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Review: Terry Brooks’ ‘Dark Wraith of Shannara’

Dark Wraith of Shannara
By Terry Brooks, Illustrated by Edwin David, Adapted by Robert Place Napton
Del Rey, 2008, $13.95

I am morally sure that the following conversation took place somewhere, among some people, before this book came into existence:

“It’s not fair! All of those other fantasy writers are getting comics based on their books!”

“Yeah! Why Salvatore and Hamilton but not Brooks?”

“What do they have that he hasn’t got? He’s at least as popular as Feist!”

I have no idea who said it, or who they said it to, but, somehow, the influence of the Dabel Brothers has led to ever more epic fantasy writers getting the urge (or maybe just the contract) to create graphic novels based on their work.

Not that there’s anything wrong with that; American comics have been a closed guys-in-tights shop for a generation now, and anything that opens that up is nice. But it is a bit weird, personally, when the two sides of my world collide quite so violently.

Dark Wraith of Shannara, unlike most of the recent epic fantasy comics out there, doesn’t adapt anything; it’s a brand-new story set in Terry Brooks’s very famous (and very bestselling) world of Shannara. For continuity geeks – and aren’t we all that, about something? – this takes place soon after the end of the novel The Wishsong of Shannara, and involves much of the cast of that book. Wishsong is the third of the original Shannara “trilogy:” they’re nothing like a trilogy, despite being three books about members of the same family published relatively quickly and all having the word “Shannara” in the title, but fantasy fans will call any conglomeration of three books a trilogy if you don’t stop them with heavy armament.

(more…)

Absolutely Free Speech, by John Ostrander

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  • March 27, 2008

In addition to my appearances here, I also have a chat site that can be found at World Famous Comics Community. Yes, you’re all invited to come over for a chat if you like. I check in usually several times a day if I’m not drowning in deadlines.

On occasion, we get someone who is abusive and they get told (more or less politely at first; it depends on my mood) to knock it off. Almost invariably, I get informed by the poster that this is a free country and they have the right to “free speech” which generally mans saying whatever they want in whatever manner they want to say it.

At that point, I usually explain that whether or not this really is a “free country” may be debatable but the Comics Community Board (like the Boards here) are for members and that, when you sign up, you agree to behave a certain way. Other sites may not demand that but we did there. Further, it was my discussion board – it has my name on it – and I had my own rules as well. If they didn’t like it, they could go elsewhere. Unlimited, absolute free speech was not guaranteed anywhere in any case.

A lot of people when they claim the right to free speech really don’t know what they’re talking about. So let’s be specific, just for fun.

To start off with, it’s not universal. Lots of places in the world don’t have it and the governments don’t want their people to have it. We have it because it’s in the Constitution; it’s enshrined in the First Amendment in the Bill of Rights which reads as follows: “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.” (more…)

Review: ‘The Ten-Cent Plague’ by David Hajdu

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  • March 26, 2008

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The journalist David Hajdu’s new book, The Ten-Cent Plague: The Great Comic-Book Scare and How it Changed America, has been billed as a retelling of the little-known inquisition against comics that nearly killed the industry in the 1950s.

It does tell that story (and quite well), but perhaps more importantly it serves as one of the best histories yet of the Golden Age of comics. Picking up literally with the creation of the comic book, The Ten-Cent Plague chronicles the medium’s rise as cartoon characters gave way to superheroes, adventurers, pirates, criminals and jungle queens.

With an unerring eye for the telling detail, Hajdu brings to life the mad men of the early comics scene, a rag tag group of artsy teens and swindler publishers who make today’s comics personalities seem tame by comparison. Big names like Will Eisner and Bob Kane earn mention, along with a great number of lesser-knowns.

Harry “A” Chesler, Jr., the comic-book packager, applied the “Jr.” to his name or dispensed with it as he saw fit, and put quotation marks around the initial because he thought they were stylistically correct, and he had a point. When he was asked what the “A” stood for, he said, “Anything.”

If anything, Hajdu goes a bit overboard in describing so many people in great detail. While these anecdotes are interesting and reveal an impressive layer of research, they also meander and distract from the central narrative. That being the progression of comics pushing ever harder against any perceived boundaries, just as the youths who devoured the books tested the confines of their mid-century upbringing. (more…)

German Authorities Use Comic to Combat Extremism

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  • March 26, 2008

In the great book Freakonomics, one of my favorite stories is the one detailing how the writers of the old Superman TV show used a storyline to give a negative depiction of the Ku Klux Klan, and that alone was one of the most effective methods of turning public opinion against the Klan.

That story came to mind when I came across a couple of articles detailing efforts to combat Islamic extremism through comics.

In Egypt, Hands Across the Mideast Support Alliance has been distributing copies of an Arabic edition of a 50-year-old comic based on Martin Luther King Jr.’s life. The comic is available for download in Arabic and English from the HAMSA Web site.

"The Montgomery Story" was published in 1958 and helped inspire the American civil-rights movement in the 1960s. In 2008, it was translated and designed by young reformers in the Mideast. It features full-color panels depicting the Montgomery Bus Boycott, a campaign to end segregation on buses in the capitol of Alabama. The comic book ends with a section on “how the Montgomery Method works,” outlining essential techniques of nonviolence.

I also came across this article in the Globe and Mail on a comic book designed to combat Islamic extremism produced by officials in a north-German state. The comic, Andi, follows a youth who dates a Muslim girl, and the girl’s brother comes under the sway of an Islamist "hate preacher." (Apologies for the small cover image, below, but it was all I could track down.)

The comic is distributed to schools and is intended for an audience from 12 to 16-years-old. It’s available online in PDF form right here. I learned German in grade school, but sadly since then my knowledge of the language has wittled away to a few numbers and swear words, so I couldn’t read the two available issues.

The article says Muslim response to the project has been positive. From the article:

The comic, printed in 100,000 copies and distributed to every secondary school in Germany’s most populous state, aims to show young people the difference between peaceful mainstream Islam and the violent, intolerant version peddled by militants.

"We were always careful not to hurt feelings and anger people by painting a caricature of Islam," said Hartwig Moeller, head of the NRW Interior Ministry. "We had to make clear we weren’t aiming against Muslims, but only those people who want to misuse Islam for political aims."

EZ Street: Run For Your Life!

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  • March 26, 2008

In today’s brand-new episode of EZ Street by Robert Tinnell and Mark Wheatley, the story-within-a-story continues. Can David escape from the men who killed his parents? Is there anyplace safe?

Credits:Mark Wheatley (Artist), Mark Wheatley (Colorist), Mark Wheatley (Letterer), Mark Wheatley (Writer), Mike Gold (Editor), Robert Tinnell (Writer)

More: EZ Street

 

 

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‘Next Avengers: Heroes of Tomorrow” Trailer Debuts

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  • March 26, 2008

Marvel has released the trailer for the upcoming Next Avengers: Heroes of Tomorrow animated movie. The film follows the children of the original Avengers, who are forced to take up the mantles of their parents in order to battle Ultron and save the world.

A release date for the direct-to-DVD film has not yet been announced, but it is believed the film will debut in the second half of 2008.

Viewers can see a high-resolution version of the trailer at Marvel’s website.

 

Free ‘Fallen Angel’ Artwork Giveaway

  • News
  • March 26, 2008

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With the upcoming release of Fallen Angel #25, Peter David’s series featuring a mysterious, celestial heroine becomes the longest-running title in IDW Publishing history. To celebrate hitting this mark, IDW is giving away original pages of J.K. Woodward’s series artwork at a pair of events.

According to David, there are big things in store for the landmark issue:

The great thing about a creator-owned series such as Fallen Angel is that I can unilaterally kick over the apple cart without having to run it by a plethora of Powers That Be, and that’s what’s happening. The great thing about working with (artist) J.K. Woodward is knowing that he’s able to take whatever I throw at him and knock it out of the park.

According to Woodward, "loyal readers will be rewarded with bonus features in this issue, including a double cover and character gallery, but that the extra content also makes it a great time for new readers to jump in."

A page of Woodward’s art will be given to each of the first 10 people in attendance at the following events, with the following stipulations:

Wed March 26, from 5-8pm: The Comic Bug 1807 Manhattan Beach Blvd Manhattan Beach, 90266 www.thecomicbug.com

Wed April 2, from 7-9pm: Golden Apple Comics 7018 Melrose Ave, LA 90038 www.goldenapplecomics.com

Artist J.K. Woodward will be on hand to sign his pages, copies of the comic or pretty much anything the fans want to stick under his sharpie. Pages will be given away in order, so the first person at Comic Bug will get the splash page, etc.

Artwork from the issue is posted after the jump. (more…)

Hugh Jackman and Marc Guggenheim Develop Comic

  • News
  • March 26, 2008

jackman-8990974Apparently playing Wolverine has given Hugh Jackman a taste for comic books, as the actor just announced his production company is developing a new comic series with Virgin Comics.

Nowhere Man is planned as a potential comic, movie and video game, according to an article in Variety.

Story was being kept under wraps, but Jackson’s Seed Productions partner John Palermo said it features a protagonist reminiscent of the one Will Smith played in “I Am Legend.” The concept is a futuristic world where mankind has traded privacy for safety, a premise that sprouted with Seed, Virgin CEO Sharad Devarajan and chief creative officer Gotham Chopra.

“This is our first comic, and we feel the concept is transferable to other arenas, perhaps first as a videogame, and then a movie,” Palermo said.

Writing duties and “co-creator” status go to Marc Guggenheim, who has written Wolverine, coincidentally enough, as well as several other comics series.

Don Rosa Recovering From Emergency Surgery

  • News
  • March 26, 2008

It probably goes without saying that an artist’s most significant tools are his eyes. People have figured out alternate ways of drawing, but they’ve got to see what they’re doing. So it is with great trepidation that we note legendary Disney Duck artist Don Rosa, a regular at many a convention and fan event, underwent emergency surgery last week to cure a detached retina.

It will not be known if the procedure was successful for several more weeks, but Don is resting at home (in a prone position) and will have to undergo six months of recovery downtime. He hopes to return to the convention scene this fall.

Following in the websteps of Carl Barks is not easy, but Don has always made it look like a cakewalk by combining a variety of influences (notably Mad‘s Willy Elder) with his own unique gifts to bring Uncle Scrooge and the sundry Ducks to a whole new generation across the world. His work has been anthologized and is available at better comics shops across the planet.

ComicMix wishes Don a speedy, painless and successful recovery.

Happy Birthday: José Luis Garcia-Lopez, Brian Bolland, and Mark Verheiden

dcp1g1-4128278Today is a popular birthday for comic book creators! Three very different comic book luminaries all share March 26.

José Luis Garcia-Lopez was born in Spain in 1948 but moved to Argentina in 1952. Growing up he worked on several Argentinian comic strips, and in the late 1960s he began doing romance titles for Charlton Comics. Garcia-Lopez moved to New York in 1974 to work for DC. He’s best known for his art on Superman.

Brian Bolland was born in 1951 in Lincolnshire, England, and began drawing at age 10. He went to art school and published work in various underground magazines, then met Dave Gibbons at a comic convention in 1972. Gibbons recommended him to Bardon Press Features and Bolland began drawing comics professionally. In 1977, he found work on the new British comic 2000 AD, and soon became a regular artist on Judge Dredd. In 1979 Bolland began working for DC Comics, doing both covers and shorts. Perhaps his most famous image is the cover to Batman: The Killing Joke.

Mark Verheiden was born in 1956. He started writing comics in 1987, creating The American for Dark Horse. The following year he wrote his first Aliens comic. Verheiden then wrote several Superman stories and a Phantom maxi-series for DC Comics. He also works in television and film, and has contributed scripts to Smallville and other series. He currently serves as co-executive producer of the popular Battlestar Galactica television series.

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