ComicCon Preview Night

The first part of ComicCon consisted of getting my badge and wandering the exhibit hall on the "preview" night. I enjoyed seeing all the people lining up for the Hasbro and Mattel toys. My comrade Scott was able to pick up the exclusive Adventure Time book, signed by Pendleton Ward, for his little ones. I instead grabbed the unsigned copy of the same book. My exclusive that I had to get was the metallic painted bishojou Spider-Woman from Kotobukya. Which I was successful.

I'm really looking forward to the next few days. Have planned the Scholasic publisher get together, the One Ring luau in the hotel next door and the Heroes Beerfest, it should be a busy schedule. And in the meantime catch some panels, pick up swag and buy some cool shit. Panels include the obligatory comics in libraries as well as comic publisher "what to expect to see" talks. And I

also want to check out the NPR Pop Culture Happy Hour podcast panel. This should hopefully keep me away from all the scary celebrity mad houses.

Let you know how the next couple days go....

Top of the Pile - 7/16/2014

The Wicked + the Divine
Writer: Kieron Gillen
Artist: Jamie McKelvie
Cover Artist: Matthew Wilson
Image Comics

Image manages to produce the most interesting comics. I know, that’s not a controversial statement. With their books being the must have, sold out, crossover potential works, I usually try and pick up at least the first issue of whatever they put out. And with The Wicked + the Divine, I was impressed enough to get the second issue.

After reading the first issue, I noticed the writer is Kieron Gillen. I’ve been keeping my eye out for his name ever since I realized that he wrote the recent run of Journey into Mystery from Marvel. The basic story of The Wicked + the Divine is from the point of view of a young girl who gets mixed up with “the Pantheon”. A dozen divine characters, who are pop stars, and have godlike powers. In the second issue, we learn more about the members of the Pantheon and how they became what they are. And Kieron is slowly revealing the cast of characters, reminding me of how the Endless were revealed in the Sandman books. It builds of an element of interest as new, strange elements are added into this so far amorphous story.

The art by Jamie McKelvie is very clean and detailed. Traditionally drawn without excessive exaggeration or embellishments. There aren’t any whacky angles or bizarre framing. It’s just good narrative illustration. Where the art excels is in how he depicts faces. With strong emotions, the reader can see that the characters know more that what the plot is telling us.

As I mentioned, I’ll continue picking this book up. And I would consider buying it for our library collection when it comes out in trade. It could potentially go into an older teen collection, but instead I would err on the side of safety and ask to have it shelved in the non-fiction area.

Top of the Pile - 10/23/2013

Velvet #1
by Ed Brubaker and Steve Epting
Image Comics

Ed Brubaker, with his new book Velvet, is writing spy fiction now. Like his hugely successful noir book, Fatale, Velvet is his attempt to tell a tale of espionage from the heyday of the cold war, the early 1970s. Velvet is the name of the main character, Velvet Templeton, who is the secretary to the head of the most elite spy group, ARC-7.  But as the book starts, one of the most experienced agents gets murdered while on assignment in Paris and as  the investigation into how such a thing happened to a highly trained agent, Velvet gets a little too close to the truth and ends up in a very touchy situation.

I’ve liked Brubaker’s work for years. Initially with his run on Daredevil and Iron Fist, and later his crime/noir books, he is one writer I always look for. He is able to adapt his style to whichever genre he is writing. With Velvet, we hear the inner monologues of Velvet as she pieces evidence together. The dialog isn’t anachronistic to the time period he is writing. And the pacing is at a good clip here we are introduced to all the characters.

The artwork by Steve Epting is also very fine. And as it turns out, I’ve been enjoying his work for a while also. Most recently from the Fantastic Four and FF books. His take on the spy story is interesting. There are many great novels and movies with spies, but some of them from the 70s could be really campy and silly (think Matt Helm meets Modest Blaise). But instead of going all pop-art and platform shoes, he and Brubaker go for a more realistic, darker tone. Almost every page is full of shadows. Dark offices and rain filled streets are where most of the action in this book takes place. And with Velvet’s streak of white hair on an otherwise raven do, she comes across as a super femme fatale. Really cool.

I really like this book so far and will definitely continue picking it up. As for the library, I would certainly consider purchasing the trade paperbacks. If the story continues to maintain its quality, I would recommend it highly to our patrons who like our spy books.

Kick Butt Graphic Girls

One of my colleagues is selecting and ordering some graphic novels in her larger selection area of recreation, creative and performing arts. However, she doesn’t really like comics and when she receive them, she floats them to me (knowing I love comics) to examine and evaluate. And recently we received a book called “Over the Wall” which tells the story of a normal girl who is strong and goes on a quest and overcomes insurmountable odds to succeed. And this made me think, we have in our collection several wonderful graphic novels that show strong girls and women taking names and kicking butt.

“Over the Wall” by Peter Wartman is set in a mayan type village and it starts where a girl writes a note to her parents explaining that she’s going to search for her missing brother. The boys of the village, when they turn 16, are sent to enter the old, abandoned city where demons are caged. And as the girl entered the city, her wit, quick actions, gumption and help from a no name demon, allow her to prevail. Wartman’s art is very good too. With purple hues, there is very little color used. But I think this style makes the designs he created stand out a little better than if they were in full color. Also, his characters are very expressive. With large eyes and great expressions, the emotions of the characters is easily read.

As I was reading “Over the Wall”, I was thinking, “this is just like another graphic novel, ‘Zita the Spacegirl’”. Created by Ben Hatke, Zita is a story about a girl and her brother who get teleported to a strange alien planet with strange alien creatures. Kind of like the cantina on Mos Eisley, you can tell Hatke had fun with the unique designs of everything. In the story, Zita’s brother is grabbed by some tentacle monster with a diving bell head. And for the rest of the book, she is on a quest to reunite with her brother and get back to Earth. The style of this book is vastly different than “Over the Wall”. With vibrant colors, the alien worlds and creatures are super interesting. And the action he shows is very fast paced and dynamic.
 

Another new graphic novel recently came across my desk with the same theme of a kick butt woman called “Delilah Dirk and the Turkish Lieutenant.” By Tony Cliff, we meet first the Turkish Lieutenant, Erdemogul Selim, describing to the Sultan a woman they have captured and all her outlandish claims. With extensive training from all over the world along with a flying ship, she plans on stealing valuable works from the Sultans library. From there, the action becomes fast paced and two fisted. Selim is dragged along, first unwillingly and eventually  whole heartedly, as Delilah travels and plunders from dangerous characters. With its exotic settings (both geographically and chronologically), any fan of adventure, young or old, would do well picking up this book for a fun read.

Other great graphic novels with kick butt protagonists:

Hotwire: Requiem for the Dead by Steve Pugh

Amulet series by Kazu Kibuishi

Batwoman: Elegy by Greg Rucka and J.H. Williams III

Top of the Pile - 10/9/2013

Three
Writer Kieron Gillen
Artists Ryan Kelly and Jordie Bellaire
Published by Image

Every comic fan knows the battle of Thermopylae from the Frank Miller story 300. Spartans holding off Persian hoards, protecting the nascent Greek city-states from being conquered. But in the afterward of this comic, Kieron Gillen, who mentions Millers work, explains that he wanted to tell the story of the Spartans that were living behind its citizens. The Helots, who were the peasants or serfs of Greek society and were the lowest caste.

So in this first issue, we learn how barbaric the citizens were as they hunt and murder helots as they work in the fields. And we meet three individuals who seem to rise above their station in life. Klaros, a crippled, bitter man. Damar a woman who seems sympathetic to Klaros’ plight. And Terpander who is best described as a type of malcontent. I assume we’ll get to follow their paths as they try and survive and thrive is a society where they are basically outcasts.

The artwork for this book is very good. The orange and black cover is striking and caught my eye on the shelf at the comic shop today. Inside, the artwork is broad and strong. The colors and inking stylistically are thick and dark making for a powerful narrative. The character designs and good too. The helots are gaunt and emaciated while the Spartans are muscley and buff. We feel for them.

I will continue picking up this title. I like Gillen’s work and think he’s a fine storyteller. And the historic subject of Ancient Greece is very different and pretty cool. As of the first issue, I don’t see anything objectionable for a library collection. Certainly not for the juvenile section, but so far, it’s fine for the YA area.

Library Review - Wasteland Book 8: Lost in the Ozone

Wasteland Book 8: Lost in the Ozone

Written by Antony Johnston

Art by Russel Roehling

Published by Oni Press

What’s interesting about letting non-comic loving staff members select graphic novels for the library is that they would pick up things you would never even consider. Wasteland book 8 is a perfect example. It isn’t from the big two publishers. It doesn’t have a super-famous writer or author. And it’s book 8 in a series where we don’t have books 1 through 7. Regardless, my colleague thought enough of the review for her to select this for our collection.

So I gave it a read and was entertained. Wasteland takes place in a post apocalyptic world that looks like the video game Fallout meets Sergio Leone. As the back cover blurb says, “Michael and Abi’s journey through the desert, in search of the fabled land of  A-Ree-Yass-I, draws near to its conclusion”. And the meet up with small communities of humans, as well as mutants, bears, sand-eaters and other dangers. Pretty straight forward as far as plot goes. However, picking up this book near the end is a little frustrating. However, the story did reveal itself and eventually by the end I think I have an understanding of the overall plot and characters.

The one thing that I thought was really cool was the artwork by Russel Roehling. It reminded me of the Mad cartoonist Jack Davis or Jijé western works. Done in black and white, there is drama in the art. Characters expressions are often exaggerated and the details are wonderfully rendered.

As for our library picking this up, I think it was a good thing. It’s going to be catalog into the adult non-fiction area because there are a couple f-bombs. Also, I don’t think we’ll be working our way back to fill in the beginning of the series, so putting it in a less conspicuous place might help from others experiencing the lack of completeness frustration. But if the books ever come on sale or I see them for 50% off at a con, I might consider grabbing them for myself.

Top of the Pile - 9/4/2013

Amelia Cole #10: Hidden War Part 4

Written by D.J. Kirkbride and Adam Knave

Art by Nick Brokenshire

Colored by Ruiz Moreno

Lettered by Rachel Deering

Published by Monkeybrain Comics
 

This selection is a little different because it’s an electronic comic book. I’ve been picking up books on sale and recently “subscribed” to a couple of e-comics that are digital first books, and Amelia Cole is one that I’ve been picking up.

When this comic started, it told the tale of Amelia who lived with her aunt Dani and she was able to travel in two different worlds, one with magic and one without. During a crisis, she gets transported to a third world where magic is only for a few and they are the rules while non-magic people are of a lower class.

The Hidden War is the second story arc and Amelia has appointed “The Protector” by the leaders. She has a problem with the class system and rails against the superior attitudes magic users have for normal people, but feels it’s best to be close to power and try and make changes within the system. And in this issue, we see how desperate normal humans are as Amelia saves the city from a terrorist plot.

This made it to the top of my pile this week over other books like Chew and the 3D DC Villains books mainly because of the artwork. The story by D.J. Kirkbride and Adam Knave is really good. The action and humor is tight while they put enough in each issue to propel the story along nicely. But I really like the art by Nick Brokenshire and Ruiz Moreno. Richly detailed and clearly laid out, the story flows well. With fun easter eggs too, though it’s only 12 pages long, these comics take a little longer to check out the contents of each panel.

I would certainly recommend this book for a public library. Rated 12+, it’s one of those every more common book where it’s kind of like a superhero title, but with a strong girl doing her best. And it looks like IDW has released a print copy so I’ll have to ask our YA librarian to pick it up.

Top of the Pile - 6/19/2013

Age of Ultron #10
Written by Brian Michael Bendis
Art by Brandon Peterson
Marvel Comics

Here’s the end of the limited series that is one of the current Marvel cross title, universe destroying, end of all things books. The series started with the Marvel heroes at their wits end as Ultron, the malevolent AI created by Hank Pym, is close to destroying all life on earth. Fortunately, Wolverine finds a time machine and goes back to kill Pym before he created the Ultron program. And things go downhill from there. Timelines cross. Different evils destroy different universes. Different Wolverines battle each other, both being the best at what they do. All in all, an action packed ride.
But I didn’t really get into this book. I liked the start. The post-apocalyptic, battle for your life, nothing of civilization is left vibe was cool. I liked when Luke Cage and She Hulk, being the strongest, go into Ultrons layer to parlay with him. I enjoyed when Taskmaster and Black Widow are on the west coast tracking down Nick Fury’s safe houses. But once the time traveling began, I lost interest. And with it concluded, it was the usual “let’s just go back in time and tell us how bad things get so we don’t do that” kind of ending. And the big reveal at the end is that the Neil Gaiman character that has been in copyright limbo for the past 20 years, Angela, makes her appearance in the Marvel Universe.

As an individual issue culminating a 10 issue series, I thought it was ok. But instead of a satisfying conclusion, we get dragged into a new cross-title cluster of books that deal with the fallout of the time travel from this story. Sigh. I will not be picking them up for myself.

So is this series library worthy? I would certainly consider it optional. The story is ok but the art is better than average. Kids will pick it up and read it in the library as they hang out after school. But I would not consider it classic and certainly it isn’t a stand-alone story.

Top of the Pile - 5/29/2013

X-Men #1
Written by Brian Wood
Penciled by Oliver Copiel
Inked by Mark Morales and Oliver Copiel
Colors by Laura Martin

I really like the X-Men. They were my favorite book back in the Claremont/Byrne days. Back in the 80’s, they rocked the comics world like nothing else. But I grew disillusioned with the X books when they became too big for their breeches. New Mutants? Ok. Excalibur? Maybe. X-Factor, X-Force, Exiles, X-this and X-that. Too much. Since then, I’ve been mostly away from X books. But I have been looking at the new Marvel NOW books and picking up some #1 issues to see how they look.

And with X-Men #1, it looks like we will have the X-Women take the stage, which is pretty cool. Perhaps there will be a new Marvel issue that doesn’t have Wolverine in it. On the cover we see Jubilee, Kitty Pryde, Rachel Summers, Rouge, Storm and Psylock; some of the most bad ass women mutants. And Brian Wood starts the story off with some “before time things started going bad” trope. By the second page, we learn Jubilee has a baby in tow and is trying to get to upstate New York to be with her fellow X-Men.

The comic book isn’t bad, but it’s not really great either. The bad guy apparently is someone named John Sublime, who I never heard of. But the X-Men seem to take him seriously. But again, the problem seems to be all the backstory baggage. With Marvel NOW, how much is brand new and how much is from the previous stories? That’s the biggest problem with this book, and comics in general. How much knowledge and backstory do you need to understand and enjoy the comic?

I did like the art from Oliver Copiel. Unlike the big boobed, scantally clad women from the 90’s that I remember and left behind, these X-Women are pretty demure. And the action is well done. The train crash would normally by a double-page, hyper-kinetic, super-detailed explosion with bodies and flames everywhere. But again, that would have been in a comic from the 90’s. Instead, we have a really cool sequence over a couple pages showing the lead up and crash in a small quarter panel. Nice.

Would I add this in a library collection? Perhaps. But with it being a book with baggage, patrons might ask for collections of back stories to fill in the gaps. That’s why I try and stay away from books like this that are part of a huge continuity for our collection. Instead I like relying on really good, self-contained story arcs or stand alone books.

Top of the Pile - 5/8/2013

Uber #1

Written by Kieron Gillen

Illustrated by Caanan White

Avatar Press

Super Nazis? What's not to like? I guess that’s what the main idea of this new book by Kieron Gillen is in a nutshell. I picked up issue #0 last month and liked the idea. So when #1 was on the shelf, I added it to my stack.

Uber is an alternate history where Nazi scientists were able to come up with a super soldier. In issue 0, it starts at the brink of the end of the war, with the Soviets entering Berlin, the great German war machine is on it’s last gasp. Until three super Nazi soldiers enter the battle and obliterate the invading forces. Issue 1 opens with a full page image of Hitler with a gun in his mouth. From there, history takes it’s left turn and he doesn’t commit suicide in his underground bunker. Instead, once he realizeses the power of his new solders, he orders his “Seigfried” to deal with the Soviet POWs by "giving them opera". What follows is a massacre. Meanwhile, we also find that there is a deep cover spy working her way out of Germany with all the plans. The Allies only hope seems to be her successful return to England.

The art by Caanan White is pretty cool. Not quite as gory as other Avatar Press books, but that doesn’t mean he won’t show limbs flying and melted flesh. Some of his caricature work is a little rough. His Hitler is really only identifiable by his moustache. And Churchill isn’t a great representation. But taken in context, it’s not too difficult to figure them out.

Though this is a pretty cool book, and I’ll continue picking it up, I would be wary to add it to a library collection. Though violence is more accepted than sex, with pretty much any Avatar Press book, I would be sure it would be something I could justify to over-anxious parents who might be offended. And unfortunately, other than my personal opinion, there really isn’t too much out there in the non-comic press to help argue a challenge.

Top of the Pile 4/24/2013

Rachel Rising #16
by Terry Moore

There was a news blurb on a comic blog about the possibility of Rachel Rising being optioned for a television show. If the zombies of the Waking Dead comics can do it, I suppose witches and devils can also make the transition to the tube.

So, with this news, Rachel Rising was the first book I read this week. It’s usually a quick read and as always, the art is a pleasure to look at. Not too much is revealed in this issue. Mostly it’s the dead girls, Rachel and Jet, meet with their Aunt Johnny to talk about their situation. Young Zoe gets a bone handled knife which kills goats pretty easily. And Lilith burns. If this doesn’t make sense, reading the prior 15 issues helps a little, but not completely. It seems the story is coalescing, but the conflict has yet to really hit. I’m looking forward to when it does.

Like the other Terry Moore comics, I would add this to the library. It certainly doesn’t belong in the children’s area, but older teens with a slightly goth/supernatural sensibility would like this book.

Top of the Pile - 4/10/2013

Saga #12

Written by Brian K. Vaughan

Art by Fiona Staples

Image Comics

As I mentioned briefly last post, this book was to be banned from the Apple online store due to some graphic content. But I guess that didn’t come to pass. Regardless, I put this book on the top of the purchase pile because its one of the best comics being produced. Initially, I guess the problem with Apple stems from a couple of homoerotic images that appear on the first couple pages. But other than the gay sex, this book was one of the slower in the series so far with more exposition over action.

The basic plot of the book is that two soldiers from opposite sides fall in love and make a child. This causes tons of repercussions on both sides of the conflict and the young family is on the run. And as a space opera, as I mentioned, its one of the best in comic book form. Brian K. Vaughan throws tons of characters at us and all of them are bonkers in some way. Royalty that have CRT heads? Spaceships made out of wood? Cyclops romance writers? It’s all really out there if you think about it too much. And the art by Fiona Staples is wonderful. When I look at the art in a comic, if it doesn’t help the narrative, then it takes longer for me to read. With this book, it’s a pretty quick read, but then I go back and examine the art again for the extra details. I don’t do that for many books, but with Fiona’s work though not as detailed and baroque as some artists, it is worth extra examination time.

As for picking this up for a library, I would get it. In fact, we have the first volume of the trade in, but it has only checked out once. Certainly there are mature themes and language, but after Walking Dead, it seems to be the indie comic of the moment.

ICv2 - Apple Bans ‘Saga’ #12 From iOS Apps

ICv2 - Apple Bans ‘Saga’ #12 From iOS Apps

Guess what will be the top of the pile this week?

Top of the Pile - 4/3/2013

Thanos Rising

Written by Jason Aaron

Art by Simone Bianchi

This week, Thanos Rising was the first thing I read from the comic shop. I picked up the Skottie Young variant cover from the shop and entered the digital code to read it on my iPad. And I have to say, I was a little disappointed.

For those of you who don’t know, Thanos is the bad ass of the Marvel Universe. He made a cameo at the end of the Avengers movie and has been at the center of most of the cosmic events Marvel superheroes have to deal with. And with Thanos Rising the story, related as a flashback, we get to see baby Thanos grow up to into a picked on sensitive tween. Most of the comic shows Thanos wanting to play with the other kids in the schoolyard and looking for his father's affections.

Written by Jason Aaron, this book doesn’t have the impact that I believe it should. It seems he’s trying to make Thanos into a sympathetic character by bringing up his misunderstood childhood. That’s not really something that needs to be done. Will this make Thanos that more evil as we see him become the destroyer? And if you’re a new reader to Marvel and don’t know Thanos, his true malevolence isn’t shown in this first book.

However, the art by Simone Bianchi is fantastic. He has a unique style that has a European flair. The characters have an emotional intensity that lifts from the page. And the detail in the backgrounds set the a space/science atmosphere. The colors by Simone Peruzzi also add a depth to the story telling. The different shades of purples for Thanos’ skin. He uses a lot of blues and greens in the book to give it a cool feel. But hopefully, the story will pick up and get a little more hotter in the color pallette.

This is a 5 issue limited series, so I’m going to continue picking them up. As for purchasing this book for a library collection, I think this is optional. There isn’t any real backstory for people to pick up on. And normals won’t know anything about Thanos, so unlike Spider-Man or Thor, it’s not likely a casual reader will pick up.

Top of the Pile - 2/27/13

Guardians of the Galaxy #0.1
Writer Brian Michael Bendis
Penciler Steve McNiven
Inker John Dell
Colors Justin Ponsor
Marvel Comics

Yet another Marvel NOW! book, this is a prelude to the Guardians of the Galaxy. In it, we learn the origin of Star Lord Peter Quill. As a child of a space traveler and an Earth woman, we are given a very quick look at how growing up was difficult for him.

This made the top of the pile because it’s new. Normally, a new run on a comic would start with #0.1 issue instead of a #1. I guess they wanted to tell more of the backstory before they start the real story arc of the book.

Bendis loves to invoke emotional content into the characters he writes. We see the crisis’ that the characters experience and hear about how they feel. Young Peter Quill is shown displaying a deep sense of justice defending a girl from a bully. Peter’s mother is shown anguishing over her son as he tries to deal with his missing space bound father. Emotion is rife throughout.

And the artwork is very good. I’ve been yammering on about the emotion of the writing, and the artwork conveys most of these feelings. There are a two page wordless spread where the Peter’s parents first fall in love. McNiven is able to show the expressions and with the added benefits of Dell’s inks and Ponsor’s colors, the whole book tells a nice heartfelt story with the potential for cosmic consequences.

I’ll continue getting Guardians. I hope Bendis is able to give Groot, the royal tree entity, a good part. But with a Marvel movie coming out of the Guardians, I suspect there will be interest in this lesser known property. I would pick up the collected volumes when they come out for my library.

Top of the Pile - 1/30/13

Before Watchmen: Dollar Bill #1
Written by Len Wein
Art by Steve Rude

I’ve been picking up all the Before Watchmen books, but with most mini-series, I hold off reading them until they are complete. But this Dollar Bill issue is a one shot, so there is no waiting involved. This book made it to the top of this weeks pile only because Steve Rude did the artwork.

This issue of Before Watchmen tells the individual story of the hero Dollar Bill. A member of the Minutemen who turns out to be a normal guy with better than average looks who is hired to work as a bank mascot. The story Len Wein tells is ok. It doesn’t have the psychological depth that some of the other stories have. But it’s understandable since its a single issue book on a minor Watchmen character.

And for the Steve Rude art, it looks really good. I’ve kind of been watching his work since the Nexus books in the 80s, and the style looks pretty much the same (which is a good thing). Action poses and dynamic movement with a clear detailed line, its nice to see his artwork again in a comic book.

Now I guess I’ll need to read through the other Before Watchmen books pretty soon since they’re all winding down. And the guys at the comic shop say they are all pretty cool. So if this Dollar Bill book makes it into a collection, I’d certainly add it to our library. But I wouldn’t be too upset if it somehow got left out of the Absolute edition.

Top of the Pile - 1/23/13

Fables #125
Written by Bill Willingham
Pencils by Mark Buckingham
Inks by Steve Loughridge
Letters by Todd Klein
Vertigo

Has it really been 125 issues? Fables is still a fun book with tons of good characters. And with this issue we are back with a new arc where Bigby Wolf is on the hunt with a badger named Brock Blueheart hunt for Bigby and Snow Whites children. Driving a magic convertible Corvette across dimensions, Bigby is trying to smell his way to them.

For me, reading Fables is like visiting old friends since it’s been going on for over 10 years with the same writer and artists doing the same book for years. The stories Willingham weaves with these public domain characters have taken on new meaning with his tales. Who would, after watching Disney movies, have thought Snow White and the Big Bad Wolf would marry and make a pack of children together?

And Mark Buckinghams art is always top notch. I especially love the boarders he puts on each page. Usually they change from one page to the next depending on the setting of the story. In this book however, we only have a single border style with a silver and gold rose. I’m not sure of the significance of the roses, but I’m sure it will become evident as the tale unwinds.

In the past, when previous issues of Fables have made it to the top of my weekly purchase pile, I always remark on how libraries should get it. It certainly not for young children, but teens and older would enjoy the intricate storytelling with familiar characters.

Top of the Pile - 1/16/13

Savage Wolverine #1
by Frank Cho
Marvel

How many Wolverine books are there? How many way can he say that he is the best there is? We’ve been reading about Logan for a couple decades, and with this new Marvel NOW book, Savage Wolverine, Frank Cho is turning his art and storytelling styles in on Marvels favorite mutant.

Set in the Savage Land (hence Savage Wolverine), Shanna the She-Devil and a bunch of S.H.I.E.L.D. agents are exploring when their aircraft breaks down stranding them in the inhospital wilderness. One frame later, Wolverine falls inexplicably out of the sky, gets attacked by dinosaurs and neanderthals. Eventually he latches up with Shanna as they are attacked by a gaggle of pterosaurs.

This is a fun start of a series, but I don’t know if it will have staying power. Back in the day when I would run to the local shop to pick up Marvel Team Up or Marvel Two in One, they were fun stories where Spider-Man or The Thing teams up with some hero and beats the bad guy. I kind of hope this book is like those. Not too deep where we delve into the psyche of Wolverine. Instead we see him going berserk on prehistoric animals. And blond, big-boobed jungle babes isn’t off putting either.

Is this book public library worthy? After a single issue, I’d say it’s an optional series. But that’s only after a single issue. It certainly isn’t for young children with the violence and decapitations. But for a 14 year old boy, I would certainly let them check this out.

Top of the Pile 1/9/13

Sweet Tooth #40
by Jeff Lemire

This is the final issue of Sweet Tooth. The coda to a wonderful work. In it we find out what happens to Gus and his friends after 39 issues of running and fighting as humanity descends into further degradation. And this is a bittersweet recapitulation of the rest of the events of Gus’ life.

To recap. Hybrids, half human-half animal, are being born as regular humans are dying of a plague. And in this dystopian society, militaristic groups of men are trying to find cures for the plague by experimenting on hybrids. Gus, the original hybrid, is first found by Jeppard to be brought to a camp. But instead rescues Gus and other hybrids and tries to save them from being hunted.

Jeff Lemire’s story telling style for this book is as mythology. Each character seems to have a purpose and it’s as if the original stories of a society are created from the events told in the book. So Jeppard “The Big Man”, who helped Gus survive, becomes a savior of the society. And as Gus tells stories to first his two sons and then later to his grandchildren, we learn what happened. It is a clever narrative Lemire does which makes the Sweet Tooth book have more impact. It makes it seem, like I mentioned, more mythic. And Lemire’s art is great. Rough and thick, the images are full of energy and emotion. The flashback stories are done in watercolor to give them an ethereal look.

I am going to recommend to my colleague that we get the collected volumes of Sweet Tooth for the library. It’s not for young children or even early teens. But for people 16 and older, I would not hesitate to recommend this.

Top of the Pile - 1/2/2013

Fury MAX #8
Written by Garth Ennis
Art by Goran Parlov
Marvel

Fury MAX #8 was the first thing I wanted to read from this weeks comic buy. This book, by Garth Ennis and Goran Parlov beat out a couple Image books and New Avengers #1. Why? Because I love the story Ennis is telling.


This series tells the tale of Nick Fury during the Cold War. This isn’t the Samuel Jackson, Avengers Nick Fury. This is a hybrid old school Nick Fury – Howlin’ Commando and Nick Fury agent of SHIELD. Nick is in all the good Cold War hot spots. Fighting with the French at Dien Bien Phu in Vietnam, riding along with exiled Cuban nationals into the Bay of Pigs, and in the current story we find Nick back in Vietnam teamed up with Frank Castle in an assassination attempt on a NVA general.

It is obvious that Ennis loves his history. He crafts a compelling story concerning the realpolitik of the Cold War where the United States wasn’t necessarily doing good things around the world. He’s telling a tale where dirty work was done in secret to further American interests abroad. And what the coolest thing about this book is that Nick Fury is the guy doing most of this work. With this issue, we’re up into the Nixon administration, so Vietnam is close to being complete. I hope he has another story arc or two in him to continue. Perhaps Ennis can let Nick help take out Salvador Allende or perhaps have him work with Oliver North on the Iran-Contra fiasco.

And the art work by Parlov looks like the great old school European comic book artists, it made me look up his bio to learn more about him. It turns out he isn’t one of the old timers like Jacques Tardi, Jean Giraud. His work could even be compared to Milton Caniff, it’s that retro/cool.

However, this book is definitely mature. There are several F-bombs and Nick gets it on once or twice with the senators secretary. So I would not add this series in the teen area. But it is a great bit of storytelling that libraries should consider buying.