Weekly Round-Up #5

Reviews, Top Story

Well, 201o is off to a good start, with a good showing of impressive Indie books, and some quality product from the Big Two.

Best Book of the Week:

Stumptown #2

Written by Greg Rucka
Art by Matthew Southworth

I’m really enjoying this title. On the surface, this is a pretty simple book – girl private eye who seems to engender equal amounts of respect and disdain, suffering from financial troubles and life’s other complications. It’s Alias, without the super-powers.

However, Rucka has invested Dexedrine Parios with so much character that she practically breathes on the page. He is dribbling out information about Dex (what’s all that between her and the police commander?) while weaving a very compelling mystery story. What really makes Dex work for me is her relationship with her brother; it grounds her and makes her much more interesting.

Southworth’s art is quite strong, and I appreciate the amount of time and research he has put into depicting Portland. The colours, by Lee Loughridge, are quite washed out and a little bland, but that seems to be in the service of creating a mood.

This is a great comic that anyone who enjoyed Alias, Queen & Country or Local should enjoy.

Other Notable Books:

Forgetless #2

Written by Nick Spencer
Art by Jorge Coelho and Marley Zarcone

I found the first issue of Forgetless to be a really nice surprise – I had entered it with no preconceived notions, and really enjoyed it. The second issue continues to impress. Spencer is taking a Rashomon-like approach to his story, slowly piecing together the story of why the two models are looking to kill some guy at the Forgetless club night.

This time around, we get the guy, Derrick’s, story. It turns out, he’s a bit of a goof. He and his friend go around filming him having sex with buildings, all in an effort to gain Youtube notoriety. When his friend is hired to help hypnotize an ‘ex-gay’ man into hating internet porn, and Derrick discovers a strange truth about their daughter, he decides to make a new video, which leads to the act that got him in trouble in the first issue. It sounds complicated, but the story plays out quite naturally.

The second story features the same trio of Jersey teens, and their quest for false ID so they too can attend Forgetless.

This is a fun, and quite funny, title. I see that Spencer has a cop book coming out soon, Shuddertown. I think I’ll have to give that a try too…

Greek Street #7

Written by Peter Milligan
Art by Davide Gianfelice

Greek Street moves ever closer to coherence, as sub-plots begin to intertwine and Rashid, a muslim police inspector working with Dedalus, begins to grasp the true nature of events: that ‘all this has happened before, and will happen again’, to borrow from Battlestar Galactica.

I’m pleased I decided to stick it out through the first few, much rougher, issues of this title. It’s not the greatest thing that Milligan has ever written, but there’s something about it that I find compelling.

The Mighty #12

Written by Peter Tomasi and Keith Champagne
Art by Chris Samnee

And, another under-promoted, quality comic bites the dust. At least DC allowed Tomasi and Champagne the opportunity to bring their story to a close in a way that felt natural and not too rushed. This has been a pretty good story about a Superman character (Alpha One was a dumb name though) who was not as altruistic as he seemed.

At the centre of the comic has been Cole, Alpha One’s most trusted ‘chum’, who has discovered the truth, and gained powers along the way. His relationship with his wife is the driving force behind almost the entire series, and it was written really well.

Samnee’s art was magnificent throughout his run on the title, picking up from the incomparable Peter Snejbjerg. This comic should read very well in trade, and I hope it finds itself more of an audience.

Orc Stain #1

by James Stokoe

James Stokoe’s work is quite unique, with the exception, perhaps, of work done by Brandon Graham. Both artists marry a European sensibility to manga, and create comics that feel like they surf the stream of consciousness. Stokoe’s Wonton Soup is a wonderful series about intergalactic foodie truckers, and it is a prime example of his unbounded imagination.

Orc Stain is his new monthly title from Image. It’s about Orcs, the foot soldiers of the Lord of the Rings books, and countless other fantasy stories. In this comic, the fractious and internecine Orc tribes have been united under the grip of the Orctzar, who is searching for something called the Ganga-Gronch, which is some sort of phallic symbol, apparently. He learns that it can only be recovered by a one-eyed Orc.

At this point, the narrative switches to said one-eyed creature, who is a scavenger and robber, with incredible skills at opening things, such as safes embedded into bears. This is when you know you are reading a Stokoe comic – the endless stream of ridiculous (yet masterfully designed) inventions and details can be overwhelming.

Stokoe’s art is incredibly detailed and frenetic, and his colours look fantastic. He’s chosen to shade the world in greens, purples, and blues, making it clear that this is no ordinary world. This looks to be one of the most inventive and unexpected books of 2010.

Proof #25

Written by Alex Grecian
Art by Riley Rossmo

Proof returns to the comics shelves with an extra-sized, 25th anniversary issue. It is worth commenting on how notable that is – not many independent comics make it that far, and up until recently, the book was remarkably dependable in terms of its publication schedule.

In this issue, perhaps as a tribute to how much time has passed, the story is set one year in the future, where the Lodge has become a war zone, and Wayne (Proof’s old partner) is fighting against the Colonel. Each side has a number of familiar faces on it, although there is no sign on Proof.

I’m not sure if this is a ‘Days of Future Past’ kind of thing, which might never come to pass, or if Grecian is outlining his plans for the re-launch of this title later in the year. Regardless, it’s an interesting, if unconventional, issue.

Also included is the first ever Proof story, along with a note explaining why it can’t be considered canon. It’s good stuff.

Resurrection #6

Written by Marc Guggenheim and Christos Gage
Art by Justin Greenwood and John Proctor

I’m still quite enjoying this book, as Sara, Bill Clinton and company discuss the wisdom of traveling to DC to try to re-establish the government, while Dolan discovers, and suppresses, further proof that Clinton is alive.

As usual, this book works quite well, although the fact that Ben didn’t appear in this issue makes me wonder if he is in fact dead.

The main story ended too quickly (I kind of wish the main feature would be longer), although I quite enjoyed Gage and Proctors’ back-up, about a man who spent most of the invasion trying to protect Hollywood’s cultural treasures from destruction. I really like Proctor’s art, and would like to see more of it.

Sweet Tooth #5

by Jeff Lemire

The first arc of this new series ends pretty much where I expected it to – the Preserve is not that nice a place. While I’m sure none of the readers were surprised by that turn of events, Gus seems to be. Even after his dead father comes back to tell him otherwise, he still believes that Jeppard is a good man, although I think that might yet be proven to be true.

Lemire’s oddball series is quite gripping. It’s more decompressed than I would like, but he has kept my interest. As always with these types of stories, I would like to know a little more about how the world has ended up this way, but if it takes a while to get there, I don’t mind.

Quick Takes

Blackest Night #6 – This has been an enjoyable cross-over, but I have to agree with the critics that have referred to it as glorified fan fiction – the team put together at the end of the book is a bit ridiculous, although I got a kick out of seeing Ray Palmer back in the ‘Sword of the Atom’ era costume.

Doom Patrol #6I told myself I wasn’t going to buy this title until the Metal Men back-up finishes (I couldn’t even read the whole thing), but then Giffen made this issue a spotlight on the Negative Man, who has always been my favourite member of the Doom Patrol.  In this book, Giffen tries his best to reconcile the different incarnations of the Negative Man, including Rebis, into one cohesive whole.  I like that he is recognizing Grant Morrisons’ run on this title, bringing back Crazy Jane in a future issue as well.  It comes off slightly awkward, but is worth reading.  Clark does a good job of aping the style of relevant artists for the different eras as well.

Gigantic #5 – This comic is ridiculously late, so maybe that’s why I don’t know who the guy with the big head is, but really, I stopped caring a while ago.  Both Remender and Nguyen have done better work (together – check out the start of Strange Girl), and this title was all about not living up to potential.

The Great Ten #3 – Bedard should get way more recognition than he does; this guy can write some of the best super-hero books on the market.  This issue is perhaps not as strong as the two previous, but I have been enjoying the way he has been building the backstory of China’s heroes while maintaining an interesting plotline.  He has a lot of characters to juggle, and it’s working quite well.  I don’t even mind McDaniel’s art here….

Jonah Hex #51It’s nice to see Dick Giordano getting work, as he draws this dark story of betrayal and divining rods.  It’s nice having Hex back on a done-in-one tip, as I felt the Six-Gun War ran way too long.

JSA All-Stars #2 – I told myself I was done with the JSA and its spin-offs until they got better again, but I thought I’d give this book one more chance.  It was a mistake.  And that makes me sad – I love the JSA.

Nation X: X-Factor #1 – This rather random one-shot (in the current Marvel tradition) is one of the best written superhero comics I’ve read lately.  Sure, the ‘threat’, such as it is, is included only so there could be a fight scene, but the rest of the comic is one terrific example of characterization after another, as Madrox’s X-Factor (including some people who were supposedly missing or left) goes to Utopia to visit the X-Men, and see if the two teams can reconcile their differences.  David has a strong handle on almost everyone here, with a couple genuinely funny moments, and the long-awaited Longshot/Dazzler reunion.  Good stuff.

New Mutants #9 – I liked the look of Davidson’s art in this issue, and found it to be a pretty good comic.  I’m intrigued by the stuff with Illyanna, although I’m still not convinced that this comic needs to exist.  Really, not much happens in this issue, but Wells demonstrates he has a good handle on these characters.

Siege #1This is probably the ‘biggest deal’ book of the week, and it’s perfectly fine.  I like that they are only making this a four-issue series, as opposed to the bloated events of the last few years, but it feels rushed; Osborn would wait more than a day to launch his attack on Asgard, because it hasn’t given him time to build up public support.  I’ve been reading Osborn and this ‘Dark Reign’ stuff as a comics metaphor for the GW Bush regime, and as we learned, when you’re going to mount an invasion on another country (or city of the gods), you build up support among your base first, and lie to the UN.  Osborn just rushes in…

Suicide Squad #67 – Even if the rest of the Blackest Night crossover was an abysmal failure, both creatively and financially, it would earn a warm spot in my memory for the fact that it resurrected a few long-dead DC series for one more issue, including Suicide Squad, one of my most favorite comics of all times.  True, this issue read like an issue of The Secret Six, featuring the Squad, but there’s nothing wrong with that at all, when Secret Six is one of the best DC books on the stands today.  It’s great to see Amanda Waller, the Bronze Tiger, and some of the others getting dusted off and used once again, and really nice to see that John Ostrander is getting some recognition and respect.  I would have liked to see Luke McDonnell on the art, for old times sake, but still, this comic made me very happy.

Superman: World of New Krypton #11This title has gone full circle again, ending up pretty much where it was around about issue #3.  Increasingly, it feels like DC has just been treading water on the Superman books, waiting for Blackest Night to end so they can move to their next story.  The strange thing is, I never bought the Super titles until they got Johns, Robinson, and Rucka on them.

Books I Would Have Bought if They Weren’t $4:

Marvel Boy Uranian #1

Siege Embedded #1

The Week’s Graphic Novels:

Jimmy Corrigan, The Smartest Kid on Earth

by Chris Ware

This is an incredible, and incredibly complicated, piece of work. On the surface, Ware’s novel seems simple – a lonely and socially maladjusted guy, with a domineering mother, accepts an invitation to stay with the father he never met. Running parallel to this story is the story of Jimmy’s grandfather, also a Jimmy, who had a difficult relationship with his own father in turn of the century Chicago.

Ware’s characters all have trouble communicating, misread situations, and stumble through life. He is excellent at writing stilted, awkward dialogue, and there are many places where the reader cringes for these characters.

The structure of the book is complex; scenes jump around without a lot of exposition, and the page layouts are unconventional. Ware’s art is quite simple, and for some reason he avoids portraying the faces of characters other than the Jimmys and their fathers. There are a lot of people who talk into their shoulders… The draftsmanship of the larger panels, especially the ones portraying the World’s Fair or the small town where Jimmy’s dad lives, are remarkable.

This is a highly eccentric piece of work, and a very rewarding one.

The Highwaymen

Written by Marc Bernardin and Adam Freeman

Art by Lee Garbett

When this comic originally came out, I remember it getting a lot of positive press on the internet. Reading it in trade, I can see why this book was well-received. It’s a high energy action movie in comic form, but done properly, and without giving in to too much Hollywood excess.
Mr. McQueen and Able Monroe were heroes back in the day – the Highwaymen. They seem to have been a mix of the Avengers (think Mr. Steed without Emma Peel), Knight Rider (if Kit couldn’t talk and David Hasselhoff had a friend), and Power Man and Iron Fist, with a dash of James Bond. If that makes sense to you…
So, these two guys have been retired for years, except something has happened which has triggered the delivery of a message from a long-dead Bill Clinton, bringing them back into the field for one last mission: to find a young girl and take her to the Centre for Disease Control.
There are groups of guys in suits chasing them (some are enhanced), and they get to drive around in a very cool car full of cool gadgets. There’s nothing particularly groundbreaking about this series, but the authors manage to strike a nice balance between humour, action, and a dash of political conspiracy. It is a good ride.
Lee Garbett’s art looks very nice here. The only other time I’ve read his work was on a Batman or Detective fill-in, where it was just okay. Here, he seems to be more confident. His facial expressions remind me a lot of Frank Quitely, but seen through a filter of Giuseppe Camuncoli. I would like to see more of his work in this vein.
My only complaint with this trade is that they don’t include all of the original series covers, which is a shame as they are by Brian Stelfreeze, whose work I usually enjoy quite a bit. That is a beef with me – it can’t be cost-prohibitive to add five or six pages to a trade paperback, and so the covers should always be included.

Pizzeria Kamikaze

Written by Etgar Keret
Art by Asaf Hanuka

This is a very cool little comic out of Israel. Mordy is a young suicide, who has woken up in a strange, crummy world populated solely by people who offed themselves. People carry with them the marks of their demise – bullet holes and slashed wrists abound, except for the Juliets like Mordy, who did themselves in with pills or poison.

The world seems to operate much like ours, except for the tendency for ‘insignificant’ miracles to occur, although they never really matter. The other main difference is that people seem to just shuffle around through their lives, lacking purpose or drive.

Mordy makes friends with a guy called Uzi, and they just hang out, until Mordy gets news that his girlfriend from life has arrived somewhere in the country. This prompts a rather odd little road trip, as Mordy and Uzi leave the city to search for her. Along the way, they meet a few people, eat some ice cream, and discover a death cult.

The story is quite well-written, reminding me a great deal of Jim Munroe’s post-rapture comics Therefore Repent! and Sword of my Mouth. Hanuka’s art is very nice, and the decision to print the book with a metallic silver ink instead of black adds an otherworldly sheen to everything that happens.

Album of the Week:

Mulatu Astatke – New York – Addis – London: The Story of Ethio Jazz 1965-1975

Get in touch and share your thoughts on what I've written: jfulton@insidepulse.com