Comic Ribs ... or Reviews in Brief - February 2015
Pulling Teeth is a new regular feature I'll be producing at the Mini Comic Courier to collect my thoughts on the single issue comics I pick up from my local comic shop (LCS) each month.
At the same time, it's designed as an exercise to challenge me to write more often and turn some of the skills I learned as a reporter to writing about comics.
I love comics as physical items. There's an obsessive collector inside me who needs to get his hands on a comic and feel the pages beneath my fingers before I can be truly content.
That's why I've had a pull list at my LCS for as long as I can remember, a standing order for a variety of ongoing series, artists, writers and characters, that over the years has become increasingly wild and unwieldy, despite regular - and often brutal - comic culls.
So, I'm starting Pulling Teeth to combine that persistent habit with an effort to write more often and some of the technique from my days as a newspaper man, and parlay it all into something, that is hopefully worth reading.
The format, which I'll leave open to refinement, is a single post each month, which I will edit with brief reviews as and when I read a new comic in order to get my thoughts down while they are fresh.
I'm calling them RiBs (Reviews in Brief), and basing them on the four or five par NiBs (News in Briefs), the succinct fine art of which I so enjoyed as a hack.
So, with the scene set, the groundwork laid, and the rod for my back thoroughly created, welcome to Pulling Teeth 001 - February 2015.
I'M still trying to work out what it was that I found so discomforting about Grant Morrison's latest issue of Multiversity, Mastermen.
Perhaps it was Jim Lee, doing what he does best, drawing larger than life heroes ... Except they aren't ...
Perhaps it was the story itself, written from the point of view of characters we must not like, but that are strangely compelling throughout ...
Perhaps it's that this story seems determined to turn on its head who is labelled hero and who is labelled 'terrorist' and show us how much those distinctions are predicated on and controlled by the distribution of power.
For what it's worth, this is the most straight forward, stand-alone, issue of Multiversity so far, and if it wasn't for the shadowy appearance later on of Doktor Sivana, I might have forgotten entirely that this is part of a wider series.
It's also Jim Lee on his best form in years. I have a problem with Lee that I struggle to explain ... He doesn't 'wow' me anymore ... I know exactly what a Jim Lee page looks like without looking at it, does that make sense?
But here, he grabs me, and I'm struggling to know what's different.
Perhaps it's the book itself, which is one of the most absorbing mainstream 'big two' comic books (if you can call Multiversity that) that I've read in some time and reads like a cinematic blockbuster the likes of which I've not read since Hush.
However, it's not without faults.
Overman is the only character here given any real sympathetic depth and if there's a criticism of the 'done-in-one' nature of this series it's that no one really gets a lot of time to be much more than an analogue for characters we already know.
So, all we can do is imbue them with what we know of their counterparts and that's significantly harder here because of the nature of the New Reichsmen and the unpleasant edge they all get when they do show their colours.
Maybe that's the point though, to reflect the prototype nature of these characters we know so well when confronted with a series of parallel worlds and subtle, sometimes uncomfortable, differences in the characters we've grown to come and love (the cynic in me says the Nu 52 does that anyway, but that's a debate for another day).
Like Red Son before it, I envisage this being a world the fans clamour for more of, but I doubt it will ever be as effectively, and disturbingly, presented as it is here.
I still like this series a lot, it defies convention, is regularly subversive and thoughtful, and unlike a lot of comic books, compels me to re-read and look again. That in itself, in a time where most mainstream books are fairly disposable, is a massive achievement.
Saga 25 - Bryan K Vaughn and Fiona Staples - Image
HAZEL'S voice sings an aria across the pages of Saga, taking us in hand and ably guiding us through a magnificently imagined world, that despite its weird and wonderful inhabitants and locations, always feels oddly like home.
That is in part due to the power of this unique narrator's voice - beautifully hand-lettered by the exceptionally talented Fiona Staples - to make us feel like we're talking to an old friend, a trusted companion, all the while adding layer upon layer to the story unfolding around us.
There are very few comics coming out right now with as much personality as Saga and Hazel's voice, with its an air of omniscience - reflecting on unfolding events from some time and place in the future, occasionally hinting at moments yet to come - is a huge part of that.
But there's more to Saga than just that, so much more.
I'm amazed every time I turn a page at the scope of Vaughn and Staples' imagination, the new ideas they casually drop into our lap, even the fresh take on some classic themes, which seem to suggest if we just cocked our heads to one side we might see the whole world differently.
This issue is a return after one of Saga's now regular hiatus periods, and it's a return with a bang, catching us up with a little exposition, some eye-opening insight into the back story, all of which just makes the rich tapestry the creators are weaving that much richer.
I have a comic shop worker friend who I regularly hear discussing Saga in a sort of weary way. I've heard him say, "Saga will live or die on its ending", referencing his own disappointment at the climax of Vaughn's other epic, Y The Last Man.
I disagree. For me, Saga is all in the journey. And like seasoned tour guides to their own imaginations, Vaughn and Staples make us relaxed and comfortable - just as their narrator does.
We've settled into a pace now, seeds planted some time ago are blooming, an array of multicoloured petals burst into life with each issue, and I for one, am quite content to sit back and watch the beautiful garden Vaughn and Staples are tending, grow.
The Multiversity Guidebook - Grant Morrison and a tonne of artists - DC
FROM the pen of DC's custodian of continuity comes another dense, multi-layered, fourth-wall-shattering, delightfully complex, love letter to the genre.
The Multiversity Guidebook is just what Grant Morrison does these days and fans will either love it or hate it.
For me, He has a knack for playing to the crowd, parachuting fan favourites into his script - I'm a sucker for the Captain Carrot and Savage Dragon nods here - or weaving some half-forgotten mini series into his narrative.
Here the writer turns an homage to comic guidebooks into a rollercoaster ride across realities, bringing much-loved continuities together with a vast array of new ones, and tying it all up with a neat bow, and, despite expectations, a story that stands alone.
Morrison is a polarising creator and detractors who complain his work isn't accessible are unlikely to be won over here, and honestly, I don't always 'get it', but I enjoy being lost at sea while he's steering the ship.
It's clear artists love to work with him too and the smorgasbord of talent here is worth the cover price alone.
One real complaint; The map is badly printed, the writing too small and often too light to read, and several labels are illegible due to fact they are printed on the join. Poor mistake. Not for everyone.
The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl 1 - Ryan North and Erika Henderson - Marvel
A LITTLE irreverence goes a long way and with The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl you get the distinct impression it could run all the way up a tall tree and sit chittering at the top.
Because there's a something in this first issue that recalls comics like Chew and Lumberjanes, which surprised us all, capturing the zeitgeist to become hits.
Erika Henderson's dynamic cartooning and sophisticated line in visual humour are the perfect match for Ryan North's witty, engaging and genuinely funny writing ("It's not a purse, it's a leather satchel"), never crossing the line many humour comics do of trying too hard.
The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl is not satisfied with delivering a few decent gags, notching up a chuckles or two and then heading on home.
Instead the creators seem determined to tell a proper story too, introducing a new supporting cast and situation for our heroine and, as the (much) bigger things in her future are revealed in the comic's final panel, we're served notice that in the life of Doreen Green, The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl, there's going to be a whole lot more on offer than a couple of wisecracks and a healthy dose of not taking ourselves too seriously. Nuts about it.
Cluster 1 - Ed Brisson, Damian Couciero, Michael Garland - Boom Studios
BLENDING Orange is the New Black with the Dirty Dozen and Starship Troopers, Cluster takes us on a ride, that while not wholly unfamiliar certainly asks us to look at things in a new way.
With a strong, diverse cast, who introduce themselves and their intentions early on - but with plenty of room for character development as we progress - this new series would be fighting for attention on any LCS shelf even before you turn the pages and realise the exceptional cover art reaches new heights within.
Couciero brings something really special here. His characters are full of life and emotion. His settings are gritty and moody in line with the general feel of the book. And some of the layouts and art direction (particularly in the stunning opening sequence), feel more like the work of a seasoned pro than a name new to me before I read this comic.
Brisson shoulders his own share admirably, offering plenty of 'bang for your buck' in terms of story, character and background for a single issue (especially a first issue). The dialogue is distinctive and gives us a good snapshot of a broad range of characters, giving us plenty of different people to care about and more than a few good reasons to be back in the same time, same place, in thirty days time. I'm in.
Invincible 116 - Robert Kirkman, Ryan Ottley, Cliff Rathburn and John Rauch - Image
FLOATING high above the clouds in a sharp black suit, fresh from a trio of superhero funerals, Mark Grayson holds a philosophical conversation on the nature of good and evil with a 1000-year-old man in this issue of perhaps the most consistent superhero comic on the shelves.
Invincible has always taken concepts and ideas other comics have dallied with and explored them deeper and further, and this issue continues that trend.
What makes the series wonderful and unique is that it delves into those ideas without falling back on the dark, brooding, violent, deconstructionist model other comics do. Ok, it is violent, in fact frequently brutal, but it's bright and human and regularly joyful too.
For me, Invincible is superhero comics done right. I love that the same team have been creating it for so long. I love that characters age and grow and die. I love that stories have consequences and a big reset button isn't just miraculously pressed every 18 months.
It's continuity heavy, so not easy to pick up, but it's been consistently brilliant since day one, so anyone who feels like taking a chance on it has a lot to look forward to. Highly recommended.
Abigail and The Snowman 2 - Roger Langridge with Fred Stressing - Kaboom!
CHARMING, warm, meticulously plotted and beautifully drawn, Abigail and the Snowman is Roger Langridge's brilliant follow up to the wonderful Snarked.
Langridge’s cast are real people, with real struggles, making the magical world they inhabit feel within our grasp.
If you're a comic fan with young people in your life and you're not already buying this touching and funny book for them, you're missing a trick.
That a master craftsman like Langridge chooses to make comics for everyone is a wonderful thing and it is because of creators like him that comics reach the next generation.
After enjoying this issue I made a point to tweet him and tell him I thought as much.
He replied: "I have kids, and it would seem strange at this point to make comics I can't pass on to them. That might change when they're older, but that's where I'm at right now." Highly recommended.
Star Wars 1 - Jason Aaron, John Cassady and Laura Martin - Marvel
UNIMAGINATIVE and ultimately inconsequential, even as a life-long fan of the franchise I can’t bring myself to buy another issue of this series.
I wanted so much to love it, and it came along at just the right time to hitch a ride on my enthusiasm over the new film, but in the end, there’s nothing here for me.
I’m a fan of Aaron and Cassady, but both can do better – the art feels rushed, making me cynical it has been pushed out fast to make a quick buck, and the dialogue, seems to be trying far too hard to hit the right beats to draw in fans, and consequently leaves me cold.
I think a lot of my disappointment here was based on the realisation this is a story set in between films rather than anything taking things forward toward the new movies.
I’m probably being harsh, there's nothing really wrong here, but it just feels like Star Wars by the numbers to me.
And Cassady at his best, is much, much, better than this. I'm out.
Men of Wrath 01 - Jason Aaron and Ron Garney - Icon
COMPETENT but uninspired, Men of Wrath reads like a forgettable fill-in issue on Aaron's far-superior Southern Bastards and makes me wonder whether comic's current go-to guy is a little overstretched (or at least over-exposed) right now.
The fact is, there's a lot of Jason Aaron on the shelves these days and, perhaps it’s inevitable some of it will fall short of his usual high standards.
It's not that Men of Wrath is bad even, but it suffers in comparison to his other books – particularly Southern Bastards and Scalped - which is a shame, because this is clearly a personal book for Aaron, with the dark opening sequence apparently a true account from his own family history.
I don't have a lot of time for Ron Garvey's art really either, which reminds me of that homogenous 'Image style' that seemed to flood the market a few years back. I'm out.
Drifter 01 - Ivan Brandon and Nic Klein - Image
VIVID and beguiling artwork lures us into the dark and dangerous world of Klein and Brandon's Drifter, a space western promising a vicious edge.
This is what a first issue should be like; a distinct enough voice to leave a bold impression of our main players and an artist taking his chance to dazzle us with a style that brought to mind the Frazetta space scenes my dad had on his walls in my youth.
There's so much here to love; the emerging, questionable, moral nature of our 'hero', the fresh, bold dialogue - which in the very best sci-fi fashion, has its own unique accent - the early mysteries which practically beg for further explanation and that gorgeous, gorgeous artwork, which hits all the right cinematic and sequential notes.
And even though there are a few notes that might feel trite or familiar here on their own (two moons, a space preacher, the 'cantina' scene), they come together to play the opening notes of a tune I want to hear the end of (probably played on a lonely harmonica), and my god is it pretty. Highly recommended.
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