Check This Out! – Comics Pick of the Week: The Movement #2

June 10, 2013

movement 2The Movement #2

Writer: Gail Simone

Artist: Freddie Williams II

DC Comics

Amanda Conner sure can compose a nice cover. I love the way she captures that potent tension between insecurity, confidence, and ambition that’s so salient in teenage characters. It also maintains a nice ambiguity – are the characters pursuing a foe or being pursued? Notice also how no single character dominates the composition, but our eye is guided to each of them one by one as we try (futilely) to sort out where the threat is coming from. It takes some liberty with the actual narrative events in the issue, but it actually does a nice job of previewing what we can we expect from  a more tonal and thematic perspective.

From a cursory glance at the reviews after last month’s debut, critics seemed a little cold and indifferent to the series’ premier. I was mostly in agreement, if a little more optimistic. But with issue #2 the pieces seem to fall nicely in to place in a way that was lacking a month ago. For one thing, we get a much more complete sense of who this “movement” is, what they want, and how they’re organized. As the cover hints, the answer to the last question is: not terribly well. True to form, these kids are brash and impulsive and haven’t quite thought things through. They’ve kidnapped two crooked cops, locked them up in the abandoned garment factory that they, and a few dozen of the local homeless, are squatting, but they can’t agree on what the end game is.

Despite these shortcomings, however, we find ourselves admiring their passion, commitment, and empathy (to greater or lesser extents depending on the character in question) all the same. In issue #1 we never got up close and personal with any of the book’s main characters, largely because we were reading mostly from the perspective of the cops. In this issue we are brought down to ground level (or underground level, I suppose) with the movement, and each character is given his or her moment. One could argue that they are still set in one-dimensional molds, but even that begins to change as we see the characters start to second guess their actions. They begin to acknowledge the hypocrisy of holding the cops as prisoners against their will, and they start to question whether they belong in this group; each character has reservations borne out of their own unique values and sensibilities.

We get the sense that their may not be any clean and tidy resolution to this story; no matter what the outcome they will have to face responsibility for their actions and may have to answer to both the law and the public. This actually works as a nice contrast to the standard superhero stories in which an eventual victory (both physical and moral) is virtually inevitable from the start. The end result is an issue #2 that manages to be more dense and layered, but also more cohesive and unified than the first installment.

Gail Simone, in partnership with artist Freddie Williams II, also shows off some nice storytelling techniques that demonstrate a level of sophistication that hasn’t been as present in her work lately. She employs a parallel set of fight scenes that serve to illustrate the divided attitudes within the movement while building the landscape and cultural backdrop of Coral City. It may not be a groundbreaking structural technique, but it commands a high level of reader engagement, one of the ultimate goals of the medium in my opinion. I was also quite impressed with the way she uses Burden’s internal monologue. He is an interesting character to begin with, a kid who is tortured by the belief that his superpowers are actually the manifestation of a demonic possession. His neurotic wanderings, inserted through narrative captions seamlessly transition our focus away from the heated argument between the other characters, as he silently mediates on the relationship between violence and morality, forcing the reader to do the same.

I don’t remember being terribly moved by Williams’s artwork in issue #1, but here it struck me as intensely kinetic, whipping me in a whirlwind from panel to panel, while also being both emotive and expressive. It evoked the same reaction from me that Chris Burnham’s work has been achieving in Batman Inc. If this issue is any indication of the work to come on this title, than I will be a very happy reader.

Oh, and the new 52 debut of a Wildstorm character who shall remain nameless happens on the last page… just in case you needed any more incentive.

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Check This Out! – Comics Pick of the Week: The Wake #1

June 2, 2013

the-wake-1The Wake #1

Writer: Scott Snyder

Artist: Sean Murphy

Vertigo Comics

 

The word I would use to describe the first issue of this new deep-sea horror / sci-fi mini-series from Scott Snyder and Sean Murphy is: sprawling. Not the word I expected to come to mind. Sure, Snyder tends toward grand storylines where the stakes are high, but the subject matter – an ancient horror dwelling in the deepest depths of the oceans – suggests an isolated narrative of internal horror rather than a massive earth shattering epic.

 

Snyder, however, counterbalances the limitations inherent in this type of narrative by employing an ambitious triple narrative structure that spans centuries. The bulk of the story is grounded in the present day and follows the rogue cetologist, Lee Archer, who finds herself (due to an unlikely set of circumstances), working for the Department of Homeland Security on a prototype for an illegal underwater oil rig. It quickly becomes clear that all is not as routine as Dr. Archer might have hoped, and that, as you’ve probably guessed, this underwater base camp is harboring a deep dark secret.

 

Snyder has been getting the most attention lately for his current Batman run, and rightfully so. Despite doing his highest profile work with such a distant and removed character, he has a terrific knack for creating strong and courageous characters whose flaws and insecurities actually serve to ground them with a certain level of relatability that can be quite inspiring. Dr. Lee Archer is no exception. She has powerful convictions and a strong moral compass, but struggles to balance her relationship with her young son and her work. Her genuine love for her child is easily recognizable (thanks in no small part to Murphy’s superb artwork, we’ll touch on that later), yet her personal tragedy lies within her sense of commitment to her research, which potentially alienates her from those she cares about. As a reader I’m immediately hooked by this character and her internal struggles, independent from any other intrigues that the narrative delivers.

 

And other intrigues do abound. So much of Archer’s past remains a mystery; in a momentary flashback we see her reaching desperately for an unnamed companion lost at sea, and then there is the member of her new field team with whom she has a tumultuous past that has so far only been hinted at, and those just scratch the surface. Despite the many mysteries, however, in some ways more was exposed in this first issue than I expected, namely, the reveal of the sea monster that this ambitious narrative revolves around. Perhaps it should concern me that Snyder and Murphy have played their cards so early in this particular case, but it doesn’t. Instead it excites me because if the monster isn’t the real mystery, then the possibilities suddenly open. With any luck, this story will have much more complexity and nuance than your average creature feature.

 

The present day portion of the narrative obviously does most of the heavy lifting in terms of exposition, but its the real opening scene that does the most for world building. The first glimpse we get of the world of The Wake is a chillingly empty dystopian city-scape which, 200 years in the future, has been completely flooded. The landscape is void of characters save a resourceful young woman who travels via personal aircraft, and a teched-up dolphin that is either very smart, or advanced through some type of genetic manipulation or evolution. We know that the woman is on some sort of quest in search of a map. At this point we know almost nothing about her or her world, yet her circumstances demand that we take an interest in her story. Unfortunately, we leave her in rather dire circumstances.

 

The final page in the story makes another jump in time, this time back 10,000 years to a primitive society. Albeit one that has apparently made a significant discovery that promises to come to light in the central narrative. This section of the narrative is the biggest question mark to me. I’m not sure that Snyder will be able to evoke the type of intense empathy for his cave-men that he does for his other characters. The thematic element of myth and cultural memory that this section contributes, however, could potentially add depth and continuity that will help to compliment the dual characteristics that the other two narrative strands share. The real payoff won’t be the enjoyment derived from any individual narrative, of course, but the thrill of slowly watching them come together as a unified whole.

 

So the only thing left to discuss is Mr. Murphy’s fantastic artwork. The Wake #1 has been the first time I really recognized in Murphy’s art the qualities that people have been talking about for some time now. First among those qualities is his beautiful attention to detail. Its a sneaky kind of detail because in some ways his style can be read as quite simple, almost minimalist even. A good comic book artist knows how to utilize understatement, sparse lines, and shadows when appropriate, for instance, when generalizing facial expressions to encourage identification with the characters. They also know how to create dense detailed images when its necessary to ground the narrative frame in a concrete sense of realism; the aging brick and steel of abandoned skyscrapers, the imposing military helicopter in Archer’s storyline, or the central control room of the advanced government submarine, are a few examples. A good artist knows how to do these things, but a great one does it without the reader noticing the internal inconsistency that this creates – and that is precisely where Murphy excels. With this issue he has probably made my “will-read-anything-illustrated-by” list, which puts him in a pretty limited category that until now was really only occupied by Frank Quitely.

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Check This Out: Comics Pick of the Week! – Steed and Mrs. Peel #8

May 27, 2013

3048971-1Steed and Mrs. Peel #8

Writer: Caleb Monroe

Artist: Yasmin Liang

Boom! Studios

 

I started reading Steed and Mrs. Peel when Boom! reissued the Grant Morrison penned mini-series a few months back. I had anticipated dropping it from my pull list when the new series started up, but Mark Waid was writing the zero issue and those classic X-Men homage covers were pretty cool. I thought: what the hell, I’ll give it a try. My expectations remained low, yet here I am, a new creative team and 8 proper issues later and Steed and Mrs. Peel has become one of the titles I most look forward to on a monthly basis.

 

Monroe and Liang have proven to be quite the creative team, perfectly capturing the campy flirtatiousness of the original Avengers television series with sharp, choppy, episodic narratives. The stories have revolved around appropriately excessive concepts that skirt the lines of the absurd without ever dipping too far into the laughable. We’ve seen a subliminally suggestive conceptual performance art conductor, a seemingly empty bottle containing the gateway between realities, a drug induced suicide scheme, and in this issue, a remote controlled intelligence.

 

Steed and Mrs. Peel achieves a balance that few other commercial comics manage to (though more should strive for it). It rewards dedicated readers with an overarching story that becomes more layered and complex with each passing installment, while also delivering a combination of self contained issues and mini-arcs that are easily accessible to new readers, delivering a satisfying sense of closure with each conclusion.

 

This issue marks the start of a new mini-arc, and even though there is definitely some reference to events that go all the way back to the zero issue, I imagine the gist is clear enough that new readers won’t be lost, the added mystery may even do more to intrigue than discourage.

 

Caleb Monroe excels at tightly structured stories; he plays his allotted 22 pages like a fiddle. In this issue he uses multiple perspectives and ambiguous points of view to create a space of dramatic irony between the reader, the unfolding mystery, and the facts as they appear to Steed and Peel. The wit infused banter between the two titular characters frames the narrative continuity from beginning to end and serves as a bit of a red herring in its own right. The end product is endlessly fun to read – but transcending the kitsch and kink that characterizes most of the content is a genuinely suspenseful narrative that often catches the reader off guard.

 

At the beginning of the series, Liang’s artwork felt like one of the few shortcomings. Her figures were often inconsistent and their expressions seemed occasionally out of place, while her backgrounds were under-detailed. But she’s gotten better. Much better. this issue read flawlessly, from the splash page of bikini-clad Peel emerging from the ocean, which hits the perfect balance between her sultry figure and the idyllic setting, to the faded flashbacks seen through the eyes of our semi-veiled villain, that culminate in the satisfying final page reveal. I’ve never seen such drastic improvement over the course of only five issues! It can only bode well for the future.

 

If you haven’t gotten your feet wet with this series yet, don’t be afraid to jump in, the water’s warm.

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Check These Out! – Comics Picks of the Week: The Ladies of DC

May 20, 2013

This was a light week for my pull list, only four books – all DC titles, all ladies, and, for better or worse, all family dramas. To be fair, family dramas seem to be in right now, and not just with the women. Animal Man, Green Arrow, Aquaman, and Phantom Stranger, not to mention most of The Batman family books, all feature family oriented narratives these days. I’m quite alright with that, all of the books mentioned are among my favorites and there really isn’t anything like the complex nuances of familial bonds when it comes to heightening the emotional resonance of a storyline. Of course, like anything else, treatment matters a lot in terms of how potent, original, and meaningful the emotional fireworks manage to be. So how did Sword of Sorcery, Batgirl, Batwoman, and Wonder Woman make out this month? Read on to find out!

SoS8Sword of Sorcery #8

Writer: Christy Marx

Artist: Aaron Lopresti

DC Comics

 

Sword of Sorcery #8 claims the unfortunate dual distinction of being the only book on this list that was not part of the original launch of the New 52, and the only of these four books on its final issue. This book had quite a bit of potential from the get-go and ended up suffering, though not so much from the shortcomings of its creators as from its premature death. I’m not quite sure why this comic had to end before being really given a chance to find its audience but I do lament the fact that this cancellation, along with that of books like I, Vampire, Frankenstein, and the recently announced discontinuations of Demon Knights and Dial H, represents a movement away from a level of genre diversity and risk taking that got me excited about the New 52 almost two years ago.

This issue sees the conclusion of the showdown between house Amethyst of Gem World and the evil Eclipso. The story does manage to tie up all of the narrative strands that Marx put in place, but it does so without the level of complexity that I think the series could have exhibited. The power struggle between Lady Amaya’s mother and aunt over the bloodline of house Amethyst is resolved, as is the similar, but gender-opposite, one in house Diamond. I’m happy to have the closure, yet I can’t help but feel a little bit let down by the relative ease with which these transfers of power were facilitated, given the momentous ramifications they were meant to signify within this world. A prolonged series of twists, turns, betrayals, and role reversals would have been so much more satisfying.

But what’s done is done I suppose. On the positive side, Lady Amaya emerged as one kick-ass young hero whose transition from a reluctant teenager into a confident and powerful woman, at least, felt paced realistically enough to carry the emotional weight that it deserved to. Thanks for this are due in no small part to the emotive pencils of Aaron Lopresti, who captures Amaya’s strength in a handful of breathtaking splash pages. Together the team of  Marx and Lopresti managed to characterize a slew of relatable and inspiring women while avoiding the clichés that unfortunately still characterize many a heroic woman in comics. As an added bonus, they did so in an idiosyncratic and gloriously Labyrinth-esque style that at least this reviewer will miss.

 

Batgirl #20

Writer: Gail Simone

Artists: Daniel Sampere and Carlos Rodriguez

DC Comics

bgcv20jpg-acb968_640w

Gail Simone really started to hit her stride on this title with the Death of the Family tie in issues and, thankfully, she’s still running at that pace. This iteration of Batgirl hasn’t always been a family-focused drama, in fact, it was very much a book about Barbara proving to herself that she could make it on her own after recovering from the devastating spinal cord injury that, although somewhat revised, occurred during the Alan Moore penned Killing Joke story. That all blew up in her face when the Joker kidnapped her mother, and her psychopathic brother, James Jr., tried to kill her roommate.

Currently reacting to the fallout of those events, specifically the death of James Jr. at her hands, Babs is undergoing a pretty major crisis. She’s no longer sure she is even fit to wear her uniform. Meanwhile, a sinister new version of The Ventriloquist is unleashing havoc on Gotham and has Batgirl in her sights. The Ventriloquist is a fun character, thanks to  a simple but compelling origin story as an insecure misfit with a sociopathic streak turned reality show reject, and a drill bit wielding dummy rife with exploitation style excess.

But The Ventriloquist isn’t the only one after Batgirl, Commissioner Gordon (that’s right, her dad, though he has no idea) is out for blood to avenge the murder of his son. Yes, its simple. No, its not really original – but it works dammit, and I look forward to watching it play out.

 

BW_Cv20_g1tmquf2c3_Batwoman #20

Writers: J.H. Williams III and W. Haden Blackman

Artist: Trevor McCarthy

DC Comics

 

And then there’s Batwoman… As far as strong female comic book characters go, she is bar-none at the top of the heap. But saying that doesn’t do her justice; she holds her own against any character in comics, regardless of gender. Furthermore, its not just her tenacity and strength (which she does have in spades) that puts her at the top, but the complexity with which Williams and Blackman write her that really puts her over the edge.

Take Batgirl as a point of comparison. She is a great character, but relatively one dimensional, as most heroes tend to be. She is defined by a compelling mix of insecurity, resourcefulness, and bravery. While the contradictions in her nature make her interesting, they don’t necessarily make her complex. In contrast, when Batwoman interacts with in her various relationships, she displays attitudes and actions all across the emotional spectrum, lending her a nuanced realism that not only provides emotional impact, but keeps her story fresh and her readers surprised.

She is relentlessly bullish and stubborn, presenting her father with a cold and unforgiving face while her love for her Fiancé, Maggie Sawyer, is seemingly endless. Her tenderness and compassion for her recently returned sister contrast with her vicious sadism when donning cape and cowl. We are never sure which side of Kate Kane will emerge in any given situation, but each is beautiful because it is a part of her fascinatingly complex character.

Her relationship with Maggie gets its fair share of attention in the media because they are a lesbian couple, but, to echo my earlier statement, it is without a doubt the best drawn relationship in any mainstream comic book. Maggie is so much more than a plot device waiting to happen, in a way, she is able to draw together the diverse and nuanced aspects of Kate Kane, she loves her when she has no one else to turn to, and she puts her in her place when no one else can (as she does in this issue).

in the narrative strand that this issue kicks off, Batwoman is blackmailed by the D.E.O into unmasking Batman. Any other character and this story would be over before it started – no one in Gotham could stand up to Batman, but I’m guessing Kate will give him a run for his money. I’m also willing to bet that with Williams and Blackman at the helm, it won’t turn out the way we’re expecting.

Wonder Woman #20

Writer: Brian Azzarello

Artists: Goran Sudzuka and Cliff Chiang

DC Comics

tumblr_mhwyk7sQae1qhwq6io1_r1_500

From an artistic standpoint, Cliff Chiang, Tony Akins, and now Goran Sudzuka, have done a breathtaking job with Wonder Woman. She has poise, strength, and beauty. This incarnation of the character is allowed to exist as an A-lister without ever being forced into typically masculine archetypes or having her femininity objectified.

Wonder Woman’s strength, in particular, is on display in this issue, which largely consists of her battle with Artemis. It’s an epic, airborne affair in which Diana proves that even the gods have another thing coming if they try to mess with her friends, and their children. But the family narrative doesn’t simply follow the mother/protector archetype that it appears to at first glance. Diana’s relationship with her clan is much more complex than that. Yes, she does play the role of mother at various points, but she is also the General, and, at times, the child.

Its the way these characters relate to one another that makes the story so compelling: the way in which Hera learns compassion, War learns humility, and Zola gains confidence. Somehow this odd group of gods and demigods manage to bring out the best in one another. Wonder Woman isn’t so much the leader who draws it out of them, but the catalyst that allows them to find one another. As Zola says to her unknowing little boy in this issue: “you have a weird family. A weird, wonderful family.”

Both major publishers have taken a lot of slack for the underrepresentation of women in their comics, recently Bleeding Cool called DC out for only featuring two pages of lady-led books in their DC essentials catalog, but I can’t deny that these four titles, especially the latter three, represent some of the best books being written across the medium. From time to time its worth talking about how good some of lady heroes are. Of course we need more, but its not for lack of a model. Read these books and hopefully it will start to catch on.

 

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Check This Out! Comics Pick of the Week: The Black Beetle #3

April 21, 2013

22594The Black Beetle #3

Writer: Francesco Francavilla

Artist: Francesco Francavilla

Dark Horse Comics

 

Exactly mid-arc is not usually where you want to pick up a series, and if you didn’t get the message when issue 1 came out (despite all the buzz it has generated) you may be feeling apprehensive about picking up a copy of The Black Beetle now. Hopefully you’ll reconsider with this title, however, if for no other reason than to make sure that The Black Beetle makes the commercial dent it deserves to, thus (hopefully) ensuring that we will get many more issues in the future. This is the type of book that really needs some love for the creator-owned end of the medium: a fresh, stylish, and fun series from a young up-and-comer filled with contagious enthusiasm.

As accessible jumping on points go, issue #3 of The Black Beetle may not be the greatest. The storyline deals with mistaken identities and enigmatic villains which, from a storytelling point of view, mean that readers have been keeping track of an array of names and clues since the start. Still, the tone, atmosphere, and energy of the story are presented in an easily recognizable stylistic grammar that should keep readers hooked whether or not certain plot details escape them.

stylistically, Francavilla has established himself as an incredibly versatile artist. In imagesmy review of issue #1 I praised his unique use of shifting perspectives and dynamic compositions, but he continues to up his game in the latest installment. He manages to transition through radically different structural layouts in a way that shouldn’t look as effortless and organic as he makes it, yet somehow does. The first few pages read like most mainstream comics: a linear sequence of level panels that transition on action or changes in perspective. These pages lead up to a predictable noir plot point – that of the unsuspecting protagonist, in over his head, recklessly entering a room, only to find a contingency of big bads waiting for him -  encapsulated in a moodily colored splash page. But then Francavilla turns on the magic, cutting up multiple simultaneous perspectives and the accompanying dialog across a single page (pictured to the right), the result being a glorious noir/de stijl mosaic, dripping with palpable tension. Next, the tension breaks, the kinetic action takes off in a similar sort of layout, but tilted just so as if our comic has been physically jostled out of whack – turn the page and you get knocked back in the other direction. When I talk about reading comics as an active experience, I usually mean intellectually – but Francavilla delivers it on a visceral physical level and I love it.

The most abundant criticism of Francavilla’s writing so far has been his heavy use of internal monolog. Its not surprising, over use of narrative captions is the most common crutch of modern comic writers and I notice it a bit more prevalently among those who are primarily artists. That being said, the technique has a place, and Francavilla seems to be refining how he uses it as his handle on the character’s voice continues to improve as the series progresses. Aside from one or two heavy-handed captions, they didn’t bother me all that much this issue, mainly because Francavilla has established The Black Beetle as a relatively glib talker with a discernible sense of humor. In other words, his constant color commentary works as characterization.

Its exciting to watch Francavilla develop as an artist and a writer as his character simultaneously develops in the series, and I hope we get a chance to enjoy it for some time to come. I’m not quite sure what the plan is for the series, it is numbered a few times on the cover, once under the title simply as “3,” but also as “part 3 of 4″ for the storyline, and it generally gets solicited as part 3 of a 4 part series. In the letters section, Francavilla promises there is more Black Beetle to come, but its tough to say if the series will keep going with an issue 5, and so on, or if we will get infrequent miniseries from time to time. I hope its the former. Either way, the best way to ensure the future of The Black Beetle is to go to your comic shop and buy a copy today.

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Check This Out! – Comics Pick of the Week: Time Warp #1

April 1, 2013

imagesCAV137WCTime Warp #1

Writers: Damon Lindelof, Tom King, Gail Simone, Simon Spurrier, Toby Litt, Peter Milligan, Ray Fawkes, Matt Kindt, and Dan Abnett

Artists: Jeff Lemire, Tom Fowler, Gael Bertrand, Michael Dowling, Mark Buckingham, Victor Santos, M.K. Perker, Andy MacDonald, Matt Kindt, and I.N.J Culbard

Vertigo Comics

 

I’ve been a fan of the Vertigo anthology series that has been published with pretty dependable regularity over the last few years. I’ll admit, they have suffered occasionally from unevenness, and the stories don’t always perfectly reflect the themes conjured by the title. It’s fair to say that Vertigo is a little bit looser about what constitutes a “ghost” story or a “mystery in space” than, say, the editor of your typical genre short fiction anthology would be. One could argue that it’s a shortcoming of major publishers in the comic book industry that anthology collections are defined by the trademarked properties that  they own rather than a truly original theme or concept. Time Warp suffers from these same shortfalls in its own way, but despite these faults, I still found it to be the most satisfying Vertigo anthology yet.

In the interest of disclosure, I have to admit that time travel (along with other timey wimey tropes) is my favorite sci-fi convention, and thus hard to step back and evaluate on a critical level. The mere mention of alternate history, space-time paradoxes, or distorted timelines in a genre story and I am transported back to the a place of pre-adolescent glee. I guess some people might say that an “adult” imprint like Vertigo has no business publishing a comic that draws on childhood nostalgia. Needless to say, I’m not one of them.

Of the nine stories that make up Time Warp, four could be said to be, more or less, tales of traditional time travel, while the other five take the concept of a “time warp” to its more flexible limits. The collection begins and ends with its two pulpiest, and zaniest entries. The first, by Damon Lindelof with fantastic artwork from Jeff Lemire makes use of the DC Universe character Rip Hunter in a classic take on the “two versions of yourself in the same time paradox,” topped off with a few dinosaur chases for good measure. It is both as gleeful and convoluted as a time travel tale ought to be, while Lemire’s distinctive style helps the bring a human quality to the wacky landscape of the story.

The anthology ends with one of its two Hitler-centric stories (yes there are two stories that play with the “going back in time to kill Hitler” trope. It truly doesn’t bother me. Should it?). It’s written by Dan Abnett and illustrated by I.N.J Culbard, whose collaboration I loved on New Deadwardians and was thrilled to see again here. If you thought that series pushed the limits of acceptable kitsch, this story goes even further. Culbard’s artwork veers even closer to caricature, but the creative relationship that the pair has developed is clear when you consider how neat and tight this short episode reads. Their story, “The Principal,” plays with the idea of a futuristic time police, charged with preserving the appropriate time lines. The two protagonists draw on standard “buddy” flick paradigms: the experienced veteran shows a green recruit the ropes. Abnett allows for just enough ethical philosophizing to give the story enough weight to draw us in, while Culbard’s clipping pace and clever compositions pull us the rest of the way through.

Another standout story is Gail Simone’s “I have what you need,” which reads like a cross between Futurama and the Twilight Zone.  Somehow she manages to tap into the absurd humor of the former, and retain all of the ironic karma of the latter, while somehow infusing both with a tone that should be far too dark and weighty for either, but that somehow works perfectly.

The other entries in Time Warp have less thematically on point, but aren’t necessarily less enjoyable because of it. Simon Spurrier makes an unapologetic mockery of academia in his entry “the grudge,” while Matt Kindt and the team of Ray Fawkes and Andy MacDonald take on the relativity of time in intergalactic warfare in their respective stories. Peter Milligan’s story may have been more appropriate for the Ghosts anthology, but it is a chilling meditation of the idea of advanced information technology and the human consciousness, nonetheless. Toby Litt and Mark Buckingham’s second installment of their take on Neil Gaiman’s Dead Boy Detectives has perhaps the most dubious claim to the time travel genre, but it is a noteworthy improvement on the first installment in the last Vertigo anthology.

At $7.99, Time Warp puts more stress on the wallet than a single issue normally should, and if they were published monthly I might start to tire of the high price tag. Published a few times a year, however, and its a nice break from the continuity and drama of my regular monthly books, not to mention a great way to be introduced to some of the most creative and passionate writers and artists in the medium.

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Check This Out! – Comics Pick of the Week: The Private Eye #1

March 25, 2013

private eyeThe Private Eye #1

Writer: Brian K. Vaughan

Artist: Marcos Martin

Panel Syndicate

 

Yes, Saga #11 came out this week – and it was awesome – but I’ve spent plenty of time ranting and raving about that title on Entropic Worlds, and, believe it or not, both of the best titles this week were written by Brian K. Vaughan. His new series, The Private Eye, is a digital only comic published through his own platform, Panel Syndicate. I’ve written about web comics here, here, and here, but I’ve never really featured one as my pick of the week. For some reason it kind of felt like cheating, and I also like to use this space to promote books that you can physically purchase at your local comic shop. Don’t get me wrong, Comixology is a cool space. It helps promote and sell indie comics, and it has made innovative small press models like Monkeybrain Comics possible. At the same time, I can’t avoid thinking about it the same way I do major online retailers like Amazon, a relatively impersonal place with a huge selection and large discounts.

Now, however, the rules of the game are changing as more creators are establishing their own venues. Mark Waid’s Thrillbent really led the charge offering a unique format and free weekly episodes. The challenge has been finding ways to get people to pay for the comics. With Panel Syndicate Vaughan is doing the obvious thing that everyone else seems to be afraid to – asking fans to pay what they think the comic is worth. Musicians have been using this model through Bandcamp and Kickstarter for a while but comics have yet to take it on and I’m thankful Vaughan finally has. It’s a business model that seems to really work provided two things: 1) the creators have enough of a profile that finding an audience isn’t a struggle, and 2) the product is good. Vaughan can put a check in both boxes, and, if he is able to open up Panel Syndicate to other creators he may be able to spread a little of condition 1 to some lesser known writers and artists.

So what is The Private Eye? To be brief and vague, it’s a conceptual and aesthetic tour de force. To be a little more specific, it’s a relatively near future sci-fi noir, set in a post-internet world where tattooed hipsters and cynical old crones and what amounts to fetishized cosplay get-ups are the fashionable norm.

In the mythology of The Private Eye, once upon a time, the internet broke, or, as Vaughan puts it, “the cloud burst.” All of the world’s information leaked out and some type of chaos or another ensued. The world has reacted to this pivotal event by adopting a culture of extreme secrecy. People hide their identities through masks, false “flatex” skins, and, if they can afford it, elaborate hologram suits. There is a dark generational tension that runs through society and the titular protagonist holds down the most feared and despised occupation in this dystopia: he is a paparazzi. The set-up to the story is textbook noir: a mysterious woman sees him about a dangerous request. Vaughan’s imaginative world goes a long way to counteract the clichéd territory, however, the Hitchcockian twist that ends the issue sets the book on a trajectory that will easily give the book enough momentum to fill out its planned ten issue run.

The Private Eye is available in your choice of PDF, CBZ, or CBR formats. I went with the simple PDF, and I have to say, it looks great. The bold color palette works well with a laptop screen and the wide-frame layout breathes life into  the kinetic compositions that I haven’t previously seen in the digital format.

You can pay as much or as little for this issue as you’d like, you can even pay nothing, and that’s perfectly fine. The idea is that you pay what you want (or what you can). Try the first issue for free and then pay for later issues if you like it, or don’t if you don’t think the digital format is worth it. I personally paid $0.99, for a few reasons. It’s what Panel Syndicate recommends, it’s a price my wallet can handle, it’s what I’ve gotten used to paying for digital comics thanks to Monkeybrain, and its about what I think a digital comic is worth, given that there are no overhead costs in terms of printing the physical copies. But if you want to pay more, by all means do!

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Check This Out! – Comics Pick of the Week: Batman and Robin #18

March 18, 2013

Batman-and-Robin_18-665x10241-300x461Batman and Robin #18

Writer: Peter J. Tomasi

Artist: Patrick Gleason

DC Comics

Page 1

Panel 1: Bruce Wayne’s cold empty eyes reflect a flickering flame. Despite the tangible warmth of the fire, the reflected quality of the image conveys a distance and a separation that powerfully evokes a sense of isolation and loneliness.

Panel 2: A shift in perspective faces us directly towards the fire. The prongs of the iron screen appear like teeth. In contrast to the near blackness of the rest of the panel it becomes a foreboding inferno – the abyss that Bruce is in danger of falling down.

panel 3: We zoom in on Bruce’s half-lit silhouette. His gaze is intense but undefined. Is it the fixed stare of a madman or the blank expression of depression?

Page 2

Splash page: The shot widens. We look down on Bruce from a slight angle. His face is visible and the, now gentle, light from the fire splashes out into the room, first across Damian’s orphaned dog, Titus, past his slippers, and finally, across his empty mattress.

From the moment we read the first expertly crafted pages of Batman and Robin, #18 it is clear we are in for a tear-jerker. This “silent issue” from writer Peter J. Tomasi and artist Patrick Gleason not only picks up on the nuances and banalities that made the relationship between Bruce and Damian so special, but it does it with a rhythm and stylistic flare that is rarely matched in mainstream comics today.

Thematically, the issue rides the line between physical and psychological loss as it explores both. This duality is developed exceptionally well in a sequence that mirrors one from the first issue of Tomasi’s New 52 run on the series. In the scene Bruce is sliding down the pole to the bat cave and glances over, imagining, or remembering a time when Damian was by his side, only to face Robin’s uniform, helpless behind its glass casing when he gets to the bottom. Later Tomasi and Gleason use a similar technique when a splash page of Batman and Robin swinging triumphantly between rooftops is contrasted on the next page by the empty reflection in an adjacent building’s facade.

The issue also explores the loss of robin from the perspective that death means not only the loss of an individual, but also the loss of who they would have become. Bruce thumbs through a sketchbook that Damian has left behind and finds, among fond sketches of animals and family members, a list of recommended movies, including Rebel Without a Cause, Cool Hand Luke, and To Kill a Mockingbird, with a note that reads “I’m sure you’ll enjoy them! – C.K.” (the C.K. presumably being Clark Kent). This page is set against an image of a tear-filled Alfred who looks at his unfinished family portrait, as if he is realizing just then that it will never be completed.

Elsewhere, Tomasi and Gleason partake in the age-old literary tradition of displacing emotional sentiment on to animals. Perhaps I’m just a sucker, but the scene in which a despondent Titus perks up at the bat mobile’s return, then rushes gleefully over to greet his master, is the most heart-wrenching moment of the issue. We know why he’s so excited, and that he will only be disappointed, but he can’t possibly understand.

On a technical level, this issue shows just what a creative partnership is capable of within the comics medium. Tomasi’s story beats are all poignant and moving and his narrative is so clean and fluid that we don’t miss captions or dialog for a moment. Gleason’s style is better suited to telling this type of story than most. His ability to shift between shadowy compositions and gritty detailed features and landscapes allows him to visually convey emotional complexities and contradictions that obviate the need for an internal monolog or a line of emotionally charged dialog.

It would be incorrect to say that this issue provides any sort of closure (what kind of closure can there be when a ten year old child is torn from his father, just as they were beginning to grow close?), but for heartbroken Damian fans, a group among which I count myself, this story at least dealt with the emotional fallout with a gravity that the loss deserves. Even those fans not firmly in Damian’s camp are sure to appreciate what this issue represents for the life of the Dark Knight, and for those closest to him.

In a comics climate so focused on trade paperback collections and continuity, beautifully crafted, self-contained issues are a rarity. Though I am truly saddened by Damian’s passing, it is at least some consolation to get what is easily the best single issue published by DC since the start of the New 52 as a result.

 

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Check This Out! – Comics Pick of the Week: Sex #1

March 11, 2013

sex 1Sex #1

Writer: Joe Casey

Artist: Piotr Kowalski

Image Comics

It’s always exciting when there is a new issue #1 upon which I can lavish some well-deserved praise – but before I get into that I’m going to take some time to wax philosophical about the comics industry in general. As my readers probably know by now, my pick of the week isn’t always a standard review, but often a window through which I can talk about what I love or don’t love about the comics industry.

To set the stage, Sex is a book about Simon Cooke, a retired superhero, trying to deal with life after vigilantism. It is far less graphic than the title might imply, and also far more driven by narrative and characters than it is by arousing imagery. It doesn’t, however, read as much as post-modern deconstruction as one would believe either. It doesn’t use Cooke’s retirement as a means to expound academically on weighty philosophical ideologies or broad cultural archetypes. Those books have been done many times over by mainstream and indie comics alike, and though those books have been revolutionary in at least a few instances, writers like Casey are in the midst of establishing a new approach to the intellectual indie genre comic, and Image really seems to be at the forefront in this field.

Sex takes a similar approach to storytelling as Image’s other breakout success (and my personal favorite comic) Saga. Despite radical differences in content and tone, the two titles share a predilection for the banal – something that seems to deliberately clash with the audacious titles and ambitious narrative landscapes of both series. Where Saga focuses on the everyday challenges that face new parents – dirty diapers, babysitters, in-laws, etc. – Sex looks at the way people struggle to make meaningful personal connections and to divide their identities between work, family, and relationships. Both series prove that comics can explore speculative fantastic worlds in emotionally resonant ways without indulging in escapism or wish fulfillment.

I mention wish fulfillment mainly because it’s what many readers expect from a superhero series called Sex – superheroes fighting bad guys, saving the world, and then getting laid, right? In reality, the series’ premise makes more sense than that, and promises to have much more staying power as well. Despite the relatively chaste nature of most mainstream superhero comics, sex is always there beneath the surface: the spandex, the power fantasies – even flight represents sex according to the Freudian system. Sex merely allows sex to have an explicitly recognized sub-textual presence.

Cooke’s mother (?) says it best from her death bed during a flashback sequence: “when I’m gone you need to have a life…a real life…away from all the crime…the conflict… the dressing up… the perverse thrill of it all…”

There is a strong case to be made that there is something perverse about dressing up to save the world. It manifests as repression, ego, or narcissism, depending on the title. So how does a hero fill that void when they stop fighting crime? Can they have a real life anymore? What would it look like? These are just a few of the questions that Casey and Kowalski appear to be exploring in Sex.

It’s also obvious that eroticism will not be the predominant visual trademark of this book. Don’t misunderstand me, the sexy bits are plenty graphic and stylishly erotic, but Kowalski shows off many more tricks. The aforementioned flashback sequence is quiet and personal while the cityscapes are sprawling and humbling. Kowalski does a nice job of juxtaposing sterility with filth: SaturnCity’s dazzling futuristic skyline and Cooke’s shiny new private gym contrast with a seedy nightclub where we are introduced to a few of the series’ rogues. It’s when these two worlds collide that Casey and Kowalski create the biggest payoff, and its that same space that the series promises to explore going forward.

The presentation of this comic is fantastic throughout, the lettering is attractive, the wraparound cover has a dirty elegance and the fact the creators’ names only appear on the back displays a humility that clashes with the audacious title and the tacky “FIRST ISSUE – COLLECTOR’S ITEM!” label on the front, both of which are perfect fits for this unique book. The reader even gets to indulge their own “perverse thrill” by paying for Sex once a month. I may be reaching with that one, but hey, the meta-fictional element is there if you want it.

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Check This Out! – Comics Pick of the Week: Batwoman #17

February 25, 2013

BW_Cv17Batwoman #17

Writers: J.H. Williams III and W. Haden Blackman

Artist: J.H. Williams III

DC Comics

 

I need to start this review with a disclaimer – I like to use my pick of the week to feature books that are good jumping on points, and I could wait a month for a new arc to start in Batwoman #18, but I decided that I’ve gone far too long without telling my readers how awesome this series is, and issue #17 has easily been my favorite so far.

First, a few words about why Batwoman is so awesome. Batwoman is a character like no other in the DC Universe; she is so powerful and relentless – able to be terrifyingly violent and merciless one moment, but deeply human and sympathetic the next. As much as I love Nightwing and Batgirl, Batwoman is the only member of the bat-family who is a convincing A-list hero. I have no doubt she could be a member of the Justice League, if she wasn’t such a loner. In fact, she would fit right in on Geoff johns’ new Justice League of America, but even Amanda Waller couldn’t strong arm her into service, no doubt she would snub her like she did the D.E.O. in this issue.

And then there’s the art… the contributions of both J.H. Williams III and Trevor McCarthy to this series have been breathtaking on a consistent basis. Williams employs epic two-page spreads, making use of unconventional layouts and layered artwork to create stunning, fluid sequences, and he has encouraged McCarthy to do the same. Williams’s style was developed and refined during his work with Alan Moore on Promethea, but Batwoman proves that his style is just as effective on a visceral superhero comic as it was on a postmodern mystical fantasy epic. Williams’s hyper-detailed illustrations, coupled with Dave Stewart’s nuanced colors, is not necessarily the style of comic book art that I get excited about – I usually prefer a more stripped down, kinetic approach a la Cliff Chiang or Fiona Staples – and Batwoman‘s art does create a more passive reading experience, but the presentation is such that the passage of time is layered rather than sequential, and somehow it works all the same. The best illustration of Williams’s talent is perhaps the opening splash page in which a radiant Technicolor incarnation of CETO, the mother of all monsters, is ripping through the fabric of time, yet the scene is grounded in a solemn depiction of Gotham amidst the chaos. It simultaneously evokes a sense of grandeur and intimacy that a lesser artist could have spent an entire issue trying to achieve.

Issue #17 represents the final act of the third and final arc of the “mother of all monsters” storyline that Williams, Blackman and co. have been crafting since issue #1. It is a satisfying conclusion that nicely ties up all the loose-ends and then teases some exciting events for the future which will bring back a major character introduced in the Greg Rucka run from the pre-new 52 era. During this arc, Batwoman shared the spotlight with Wonder Woman, a move that never felt like a shameless cameo, but actually served to verify Batwoman’s A-list status. Their partnership feels refreshingly organic and their final moments together beautifully illustrate the respect that the two women (who arguably star in the two best current DC titles) share for one another.

Batwoman’s other relationship, her romantic one with GothamCity cop Maggie Sawyer, has also been rendered very well throughout the series. Upon my disappointment that the couple wasn’t featured in DC’s recent valentine’s day anthology, I realized that theirs is the only relationship (with the possible exception of Buddy and Ellen Baker) that I really care about in the DCU – Wonder Woman and Superman, Barry Allen and Patty Spivot, Batgirl and that hood she’s been recently locking lips with… all seem trite compared to the passion that comes across between Maggie and Kate Kane. I won’t spoil it for you if you haven’t read the issue, or seen the panel on another website already, but there is a major moment between the two that promises some emotional roller-coasters in the near future, and I couldn’t be more excited.

Next month promised to be a fantastic place for a new reader to jump on – I won’t urge you to pick up the trades now, but I am fairly certain that once you get a taste of the glory that is this comic, I won’t need to.

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Posted by tvgilbert

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