Comic RiBs ... Or Reviews in Brief - April 2015
The Welcome to April's Comic Ribs.
This is a space to collect my thoughts on single issues as I read them in a short form that keeps me writing regularly and uses some of the skills I learnt as a journalist.
It takes the NiB format (short 'News in Brief) and attempts to apply it to comics.
The format remains a single post per month, which I will edit with brief reviews (briefer than last time I hope ... again) that I write as I read (and I'm fully aware how late I am reading some stuff).
So, with the scene set, the groundwork laid, and the rod for my back thoroughly created, welcome to Comic Ribs ... or Reviews in Brief - April 2015
THE bloody, violent path charting the ascension of Coach Boss comes to its climax here, and with it the sympathies Aaron has made us feel for his series' central antagonist.
Because the route to the top Boss takes here, the lines he's prepared to cross and his obvious growing lust for power, are the subtle nudge we needed to see through the clever trick the current arc has played on us.
It is testament to the writing on this book that Aaron was able to make us forget who Coach Boss is and what he did in the first four issues, and even make us cheer for Boss each time he picked himself back up.
But by the end of this issue it all comes flooding back, the man he becomes, the lengths to which he will go, and like Big, the man who lifted him up, we may well feel some despair that we rooted for him all this time.
That a story so full of brutal and visceral displays of violence can be so subtle and meticulously constructed is a triumph, to which credit goes to the writing but some must go to the powerful art.
With a deceptively limited colour pallet, Latour works wonders, managing to pull off a variety of tones and moods with only slight changes in shade.
The opening scene in the woods is a particularly good example, with the book's usual reds turning a murky shade of brown, accentuating the environment, but also the muddying of Boss's own morals.
In his characters too, Latour is capable of rendering complex emotions with simple lines, getting deep into the souls of his cast and keeping an impressive pace with the comic's own relentless, angry drive.
We jump forward in time a little towards the end of the issue, which feels like it might leave Aaron some room to come back to Coach Boss's past again, but the epilogue makes damn clear where we're headed next and the reveal of the series' newest character is tantalising in the opportunities it presents for the confrontations to come.
If you had bet me a year ago that the comic I'd be raving the loudest about would be about an American football coach and the backwater town he rules with an iron fist I would have l laughed at you.
But right now, there is simply no more compelling a comic out there than Southern Bastards. If you aren't reading it, lucky you, because you have eight fine issues you need to be catching up on before next month.
THE Legacy of Luther Strode picks up right where the last series left off and in this case that's maybe not such a good thing.
Because honestly, the previous adventures of Luther were interesting but relatively disposable and I have to admit I couldn't recall the plots in any real detail when I opened this first issue.
So, some catching up wouldn't have gone unappreciated, especially for anyone new, picking up the series for the first time.
I actually had to look the names of the previous series up and read a recap online to remember what had gone before and to write this.
So what we have on the surface is an interesting prologue featuring Samson, who appears to be another student of Cain. All a new reader is going to get there is a big guy who is so powerful he is able to tear through an army of thousands, which looks cool, but will stretch the disbelief of any the hardiest comics fan who comes in unprepared.
Following that the issue devolves into one long fight sequence, which while cool and stylish (thanks to Trad Moore's unique work), really isn't enough for me in terms of content, and for me, nowhere near enough to launch a new series.
Moore's art is electric, and he pulls off a sequence reminiscent of the second Matrix films highway battle, but there's something about his action which I struggle with.
I think it's the pacing, which appears to be almost the bullet-time of the aforementioned films, and to me, has the effect of slowing down the action, rather than giving it the pace I think he's going for.
I feel like Jordan has more up his sleeves and the last page suggests this whole issue was little more than a warm up or a test - which I tend to think is a little insulting to the reader, but that may just be me - but if I'm honest they may have lost me already.
At its heart the original Luther Strode series was a story about someone who felt powerless taking back control of their life. It had a nice, if not particularly unique superhero concept which was developed over the next series to create something with a bit more longevity.
It's possible however that concept had a limited life span and that we've reached that point, because I don't see a lot that takes things forward here and actually I don't see a lot of what made the original work.
Luther is pretty much indestructible at this point and the only thing that threatens him is what the bad guys might do if they get their hands on Petra (had to look her name up).
I'm not sure I want to stick around for five more issues of that.
I'M so conflicted about this book.
I was firmly in the camp that wanted Hellboy books only to be drawn by Mike Mignola and while I've grudgingly accepted that in fact guys like Richard Corben and Duncan Fegredo both did fine work on the character, I still pine for Mignola to draw everything.
It's clear that's just not possible and while Hellboy in Hell did a lot to sate my appetite, I still approached Hellboy and the BPRD 1952, with Alex Maleev on pencils, with a lot of prejudice.
And I do still read the book wondering whether it would have been better with Mignola drawing it ... But I can't deny how good this was, particularly as a finale.
From the opening page where the monkey is still smoking a cigarette, and then the awesome payoff to that, to the revelation that, as predicted, something much bigger is going on here, to the dramatic final pages, this book is Hellboy through and through.
Maleev's art is phenomenally good and the partnership he forges here with Dave Stewart's immaculate colours is exceptional.
Arcudi and Mignola bring their A game too, clearly delighting in lighting the fuse and standing back as all the pieces they have lined up over the last four issues comic crashing together for this explosive finale.
I think what puts this over the edge for me, and I'm increasingly aware that my enjoyment is fighting my prejudice here, is that this is clearly a piece of the broader Hellboy puzzle, not just some throwaway mini series.
I'm always amazed by the mythos Mignola successfully builds around his creation, but here it's even more noticeable, possibly because it's a surprise.
If this is the first year that Hellboy went into the field, then all I can say is roll on 1953, as lon as whoever the artist is realises he knows he has to earn it.
A STUNNING powerhouse of a book, Once Upon a Hard Time 2 is a literary allegory rendered in Powell's beautiful pencils, that is at once beautiful, jaw-dropping and surprising.
The set up is in step with recent issues, The Goon's brooding is palpable and the violent intent with which he sets off to complete his task abundantly clear in Powell's evocative artwork and character acting.
But here we sidestep, because Powell has something else in mind, something that I doubt many reading this comic five years ago would have ever expected.
Pulling a paperback of The Island of Doctor Moreau from a spinner rack in a convenience store and then sitting down to await his prey with a six-pack and read the book, we watch as our hero consumes the dark tale in its entirety.
Powell presents the classic HG Wells story in full, only briefly cutting back to his own protagonist's reactions, adding an intricate layer to his current descent through the nature of the novel's central theme - the question of what really distinguishes man from beast.
Reading this issue reminded of the pace of the book, which I read as a child, and the brutal way the tension builds hammering that final message home violently.
Powell gets that exactly right here and the way it punctuates the closing moments of his own character's story here is incredible, the last lines of HG Wells tale layered over The Goon's encounter with two men sent to kill him working in perfect tandem to create this potent moment of violence and pathos.
The Goon is just a fantastic book right now and having read last night's Eisner nominations I find myself profoundly surprised that what Eric Powell is doing here is not being more widely recognised in the industry.
That's a damn shame, because Powell has turned, what was an, albeit VERY good, comedy into one of the most emotionally driven powerful comics around. If you aren't reading it you should be.
IN the back matter of this issue Rememder proclaims it 'a bummer ending' and he's not wrong, but the way he and his team lead us to that point is pure gold science fiction storytelling.
He goes on to talk about the future of the book and plans that will change 'the entire trajectory' of the series, praising the format that has allowed them that opportunity.
For me books like Black Science are where Image really shine, letting talented creators lose on their vision, believing in them and giving them free reign to tell the story they want to tell the way THEY want to tell it.
Black Science is a tribute to that, it's dark, murky, oppressive and violent world one that I can't imagine being spawned elsewhere, the complex layers peeling back issue by issue to present an utterly unique and visionary tale that has equal ability to terrify and touch us.
There are some wonderful moments here, the scene between Pia and her alternate reality mother is deeply touching and adds powerful resonance to the issue's shocking climax.
Nate's character gets a little more depth here too, and it's hard not to believe that Remender knows this motley crew inside out, their darkest secrets and their deepest fears all bubbling underneath each piece of dialogue, leaving a powerful trail of tension through the book.
If I were to offer any criticism it would be that the reality-hopping nature of the series has made the antagonists weaker, the revolving door nature of the threat making that inevitable.
However, there are signs that won't always be the case and the suggestion that clues have littered the book since its debut, laying the groundwork for a bigger, overarching threat, are tantalising.
Scalera goes from strength to strength, showing his versatility here in a few flashbacks that have an entirely different feel to the rest of the book - particularly the beautiful opening splash, which is an amazing tonal shift that it stopped me in my tracks and made me check I was reading the comic I'd meant to pick up.
I'm a big fan of Black Science. I think it offers something truly unique in comics right now and I'm excited by the prospect of what is to come. If you haven't picked it up, I highly recommend you grab the first two trades and get up to date, it's well worth the time and effort.
Well ... Here's an oddity. Because this is a fine comic, with a lot to like about it, but yet I have a problem with it ... Thor's barely in it.
We're told over and over that this is not a female Thor, or an elseworlds story, she is THE THOR, yet here she appears in three panels, playing second fiddle to Odinson throughout (albeit his quest to unmask her).
That's not really what I'm paying for, but it's early days, so I'll give them a pass and besides, like I said, this is good.
I've raved about Aaron before, and again the voice he's giving the extended cast here is pitch perfect. His stories are intricate and engaging and in Heimdall's speech here, we're served notice of what sounds like some epic adventures to come.
But for me, Russell Dauterman's art is the real star here, setting the tone of the story beautifully and giving a powerful sense of individual character to every member of the cast. His cover is neatly designed and intriguing and had me stopping and staring for several minutes (something which I do rarely).
When the tale call for action and dynamism, Dauterman rises to the challenge effortlessly, when the tone is more emotional (as in the touching scene with Jane Foster), he's more than capable, achieving more humanity in one nuanced close up than many writers do in a page of dialogue.
Matt Wilson deserves some credit here too. His colours are an integral part of the book's personality and the accomplished way he switches palette to accompany the shifting moods of the book is as elegant as it is powerful.
All in all I'm struggling to be annoyed here that I didn't see more Thor, because honestly this is still just an excellent comic, but I want her back, and soon ... Don't make me wait any longer guys ;-).
LUMBERJANES continues to be one of the most heartfelt comic books around, ensuring that whilst action packed, every issue packs in character development that is often, as it is here, genuinely touching.
Separating the group for the most recent storyline has given some of the less well-developed characters a chance to shine.
Here Molly truly comes into her own in a pair of scenes exploring her own motivations that almost had me in tears and at the same time, serve to tantalisingly furthering the overarching plot of the entire series.
Jo and April have some lovely moments too in the other concurrent story, where the deft touch Jo shows in dealing with April's spiralling obsession and frustration, adding a lot of depth to their own relationship.
Stevenson and Watters are on fire here, their increasing familiarity with their characters means their punchy dialogue remains faithful and genuine and adds both pace and colour to the comic.
I wasn't convinced by Carolyn Nowak at first, but her art feels assured here, like she's settled into the characters well and she delivers some very subtle and powerful moments here, not least the dialogue-free opening page, which is a stunning piece of visual storytelling.
Nowak is also responsible for a lot of the emotional weight of the scenes with Molly and Mal with some strong, expressive work that perfectly complements the moving conversation.
Lumberjanes goes from strength to strength, each issue offering action and adventure that is beautifully balanced with characters so well considered they are impossible not to love and root for. I'll continue to look forward to picking up a new issue every month.
SO, full disclosure, I broke a rule here and read this twice, because frankly, I didn't like it the first time, but I fell into the trap of fearing I must just not have understood it.
In retrospective, I missed little the first time out that I got this time round ... And I still don't like it.
For me, the thing that makes 'elseworlds' books work - which, let's face it, is what The Multiversity has been - is seeing familiar characters in unfamiliar situations.
We get none of that here, but that's only part of my problem with the comic.
It reads to me like a clever idea that never lived up to its potential; a cursed comic book, a viral infection that we invite in through our imagination as the collective readers of the book, a hero who is actually us, our engagement with the book brought to life on the page.
The problem is a lot of it is boring and seems to relentlessly pad out a concept which I don't think needed all that much explanation.
The book comes to life for me, when it falls back to being a comic, I love the neighbourhood guard, and I find myself intrigued by the story behind their broken world and the war that rendered it so (and turned the JLA into the abominations we see so fleetingly). Sadly, I don't imagine we will ever see any further exploration.
As the story progresses, something like internet posts begin to appear on the page, criticising the comic.
Morrison uses this as part of the plot, but I wonder whether this wasn't a writer subconsciously aware that he wasn't hitting his usual high standards here.
I either don't understand the ending or it's far too simplistic to be worthy of the 'big idea' the whole book is based around.
I'm told there's one more 'bookend' to The Multiversity, and I'm really hoping it proves a satisfactory climax, at least tying a few of the disparate threads we've followed through over the last six months together, because otherwise, what was the point of tagging along.
Perhaps, Ultra Comics - as the recurring threat that has linked those issues to date - could never be a lot more than it is here, but at this point, it's the issue I have enjoyed the least.
FOR a 25c issue with a 'bold new direction' this is a surprisingly inaccessible comic book and one which I rather doubt will bring the series a lot of new fans for a number of reasons.
Actually, it may even have the potential to lose the book a lot of long time readers.
There are a couple of minor problems here and one big fat major one that I will get to, but I just want to say, I generally love Invincible.
It has been one of the best ongoing superhero comics on the shelves for some time, and one where stories always have a consequence, and characters grow.
My first issue is with the recap page.
A game effort by Jason Howard, but one that falls woefully short of adequate in cataloging the book's (admittedly long) history.
I can only imagine whether this makes any sense at all to the new readers it is aimed at.
The long-awaited reintroduction to the book of Mark's step-brother Oliver is also disappointingly handled in my opinion.
For me, the jarring difference in his appearance and age, steal the joy I should have had as a fan in his reappearance. He may as well be a different person.
That's made worse by fact that he appears to be little more here than a prop for Kirkman to tell a bad a joke about his new girlfriend being somewhat less than human.
There's more - the extended defecation joke is weirdly out of place (not least for the hugely serious issue it precedes) - and doesn't strike me as something you'd do in a book aimed at drawing in new readers ... But what do I know, right?
My biggest problem here though, is the way Mark's rape is dealt with in this issue.
When he finally breaks down and tells Eve what happened to him, it's a relief to any long-term fan of the comic that has watched Mark suffer since his assault.
For Kirkman to taint that in such an ugly manner with the suggestion from Mark himself, that maybe he didn't fight back because he 'wanted it' is just horrific and cast some deeply unpleasant shadows over the rest of the book.
Perhaps Kirkman would say what he was doing here was highlighting the guilt a lot of rape victims report feeling, but it comes off as ignorant and insensitive.
And then, the plot turns immediately to a new crisis, almost trying to push to the back of our minds something which should have been a huge moment in the lives of our characters.
I'm done. I have nothing more to say about this book and I've already said more than I wanted to.
But I was disappointed here and, I could be wrong, but I highly doubt anyone who picked this up to test the waters will be coming back any time soon.
A MASTER craftsman in the field of kids comics, Roger Langridge continues to quietly produce books the mainstream publishers should be breaking down his door for and parents will want to fight their children for.
This is a man for whom the all ages tag actually means something, because neither adult or child loses out when Langridge is at the helm, creating his wonderful books, that, perhaps moreso than any others sharing that particular shelf space, are genuinely accessible to all.
Abigail and the Snowman is a warm hug of a comic, brimming over with joyful humour and a cast of colourful characters its readers will delight in cheering for, and even booing, in the case of the villains pursuing their nefarious purpose.
In Abigail, Langridge has found a protagonist to be proud of.
Reminiscent of a Roald Dahl heroine, she is wilful, bright, brave, loyal and determined.
Yet, at the same time, she's clearly lonely and missing the attention of her father - drawn away to try and earn a living for them both - reminding us that childhood can be difficult and a time of relative powerlessness.
This only serves to make her feel all the more three dimensional and relatable and makes her journey mean that much more to of us as we read along.
Claude - the titular snowman - is beautifully drawn (both literally and figuratively), his tender, playful personality playing off nicely against his design to create one of those truly memorable children's characters.
With minimal facial features at his disposal, Langridge's ability to imbue Claude with a variety of emotional responses as the story develops are the hallmark of a truly talented comics creator.
Abigail and the Snowman feels like the type of comic you are presented with as a child and forever after holds a place in your heart as the gateway into a whole new world of stories. I'd recommend any comic's fans with kids, or just anyone that loves a good yarn with a heart of gold, grabs the back issues and joins in the fun.
PERSONALITY oozes from the pages of Giant Days 1, which is another major success for a publisher who seem intent on challenging mainstream comic's grip on the Zeitgeist with so much of their current output.
Allison has taken a brave step here relinquishing visual control over his creation to Lissa Treiman and it pays off in spades with the artist managing to both capture the essence of the characters we've grown to love already and at the same time breathe a brand new vivacious lust for life into them, that hints at the lively style of European humour comics, particularly in its grasp of comic timing and physical comedy.
Make no mistake, Treiman is a star on the rise and one in whose hands the adventures of Susan, Daisy and Esther could not be safer.
Allison is at his best here too and it's hard not to wonder whether, cut free from the shackles of creating the whole book on his own, he hasn't been able to let rip on the dialogue and plotting in a way that wasn't possible before.
He also adapts well to the single issue format (previous volumes of Giant Days were published in longer forms), telling a complete story that leaves enough dangling to entice us back for more.
There's a lot to love in Giant Days, not least, it's decidedly British flavour, which I think is sadly unexploited in the mainstream comics scene.
It's also a decidedly positive portrayal of three young women, and one that I imagine would be capable of drawing in and entertaining fans that don't typically read comics - although it's hard not to picture Allison blushing a little over his wry 'Bechdel test' joke, which he uses to poke good-natured fun at himself and the nature of the current plot.
I will be coming back for another dose of Giant Days and I would happily recommend this book to anyone with a love of good characters, a sense of humour and a nostalgia for those lazy, lost university days of the past (college to all y'all Americans ;-).
Sensation Comics 8 - James Tynion IV & Noelle Stephenson - DC
In retrospect, my problem complaint may have had more to do with the fact very few comics actually deserve that description.
Enter Sensation Comics 8 by James Tynion IV and Noelle Stephenson.
Because by God, I had fun reading this book.
Wonder Woman loses none of the magnitude of her character here, yet Tynion IV and Stephenson's story is quirky, cute, charming and actually funny.
And this is not some silly, throwaway, one-off, humour comic; Stephenson and Tynion IV tell a solid, multi-layered story, that holds true to the essence of the character and deserves a place on the shelf of every serious fan.
It's touching too, subtly developing such a strong bond between a young runaway Diana and Riley - the human girl she finds beneath the boardwalk and spends the day with (and who balks when Wonder Woman first calls her 'sister') - that we as the reader are as much a part of it as the players in the panels.
Stephenson's art is as dynamic as it is charming, with every stroke seemingly placed with joy and Tynion IV's characterisation is spot on.
It always surprises me, the efforts DC appear to put into making Diana 'relevant' or 'modernising' her.
In the right hands - as she so clearly is here - Wonder Woman is as relevant as any superhero in comics, and perhaps, in the current climate, moreso than most.
Big Man Plans 2 - Eric Powell and Tim Weisch - Image
There are touches of the humour Powell is known for in his other more famous work, The Goon, here too, with the opening caption setting the time and place as '1979, Bumfuck, Tennessee'.
Powell's deft talent for pathos shows its face too, in a beautiful flashback that carries us from a diner now, to a diner then, two panels, side by side on separate pages reminding us of our hero's beloved father missing, adding a delicate poignancy to the words of advice and guidance he left his son all those years ago (and also to his current weapon of choice).
But Big Man Plans' milieu is violence.
Unrelenting, brutal, vicious violence.
And this issue is full of it.
And remarkably short on words at the same time.
I can't decide whether that has a positive effect or not, it certainly gives some added resonance to the lines we do see spoken, and accentuates the resilience of our hero during the prolonged beating he sustains.
But I'm left wondering whether this tale of revenge isn't a little lighter on story than Powell's other more nuanced work.
Powell's art, as always, is impressive, and here his layouts are intriguing, refusing to contain his action in traditional panel borders, instead letting it run wild across the page.
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