Comics of the Week - For Better or Worse

Sometimes, I can't be so positive about what I read. Two books this week were not to my liking and I think one is getting cut off my list. But I guess that's balanced out by the fact that most of the other books I read were outstanding.

I'll get the bad out of the way, first. I loved the first couple of issues of Action Comics after the reboot. It really felt to me like Morrison was making Superman relevant by going back to the Golden Age version of the character. It was a down to earth Superman who wasn't the big hero and still learning the ropes. However, the series slowly started getting into areas that were losing me. So the last few issues, I've just been giving them a chance because, well, it's Morrison, and I know you usually have to give him time to cook. But I think I've completely lost interest in the meal at this point. I don't know whether or not I can say this was a bad issue. I'm sure for fans of the Legion this wasn't as convoluted as it seemed to me. It's not even that I had a hard time following what was happening, as much as that I just wasn't engaged enough to care. Although, the concept of having Superman's enemies create a tesseract inside Superman's brain so they can hide where he'd never find them is not only pure Morrison, it's just awesome. But crazy concepts aren't enough to keep me reading, so I think I'm out.

I've sung many praises about Rick Remender on Uncanny X-Force. And I will likely sing many more. But the current arc will likely not be included in those ballads. Interestingly, this arc is also focused on some crazy concepts, this time involving Otherworld, which I guess is an in between dimension in which the Captain Britain Corps police reality? That's the thing. I think the success of the previous issues is that Remender was able to use existing history and ideas without alienating readers who may not be familiar with them. But this time, it's distancing. I know there's a lot of fighting going on, but I'm not entirely sure who's who. Not helping in this case, is the art by Greg Tocchini. I can get behind non-traditional comic art, but maybe because it's combined with a story that isn't working for me, in this case, the art made the story that much harder to follow. It's interesting to read comments on the Internets on this issue because Tocchini's art is clearly a love it or hate it deal. As usual, I can't land on either side of an extreme like or dislike of it, but I do know it's not working for me on this book. What kept me reading, though, was the characterizations by Remender. He knows how to write these characters and that is why I will stick around. They can't all be winners.

A few months ago, I was considering dropping Invincible. Not because it was bad. I just thought maybe I had read all I needed to read about Mark and company. I could always come back to it and catch up in a few years, instead of reading month to month. But then, last month, Kirkman pulled me back in. This issue went further and now I'm hooked all over again. One thing about Kirkman's books is that nothing is ever to be taken for granted. Not in Walking Dead and not in Invincible. The stakes are always high because anything can happen. Hell, he disintegrated Las Vegas a few issues back, with no fanfare. It was just something that happened in an issue. Something like that happens over at DC or Marvel and it's a two year event with 600 issues of everyone's point of view. But anyway, here we have Allen the Alien coming to wipe out the Viltrumites in hiding on Earth with a virus that may or may not kill all the humans as well. The stand off leads to unexpected alliances and a confrontation that leads to a possible deadly fate for Mark. I could've been more vague, I guess. As usual, Ryan Ottley makes all of this seem like it's being born on the page, all by itself, in beautifully intricate lines. I'm not going anywhere, Invincible. How could I?

Some quick hits:

Animal Man brought us an issue that took a break from the main story without coming off like fill in. We get to watch Tights, the independent movie Buddy Baker stared in a few years ago. Well, we get to see most of it before the batteries on Cliff's phone run out. I was sucked into the movie and hope Lemire comes back to it at some point.

The last issue of Corrina Bechko and Gabriel Harman's Betrayal of the Planet of the Apes was right on. It really served to set up and expand on the world and characters of the original movies, right before Taylor crashes back to Earth. I am more than a little excited for their next Apes mini-series and wonder if it will pick up from here or if it will be a new story. In either case, more, please.

I've been enjoying Swamp Thing, but this is by far, the best issue yet. The action was ramped up here and it really feels like we are now in the middle of some high stakes stuff. Snyder does his usual great work with Marco Rudy on art for this issue. As in past issues, I love that the layouts are part of the tone of the story, working like vines and sort of winding into each other.

Comics of the Week - Apes and Deerboys

I grew up on Planet of the Apes (not literally). I love everything about it. I've been reading the ongoing series and it's been solid. But this book is beyond solid. Betrayal of the Planet of the Apes, by Corinna Bechko and Gabriel Harman is like the movie that was never made in the 70's. It is set a few years before the first movie and they get everything right. Young Dr. Zaius is here, new to the council, and questioning his elders. I'm sure we will see how he goes from this to the hard line elder we see in the movies. He's clearly going to discover something that will rock his world. In this issue, our hero, General Aleron has been sent to The Reef, the apes' prison, for the murder of another ape, a violation of the first law: Ape does not kill ape. In typical POTA style, there are conspiracies working here that we are only getting glimpses of and I'm sure will tie into the state of the world in the first movie. The immersion into this story, this world, would not be complete without the pitch perfect art from Hardman. Ape city is alive with activity and nooks and crannies that invite the imagination to wonder what's over there. The Reef is extremely provocative, in that it seems to incorporate some more technological architecture than the rest of the organic city. But it's not just environments that stand out. Each ape is distinct and their behavior is ape like. The chase scene in this issue, with Aleron jumping from a building and eventually taking a horse was breathtaking. This is only a 4 issue mini-series, but I truly hope Bechko and Hardman will give us more apes soon after.

Jeff Lemire's Sweet Tooth wraps up a 3 part origin arc with guest artist Matt Kindt. This story told us where the animal babies and sickness first happened, back in 1911. And the events we saw unfold were pretty gut wrenching. The silence, as one character says at the end, is all that's left. And that silence carries over to the gap between the events in this arc and the story of Gus and Jepperd and the rest in the main plot of the series. There's still more to reveal before we know where Gus came from. How much longer Lemire intends to go with it is a mystery to me. The pieces are all there, I think. It could be several months, or it could be several years, before the story concludes. The inability to predict where this story is going is a big part of what has made it so engrossing from the very beginning. While the premise is fantastical, it's been the humanity of the characters, good and bad, that has driven the plot forward every step of the way. It has not lost anything over 28 issues and I doubt that it will. I hope it goes for as long is it needs to and ends well.

Comics of the Week - Snyder and Lemire: Literary Man Crushes

This week, I'm doing something a little different, although it should come as no surprise.

Scott Snyder and Jeff Lemire each had two books come out this week. Each had a DCU book out and a Vertigo book. Each of their DCU books were once Vertigo books. Each one of them, with these four books, demonstrate a sophistication in story telling that I believe is at an all time high in comics. Sure, back in the 80's Alan Moore's Watchmen and Millers Dark Knight Returns, and yada yada yada. . . I love those books, too. They are important. But this is different. This is not about turning the genre on it's head or changing the medium. This is not a revolution of any sort, unless you consider the craft of storytelling, well done, to be revolutionary. And maybe you do. And maybe you should. I'm not suggesting there aren't other great writers working right now, because there are. But I see a difference in approach and execution from Lemire and Snyder. I think Literary would be the best word to describe it.

Snyder's American Vampire, in many ways, plays out like a great novel. This weeks issue is interesting in that it is the back story of Skinner Sweet and James Book, but within this back story we go further back to the story of the first American Vampire. Under normal circumstances, a flashback in a flashback could be jarring and leave you shaking your head wondering where you are in the story. In the commentary track for Reservoir Dogs, Quentin Tarantino addresses the issue of flashbacks in his movies by pointing that novels go back and forth in time and no one calls them flashbacks. He goes on to say "I'll tell you when it's a fucking flashback." I think the same applies here. While comics are not exactly like a novel, I think Snyder can get away with this because the over all story is being told in such a literary way. He clearly knows where he is going and is merely taking his time to get there, letting us take in all the details. He uses a lot of words, but it's never out of place or cumbersome. The same is true of what he is doing in Swamp Thing. 

With Swamp Thing, Snyder is just starting the story so much of what he is doing is about character. Opening with a new character, a child, stuck in a bubble and then going to our hero, Alec Holland, connects the two in a way that goes beyond what the connection is revealed to be. In many ways, the emotion of that opening scene is a reflection of what Alec Holland is feeling. He feels trapped but is about to realize what he is capable of. But it's not just a character study he's doing here. He uses character to move the plot and action forward. Nothing is wasted in Snyder's work and I doubt anything happens by accident. He knows what he's doing at every step of the way and has thought this through well in advance for both of these books. American Vampire has developed over 20 issues and a mini series going back and forth in time and focusing on several different characters along the way. Yet, at no point has this felt anything other than focused. It comes as no surprise to me that he teaches writing.

Lemire's Animal Man and Sweet Tooth have more than a little in common. Here are two books about people being connected to animals, myths and mysticism. Both books are anchored by rich characters and connections to children and family. And yet, they are very different. Animal Man is currently working more with outright horror elements and the fear is palpable. Yet, in the midst of all this, Lemire sprinkles humor in unexpected places. Overall, however, although this issue has big action and high concept, it's Lemire's seemingly effortless characterization that makes it work. In his previous work, Essex County, the characters felt like they would drip from the page in a crying heap. There was a heaviness to them that was undeniable, and you couldn't help but feel their beautiful sadness. Animal Man is not about sad characters, but in this issue in particular, when they are afraid, you know it. These are things that could be attributed to the art, and Lemire was the artist on Essex County. Here, however, although Travel Foreman is amazing, I think the characters work because they've been built up to work. We've seen them interact in real ways that made them relatable to the point that we understand the fear of this issue on a primal level. I think I know what Ellen's screams sound like by reading this.

Meanwhile, in Sweet Tooth, Lemire has built a world from scratch that is magical and real and haunting. Like American Vampire, he's giving us the back story of where the sickness came from. And like American Vampire, the back story takes place in a back story. In this case, however, the characters are more closely connected and maybe that is why the emotional connections between them are played up more. I wasn't sure where this was going as I read it, even though I kind of suspected. But at a certain point, it didn't matter because I was taken in by these people and regardless of where they were taking me, I wanted to know more about them. Although the plot was still moving forward, this did feel closer to Essex County in terms of character work. I could see that Lemire put a lot of thought into who these people are and what would motivate them and it all makes sense. Understanding this makes the revelation of the end that much more impactful. It's not just some guy that unleashed Armageddon on the world. Now we know him and understand him and his motivations. We can't just dismiss his actions. Clearly, Lemire doesn't want us to. He wants us to think about that. And to think about what this means to the overall story. Again, nothing is wasted. Nothing is by accident.

I understand that comics is a visual medium and I don't want to shortchange the artists on these books. In each case, these writers have been lucky to work with not just talented, but amazing artists, who are master storytellers themselves. Travel Foreman brings mood and uneasiness to Animal Man with his use of angles, but also his figures, which in this issue are downright creepy. Yanick Paquette and Victor Ibanez's layouts in Swamp Thing are like organically grown extensions of the story itself. Panels seem to creep into each other like vines. Matt Kindt, guest artist on Sweet Tooth, which Lemire normally draws himself, is perfect for this arc. His rough style is almost the equivalent of black and white grainy footage in a film to show a different time, only much more subtle. It also serves to reflect the roughness of the environment. And yet, in spite of this roughness, the simplicity of the figures makes the characters that much more relatable. Jordi Bernet's work on this arc of American Vampire is classic comics. There are panels that could easily pass for old western comics from the 40's. It's the exact mood that this tale of the Indian Wars needs.

If you've been reading my posts before, you've seen me praise Lemire and Snyder repeatedly for their work. This week really solidified for me what it is about them that I am responding to. It's not surprising that these two are also close friends. I would love to be a fly on the wall when they talk shop.

Comics of the Week - More #1's

This was a HUGE week. It felt like a stronger week than last one, with no real losers. What we do have is more and more variety. This is a great time for comics. I can't stress enough how there really is something for everybody coming out. That's what comics are supposed to be. Not everyone will like every book, but every book should appeal to someone. Hopefully this is only the beginning.

This is one I was worried about when the reboot was announced. The relationship between Damian and Dick Grayson in the past couple of years was a huge part of what made the Batman books so much fun, particularly this title. Having Damian team up with his father, in Batman and Robin #1, while possibly interesting, seemed wrong to me at first. I'm not sure yet whether this works in the long run, but in this issue Tomasi gives us a fresh take on the Batman and Robin relationship. Yes, past Robins were Bruce's adopted sons, but this is different. Damian actually calls him father. Ironically, though, they don't know each other at all at this point, really. Damian is still a know it all little prick here, which is critical to making the character work. Bruce seems much softer and the point of this story seems to be that he's redefining himself, by letting go of the past.. I'm not entirely on board with that, yet, as I don't know where it's going, but I'm willing to ride it out for a little longer to see.  The main thing about this book is that it retained the fun of the last couple of years.

For some reason, I only read a couple of issues, here and there, of Rucka and J.H. Williams III's acclaimed run on Detective Comics featuring Batwoman. The few issues I read were beautiful, but I think I lost the thread of the story and never went back. I plan on correcting that soon. Meanwhile, Batwoman #1 is fantastic. Art like this is beyond special. Here, J.H. Williams is also co-writing with W. Hayden Blackman, and if there's a weakness it's a couple of lines in badly translated Spanish in one scene that really took me out of the story. Other than that, this issue was right on. The action scenes are fluid and the layouts are phenomenal. The art is telling the story here the way you dream a comic book should. There are several artists getting writing duties in the new DCU, but I am going to go on a limb and say J.H. Williams is the best suited for this transition. It's clear, even from a quick glance at his layouts, that he is not thinking in single panels. His pages flow and move and even in the quiet moments, he is conveying emotions and moods like few artists do. As for the story itself, it's classic Batman with a couple of twists. Batwoman is a character I'm not that familiar with, but I'm looking forward to changing that in the coming months.

I am not a fan of Fantasy and I've never really liked Etrigan as a character. I was not going to get Demon Knights #1 and only picked it up because my buddy at the shop said he didn't normally like the Demon either but this book was fun. He was right on. This was a ton of fun, and thinking about it now, 2 days after reading it, I'm finding I like it even more. I think what helps it is that it's not mired in stereotypical Fantasy tropes. It really feels like a modern story, except for the setting. Also, the Demon is not speaking olde English or rhyming, so it's not overly silly. We have a love triangle with a twist, a team of misfits coming together, an exploding baby, dragons, wizards, swords, etc. You know, fun. With a capital F. There really isn't much more to say except pick this up. It takes place in the Dark Ages and while it will likely tie in to last week's Stormwatch (also written by Paul Cornell) and the upcoming Justice League Dark, one thing about the new DC so far is that it seems you can read a book without worrying too much about following continuity in other books. Hopefully, this stays true.

Frankenstein Agent of S.H.A.D.E. #1 is a wild one. You have Frankenstein, who was apparently on Mars before this issue begins, working with Father Time, who is now in the body of a sassy little girl and teamed up with a host of creature commandos, including his estranged wife, to fight monsters. Oh, and their base is a miniaturized city, created by Ray Palmer, floating in a tiny globe. It's been described as being similar to Hellboy, which I can see. But I think there's also a bit of Fantastic Four and Shield thrown in, as well. You have science and occult coming together with a certain wacky fun that somehow all blends together in a delicious smoothie of awesome. Having read Lemire's indie work in Essex County and Sweet Tooth, I have to say I didn't see this level of fun and humor coming. His range has left me more impressed with his work. While reading this, I was blown away by how sucked in I was. This was my favorite book this week and I can't wait to read more.

The thing about Resurrection Man #1 that really made it stand out is that it just sort of started, without a lot of explanation, and yet it still worked. I came into this knowing the concept, but not the character. Basically, Mitch Shelly dies and comes back to life with a new random power, repeatedly. Right off, the premise had me hooked, which is why I picked it up. Overall, I think Abnett and Lanning did a great job of making this fun and interesting and mysterious. But then at the end, there were a series of phone conversations that sort of stopped this from being great and only made it good. All the exposition that was unnecessary and avoided at the beginning of the issue came at the end, in a repetitive and clunky way that stuck out like sore, cliched thumb. Still, I'm going to give this series a shot based on the rest of this issue.

And then there's Ultimate Spider-Man #1. For some reason, I've never read a Spider-Man story that really grabbed me. I've never had much interest in the character, though in theory, he's exactly what I like. I recently read Spider-Man Blue, by Loeb and Sales and the whole time I was a little bored. I just couldn't really relate to the characters, for some reason. So, along comes Miles Morales and it's ironic that at the ripe age of 38, I may have found a Spider-Man I can actually read and enjoy. Interestingly enough, he's not Spider-Man in this issue. It's just the beginning. But what we do see is a boy with a family and real world problems. We get characters with depth and situations that ring true. I have to say, this is the best Bendis I've read since Alias. I actually forgot it was written by him until now. He really did focus on story and character here, rather than dialogue. If he continues to do that, I'm in. I can't wait to see how Sara Pichelli draws Miles in costume, in action.

Comics of the Week

One good thing about the DC reboot is that, at least this week, it was a great week for comics. That's not to say everything was a winner, but it was interesting and varied with a good chance that something would stick. Fresh takes and good set ups.

The thing about Grant Morrison is that while he can go to really trippy, surreal and nearly impossible to understand places, he can also get to the heart of what makes a character tick in a mythological sense. With Action Comics #1, he is going to the roots of Superman and doing what no one has been able to do in who knows how long now. For years I've heard (and often said) that Superman was irrelevant, too powerful, outdated, boring, etc. Something had to be done to make the character interesting again. Many attempts have been made to make him hip and relevant, but they all just tried to modernize him and mostly missed the point entirely. Morrison goes back to the forgotten roots here, giving us a Superman on the streets, without all his god-like powers yet, living on the edge in a world that fears him. From the pieced together costume to the attitude, I think this is the right way to develop the character into something that can once again be a character we can relate to. As expected, this is one of my favorite #1's and I will definitely be reading this each month.

Speaking of Morrison, his run on Animal Man in the 80's is a prime example of how a creator can take a character you normally may not be interested in and hook you. But now it's Jeff Lemire's turn and he not only brings it, he brings it to another level. This was easily my favorite of the #1's this week, and as the internets can attest, I'm not alone. Lemire is one of the best writers working today and this is a perfect example of what he does. It's a superhero story, it's a family drama, it's a horror tale, it's all of that and more. Right from the opening prose section that gives us a background on the character in a way that doesn't feel forced, it's clear Lemire is bringing a little piece of the meta aspects of Morrison's run, but making it his own. By the last page, it's something else entirely that had me say out loud "Yeah, I'm in." The art by Travel Forman is also a standout. It's clean and odd and beautiful. It makes you uneasy and captivates you all at once, which is perfect for this material. I almost didn't pick this up, because although I like Lemire, I'm not a huge Animal Man guy, but now, I can't wait for the next issue.

When the reboot titles and creative teams were announced, my biggest disappointment was probably that Scott Snyder was off Detective Comics and moved to Batman. As I've said, his run on Detective is legendary already. Instead, we get Tony Daniels, writing and drawing Detective Comics and based on his work on the Batman title before the reboot, I was not excited. I have to say, this issue was better than that. His art was never the issue, and here it is good as always, if not better. It's clear, however, that he either is getting better at the storytelling or his editors have stepped up to address some of the previous problems. The story itself is a basic Joker vs. Batman affair, with the Joker in his serial killer persona. That's all well and good. The last image is what is apparently setting something up that really could be interesting even if we have no idea at this point what it could be. Overall, though, this issue is definitely geared for the new reader. Some of the dialogue, for those of us who know Batman and have read him for years, comes off a little hokey. To someone who's never read Batman, though, I could see it working. I can't fault Daniels for that, but this may not be my Batman book. Still, I want to see where he's going with the Joker here.

Here's a book I only read because of the creator, and almost didn't. Scott Snyder's Swamp Thing may or may not hook me on the character, but that doesn't mean I won't be reading this book. At this point, if Snyder publishes a grocery list, I will consider reading it. I can't even really put my finger on exactly what makes his work excellent, but I think it's a combination of elements. Some writers you can say they are really good at this one thing, whether it's overall emotion, character, a specific genre, action, etc. With Snyder, it's a complete package type of thing that just stands out somehow. His work is somehow character driven and plot driven at the same time. It's brimming with mood and emotion and things happen organically. It doesn't hurt that he's paired with great artists who can tell a visual story with all the elements, like Yanick Paquette does in this issue. Like Animal Man, this is a horror story, but it is more than that. The word is that this will actually cross over with Animal Man and the idea of Lemire and Snyder working together on a big story boggles my mind. I'm on board with this.

Manga for the Comics Guy - Gantz Volume 13

This volume was, ironically, back in familiar territory, by putting us in the middle of an insane alien dinosaur battle. While the action was big, the real focus of the issue was on emerging heroes, a theme that I have found consistent throughout Gantz. Where in previous volumes Kei has embraced his hero role, after the events in Shinjuku, Kei is more humble. It's no longer about glory for him, and at one point he actually remembers Kato and states that he needs to save the innocents. It's a big moment for his character development. This is, of course, perfectly countered by Izumi, who is hellbent on the glory of Gantz. All he wants is to be the sole survivor (when he's not romping around with the panda, WTF?).

But, to me, even more interesting than Kei and Izumi are some of the other characters who step up. We have the 2 superpower boys and the street fighter dude taking out dinosaurs with no suit on and no weapons. We have the old guy that teams up with Kei and ends up body slamming a brontosaurus(!). But the stand out is the father, suitless, weaponless, henpecked, taking down a dinosaur (raptor?), bare handed, in order to save his nagging wife and child. It's moments like that, that make this series so great. This is what makes it more than just crazy Sci Fi manga action. It puts a spin on the whole thing that makes me think Oku Hiroya is working on multiple levels on the big picture of this series. I don't know where it's going, but I'm certainly enjoying the surprisingly deep ride.

This week is a little slower for me comics-wise, but among the books out will be another series that continues to excel at character work and keeping me on my toes, Sweet Tooth #21, by Jeff Lemire, who also has Superboy #7 out. In addition, Marvel has Fear Itself #2, the only book in the Fear Itself event I am reading. The first issue was ok, so let's see how it works to read just this book. Will I be totally lost reading this issue, not having read the various tie ins that came out between them? We'll see. Marvel is also launching their X-Men event, Schism, with Prelude to Schism #1. The title alone, makes me think we actually HAVE seen them do this with X-Men already, but I'm willing to give it a chance. So, again, we'll see.

Comic Moments of the Week

Uncanny X-Men 534.1 is the latest of Marvel's .1 issues, designed to be jumping on points. In this case, I think it accomplished it's purpose because I am going to try to jump on. I didn't feel lost reading this, even though I haven't read X-Men in a very long time. But then, again, the last X-Men I read wasn't THAT long ago. It was during the Dark Reign, which I think set up most of the current status quo. In any case, Magneto is an X-Man now and the whole meat of this issue is that they've hired a publicist to help make him more acceptable to the public. Right off, that's a great concept. The execution is even better as most of the issue is spent in conversations between Magneto and the publicist about propaganda, fear, respect, etc, that manage to fill you in on events while not coming off as exposition for exposition's sake.

A new story arc, though I'm not sure a good jumping on point, begins in Sweet Tooth #20. I just don't see skipping the first 19 issues. The series hinges on these characters' development and even though part of what makes it brilliant is that the characters are revealed in every panel, their development over time, in relation to how all encompassing each panel can be is something to behold. There's two pages of conversation between Jeppard and Sweet Tooth in this issue that are absolutely perfect. Jeff Lemire, writing and drawing, puts a scene together that I would love to buy the original pages for. I won't post the whole page, but here's the first panel, which, by itself, would make a great painting. Beautiful composition.

And, what the hell, here's another panel from the issue that I love.

Also out, and as insane as expected, Axe Cop Bad Guy Earth #2. There's not much I can say about this issue that pretty much any random page couldn't tell you better. To top it off, this happens to be the first page. It's just pure, imaginative fun from a six year old brain.