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The Weekly Haul: Reviews for May 30, 2008

First things first, a rant. This was a banner week for comics (and don’t those always fall after a holiday, postponing releases ’til Thursday?), but I have a pretty substantial bone to pick. This week’s comics were rife with price-gouging from both DC and Marvel, with pointless cost hikes on several issues. The only semi-understandable $3.99 tag came with Final Crisis, which I reviewed on its own right here.

Now, rant aside, the reviews…

northlanders6-5651961Book of the Week: Northlanders #6 #6 — Brian Wood’s series of Scandinavian mayhem has been hit and miss, but this issue’s on target like a broadsword to the brain. Sven continues to kill as many of Gorm’s allies as he can, brought to life with gloriously gory art.

But the key to this issue is how it’s gradually pulling Sven away from his mindless pursuit of revenge, even if it happens with a way too convenient to plot development.

It’s the story of a leader’s birth, but instead of being told through the rosy view of history and legend, it’s an ugly, bitter and brutal story. It could yet turn into a truly great series, as long as it doesn’t stray too far into the trite territory of Braveheart.

Runners Up:

Thor #9 — J. Michael Straczynski is doing so many things right in this book that it’s impossible to single any one of them out as central to the series’ success. Moving the plot in a new direction, he has Loki playing the Asgardian angles for the umpteenth time, only it’s so sly and written so well that it feels completely fresh, and not just because Loki’s now a woman.

The best moments come from the odd and awkward interactions between the Asgardians and the real world, which is now their world: an awkward love connection between god and mortal and the priceless image of two gods stuck in a small town jail after they had a too-public rumble with some monsters.

Green Lantern #31 — The origin of Hal Jordan as Green Lantern continues, and it’s the same balance of good and bad. On the one hand, Geoff Johns is covering ground that’s been covered too many times already, with Jordan getting his ring and starting training on Oa.

As boring as those moments are, the hidden part of the origin, the shadowy "Darkest Night" prophecy, continues to be endlessly interesting. It draws in so many unexplored pieces of Jordan’s and Sinestro’s backgrounds that it’s a shame Johns decides to waste time on the known aspects.

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Happy Birthday: Mike W. Barr

Born in 1952, Mike W. Barr’s first comic book story was an eight-page backup in Detective Comics #444 in 1974.

In 1980, he started doing semi-regular backup stories in both Detective Comics and House of Mystery. He also wrote an issue of Captain America, which led to regular work with Marvel as well.

The following year, Barr picked up some editorial duties at DC and also started writing Star Trek for Marvel. In 1982, he wrote Camelot 3000, one of the first so-called “maxi-series.”

August 1983 saw the debut of Batman and the Outsiders, probably Barr’s best-known creation, and in 1987 he wrote Batman: Son of the Demon, which is often credited as singlehandedly restoring DC’s fortunes.

Since then Barr has done many more comic book projects, including more Batman stories, a two-parter for JLA: Classified, a relaunch of his Maze Agency series, and a piece for Star Trek: The Manga.

He also wrote a Star Trek novel, Gemini, which included some of the characters he created in the Star Trek comic book series.

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Manga Friday: Zombies and Gods and Sexy Teens

  • Uncategorized
  • May 30, 2008

zombie3-7698462This is another one of those weeks when we’re heading back over territory we’ve seen before – I’ve got three follow-up volumes today, all from Yen Press, of somewhat different manga series. So let’s take the zombies first, shall we?

Zombie-Loan, Vol. 3
By Peach-Pit
Yen Press, June 2008, $10.99

This volume starts off very confusingly, with the attractive blonde and brunette guys running somewhere at top speed while the mousy girl with glasses and the other, not-so-mousy girl are having dinner with a group of people who are creepier and creepier the more we see them.

If one has just read the first two volumes, one presumably remembers who all of these people are. For me, it had been two months since I saw Vol. 2, and I’ve read a lot of other things in between. So it took me quite a while to figure out who any of these people were, and I’m not entirely sure I did work out precisely what was going on.

But, to recap from the last time: three teenagers are “zombies” and have to work for “Ferryman,” the head of the Z Loan office, to work off their so-you’re-not-quite-dead loans. More explanation is given for the supernatural workings of this world later on in this volume, but I could only understand part of it, and even that didn’t make much sense.

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Review: Final Crisis #1, by Grant Morrison and J.G. Jones

finalcrisis-1-7954193 Before we even get started here: SPOILER WARNING!

(So don’t say I didn’t warn you.)

DC’s tentpole summer event, Final Crisis, is finally here, and it couldn’t be more of an antithesis to Marvel’s Secret Invasion. While the latter has been a wall-to-wall action blowout, Final Crisis has kicked off with a rambling, contemplative first issue.

Of course, you know the score with Grant Morrison at the helm, and he’s predictably vague and cutesy. And the very first pages fit right into expectations, with a meeting between Anthro and Metron at the dawn of man that alludes to great depth, if not actually providing it.

From there, the book bounces maddeningly from spot to spot, never settling enough to develop a rhthym, or give a firm footing to readers.

There’s Turpin and the Question looking over Orion’s dead remains. There are the Green Lanterns talking in binary (“1011” signals a god’s death). There are heroes and villains fighting over Metron’s chair. There are the villains uniting for the umpteenth time. And…

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Sex In The City, by Michael Davis

No less than eight women and two gay men, all friends of mine, have asked me whether or not I was going to see the Sex And The City movie. I’m lucky (or unlucky depending on your point of view) to be able to see Hollywood films before their release. I have seen Sex And The City. Before you go on, I must tell you that I am going to reveal important plot elements as well as the surprise ending.

The plot of the films is this: four friends, Carrie, Samantha, Charlotte and Miranda, are now all over forty and dealing with life at middle age. Carrie and Mr. Big are planning their wedding. Mr. Big finally tells Carrie what he does for a living and how he got his nickname.

The scene played out like this:

Carrie: Now that we are going to be married, don’t you think I should know your real name and what you do for a living?

Mr. Big: Yes, Carrie, but you better sit down.

Carrie sits down. She has a look of fear and anticipation on her face.

Mr.Big: I love you, Carrie. No matter what happens between us please know I love you.

A tear starts to roll down Carrie’s cheek.

Carrie: You… you’re scaring me Big.

Mr.Big: I’m sorry baby. Look, there is no other way to say this so I’m just going to say it.

Carrie is now shaking and the tears are flowing freely. She begins to sob. (more…)

Green Light for ‘Green Lantern’ Movie

  • Uncategorized
  • May 29, 2008

greenlantern23-4116983Most of the talk about upcoming superhero movies has been dominated by Marvel, which announced a slate of projects after Iron Man raked in the cash.

Meanwhile, DC has fairly floundered (Dark Knight excluded), as Justice League, Wonder Woman and Superman movies haven’t been able to gain traction. One project that’s been largely under the radar seems to be gaining steam, though.

The Geek Files has a nice roundup of info on a forthcoming Green Lantern film, which sounds as if it’s on the fast track to reality. The project is in the hands of TV producer and writer Greg Berlanti.

Berlanti, aged 35, was a writer and producer on Dawson’s Creek and its spin-off Young Americans, creator of Everwood, writer and director of the movie Broken Hearts Club, and is executive producer of Brothers and Sisters and Dirty Sexy Money.

In an interview with Out magazine, Berlanti (right) said: "Whatever free time I have left is pretty much thinking about Green Lantern. That’s all I’ve got time for mentally right now."

Casting is still quite a ways off, but that didn’t stop Geek Files from compiling a list of "fans’ choices" that include Nathan Fillion, David Boreanaz, Josh Duhamel, Jim Caviezal and Ben Browder.

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Simone & Ajax: Lemmings Always Know…

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In today’s brand-new episode of Simone & Ajax: The Case of the Maltese Duck, by Andrew Pepoy (with colors by Jason Millet),  our heroine, Simone, and her dinosaur pal, Ajax, find themselves locked in a cell. Their captor is the beautiful Fu Wahu.

The evil temptress is trying to rejuvenate her father, the dreaded Fu Ohn Yu. Can our heroes save the duck?

Credits: Andrew Pepoy (Artist), Andrew Pepoy (Letterer), Andrew Pepoy (Writer), Jason Millet (Colorist), Mike Gold (Editor-In-Chief)

More: The Adventures of Simone & Ajax: The Case of the Maltese Duck

 

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ComicMix Radio: Plans of The Devil!

hndb-2178074As the summer approaches, Devil’s Due is well on the way to hitting the convention scene as the hottest indy publisher in the marketplace.

We have a full preview of the projects that will push them to the top, plus:

  • Marvel crams Ultimates 3 into a new package

  • Tommy Lee gets animated

  • Gail Simone gets her revenge

All that and the Return of Michael Myers (not the funny one) – better press the button!

 

 

And remember, you can always subscribe to ComicMix Radio podcasts via badgeitunes61x15dark-9724576 or RSS!

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Video: Stephanie Vozzo on Coloring ‘Archie’

archie-swap-4424714Minnesota NBC affiliate KARE11 recently turned an eye toward the comics scene in an ongoing video series called "Job Swap" — in which a reporter trades jobs for a day with various professionals.

In the May 22 episode of the series, reporter Rena Sarigianopoulos traded jobs with Archie colorist Stephanie Vozzo.

"There are a lot of people that color comics for different companies but there are not many people who do it for Archie," says Vozzo.

And, she does it all by hand. "I work probably six to eight hours a day, depending on how busy the page is, it could take an hour or more to do a page."

There are a pair of videos you can watch on the KARE11 site here. Thanks go out to ComicMix reader Russ Rogers for tipping me off to this story.

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Happy Birthday: Jack Kamen

  • Uncategorized
  • May 29, 2008

psyco3a-tm-1790253Born in Brooklyn, New York in 1920, Jack Kamen studied at the Art Students League and the Grand Central Art School and actually got his start in sculpture—his first professional job was on the Texas Centenniel.

His illustration career was just beginning when he was called up to the Army in 1942. After World War II, Kamen began drawing comics for Fiction House and Iger Associates, then started working for EC Comics in 1950. He quickly became one of their most prolific artists, particularly on their horror lines though he also worked on crime/suspense and weird science/fantasy books.

Kamen left comics in 1954 and did advertising art and supplemental illustrations for a wide variety of other clients—when Stephen King and George Romero created the horror anthology film Creepshow, an homage to EC’s horror comics, they tapped Kamen to do the artwork. He also illustrated the cover of the graphic novel adaptation.

 

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