in the 31st Century is their strongest tie to the cereal-munching (with milk!) Saturday morning cartoon enthusiast, matching past year's The Batman Strikes! and Justice League Unlimited cross-promotional samplings. Legion is by far the most ambitious of these kid-friendly titles, since its characters are less familiar in the mainstream, but in this issue by emphasizing each character through their first impression of nerdy Clark Kent, aloof readers attain a casual first impression of them. Hopefully, kids can get their heads around this kind of storytelling, because I doubt they'd comprehend New York Times best-selling author Brad Meltzer's Justice League of America #0, a yo-yo through the past, present, and future of the League, like we haven't been through that before. Despite the incredible array of artists that contributed original material to this issue, which explores the relationship of DC's "trinity" Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman through various stages of DC continuity (if any of it even exists anymore), I don't understand why we readers are subjected to these now frequent self-styled history lessons. Listen, Justice League: Incarnations was more than enough; please stop trying to legitimize your present work by roping it in with the successes of the past. Seriously, you have some of the most dynamic illustrators at your disposal to create a comic book starring three of the most globally recognized characters in modern fiction which will be distributed for free, and New York Times best-selling author Brad Meltzer gives them a script rife with talking heads. Is DC trying to eat that old bullet of theirs or what?
Marvel, on the other hand, still wants us to make them ours, as their two free issues star characters with huge public appeal: Spidey, the Hulk, and Iron Man, the latter of which is obviously thrust into the spotlight to build awareness and anticipation for his feature film next summer. (Tell me you didn't see a bit more of the Sandman over the last year, in action figures and more widely circulated comics like Target's Marvel classics compilations, if only to introduce him to younger readers.) The Spider-man story is a day-in-the-life yarn of the hard luck hero, epitomizing the perfect balance of heroism, humor, and dynamic illustration (Phil Jiminez!) in a continuity-free lead story that all ages would enjoy. (This type of Spidey script is exactly what I described in my review of Spider-man 3, and I hope it convinces layman fans that Peter Parker can pull off a win in the end, at least in the heart of his forgiving aunt!) A back-up excerpt from Amazing Spider-man is more entrenched in current Marvel happenings, but who can blame them for an opportunistic teaser, if only as a disclaimer that not all monthly offerings are as light as the headlining story. The Marvel Adventures issue is similarly continuity-free, with simple, character-driven tales about Iron Man's dual identity and ingenuity and the Hulk's reclusiveness yet ironically big heart. Thankfully, both of these characters will soon star in their own ongoing Marvel Adventure series, so younger readers ignorant of the recent Civil War or World War Hulk arcs can still enjoy these icons without spending all of their money on back issues just to know what's going on. Nice to see Marvel giving peace a chance, eh?
No, for all of my talk about various comic book companies, I didn't forget about Dark Horse, which has arguably experienced the most success aside from the DC/Marvel juggernaut thanks to Mignola's Hellboy franchise. As its name would imply, Dark Horse has been a steady underdog in the industry since its inception twenty years ago, strategically acquiring licencing rights to Star Wars and that dangling issue of The Rocketeer, while taking chances with prospective talent-driven niche books like The Goon and its most recent gloom fest The Umbrella Academy. While their corporate identity hasn't specifically settled on the horror genre, macabre is a better word to describe their preferred imagery, and as a widespread genre, it holds its own against superheroes and monster mashes. I liked The Umbrella Academy and its strange twist on the X-Men paradigm, featuring a band of young anti-heroes with weird powers and their hard-nosed professors that will seemingly go to abusive lengths to teach them a lesson. Their powers are surprisingly original (whatever "the Rumor" says comes true and "the Horror" is a walking house for transdimensional pet monsters) and their adventures are appropriately raucous; if this story is any indication and the gothic coming of age adventure shtick is well played in their ongoing series, I'm sold. Plus, Gabriel Ba's Mignola-meets-Wagner style is a perfect match for Gerard Way's eccentric script. Follow-up samplings of Zero Killer and Pantheon City weren't as innovative and struck me as variations of titles I've read before, like Rush City and Terminal City, respectively, as an off-the-cuff reference for each. Believe me, this is one dark horse you can place your bets on; if their subtle marketing strategy is any indication, they're going to be around a long time.
I have a confession: I don't really like milk. I'm the kind of guy that needs Nestle's chocolate, strawberry, or banana varieties to consume my daily calcium supplement, if at all. When it comes to comics, I've only just begun to appreciate the variety of books that are hidden in back issue bins out there, but my inner child will always betray a fondness for these superheroes. I don't need any sugar to sweeten their taste, and, in fact, from Meltzer's inundation of DC history to Marvel's ongoing wartime efforts, I've learned I prefer less to more. It's once in a blue moon that a title like The Astounding Wolf-Man opens the door for new readership to swing toward either side of the aisle, from superhero fantasy to character-driven drama -- and without the baggage of a lifetime's of collecting, it's whatever image they first perceive that will help them make a decision. Comics . . . they do a mind good!
Monday, May 07, 2007
Viper Comics Presents volume 2: FCBD Exposed! part 4
Viper Comics Presents volume 2, April 2007, Viper Comics
by Josh Howard, Greg Gatlin, Nicc Balce, David Hopkins, Tom Kurzanski, Michael Young, Jason M. Burns, Paul Tucker, Otis Frampton, Sergio Quijada, and more!
Unless your vehicle is equipped with one of those new-fangled CD or MP3 players, you know that searching for a radio station while driving through a desert or rural stretch in our country is one of the most frustrating and desperate American experiences ever. We're so accustomed to (and spoiled by) constant entertainment that for many a few silent hours of unadulterated "road trip" is a special kind of torture, only made worse by those teasing static pops the radio occasionally coughs, those remnants of familiar songs that we strain our ears to enjoy if just for a few fleeting seconds. Oh, don't look at me like you don't know what I'm talking about -- and if you really don't, I recommend you go experience some of our barren countryside. Those staticy moments of radio broadcast are what today's Free Comic Book Day reading exercise reminded me of; while yesterday's issues featured excerpts from ongoing series, many of today's comics sampled just one or two pages of material from webcomics or anthologies. Needless to say, these sequential bursts of visual broadcast were barely audible, but this journey was nothing but barren.
In fact, if a casual reader immersed himself into the seven comic books I read today, he'd be convinced that this industry is the most diverse, seemingly unfiltered medium in the American marketplace . . .
So, as a batch of books trying to make their imprint in the field, leave it to Sasquatch to lead the pack. Viper Comics Presents kicks off today's inevitable frustration with samples of short stories (because the short stories weren't short enough!) from Josh Howard's Sasquatch anthology -- yes, a series of yarns by a variety of artists starring Bigfoot himself. I've been a fan of Bigfoot since I was a kid, and I almost purchased Howard's twenty dollar volume at the Alternative Press Expo last month, so I'm grateful for this preview, however brief. The respectful handling of the Sasquatch phenomenon through the lens of a diverse band of artists is enough for me! If only Viper had stuck with sticking just one big toe into pool -- no, they had to dive in, adding pages from their forthcoming Karma Incorporated, Underworld Railroad, and Oddly Normal projects, as well, none of which were insightful enough to offer a real sense of what one might experience reading an entire issue of either title. Fortunately, the artistic quality of these projects will certainly warrant a flip test when I see these books on the new release shelf, but as a veteran fanboy, pretty pictures just aren't enough to squeeze three bucks out of me. Good thing this issue was free, if not also as elusive as its Sasquatchian headliner, looking over his shoulder at us but disappearing into the brush before we can get a really good luck. And I believe I've pushed this analogy about as far as it'll go.
Both offerings from Comic Genesis and Legion of Evil Press featured samples of currently actice webcomics, ranging from a half a page to four printed pages in length, and reading both of these issues was one of the most breakneck experiences I've ever had this side of a comic book. Like two other issues I read today and will review later, I actually took the time to absorb each entry, each contributors' work more thoroughly rather than through this FCBD review marathon, I might have enjoyed these comics more, but as it stands, I don't think this format suits such an anthology. I'd recommend one or two webcomics titles' worth of "back issues," a solid issue's worth of strips that establish a flavor for this cyber genre, then supplemented by an appreciative essay (like many of these FCBD issues have) that explains the up-and-coming phenomenon further. As it stands, the Comic Genesis sampler was a very poor package, from its amateur content to its shameless solicitation for more. The Legion of Evil Press' Comics Festival was much more compelling, starring recognizable and beloved artists like Darwyn Cooke and Hope Larson, featuring material that tested the bounds of the visual medium, but it was still much more teasing than pleasing. I'll be looking some of the Legion's stuff up, though. Mission accomplished, there.
I mentioned that some of these issues might have made a more favorable impression had I taken the time to enjoy them more, and further that some of these issues fall into my self-styled innovative category, challenged the normal conceptions of what a comic book is. The Train Was Bang on Time by Eddie Campbell and Activity Book (An Excerpt from What It Is) by Lynda Barry are the two most prominent examples, each finely crafted and packaged examples of comics at their most inventive, and, in Barry's case, interactive. Measuring 9.5" x 6.25", Activity Book is an interactive challenge to the reader to start writing; absurdly instructional and existentially inspirational, Barry's driving lesson is to keep the pen moving, as she offers real time exercises on nearly every page to incite creativity and experiential imagination. I can definitely see myself Xeroxing these black and white pages so I can actually utilize these activities, a catalyst for creative expression that rarely swings both ways from an independent comic book. Campbell's The Train Was Bang on Time, measuring 8.5" x 6", is a "graphical narrative" by First Second Books, and this little freebie is a whopping third of the original publication's story -- that's a lot to get for free. Fans of Campbell's work will enjoy this piece, but I couldn't get into it completely; its Victorian era tale of the mystery behind a train's untimely explosion was ironically too "period" for the hours I had to consume these issues today. I couldn't afford a trip back in time, especially when those webcomic teasers barely existed in the present. Nevertheless, I'd highly recommend both of these minuscule volumes, if only to expose those superhero-centrics of what else comics can really do.
Like yesterday, I balanced today's reading experience with a few "control" issues, specifically Wahoo Morris #1 by Too Hip Gotta Go Graphics and Love and Capes #4 by Maerkle Press. Both full issue length stories coincidentally boasted a romantic theme, the former via the players in a rock band and the latter via a thinly veiled Superman satire. In Wahoo Morris, two players in a band by that peculiar name fall for each other but don't know how to handle their feelings; billed as "the next Strangers in Paradise" by Comic Shop News, Wahoo is an emo soap opera with true potential for a female fanbase, yet creator Craig Taillefer seems to incorporate some foreshadowing of a supernatural subtext, as well. Love and Capes is unashamedly supernatural, as the Crusader wallows in a subdued self-pity as the success of the Arachnerd's biopic seems to overshadow his ten year anniversary with the Liberty League, until his intuitive girlfriend throws him a surprise party and makes everything okay. The pace of this issue perplexed me; each page contained an eight panel grid, with a scene or gag change every four panels (so two per page), so I wondered if this series had initially been a webcomic in such an individual format. Creator Thomas F. Zahler's "How a Page is Created" back-up feature would discredit that assumption, however, implying that he simply sought that momentum for either comedic or situational value. Though choppy and reminiscent of what I had experienced with those webcomic samplers throughout the day, the story was sequential enough for me actually to enjoy it. If only we geeks' love affair with comics could be that easy . . .
Yesterday, I read six comics and experienced twelve different stories. Today I read seven issues and experienced fifty-two different stories, if only for a page or so each. So, you'll pardon my analogy to radio static. I suppose the only way to gauge the success of this venture is to revisit the material in a couple of days and see which I want to pursue further, either on-line or at my local comic shop. Until then, I'm turning my proverbial radio off. A little silence will do me some good.
by Josh Howard, Greg Gatlin, Nicc Balce, David Hopkins, Tom Kurzanski, Michael Young, Jason M. Burns, Paul Tucker, Otis Frampton, Sergio Quijada, and more!
Unless your vehicle is equipped with one of those new-fangled CD or MP3 players, you know that searching for a radio station while driving through a desert or rural stretch in our country is one of the most frustrating and desperate American experiences ever. We're so accustomed to (and spoiled by) constant entertainment that for many a few silent hours of unadulterated "road trip" is a special kind of torture, only made worse by those teasing static pops the radio occasionally coughs, those remnants of familiar songs that we strain our ears to enjoy if just for a few fleeting seconds. Oh, don't look at me like you don't know what I'm talking about -- and if you really don't, I recommend you go experience some of our barren countryside. Those staticy moments of radio broadcast are what today's Free Comic Book Day reading exercise reminded me of; while yesterday's issues featured excerpts from ongoing series, many of today's comics sampled just one or two pages of material from webcomics or anthologies. Needless to say, these sequential bursts of visual broadcast were barely audible, but this journey was nothing but barren.
In fact, if a casual reader immersed himself into the seven comic books I read today, he'd be convinced that this industry is the most diverse, seemingly unfiltered medium in the American marketplace . . .
So, as a batch of books trying to make their imprint in the field, leave it to Sasquatch to lead the pack. Viper Comics Presents kicks off today's inevitable frustration with samples of short stories (because the short stories weren't short enough!) from Josh Howard's Sasquatch anthology -- yes, a series of yarns by a variety of artists starring Bigfoot himself. I've been a fan of Bigfoot since I was a kid, and I almost purchased Howard's twenty dollar volume at the Alternative Press Expo last month, so I'm grateful for this preview, however brief. The respectful handling of the Sasquatch phenomenon through the lens of a diverse band of artists is enough for me! If only Viper had stuck with sticking just one big toe into pool -- no, they had to dive in, adding pages from their forthcoming Karma Incorporated, Underworld Railroad, and Oddly Normal projects, as well, none of which were insightful enough to offer a real sense of what one might experience reading an entire issue of either title. Fortunately, the artistic quality of these projects will certainly warrant a flip test when I see these books on the new release shelf, but as a veteran fanboy, pretty pictures just aren't enough to squeeze three bucks out of me. Good thing this issue was free, if not also as elusive as its Sasquatchian headliner, looking over his shoulder at us but disappearing into the brush before we can get a really good luck. And I believe I've pushed this analogy about as far as it'll go.
Both offerings from Comic Genesis and Legion of Evil Press featured samples of currently actice webcomics, ranging from a half a page to four printed pages in length, and reading both of these issues was one of the most breakneck experiences I've ever had this side of a comic book. Like two other issues I read today and will review later, I actually took the time to absorb each entry, each contributors' work more thoroughly rather than through this FCBD review marathon, I might have enjoyed these comics more, but as it stands, I don't think this format suits such an anthology. I'd recommend one or two webcomics titles' worth of "back issues," a solid issue's worth of strips that establish a flavor for this cyber genre, then supplemented by an appreciative essay (like many of these FCBD issues have) that explains the up-and-coming phenomenon further. As it stands, the Comic Genesis sampler was a very poor package, from its amateur content to its shameless solicitation for more. The Legion of Evil Press' Comics Festival was much more compelling, starring recognizable and beloved artists like Darwyn Cooke and Hope Larson, featuring material that tested the bounds of the visual medium, but it was still much more teasing than pleasing. I'll be looking some of the Legion's stuff up, though. Mission accomplished, there.
I mentioned that some of these issues might have made a more favorable impression had I taken the time to enjoy them more, and further that some of these issues fall into my self-styled innovative category, challenged the normal conceptions of what a comic book is. The Train Was Bang on Time by Eddie Campbell and Activity Book (An Excerpt from What It Is) by Lynda Barry are the two most prominent examples, each finely crafted and packaged examples of comics at their most inventive, and, in Barry's case, interactive. Measuring 9.5" x 6.25", Activity Book is an interactive challenge to the reader to start writing; absurdly instructional and existentially inspirational, Barry's driving lesson is to keep the pen moving, as she offers real time exercises on nearly every page to incite creativity and experiential imagination. I can definitely see myself Xeroxing these black and white pages so I can actually utilize these activities, a catalyst for creative expression that rarely swings both ways from an independent comic book. Campbell's The Train Was Bang on Time, measuring 8.5" x 6", is a "graphical narrative" by First Second Books, and this little freebie is a whopping third of the original publication's story -- that's a lot to get for free. Fans of Campbell's work will enjoy this piece, but I couldn't get into it completely; its Victorian era tale of the mystery behind a train's untimely explosion was ironically too "period" for the hours I had to consume these issues today. I couldn't afford a trip back in time, especially when those webcomic teasers barely existed in the present. Nevertheless, I'd highly recommend both of these minuscule volumes, if only to expose those superhero-centrics of what else comics can really do.
Like yesterday, I balanced today's reading experience with a few "control" issues, specifically Wahoo Morris #1 by Too Hip Gotta Go Graphics and Love and Capes #4 by Maerkle Press. Both full issue length stories coincidentally boasted a romantic theme, the former via the players in a rock band and the latter via a thinly veiled Superman satire. In Wahoo Morris, two players in a band by that peculiar name fall for each other but don't know how to handle their feelings; billed as "the next Strangers in Paradise" by Comic Shop News, Wahoo is an emo soap opera with true potential for a female fanbase, yet creator Craig Taillefer seems to incorporate some foreshadowing of a supernatural subtext, as well. Love and Capes is unashamedly supernatural, as the Crusader wallows in a subdued self-pity as the success of the Arachnerd's biopic seems to overshadow his ten year anniversary with the Liberty League, until his intuitive girlfriend throws him a surprise party and makes everything okay. The pace of this issue perplexed me; each page contained an eight panel grid, with a scene or gag change every four panels (so two per page), so I wondered if this series had initially been a webcomic in such an individual format. Creator Thomas F. Zahler's "How a Page is Created" back-up feature would discredit that assumption, however, implying that he simply sought that momentum for either comedic or situational value. Though choppy and reminiscent of what I had experienced with those webcomic samplers throughout the day, the story was sequential enough for me actually to enjoy it. If only we geeks' love affair with comics could be that easy . . .
Yesterday, I read six comics and experienced twelve different stories. Today I read seven issues and experienced fifty-two different stories, if only for a page or so each. So, you'll pardon my analogy to radio static. I suppose the only way to gauge the success of this venture is to revisit the material in a couple of days and see which I want to pursue further, either on-line or at my local comic shop. Until then, I'm turning my proverbial radio off. A little silence will do me some good.
Sunday, May 06, 2007
Pirates vs. Ninjas #1: FCBD Edition: FCBD Exposed! part 3
Pirates vs. Ninjas #1: FCBD Edition, April 2007, Antarctic Press
writers: Fred Perry, Robby Bevard, Wes Hartman
artist: Craig Babiar
coloring: Wes Hartman & Robby Bevard
letterer: Wes Hartman
Just imagine: you’re the editor-in-chief for an up-and-coming comic book company. Plenty of talented contributors are producing dynamic stories and beautiful illustrations under your banner, but, in the sales department, you still feel like a child playing with the big boys in the sandbox. Suddenly, you’re presented with an opportunity to reach more potential customers than ever before, through a widely marketed cross-industry promotional event that involves hundreds of comic book stores, many of which may not have ordered your books before. You have just one chance to make that long-awaited splash, something you couldn’t even accomplish on the convention circuit . . . and you can only choose one of your comic books to do it. This dilemma is what dozens of comic book publishers face every year thanks to Free Comic Book Day. These supposedly B-list companies have become very credible names in the industry, attracting creators that appreciate their editorial freedoms, yet, try as they might, their material pales in comparison to blockbuster movie franchises like Marvel’s Spider-man, or even IDW’s Transformers. Yet, for one day, just one of their comics can stand up to these juggernauts, equal in price and availability.
With a diverse library of titles at your disposal, what would you do?
Well, many of these publishers opt to offer an anthology issue, with snippets of story from their most notable ongoing series. Others create a jam issue starring their wide array of writing and artistic talent. Others still offer a single full length story, teasing what one of their stable titles feels like. In each of these cases, and specifically of each of the six comic books I read today, none of them present new material. Now, I understand why. Producing and publishing a comic book is no easy task, which is why any given title reserves a monthly schedule even in today’s world of Internet-fueled pop cultural immediacy, so to stop the press to create entirely new material for free distribution would affect the schedule and sales of their above board business. Psychologically, reprinting current material as a “FCBD edition” implies, “We have great stuff on the new release stands right now! We’ve no need to make up something new – go see what we’ve already put out there!” Indeed, Free Comic Book Day isn’t an artistic opportunity, like Scott McCloud’s 24-hour comic challenge. It’s pure business model – Marketing 101. Create demand.
So, today’s slew of reviews is an experiment. All of the issues I’ve read each contain more than one story, a veritable smorgasbord of series in the hopes that one will stick. Further, since every experiment needs a control, this post is headlining Antarctic Press’s Pirates vs. Ninjas, a reprint of its first issue, to determine if the single story format compares or contrasts to the sample issue. Here we go:
Actually, despite its format, Pirates vs. Ninjas is a wise offering from AP, what with Disney’s Pirates of the Caribbean making its third and final(?) foray into theaters this month. Even if this issue featured another story, abbreviated its feature installment, kids of all ages would’ve been drawn to its concept – I mean, you don’t see Marvel using FCBD to attract attention to its summer-long World War Hulk crossover, do you? Why, it’s all about Spidey, man! Fortunately, parallels to current cinematic trends aside, Pirates vs. Ninjas is a highly entertaining and unashamedly raucous issue, pitting, yes, pirates and ninjas in a fight for the old pirate Shadow Beard’s treasure. Hand to hand combat, cannon fire, and a touch of magic drive this inaugural chapter’s action with explosive tension, while establishing a contrastingly scholarly navigator as the primary protagonist and ultimate go-between for the two iconic bands of warriors. Perry, Babiar, and company are obviously foremost fans of these colliding genres, treating them respectfully while utilizing their clashing stereotypes to create some fun moments of frivolity. It’s a well balanced issue, and, although I’ve never proactively sought either pirate or ninja fare before, this is one treasure I might plunder again.
Heroic Publishing’s Liberty Comics is a period piece, as well, favoring comics’ Golden Age through the World War II era adventures of Liberty Girl, “America’s Bronze Goddess of Freedom!” Essentially a female Captain America, two of the four stories in this issue actually inspire thought about the material: the first tale implies that Liberty Girl inadvertently saved that classic wartime photograph by Alfred Eisenstaedt of a sailor and a nurse sharing a post-conflict kiss when a nuclear missile threatened to fall on the harbor. Although Liberty Girl was later removed from the photo by an image-conscious government, this little twist provides an amusing sense of relevance to her adventures. The last story in this issue is similar, and though the art barely holds its own, Mike W. Barr’s script about wartime internment camps challenges of the Goddess of Freedom via her very nickname, and in the end, she chooses to side with her government, a controversial yet patriotic move. I don’t know if Liberty Girl is for me, but I enjoyed this brief glimpse into her world . . . especially in our forsaken world without a Captain America.
While Liberty Girl decrees that this land is our land, Aspen Comics shoves our head under water, then in the clouds, with its sampling of stories from Fathom, Soulfire, and Shrugged. Initially intrigued by Shrugged and its ethereal themes, I was interested if its inclusion in this comic would grab me, but honestly, each of these samplings was so brief that I couldn’t get a handle on any single one of them. The problem is the very nature of Aspen Comics – their series are so desperately trying to establish a modern mythology, if not through Fathom’s undersea lore, then in Soulfire’s two futuristic tales of magic, that big picture context is critical in attracting new readership. I’d imagine that any single issue of these series is barely enough to accomplish their monthly objectives, so one could only fathom (heh) what just a few pages from these books can really do. I was a fish out of water, unfortunately, and though each story was masterfully illustrated, if I can’t tell what the thousand words are, what’s the use of the picture representing them? (I could be stretching that metaphor a bit thin there . . .)
Arcana Studio almost suffered the same fate, if not for their 100 Girls short story, which was self-contained glimpse into a nomadic girl’s global journey of self-discovery. Her attempt to eat a sandwich (apparently from the garbage) is thwarted when a band of thugs tries to beat up a Middle Eastern, who rewards her with a fresh lunch. Their brief, translated discussion is an interesting dialogue about racial discrimination and identity, a phenomenon thankfully not limited to American controversy. The other two stories in this issue were a little less grounded: Kade is an undead bounty hunter of sorts interrogating a suspect with nearly no results, and Clockwork Girl is a Frankenstein-like origin yarn about a tic-toc girl and her mad scientist maker, who obviously took a page from Back to the Future’s Doc Brown haircut guide. Clockwork Girl reveals some promise, but again, these two offerings barely wound me up. I felt I was interrogating them, wanting more information, with Kane’s bad luck on my side. If Arcana hadn’t spent their inside front cover on an essay about how great they were, and again on the last few pages introducing blurbs for books that weren’t teased, I might buy into just one of their titles. Sometimes too much information isn’t a good thing.
Which explains why I liked Boom! Studios’ flipbook. The first halves of two different series, I could at least get a sense of some momentum, I could at least feel like the publisher left me hanging, since I actually grabbed hold of something. Salvador is a beautifully painted, surprisingly silent book introducing a futuristic, faceless, fragile savior, whose light-weightedness enables him to fly with just two oversized feathers. This imagery taps into the true potential of comics’ visual power, utilizing vivid, fantastic imagery to tell a story – or in this case, at least, make a favorable impression. Just the cover, a glowing, expressionless human form holding aloft those two magnificent feathers, is a work of art worthy of museum exhibition. Further, what Salvador has in style Hunter’s Moon has in substance, introducing a successful businessman, his mistress, and his broken family apparently on the eve of a life-changing week of camping in the woods. Written by James L .White, who also drafted the award-winning screenplay for the biopic Ray, Hunter’s Moon is a character piece that offers both an escape and an eerie sense of familiarity – dynamic family interplay could be just as dramatic and compelling as a futuristic, genetically engineered savior, which is why I understand why Boom! coupled these two seemingly unrelated works together. If you don’t dig one, you’re sure to raise an eyebrow for the other.
Finally, Rude Dude Productions’ Nexus FCBD special takes the reprinted material phenomenon to a whole new level, and if one were to have explained it to me, I wonder if I would’ve rejected the concept. Yet, experiencing it, I enjoyed it quite a bit – in this issue, in anticipation of the first new Nexus issue in ten years, writer Mike Baron offers some of artist Steve Rude’s greatest hits on the series, reprinting just two to four pages from any given issue, not necessarily even in sequence, embellishing them with some commentary and asserting Rude’s inarguable talent. Yes, the writer actually forsakes the need to tell a story simply to praise the contributions of his headlining collaborator, praising his page layouts, character designs, and sense of mood and ambiance – and I have to tell, it’s enough to sell the series. Nexus is a fan favorite in many circles, and has survived a few different publishers before Rude started his own small press company, and it’s obvious why this interstellar space opera has such staying power. Its creators are passionate about their work, so much so that they’d rather give us a “mixed tape” over a whole track. Still, I’m sold.
So, what’s the verdict? Does the single issue format of Pirates vs. Ninjas beat the reprint anthology sampler? Of the six books I read today, a total of twelve series were established – excluding Pirates, that’s an 11:5 ratio, and since I’m mildly to wildly interested in six of those titles (I’m including Shrugged and Clockwork Girl, to be generous), I’d say it’s a tie. Aw, don't tell me you didn't see that one coming. As a comic book fan, I'm just a glutton for shallow conflict, I suppose -- and when it's comics vs. comics, I win!
writers: Fred Perry, Robby Bevard, Wes Hartman
artist: Craig Babiar
coloring: Wes Hartman & Robby Bevard
letterer: Wes Hartman
Just imagine: you’re the editor-in-chief for an up-and-coming comic book company. Plenty of talented contributors are producing dynamic stories and beautiful illustrations under your banner, but, in the sales department, you still feel like a child playing with the big boys in the sandbox. Suddenly, you’re presented with an opportunity to reach more potential customers than ever before, through a widely marketed cross-industry promotional event that involves hundreds of comic book stores, many of which may not have ordered your books before. You have just one chance to make that long-awaited splash, something you couldn’t even accomplish on the convention circuit . . . and you can only choose one of your comic books to do it. This dilemma is what dozens of comic book publishers face every year thanks to Free Comic Book Day. These supposedly B-list companies have become very credible names in the industry, attracting creators that appreciate their editorial freedoms, yet, try as they might, their material pales in comparison to blockbuster movie franchises like Marvel’s Spider-man, or even IDW’s Transformers. Yet, for one day, just one of their comics can stand up to these juggernauts, equal in price and availability.
With a diverse library of titles at your disposal, what would you do?
Well, many of these publishers opt to offer an anthology issue, with snippets of story from their most notable ongoing series. Others create a jam issue starring their wide array of writing and artistic talent. Others still offer a single full length story, teasing what one of their stable titles feels like. In each of these cases, and specifically of each of the six comic books I read today, none of them present new material. Now, I understand why. Producing and publishing a comic book is no easy task, which is why any given title reserves a monthly schedule even in today’s world of Internet-fueled pop cultural immediacy, so to stop the press to create entirely new material for free distribution would affect the schedule and sales of their above board business. Psychologically, reprinting current material as a “FCBD edition” implies, “We have great stuff on the new release stands right now! We’ve no need to make up something new – go see what we’ve already put out there!” Indeed, Free Comic Book Day isn’t an artistic opportunity, like Scott McCloud’s 24-hour comic challenge. It’s pure business model – Marketing 101. Create demand.
So, today’s slew of reviews is an experiment. All of the issues I’ve read each contain more than one story, a veritable smorgasbord of series in the hopes that one will stick. Further, since every experiment needs a control, this post is headlining Antarctic Press’s Pirates vs. Ninjas, a reprint of its first issue, to determine if the single story format compares or contrasts to the sample issue. Here we go:
Actually, despite its format, Pirates vs. Ninjas is a wise offering from AP, what with Disney’s Pirates of the Caribbean making its third and final(?) foray into theaters this month. Even if this issue featured another story, abbreviated its feature installment, kids of all ages would’ve been drawn to its concept – I mean, you don’t see Marvel using FCBD to attract attention to its summer-long World War Hulk crossover, do you? Why, it’s all about Spidey, man! Fortunately, parallels to current cinematic trends aside, Pirates vs. Ninjas is a highly entertaining and unashamedly raucous issue, pitting, yes, pirates and ninjas in a fight for the old pirate Shadow Beard’s treasure. Hand to hand combat, cannon fire, and a touch of magic drive this inaugural chapter’s action with explosive tension, while establishing a contrastingly scholarly navigator as the primary protagonist and ultimate go-between for the two iconic bands of warriors. Perry, Babiar, and company are obviously foremost fans of these colliding genres, treating them respectfully while utilizing their clashing stereotypes to create some fun moments of frivolity. It’s a well balanced issue, and, although I’ve never proactively sought either pirate or ninja fare before, this is one treasure I might plunder again.
Heroic Publishing’s Liberty Comics is a period piece, as well, favoring comics’ Golden Age through the World War II era adventures of Liberty Girl, “America’s Bronze Goddess of Freedom!” Essentially a female Captain America, two of the four stories in this issue actually inspire thought about the material: the first tale implies that Liberty Girl inadvertently saved that classic wartime photograph by Alfred Eisenstaedt of a sailor and a nurse sharing a post-conflict kiss when a nuclear missile threatened to fall on the harbor. Although Liberty Girl was later removed from the photo by an image-conscious government, this little twist provides an amusing sense of relevance to her adventures. The last story in this issue is similar, and though the art barely holds its own, Mike W. Barr’s script about wartime internment camps challenges of the Goddess of Freedom via her very nickname, and in the end, she chooses to side with her government, a controversial yet patriotic move. I don’t know if Liberty Girl is for me, but I enjoyed this brief glimpse into her world . . . especially in our forsaken world without a Captain America.
While Liberty Girl decrees that this land is our land, Aspen Comics shoves our head under water, then in the clouds, with its sampling of stories from Fathom, Soulfire, and Shrugged. Initially intrigued by Shrugged and its ethereal themes, I was interested if its inclusion in this comic would grab me, but honestly, each of these samplings was so brief that I couldn’t get a handle on any single one of them. The problem is the very nature of Aspen Comics – their series are so desperately trying to establish a modern mythology, if not through Fathom’s undersea lore, then in Soulfire’s two futuristic tales of magic, that big picture context is critical in attracting new readership. I’d imagine that any single issue of these series is barely enough to accomplish their monthly objectives, so one could only fathom (heh) what just a few pages from these books can really do. I was a fish out of water, unfortunately, and though each story was masterfully illustrated, if I can’t tell what the thousand words are, what’s the use of the picture representing them? (I could be stretching that metaphor a bit thin there . . .)
Arcana Studio almost suffered the same fate, if not for their 100 Girls short story, which was self-contained glimpse into a nomadic girl’s global journey of self-discovery. Her attempt to eat a sandwich (apparently from the garbage) is thwarted when a band of thugs tries to beat up a Middle Eastern, who rewards her with a fresh lunch. Their brief, translated discussion is an interesting dialogue about racial discrimination and identity, a phenomenon thankfully not limited to American controversy. The other two stories in this issue were a little less grounded: Kade is an undead bounty hunter of sorts interrogating a suspect with nearly no results, and Clockwork Girl is a Frankenstein-like origin yarn about a tic-toc girl and her mad scientist maker, who obviously took a page from Back to the Future’s Doc Brown haircut guide. Clockwork Girl reveals some promise, but again, these two offerings barely wound me up. I felt I was interrogating them, wanting more information, with Kane’s bad luck on my side. If Arcana hadn’t spent their inside front cover on an essay about how great they were, and again on the last few pages introducing blurbs for books that weren’t teased, I might buy into just one of their titles. Sometimes too much information isn’t a good thing.
Which explains why I liked Boom! Studios’ flipbook. The first halves of two different series, I could at least get a sense of some momentum, I could at least feel like the publisher left me hanging, since I actually grabbed hold of something. Salvador is a beautifully painted, surprisingly silent book introducing a futuristic, faceless, fragile savior, whose light-weightedness enables him to fly with just two oversized feathers. This imagery taps into the true potential of comics’ visual power, utilizing vivid, fantastic imagery to tell a story – or in this case, at least, make a favorable impression. Just the cover, a glowing, expressionless human form holding aloft those two magnificent feathers, is a work of art worthy of museum exhibition. Further, what Salvador has in style Hunter’s Moon has in substance, introducing a successful businessman, his mistress, and his broken family apparently on the eve of a life-changing week of camping in the woods. Written by James L .White, who also drafted the award-winning screenplay for the biopic Ray, Hunter’s Moon is a character piece that offers both an escape and an eerie sense of familiarity – dynamic family interplay could be just as dramatic and compelling as a futuristic, genetically engineered savior, which is why I understand why Boom! coupled these two seemingly unrelated works together. If you don’t dig one, you’re sure to raise an eyebrow for the other.
Finally, Rude Dude Productions’ Nexus FCBD special takes the reprinted material phenomenon to a whole new level, and if one were to have explained it to me, I wonder if I would’ve rejected the concept. Yet, experiencing it, I enjoyed it quite a bit – in this issue, in anticipation of the first new Nexus issue in ten years, writer Mike Baron offers some of artist Steve Rude’s greatest hits on the series, reprinting just two to four pages from any given issue, not necessarily even in sequence, embellishing them with some commentary and asserting Rude’s inarguable talent. Yes, the writer actually forsakes the need to tell a story simply to praise the contributions of his headlining collaborator, praising his page layouts, character designs, and sense of mood and ambiance – and I have to tell, it’s enough to sell the series. Nexus is a fan favorite in many circles, and has survived a few different publishers before Rude started his own small press company, and it’s obvious why this interstellar space opera has such staying power. Its creators are passionate about their work, so much so that they’d rather give us a “mixed tape” over a whole track. Still, I’m sold.
So, what’s the verdict? Does the single issue format of Pirates vs. Ninjas beat the reprint anthology sampler? Of the six books I read today, a total of twelve series were established – excluding Pirates, that’s an 11:5 ratio, and since I’m mildly to wildly interested in six of those titles (I’m including Shrugged and Clockwork Girl, to be generous), I’d say it’s a tie. Aw, don't tell me you didn't see that one coming. As a comic book fan, I'm just a glutton for shallow conflict, I suppose -- and when it's comics vs. comics, I win!
Saturday, May 05, 2007
Who Wants to be a Superhero? Free Comic Book Day Preview: FCBD Exposed! part 2
Who Wants to be a Superhero? Free Comic Book Day Preview, May 2007, Dark Horse Comics
writer: Stan Lee
artist: Will Conrad
colorist: Michael S. Bartolo
letterer: Zach Matheny
Huff. Gasp. Pant. This is me, catching my breath, after a tour de funnybook shop to acquire all of the complimentary issues available today, the second best "gimme" day of the year after Christmas: Free Comic Book Day. Of the forty-three different comics offered, I found all but two – the Comic Shop News issue (which is about comics and not a comic itself, thus ineligible for review) and the Virgin Comics' Ramayan 3392AD 2007, which was ironically unavailable at the Virgin Megastore I visited, the same one where Borat met Pamela Anderson at the end of his trek across America. My trek today wasn’t as noble but was just as fulfilling, and while Borat went home brokenhearted, I find myself excited and impressed by these forty-one issues (not to mention the HeroClix Batman and Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer poster), each a distinct representation of the eclectic contemporary comic book industry.
Reviewing each of these issues in a relatively succinct matter of time is another issue entirely. Indeed, my trek has just begun . . .
Before I dive into the actual comics, I’d like to offer some quick commentary about the comic book stores my (abundantly patient) girlfriend and I visited this afternoon, one of which is a well-established shop, another a hybrid gaming/comics shop, another brand spankin’ new, literally opening its doors today for the first time. After speaking to a few retailers about the FCBD phenomenon, I learned that this year Diamond Comic Distributors was charging shops a $50 registration fee and a subsequent five cents per issue cost for participating in this supposedly free event, a move that might understandably deter struggling store owners that would have otherwise benefited from the exposure. Therefore, presumably, only the more successful shops (a relative term in this business, I know) can afford to participate, the ones that might not need the hassle anyway. The three kinds of shops I visited conveniently represent this spectrum: the established store with a core customer base limited its FCBD offerings to a few choices per attendant, while the gaming and grand opening stores had free-for-all tables to generate that base. (Virgin had a thin stack of the gold sponsors’ stuff available only if you asked.) As I speculated yesterday, I wonder what the comic book fanboy/casual customer ratio is; if I didn’t frequent these places, I wouldn’t know they were giving out free swag today, and I’m pretty in touch with the happenings in my community. Could the price of participation consume retailers’ abilities to promote the event in the first place?
Nevertheless, I got my comics, and that’s all that matters, right? In determining the best way to review these forty-one books in a timely manner (The A Comic A Day challenge only has less than two months to go!), I’ve strategically divided them into six different categories: mainstream publishers (i.e. DC, Marvel, Image, Dark Horse, etc.), kid-friendly fare (many of which feature generations-old characters like Micky Mouse, Charlie Brown, and Gumby), independent comics, comics about comics (i.e. Wizard’s “How to Draw” Sampler 2007, innovative comics (issues that challenge the nature or format of the medium), and, for today, cross-promotional comics. These issues, like yesterday’s Spider-man 3 Movie Prequel, boast some sort of tie-in to a film project or franchise. So, in order to crank out more than one review in a single post (I’m getting ambitious in my old age), each of these entries will have one “headlining” issue with brief synopses of succeeding issues, emphasizing story, art, and, as I indicated yesterday, their stick-to-itiveness – whether or not I would actually buy an issue of said title based on its free sample. So, without further adieu . . .
Dynamite Entertainment’s Battlestar Galactica/Lone Ranger flipbook desperately attempted to establish the essence of these respective series but fell flat in their transparent attempt. As a diehard fan of their new Lone Ranger book (I reviewed the first issue’s director’s cut earlier this year), I was disappointed in the convoluted lesson laced in this otherwise “Ranger saves the day” tale. Writer Brett Matthews, usually very adept in his syntax, couldn’t seem to get a solid sentence together, and in fact this eight-pager was essentially one long run-on; however, Sergio Cariello is the true hero here, his visuals as stunning as ever, especially with the help of colorist Dean White. The Battlestar Galactica installment was a fair introduction to the franchise’s characters and circumstances, but I’m afraid it preached to the choir. I guess when you’ve been aboard the Enterprise for as long as I have, no other starship compares. Still, this brief visit is what Free Comic Book Day is all about, so at least I can proclaim I’ve now taken the tour. I've been predicting that Dynamite is the publisher to keep an eye on this year (with IDW a close second), and I stand by that statement.
Finally, Archie Comics’ Sonic the Hedgehog surprisingly stands out in this bunch as the only tie-in to a video game rather than film, and also as the longest standing character to the medium, soon to star in his 175th issue, excluding the spin-off titles his costars have acquired. While the story was a hyper-race to stop a mind-controlled Sonic from taking over the kingdom – very popcorn and streamlined in comparison to the other offerings I reviewed today – I can understand why this specific franchise has such a durable with young readers. Like them, it’s always moving – very action-packed, very tongue-in-cheek. If Feedback from Who Wants to be a Superhero? plays this game, we’d all be in trouble.
I’m grateful I reviewed these tie-in comics first. Not only do they transition from yesterday’s Spidey-centric prologue quite well, but, since these characters are already established as relative geek domain, my familiarity with some of them eases me into the groove of reviewing more than one issue a day, at least for the next week. Further, from the macabre violence of Hack/Slash to the depreciating humor of the Simpsons, the range of material is indicative of what the comic book has to offer, despite the struggles of its marketplace. Sure, not everybody wants to be a superhero, per se, but everybody wants a slice of their native medium! Today, that slice came for free, yet with a price: take it from a guy that would drag his girlfriend to three comic book shops in one day – once comics pull you in, there’s no such thing as freedom!
writer: Stan Lee
artist: Will Conrad
colorist: Michael S. Bartolo
letterer: Zach Matheny
Huff. Gasp. Pant. This is me, catching my breath, after a tour de funnybook shop to acquire all of the complimentary issues available today, the second best "gimme" day of the year after Christmas: Free Comic Book Day. Of the forty-three different comics offered, I found all but two – the Comic Shop News issue (which is about comics and not a comic itself, thus ineligible for review) and the Virgin Comics' Ramayan 3392AD 2007, which was ironically unavailable at the Virgin Megastore I visited, the same one where Borat met Pamela Anderson at the end of his trek across America. My trek today wasn’t as noble but was just as fulfilling, and while Borat went home brokenhearted, I find myself excited and impressed by these forty-one issues (not to mention the HeroClix Batman and Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer poster), each a distinct representation of the eclectic contemporary comic book industry.
Reviewing each of these issues in a relatively succinct matter of time is another issue entirely. Indeed, my trek has just begun . . .
Before I dive into the actual comics, I’d like to offer some quick commentary about the comic book stores my (abundantly patient) girlfriend and I visited this afternoon, one of which is a well-established shop, another a hybrid gaming/comics shop, another brand spankin’ new, literally opening its doors today for the first time. After speaking to a few retailers about the FCBD phenomenon, I learned that this year Diamond Comic Distributors was charging shops a $50 registration fee and a subsequent five cents per issue cost for participating in this supposedly free event, a move that might understandably deter struggling store owners that would have otherwise benefited from the exposure. Therefore, presumably, only the more successful shops (a relative term in this business, I know) can afford to participate, the ones that might not need the hassle anyway. The three kinds of shops I visited conveniently represent this spectrum: the established store with a core customer base limited its FCBD offerings to a few choices per attendant, while the gaming and grand opening stores had free-for-all tables to generate that base. (Virgin had a thin stack of the gold sponsors’ stuff available only if you asked.) As I speculated yesterday, I wonder what the comic book fanboy/casual customer ratio is; if I didn’t frequent these places, I wouldn’t know they were giving out free swag today, and I’m pretty in touch with the happenings in my community. Could the price of participation consume retailers’ abilities to promote the event in the first place?
Nevertheless, I got my comics, and that’s all that matters, right? In determining the best way to review these forty-one books in a timely manner (The A Comic A Day challenge only has less than two months to go!), I’ve strategically divided them into six different categories: mainstream publishers (i.e. DC, Marvel, Image, Dark Horse, etc.), kid-friendly fare (many of which feature generations-old characters like Micky Mouse, Charlie Brown, and Gumby), independent comics, comics about comics (i.e. Wizard’s “How to Draw” Sampler 2007, innovative comics (issues that challenge the nature or format of the medium), and, for today, cross-promotional comics. These issues, like yesterday’s Spider-man 3 Movie Prequel, boast some sort of tie-in to a film project or franchise. So, in order to crank out more than one review in a single post (I’m getting ambitious in my old age), each of these entries will have one “headlining” issue with brief synopses of succeeding issues, emphasizing story, art, and, as I indicated yesterday, their stick-to-itiveness – whether or not I would actually buy an issue of said title based on its free sample. So, without further adieu . . .
Who Wants to Be a Superhero? is an excellent appetizer from the FCBD menu; it’s a quick eight-pager, but even a quarter of a standard comic scripted by Stan Lee is more fun than most full-length issues on the stands today. Introducing Feedback, a superhero that absorbs the power and abilities of the video games he plays (and the winner of the SciFi Channel’s reality show by the same name, I presume), Lee’s script is the usual dose of melodramatic exclamations (the first caption says simply, “Midnight!”), though I was a bit unsettled by his unnatural use of, er, modern vernacular: “You dissed my pal!” Dissed and pal don’t strike me as compatible terms, but Lee’s charm and endurance invites inevitable forgiveness, especially since this concept is surprisingly original – reality shows like American Idol rarely offer their respective mediums something new, but this isn’t about assembly line pop music . . . no, artist Will Conrad makes this a real comic book, not some TV show knock-off, and colorist Michael S. Bartolo spares no expense with lighting and special effects. While the concept doesn’t appeal to me personally (I stopped playing video games when I realized I couldn’t beat Berserk for my Atari 2600), the overall package makes a positive first impression. This issue wasn’t Dark Horse’s main offering, so the additional eight pages are a welcome and revealing inclusion into the Free Comic Book Day arena.
I say “revealing” because the comic book medium is rapidly becoming married to the film and television media – not that cinematically inspired projects haven’t been rampant in comics before (I’m looking at you, ALF-comic-I-read-a-few-weeks-ago!), but with adaptations swinging both ways now, it’s become a chicken-and-the-egg syndrome. For example, if DDP’s Hack/Slash actually makes it to the silver screen (as its byline has been boasting), will moviegoers know they’re going to see a comic book movie? I’ve read and reviewed a Hack/Slash comic before, but this FCBD sample, offered as a flipbook with, of all franchise, Family Guy, is so visually grotesque, it’s perhaps best left to today’s teenybopper-targeting goremongers. “Hack,” whose lunch lady mother killed the bullies that tormented her daughter and served them in the school cafeteria, is a serial killer hunter, in this installment captured by a psycho that has peeled off his own skin and is systematically cutting off her toes. Yes, I said this is packaged with a Family Guy yarn, which, albeit unfunny, is a draw for young fans of the series and thus a rather shocking contrast as an overall attempt to attract a general audience. Consider me having left the theater early . . . and the movie isn’t even out yet.
IDW’s Transformers: Official Movie Prequel is another story entirely. Its seemingly mythological establishment of the Decepticons conflict could be loosely interpreted as a modern parable for war, if liberals are willing to connect the Transformers’ worship of the “allspark” with the oil in Iraq, or something. Since I preferred the Go-bots as a kid (go ahead and laugh), I’m not terribly familiar with the major players here, and frankly, despite artist Don Figueroa’s incredibly detailed art, I couldn’t tell these robots apart. Still, Chris Ryall’s script was smooth and poignant, with dynamic character development and insight into what a Transformers novice like me will be getting into this Independence Day. I might not finish off this four issue miniseries, but I’ll be in line for that midnight premiere, too.
I’m happy that the gang at Bongo Comics chose to offer their usual assortment of Simpsons/Futurama silliness, rather than place a promotional emphasis on the forthcoming Simpsons movie. While the Transformers franchise could use a second wind to recapture its old fanbase, the Simpsons is a propellant force in pop culture, an unyielding yet unchanging animated vaudeville that anyone can enjoy at anytime. Their free offering is an excellent example, starring Bart as the sympathetic winner of Krusty toy store shopping spree and consequently a makeshift Santa for every needy and greedy citizen in Springfield. The rest of the stories are really B-list compared to this feature, but the two one-page Futurama ads stole the show, if you ask me. Nothing compares to that comedic televised timing, but this issue could convince that the comics have a unique voice in this animated empire, too.
I say “revealing” because the comic book medium is rapidly becoming married to the film and television media – not that cinematically inspired projects haven’t been rampant in comics before (I’m looking at you, ALF-comic-I-read-a-few-weeks-ago!), but with adaptations swinging both ways now, it’s become a chicken-and-the-egg syndrome. For example, if DDP’s Hack/Slash actually makes it to the silver screen (as its byline has been boasting), will moviegoers know they’re going to see a comic book movie? I’ve read and reviewed a Hack/Slash comic before, but this FCBD sample, offered as a flipbook with, of all franchise, Family Guy, is so visually grotesque, it’s perhaps best left to today’s teenybopper-targeting goremongers. “Hack,” whose lunch lady mother killed the bullies that tormented her daughter and served them in the school cafeteria, is a serial killer hunter, in this installment captured by a psycho that has peeled off his own skin and is systematically cutting off her toes. Yes, I said this is packaged with a Family Guy yarn, which, albeit unfunny, is a draw for young fans of the series and thus a rather shocking contrast as an overall attempt to attract a general audience. Consider me having left the theater early . . . and the movie isn’t even out yet.
IDW’s Transformers: Official Movie Prequel is another story entirely. Its seemingly mythological establishment of the Decepticons conflict could be loosely interpreted as a modern parable for war, if liberals are willing to connect the Transformers’ worship of the “allspark” with the oil in Iraq, or something. Since I preferred the Go-bots as a kid (go ahead and laugh), I’m not terribly familiar with the major players here, and frankly, despite artist Don Figueroa’s incredibly detailed art, I couldn’t tell these robots apart. Still, Chris Ryall’s script was smooth and poignant, with dynamic character development and insight into what a Transformers novice like me will be getting into this Independence Day. I might not finish off this four issue miniseries, but I’ll be in line for that midnight premiere, too.
I’m happy that the gang at Bongo Comics chose to offer their usual assortment of Simpsons/Futurama silliness, rather than place a promotional emphasis on the forthcoming Simpsons movie. While the Transformers franchise could use a second wind to recapture its old fanbase, the Simpsons is a propellant force in pop culture, an unyielding yet unchanging animated vaudeville that anyone can enjoy at anytime. Their free offering is an excellent example, starring Bart as the sympathetic winner of Krusty toy store shopping spree and consequently a makeshift Santa for every needy and greedy citizen in Springfield. The rest of the stories are really B-list compared to this feature, but the two one-page Futurama ads stole the show, if you ask me. Nothing compares to that comedic televised timing, but this issue could convince that the comics have a unique voice in this animated empire, too.
Dynamite Entertainment’s Battlestar Galactica/Lone Ranger flipbook desperately attempted to establish the essence of these respective series but fell flat in their transparent attempt. As a diehard fan of their new Lone Ranger book (I reviewed the first issue’s director’s cut earlier this year), I was disappointed in the convoluted lesson laced in this otherwise “Ranger saves the day” tale. Writer Brett Matthews, usually very adept in his syntax, couldn’t seem to get a solid sentence together, and in fact this eight-pager was essentially one long run-on; however, Sergio Cariello is the true hero here, his visuals as stunning as ever, especially with the help of colorist Dean White. The Battlestar Galactica installment was a fair introduction to the franchise’s characters and circumstances, but I’m afraid it preached to the choir. I guess when you’ve been aboard the Enterprise for as long as I have, no other starship compares. Still, this brief visit is what Free Comic Book Day is all about, so at least I can proclaim I’ve now taken the tour. I've been predicting that Dynamite is the publisher to keep an eye on this year (with IDW a close second), and I stand by that statement.
Finally, Archie Comics’ Sonic the Hedgehog surprisingly stands out in this bunch as the only tie-in to a video game rather than film, and also as the longest standing character to the medium, soon to star in his 175th issue, excluding the spin-off titles his costars have acquired. While the story was a hyper-race to stop a mind-controlled Sonic from taking over the kingdom – very popcorn and streamlined in comparison to the other offerings I reviewed today – I can understand why this specific franchise has such a durable with young readers. Like them, it’s always moving – very action-packed, very tongue-in-cheek. If Feedback from Who Wants to be a Superhero? plays this game, we’d all be in trouble.
I’m grateful I reviewed these tie-in comics first. Not only do they transition from yesterday’s Spidey-centric prologue quite well, but, since these characters are already established as relative geek domain, my familiarity with some of them eases me into the groove of reviewing more than one issue a day, at least for the next week. Further, from the macabre violence of Hack/Slash to the depreciating humor of the Simpsons, the range of material is indicative of what the comic book has to offer, despite the struggles of its marketplace. Sure, not everybody wants to be a superhero, per se, but everybody wants a slice of their native medium! Today, that slice came for free, yet with a price: take it from a guy that would drag his girlfriend to three comic book shops in one day – once comics pull you in, there’s no such thing as freedom!
Friday, May 04, 2007
Spider-man 3 Movie Prequel: FCBD Exposed! part 1
Spider-man 3 Movie Prequel, June 2007, Marvel Comics
writer: Todd Dezago
penciller: Stuart Immonen
inker: Wade Von Grawbadger
colorist: Stephanie Peru
letterer: Chris Eliopoulos
project manager: Javon Frazier
editor: Nicole Boose
EIC: Joe Quesada
When I strolled into the Starbucks to buy a venti coffee frappuccino before the midnight showing of Spider-man 3, proudly wearing an Erik Larsen Spider-man print T-shirt, and the barista playfully challenged me to sing the old Spider-man theme song for a free drink, and I passed, I knew this was the start of a beautiful Free Comic Book Day weekend. Those venti fraps are almost five bucks! The free Spider-man 3 Movie Prequel comic (Spider-man 2.5?) at the movie theater was just an added bonus, and though this issue, compliments of Target, isn't an official offering of the Free Comic Book Day drive, it epitomizes the concept of the annual event and provides some unique insight into the idea of promotions for promotion's sake.
If only Spider-man 3 could've remained so true to its brand . . .
But I digress. This is not a movie review, which I will post rife with spoilers in my LiveJournal, but rather a supplemental look at the Spider-man film franchise, and in fact the first in a series of reviews about the Free Comic Book Day phenomenon, posted in cooperation between Geek in the City and A Comic A Day. FCBD has always corresponded with the release date of the latest Spider-man film, and considering the webhead's cinematic success, one would conclude that such timing is everything. Unfortunately, on a base level, this marketing opportunity has yet to be utilized to its fullest potential, at least not in my limited sphere of observation (which is, the devil's advocate would say, one of the largest movie-going markets in the world -- Orange County, California). I didn't see signage for any local FCBD events, or any reps from nearby comic book stores promoting their wares. Generally speaking, it's safe to say that the only folks that take advantage of Free Comic Book Day are the ones that found out about it by shopping at their local comic shop in the first place.
Comicscape columnist Kurt Amacker recently wrote about some of the other failings of Free Comic Book Day, which can be found here, though, while interested, don't pertain to reviewing the available material. Ultimately, as a fan and observer of the industry, I'm simply baffled that Target Stores would have the upper hand with this opportunity. Timing may be everything, but only when laymen know what time it is.
writer: Todd Dezago
penciller: Stuart Immonen
inker: Wade Von Grawbadger
colorist: Stephanie Peru
letterer: Chris Eliopoulos
project manager: Javon Frazier
editor: Nicole Boose
EIC: Joe Quesada
When I strolled into the Starbucks to buy a venti coffee frappuccino before the midnight showing of Spider-man 3, proudly wearing an Erik Larsen Spider-man print T-shirt, and the barista playfully challenged me to sing the old Spider-man theme song for a free drink, and I passed, I knew this was the start of a beautiful Free Comic Book Day weekend. Those venti fraps are almost five bucks! The free Spider-man 3 Movie Prequel comic (Spider-man 2.5?) at the movie theater was just an added bonus, and though this issue, compliments of Target, isn't an official offering of the Free Comic Book Day drive, it epitomizes the concept of the annual event and provides some unique insight into the idea of promotions for promotion's sake.
If only Spider-man 3 could've remained so true to its brand . . .
But I digress. This is not a movie review, which I will post rife with spoilers in my LiveJournal, but rather a supplemental look at the Spider-man film franchise, and in fact the first in a series of reviews about the Free Comic Book Day phenomenon, posted in cooperation between Geek in the City and A Comic A Day. FCBD has always corresponded with the release date of the latest Spider-man film, and considering the webhead's cinematic success, one would conclude that such timing is everything. Unfortunately, on a base level, this marketing opportunity has yet to be utilized to its fullest potential, at least not in my limited sphere of observation (which is, the devil's advocate would say, one of the largest movie-going markets in the world -- Orange County, California). I didn't see signage for any local FCBD events, or any reps from nearby comic book stores promoting their wares. Generally speaking, it's safe to say that the only folks that take advantage of Free Comic Book Day are the ones that found out about it by shopping at their local comic shop in the first place.
Comicscape columnist Kurt Amacker recently wrote about some of the other failings of Free Comic Book Day, which can be found here, though, while interested, don't pertain to reviewing the available material. Ultimately, as a fan and observer of the industry, I'm simply baffled that Target Stores would have the upper hand with this opportunity. Timing may be everything, but only when laymen know what time it is.
Spider-man 3 Movie Prequel is a pleasantly packaged freebie, containing a twelve-page story masterfully illustrated by Stuart Immonen and Wade Von Grawbadger fresh from their stint on the Warren Ellis vehicle Nextwave: Agents of H.A.T.E. While their style is certainly unique, distinct from other artists in the mainstream (that I'm aware of), their expressive caricatures and detail-oriented backdrops, all balanced through crisp, varied ink lines, boast a commercial appeal perfect for such cross-market distribution. Todd Dezago's script is a shallow "Spidey saves the day" set-up for the film, establishing (Spoiler alert, but only if you haven't paid much attention to the trailers or TV spots!) Peter's preparation to propose to Mary Jane, and Flint Marko's unlucky life of crime. When Spidey wonders if he's ready to pop the question only to thwart a few vaguely wedding-themed mishaps (a runaway bridal bouquets truck?), he nearly crosses paths with a pre-Sandman Marko, who's terribly laid plans to rob a jewelry store land him smack in the middle of a police barricade. The characterization is vivid and the action is appropriately suspenseful (plus the kids will dig that two-page pull-out Spidey poster in the middle!), but the story is inconsequential, which makes sense considering its limited availability. It's meant to look good, nothing more.
Then, in the back, where a letter column or supplemental essay of thanks would usually be, Target makes their mark with a mini-Spider-merch fold-out, as if fans of all ages didn't know the Spider-man cuddle pillow was only $17.99. The proverbial cliffhanger is the ad's tagline, "Get your Spider-man 3 gear while it lasts," asserting its limited availability and potential value on the collectors' market. You can pack those Spidey fruit snacks with all of the preservatives you want, eventually they'd have to make way for those booger-flavored Harry Potter jellybeans.
However, as "sell out" as that ad space might seem to possessive Spidey fans, it represents what free comic book distribution is all about. Free Comic Book Day isn't about the free comic books you can score, but the future comics you might buy. Just as Target was willing to eat the cost of a thin Spider-man comic to push some partyware, publishers are willing distribute free material in the hopes that your stint in the comic shop will spark an interest in other stuff -- stuff you'd have to buy. It's the chicken-on-a-toothpick at the mall, or the lotion sample at the make-up counter. That moment of undeniable frugality exploits a vulnerability toward consumption . . . and they wouldn't have it any other way.
So, looking at the list of publishers' contributions to Free Comic Book Day, I'm hoping to acquire all forty-three issues that are available, by traveling to as many comic book stores in my area as possible. (Of course, I intend to buy something at each store, as well, since that's the give to this take. I want these shops to stay open for next year's giveaway!) As I review these books, a few at a time to get through them all promptly (in a week's time if all goes according to plan), my main criteria will be whether or not I feel compelled to pursue the series based on one strategic free sample. If that small morsel of orange chicken is really tasty, you'll order the one item combo, even if it's from a food court, right? From Marvel's perspective, if the casual movie-goer digs this free Spidey comic, maybe they'll seek out the webhead in his native medium! Sure, it's no five dollar frap, but it may wake you up to a new experience, which is, ahem, priceless.
To be continued.
Thursday, May 03, 2007
Superior Showcase #1
Superior Showcase #1, 2006, AdHouse Books
by Nick Bertozzi, Mike Dawson, Dean Trippe, & John Campbell
I should clarify something. The week before TMNT was released, I dedicated a whole week to Turtles-oriented reviews. My first review for A Comic A Day honored the release of Superman Returns. So, as Spider-man 3 spreads its symbiote-like grip over global pop culture, I'm sure you're wondering why I've scarcely mentioned the webslinger of late. I mean, everyone else is talking about him . . . which is exactly why I've avoided the subject (aside from a blurb or two at my LiveJournal). Spider-hype has become a worldwide phenomenon, and while I'm really excited for the film -- and I'm going to tonight's midnight premiere -- too many other things are happening in the comicsphere to ignore. My emphasis on the Alternative Press Expo and my forthcoming Free Comic Book Day series are excellent examples, in addition to the other titles and projects on the horizon for the summer Con scene. The industry is a convoluted web right now in more ways than one, and we're all trying to untangle it.
That said, for the past two years, I've been particularly intrigued with AdHouse Books' FCBD offering, so when I saw their booth at APE, I couldn't resist purchasing a book or two. Superior Showcase features three different superhero-themed stories, each tastefully drawn and respectfully satirical, if only in their nontraditional illustrative style. Nick Bertozzi, Mike Dawson, and Dean Trippe aren't Jim Lee or Ed Benes, but their visual storytelling techniques best reflect the human aspect to these super-human concepts. For example:
Nick Bertozzi's story is essentially about a superhero supermarket. As one could imagine, catering to the superhero community would be a tough job in any business, but when handling and selling the very goods and services they need to live, it's a dire task, indeed. Unfortunately, while I enjoyed my initial read of "Super Mart," the first tale in this anthology, I didn't feel like it held water against the other two contributions, each more rich in character and conflict. Bertozzi essentially provides a storyboard for a concept that could be more developed; his pages are more springboard than story. Basically, the clerks just try to avoid getting robbed by major supervillains and goons, which is amusing enough to hold up on its own and to establish the general tone of the book, but nothing more. I'd check this one out in the "one good concept or less" aisle, for sure.
Mike Dawson's "Ace Face: The Mod with the Metal Arms" is a different story. By the guy behind Gabagool!, Colin Turney is retired superhero Ace Face, complete with strong metal arms, now a professor teaching Civil Rights and Cold War civics. When a young vigilante violently bursts onto the scene, Ace's students ask if he'll "try and get him," and although the Prof shrugs it off, an internal conflict obviously brews within him. The most poignant page,
,
briefly explores the longstanding superhero slugfest motif through a strained father/son filter, a concise, dramatic storytelling technique. In the end, when Ace confronts the Target, the kid turns out to be one of his students, and when he mortally wounds the young vigilante, Ace's massive arms are contrastingly conformed into humorous looking metal toothpicks, a tragic consequence for an otherwise acclaimed and introspective superhero. Dawson's yarn was highly entertaining though a bit sequentially choppy, a minor critique I can overlook for the installment's general use of the "one more time, old timer" shtick.
The final contribution, by Dean Trippe (with John Campbell) is a Bruce Timm-looking Batman and Robin riff. Birdy, Knight-Bat's sidekick, wants a new costume ("Just like Nightbird!" Batty quips) and roams the city in despair on Halloween night. Meanwhile, a kid dressed as a butterfly learns he really can fly and is later revealed to be the son of Super Duper. (The satire is really thin here.) When the kids collide and the Butterfly excitedly asks if he can be Birdy's sidekick, the young hero is encouraged enough to kick some ghosts' butt in an obligatory action scene. Despite the blatant goofy parallels between this tale and its source material, "Butterfly" was a fun story true to its roots in childhood -- when the Butterfly learns of his ability, his first thought is getting more Halloween candy -- which is something I admire in comics. As a medium originally intended for kids, it's nice to see it embrace youth in its stories, even if this briefly. After all, Robin was created to build that bridge to a younger audience! Peter Parker was a high school student so struggling high school students had a hero to whom they could relate!
See, it does come full circle. So, although I didn't read a Spider-man comic book on the eve of his third foray onto the big screen, I did manage to find a superhero book, even at APE, that paid some homage to Stan Lee's marvelous legacy. Like the origins of Marvel itself, AdHouse has a strong voice in the comic book industry, and with marketing tools like Free Comic Book Day, hopefully that voice will rise above a whisper. Again, with so many things happening in comics, it's hard to single out just one thread!
by Nick Bertozzi, Mike Dawson, Dean Trippe, & John Campbell
I should clarify something. The week before TMNT was released, I dedicated a whole week to Turtles-oriented reviews. My first review for A Comic A Day honored the release of Superman Returns. So, as Spider-man 3 spreads its symbiote-like grip over global pop culture, I'm sure you're wondering why I've scarcely mentioned the webslinger of late. I mean, everyone else is talking about him . . . which is exactly why I've avoided the subject (aside from a blurb or two at my LiveJournal). Spider-hype has become a worldwide phenomenon, and while I'm really excited for the film -- and I'm going to tonight's midnight premiere -- too many other things are happening in the comicsphere to ignore. My emphasis on the Alternative Press Expo and my forthcoming Free Comic Book Day series are excellent examples, in addition to the other titles and projects on the horizon for the summer Con scene. The industry is a convoluted web right now in more ways than one, and we're all trying to untangle it.
That said, for the past two years, I've been particularly intrigued with AdHouse Books' FCBD offering, so when I saw their booth at APE, I couldn't resist purchasing a book or two. Superior Showcase features three different superhero-themed stories, each tastefully drawn and respectfully satirical, if only in their nontraditional illustrative style. Nick Bertozzi, Mike Dawson, and Dean Trippe aren't Jim Lee or Ed Benes, but their visual storytelling techniques best reflect the human aspect to these super-human concepts. For example:
Nick Bertozzi's story is essentially about a superhero supermarket. As one could imagine, catering to the superhero community would be a tough job in any business, but when handling and selling the very goods and services they need to live, it's a dire task, indeed. Unfortunately, while I enjoyed my initial read of "Super Mart," the first tale in this anthology, I didn't feel like it held water against the other two contributions, each more rich in character and conflict. Bertozzi essentially provides a storyboard for a concept that could be more developed; his pages are more springboard than story. Basically, the clerks just try to avoid getting robbed by major supervillains and goons, which is amusing enough to hold up on its own and to establish the general tone of the book, but nothing more. I'd check this one out in the "one good concept or less" aisle, for sure.
Mike Dawson's "Ace Face: The Mod with the Metal Arms" is a different story. By the guy behind Gabagool!, Colin Turney is retired superhero Ace Face, complete with strong metal arms, now a professor teaching Civil Rights and Cold War civics. When a young vigilante violently bursts onto the scene, Ace's students ask if he'll "try and get him," and although the Prof shrugs it off, an internal conflict obviously brews within him. The most poignant page,
,briefly explores the longstanding superhero slugfest motif through a strained father/son filter, a concise, dramatic storytelling technique. In the end, when Ace confronts the Target, the kid turns out to be one of his students, and when he mortally wounds the young vigilante, Ace's massive arms are contrastingly conformed into humorous looking metal toothpicks, a tragic consequence for an otherwise acclaimed and introspective superhero. Dawson's yarn was highly entertaining though a bit sequentially choppy, a minor critique I can overlook for the installment's general use of the "one more time, old timer" shtick.
The final contribution, by Dean Trippe (with John Campbell) is a Bruce Timm-looking Batman and Robin riff. Birdy, Knight-Bat's sidekick, wants a new costume ("Just like Nightbird!" Batty quips) and roams the city in despair on Halloween night. Meanwhile, a kid dressed as a butterfly learns he really can fly and is later revealed to be the son of Super Duper. (The satire is really thin here.) When the kids collide and the Butterfly excitedly asks if he can be Birdy's sidekick, the young hero is encouraged enough to kick some ghosts' butt in an obligatory action scene. Despite the blatant goofy parallels between this tale and its source material, "Butterfly" was a fun story true to its roots in childhood -- when the Butterfly learns of his ability, his first thought is getting more Halloween candy -- which is something I admire in comics. As a medium originally intended for kids, it's nice to see it embrace youth in its stories, even if this briefly. After all, Robin was created to build that bridge to a younger audience! Peter Parker was a high school student so struggling high school students had a hero to whom they could relate!
See, it does come full circle. So, although I didn't read a Spider-man comic book on the eve of his third foray onto the big screen, I did manage to find a superhero book, even at APE, that paid some homage to Stan Lee's marvelous legacy. Like the origins of Marvel itself, AdHouse has a strong voice in the comic book industry, and with marketing tools like Free Comic Book Day, hopefully that voice will rise above a whisper. Again, with so many things happening in comics, it's hard to single out just one thread!
Wednesday, May 02, 2007
The Envelope Licker
The Envelope Licker, Robot Publishing
by Ante Vukojevich
Tonight's episode of Larry King Live was the long-awaited special interview between Katie Couric and "the King of Talk," with the suspendered one on the other side of the casual interrogation to celebrate his fifty years in broadcasting. It was an interesting interview, promptly followed by an Anderson Cooper 360 about a flaw in Don Imus' contract that may entitle the shock jock to $40 million dollars. Imus may not have King's reputation, but as a fellow long-standing broadcast personality, CBS apparently sought Imus' penchant toward controversy, an actual stipulation in his contract, leaked exclusively to Cooper and now to CBS' detriment. What does all of this have to do with comics, you ask?
First of all, at this point in their respective careers, King and Imus are in the legacy business. While King's future is sealed, Imus is struggling to salvage his reputation. I'd barely heard of the guy, but I sympathize with the disappointment of a prestigious, decades-long career going down in a blaze of shame thanks to three little words. When one's existence is so defined by their job, one shouldn't give it up so recklessly.
Which brings us to The Envelope Licker.
Ante Vukojevich's strange little tale about a family with a multi-generational knack for tongue twisting is another neatly bound offering from Robot Publishing, the publisher responsible for the Robert Goodin collection I reviewed last week. RP's minicomics aren't crudely produced zines but effectively pocket art house books, each with a distinct visual and lingual identity. Goodin's Pig's Missing Poo was a black and white anthology, while Vukojevich's Licker is a linear story -- albeit told in something of an anthology style, with three unique acts in and of themselves, woven together to create a meandering and macabre story of love and violence. (I'm borrowing "meandering" from Mark Pawson's review of this issue, as the term best describes the story's seemingly aimless sequence.) What kept my eyes glued to this issue was its respectful packaging, not to mention Ante's compelling illustration style. When the story lost me, the pictures found me, plain and simple.
Not that the story is too convoluted to get. It's really just . . . unconventional. For instance, the first page is a flashback of the Envelope Licker's grandfather, who, on his deathbed, confesses to a slew of murders during his days at the circus as the Amazing Tongue-o, a knife-thrower that hurled blades with . . . well, his tongue. Okay, that's just the first page. What follows is the Envelope Licker's dire life story, beginning with his flight from home after punching out his father and then his pregnant wife's abandonment after socking her in the eye. When he realizes he has his father's tongue talents, he quickly turns his life around by finding a job as an envelope licker. Through his success, he affords to buy the business -- and is eventually wiped out by the advent of wet sponge technology. In his retirement, Mortimer (that's his real name) musters the courage to ask out a woman at the post office, who initially accuses him of spoiling her stamp collection. The ending of the Licker's story is vague, as the author presents a few various happy endings, told by Mortimer's long lost son, the guy that ends up digging the Licker's grave. Yes, it's a strange tale indeed, but oddly fascinating, as the job of "envelope licker" could easily be supplanted by any other career and make some semblance of sense. Ante's odd occupation choice is surreal, but his theme of redemption is universal.
Further, although the ending is notably anticlimactic, the "big reveal" that our narrator was Mortimer's son, only scene prior to that final image as a bump in his mommy's belly, it brings the multi-generational aspect of The Envelope Licker full circle. The story began with his grandfather's death and ended with his own at the feet of his son, and if that doesn't express the legacy paradigm, I don't know what does. The tongue part is incidental, at best a visual gag, or a metaphor for the benefits of thinking with one's head rather than one's fists. Remember, the Licker licked first with fisticuffs. Good thing he managed to turn the tables, or this story could've been much shorter.
Envelope licker or broadcast personality, our tongue is one of our most previous commodities as human beings -- the muscle credited with our ability to speak, to express ourselves unlike any other animal on the planet. While this stretch undoubtedly isn't what Vukojevich intended to express in this mini, such is the consequence of a more "artsy" format. A superhero comic is pretty straightforward in its adventure-oriented sequential storytelling, but material that utilizes the inherent flexibility of the visual medium is consequently liable to flexible interpretations. Goes to show, none of these reviews can be signed, sealed, or delivered . . . I'm not an envelope licker, after all.
by Ante Vukojevich
Tonight's episode of Larry King Live was the long-awaited special interview between Katie Couric and "the King of Talk," with the suspendered one on the other side of the casual interrogation to celebrate his fifty years in broadcasting. It was an interesting interview, promptly followed by an Anderson Cooper 360 about a flaw in Don Imus' contract that may entitle the shock jock to $40 million dollars. Imus may not have King's reputation, but as a fellow long-standing broadcast personality, CBS apparently sought Imus' penchant toward controversy, an actual stipulation in his contract, leaked exclusively to Cooper and now to CBS' detriment. What does all of this have to do with comics, you ask?
First of all, at this point in their respective careers, King and Imus are in the legacy business. While King's future is sealed, Imus is struggling to salvage his reputation. I'd barely heard of the guy, but I sympathize with the disappointment of a prestigious, decades-long career going down in a blaze of shame thanks to three little words. When one's existence is so defined by their job, one shouldn't give it up so recklessly.
Which brings us to The Envelope Licker.
Ante Vukojevich's strange little tale about a family with a multi-generational knack for tongue twisting is another neatly bound offering from Robot Publishing, the publisher responsible for the Robert Goodin collection I reviewed last week. RP's minicomics aren't crudely produced zines but effectively pocket art house books, each with a distinct visual and lingual identity. Goodin's Pig's Missing Poo was a black and white anthology, while Vukojevich's Licker is a linear story -- albeit told in something of an anthology style, with three unique acts in and of themselves, woven together to create a meandering and macabre story of love and violence. (I'm borrowing "meandering" from Mark Pawson's review of this issue, as the term best describes the story's seemingly aimless sequence.) What kept my eyes glued to this issue was its respectful packaging, not to mention Ante's compelling illustration style. When the story lost me, the pictures found me, plain and simple.
Not that the story is too convoluted to get. It's really just . . . unconventional. For instance, the first page is a flashback of the Envelope Licker's grandfather, who, on his deathbed, confesses to a slew of murders during his days at the circus as the Amazing Tongue-o, a knife-thrower that hurled blades with . . . well, his tongue. Okay, that's just the first page. What follows is the Envelope Licker's dire life story, beginning with his flight from home after punching out his father and then his pregnant wife's abandonment after socking her in the eye. When he realizes he has his father's tongue talents, he quickly turns his life around by finding a job as an envelope licker. Through his success, he affords to buy the business -- and is eventually wiped out by the advent of wet sponge technology. In his retirement, Mortimer (that's his real name) musters the courage to ask out a woman at the post office, who initially accuses him of spoiling her stamp collection. The ending of the Licker's story is vague, as the author presents a few various happy endings, told by Mortimer's long lost son, the guy that ends up digging the Licker's grave. Yes, it's a strange tale indeed, but oddly fascinating, as the job of "envelope licker" could easily be supplanted by any other career and make some semblance of sense. Ante's odd occupation choice is surreal, but his theme of redemption is universal.
Further, although the ending is notably anticlimactic, the "big reveal" that our narrator was Mortimer's son, only scene prior to that final image as a bump in his mommy's belly, it brings the multi-generational aspect of The Envelope Licker full circle. The story began with his grandfather's death and ended with his own at the feet of his son, and if that doesn't express the legacy paradigm, I don't know what does. The tongue part is incidental, at best a visual gag, or a metaphor for the benefits of thinking with one's head rather than one's fists. Remember, the Licker licked first with fisticuffs. Good thing he managed to turn the tables, or this story could've been much shorter.
Envelope licker or broadcast personality, our tongue is one of our most previous commodities as human beings -- the muscle credited with our ability to speak, to express ourselves unlike any other animal on the planet. While this stretch undoubtedly isn't what Vukojevich intended to express in this mini, such is the consequence of a more "artsy" format. A superhero comic is pretty straightforward in its adventure-oriented sequential storytelling, but material that utilizes the inherent flexibility of the visual medium is consequently liable to flexible interpretations. Goes to show, none of these reviews can be signed, sealed, or delivered . . . I'm not an envelope licker, after all.
Tuesday, May 01, 2007
Li'l Kids: A road to god knows . . . Adventure!
Li'l Kids: A road to god knows . . . Adventure!, 2007
by Von Allan
Li'l Kids is a free minicomic that was distributed at the Alternative Press Expo (I have copy #264 of its limited 300 print run), starring younger versions of the lead characters in Von Allan's original graphic novel The road to god knows . . . Allan proactively asked me via comment just a few post ago if I would read and review his mini, and, I must confess, after reading his LiveJournal, which thoroughly, insightfully, and entertainingly examines his APE experience, I was hesitant to oblige. His analysis of the exhibitor/attendee dynamic at APE was so well written and precise, and in many cases so accurate and reflective of conversations I've had about the con before, that I was afraid of conversely disliking his book. In many past instances, I've had contact with a comic's creator after my review, but this is the first time such communication has come first. It isn't a good feeling to think that I could theoretically get to know someone only to tear the results of their hard work apart.
Fortunately, Li'l Kids isn't a bad little read at all. Mind you, I wasn't blown away, either, but my impression of this mini was definitely positively influenced by my impression of its author -- see, I know what Allan intended to do with this mini, especially by distributing it for free. While many small press outfits perceive APE as a money-making opportunity, Allan simply sought exposure, namely by familiarizing a new audience with his characters in an approachable way to garner attention and demand for his original graphic novel. Indeed, Li'l Kids is a no strings commitment to Allan's world, a stand alone tale that doesn't require knowledge of The road to god knows . . ., but still offers a foothold into its continuity. In the comic book industry, free original material is always a good thing -- this weekend's Free Comic Book Day is a testament to that fact.
Still, this freebie is essentially a seven page conversation about mothers and daughters, not without its intrigue but essentially void of any real action or progression. Now, I'm always keen toward comics that star children, since working with kids is my day job (if only I could get paid to read comics all day) and I'm often interested in how youth are written as characters. In this case, protagonist Marie and her friend seem rather sophisticated for their age, with little cultural colloquialism to betray a specific timeframe or setting; further, while Allan writes these girls well enough for the reader to forget that a grown man is behind the pen, they aren't definitively young women other than their ongoing discussion about their relationships with their moms -- an element that makes me wish I'd saved this issue for next Sunday! Anyway, a dedicated student of the fine arts might liken these girls' conversation to some modern Waiting for Godot paradigm, for while they essentially don't do anything, their interplay reveals a smoldering anxiety toward growing up, toward becoming the mothers they begrudgingly love. A geeky fanboy might shrug at the issue's relative inactivity. As a little but of both, the sophisticate boasts a moderate win. Good news for Allan, that.
Artistically, Li'l Kids starts strong with some modest sequential storytelling, losing some of its charm a few pages deep in favor of some talking head dialogue, only to end strongly again with a perspective-oriented splash. The preview pages from his original graphic novel in the back of this mini look promising, as I would imagine most of his efforts were dedicated to that project.
Overall, I enjoyed this little comic, but in a different way than I've enjoyed creator-owned books in the past. In this case, I read some of the personal opinions and perspectives of the creator first, so rather than introduce me to his work, this read offered a sense of finality and closure, a tangible example of the philosophy I know Allan implemented in its production. In that regard, I actually experienced this comic book in the successive order of its author's thoughts -- a rarity in any medium. That's a road rarely traveled, but always worthwhile.
by Von Allan
Li'l Kids is a free minicomic that was distributed at the Alternative Press Expo (I have copy #264 of its limited 300 print run), starring younger versions of the lead characters in Von Allan's original graphic novel The road to god knows . . . Allan proactively asked me via comment just a few post ago if I would read and review his mini, and, I must confess, after reading his LiveJournal, which thoroughly, insightfully, and entertainingly examines his APE experience, I was hesitant to oblige. His analysis of the exhibitor/attendee dynamic at APE was so well written and precise, and in many cases so accurate and reflective of conversations I've had about the con before, that I was afraid of conversely disliking his book. In many past instances, I've had contact with a comic's creator after my review, but this is the first time such communication has come first. It isn't a good feeling to think that I could theoretically get to know someone only to tear the results of their hard work apart.
Fortunately, Li'l Kids isn't a bad little read at all. Mind you, I wasn't blown away, either, but my impression of this mini was definitely positively influenced by my impression of its author -- see, I know what Allan intended to do with this mini, especially by distributing it for free. While many small press outfits perceive APE as a money-making opportunity, Allan simply sought exposure, namely by familiarizing a new audience with his characters in an approachable way to garner attention and demand for his original graphic novel. Indeed, Li'l Kids is a no strings commitment to Allan's world, a stand alone tale that doesn't require knowledge of The road to god knows . . ., but still offers a foothold into its continuity. In the comic book industry, free original material is always a good thing -- this weekend's Free Comic Book Day is a testament to that fact.
Still, this freebie is essentially a seven page conversation about mothers and daughters, not without its intrigue but essentially void of any real action or progression. Now, I'm always keen toward comics that star children, since working with kids is my day job (if only I could get paid to read comics all day) and I'm often interested in how youth are written as characters. In this case, protagonist Marie and her friend seem rather sophisticated for their age, with little cultural colloquialism to betray a specific timeframe or setting; further, while Allan writes these girls well enough for the reader to forget that a grown man is behind the pen, they aren't definitively young women other than their ongoing discussion about their relationships with their moms -- an element that makes me wish I'd saved this issue for next Sunday! Anyway, a dedicated student of the fine arts might liken these girls' conversation to some modern Waiting for Godot paradigm, for while they essentially don't do anything, their interplay reveals a smoldering anxiety toward growing up, toward becoming the mothers they begrudgingly love. A geeky fanboy might shrug at the issue's relative inactivity. As a little but of both, the sophisticate boasts a moderate win. Good news for Allan, that.
Artistically, Li'l Kids starts strong with some modest sequential storytelling, losing some of its charm a few pages deep in favor of some talking head dialogue, only to end strongly again with a perspective-oriented splash. The preview pages from his original graphic novel in the back of this mini look promising, as I would imagine most of his efforts were dedicated to that project.
Overall, I enjoyed this little comic, but in a different way than I've enjoyed creator-owned books in the past. In this case, I read some of the personal opinions and perspectives of the creator first, so rather than introduce me to his work, this read offered a sense of finality and closure, a tangible example of the philosophy I know Allan implemented in its production. In that regard, I actually experienced this comic book in the successive order of its author's thoughts -- a rarity in any medium. That's a road rarely traveled, but always worthwhile.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
