Back in October, we spoke with creator Bryan Talbot (Creator of Luther Arkwright, artist on Sandman) and he was talking about his forthcoming graphic novel Grandville.
A trailer for the book went live this week. Take a look:
The book will be available in October from Dark Horse in the US.
Joe Simon and Jack Kirby have been the gold standard for partnerships in the comic book field. Their work ethic, their creations, and their longevity speak volumes about the duo and speaking of volumes, they are likely the only ones to get DC and Marvel to allow stories from their archives to share two covers,
Titan Books has just released the first volume in a six book set celebrating the collected works from Simon & Kirby. The Best of Simon and Kirby
(240 pages, $39.95) is a delightful sampler from the many genres they mastered. Forthcoming will be Joe Simon: The Man Behind the Comics, a more comprehensive autobiography than his previous effort, followed by five volumes focusing on super-heroes (two books), romance, crime, and horror.
The oversized book (9.25” x 12.5”) allows the artwork to breathe, showing off the vitality found in every panel. Harry Mendryk has lovingly restored each page, a project he did out of love for the material and has since turned it into a profession. Between Mendryk’s work and the color restoration, each story has that Golden Age feel with the larger dot patterns and somewhat closed up line work.
As selected by project editor Steve Saffel, the stories in this book cover the genres – Heroes, Science Fiction, War, Romance, Crime, Western, Horror, and Humor. Each chapter has the stage set by — who else — Mark Evanier, who quickly recaps how the pair’s career evolved, and how they moved from company to company, genre to genre.
We get a sampling of three or so stories per genre plus some covers and it’s just enough to whet your appetite. As one would expect, the adventure heroes shine above all else. The energy in their work is clear, the figures bursting from the panels. We can see Sandman, [[[Captain America]]], the Vision, Fighting American, and the Fly in derring-do.
The other stories, though, are the revelations as we see that no figure is at rest. Each panel is composed with figures in motion as if standing still was against some Simon & Kirby law. Page composition was fluid and inventive as the pair experimented with keeping the reader’s eye in motion, much like their characters.
Things moved, and they had to since the stories rarely ran over 9-10 pages each. We meet the characters, get into the situation, and before you know it, the story ends. Characterization, if there was any, was all surface and the dialogue was perhaps the weakest aspect of the collaboration. Both were strong draftsmen and inventive storytellers, but all the dialogue sounded somewhat the same.
As creators of the romance comic field, the two told confessionals, as they got in touch with the feminine sides (if that was possible). One such tale, “Weddin’ at Red Rock!” mixed romance with the old west with a nice surprise ending. And it was nice to see that while it was not Kirby’s forte, he could draw an attractive woman when pressed.
About the one genre where Simon excelled and Kirby faltered was the humor field. While Simon created and executed Sick for years, the stories seen here are pale imitations of Mad, with nothing new added to the mix.
If you only know the legendary Simon & Kirby team for their work on Cap or the Newsboy Legion, this book is a must-read. You gain an entirely new appreciation for their efforts and Titan is to be commended for reminding us about the field’s pioneers.
For whatever reason, baseball is the sport that translates best to film. Maybe it’s the team aspect, or the poetry of the game, but there are more movies about the sport than any other. On the other hand, baseball and other sports never seem to translate well to the comic form. Go figure.
Much like a super-hero’s career, the life of a baseball player is a finite one. Sooner or later, age robs the body of its speed or agility. Injuries become more frequent and then you play through the pain in the hopes of last a little bit longer in the activity you love. You watch, with envy, as youngsters with potential challenge you for playing time and then come gunning for your job.
Played straight, you get some great drama. Played with tongue-slightly-in-cheek, you can have an awful lot of fun. When Major League
Now, currently, you can see professional teams really play like misfits (insert your Yankees jokes here) but the movie, unlike reality, makes us love these guys.
Galaxy Quest
does not turn 10 until Christmas, but with all the [[[Star Trek]]] hoopla this month, Paramount Home Video wisely releases the 10th anniversary edition on Tuesday.
This love letter to [[[Star Trek]]] and its fans was the commercially successful and satisfying in joke-filled story of the actors from a cancelled science fiction classic being recruited by interstellar fans in their time of greatest need. Can actors rise to the role of hero? Well, we pretty much know how this will end, but still, getting there is great fun.
Opening with a science fiction convention that is remarkably true in feel, the movie shows us how trapped the performers feel in these roles, along with the petty squabbles that have plagued them for years. Tim Allen plays William Shatner, or that is, the Shatner who felt trapped by Captain Kirk before letting himself in on the joke and embracing it. There’s the marvelous Alan Rickman as Alexander Dane, would be Shakespearean actor, trapped under the latex of his television alter ego, and hating every minute of it.
While some of Star Trek’s supporting players embraced their cultural status and used it with success, none of these performers have had similar luck and are reduced to store openings and convention appearances for income.
Until they board the real NSEA Protector, built with remarkable fidelity by the Thermians, who hope the stellar adventurers can help them avoid being conquered by a hostile race. From that point to the conclusion, we see these people grow and learn, while we cheer their every step. Writers David Howard and Robert Gordon take the fan experience and bring it to life, with tremendous affection. Director Dean Parisot is also fully committed to respecting the source material and has great fun while showing tremendous respect for his audience.
The cast is filled with wonderful performances from Sigourney Weaver, Tony Shalhoub, Sam Rockwell, Enrico Colantoni, and Missi Pyle. A young Justin Long fills in for those of us in the audience, using the fan collective to help save their beloved heroes/
Some have hailed this one of the best Star Trek movies ever made and in many ways they’re right. The movie succeeds in being rewatchable – in snippets on cable as you surf – or all the way through as on the DVD.
Affordably priced at just $14.99, the movie comes complete with a slew of new featurettes so the celebration continues. Historical Documents: The Story of [[[Galaxy Quest]]] features fresh interviews with Gordon and Parisot along with members of the cast and Star Trek writer/director Nicholas Meyer. There is also Never Give Up. Never Surrender: The Intrepid Crew of the NSEA Protector, By Grabthar’s Hammer, What Amazing Effects, Alien School – Creating the Thermian Race, and Actors in Space. All provide interesting comments and an appreciation for the filmmaking process.
When Sigourney Weaver couldn’t attend her agent’s birthday party, she got help from Daryl Mitchell to craft a rap then was backed by Sam Rockwell, Missi Pyle and Mitchell. The short clip is very entertaining and shows some of the camaraderie that happens during a shoot.
From the 2000 DVD release are the deleted scenes and the theatrical trailer. All in all, this is a nice tribute to a terrific film, one that belongs in your library.
It’s fascinating to see the same material presented in competing books, approached in entirely different ways. DK Publishing, the successful home to the various character-specific Ultimate Guides, offers up Wolverine: Inside the World of the Living Weapon (200 pages, $24.99) while Pocket Books, which has been home to the Marvel novels, gives us The Wolverine Files (160 pages, $40). The former is written by DK mainstay Matthew K. Manning while Mike W. Barr, not a writer normally associated with guide books or Wolverine, handles the second book.
Both detail the character’s background, his friends, his foes, his greatest capers, and a look at his deeply fractured psyche and tortured soul.
However, Manning’s book gives readers a far more detailed accounting of the backgrounds of the characters and storylines. Taking a chronological approach, he offers up overview of specific eras followed by key issue spotlights plus long looks at the key people in his life, both the good and the evil. Interspersed are also short bits regarding how the stories fit in with the overall publishing program at Marvel along with some insight into the creators and their efforts. As a result, this is a far richer, and cheaper, reading experience.
DK, known for its hyperkinetic layouts, tones things done here and makes each spread easier to read, with nice call outs, and judicious graphic selections showing the great range of art styles employed through the years.
If this book is to be faulted, it’s in not providing enough information regarding the behind-the-scenes work that led to these stories and events. For example, why did Bill Jemas decide that 2001 was the time to finally provide Logan with an origin? Also, Wolverine’s unusual friendships with Jubilee and Kitty Pryde are given short-shrift and both deserved more space.
Barr’s approach is the more creative, with files, reports, letters and memos from the people in Wolverine’s life summing up the man’s background and career. Written from the point of view of Nick Fury, Natasha Romanov, Jasper Sitwell and others, it has varied voices which make for a different reading experience.
The book is more cleanly designed, resembling a S.H.I.E.L.D. case file with tabs along the edge to replicate the look of a report. There are margin notes from Fury and sections are redacted to give it that “declassified look”. The profiles of people and places read not too different from a Marvel Handbook page and the art skews to the works from the last decade and could have benefited from material culled from earlier points in his publishing career.
While a more varied read, it’s also not as complete a dossier and for $40, it should offer a lot more, especially with the competitive book.
If both books are beyond your wallet, Marvel competes with their licensees with [[[Wolverine: Weapon X Files]]], a 64-page comic book for a mere $4.99. Head writer Jeff Christiansen and his ten colleagues have the advantage of the files being the most up-to-date given the shorter schedule for a comic versus a book. The Handbook pages follow the traditional format and scream for a redesign and the pick-up art is hit or miss.
Want more Wolverine after seeing the movie this weekend? You have plenty of options.
Marvel has had varying degrees of success with the direct-to-video efforts but the program continues and there’s little surprise that the most recent offering featured Wolverine, given the release this week of [[[X-Men Origins: Wolverine]]]. What is odd is that Lionsgate chose to release the video Hulk Vs.
The two-disc set features separate Hulk features and shine very different lights on the character. In the first, Wolverine is assigned to hunt down a monster crossing the border from America, codenamed the Hulk. Along the way, the two battle with much carnage but then the plot is complicated by the arrival of several foes from throughout Weapon X’s career – Lady Deathstrike, Sabretooth, Omega Red, and Deadpool. In the 37 minute story, there are numerous flashbacks to the Weapon X program and how Logan was turned into a living weapon.
Visually, it’s the best animated Wolverine we’ve seen yet. The character designs for his opponents are pretty terrific, but no surprise since they were handled by Jeff Matsuda. It’s also one of the best voice casts I’ve heard on a Marvel production. The story moves along nicely and the action is pretty relentless.
On the other hand, it’s not much of a Hulk story. Also, on their own, each of the villains has proven to be a match for Wolverine, but here, collectively, they’re dispatched with far too much ease, weakening their threat.
The second disc has a stronger story but weaker vocal casting and shows Loki using the Hulk as a pawn in his game against his half-brother Thor. The 45 minute story is spent entirely in Asgard and pits not only Thor against the Hulk but Thor and Loki against Hel, bargaining for the soul of Bruce Banner. What happens to Banner is rather poignant and gives this tale an emotional wallop missing from the other adventure. If the forthcoming [[[Tales of Asgard]]] animated feature is anything like this, we’ll all benefit.
Each disc comes with an assortment of trailers in addition to Making Of featurettes. The Wolverine disc has footage from the Lionsgate panel at last summer’s San Diego convention while the Thor disc has a loving tribute to Jack Kirby.
If you have an insatiable appetite for the ol’ canucklehead, you could do worse than investing your time with this DVD set.
All eyes are on what J.J. Abrams and his team have done to reinvigorate public interest in Star Trek
By the time [[[Enterprise]]] was canceled and Nemesis got ignored at the box office, everyone agreed it was time to let the entire behemoth rest. Some argued forever, others wisely knew Paramount would never let it go so bet on three to five years.
What everyone seems to have forgotten is what Roddenberry got away with back in the 1960s. Today, we’re reminded of that once more with the release of the first season of the Original Series on Blu-ray. The 29 episodes that NBC aired during the 1966-1967 television season have been carefully restored, remastered, and augmented for today’s technology and audiences.
In our world, there are costumed champions fighting the good fight against costumed evil doers, done in public and for our entertainment. We call them professional wrestlers but given their names, attire, and storylines, they truly are comic books brought to life. Unlike comic heroes, though, these players age and fade away, to be replaced by a new generation with new names, not retreads.
Frank Miller’s [[[The Dark Knight]]] was the first real look at what happens to an over-the-hill hero. The body is slower to heal, the acrobatic daring-do that came so effortlessly leaves the body drenched in sweat.
Wrestlers, especially those doped up on steroids, watch their bodies break down and get reduced to the independent circuit for a few hundred bucks a night or signing autographs at lightly attended local events. It’s a sad life, ripe for exploration as a film and Darren Aronofsky wonderfully covers this in The Wrestler
In the 1970s, Chris Claremont was arguably the first comic book writer to advance Stan Lee’s style of writing for the Marvel super-heroes, delving deeper into his characters and exploring what it meant to be born a mutant in a world that feared the different. As a result, much as everyone glommed onto [[[Spider-Man]]] in the 1960s, Chris’ [[[X-Men]]] in the 1970s became the new standard for popularity.
Television was slow to recognize the resurgent popularity in super-heroes, not really adding a comic book to screen adaptation for years until [[[Batman: The Animated Series]]] debuted in the wake of the wildly successful Tim Burton film. With its critical acclaim and ratings success, the networks began looking for other series and they finally learned how popular Professor Xavier’s students had become in the intervening years.
Marvel Animation produced a very faithful comic book adaptation which debuted October 31, 1992 and ran for five seasons, totaling 76 episodes. It was the tipping point in making the franchise a big deal for merchandise and eventually, the long-awaited live-action film version.
The first 33 episodes have been collected into two volumes, released Tuesday by Buena Vista Home Entertainment, cannily in time for the [[[Wolverine]]] hysteria. The first volume of X-Men
The concept behind Mission: Impossible
Season six, airing 1971-1972, was the season that should not have been. Paramount Pictures wanted the show canceled and placed into profitable reruns but CBS saw ratings upticks at the end of season five and wanted the series back. Nimoy wanted out, saying he was bored. It was time to change everything up.
The penultimate season, coming out on DVD Tuesday, saw numerous alterations from the departure of Nimoy, Warren, and Elliot to a domestic focus. Lynda Day George, an attractive red-head doubled as femme fatale and makeup expert, tightening the focus to just a quartet of regular agents. Other IMF agents turned up largely as supernumerary fillers (with Elliot making one final appearance). The producers gave up on deposing fictional presidents around the world and sent the Impossible Missions Force against “the syndicate” (code for organized crime).
Watching these 22 episodes, collected in production order not airdate order, shows how far television writing has come. The characters are all ciphers despite their loyalty and apparent friendship for one another. We know nothing more about them in season six than we did in the previous five. The targets for each mission were also ciphers, all surface characterization and little else. Each episode has a case, a complication, and a resolution with variety seen in the way of additional complications or locales.
Given the tighter team, Jim stopped flipping through pictures to select his team and we went right to the briefing scene. As the season progressed, each of the four got a chance to shine, notably Greg Morris, moved up to co-starring status. In between roles as a laconic thug, he also shone in “[[[Blues]]]” where he displayed his own golden throat. Even Lupis got to do more than the heavy lifting this season, as he displayed technical know-how. However, he was also the agent to fumble the most often, although this gave us a chance to see his iron will power when he was caught and drugged with truth serum in “[[[Double Dead]]]”. Based on airdate, the season effectively opened and closed with a spotlight on Graves’ Jim Phelps, who had to be blind in one episode then suffered from amnesia in another. As for the newcomer, Casey was well highlighted, especially in “The Bride” where she had to play innocent as well as strung-out and finally, dead.
The pleasure in rewatching these shows is to see how far we’ve come in terms of storytelling or in seeing familiar faces in guest roles. One of the most preposterous but oddly satisfying stories, “Encore”, features William Shatner as a 65-year-old criminal duped into thinking 35 years have vanished all so the IMF team can find where he hid a body. It’s the most elaborate plot of the season and Shatner manages to sell it.
Other actors it’s neat to see at various points of their career include Elizabeth Ashley, Harold J. Stone, James Gregory, Richard Jaekel, Herb Edelman, Joie Don Baker, Billy Dee Williams, Leon Russom, Donald Moffat, Victor French, Gerald S. O’Laughlin, Fritz Weaver, Demond Wilson, Steve Forrest, Anthony Zerbe, Kevin McCarthy, Warren Stevens, William Windom, and of course, Christopher George.
The ratings were strong, especially with the show in the Saturday at 10 p.m. slot, finishing the season 32nd which made CBS happy. You can relive those adventures if you’re a diehard M:I fan but this was not the sharpest season by far. The six-disc set comes with zero in the way of extras.
Columns / Glenn Hauman / News
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