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100 Favorite Comic Book Covers – Part II

July 24, 2009 in art, artists, books, comics, lists | 28 comments

And here we continue our list…!

075.

Fables #25. James Jean. Oh James Jean, how I love you. Look at the use of color, the use of text as a design element. The title and issue number all beautifully incorporated into the image flawlessly, rather than just being splashed across artwork without concern for what’s being destroyed. He even manages to work in the creator names so it not only looks like part of the original illustration, but IS a part of it. Fantastic. If you don’t like James Jean you’re gonna hate this list – because his work appears many more times before we get to #1.

074.

Vampirella #4. Jeff Jones/Vaughn Bode. How can you not love this? I mean, okay, she’s naked and straddling some kind of land monster, but she’s carrying a spear and looks like she would just as soon pierce you through the heart with that spear as look at you.

073.

Buffy Season Eight #18. Jo Chen. Another beautiful cover for Buffy by Chen. Dawn as a horse? Illustrated beautifully? Well, you had me at hello.

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100 Favorite Comic Book Covers – Part I

July 24, 2009 in art, artists, books, comics, lists | 34 comments

So in honor of the San Diego Comic Con which I am not attending (boo!) I took a little trip down memory lane, searching out all my favorite comic book covers over the years. And since I’ve got this blog and it needs content I thought I’d regale you all with my “100 Favorite Comic Book Covers Of All Time!”

A few things you should know:

1. I limited this list to US saddle stitched issues – so you won’t find any graphic novel, anthology, or non-US covers here.

2. A few of these covers are more about the sweet sweet memories of a more innocent (and awesome) time in my life when a great comic book could make my whole week. When thinking about a comic that was coming out made me so excited I’d get chills. When hunting down a back issue to catch up on something new I was discovering was literally the most important thing going on with me (sad, but true). And so a few of these covers are more about what they mean to me and less about how beautiful they look to the world at large.

3. As X-Men were my introduction to comics there is definitely a disproportionately high number of X-Men covers.

4. There’s also a high number of badass chick covers, as I, am a badass chick.

Annnnnd, we’re off…

100.

Supreme Power #1. Gary Frank. This is a good looking cover, but it’s at the bottom of the list because to truly appreciate what’s going on, you have to know that Supreme Power is basically about Superman, if he had been found by the government instead of Ma & Pa Kent. And then the government makes up a fake Ma & Pa Kent and raises him in a false environment designed to make him feel devoted to “American values” but it’s all a sham so that they can better hope to control him as a weapon. Yeah, before Supreme Power jumped the rails and became lame, it was AWESOME. Supreme Power was like Superman meets The Truman Show meets The X-Files and it was badass. Too bad they couldn’t maintain it.

099.

Ultimate X-Men #69. Ben Oliver. Surely many people would argue with me for putting this cover in a best of list, because frankly, there are far better covers out there. However, it’s the subtext that I love here. I’ve never been a big fan of Jean Grey, but she’s got a look on her face here that makes me finally ‘get’ her a little bit. She’s so nonplussed by these two superhero jackasses fighting over her, their hands literally on her and claiming her, meanwhile on a good day (or bad depending on how you look at it) she could sear the flesh off their bones without a thought. It made me think about that love triangle a little differently than I ever had before (which is saying something considering how long the shit has been going on). What each of the players want, and also what is really wrong with them inside on some level to want it. It’s an impressive cover that can do all that with a character’s expression. Also of note is that Jean, though drawn beautifully, is not looking weak and waif-y, but strong shoulder and wide-hipped, and just, well, powerful. Like a superhero should.

098.

The Amazing Spider-Man #29. John Romita Jr. I think this cover is beautiful. The way the ‘spotlight effect’ falls on the wood and the floor is all really fantastic, and the almost entirely monochromatic look is great as well. Also, while I’ve never been a big fan of Mary Jane myself, this cover speaks volumes about what it might feel like to be the girlfriend (or boyfriend) of a superhero. Cowering and bathed in the oppressive light of their stardom, of the very largeness of their life…it’s interesting.

097.

Buffy Season Eight #5. Jo Chen. Jo Chen does amazing cover work, and the beauty of this cover here is both Chen’s ability to make an illustration look so like Sarah Michelle Gellar and to also retain its own voice. This cover is made extra creepy by the aspect of Buffy tearing off her face, which I believe pertained to some ongoing aspect of this arc, but even if it didn’t, the concept would fit well into the Buffyverse. Buffy is always wearing masks and as such the cover really resonates.

096.

X-Men #24. Andy Kubert. Alright, you caught me. There is really nothing great about this cover. Nothing great except for how it tugs at my 16 year-old heart strings! Sixteen year old Kelly liked nothing better than some Rogue and Gambit action (there’s no accounting for taste I suppose). There are many visual problems with this cover, not the least of which is the absolute eyesore of a giant white artist signature box. However, despite this cover’s obvious flaws, the characters are still well drawn and the moment Kubert captured had fans everywhere on the edge of their romantic seats. Honestly, my 16 year old self is still happy whenever it sees this cover…so long as I can block out everything that writers (and artists) since have done to the characters. I was excited about Chris Claremont’s new run on X-Men Forever, hoping he could rekindle my love for this botched comic book romance, but so far Forever is a big dud. <Sigh>.

095.

Kick-Ass #2. John Romita Jr. I’m a huge NON-fan of John Romita Jr. Whenever he draws those three lines on a woman’s cheek, I guess to define her cheekbones (?) I just want to gag. Who taught him that trick? I hate it! However, this cover (perhaps because there are no cheekbones present?) is pretty awesome. The colors are great and the drawing is nice. It’s a bit off the beaten path for a superhero cover, and since it’s Kick-Ass that’s no real surprise, but it’s nice to get something simple and unique. It looks straightforward and honest, like the book itself.

094.

Powers #10. Michael Avon Oeming. I am always intrigued when I see this cover. The fact that Oeming has conveyed so much in a few black and white lines always blows me away. I find the positive and negative space here to be gorgeous, and most importantly I want to know what Deena is seeing…I want to know what the story is…which at the end of the day is what comic covers are all about.

093.

Wolverine #17. John Byrne. Oh, Wolverine, how medium I feel about you. Listen, I used to love you, just like everyone else, I mean you’re a complete badass. And a great complicated character to boot. However, you’re EVERYWHERE. And I defy others not to admit that they too are a little sick of you. You’re the guest star in every issue of everything, you were an Avenger for a while (and that is SO not a fit), you’re the star in the X-Men films (and cartoon) and then you get your own movie (and cartoon). I mean ENOUGH. You have over-saturated the market to the point where I almost hate you! Stop it! I want to love you again…stop making it so hard!

Ahem. Anyway, this is John Byrne, drawing what has become one of the quintessential ‘Wolverine poses’.

092.

Spider-Man: Blue #3. Tim Sale. It’s a credit to this cover that though I never actually read Loeb’s Spider-Man: Blue, I never forgot this cover…and always wished I owned it. I like the graphic elements that come together here – the nice cartoon-y shape of the Mary Jane figure in the background – the all white positive/negative of her body, combined with the definition and expression in her face – and that awesome hair – very cool. It skirts the line, with the posing and juxtaposition of figures as seeming a little sexual, but it doesn’t quite go over the line (at least not intentionally).

091.

The Spirit #22. Will Eisner. Ah, the birth of the femme fatale. I guess I don’t know who REALLY invented femme fatales, but it’s safe to say that no one did them better in comics than Will Eisner. That man loves him some femme fatales. That said, I’m not a big fan. In general, it’s a pigeon-hole that female characters get trapped in. The trap that says you are insignificant unless you are beautiful and sexy. But, this is our history, and as such, to move beyond it, I guess we’ve got to embrace where we started. Though the stereotypes are in full effect here (blonde bombshell? check. clingy red dress? check. thigh high stockings? check. knife in those stockings? check!) I can still appreciate the beauty of the drawing, and the powerful simplicity of just a beautiful woman on the cover of a comic book…she owns that comic book cover if nothing else.

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A Post About Shorts And Supergirl…You May Think You Know Where I’m Going With This…But Read It Anyway…

July 19, 2009 in art, artists, comics, ross campbell, supergirl | 2 comments

Supergirl with her new shorts (above)

So I’ve been reading all the Supergirl’s shorts posts and posts and posts – there was even a bit about it on NPR apparently – and I wasn’t adding to the discussion because frankly, it’s been very well covered. Also, I agree with the majority opinion (at least what I’ve read – I’ve not polled any actual fanboys to see if they disagree) that the shorts are a WAY overdue addition to Supergirl’s costume.

For the uninformed – some wise men at DC have finally stated that they never want to see Supergirl’s panties again – thus she wears red biker shorts under her skirt from now on. See image above in which Superman’s line of thinking is probably something like this:

“Oh, crap, gee, this is really uncomfortable, I’m supposed to be a hero for the entire planet and now I can see right up my teenage cousin’s skirt and I’m looking at her underwear and OHMIGOD is that her teenage lady parts? Crap…and I’m not looking away…crap…this went bad fast…mental note to never fly behind…or below her again…even in battle…crap – I’m still looking!”

Maybe I’m overstepping, in part because I’ve never been a true Supergirl fan, so I don’t feel like mine should be the voice of changing her, but aren’t the shorts – though totally a step in the right direction – still just a drop in the bucket?

Birds…meet Supergirl’s lady bits!

I mean WHY THE HELL IS SHE WEARING A SKIRT AT ALL? Honestly, I know it sounds petty but this is the single biggest reason I’ve never been able to be a true fan of Supergirl and take her seriously…what kind of superheroine wears a skirt to fight crime in? Especially when one of your most valuable powers is the ability to fly. How does this make any sense?!

Now I’m sure there are some purists out there that love Supergirl and feel that without the skirt she’s just not Supergirl, but c’mon. This costume was a mis-design from go…it might have made some sense forty years ago (though I doubt it) but it’s time to update. REALLY update. No self-respecting superheroine, especially one that by modern standards is relatively modest would be caught dead fighting crime in a miniskirt. Plus, what’s progressive about a miniskirt anyway? If you’re trying to get the teens to sit up an pay attention a flow-y miniskirt is not the ticket. Let’s really take things to the next level and ditch the skirt…entirely. In fact, let’s look at Project Rooftop’s recent request for a Supergirl redesign for inspiration.

My personal favorite by far is Ross Campbell’s hardcore badass Supergirl (see above), I know the purists would likely have my (and Ross’s head) but it’s a step in the right direction if you ask me. If you’re not ready for it then there are a few other skirtless examples on Project Rooftop, and even those that still employ the skirt, do so in a much more modest, practical, and updated way.

But still I say, let’s just slightly update this awesome cry from

“YES! SHORTS! FINALLY!” to

“YES! NO MINISKIRT! FINALLY!”

Our girl deserves it. I might even start reading her books.

Review: The Essential Dykes To Watch Out For

July 9, 2009 in alison bechdel, art, artists, book reviews, books, cartoons, comics | 6 comments

The Essential Dykes To Watch Out For. Alison Bechdel (writer/artist). Graphic Novels/Comics.

So I have a confession. Though I have known Bechdel’s name for years and years (I went to art school and studied comics for christ’s sake), her book Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic was my first real immersion year into her work earlier this year. If you read that review, you know I was pretty blown away. This collection, blew me so away I don’t even know how to articulate it.

One advantage to learning about something suddenly and getting to absorb it all at once (or waiting for too long and absorbing it all at once – see my Y The Last Man post) is that you get the unique experience of just drowning in a new discovery – head first – and without having to look up. I read Bechdel’s Essential Dykes in less than three days (and since it’s 390 full page, text heavy strips, that is no joke) but I could NOT put it down. I just fell head over heels in love with these characters and all their beauty and flaws.

The Good: The absolute best thing about reading Bechdel’s work in a collection like this, maybe especially for me as an artist was the amazing experience of seeing her growth as an artist. Read over time, because Bechdel was a great cartoonist from page one, I don’t know how obvious her evolution would be, but read all in a big chunk like this it was hard to miss the amazing transformation. Check out the page below, an early strip in the collection from 1987 and featuring Clarice and Toni:

And a strip from 1999, featuring the same characters.

It’s just amazing to see the development, the characters are so much more refined (and defined) their looks really having settled in over the years, and Bechdel’s inking has so much more depth, and she’s willing (and able) to tackle much more complex panels, with greater depth of field, without confusing the eye – a real struggle for many cartoonists. Every line seems considered and confident, unlike the early strips, where she was still incredibly competent, but in retrospect obviously still finessing her work. It’s the kind of evolution that a cartoonist of Bechdel’s caliber will probably continue with her entire career and it’s a beautiful thing to behold.

Also fantastic is the subject matter, which Bechdel tackles unflinchingly, whether it be the intimate details of relationships, or potentially unpopular political issues. It’s a slice of life that very few people ever get to see from the inside in such an honest and open way and we should all be grateful for the opportunity – I know I am. I think because of Bechdel’s incredible talent as a cartoonist, her writing often gets ignored (I’m half doing it myself) but I do think it’s important to point out, that it’s the very subtlety with which she writes that is so brilliant. I rarely think about her words – and that – in my opinion – means it’s working – they are effortless and real. As it should be.

The Bad: Nothing bad to report. There were times when the political tirades of Mo (or various others at different points in their lives) wore a little thin, but had I been reading the strips as they were released as opposed to in a couple high intensity sittings I don’t think I would have thought twice about them as anything other than an accurate and important reflection of what was going on in the strip.

The only other negative I can offer, is a completely personal reaction I had to some of the material. Because it is so honest about relationships in particular, including the ways that people often cheat or stray when together for long periods of time, I found that aspect a little depressing. As someone in a long term relationship, and someone who is too familiar with the horrors of cheating, I sometimes felt like giving up on my real life relationship…that if these amazing smart beautiful characters were incapable of staying faithful, maybe it was just an impossible task period…whether you’re real or fictional. But, personal depression aside, Bechdel actually deals with all the relationships – cheating or no – so realistically (some characters work through those hurdles and stay together and others don’t) – that I can’t REALLY complain – it’s no fault of the material – but of the world we live in. But it sometimes made me unbelievably sad. But again, my reaction to those complex relationships was also likely a symptom of reading it in three giant sittings.

The Ugly: Nothing. Let’s look at another gorgeous strip, if only for proof of that:

4.5 Stars.

Review: Funny Misshapen Body

July 8, 2009 in art, artists, book reviews, books, comics | Permalink

Funny Misshapen Body. Jeffrey Brown (writer/illustrator). Graphic Novel/Comics.

If you’re expecting an unbiased review of Brown’s latest book, Funny Misshapen Body, you’re totally in the wrong place. I’m a huge Brown fan and really, he can pretty much do no wrong with me. That said, I really enjoyed his latest offering.

Funny Misshapen Body is essentially the story of Brown’s evolution as a cartoonist, and maybe a to a lesser degree his evolution as a person. Like most of his work, the story is not told sequentially, but in random vignettes that shuttle back and forth in time.

The Good: As always with Brown, he has an incredible way of telling a story simply and honestly – no matter how embarrassing. In Funny Misshapen Body he covers everything from having Crohn’s disease in highschool, to the break up of his first real relationship, and including the horror of trying to get started as an artist and going through the ‘drunk college experience’ – Brown cuts no corners and spares nobody – least of all himself – and it is that honest unflinching look at his life that so endears him to me time after time.

Brown’s signature scratchy style (which you get to see how he came to in this book) remains one of the many ways that I think Brown keeps things honest – drawing straight on the page in pen, with no pencils done beforehand – almost forces the authenticity of his work. There’s no chance to filter, water down, or second guess it. He just draws what he feels and for me, it just works on so many levels.

The Bad: I wouldn’t really rate this as bad, but though I found the subject matter here fascinating, it was slightly less effective for me than I expected, I think in part due to the non-sequential style. I’m not exactly sure why, because even though an evolution seems like a sequential process, it’s really not. There are so many ups and downs and back and forths as you try to figure out who you are in life, and what kind of artist you will be that the non-sequential aspect shouldn’t be a problem – and I have loved that unique element in his other works – but it wasn’t as effective here for me. I can’t quite put my finger on why it was less effective for me here. Perhaps the fact that the vignettes seemed like more fleshed out fully realized stories – longer and more complex than his other stories – and so the out of sequence order became more confusing here, whereas in a work like Unlikely, it was almost impossible to tell things were out of order anyway…I’m really not sure. But at the end of the day it was a bit less successful than I hoped.

The Ugly: For me, there’s not an ugly panel here. For people that are not fans of Brown’s scratchy cartooning style I suppose this is not the book for them. As I’ve said to people that are not on board with Brown’s style before, whether you like it or not, you have to remember that it is a stylistic choice he is making. This is not the only way Brown draws, but he chooses to draw these small, kind of impromtu and unrehearsed panels as a way of further conveying his message. It’s one of the best things about cartoonists that write and draw their own books – the art is so integral to whatever they are trying to tell you – and in my opinion it’s never more true than with Brown’s work. If you don’t get it, you don’t get it, and that’s fine. But for those of us who “get it” there’s nothing better.

4.0 Stars

Batwoman. Alright…Deal Me In For A Hand…

June 27, 2009 in art, artists, batman!, batwoman, book reviews, books, comics | 7 comments

Detective Comics #854. Greg Rucka (writer) J.H. Williams III (illustrator). Fiction – Comics.

First, a confession. I really haven’t been reading mainstream comics. Sure every once in a while I pick up an issue of X-Men, Batman, or Wonder Woman and such, but with the exception of The Walking Dead (and until recently Buffy) I’m never that impressed and so I never bother to keep up. Comics often disappoint me. It’s possible my expectations are just way too high, but comics are just never quite what I want them to be…maybe more to the point…what they were to me in the beginning when I so fell in love. So, especially unemployed, I can’t afford to spend the money unless I’m almost in love. Did you know an average full color comic is four bucks?! Ah, the good old days when they were $1.50…sigh…I’m so old…

Anyway, I only tell you this, so that my review can be taken in the full context of me as a comics reader…compared to the super committed fan. But onward…

[SPOILERS]

The Good: It was well written and fairly easy to follow considering the fact that with most mainstream comics you need to pick up about a thousand issues to understand what’s going on if you just jump on board randomly. I thought Rucka did a good job of juggling both the existing fans that maybe have read those thousand issues and new fans that might be trying out Detective Comics for the first time (since there has been such excitement over Batwoman’s premiere).

So the writing is solid throughout, but it’s the art that’s likely to bring fans back in droves. The art is stunningly good. From the Batwoman/Kate Kane basic design and execution to the individual pages and panels – really just gorgeous stuff. Huge credit is also due to Dave Stewart who did the colors as they are just absolutely dead on and badass.

If we must deal with the whole ‘lesbian thing’ – and I think it would be the most progressive of us if we didn’t even have to talk about it – but we’re clearly not there yet as a society so I’ll comment.

I think it was handled perfectly…in that it wasn’t really handled at all. The scene that gives a glimpse into Kate Kane’s flailing personal life is honest and matter-of-fact, the way I’d expect any other relationship to be handled and so for that, I’m happy. And I hope it continues as such. Time will tell. Rucka tends to write strong women well, whether lesbian or not, and so I have faith that he can handle Kate Kane and all her intricacies.

The Bad: The Batwoman costume design is so perfect – I mean look at those totally sensible – totally badass non-high heeled boots! – that I’m willing to forgive some sins. I mean really…bright red? It looks fantastic on the page, but let’s face it, what ‘creature of the night’ would wear fire engine red on their costume? Anyway, I’m willing to forgive the red, because I am just that generous, but I’m not going to go along with this ‘hair piece thing’.

For those who haven’t seen the designs or read the issue yet, Kate Kane has short very red hair (see below), but as Batwoman she has this same very red hair, but very long and flow-y (see above). They do make a minor plot point out of it in this issue as Batman makes an offhand remark about it (stating that the long hair is a liability), and it is revealed a few pages later to be a wig attached to the mask/helmet. I suppose making Kane seem ‘oh so clever and unpredictable’. But this is forced characterization to me, and one that doesn’t actually work, so I find this annoying and kind of frustrating. Let’s explore…

Do we have this hair situation just so we can have that moment between Batwoman and Batman? If so, it’s not worth it.

Do we have the long hair because we “think it looks better on the page”, much like the fire engine red in the costume? If so, I say we should have broken some boundaries there as well – like with the boots and gone for more realism…especially if you want me to buy all the bright red.

It should also be noted (as seen above) that it totally absolutely does NOT look like a wig attached to a helmet…it looks like hair, or MAYBE a wig attached to her head – which we all know would never stay on in a fight.

And as I obsess over this tiny (and really, let’s face it, totally insignificant detail) I realize (as we all eventually do) that Batman is still right.

The hair is a liability whether it’s real or not. The hair getting pulled as real hair might hurt more – potentially ending a fight by taking our hero down – but if it’s a wig attached to the mask it’s highly likely to aid in yanking the mask off…which is a huge problem.

So at the end of the day, Batman is right (as always) and Kane actually ends up looking a little weak, which I think is probably the opposite of what Rucka intended. Bottomline: Kane should ditch the wig. If she’s concerned about being identified I say she goes with a full head mask/helmet like Batman. If that’s not the concern then no reason her regular awesome short hair can’t be the hair that goes with her badass costume.

But when this is the only complaint I can come up with for “The Bad” you know you’re doing something right.

The Ugly: Not an ugly thing about this book. Personally, I found the action page layouts to be a little fussy and unnecessarily difficult to follow. But I think that’s personal taste. I tend to prefer more standard/basic comic book layouts – whether action scene or not. Although I have to give credit to Williams III, if you’re going to do crazy layouts, do them as well as he does – they’re well thought out and from a graphic design standpoint are quite frankly stunning. I just happen to prefer readability to graphic design achievement (in comics that is).

one of the less complicated action pages

Overall I give this issue 4.0 Stars (out of 5) and I will definitely be following along…until I’m totally hooked or until these guys screw up. So I’m in for another hand…at least.*

*I didn’t want to confuse the issue by also talking about the “Second Feature – The Question” eight page story in the back of this issue, but it’s a good story – well written and well drawn and is something I’m excited to read – which is rare – usually those “second features” are total throwaways – so nice work Rucka and Hamner.

Review: PS Comics

June 26, 2009 in art, artists, book reviews, books, comics | Permalink

P.S. Comics. Melanie “Minty” Lewis. Fiction – Graphic Novel/Comics

I picked this up totally randomly last week at the comic book store. And it’s a great little book. And completely what I was in the mood for. I’m also glad I purchased it because these are the kind of books that I want (need!) to survive in comics. Totally off the beaten path, with good, but ‘affordable’ production design (i.e. no color), etc.

After doing a little research I found that Lewis’ P.S. Comics started as mini-comics (I suppose self published) and have gained enough awards and recognition to make the leap to full blown book in local comic stores – which is fantastic. Lewis’ issue #4 of the original mini-comic even won an Ignatz Award for ‘outstanding mini-comic’.

Lewis’ stories are mostly simple little tales that reveal tiny but important truths and are told via unconventional narrators – fruit, dogs, cats, and sometimes even humans. My favorite tale of hers (available to read on her website if you’re so inclined) was about salt and sugar falling in love. Their friends (pepper and coffee) of course make things a bit difficult for them, but their love prevails…at least for a little while. It’s a great little story and I smiled all the way through. Her dog and cat stories are good as well, but I personally found myself drawn more to her fruit stories – perhaps because I identified with poor apple – but that’s a whole other post.

Regardless, this is a great little book, and I encourage anyone that likes independent comics, or is looking to discover something new, to pick up P.S. Comics.

3.5 Stars

Review: Runaways Vol. 2 & Vol. 3

June 25, 2009 in art, artists, book reviews, comics | Permalink

Runaways Vol 2 & Vol 3 (issues #1 – 24). Brian K. Vaughan (writer) Adrian Alphona, Takeshi Miyazawa, and Mike Norton (illustrators). Graphic Novels/Comics

Runaways is still better than most mainstream (especially superhero) comics out there. But I have to be honest that Volumes 2 & 3 fell considerably for me from the bar Volume 1 set. Like Volume 1, the strongest aspect of Volume 2 & 3 are Vaughan and Alphona’s likable realistic characters and the fantastic art. But also like Volume 1, the weakest aspect in the subsequent books is the forced plot.

[SPOILERS]

As I read Volume 2 and 3 however I had to consider that maybe I’m just too old to be reading Runaways…maybe it succeeds on all levels and I fail it by simply being too old? It’s entirely possible, because like Volume 1, Volumes 2 and 3 are beautifully drawn and well written, but I just can’t seem to fall in love. I found the plot to be weak in these two volumes overall and I really wasn’t pleased that Vaughan killed my favorite character (Gert). Though it’s possible she could come back, in a way I hope she’ll stay dead as bringing characters back from the dead in comics is one of my least favorite and most overused devices. There were some great little arcs in these two volumes: Karolina’s off world love story and subsequent growth is interesting and her fiance a good new complex character; the ‘Gert from the future’ story was pretty cool and inspired; the bit with Spiderman eating sushi and Wolverine fighting Molly was fun, as was Molly’s one issue adventure as a sewer thief, but that’s about where my enjoyment ended.

Aw Gert, I’ll miss you.

[MORE SPOILERS]

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Review: The Eternal Smile

June 23, 2009 in art, artists, book reviews, books, comics, graphic novels | Permalink

The Eternal Smile. Derek Kirk Kim and Gene Luen Yang. Fiction – Graphic Novel/Comics.

I picked up The Eternal Smile because of Vulture’s excerpt of one of the stories in this collection of three – and I was not disappointed (click on the Vulture link to read a large excerpt). That story, Urgent Request, is one of my favorite short graphic stories I’ve ever read. I loved the concept and the execution equally and had I liked all the stories in The Eternal Smile as much, I would have been hard pressed to give this collection anything less than a 5 star rating.

Unfortunately, and largely based I think, on personal preference alone, the other two stories just didn’t speak to me as Urgent Request did. The art is well executed and lovely in all three stories, though different stylistically, which is a nice treat. Urgent Request is the style that I personally find the most visually interesting and emotionally engaging, though Duncan’s Kingdom is drawn vividly and is complex in its own right. The pages are really quite beautiful and I wish more mainstream comics were drawn as well as it is. Gran’pa Greenbax and The Eternal Smile was the least interesting visually for me, though still, excellent in execution overall.

Excerpt from Urgent Request.

Unfortunately, though there is nothing wrong with Duncan’s Kingdom or Gran’pa Greenbax and The Eternal Smile and each bring nice stuff to the table, neither really did it for me plot/concept wise. Neither story was as nuanced or poignant as Urgent Request and thus ended up suffering in comparison. Urgent Request is a story about a shy, mild mannered office worker named Janet and her experiences with an urgent email request for assistance from Africa. Janet makes unique choices and as such gets unique results and I found the story to be charming and innocent and missing the cynicism of ‘real life’ in all the good ways. Duncan’s Kingdom is the story of a knight that makes good, but just can’t leave well enough alone, and through his own curiosity unravels the wonderful life he’s set up for himself. Gran’pa Greenbax and The Eternal Smile is a loose parody of Uncle Scrooge and Ducktales (which I was never really a fan of – perhaps why this story didn’t hit home for me) and touches on interesting themes like money and religion. The ‘Eternal Smile’ part of the Gran’pa Greenbax story is rather insightful and interesting, but that alone couldn’t save the story as a whole for me. But don’t get me wrong – Duncan’s Kingdom and Gran’pa Greenbax and The Eternal Smile are not bad stories – not at all – they just didn’t live up to Urgent Request for me and so I was left feeling that Yang and Kim could have done better.

Even if you feel mixed about the collection, as I did, it’s still more than worth the $16.95 purchase price – beautiful packaging, stunning artwork, and thoughtful stories, and you never know, you may prefer different stories – or love them all.

Overall I give the collection 3.0 Stars, though if I was rating the pieces separately I’d break it down thus:

Urgent Request: 4.5 Stars

Duncan’s Kingdom: 3.5 Stars

Gran’pa Greenbax and The Eternal Smile: 3.0 Stars

Review: Runaways Vol.1

June 22, 2009 in art, artists, book reviews, comics | Permalink

Runaways Vol. 1 (issues #1 – 18). Brian K. Vaughan (writer), Adrian Alphona and Takeshi Miyazawa (illustrators). Graphic Novel/Comics

So here’s the biggest problem with Runaways…I read it after Y The Last Man.

So though it’s very good…it’s not even close to Y The Last Man and so ultimately, I was disappointed. I’m going to try my best to review Runaways without comparing it to Y…we’ll see how I do.

Let’s talk about the art first, if only because it’s easier. Alphona is responsible for the bulk of the eighteen issues, with Miyazawa penciling only two of the whole volume (#11 & 12) and it’s to their credit that you almost don’t notice the switch…which is especially important in the collected work, so that it reads flawlessly without the characters changing drastically from issue to issue. Frankly, I barely noticed the change and part of that credit should go to the inkers and colorists of the book (Craig Yeung and David Newbold inks and Christina Strain and Brian Reber colors) for keeping with the beautiful overall look and consistency.

The character designs are also particularly good in this book, and specifically for a teen book they are well considered and realistic, with some variety in ethnicity and body type and style, as teenagers really are. The artists (all of them) keep everything nice and consistent within that framework throughout.

Now onto the actual characters. I like Vaughan and Alphona’s characters. This is the strongest aspect to me of Vaughan’s work in the book. They’re interesting and work as teenagers, and it’s nice that there are more girls than boys (Vaughan continues to write women – and girls – very well). I also really liked their powers, which are unique and not always pretty. One character (Nico) has to bleed in order for a giant ass scepter to come out of her chest…not exactly like your run of the mill super strength. Another character (Gert) has a pet velocirapter (Old Lace – which it turns out may not actually be a velocirapter) that is connected to her both physically and mentally. Old Lace will do Gert’s bidding and will do anything to protect her but when Old Lace is hurt, Gert is hurt; and on top of that, Gert has no powers except for her link to her pet, and so she is pretty vulnerable as ‘superheroes’ go.

All the powers are pretty interesting, including the brute strength of the team, which is found in the youngest member, eleven year old Molly. Karolina wins for best drawn power as her light power is absolutely fabulously rendered. The book is also well written, especially by comics standards (which frankly, are generally too low for my tastes) but Vaughan delivers – the characters speak realistically and bottom line – it’s just consistently well written.

[SPOILERS]

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