Top of the Pile - 12/19/12

FF #2
By Matt Fraction, Mike and Laura Allred
Published by Marvel

The Marvel NOW is going along pretty well. Of the books I have picked up, I have liked them fine. But the Jonathan Hickman Fantastic Four and FF were two books I looked forward to each month. And now that Matt Fraction is writing these, I’m a little more skeptical. Where Hickman thought cosmically with alternate universes and time jumps, Fraction is only dealing with one alternate universe. This saves on much confusion. The FF book tells the story of four replacement members of the Fantastic Four, (Ant-Man, She Hulk, Medusa and Ms. Thing) who are minding the story while the real Fantastic Four is away. Technically for only 4 minutes, something goes wrong and the replacements term of service is much longer.

I like this book. With all new characters, personalities are much more pronounced in this new iteration of the book. There is some fun moments and good action. In this issue, much like the first issue of Fantastic Four from 1961, The Mole Man attacks because he’s offended that these upstart newcomers are not the “real” Fantastic Four.

And with the unique artwork by the Allreds, this book should be fun as long as the creative team sticks together. I really enjoyed his work in I, Zombie and his style is so different than most Marvel books, it is definitely a positive aspect of this book. The humor also comes in a visual style as Medusa is ringing a bell for a maid to serve her, and being ignored as all the others are eating breakfast together.

So is this good for libraries? Indeed. Rated T+, there is the usual fantasy violence. But as for language and sex, there is nothing that wouldn't be appropriate for a young adult collection.

Top of the Pile - 11/28/12

Three Books from Image

Morning Glories #23
Chew #30
Fatale #10

Since three of the more interesting titles came in this week (all from Image Comics), I figure I’ll give a quick blast out on my thoughts on these books.

The actual first book I read was Morning Glories number 23. The previous book, number 22, came out almost two months ago and I really didn’t remember much of the confusing storyline. To be honest, I don’t remember many of the characters either, but I think I like this book in an odd way. I find the art by Joe Eisma the best part I most look forward to when a new issue comes in. I would buy the collected volumes of this for my library. And it could go into the YA area with a little wink and nod since there are some violent images thought this series.

Chew number 30 was next up. With a fold-out covers showing the wedding of Toni Chu, this is the last book in a five issue story arc called Space Cakes. I still find this book very clever and funny (there is usually one or two tasteless puns that make laugh out loud), I always try and recommend this to the teens who come into the library. I placed the first two volumes in the adult non-fiction area because of the cannibalism and profane language.

And finally Fatale number 10 was the last of the three. Like Chew, this is the end of a story arc. This neo-noir story wraps up with the ritual sacrifices, bloody murders and manipulations to come to a satisfying conclusion. However, I’m not sure if this is a graphic story that would appeal to many library readers (who tend to be the teens in my facility). I don’t think they would have the understanding of the hard-boiled stories to appreciate the effect the creators are striving for. Perhaps if it were shelved in the fiction area next to the other similar stories, it would get more life. But I believe it would get lost in the collection without much pimping of the library staff.

So those were the book at the top of my pile this week.

Top of the Pile 11/14/12

Fantastic Four #1
Written by Matt Fraction
Pencils by Mark Bagley
Inks by Mark Farmer
Color by Paul Mounts
Published by Marvel

I really liked the previous run on Fantastic Four by Johnathan Hickman, and with the renumbering of the NOW! Marvel is doing, this is their restarting of their original super hero group. And it looks pretty good, in a traditional kind of way. It has the same "family" feeling I remember with the John Byrne run on FF years ago.

The story maintains the setting and characters, with all the children from the Freedom Foundation running around the Baxter Building. Also, Johnny Storm still has pull in the Negative Zone after taking over from Annihilus. But the story starts off with Mr. Fantastic getting bit by a dinosaur and starting an irreversible degradation in his unstable, cosmic irradiated molecules. Meanwhile, Franklin Richards is having bad dreams and dreading going into space.

I like Matt Fraction’s work. It’s not quite as far out as Hickman’s, but it has some super sci-fi moments. And so far with the first issue, he has left the narrative wide open allowing for the potential to run the Fantastic Four through some crazy stories. I’m looking forward to where it might go.

And the art by Mark Bagley is fine. His character drawing is very good and his space ships and sciency backgrounds are detailed and interesting. And like I say, as long as the pictures doesn’t distract from the story, it’s a good thing.

I have always thought the Fantastic Four was a good book for any public library. The art and stories are consistently good. And though the Avengers and X-Men might be the big, popular Marvel properties, hopefully this book will find a good audience.

Top of the Pile 11/07/12

Deadpool #1
Written by Gerry Duggan and Brian Posehn
Art by Tony Moore
Cover by Geoff Darrow

Marvel is renumbering their books. We had Uncanny Avengers a couple months ago and more books are coming out each week with their Marvel Now! promotion. I had collected the previous volume of Deadpool since it started some 40 issues or so ago and really enjoyed their crazy stories. But now with a new creative team, we start fresh with a new #1.

First off, the cover by Geoff Darrow made me chuckle. With his hyper detailed bullet shelled picture, Deadpool seems to be shooting Godzilla who is vomiting up cats. Whatever. It’s just absurd, which is what Deadpool personifies.

As for the story, it starts off when Harry S. Truman is resurrected and then decapitated by Captain America. Some villain named the Necromancer is going around raising dead US Presidents. SHIELD, trying to end this hires Deadpool to take care of it quietly.

Written by Gerry Duggan and Brian Posehn, the story is clever and filled with horrible puns. It’s kind of like reading an episode of Mystery Science Theater 3000. But unfortunately, some of the inside jokes might be too much. I kind of gotten used to the previous Deadpool where he had two inner voices (and sometimes more) arguing with his dialog bubbles.

I kind of dig the art by Tony Moore. It’s rough and visceral. And with the resurrected Presidents, it has a Zombiesque feel and Deadpool doesn’t look much better. But the action flows and there is no problems following the story. That, in my opinion, makes for a really good comic artist.

One this issue, I noticed more of the AR symbol indicating that it uses the augmented reality. The cover image pulled up a kookie background video of Deadpool giving his history and such. Inside, we get to see some videos of the writers explaining the book. All pretty normal. But the best AR page was at the back of the book where there were a couple dozen resurrected presidents and the video went and identified each of them. I knew about two thirds of them.

Would I add this to a public library collection? Sure. So far after a single issue, it seems pretty cool. It has the “parental advisory” on the cover so it would not go into the children’s area. But I could justify it being in the YA collection with some contorted justifications.

Top of the Pile 10/24/12

Journey into Mystery #645
Story by Kieron Gillen
Art by Stephanie Hans
Marvel Comics

This is the end of a long story by Kieron Gillen. Starting with a young, resurrected Loki, we follow as he tries to change the whole god of evil – must kill my half-brother Thor trope. Through a couple story arcs that had the potential of ending the universe, young Loki uses his cunning for good throughout. With varying results, he usually comes out on top and saves the nine realms from some nasty fate.

With issue 645, we are presented with the aftermath of the “Everything Burns” crossover event. Through the various plots and schemes from the previous issues, Loki has unleashed Surtur (a huge fire demon) who likes to burn things. And as everything comes apart and the outcome looks catastrophic, young Loki rewrites reality and saves the day. In this aftermath, we learn that the loose ends will require young Loki to sacrifice his essence to save (yet again) everything.

I have enjoyed this book. I have mentioned that the Norse Marvel stories have always been a fun read. And with this reinterpretation of Loki, different types of stories were told. Not good versus evil in a huge fight, but a good tricking evil at its own game. There is an interesting panel where it shows some demon getting a book from a magpie with the title “Journey into Mystery: A Comedy in Thirty Parts (Or a Tragedy in Thirty-One)”. This made me chuckle and kind of broke the fourth wall a little.

The art by Stephanie Hans is very good. Unlike the Alan Davis Norse stories, there are no huge muscle battles. Instead, we see young Loki setting up with his past and decisions. It has a melancholy feel and a palette of greens and reds. I’ll have to keep my eyes out for other works by her.

As for adding this book to a library, I would definitely do so without hesitation. Teen hero? Tough life choices? Fate of the universe? Potential love story? All make for a compelling young adult novel. And with the benefit of great art and Marvel marketing, any library would do well with this book.

Top of the Pile - 10/17/12

Chew #29
Story by John Layman

Art by Rob Guillory

There wasn’t a huge pile this week. Just 8 books. So what ended up at the top of the pile this week was Chew #29. Chew is an interesting book from John Layman and Rob Guillory about a post bird flu world where chicken is outlawed. Government agencies like the FDA, NASA and USDA have extraordinary powers police powers to maintain order.

This books been going on for a couple years now and it’s established its style. John Layman writes ridiculous plots and characters that are laugh out loud funny. And there is fun artwork by Rob Guillory with many little background elements that make you look extra-long at each page. And some weird cliff hanger that leaves you guessing until the next issue. One thing that was missing was all the damn cat pictures at the end of the book. (I’m not a cat person…)

This issue is part 4 of a 5 part story called Space Cakes. It’s not the best issue of Chew that I have read, but it was still fun. I don’t know if Space Cakes has the most concise plot and I’m sure to have fun as it wraps up. This is the type of series you would lost reading if you picked it up in the middle. So as a single issue I can’t really recommend it. But as a series, it’s been one of my favorites. Does that make sense?

As for adding Chew to public library collections, it is a good book to select. I have purchased the first two volumes of the collected volumes. They are in the adult non-fiction area for the profane language and cannibalism. They check out pretty well but unfortunately I don’t select in that area anymore.

Top of the Pile - 10/10/12

Uncanny Avengers #1
Written by Rick Remender
Art by John Cassaday
Inks by Laura Martin

Since I’ve been out of town, it’s been a couple weeks since I’ve posted. But I’m back and into my regular swing of things. This week I picked up 8 books and the big title this time is the first in the Marvel Now! Reboot, Uncanny Avengers.

Marvel is doing a huge multi-title reboot and after the last one of Avengers vs. X-Men, having them come together in some way seems the obvious direction. The book starts off at Charles Xaviers’ funeral with Cyclops in prison and Havoc asked to join the Avengers by Captain America (because “someone has to stand up and represent the mutants.”) Also some of the other highlights in the book include, Rouge and Scarlet Witch getting angry with each other, Wolverine eulogizing, and a couple of brains removed from corpses (which is really pretty gruesome).

It’s been a long time since I’ve read many X books. But it looks like Rick Remender has written for both the Uncanny X-Force and Secret Avengers titles for a while. So he knows the lay of the land when it comes to Marvel. And with this book, he is starting to lay the plans for the next story arc. We see which character is stealing brains. We see the characters begin to deal with the loss of Professor X. And we see the fallout from the previous Marvel mega storyline AvX. Remender has many different ways to go and he seems to have some good ideas.

And with John Cassaday doing the art, there is no loss of clarity in the story. Cassaday’s style is clear as always and enhances the plot wonderfully. I like that his depictions of superheroes isn’t exaggerated in any way. They look like fit normal people. (Thor is a little beefier, but he is a god after all.) I’m sure other artists would do just as fine with a book of this scope, but having Cassaday on it makes it that much more pleasurable a read.

As for picking up more of this title, I think I’ll hold off. I’m already spending a little too much of my budget on comics, so picking up a new book with the potential of having cross title storylines is more than I could handle. But if I have the opportunity and funds at my library, I would pick up the collected volume for our collection. But with the level of violence in the book I would not put it in the juvenile area. The teen shelves is where this title would go.

Top of the Pile 9/19/2012

Written by Bill Willingham
Art by Mark Buckingham and Steve Leialoha
Backup Art by Shawn McManus
Cover by Joao Ruas

Fables is fast becoming the longest series I have stuck with. I’d still be getting Hellblazer, but the college thing got in the way. But with Fables 121, we reach the end of an eight part story arc “Cubs in Toyland”. In the story, one of Snow White and Bigby Wolf’s daughters, Therese, is swept away to the dead Kingdom of Toyland. There we find out that all the broken toys have dark secrets and have kidnapped her to try and revive and fix the land. Her brother Dare, on Therese trail, does everything he can and more to try and rescue her.

Bill Willingham has written another interesting story. Instead of using the traditional fable characters, this story is filled with the original characters of the children he has created. So there is no baggage of how Pinocchio or Beauty and the Beast would be portrayed. Therese, up to this point, was written and a whiny, selfish little girl. And Dare was a boisterous almost bullying boy. Both go through dramatic changes in this story and it will be interesting to see how their continuing story is told in the book.

And I don’t know how long Mark Buckingham has been working doing the artwork for Fables. But his work is as much a part of the book as everything Willingham does. And the cover art each month for just about every issue is as close to fine art as anything on the comic book shelf. And this issues cover is one of the most sorrowful images I have seen in a while.

I’m glad I put this at the top of my pile and I’m ecstatic that even after 121 issues, Fables is a book I still look forward to each month.

Top of the Pile 9/12/2012

The Manhattan Projects #6
Story by Jonathan Hickman
Art by Nick Pitarra & Jordie Bellair
Published by Image Comics

I don’t think I’m smart enough to understand all the Jonathan Hickman writes. I have read the Oppenheimer biography American Prometheus and a couple of the more accessible books by Richard Feinman. So this alternate history of the 20th century science is completely fascinating.

In issue 6, we pick up in Germany just before all the Nazi rocket scientists are picked up by the Allies. Helmut Gröttrup escapes and is grabbed by the Soviet Army and immediately put to work in Star City to build rockets. This book shifts it’s setting quickly as it we go forward and back in Gröttrup’s sad story.

And the artwork is quite good. It’s reminiscent of Geof Darrow without all the insane detail. Thick lines show all the sweat and facial stubble on the scientists faces. The drawings of his rockets are Buck Rodgers cool and even the swastika forehead branding looks painful. And I’m glad to see that Jordie Bellair gets art credit for his coloring. Using full, contrasting colors, with this Soviet focused issue, red almost becomes the obvious symbol for anything USSR. It’s not subtle, but it’s effective.

So I’m glad I put this on the top of the pile this week. It beat out Chew, which was the only other book that could have been a potential pile topper.

Top of the Pile 9/5/2012

Phantom Stranger #0
Written by Dan Didio
Art by Brent Anderson and Scott Hanna
DC Comics

I like the fantastic elements of both the DC and Marvel universe’s. If its Dr. Fate or Dr. Strange, I kind of dig the supernatural tales. So when Phantom Stranger #0 came out, I had to pick it up and see what they were going to do with this odd character in the New DC Universe.

Starting with his origin where he is sentenced to be “a stranger” by the council of wizards, he is told by a disembodied voice “to walk this land until the debt for your sins is paid.” Flash forward a couple of millennia and we see The Stranger being told to take an angry cop to a place where he will rescue his kidnapped fiance. And from there, things take an unexpected turn.

Now, I have some issues with the whole New 52 from DC. I understand that they are rebooting everything and after a year are refining their lineup. But I found this to be a less than interesting re-introduction to The Phantom Strange. I’m not sure what Dan Didio was trying to do, but after reading the book, I have no clue what to expect from this book. But that might be a problem with this type of character. I loved when he made appearances in the recent Madam Xanadu series. He was present, and certainly influenced events. But he didn’t get directly involved, like he did in this book. Also, some of the dialog was really stilted and pretty badly written. The interaction between the angry cop and his supervisor could easily been lifted from the Simpson show where the “McBain” parody cop movie they spoof.

The art by Brent Anderson is pretty good. His style doesn’t have any really unique quirks that make it distinguishable from most other comic book art. Characters are kind of generic and other than anger, we really don’t see any facial expressions. I kind of get a Gil Kane vibe if I squint and cock my head a little, but that’s a real stretch to compare to this work to his.

So, will I continue getting The Phantom Stranger. No. I have too much baggage from reading older stories with him to understand how he’s going to fit in this new storyline that the DC books are trying to tell.

Top of the Pile 8/29/2012

Spaceman #9
Written by: Brian Azzarello
Art by: Eduardo Risso
Cover by: Dave Johnson
Publish by: Vertigo

I know, this is a couple days after the Wednesday release of this book. But I have a thing with limited series. I wait until the complete before I read them. I have found that, let’s just say, the release schedules for limited series are somewhat looser than ongoing titles. So instead of just reading the single issue this week, I had the enjoyment of reading the whole series to get to the top of the pile with Spaceman #9.

This series is a scifi adventure with Orson as the main character. Orson is what people call a spaceman. He was genetically engineered by NASA to survive better on Mars. So he is bigger and has a simian look to him. Spacemen in this flooded Earth are ostracised and shunned. But he’s a nice guy just trying to live his life. Everyone on Earth also watch web videos, and the most popular one is called “The Ark”, which is some sort of reality show with orphans. When Orson stumbles onto the botched kidnapping attempt of the star of The Ark, a young girl named Tara, he ends up in the middle of tons of trouble. At the same time, there is a simultaneous plotline of Orson and three of his fellow spacemen on an outpost on Mars, which turns into a Treasure of Sierra Madre type story.

Brian Azzarello tells a good story. One of the first things you’ll notice when you start reading is that he has created a slang lingo. Often dropping syllables from words or spelling phonetically, it takes a little effort to get the complete understanding. But like pig latin, the more you read the easier it is to comprehend. The dialog helps realize the future world Azzarello creates, which is believable. An underwater world where the rich live in a walled, dry area while the rest live on the water scraping a life for themselves. We feel for Orson. He’s not dumb nor naive, but he seems the optimist. However, the other characters are mostly plot devices without much depth to them. Which is understandable in a limited series.

And Eduardo Risso helps create this future world with his detailed art. The backgrounds are fully realized and each frame conveys tons of information. We see how bleak the world becomes. And by issue 9, we see how opulent the rich society becomes. Character designs are interesting in a futuristic way.

So, I didn’t discuss Spaceman #9 specifically too much. But as the climax to an interesting story, it was a very good issue. I would certainly add the trade of this series to any public library library, though it might be a little mature for a teen area. And for non-comic readers who like scifi, this would be a good suggestion for them to pickup.

Top of the Pile 8/22/2012

Supercrooks #4
Story by Mark Millar and Nacho Vigalondo
Art by Leinil Yu and Gerry Alanguilan
Colors by Sunny Gho
Letters by Clayton Cowles

There are tons of post-modern superhero stories where the heroes are as bad - or worse - than the villains they are supposed to fight. And Mark Millar has built an entire collection of books around this theme. His book Wanted and Kick-Ass have been made into movies. And he pumps out uber-violent, profanity laced tales that always entertain me.

With Supercrooks #4, we are at the end of a mini-series. The tale revolves around a heist. To get money for an old supervillain who gets in trouble over gambling debts, a team is assembled to steal the 800 million dollar nest egg of the greatest villain, with the obvious name The Bastard. So like all the old heist films, (Topkapi, Oceans 11, The Italian Job, A Fish Called Wanda, Reservoir Dogs…) each character has a role in the caper. And there is always a switcheroo to throw off the victim. And Millar hits all the tropes, which is good.

Leinl Yu’s art quite good. Though unique, he uses a rougher style which works well with this type of story.  The viscera are nicely drawn and the narrative isn’t lost in it’s roughness. There is a funny panel where The Bastard has been had. He ends up in front of the “Monkey Go-Round” in the Banana Land amusement park. That made me chuckle.

So for a thin week of few books purchased, what ended up on the top of the pile was a good read. Not great. But fun.

Top of the Pile 8/15/12

Saga #6
written by Brian K. Vaughan
art by Fiona Stapes
published by Image

This weeks top of the pile would of been either the two hip titles from Image, Fatale or Saga. But my comic shop messed up and didn’t pull Fatale, so by process of elimination, Saga is on top.

Written by Brian K. Vaughan with art by Fiona Stapes, Saga is an apt title for this science fiction fable. The plot of the story is where two combatants from a warring solar system fall in love and produce a daughter. They name her a rather mundane name, Hazel, and she is the narrator of the story. As they try and escape from their war, they wind up have a robot prince, and a couple bounty hunters on their tail.

I mentioned that this is one of the new hip titles out there. With several printings of the first issue, it’s seems to surprisingly found an audience. Which is cool, since it is a fun book to read. Brian K. Vaughan has developed a universe where magic is used in battle, sentient robots of reproduce biologically, and rocket ships grow like trees. It reminds me a little of the Hitchhikers Guide in its outlandish ideas.

But what makes these outlandish ideas live is the artwork by Fiona Staples. Her lines are wonderfully clear and her facial expressions are spot on. We feel the pain/wonder/anguish/joy experienced by each of the characters. (Except for the robot prince who has a computer monitor for a head.)

I haven’t read all the end notes and letters, but I did notice that if the book didn’t sell well, it would have ended after 6 issues. I’m glad to see that it will continue.

Top of the Pile 8/8/12

The Mighty Thor #18

Story - Matt Fraction & Kieron Gillen
Script - Matt Fraction
Penciler - Alan Davis
Inker - Mark Farmer
Colorist - Javier Rodriguez
Letterer - VC's Joe Sabino

This weeks top of the pile is a book I isn’t part of my pull list from the comic shop. The Mighty Thor #18 has the honor of being read first due to the fact that it is the beginning of a story arc that will contain the book Journey Into Mystery, which I do subscribe to and enjoy. They Asgard books are doing a crossover event called “Everything Burns” which will be a huge battle with the fire giant Surtur.

Written by Matt Fraction and Kieron Gillen with pencils by the phenomenal artist Alan Davis, this was a book I wanted to read to see if it was worth adding the extra title to collect the whole “Everything Burns” event, or to drop Journey Into Mystery since I find these cross book storylines a pain.

As far as the story goes, I think it will be pretty good. It seems for the last couple years Asgard is in one existential crisis after another and only Thor can save the day. But I mentioned that I am only picking up Journey Into Mystery, which tell the story of a young, reincarnated Loki. Without the pure malevolence, I find this Loki a wonderful character. He tries to fight against his nature to do bad. He tries to do what’s right. But no one thinks he has changed that much from his old evil self. However, there was precious little of young Loki this book. I’m sure he’ll have more of a presence as the story continues.

Well, I liked this book. But what made it better than average was Alan Davis’ artwork. His style hasn’t changed over the years, and that’s a good thing since his style is wonderful for comic books. His draughtsmanship is top notch and clearly advances the narrative. Unlike some comic art where there are expressionless and featureless figures. His expressions and figures are unique. And I had to take about 5 minutes to look at the group battle double page spread.

So when the next issues of this story come out, I'll liked this issue enough to continue getting the story. But I'll wait till the end of the crossover event to read the complete tale in one sitting. I find this much more rewarding.

Top of the Pile - 8/1/12

Black Kiss II
by Howard Chaykin
Image Comics
I know there are better books in the pile. The last issue of I Zombie came in. The Garth Ennis book Fury Max with all it’s cold war sexyness was in my stack. But I had to go with the most prurient book, Black Kiss II.

Black Kiss was a pornographic comic from 1988 which was something we talked about around the comic shop at the time it was released. And I guess it caused a little stir in the day. But being a young, free thinking man, I didn’t worry about.

Now almost 25 years later, he is writing what looks to be a prequel the original work. The story starts off in a magic nickelodeon in 1902. The audience, while watching a pornographic movie, devolves into a very hentai style tentacle rape scene. From there, the story continues 10 years later on the Titanic. We meet what seems to be the hero. He’s trying to lose his virginity to some loose hooker when the ship hits the iceberg. While escaping, he is grabbed by same tentacle raping being from the cinema and anally rapes this young virgin. After his violation, he finds his way to a rescue boat and the book ends.

Obviously, this is not a book for most people (young and old alike). At the Comic Con, I attended a Buck Rogers panel where Chaykin was presenting. He admits that he is a style and brand all his own. With his name on the cover, you know what you’re going to get. Some racial and ethnic slurs. Images of ties flying to the side. Curly hair. Garters and stockings with the seam down the back. And this has all that with the full frontal too. I wouldn’t call this single issue good, but it is different enough with the deviant subject matter to keep me hopefully interested for the remaining 5 issues of the limited series. But I can pretty much guarantee that issue number 2 will not be the top of the pile when its released.

Top of the Pile - 7/26/12

According to news reports, I guess I wasn't really supposed to have this comic book in my pile. DC asked that retailers hold off on selling this book for a month due to some content that could be considered insensitive after the tragedy in Aurora last week. But when I picked up my stack, there it was. And, of course, I had to read this “controversial” book first before anything else. Written by the incomprehensible Grant Morrison and art by Chris Burnham, the book shows Bruce Wayne going undercover as Matches Malone going full hard boiled as he tries to find leads on the secret group Leviathan. With a bounty on Damien (the current Robin and Bruce Waynes son), Batman tries to keep him safe while trying to work in the field hunting down contacts and leads. But Damien is not one to be babysat by Alfred and by the end of the book has found his way into quite a bit of trouble. I mention that Grant Morrison’s writing is incomprehensible. I don’t know if thats the correct description, but when I read his works, I feel like I’m only understanding about 60 to 70 percent of the story. But that kind of makes the book more interesting. Its like being told a secret without knowing all the background. For instance, there is a full page image showing the interconnections and relationships Leviathan has with Batman. And I recognized about half of the pictures, but I’m sure they relate to stories that have happened going years back. Grant, like always, is weaving a complex tale that seems to reveal more questions than it answers. I also like Chris Burnham’s art. Sometimes Batman artists try and create moody, dark artwork but Chris uses clear lines that is unambiguous (unlike the story). I found it refreshing to be able to see everything in each panel. The atmospheric, noir art style some Batman books use gets tiring after several years of artists trying the make the Dark Knight. Thankfully, with Batman Incorporated, though the story isn’t clear and concise, the artwork is. As for holding off the title, I believe that DC did the proper thing. I don't wish to discuss the tragedy, but it is a positive thing when a corporation makes a small effort at sensitivity when the circumstances demand it.

Top of the Pile - 7/18/12

Sorry for not having an entry last week. I was getting ready to attend the San Diego Comic Con for a couple days and didn’t make it to the shop. So I have a pretty big stack this week. What I would have picked for my top of the pile last week was I, Zombie. I thought it was the final issue of that run, but it turns out there's one more coming.

This week however goes to a Marvel book, Fantastic Four #608. There are other good books that were close to the top including Daredevil #15, Saga #5 and the new Captain Marvel #1. But the Jonathan Hickman run on the Fantastic Four book has been a fun ride for the past couple years. And another definite plus is the Frank Cho cover of three superwomen. That’s why I put this at the top of my pile.

On reading, this book is one of exposition. It’s not the most exciting, but Hickman is building the larger story. It starts with T’Challa and Reed Richards entering into the Wakandan necropolis because of dreams the T’Challa has been experiencing. While T’Challa’s sister, Shuri, the current Black Panther, along with Storm and Invisible Woman go on their own vision quest to confront the Jackal God who has been attacking Wakanda.

The art by Giuseppe Camuncoli, Karl Kesel and Paul Mounts is better than good. The Egyptian motif is prevalent through the book. And with some dramatic angles and interesting facial expressions, I’m glad I put this one at the top. I suspect there are other books that would be better as a single issue this week, but I’m happy that this issue of Fantastic Four didn’t disappoint.

Top of the Pile - 7/4/12

This week is an odd one for comic shopping. With Wednesday on the 4th of July holiday, I went to pick up my stack at the local shop. But the new guy behind the counter was too busy talking politics to even acknowledge me standing around, so I went without picking up my books and had lunch. I'll get my pile next Wednesday on the 8th.

So if I didn't buy any comics from the shop, what’s at the top of my pile? An electronic comic book from Monkeybrain Comics using the Comixology app on my iPad. What’s interesting is that Monkeybrain was created by Chris Robinson and Allison Baker and it is starting to publish creator owned works. There has been tons of press about Chris Robinson and his break from DC Comics over creative issues, which made me want to support this endeavor. I ended up purchasing four out of the five titles initially released and because of the cover art, the book Bandette #1 was at the top of the stack.

Written by Paul Tobin with art by  Colleen Coover, Bandette is the story of a young burglar and her shenanigans around town. The book begins with Bandette breaking into an estate to steal some Rembrandt drawings. When she unexpectedly runs into the owner, she makes her hasty escape with the help a network of friends.

I liked the story. It’s style reminds me of the graphic novel Cat Burglar Black which I wrote about a while ago. There is tons of places Tobin can go with this. He has created a small little universe for Bandette and her friends to do their capers. And the art by Colleen Coover, though cartoony, is colorful and dynamic. Really cool stuff.

Though only 99 cents, this first issue is only 15 pages long. So for a very quick read, it tells some very quick exposition of the characters. However, I wish it was longer. Perhaps if it comes out weekly, I’ll forgive their brevity. And the underlying philosophy of creator rights of Monkeybrain makes this work even cooler. I’ll definitely purchase the next issue to see where the story goes.

Top of the Pile - 6/27/2012

I have subscriptions at two comic shops in my area. I like to think of it as helping both shop owners out with my $20 a week. So that means that there is a lag with some titles I get. So my list this week has several “top” worthy titles including FF #19, Fatale #6, and Fables #118. But I went instead with one of the most consistent book in recent years, Daredevil # 14. Though it was released last week, I only picked it up today on my dinner break from work. Written by Mark Waid, this renumbering of Daredevil has restored my faith in the character. The previous volumes of Daredevil were convoluted at best and just bad storytelling at worst. But thankfully, the plots are now much more fun and exciting.

For the past several issues of Daredevil, the story dealt with a quantum hard drive that contained data on 5 major crime syndicates. Daredevil had it in his possession and there was a very uneasy stalemate between all parties concerned, keeping ol’ Horn Head relatively safe. In issue #13, The Avengers help dispose of the quantum drive and on the last page, Daredevil is teleported into a glass cage the size of a coffin right in the middle of Dr. Doom’s country of Latveria.

As issue #14 starts we learn that the country of Latveria was relying on funds from the sale of the quantum drive to help their economy. Sentence was passed and executed where Daredevil was doused in some type of gas. Upon release, he beats up a bunch of guards, which is, “an unprovoked attack against the royal army,” which carries the penalty of death.

The artwork by Chris Samnee is good. There isn’t anything too daring or out of the norm about his style. In fact, on a couple of pages, it seems he has channeled some Jack Kirby. This is especially noticeable in the uniforms of the Latverian army. And I have to also admit, the colors by Javier Rodriguez was noticeably good. Normally, the color is just a part of the story that’s beneath my notice. But with this book, the high contrast in the palette seems very effective.

I really like Mark Waid’s work. He keeps things on a human level. Daredevil’s inner dialog stays within the character and enhances the story greatly. Also, he portrays Foggy as a real person too. He is worried about his buddy and partner Matt, but you can see that he’s at the end of his rope. I look forward to this book every month and so far it hasn’t disappointed me yet.

Top of the Pile - 6/20/12

I’d like to keep writing reviews of comic books, but unfortunately don’t have the time to review all the books I get each week. I usually pick up about 8-12 issues each Wednesday and of course put the pile in order from the one I’m most interested in reading to the least. The one catch however is the limited series. Those I usually sit on and wait till all of the issues come in where I can read the entire story in one sitting.

This week’s top of the pile was Batwoman #10. This issue was written by J.H. Williams III and W. Haden Blackman with art by Trevor McCarthy and color by Guy Major. Batwoman has been an interesting character in the New 52 DC Universe. She was one of the first super-heroes to be openly gay despite the press last month about gay marriage in the Marvel universe and the gay Green Lantern. Also, the artwork has always been a little avant-garde for mere “funny books”. With strange page layouts, and fantastically baroque double page spreads, if nothing else Batwoman has been pretty to look at.

With issue 10, we have a new artist for this new storyline. Trevor McCarthy keeps with the same unique designs. Though not quite as dreamlike as J.H. Williams III art, he maintains the visual continuity while adding what seems his own style to the characters. The story however is a little convoluted. Jumping from character to character from past to present, the narrative can be confusing. Thankfully they clearly let the reader know whose point of view were looking at and when by stating outright what we’re looking at. (ie. “Maggie’s Story – 18 Hours Ago.”)

With that said, I don’t think the next issue will be at the top of my pile. I was really curious about the new artist and the new story arc. Though this issue ends with a cliffhanger, I think Batwoman could wait an extra day or two for me to read some other comics next time.

Review - Infinite Kung Fu

Infinite Kung Fu

by Kagen McLeod
Top Shelf Productions

I forgot how good long works of comic books could be. It’s been too long reading individual issues of 32 pages where an idea or two gets presented and then you need to wait another 30 days for the next installment. But recently, my library picked up Infinite Kung Fu by Kagan McLeod and published by Top Shelf. With 464 pages of Kung Fu goodness mixed with zombie, western, soul vibe, I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book.

Infinite Kung Fu tells the story of Lei Kung. A lowly soldier at the start of the book, he is selected by the leader of the Eight Immortals to be his student. Each Immortal has taken on an apprentice to pass along their kung fu styles. But a group of students learned forbidden “poison” kung fu and are now employed by the Emperor to retrieve the lost parts of his armor. As Lei Kung advances in knowledge and as his kung fu gets stronger, he ultimately faces the Emperor in battle for the fate of the world.

Full of fighting, magic, eastern thought and zombies, Infinite Kung Fu is a fun read. With many characters, the story clips along at a fast pace. Flashbacks are not ponderous as we learn the back story of all the apprentices. Much like watching a Bruce Lee movie, action is interspersed with Buddhist though with a little 1970’s soul mixed in.

In the introduction, we learn that he started working on this series over 10 years ago. And from chapter to chapter, there are some subtle differences in the artwork. However, the black and white artwork has a consistent fluid look to it. The zombies have a decay that would look good in the Walking Dead comic. The fights sequences have all the action and poses that a good action manga would display. The sound effects and chapter titles are pretty cool. With some off-kilter brush style, at first glance they look like to Chinese calligraphy. But after a half second, you see that they are English letters. And the storytelling of the clear; each panel advances the plot.

The story itself is a fun tale that might have been lifted from a 70’s kung fu movie. Martial arts masters each trying to get stronger. Ultimate evil and ultimate good battling. The hero, starting out on his quest, has to overcome obstacles (both external and internal) to finally win in the end. And of course the love interest. If I had to quibble, the last third of the book was too compact. McLeod tried to reconcile too many plot points too quickly. The speed of the narrative was too fast and points that seemed important were resolved quickly while other minor points grew into full chapters.

However, this is an enjoyable book and worthy of any library collection. I would hesitate to recommend it to young patrons. But anyone age 13 or more should enjoy reading this book. Especially if they are into kung fu.