SUSPENDED ANIMATION for 05/09/2008"
Archie #s 575-581/20 pgs. & $2.25 each from Archie
Comics/Stan Goldberg, art; various
writers/available in lots of places and at www.archiecomics.com.
You know about Archie, Veronica and their gang,
and that Archie comics are well-written
and well-drawn stories about the complications of life for
teenagers living in Riverdale. But do you know about
principal Archie artist, Stan Goldberg?
Born in 1932, Goldberg began his comics career
in 1949 as a colorist at Marvel Comics.
He helped design the color schemes of Spider-Man, the Fantastic
Four, and other Marvel
superheroes.
Goldberg also drew Millie the Model and Patsy
Walker for Marvel. These teen comics laid the foundation for most
of Goldberg¢s career in comic books. He later drew Date
with Debbie, Swing with Scooter, Captain Carrot and the Amazing
Zoo Crew, and Binky for DC Comics.
In the early 1970s, Goldberg began his long
career working on Archie¢s line of titles, including, Archie and
Me, Betty and Me, Everything¢s Archie, Archie¢s Pals ¡n Gals,
and many others.
One of his oddest titles partnered Archie with
Marvel¢s gritty vigilante, The Punisher
in Archie Meets the Punisher in 1994.
Goldberg¢s artistic style is a loose,
minimalistic approach that draws a reader¢s attention to his
human subjects more than to the environment in which they live.
But he is no slouch in drawing backgrounds as well. Riverdale is a
visual stereotype of America¢s best cities, drawn as a large,
metropolitan city with all of the nuances of a small town.
In addition, you¢ll never get visually lost in
an Archie story. Goldberg¢s storytelling technique is flawless;
his art never overwhelms the story, drawing attention only to
itself. This is the trademark of a true master of the comics
medium.
Archie and the work of Stan Goldberg are
recommended for teens and the young at heart.
Review by Michael Vance
Order Dark Corridor, a horror, fantasy, and suspense short story
magazine at www.mainenterprises.ecrater.com. Michael Vance
contributes the offbeat tales "The Zoo" and "Picked
Clean". $4.50 per issue, USA.
Interested in the exciting Oklahoma Cartoonists Collection and Toy
and Action Figure Museum? Go to
www.fourcolorcommentary.blogspot.com.
SUSPENDED ANIMATION for 05/04/2008"
Alter Ego #75/96 pgs. & $6.95 from Twomorrows
Publishing/various writers and
artists/available comics shops and at www.twomorrows.com.
Disclaimer: I have written for Alter Ego magazine, and therefore
cannot be unbiased in this review.
I love this magazine! Alter Ego is a
periodical mostly about the history of super-hero comic book
titles with a sprinkling of information on comic strips. It is
generally packed from glossy cover to cover with art, photographs,
and new information on the world’s most popular artform starting
in the early ‘30s.
The cover of the 75th issue is a montage of the
art styles used on Fawcett Publication’s
“Captain Marvel”, Superman’s only serious contender for the
title of the best selling superhero of all time.
Shazam!! About half of the issue is
dedicated to the interpretation of the “Big Red
Cheese” by many different writers and artists for more than
fifty years. Features in the rest of the issue include
articles on artists and writers probably unknown to most readers.
That’s because, for the most part, creators did not get bylines
on their stories published in the first 25 years of comic books.
As example, Maxwell Elkan is a man unknown to
even most hardcore comics fans. Yet this talented artist produced
a substantial amount of outstanding comics work in multiple
genres for twenty years. Recognition of his talent and of
his role in the formative years of comics is no longer overdue.
This issue also offers a delightful 2008
calendar featuring famous movie actresses as
super-heroines from the ‘30s and ‘40s. What comics fan
could resist Jane Russell as Phantom Lady or Esther Williams as
Rocketgirl? Hubba, hubba!
If the preceding sounds like Alter Ego is not a
magazine for causal comics readers, you
have good ears. Alter Ego is highly recommended for die-hard
comics fans.
Michael Vance
Order Dark Corridor,a horror, fantasy, and suspense short story
magazine at www.mainenterprises.ecrater.com! Michael Vance
contributes the offbeat tales "The Zoo" and "Picked
Clean". $4.50 per issue, USA.
Interested in the exciting Oklahoma Cartoonists Collection and Toy
and Action Figure Museum? Go to www.fourcolorcommentary.com
SUSPENDED ANIMATION for 04/24/2008"
Hand of The Morningstar,
volumes 1 and 2, published by Zondervan, in conjunction with Lamp
Post, Inc., 160 pages, $9.99.
It had been a while since I’d read a comic
series about a superhero team that I was really invested in as a
reader. A series with amazing, progressive characterization
(that is, characters which evolve), tons of action that doesn’t
act as a substitute for an interesting plot, and the overwhelming
sense that something amazingly sinister is brewing just out of
sight. In other words, an epic story. Yep, it had been
QUITE some time since such a story came along.
Then, I found Hand
of The Morningstar.
The Hand is a group of super beings who act on
the will of a seemingly supernatural entity called..., well, the
Morningstar. Dispatched globally, wherever a disaster is in
the works, be it natural or man-made, the Hand appears to “care
for the world,” as stated by team leader, Titan. But, is
the Morningstar really a benevolent being, concerned only for the
safety of humankind, or something entirely different?
This is the basic question posed by the series,
and as of the end of volume two, I’m all in.
Writers Brett Burner and Mike Miller (also the
artist of the series) have set up a wildly entertaining story line
that involves insane action, great characters and that building
sense of dread mentioned above. Specifically, readers get to
watch as Titan, who comes across as shallow and self-absorbed,
appears to become something more. Kudos to those fine
gentlemen for developing sympathetic characters.
Miller kicks in another heavy contribution, as
he super-charges Hand with an art style that is clean, dynamic,
action-oriented and expressive to a fault. Miller knows his
craft, and it shows.
Hand of The
Morningstar is one of the best team comics offered today,
and is recommended for all ages, but especially those who enjoy
well-crafted superhero stories. Volume three is also
available, with volume four expected in May.
Find it at online auctions, some online
retailers, and at http://www.zgraphicnovels.com/.
Mark Allen
SUSPENDED ANIMATION for 04/18/2008"
Sonic X #s 20-26 &
28, 29/21 pgs. & $2.25 each from Archie Comics/various writers
and
artists (#28 & 29 written and drawn by Tracy
Yardley)/available at lots of locations and
at http://www.archiecomics.com/.
Since 1989, the mission of Suspended Animation
has been to find and review comic books,
comic strips, and graphic novels that adults will enjoy. Sonic
X is not one of those titles; its target audience is young
readers. Consider the supporting evidence.
The simple plot is the same in every issue:
Sonic the Hedgehog or one of his supporting
cast stops Eggman (aided by his robots) from becoming the Emperor
of the World. There isn’t much dialog in each panel.
The simple art, anime-influenced, relies on color and choreography
instead of artistic detail to catch a reader’s eye. The stories
are almost always visually linear. The
principal characters are talking animals; ever-present robots
aren’t frightening in appearance. Even Eggman looks more silly
(like an aging Hippie) than threatening. There is no blood
and guts shown. No living character is graphically hurt; only
robots are destroyed.
However, in the 28th and 29th issues, there is
a hint at more complexity, both in plot and art, than in previous
issues. In fact, the “green-eyed monster” introduced as the
latest threat to Earth is almost frightening.
Almost.
So, why is Sonic
X being reviewed in a column intended to find comics for
adults? Ocassionally, we recommended
titles that wont interest older readers to save them wasting their
hard-earned bucks.
Let it be clear that none of the above implies
that Sonic X is poorly
written or drawn. It is indeed well written and drawn, and Sonic
X is recommended for pre-teen and teenaged readers.
But not for you, grandpa. You’ll have to read
future Suspended Animation reviews to find
your cup of tea.
Michael Vance
Check out Dark Corridor #1 for two Michael Vance short stories at
http://www.mainenterprises.ecrater.com/.
Interested in the exciting Oklahoma Cartoonists Collection
& Toy and Action Figure
Museum? Try http://www.fourcolorcommentary.com/.
SUSPENDED ANIMATION for 04/11/2008"
John Romita, Jr. 30th
Anniversary Special, published by Marvel Publishing, Inc., 62
pages, $3.99.
How did I miss this one? Published in 2006,
Marvel’s John Romita, Jr. 30th
Anniversary Special is one of those publications that gets
fans of comics and comics history completely goofy and giddy.
There are few more deserving of recognition,
based on volume of work and important projects under their belt than
Jr. This “salute” to his accomplishments is the next best
thing to a hardcover book, such as
The Art of John Romita, which covers his father’s career.
Featuring a timeline of his career from ‘77 to
‘06, a sketch gallery, a 16-page interview with Romita, Jr.,
testimonials from many other comics professionals to his talent,
accomplishments and importance in the industry, a reprint of his
first story done for Marvel’s American publishing branch, and
more, this ought to hold the gentleman’s fans for some time.
Of special interest to many will be the way John Jr. handled
accusations of his father opening doors for him in the business.
Personally, it doesn’t matter to me whether Sr. gave him a helping
hand or not, though I happen to believe his son made it on his own
merit. What matters is that he IS in comics, and the medium is
better because of it.
No other artist in the world of comics can put
more raw power into a single character. Jr.’s figures fairly
crackle with energy, even when they are standing still. And
though I’ve contended in the past that his art has lost a certain
“flow” over the years, I believe it’s because his characters
have gotten “bigger,” filling the page even more, making it seem
that they may leap from a flimsy pamphlet no longer able to contain
their power. That’s progression of art style, folks, and
sometimes you lose one thing for something else. It’s up to
the fans to decide whether they think it’s worth it or not.
Check out John
Romita, Jr. 30th Anniversary Special yourself and see what
you think.
Mark Allen
SUSPENDED ANIMATION for 04/08/2008"
Meanwhile (Milton Caniff/a
biography/951 pgs. & $34.95 from Fantagraphics Books /written
by Robert C. Harvey/available at book and comics shops, and at www.
fantagraphics.com.
It is made clear by the author of Meanwhile
and many other creative folk that Milton Caniff was “one of the
greatest creators of popular fiction of the twentieth century…”
But not one person who gasped at the massive biography of Caniff’s
life that I carried with me to myriad places had heard of him, and
none of them remembered his comic strip Terry
and the Pirates; a few said “oh” at the mention of his
comic strip Steve Canyon.
The sad thing is that the praise lavished on
Caniff by his admirers in this tome about his professional and
personal life is completely justified. Caniff was and remains one of
the greatest cartoonists who ever lived. Indeed, in his day,
his reality-based art and storytelling were a huge influence on the
newspaper comics page and in comic books.
You’ll find lavish examples of this work in
this book including Sunday pages, daily strips, promotional art,
sketches and character designs.
Advice: today’s comics artists could do
themselves a world of good if they studied and immolated Caniff’s
pen and brush work and his visual storytelling, particularly
staging. But they don’t. And today’s comics writers
could do themselves a world of good if they would study and emulated
Caniff’s pacing, dialog and characterization, especially in Terry.
But they won’t.
Finally, readers would do themselves a world of
good if they would buy and read this definitive biography of a
master cartoonist, and one heck of a nice guy. That means you,
bucko.
Buy. Enjoy. Learn about one of the greatest
art-forms in the world and one of its greatest practitioners, Milton
Caniff.
Meanwhile
receives the highest re-commendation.
Michael Vance
Check out Dark Corridor #1 for two Michael
Vance short stories at http://www.mainenterprises.ecrater.com/.
Interested in the exciting Oklahoma Cartoonists
Collection & Toy and Action Figure Museum? Try
fourcolorcommentary. blogspot.com and www.youtube.com/watch
?v=eCARtM5BvvU.
SUSPENDED ANIMATION for 03/28/2008"
The Twelve #1,
published by Marvel Publishing, Inc., 32 pages, $2.99.
Heroes from a bygone era are placed in
suspended animation, only to awake in a time not their own.
It’s become a cliche in the medium of comic books, but not so
much so that it necessarily relegates a story to staleness.
The first issue of Marvel’s The
Twelve proves it.
Writer J. Michael Straczynski provides an
intriguing look at a group of lesser-known heroes from the Marvel
Universe’s W.W. II era, giving fans a surprising amount of
information for a first issue. He does it all while keeping
readers’ attention with an interesting plot and leaving them
with a shocking twist on the final page.
The art of The
Twelve is some of the best you’ll find in superhero
comics, today. Chris Weston’s style is highly realistic,
incredibly expressive, impressively detailed and amazingly
dynamic. His characters have their own personalities and
quirks, with no two bearing even a slight resemblance. His
heroes are heroic (at least, to the point that they are meant to
be) and his villains are villainous. In other words, “the
good guys look like good guys, and the bad guys...,” well, you
get the point. Gary Leach’s inks and Chris Chuckry’s colors
just sweeten the deal.
If I were to compare Weston’s art with that
of another well-known comic artist, it would be Dave Gibbons.
And, Chris’ work may look a tad better than the last few
offerings I’ve seen from his colleague. Long-time fans
will recognize the lofty nature of such praise.
The first issue of The
Twelve is recommended for older readers.
The Twelve,
#0, by Marvel Comics.
This issue includes origin stories of Rockman,
Laughing Mask and Phantom Reporter from comics’ Golden Age.
At least one of the stories (Laughing Mask) is reprinted for the
first time. Also included are character sketches and a
preview of issue 1. Recommended for all readers, but most
especially those who seek affordable Golden Age reprints.
Reviews by Mark Allen
SUSPENDED ANIMATION for 03/21/2008"
Graphic Classics: Special
Edition/61 pgs. and $6.95 from Eureka
Publications/various
artists and writers/sold at book and comics shops, and at http://www.graphicclassics.com/.
If you’re fast, you can get this collection
of adaptations of short works by Poe,
Bierce, Lord Dunsany, Conan Doyle, and Mary Shelley for free! If
your local comic book
shop participates in Free Comic Book Day in May, this jewel is
yours!
If you don’t have a local comics shop, or
one that participates, Special Edition will be
available at a later date from the publisher and selected
outlets.
Free or not, it is worth your effort to find
a copy of this “sampler” of other Graphic
Classics collections. Most of the adaptations are of horror
short stories, and even Mary
Shelley’s gothic romance is at least historically interesting.
Most of the art is
reality-based and better than interesting.
This collection is recommended.
Michael Vance
Check out Dark Corridor #1 for two Michael
Vance short stories at www.
mainenterprises.ecrater.com.
Interested in the exciting Oklahoma
Cartoonists Collection & Toy and Action Figure
Museum? Try fourcolorcommentary. blogspot.com and www.youtube.com/watch
?v=eCARtM5BvvU.
SUSPENDED ANIMATION for 03/14/2008"
Jughead’s Double Digest #s 131-134 & 136 $3.69 and
170 pages each, Archie Comics/various artists and writers /sold at
book and comics shops, grocery, and lots of other stores, and at http://www.archiecomics.com/.
Yep, here’s another one of those thick,
digest collections of the antics of Archie and his various pals.
What sets this digest apart from its sister publications? This
title focuses on that out-of-focus loafer in the multi-pointed
fez, Jughead Jones.
Yes, the usual collection of stories, single or
half-page gags, and word games are here, all featuring Jug,
Archie, Betty, Veronica, and the usual gang of suspects. What
makes this digest different, besides Jughead, is a substantial
sampling of “Lil’ Jughead”, and Jughead in light parodies.
This batch of issues includes parodies of The Wizard of Oz,
Indiana Jones movies, and several genres of motion pictures, TV,
and other comics titles. All are well-written and well-drawn.
My favorites, however, are the “Lil’
Jughead” stories. There was a day when Archie and his gang were
regularly featured in their own title when they were kids of about
eight or nine years of age. It was called Lil’ Archie.
Obiously, the challenges of teenagers are different than the
milieu of pre-teens, and Lil’ Archie reflected these
differences. Picture Veronica with buck teeth.
“Lil’ Jughead” is this pre-teen milieu with a starring role
for Jug, and they are tasty treats indeed. It almost goes
without writing that these digests are perfect for children who
don’t need to be awash in violence, sex, and drugs; their
conflicts and themes are age-appropriate.
It is oddly necessary to write that these tales are also perfect
for anyone who is un-interested in the ocean of violence, sex, and
hedonism that now washes up on our shores daily.
Jughead’s Double Digest is recommended for readers who enjoy
light comedy.
Michael Vance
Check out Dark Corridor #1 for two Michael Vance short
stories at http://www.mainenterprises.ecrater.com/.
Interested in the exciting Oklahoma
Cartoonists Collection & Toy and Action Figure Museum? Try http://www.fourcolorcommentary.blogspot.com/
and www.youtube.com/watch
?v=eCARtM5BvvU.
SUSPENDED ANIMATION for 03/07/2008"
Amazing Spider-Man
#’s 546-550, published by Marvel Publishing, Inc., 32 pages,
$2.99.
For those who have yet to delve into the “Brand
New Day” storyline in Marvel’s The
Amazing Spider-man, this is your spoiler warning: Go away
NOW.
That said, allow me to express my excitement at
what the publisher is doing with it’s flagship character. Having
gotten rid of Peter Parker’s wife, Mary Jane (No time to tell you
how - go ask a comic book retailer or fan about “One More
Day.”), and re-established him as a single man, Marvel has
increased the possibility of many more interesting relationship
dynamics, which is part of what made the character much more
interesting 20 years ago.
Additionally, the creators have wasted no time
ramping up the drama with fascinating goings-on in the
super-hero’s life. Let’s sum up: J. Jonah Jameson has lost the
Daily Bugle to a competitor, and is lying in a hospital bed. There
are two new, and very intriguing, villains giving Spidey a lot of
trouble, and one of them spends time disturbingly close to Peter’s
Aunt May in his “alter ego.” Old spider-tracers (tracking
devices used by Spider-man) are turning up on murder victims around
New York. And, as if all of that weren’t enough, one of the most
notorious crime families in the Marvel Universe has made the
do-gooder one of their favorite people, adding to his already-dismal
public approval ratings.
The first three issues of the now-thrice-weekly
series were written by Dan Slott and drawn by Steve McNiven (one of
the best Spider-Man artists in a long time, in my opinion), with
issues 549 and 550 written and drawn by Marc Guggenheim and Salvador
Larroca, respectively. Herein lies the only problem I see with the
book. Changing up creative teams every three issues could make Amazing
difficult to follow for fans, especially where varying art styles
are concerned. My advice: Go back to a monthly schedule and one
creative team.
Amazing
Spider-Man is still recommended for older teens and up.
Mark Allen
SUSPENDED ANIMATION for 02/29/2008"
Sojourn: The Berserker’s Tale,
Volume 6/ $17.95 and 172 pages from Checker Book/words by Chuck
Dixon; art by Greg Land/sold at book and comics shops, and at
www.ckerbpg.com.
Reprinting issues 31-34 and a prequel of the
comic series, Sojourn, this
collection of epic fantasy in the tradition of Lord
of the Rings has its heroes and heroines traveling to the
land of the Iskani, a race of ice trolls, to confront a monster.
Ultimately, their quest beyond defeating this creature is to find
and destroy the undead sorcerer, Mordath, who threatens to once
again conquer their world. Their cast of beautiful warriors
and ugly monsters do so with the melodramatic flair of all
well-written and well-drawn fantasy adventures.
What mean thee by “melodramatic”, oh wise and
verbose reviewer? Art thou being sarcastic in a pseudo-clever way?
What, me? Pseudo-clever?
I meaneth, er, mean that most of the characters
seem to poise heroically instead of stand, walk, and lay about like
real, dirty, exhausted soldiers, and often speak in grand phrases
that would take Shakespeare
some time to compose. As one example: “Many lifetimes since I have
felt the sting of battle—smelt the sour copper stench of blood in
my own nostrils.”
Yep, I used that “smelt the sour cooper stench
of blood” just yesterday, while shaving.
Are you suggesting this book is not worth
reading, oh sage reviewer? Nope. Every genre has its touchstones,
its stylistic nuances that separate it from other genres. Epic
fantasy needs big situations, big settings, big characters, and big
plots to be epic fantasy instead of say, a western or a situation
comedy. So the only worthwhile question is: does Sojourn
do it well? I’d say it does it very well indeed.
Sojourn is recommended
for readers who enjoy epic fantasy. MV
Check out Dark Corridor #1 for two Michael Vance
short stories at www.mainenterprises.ecrater.com.
Interested in the exciting Oklahoma
Cartoonists Collection and Toy and Action Figure Museum? Go to fourcolorcommentary.blogspot.com
& www.youtube.com/watch?v=eCARtM5BvvU.
SUSPENDED ANIMATION for 02/22/2008"
Adam Among The Gods,
published by Aazurn Publishing, 32 pages, $3.99.
Whether it be in a movie, a novel, a t.v. show or
a comic book, fictional paradises generally end up falling short of
utopian ideals. It’s the same with Aazurn Publishing’s
“done-in-one” story, Adam Among
The Gods.
For the uninitiated (Welcome to you, by the
way.), “done-in-one” means a single story in a single issue.
No need to buy multiple issues, or multiple series, for that matter,
to see dangling plot lines resolved. A rare phenomenon in the
world of comics of which I’m quite fond.
Writer Gary Scott Beatty takes readers on a tour
of a world in which the “perfect” human has been engineered.
No more sickness or old age, and little to no need for doctors and
medicine. Paradise! Yeah, right.
From the get-go, Beatty gives us characters with
whom we can sympathize, be it the doctor who sincerely wants to help
humanity by improving upon it, the radicals who want to reclaim
personal individuality, or Adam, the less-than-physically-perfect
object of worship for so many. He also provides an engaging
story at a crisp, but not rushed pace, with a satisfying
conclusion....all in one issue.
As the saying goes, “And, wait ‘til you check
out the art!” Artist James Lyle is one of those individuals
who makes you glad there is a visual medium called “comic
books.” His clear, bold lines and well-defined figures lend
just the right “scrubbed clean with Clorox, but something nasty
still lurks beneath the shine” look needed for this futuristic
story in which all is well, as long as you don’t look too close.
Lyle also handles striking contrast in amazing
fashion, which he proves when Adam discovers..., WHOOPS!
Let’s just say that Adam discovers the shocking truth beneath the
shine.
Adam Among The
Gods is worth seeking out. It’s recommended for older
teens and up due to some disturbing imagery. It can be
pre-ordered from Aazurn Publishing through your local comic book
shop.
Mark Allen
SUSPENDED ANIMATION for 02/15/2008"
Batman: Animated, published by Harper Entertainment in 1998,
164 pages, $29.95.
As a long-time comics enthusiast, the only thing
that excites me as much as exceptional comics or comics-related
material is a great coffee table book ABOUT exceptional comics or
comics-related material. Thus, I present to you Batman:
Animated. Although nearly a decade old, the book covers one of
the most successful animated franchises ever, Batman: The Animated
Series. No surprise that it¢s directly inspired by one of the
most recognizable comic book characters in history. This is
not the only reason the book is worth mention, however.
The brainchild of Paul Dini and Chip Kidd, as
rabid a couple of Batman fans as you would find in any comics shop,
the book is filled with some of the behind-the-scenes history of the
program¢s origins, early character sketches and studies, story
boards and background paintings, as well as information on actors
and actresses that voiced the characters, the orchestrated music
which graced the program, and photographic documentation on much of
the mountain of merchandise inspired by the program. The book
puts into perspective the impressive pervasiveness of the program¢s
influence on society. Additionally, considering the fact that
the animated series presented a much greater portion of society than
just comics fans with one of the purest, most honest and essential
versions of Batman as has ever been seen anywhere, the importance of
such a book becomes clear.
If I were given one wish for the book, however,
it would be interviews with key individuals involved with the
series. Writers, artists, even actors, some of whom were fans
of Batman comics and proved it with the level of enthusiasm they
brought to their roles. The book is still a gem, however, and
worth seeking out.
Batman: Animated is recommended for fans of the
animated series , as well as those interested in television history
and production. You can still find it in some comics shops, as
well as online auctions and retailers.
Review by Mark Allen
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Just an fyi item: I am now producing a podcast
on Four
Color Commentary that includes comics reviews and
"interesting comics facts." I'd be interested in
feedback from any or all of you.
Thanks.
Mark Allen
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
mSUSPENDED ANIMATION for 02/07/2008"
Robotika: For a Few Rubles More
#1/ $3.95 and 35 pages from Archaia Studios Press/words by David
Moran; art by Alex Sheikman /sold at book and comics shops; info at http://www.archaiastudios.com/.
The first issue of a comic book series is similar
to a first date. It’s impossible to learn everything about the
object of one’s initial interest, but if the packaging isn’t
right and there’s not enough that’s intriguing, there won’t be
a second encounter, you can bet your sweet bippy.
Prepare to bet your sweet bippy (and your hard
earned cash) on a second date.
Robotika
is the second miniseries of a title that reads and looks a lot like
the movie Mad Max if it had been set in Japan, filmed like the
Western classic High Noon, and written by a streamlined H. P.
Lovecraft (the master of subtle horror).
Intriguing? You betcha.
Throw in a little pseudo-science from the pulp
magazines of the 1930s.
Robotika is sorta like a techo-western sushi
comic book. Ah-so-yippee-ki-yi-ya!
Its reality-based art is heavily influenced by
Japanese and European comic art as well as by the home-grown
American variety, and it just doesn’t get much better.
In addition, I applauded the restraint used when
dealing with violence, nudity, profanity, and perversion in the
first series. I clap heartily again.
However, the promotional blurb on its website
says a member of an elite bodyguard protecting the queen is “sent
on a mission to recover a stolen invention that, in the wrong hands,
could trigger a bloody civil war”.
Well, that’s why you’ll need a second date.
Not much of that is in the first issue, but it sure made me want to
read the second one. And maybe sing: “Do not forsake me, oh my
darling…geisha”.
Robitaka: For a
Few Rubles More is highly recommended.
Michael Vance
Check out Dark Corridor #1 for two Michael Vance
short stories at
www. mainenterprises.ecrater.com.
Interested in the exciting Oklahoma
Cartoonists Collection and Toy and Action Figure Museum? Go to
fourcolorcommentary.blogspot.com & www.youtube.com/watch?v=eCARtM5BvvU.
SUSPENDED ANIMATION for 02/01/2008"
TimeFlyz, published by
Zondervan Publishing, 160 pages, digest-sized, $9.99.
Imagine you are shrunk down by a band of cyborg
flies and taken on a grand adventure through time to stop an evil
time-traveling spider from kidnaping geniuses from our past. I
know, I know, you hear that every day, right? Well, in case
reading that leaves you at somewhat of a loss, you might come close
to imagining what young Laurel is feeling as you read “Turtle
Trouble,” the story in volume two of TimeFlyz,
from Zondervan Books.
Despite this being the second volume of the
property, I got over feeling lost quite quickly with well-done
catch-ups on the story so far, as well as recaps on identities of
characters. This is important, as readers are bound to simply
stumble across this book in some bookstores, as I did. Thanks
very much to writer Ben Avery for making the story accessible, and
those characters interesting.
The best word I can come up with to properly
describe the art of Adi Darda Gaudiamo is “fun.” Some may
claim that’s too simplistic. But, isn’t “fun” what we
want our comic books to be? The very essence of Manga, which
seems to be Gaudiamo’s style, is whimsy and light-heartedness,
both of which the artist accomplishes in superior fashion. No
wonder he has met with so much success in his native Indonesia.
Another attractive feature of TimeFlyz
is that, unlike many comics dealing with Christianity, it doesn’t
bludgeon readers with religion. It is mentioned sparingly, yet
in a powerful way at an appropriate place in the story. In
other words, it’s not forced, but fits nicely into the situation.
That’s hard to do, folks, and Avery is, again, to be commended for
his ability to pull it off.
TimeFlyz
is recommended for all readers who enjoy fun, uplifting stories.
So give it to your kids, grand-kids, or nieces and/or nephews when
you’re done.
Find it at comics shops, online auctions,
some online retailers, and at http://www.zgraphicnovels.com/.
Mark Allen
SUSPENDED ANIMATION for 01/25/2008"
Archie’s Pals
and Gals Double Digest #s 113-116/$3.69
and approximately 169 pages each from Archie Comics/various writers
and artists/sold at book and comics shops and at www.archiecomics.com.
So what new does one write about Archie’s Pals ‘n’
Gals since all of the approximately sixteen Archie titles are
basically interchangeable?
This “double digest” offer more than forty features
including everything from one-page gags, pin-up art, coloring pages,
and word games, to comics stories of varying lengths. However,
that’s not different. Almost all of the Archie digest publications
do so.
Archie’s Pals ‘n’ Gals is well-written and drawn
in a simple style with few details that targets a younger audience.
Its cast includes Archie, Jughead, Reggie, Betty, Veronica, and a
smattering of “second banana” characters. Herein, gentle reader,
lies the real difference between this and other Archie titles: Pals
‘n’ Gals is loaded with secondary characters.
The featured bunch includes Lil Jinx (a five or six year old
girl), Sabrina (the Teenage Witch), GiGi (Lil Jinx’s young
friend), Mr. Lodge (Veronica’s rich father), Josie and the
Pussycats (a teenaged Rock and Roll band), Little Archie (with the
gang also at five or six years of age, Little Sabrina (as a kiddo),
Ginger Lopez (a teenage girl), and a host of others.
The stories featuring teenagers focus mostly on boy and girl
relationships and situations at school, work and home. The younger
bunch of bananas tackles the problems faced by preteens. The goal in
every story is a gentle fun that wins more smiles than laughs.
And stories and characters are all set in a world without
nihilism or graphic sex or violence in which each character is
gifted with a sense, almost always implied instead of stated, of
human value and nobility.
Archie’s Pals ‘n’ Gals is recommended for
readers of all ages so inclined.
Michael Vance
Check out Dreams and Visions #35 for a new Vance short story:
http://www.bconnex.net/%7Eskysong/dream.htm
Interested in the exciting Oklahoma Cartoonists Collection
and Toy and
Action
Figure
Museum
? Go to
fourcolorcommentary.blogspot.com & www.youtube.com/watch?v=eCARtM5BvvU.
SUSPENDED ANIMATION for 01/17/2008"
Growing Old with B.C.: A Fifty Year Celebration/$19.95
and 196 pages/from Checker Book Publishing/words and art by Johnny
Hart/sold at book and comics shops and at http://www.checkerbpg.com/.
Look up “fun∙ny, adv.” in Wiley’s Dictionary,
and you’ll find a drawing of Johnny Hart. Look for Wiley and
you’ll find one of those unshaven, cone-shaped cavemen that made
Johnny Hart famous. But if you try to find Hart himself, you’ll
be sadly disappointed.
Johnny Hart died in 2007 after writing and drawing that
wildly successful bunch of bananas, er, eh, cavemen in the comic
strip, B. C.
Look up from almost any of the hundreds of comic strips
reprinted in Growing Old with B. C. and you’ll do so with
tears in your eyes and deep-throated laughter.
How can you not laugh at stuff like: Peter: Do you have any
yellow grapes? Curls: Sorry, we’re all out.
How about some gutless nectarines?
All of this slap-happy visual and verbal word play is drawn
in a simple style that looks like you could do it on a paper
napkin in a bar when you are half-sloshed. I
dare you to try it.
You’ll also need to be very clever to imitate Johnny
Hart. Surely, he held the record for running gags, most of them
featuring a caveman leaning on a boulder lettered with a business
name like Dr. Peter: Head Shrinker, Wiley’s Dictionary, and
The Curse Exchange.
Finally, you’ll need to be politically incorrect. Few
cartoonists today can create characters like The Fat Broad and The
Cute Chick and survive.
How anyone can survive Hart’s demise is difficult to
imagine, although the heirs of B. C. seem to be holding
their own.
If you wish to hold your own copy, don’t delay. This
wonderful anthology is highly recommended, and won’t last long
on book shelves. Grog!
Michael Vance
Check out Dreams and Visions #35 for a new Vance short
story: http://www.bconnex.net/%7Eskysong/dream.htm
Interested in the exciting Oklahoma Cartoonists Collection
and Toy and
Action
Figure
Museum
? Go to
fourcolorcommentary.blogspot.com & www.youtube.com/watch?v=eCARtM5BvvU.
SUSPENDED ANIMATION for 01/11/2008"
Batman: Legends of The Dark
Knight #168, published by DC Comics, cover price $2.50,
back issue prices vary.
My definition of the perfect comic book story:
An entertaining tale that hooks you right away, and contains a
beginning and ending in a single issue. Such stories are
nearly extinct, these days. I found one, however, in Batman:
Legends of The Dark Knight #168, in a story entitled
“Urban Legend.”
Long-time comics scribe Bill Willingham weaves
a Bat-tale that’s worthy of a “best-of” collection.
That is NOT hyperbole, folks. I mentioned stories that hook
the reader right away, and this one does it with 50-pound test
line. Without giving away any major plot points, I’ll
simply tell you that the main character of this issue suffers some
very severe trauma of both physical and mental nature, and the
reader feels a great deal of it right along with him.
We’re not talking about 100% shock value, however. No, no,
there are plenty of would-be “greats” resorting to that in the
beleaguered world of comics. The shock is there, to be sure,
but it’s backed up with intrigue, drama, characterization and a
darn fine mystery to boot. That doesn’t typically result
in comics without great writing, as well as great art.
And, speaking of the art...,
I’d never heard of artist Tom Fowler before
reading this story, but I’m now a fan. The players in this
yarn are wonderfully characterized with a slightly exaggerated
style that is fluid and action-oriented. The hero is
tortured and suffering, yet a noble and sympathetic figure.
The villains appear shifty, smarmy, and at times, a little greasy.
All of it is splashed onto the background of the seedy and violent
Gotham underworld, a place I would only go within these pages.
And, it’s a trip well worth the taking.
This issue of Batman:
LoTDK is recommended for older readers who are tired of
having to read 30 different issues of six different titles to get
one story.
Mark Allen
Tales from Riverdale Digest #s20-23/$2.49 and 80 pages
each from Archie Comics/various
artists and writers/sold at lots of locations and at http://www.archiecomics.com/.
Some hardcore comics fans complain that some publishers hurt the
market by saturating it with multiple titles featuring the X-Men,
Superman, Spider-man, and Batman, therefore making it difficult
for other titles to find a niche and flourish.
They don¢t know saturation.
A quick count reveals that there are at least sixteen regularly
published titles featuring the Archie ensemble of Archie, Jughead,
Betty, Veronica, and Reggie. That¢s not counting anthologies and
graphic novels featuring the Fabulous Five as well. But
one¢s man¢s saturation is just another man¢s success, for these
titles would not be published if they didn¢t sell.
Hey! Here¢s another one!
Tales from Riverdale differs only slightly from other Archie
titles because of the ¡minor¢ features inside. These include
stories of Sabrina, when she was younger than the teenage witch,
Madhouse sections (Madhouse was an old Mad Magazine imitation
published years ago), and stories on very minor characters in the
Archie pantheon of ¡second bananas¢.
Does that mean that Riverdale is not worth the price of admission?
Nope. Overall, the quality of art and story in all of the Archie
titles is excellent. The only real surprise is how the team of
Archie creators can consistently come up with new ideas, which
they do in every issue.
It has been a long, long time since Archie has been the character
that sells the titles. These books all feature an ensemble
cast that is unexcelled in the field of comic books.
True, they are for younger readers (hurrah! Titles for young
readers are desperately needed; without them, there are few older
ones), and not everyone¢s cup of tea, but how many cups of dark
and violent X-Men or Batman can one drink?
Recommended.
Michael Vance
