Indies Preview Review for February 2011 Part 1 of 3

Lee: May as well apologize up front and get it out of the way. Sorry to the fans because this month I picked a bunch of re-releases and re-solicits. I’m pretty sure I haven’t talked about most of it, but February is so slow that I can now talk about it. Also, big sorry to Gwen because it’s a boy heavy month. There wasn’t a lot of tender, touchy-feely stuff out there…. Unless you count the covers with huge tracks of land. Those were definitely touchable.
Gwen: Yeah because we know how, being a girl, I only like touchy-feely stuff. *rolls eyes*


Amaze Ink/Slave Labor Graphics
Replacement God SC by (W/A) Zander Cannon
This big trade paperback collects the eight Amaze Ink issues of The Replacement God. Series creator Zander Cannon garnered a Harvey Award nomination for his work on this series, and has since gone on to become an Eisner Award-winning artist on a variety of different titles. The Replacement God represents some of Zander's earliest, and perhaps most innovative, work! $19.95 Visit Cannon's website here.
Lee: The lead off book isn't new, but it's still interesting. Cannon has gone on to big things such as Top 10 with Alan Moore but this is where he started. I’ve heard a lot about this and it is supposed to be very highly regarded. It’s time for me to make the investment.
Gwen: I'm unfamiliar with this work so I'll wait on a review from Lee.


Vesha Valentine Story GN by (W/A) Des Taylor
Caberet or burlesque, movie or musical, Vesha Valentine came from the tough backstreets of Paris to become the world's greatest entertainer. Success for Vesha comes at a price though as she is caught up in the hype, temptation and glamour of 1950's Hollywood. Follow all the details of Vesha Valentine's career in a story book packed with amazing full-color art and imagery that mimics a bygone age of the silver screen. Vesha Valentine is a great gift for all fans of pin-up art, vintage musicals and buxom bombshells of classic cinema. $12.95 Visit Des Taylor here and his other creation, Katie Rogers, here for a idea of his art style.
Lee: Ok, I admit this looks bad but I don't think it is. I believe it is more SiTC than pin up stuff. Correction, Katie Rogers Taylor's other creation is SiTC. Anyway, he has a great, animation influenced style, and established an "appeals to all" character once before so I'm thinking this will be good. Unfortunately the cover panders to the lowest common denominator.
Gwen: In Lee's favor on this one it actually does look like an interesting read. And I'm definately not drawn in by the 'pin up' appeal.


Ape Entertainment
Black Dynamite: Slave Island GN by (W) Brian Ash (A) Jun Lofamia
Black Dynamite: Slave Island follows everyone's favorite blaxploitation sensation as he brings his bad-ass brand of kung-fu to the sequential page! Based on the eponymous film starring Michael Jai White, Black Dynamite uses his fists of fury to shut down a mysterious island of slavers! 48 pgs, FC, $5.95 See a preview here and see samples of LoFamia’s work here.
Lee: Last year I read Afrodisiac, another blaxploitation book, and loved it. Go figure but blaxploitation lends itself to the comic book medium. This sotry sounds like a hoot and Lofamia is a great artist so it’s worth taking a chance.
Gwen: This looks terrible. I mean... seriously.


Tales of a Hippy Kid: Road Trippin & Skinny Dippin GN by (W) Jon Kroll (A/C) Dave Bohn Tales of a Hippy Kid is a collection of funny, revealing and occasionally true stories of a bygone era. The weed was always pure, the tub was always hot, and lots of people walked around naked. This is the story of a bunch of those people. 108 pgs, FC, $14.95 See Bohn’s artwork, and some preview pages, here and visit the official site here.
Lee: These experiences seem closer to Jim’s life than mine so it might provide some insight into his warped thought process. Not to mention that it appears really funny.
Gwen: Um... since when was my Dad a hippie? I'm mean I'm sure the book is amusing but I have a hard time picturing my Jim as a hippie...


Arcana Studio
Harbor Moon GN by (W) Ryan Colucci, Dikran Ornekian (A) Pawel Sambor
When Timothy Vance receives a call from a man claiming to be his long-lost father, he takes a trip to out-of-the-way Harbor Moon, Maine. But the man is nowhere to be found and, unfortunately for Tim, the town doesn't take very kindly to strangers. As he struggles to stay alive and learn the truth about his father, Tim discovers that Harbor Moon is protecting an incredible secret and it turns out that Tim may have more in common with its residents than he could ever imagine! $19.95. Well, Sambor is Polish…. And here’s his website in Polish. I recommend just looking at the pictures…. and the official site is here complete with 23 pg preview.
Lee: And here we have the obligatory horror book of the month. The art in the previews look good and the story appears suitably creepy. What can I say, I'm always looking for a good horror story. My only complaint, I wish all the covers wouldn't look like Ben Templesmith imitations.
Gwen: Okay, this book looks intriguing. Of course it also looks like the opening to the new Tron movie but I have a feeling this one goes more of a vampire path if the cover is any indication.


Harry Walton, Henchman for Hire GN by (W) Zak Sherman Tom Martinek (A) Matt Webb
Harry Walton, a disenfranchised ex-super-hero sidekick, finds himself having to work with every B-List schmuck in town to work up the ranks of the Henchman's Union towards his ultimate goal: Super-Villain status. Smarter than most of the bosses he works for, Harry is stuck as a second banana once again. But when an opportunity to take revenge against his old Super-Hero partner arises, Henchman for Hire Harry Walton takes an initiative and launches a plan that catches the eyes of Super-Villains everywhere! 60 pgs, $9.95 See the art in process here.
Lee: And my other weakness, humor books. The previews aren't lettered so I can't comment on the dialogue but the visuals look good. Cartoony, in an appropriate way, for the subject matter.
Gwen: Maybe Lee is right - so far this is a mostly boy comic month. This type of genre doesn't really appeal to me.


Bloomsbury
Psychiatric Tales: 11 Stories of Mental Illness HC by (W/A) Darryl Cunningham
Psychiatric Tales draws on Darryl Cunningham's time working in a psychiatric ward to give a reasoned and sympathetic look into the world of mental illness. In each chapter, Cunningham explores a different mental health problem, using evocative imagery to describe the experience of mental illness, both from the point of view of those beset by illness and their friends and relatives. Concluding with a reflection on how mental illness has affected his own life, Darryl Cunningham's Psychiatric Tales is a moving, engaging examination of what is, at its root, the human condition. $15.00 Visit the blog here.
Lee: I recently read Seth's mini biographical tale in the back of Palookaville Vol 20 which was 10 pages of self loathing so intense, and so real, and so painful, that I could only read it in 5 page increments. I'm not comparing Cunningham to Seth but the topic is very real for a lot of people. At some point, I think everyone has known someone with some type of mental problem... heck I dated a couple of them, but I digress... I think this is a good chance to explore a topic that is far more present in society than we wish to admit. Art looks awesome too!
Gwen: Oh wow, now this looks fascinating. I love the idea of a book that tries to really get into the heads of people who think so differently. Mental illness isn't often examined from the perspective of the person afflicted by that illness.


Bluewater Productions
Judo Girl: So You Wanna Revolution? #1 by (W) Chad Rebman (A) Gregg Paulsen (C) Paulsen, Nex
Everyone's favorite groovy super heroine is back in all new four-issue mini-series! After being reawakened in our era, Judo Girl finds herself more isolated than ever. And after a tragic battle with a former nemesis, Judo Girl decides to hang up her go-go boots forever! Judo Girl reluctantly dons her super-hero guise, but as she works undercover with the Revolution, she discovers their anarchist beliefs jive with her 60s sensibilities. Now, Judo Girl must decide which side she's really on. #1 of 4, $3.99 You can see a preview here.
Lee: And my other weakness, princess Leia slave outfits. Not that this is Princess Leia, but she is wearing the bagels on the side of her head like Leia did. But she does look like Chun Li from Street Fighter.... WHAT? It's not impossible for me to know some random video game trivia. Anyway, it's a good girl comic with art that reminds me a whole lot of Ed McGuinness.
Gwen: I have no idea what to make of this. Go go boots, time travel and judo. Well it sounds humorous if nothing else.


Continued tomorrow...

Book Reviews: Marjorie Liu

So Jim sent me a link to an interview with Marjorie Liu on Newsrama a week or so ago. While it was an interview about her comic book writing her work as a romance novelist also came up quite a bit. Now the only comic of Majorie Liu's that I read on a regular basis (as in, every issue - sometimes Marvel books get skipped if I don't have enough time to read all my comics) is X-23. X-23 has surprised me a lot as a book seeing how it was a book about a character I knew little about and cared little for. I've ended up enjoying Marjorie Liu's work on X-23 and in her interview she encouraged her fans to give her romance novels a try. Of course, being labeled as romance novels makes me want to read something less but she insisted in her interview that her novels are only labeled that way for marketing purposes. That they could just as easy be sold in a different genre. So I figured, hey, why not. I have a kindle app on my phone so it's not like anyone will see me reading a book with an embarrassing (and probably not work appropriate) cover. So over the past week I read two of her books.


The first book I tried was the one Marjorie Liu talked about in the Newsrama interview: In the Dark of Dreams.




Early on I could see how it could easily be put into a different genre with a little tweaking. While the book does focus on the relationship between the two main characters there is a lot of fantasy/sci-fi action drama going on the the background. The book is one of a series of books that take place in a world where there is both magic and magical creatures. The hero of the book is a merman while the heroine is part of some family with magical abilities. The general plot is that a beast that could rip apart the world is awakening and the main characters need to find a way to stop it. While the two main characters falling in love is a centerpiece in the book it's fairly well written and was a surprisingly enjoyable tale. The connection between the two characters is built up well as they knew each other from childhood. The heroine is a strong female figure and both of the characters have to rescue each other along the way. I was entertained enough by the first book to give another book in the series a try.





The second book I read was an older one - The Wild Road. During the course of this book was when I decided I wasn't all that interested in reading any more of her books. This book was also well written to a point - the characters were decent and the plot was fine (the heroine has lost her memories and the hero, a gargoyle, is trying to help her figure out what happened to her) but my problem was in having to recently read In the Dark of Dreams. There are some reoccurring plot point that bothered me quite a bit. First of all - in one book seeing the hero 'accidentlally' injure to heroine while he's dreaming is one thing. But Marjorie Liu has her heroes in both books hurting the women they're with. That was a disturbing point. Then there's the fact that in both books the heroes are over dramatically tormented souls. Again, this probably wouldn't have bothered me as much if I hadn't read the books back to back... but as it was I can only take so much emo-boy. Then there was the mystical mind links between the hero and heroine in both books. It seemed like a crutch in which to make sure the two main characters have a plausible connection.


In conclusion while reading one book was entertaining I feel like there is a little bit too much of a formulaic approach to these two books to make me interested in reading any more. Even so it was an interesting experience. I never would have suspected reading X-23 that Marjorie Liu also wrote these books. In the end I think that I enjoy her comics more than her novels.

The Week of December 15 in Review

Christmas is only a week away as I type the beginning of this post. What that means is less time to do the post justice. Therefore it maybe a little brief regarding the plus and minus of the books and it might be a thinner week in what gets chosen or heck even read.

Next Men #1 – Writer/Artist John Byrne

What I Liked – It was fun seeing all of these characters again and the way John did it allowed me to remember bits and pieces of the whole story. The art was some of the best stuff from Byrne I have seen in a long time. There have been times where I thought Byrne had become a shadow of his former self, but this book was well done.

What I Didn’t Like – Dreams within dreams within dreams. What is real and what is not real was overdone. At this point I have no clue what of the original series was real and therefore why should I trust the ending of this issue. I will give it a couple of issues but if I invest time in something I want to be able to eventually know the “truth” or the reality of the character involved.

Mouse Guard The Black Axe #1 (of 6) – Writer/Artist David Petersen

What I Liked – It is all David Petersen. Tales of the Mouse Guard was a nice diversion and some of the material was very good, but Petersen brings his creation to life better than anyone else. The opening chapter in The Black Axe saga was a good one. I enjoyed the ability of a mouse being able to talk to the other animals. Petersen imbues the mice with such humanity that you forget that they are mice at all.

What I Didn’t Like – Zilch, an excellent book the way it is.

Batman #705 – Writer/Artist Tony Daniel

What I Liked – Tony’s pencil work is very strong and the art looked very good.

What I Didn’t Like – Way too much is going on and way too much explanation of everything that is going on. Then we got Enigma – shades of Cat Girl. What is Tony doing? This book is reading more like Batman Odyssey with each issue. Tony, as he did on his last arc, is trying to tell too many stories at the same time. We have the Beholder mask; we have Sensei coming back from the dead, I-Ching showing up and Riddler acting like a criminal again with his daughter? I think Tony has some good ideas, but he needs a stronger editor to rein him in and/or a co-writer to help him understand how to tell a story better.

Black Panther The Man Without Fear #513 – Writer David Liss, Art Francesco Francavilla

What I Liked – Francavilla did a nice job and his dark palette for colors keeps this book having a solid noir look. It is nice to see Francesco all of sudden getting some attention by Marvel and DC. I’m also happy to see David Liss at the helm of a book as I loved his Phantom Reporter story he did a while back for Marvel. Overall I thought the first issue roped me in enough to want to come back for the next issue.

What I Didn’t Like – David Liss got mired down in way too much exposition trying to explain why the heck the Black Panther was doing what he is doing. He even went so far as to explain why Storm will not be showing up. I never followed what has been happening with the Black Panther for a few years at Marvel so some catch up was nice but the book suffered from setting up why the Panther was doing this, where Matt went (already explained) and giving us a new villain and explaining all of his background. I’m willing to stick around but after this issue no more foundation work, let’s just get into the story.

Proof Endangered #1 – Writer Alex Grecian, Artist Riley Rossmo

What I Liked – I enjoyed seeing Proof again and I enjoy the Riley Rossmo art work. His scratchy almost gritty pencil work is always full of energy.

What I Didn’t Like – Somehow this series lost me along the way and I found this issue had too much going on. I believe hard core fans of the book are being rewarded with plenty of characters they know well, but for me I found it a little dense trying to get into this next chapter of Proof. I have enough affection for the series to continue on, but creators have to remember most readers don’t just follow just their comic.

Amazing Spider-Man #650 – Writer Dan Slott, Pencils Humberto Ramos, Inks Three People

What I Liked – I like that I like reading Spider-Man again. I’m slowly adjusting to the new reality after OMD and my not reading the book until Big Time. I’m okay if Peter is single, I believe his new girl friend needs to know his secret identity to get it over with, I like how Black Cat is being used and the newest Hobgoblin is a solid bad guy. The book is just a very good comic to read again.

What I Didn’t Like – Ramos’ work feels rushed and having three inkers seems to prove my point. Ramos always had a loose almost cartoony style but his slick layouts and great action scenes made up for any shortcomings in realism. This issue felt rushed and we are only three issues into the Big Time story. Hopefully the next issue was given more time and after that I believe we switch over to a different pencil artist for the next arc.

Uncanny X-Force #3 – Writer Rick Remender, Art Jerome Opena

What I Liked – Jerome Opena’s art gets better and better. He has a strong realistic style with an incredible amount of detail and line work. His layouts, panel design and storytelling ability is also excellent. Ever since I first saw his work on Fear Agent I have seen nothing but his work going from very good to great. The story is also well done. We got a two or three page background on the four horsemen and some great battle scenes. In what was a classic middle chapter book you were captivated by the plot moving forward and the additional background material. Remender is writing one of Marvel’s top books. I was wondering when he might break thru as he has had tons of great stories with Image and Dark Horse, but nothing from Marvel that was going to put him on the map. This has done it.

What I Didn’t Like – It was just fine the way it was.

As I said this is a short post for me this week (as compared to my other week in review posts). I had plenty more to say about other books but Christmas gets very busy and I had to watch the Ravens game (WE WON!). I cut the list down to books that get my attention in both bad and good ways. I will probably have a few other posts coming up, but the next two weeks maybe a little abbreviated for the week in review as work and home are busy during the holidays.

Black Panther the Man Without Fear! #513 - A Review

So Shadowland’s over, now we have this little curiousity. Following in the footsteps of turning the Hulk’s book over to Hercules, we get the rather unlikely set up of the Black Panther, an African Monarch/Superhero taking over Daredevil’s position as Hell’s Kitchen’s resident superhero.

A great deal of the issue is devoted to explaining and justifying this move. Over in his books, the Black Panther destroyed all of the world’s vibranium, his country’s major natural resource, in a war with Doctor Doom. Or something.

Anyway, he’s feeling a bit down on himself, so when Matt Murdock asks him to take care of his neighborhood in his absence, he’s inclined to take him up on the offer as a way to test himself. Black Panther says goodbye to his friends and family, cuts himself off from his former life, and goes to clean up the streets.

While this isn’t done poorly or anything, it didn’t completely dispel my feelings that it is a bit weird to see Daredevil asking Black Panther, a King and a superhero he does not have the closest of ties with, to watch his neighborhood when he leaves. However, once you accept the premise and move on, this is a very promising comic book series.

The issue wisely opens with an action sequence of the Black Panther cleaning out a warehouse full of goons. It’s tense, exciting, and extremely well executed, as are all the book’s action sequences. Once we’re through with a flashback of how the Black Panther got there, we’re given the parallel story of how both he and a new crimelord are setting themselves up in the power vacuum of Hell’s Kitchen. Panther creates a new identity as the owner of a diner, while the crimelord, Vlad the Impaler, demonstrates that he can be reasonable and ruthless in equal measure. Throw in a few brief introductions to our new supporting cast, and we have our first issue.

All told, its good stuff. You’ve got an interesting new status quo to follow and once you accept it, it works very well. Using the similar paths of the Black Panther and Vlad both introduces their characters and shows us how this new Daredevil-less Hell’s Kitchen operates. If there is a real weakness, it is that the book tends to get a bit wordy at times. Word balloons are often bursting at the seams. The author, David Liss, comes from the world of novels, so this is no surprise. However, there are just as many sequences in the book where he knows when to shut up and let the art do the talking. I’m willing to chalk this up to his newness to the medium. That said, I believe that this is the author’s second comic book and if so, he should be enormously proud of it. This is a good issue by any standard, but for someone still learning the ins and outs of the medium, it’s downright amazing.

The book’s real draw, however, is the art. Francesco Francavilla is nothing short of a revelation. I know he did the Jim Gordon back up strip in Detective Comics, but this is extraordinary. He effortlessly captures the kind of noir atmosphere that the book is trying to create. His storytelling is impeccable and his action sequences look incredible and are easy to follow, even when using some unique panel design. And the Black Panther’s costume, essentially all black with a flack jacket and the traditional Black Panther mask, could have looked stupid or boring in another artist’s hands, but Francavilla makes it look regal and intimidating. This is easily the best looking comic book I’ve read all year and on the strength of this issue and the Detective Comics back up alone, I’m prepared to say that Francavilla is one of the best artists working in comics today. Period. Full stop.

A few years ago, Marvel turned the Incredible Hulk into the Incredible Hercules. Like most comic fans, I was skeptical. Today, Incredible Hercules is one of my favorite books.

Black Panther: the Man Without Fear is not perfect, but Liss and Francavilla have given us a fairly strong start. There is a lot of potential here and I’m eager to see where they go.

DEAD FRED

Well, the dreaded deadline doom is upon me -- what with multiple musical performances to attend, Physical Therapy, visiting relatives, and a planned trip out-of-town for my mother’s retirement celebration on Friday (yesterday for you) [UPDATE -- trip canceled due to snow in Richmond -- RATS!]. So, I’m going to try to keep it brief today (Seriously, I AM going to try…no promises though). Due to time constraints, I was afraid I’d have nothing much to talk about and was beginning to lament my decision to foolishly use my security blanket Ziggy buffer post a few weeks back. Fortunately, I do have a nice little gem to highlight from The Nearly complete essential HEMBECK ARCHIVES OMNIBUS – the sequence where Cartoon Fred dies!

Originally appearing in the weekly Comic Buyer's Guide (CBG) circa 1999, this twelve part series of single-page, multi-panel black and white Dateline: @!!?* strips began marking the 10th anniversary of the Jason Todd dial-a-death phone poll:

Strip#01: Cartoon Fred interviews the Joker about the anniversary, who claims that it wasn't him that killed Jason Todd, it was the readers. "...Though if I recall the ENORMOUS phone bill I got the month following the delinquent's demise, I must've had something to do with his forlorn fate?..." Fred's talking about what a cheap publicity stunt it was when the Joker's pocket phone rings (I don't know if they called them "cell" phones back then). It's for Fred -- it seems the editors at CBG want to have their own phone-in poll for HIM! He can even see the two phone numbers at the bottom of his strip. The Joker asks for a piece of paper to write the number down. "...? Don't you mean 'numbers'?", Fred nervously asks. "Nope.", grins the Joker. "...sigh...I always DID want to interview Casper..."

Strip#02: Cartoon Fred begins talking to Jimmy Olsen, when Darkseid arrives. He's there to gripe about everyone mispronoucing his name as Darkseed all the time. Plus, he has to endure the insults of his fellow evil-doers, who constantly mock him for first appearing in Jimmy's book. Sounds like a regular Dateline strip for the most part, but in panel 17 out of 25 in the middle of Darkseid's and Jimmy's exchange, Fred glances toward the reader with his hand fearfully on his beard and wonders how the voting is going.

Strip#03: Cartoon Fred is sitting in the dark just staring at the phone...waiting and waiting. It begins to ring and Fred crouches to the floor as the machine picks up the message. The results are IN and Fred's going to be snuffed OUT. The editors do say that they hired an expert to do the job. Fred has little time to wonder who it will be, when Jim Starlin arrives (wearing a paper bag mask like the old unknown comic from the Gong Show). "But-- But I thought we were friends?" "Hey, just who do you think made the FIRST call?" Fred is pumped five times with a rifle. As his bloody body drips on the floor, a ghostly Cartoon Fred sans feet arises from his cross-eyed (literally) lifeless husk. "I bet it's a sign! A sign that there was a higher purpose behind this grisly publicity stunt!!" Yep, the CBG editors are hoping he can get some exclusive interviews with dead comic characters now.

Strip#04: The now ghostly Cartoon Fred goes to the great beyond and first encounters all of the dead supporting characters from the Spider-man comics (Boy, there sure are a lot of them). The funny thing is that the actress who "allegedly" portrayed Aunt May in issue #400 of ASM (I say allegedly, because I like to think it was the real May who died then in the Spider-Girl universe) is still acting and Uncle Ben didn't even have a clue that she wasn't his beloved. Harry also learns why he can't seem to find his father anywhere. Incidentally, it turns out that the readers actually voted to keep Fred alive. Oops.

Strip#05: Ghostly Cartoon Fred runs into the pre-Geoff Johns era Barry Allen and Hal Jordan -- you know when heroes actually stayed dead. There's some nice commentary on the current state of the Wally West Flash and Kyle Rayner GL books (I know how fondly some of y'all remember those [Shawn and Gwen]) and a really funny gag with the Black Racer from the New Gods. I wonder why those two never talk about their days in Cloud City in the current books?

Strip#06: Ghostly Cartoon Fred now has feet! Why? Because, he's meeting Deadman, who always maintains his feet -- although not always his fine physique (Neal Adams/Jose Garcia-Lopez Deadman rules over Kelly Jones skeletal Deadman any day!). Fred also now has all of DMs body-entering abilities. You see there's this married couple and the wife is very insistent that her husband stay home for a little while longer (Forget "Parker" Jim -- this is a real and realistic male fantasy!). Fred is only too eager to "feel" alive again, but the husband doesn't stick around and has to rush off to a meeting. Deadman tells Fred that he has to use his powers to combat evil, not for his own selfish purposes. We find that Fred does just that when the couple later watch the evening news to hear that a former Marvel CEO has asked to be locked up for messing up the comic book industry. The wife is now ready to retire early...the husband eagerly follows and Fred hops into hubby. Deadman puts a stop to these shenanigans in a great off-panel gag. This is by far my favorite of the Dead Fred strips.

Strip#07: Ghostly Cartoon Fred meets Ghost from Dark Horse. You know the one with the supernatural endowments. Seems Fred can't keep his eyes on her eyes during the entire strip. However, he does manage to opine nicely on John Byrne reboots in the process.

Strip#08: Ghostly Cartoon Fred referees between the Spectre and some obscure rip-off called Nemesis. More to it than that, just want to move on to the other strips...

Strip#09: All the eerie creepy gang of crypt keepers and the like are assembled to watch an undead Fred claw his way out of the ground. Looks like they want him to join their group of horror comic narrators, but rotting flesh isn't his scene and switching back to his ghostly self goes to catch that interview with Casper.

Strip#10: It's catch-all time where ghostly Cartoon Fred meets up with a whole slew of deceased characters -- a different person or group for each panel:
1. Thomas and Martha Wayne
2. JSA Mr. Terrific (original)
3. Sgt. Rock and Easy Company
4. Captain Mar-vell
5. Alex Dewitt, fridge mate of Kyle Rainer
6. Bucky (Although, not possible these days . Perhaps it's just comic-book limbo, rather than an after-life.)
7. Jonah Hex
8. Guardians of the Universe
9. Baron Zemo
10. Aquaman's son, Arthur Jr. (still sucking his thumb)
11. Betty Ross Banner and Jarella
12. The Ancient One
13. Jason Todd (Man, they don't let anybody stay dead these days)
14. Battling Jack Murdock
15. Jor-EL
The jokes in each one are great.

Strip#11: Ghostly Cartoon Fred encounters Neil Gaiman's Death (which is a lot better than Neil Gaiman's One Life let me tell you -- YUCK!) One could be some fanboy's wetdream, the other deals entirely too much about what boys do while they're NOT dreaming -- It was the zero issue of Elric: Stormbringer and was NOT something I was expecting! She helps him get back his life and his legs, if not his own Vertigo series.


Strip#12: Cartoon Fred LIVES, arriving home to kiss his loved ones -- his comic book spinner rack (I wonder if real Fred really has one -- I do). Oh, he's happy to see his wife and daughter too of course. Part of this strip is a bit of a commercial for his mail order comics (30% discount -- and I thought 15% was good). His wife says that if he'd socked away his savings his little girl might have gone to an Ivy League University. "Daddy, will I get to go to college?" "Well, Sweetheart, probably not if DC raises the prices on their archival editions again. Sorry."

It all just puts a smile on your face...at least did for me!

You still might have time to order an Omnibus from Fred himself before Christmas and he's available for more cover redos! He just finished my third one!!!

The Ten-Cent Plague

Last Christmas I received The Ten-Cent Plague: The Great Comic-Book Scare and How it Changed America, by David Hajdu as a present. 'Course, it took me almost a year to read it, even though it's only 334 pages, but at least it's now syncronicity for me to post a review of it the week of the following Christmas.

Let's be clear up front. This is a book about comics, not a comic book. Come to think of it, a great comic book could be adapted from it, though. It has drama, comedy, horror and more than a little pathos.

Hajdu does a very good job of laying out the history of comics through the HUAC-like hearings of the early to mid 1950s. He's particularly good at giving little insights into the early creators of comics, but also goes into a lot of the publishing history, which was really the more important part for what happened to bring about the Comics Code. There were plenty of seedy characters in the industry, especially on the production side of things, where any new way to grab a buck was the order of the day. The writers and artists often had illusions of artistry about their work, though not all, but to the publishers they were just disposable items aimed at kids, mostly,with a tight profit margin.

When he gets to the congressional hearings, and how closely they aped the hearings on organized crime, it's both comic and dreadful. From our perspective in time, it's hard to believe anyone seriously believed that comic books were a threat to the mental health of kids. Harder still to believe that the persecutors of the comics didn't appreciate the nature of their crusade and its similarities to Fascism. They often engaged in comic book burning events, so it wasn't like it should have been that hard to connect the dots. Demagoguery at its finest.

Hajdu spends a good bit of time talking about how the adults of the era just didn't understand the appeal of comics, nor did they understand the rebellion they were seeing in their kids. Comics not having existed when they were kids, they attributed the rebellion to this unfamiliar medium, which coincidentally had a burst of horror titles become popular around that time. With all the other parade of fears, be they communist infiltration or mafia corruption, it's no wonder that the adults of the day had trouble seeing clearly. They had just beaten a major world threat and were hyper-vigilant for another.

My only complaint is the inaccuracy of the subtitle to the book. The second part, "How It Changed America", is not presented. In fact, it was the comic book industry that was changed by this persecution, not so much America. Comics were turned from a vibrant, diverse industry willling to address whatever topic in whatever manner to a medium only allowed to present the most mundane and inoffensive stories, subject to its own censorship board. It would be 20 years before comics escaped, in fits and starts, from these strictures. A comix underground came about as a bootleg way of avoiding the Comics Code. Mad Magazine was born out of its original comic book form and became very popular in its seditious sort of way. But in no way would I say that comix or Mad changed America.

DC Preview Review for February 2011 Part 2 of 2

Continued from Wednesday...

WONDER WOMAN #608
Written by J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI & PHIL HESTER
Art and cover by DON KRAMER & JAY LEISTEN
1:10 Variant cover by ALEX GARNER
Flashes of a destroyed Themyscira haunt Diana all over again as an Amazon safe house is completely destroyed. The culprits? Cheetah and Silver Swan, who work for the mysterious Morrigan. How does Diana get out of this one? According to Cheetah, “You run…” 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US
Gwen: I couldn't believe it when Jim told me that they were taking JMS off this book to focus on Superman Earth One. I mean really? Before this arc is even complete? That gives me little hope for his run on WW.
Lee: If you can't believe this then it's best you didn't read all the post announcement interviews. JMS's track record is so bad that any book that carries his name immediately goes on the 'wait for trade' list.

R.E.B.E.L.S #25
Written by TONY BEDARD
Art by CLAUDE ST. AUBIN & SCOTT HANNA
Cover by AARON LOPRESTI
Starro the Conqueror returns to rebuild his empire, and his first act of revenge against super-genius Vril Dox is to turn him into a mind-slave. Meanwhile, with his rebel crew in hot pursuit, Lobo thinks he’s discovered another Czarnian! But he’s the last of his race…isn’t he? 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US
Gwen: This book is such a geek-fest for Brainiac family fans such as myself. I mean, it's good outside of that - but I'm in seventh heaven.
Lee: Aaahhhh, there is nothing better than the old fist-to-the-face cover. It's surprising but this appears to be a better LSH book than the actual LSH book.


YOUNG JUSTICE #1
Written by ART BALTAZAR and FRANCO
Art and cover by MIKE NORTON
Based on the highly anticipated, all-new hit animated show from Warner Bros. debuting in January on Cartoon Network!
It’s moving-in day for Superboy and Miss Martian as they choose their rooms at their new headquarters! But the Boy of Steel is haunted by the Cave’s memories and strange visions of his past… 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US
Gwen: I'm glad they're bringing this team back (even if it's for the cartoon series). It was a fun book back when I was a kid so I have high hopes that it will draw in a younger comic book readership.
Lee: Soooo, this is issue #1? Then last month was issue #0.... this is almost as good as Marvel's .1 numbering system but not quite. I hate to harp but remember the good old days when all series started at number 1 and the most you had to worry about was an issue 1,000,000?

AMERICAN VAMPIRE #12
Written by SCOTT SNYDER
Art by DANIJEL ZEZELJ
Cover by RAFAEL ALBUQUERQUE
In this lost tale of Skinner Sweet, it’s 1924 when the first American vampire crosses paths with a Wild West show featuring some old pals and enemies from his outlaw days – and he is not happy. From the dying West to flying biplanes, we see how Skinner adjusts to life in the 20th century. Featuring stunning art by Danijel Zezelj. 32 pg, FC, $2.99 Gwen: I like the idea of seeing this character in different settings. It should be interesting.
Lee: This has been a really good series and I'm all for stories exploring the characters backgrounds. Well worth your time if you aren't already reading this.

DEMO VOL. 2 TP
Written by BRIAN WOOD
Art and cover by BECKY CLOONAN
The Eisner-nominated, critically acclaimed project by writer Brian Wood and artist Becky Cloonan returns in this collection of the second six-issue miniseries. Don’t miss these new stories of conflicted teens grappling with love, loss and the joy of finding their way in life while dealing with their unexpected super-powers. 160 pg, B&W, $17.99
Gwen: Awesome! I loved the first book of these stories and I am excited to see more! As a side note the first book makes a great gift - I've given away more than one copy to friends.
Lee: I have the first book sitting in storage back in the states. Three years from now, after I read that, then I will read this. In the meantime I'll read Wood's other book about vikings!


CINDERELLA: FABLES ARE FOREVER #1
Written by CHRIS ROBERSON
Art by SHAWN MCMANUS
Cover by CHRISSIE ZULLO
Hot on the heels of her breakout miniseries Cinderella: From Fabletown With Love, Fabletown’s favorite secret-agent and bon vivant Cinderella is back on the job again in an all-new 6-issue miniseries. Someone is killing sorcerers out on the Farm, and all signs point to Cinderella’s archnemesis from the old days. The only problem is, Cinderella has always believed that her nemesis has been dead for years. So who is the assassin from Cinderella’s past – the only person who ever came close to defeating her? 1 of 6 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99
Gwen: I'm glad to see more Cinderella stories. Cindy as a Fables spy was a great concept and it's nice to see the stories keep going.
Lee: These have always been good.

iZOMBIE VOL. 1: DEAD TO THE WORLD TP
Written by CHRIS ROBERSON
Art and cover by MICHAEL ALLRED
The first five issues of this smart detective series that mixes urban fantasy and romantic dramedy is collected, with a story from the House Of Mystery Halloween Annual #1. Gwendolyn “Gwen” Dylan is a 20-something gravedigger in an eco-friendly cemetery. Once a month she must eat a human brain to keep from losing her own memories, but in the process she becomes consumed with the thoughts and personality of the dead person – until she eats her next brain. Gwen sets out to fulfill the dead person’s last request, solve a crime or right a wrong. Our zombie girl detective is joined by her best friend, Eleanor, who happens to be a swinging ’60s ghost, a posse of paintball-blasting vampires, a smitten were-dog and a hot but demented mummy. 144 pg, FC, $14.99
Gwen: I know I rave about this book every week I do reviews but this has been one of my favorite new books this past year. If you haven't read it yet you should give it a shot - it isn't what one would expect. I can't praise this book highly enough.
Lee: People are raving but I'm still not sold. Both Jim & Thomm are on the edge and I'm really not a fan of Allred's work. Right now this is a pass.

HEROES OF THE DC UNIVERSE: BLACKEST NIGHT BLACK LANTERN FIRESTORM BUST
BASED ON THE ART OF IVAN REIS
SCULPTED BY JEAN ST. JEAN
The BLACKEST NIGHT continues in mini-bust form!
Each month in 2011, DC Direct releases a mini-bust featuring a character from the hugely popular DC Comics’ epic BLACKEST NIGHT.
Black Lantern Firestorm continues the HEROES OF THE DC UNIVERSE: BLACKEST NIGHT bust line! The sculpture features Firestorm atop a special base that displays the spectrum of Lantern symbols. The bust is hand-painted, cold-cast in porcelain, measures approximately 5.75” high x 5” wide x 5” deep and is packaged in a 4-color box. Limited Edition. On sale July 13, 2011 * Bust * $70 US
Gwen: Okay, this stuff usually seems silly to me - but this one is pretty cool/evil looking.
Lee: You know who needs this? Jim! He can take it to the office and place it right next to his dead aquaman action figure. Nothing says "I'm a people person" than a collection of zombie oriented barbie dolls and statues.

Gwen: I am excited to see izombie in trade format. It will make it easier to lend out.
Lee: If you're lending then I think you should lend iZombie to me....