What You Should Have Read Special Edition #1

So I took a week off of comic book reviews. Why? ‘Cause sometimes I just can’t really enjoy the comics if I know I have to work with them. Sometimes I need to take a break and just read to enjoy. So that’s what I did this past week.

No reviews for last week’s comics, then. But why this Special Edition? Well, that’s a good question. The previous week I did a quick blurb about the first issue of the Vertigo comic, American Vampire. It’s a creator-owned comic written by Scott Snyder (Voodoo Heart, a collection of stories published in 2006) with art by Rafael Albuquerque. I initially picked it up because the first five issues have a back-up story written by Stephen King (art again by Albuquerque). I’d read a Maine phonebook on the off chance that it would have his name it. What I’m trying to say is that I generally like the guy’s work.

American Vampire is, SURPRISE!!, a vampire comic. Now, I’ve got nothing against vampires. Buffy the Vampire Slayer is one of my top 10 shows of all time, and I do believe that the final season of Angel was the best season of television I’ve ever watched. I liked Interview with the Vampire (both the movie and book, but I couldn’t make it through Lestat and thus gave up on the series), John Carpenter’s Vampires, From Dusk ‘Til Dawn, and the Blade trilogy.

Since my wife pretty much read my entire Stephen King library on my recommendation, I decided to give Twilight a try on her recommendation. It was one of the most horribly written pieces of garbage I’ve ever read. Seriously. I got through about half of it until I just couldn’t take any more. I attempted to watch the movie but only made it about 10 minutes in.

I recently acquired and watched the first two seasons of True Blood, and I really enjoyed it. It wasn’t anything all that new, but it was very entertaining…and I enjoyed the nudity. I’m thinking of getting Showtime so I can watch the new season in June, and I wouldn’t mind watching Californication if it’s coming back on. Dexter is on there too, so that’s a plus.

All that was to prove that I have nothing against vampires. And I just realized that’s exactly like somebody who claims not to be racist and then lists all of their black/Hispanic/Middle Eastern/etc. friends to prove that point. So I swear, I’m not vampire racist. But after somewhat recently finishing all seven seasons of Buffy and five season of Angel for the third or fourth time and just finishing up True Blood last week, I AM a little burned out on the blood suckers. And I said so in my little blurb and made no illusions that I was only in it for the Stephen King story. Here’s the original write up:

“I got American Vampire for the Stephen King story, and it was mediocre at best. I didn’t even bother with the main story (or is this an anthology?). I’m slightly burned out on vampires, or at least entertainment that’s focused on them. I’ve watched all seven seasons of Buffy about three times, same for Angel. I just finished the second season of True Blood and I’ve got the books, but I haven’t read them yet. I tried to read Twilight, but it was a horribly written book and I couldn’t get through a quarter of it. I think I only lasted about 10 minutes into the movie. So, yeah, I think I’m going to take a rest on vampires until this summer when True Blood returns.”

Wow, that’s an awful review. It’s not even a review. It’s just me saying, “Here’s a book that I’m not going to read.”

So you know what happened? Snyder called me out on it, and he suggested (check the comment section, it’s true) I give it a chance.

“Scott Snyder said: Aw, Rob - give us more of a try than that! The stories go together..”

Hey, if the writer of a book I’ve…perused…is going to take the time to check a rinky-dink blog that no one reads and tell me to actually read his book, then I’ll sack up and read the damn thing.

So, I’m assuming that the deadbeat sex fiend in the main story is Skinner Sweet from the back-up. If so, that means that Snyder is playing fast and loose with some of the accepted mythology of vampires. Apparently vampires can survive in the sun in Snyder’s world as long as they’ve got plenty of sunscreen on. Eh, I can live with that. And is it just me, or does Sweet somewhat come off like Sawyer from Lost? A scruffy blond that loves to get under your skin? Sure, that’s pretty basic, but it’s Tuesday and I may have Lost on the brain.

So, my initial take on the story is that it is fine. Nothing great…yet. I have a feeling that this could be something interesting. Since Sweet ties the two stories together, I’m going to assume that he’s going to be the focus of the series. If we bounce around history with him and learn about his shenanigans, then I can see this becoming an extremely entertaining book, possibly even a must-read each month. But we’re not there yet. This first issue hasn’t totally hooked me, but I can see where it might happen by end of the first arc. And I’ll stick around until then, if for no other reason than the book has got King for four more issues.

The art is a bit of a conundrum. As mentioned, Albuquerque provides the art in both stories, and his work is colored by Dave McCaig, also in both stories. But I’m finding myself enjoying the art in the second story more. Both Albuquerque and McCaig have done something different with their styles, and I like that. The second story is a bit…I don’t know, I’m not an artist and can’t find the words for it. It seems a bit softer, both in the coloring and Albuquerque’s line work. Since Rafael (I’m getting tired of typing his long last name) does the art for both stories, you can tell that Sweet is the same, and thus that the stories are tied together. But with the slight change in style, you can tell that one is not a direct continuation of the other.

I guess I should address King’s contribution, even though it’s not his book or his world; he’s just visiting. I’ve read ‘Salem’s Lot, but that was a LONG time ago, so I really don’t remember his take on vampires. This story, though, looks like the beginning of Sweet’s origin, and if it is, and if Sweet is the driving force of the series, then kudos to Snyder for letting somebody else (even if it is a giant like King) tackle this important part of his universe. I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t let somebody else tell a defining story about my main character. I guess I’m too selfish.

But what King does is good for the comic. Other than the affectation of King having a writer narrate the tale, it’s really hard to distinguish the writing style from Snyder’s. That’s extremely helpful with the flow and connecting the two stories. It’s kind of like when Joss Whedon directed an episode of The Office. He went out of his way to make sure you couldn’t tell it was a “Joss Whedon Episode,” and thus the show didn’t suffer or skip a beat by having an episode that was completely different from the rest (the bat and Jim pretending to be a vampire was a nice touch, though).

So, I guess I’ve got to apologize. I’m sorry Mr. Snyder for ignoring your story only to read the back-up, which was penned by my favorite author. If I were reading to read, I wouldn’t worry about it. But I’m not. I’m putting this up on a blog that maybe two people are reading, and I didn’t give the whole thing a fair shake. Now that I have, I found it enjoyable, although not mind blowing or genre shattering. It does have potential, though, so I will stick with it.

At least for four more issues. ;)

Comic Book Reviews for the Week of Nov. 12, 2008 (Mini Series)

Anna Mercury #4

I’m not totally sure I know what’s going on. I’m pretty sure the whats and whys of New Ataraxia and Sheol were addressed an issue or two ago, but I just can’t remember...which has made this issue more than a bit confusing. I understand why New Ataraxia is attacking Sheol. I understand that Mercury is helping the resistance. I understand that Mercury is actually from "our" Earth and that she has to be transported somehow to...there...but I either don’t get or don’t know WHAT New Ataraxia and Sheol are. Hopefully it’ll all be cleared up next issue...and I’ll remember what happened in this issue.

Batman: Cacophony #1

"Floyd? My toilet’s on fire over there."

I had to get this. I may be a glutton for punishment, but I just had to. Who knows if the other two issues will ever see the light of day (cough cough Daredevil: Target cough cough), but I’m a Kevin Smith fan. So I thought the story was decent. I thought it was a little cheesy that Smith brought in his own creation, Onomatopoeia, to bust the Joker out of Arkham, but what are you gonna do? I think I’ll enjoy watching Maxie Zeus run like a scared little bitch from the Joker. As for Walt Flanagan’s artwork, wow, no, I didn’t much care for it. I get the Smith likes to give his friends work, it’s what I’d do if I could, but play to their strengths, man. Has he done any comic work before? If not, you start him out on what should be a pretty high-profile story? I don’t think so. Well, it’s only three issues, and there’s a good chance that we won’t see #2 until next year, so maybe he’ll get better by then.

Black Terror #1

Well, that was better than I expected. I think I liked it better than Project Superpowers, the book it’s spinning out of. This book is basically all set-up for Black Terror to rescue his lost sidekick, who is believed to be held captive in the White House. I’ve enjoyed Ross and Krueger’s team ups on the Earth X Saga, and I’m enjoying it here. I also enjoyed Mike Lilly’s artwork. I don’t recall seeing his work prior to this, and it’s not so great that I’ll search out anything he does, but it works very well for this story.

Dead of Night featuring Devil-Slayer #3

Hmm, it’s a Max title, so it might not be in continuity, but does anyone know of the Bloodstone group has ties to Elsa or her dad? I only ask because I don’t follow the characters...but wasn’t Elsa in Nextwave? So Sylva is being chased by Bloodstone, the U.S. Army, demons, and angels? Man, this guy has it bad. It’s too bad I’m enjoying all this crap coming down on him. This is a good little mini (redundant?). I hope we see more of Danny when this is over.

Push #1

I’m not actually sure if this is a mini or an on-going, so I’m just assuming. It wasn’t a bad story, but I’ve got one big problem with it. The team’s changer went in with the target. So the guy who can kill you with his voice comes in and "kills" the target, but doesn’t notice that his orifices aren’t bleeding? Wouldn’t that clue you into something? And why was nobody questioning why H.R. was in the bar in the first place? He was supposed to be outside as cover. Just sloppy writing. And what was Jonah even doing on the mission? He’s in the alley and on the transport home, but we don’t see him again. Like I said, sloppy writing.

The Cleaners #1

I picked this up after really enjoying the Samuel L. Jackson/Eva Mendez movie of the similar name. It looks like there’s a mystery to be had here, but there’s no way of telling which way it will lie. A bunch of blood leads to multiple "donors" leads to runaways leads to The Cleaners...doing what besides cleaning up the mess? Are the private investigators also? Is there a supernatural connection to this? I guess I’ll just have to pick up the next issue to find out.

Dark Tower: Treachery #3

Another great if not short chapter of this part of Roland’s life. These minis have turned out to be a great companion to the seven books. Since it’s been so long since I’ve read the books, I can’t recall if Stephen’s death actually happened, or if the Grapefruit is just showing Roland what will happen. Either way, Jae Lee’s amazing artwork has given us a gruesome picture of his death.

The Stand: Captain Trips #3

It’s weird seeing Lloyd and NOT seeing him as Miguel Ferrera. I like how this adaptation is being done: Aguirre-Sacasa isn’t putting in anything new. All the dialogue and text is lifted straight from the book. It’s just his job to figure out what gets in and what gets cut, and therefore what Mike Perkins should draw. Stu is getting in deep, Frannie had it out with her mom, and Larry is starting to get cabin fever. Oh, and Captain Trips is still making its way across the country. Only two more issues left, and I assume we’ll end with everyone dead.

X-Men: Magneto - Testament #3

My last name is commonly a Jewish name, but I’m Catholic. As far as I know, other than an uncle who married in, I don’t have any Jewish relatives. I say as far as I know because I don’t know really anything past my grandfather, and I don’t really know much about him. My heritage is something I’ve never been that interested in. But now that I think about it, there’s very little doubt in my mind that I probably had Jewish family that were persecuted by the Nazis. Regardless of a family connection or not, this is a very powerful and compelling issue. I’m going to assume that Greg Pak did his research and all the facts are true. There doesn’t even have to be a Marvel connection for this to be a good story. This could be about any Polish Jew family.

----------------
Listening to: Alien Ant Farm - Happy Death Day
via FoxyTunes

Comics Review for the Week of Sept. 10, 2008

Cream of the Crop

Amazing Spider-Man #571

Another solid issue by Slott and Romita, Jr. We learn a little bit about Anti-Venom’s abilities and how they differ from Venom. Norman shows us why he is the only real Goblin and why all others, specifically Menace at the moment, are all inferior copies. His hair looks weird, though…well, weirder than cornrows on a white guy normally look.

Deadpool #1

I don’t know why I never read his earlier ongoing solo series or the Cable/Deadpool series. I heard nothing but good things about both, and I love characters who kick ass while cracking wise. So I wanted to make sure I didn’t miss this series. Having it be a Secret Invasion cross-over (even if it wasn’t mentioned on the cover) was a plus, too, since I’m really enjoying it. Since I haven’t read about Deadpool since his second mini-series in ’94, I was a bit out of the loop, but it didn’t take me long to figure out that his conversations were all with himself, and he was crazy as a loon. The ending was completely unexpected, and I liked the Deadpool Saga that was included.

Green Lantern Corps #28

After Superman and his trio of titles (Action Comics, Adventures of Superman, and Superman), my only other monthly DC purchase in the early ‘90s was the previous Green Lantern series, the one that started out with Hal just wandering the country. After Starman, I’d say he’s my favorite DC character. But I’ve really haven’t read many GL stories. I ended that GL series right before John Stewart got his own series, and I picked it up for a short amount of time when Kyle came on the scene. I came back again for maybe a year or so when Kyle brought Hal back with him after a visit to the past. But I’ve never been able to stick with the title…that was until Rebirth and Johns got his hands on him. I’ve also really been enjoying this Corps series. This issue was a breath of fresh air. It was a done-in-two story, something we don’t see much of anymore, let alone the done-in-one. Everything needs to be longer (not necessarily padded, but longer) to make collecting for trade paperbacks easier. I’m assuming the character who took the spotlight in this storyline, Saarek, will be a major player in the Blackest Night storyline, what with him being able to talk to the dead, and the Black Lanterns supposedly composed or only deceased characters. I’ll be looking forward to see what’s done with him leading up to the major storyline, especially in regards to the mission he was sent on at the end of this issue.

Dark Tower: Treachery #1

For these reviews, I’ll only be commenting on the first part of the book, not the narrative at the end. I started reading the narratives with the first series, then gave up. I figure that I’ll sit down with all of them when the series is over and read them then. Now, I’ve been a Stephen King fan since I was in middle school. I remember reading It in seventh grade, sneaking it under my desk in the back of classrooms while the teacher taught. It scared the hell out of me. And I’ve never stopped being a fan. I read the first three Dark Tower books (The Gunslinger, Drawing of the Three, Wastelands) sometime between middle school and my sophomore year of high school, then I read them all again in college shortly after the fourth book (Wizard and Glass) came out, so I could refresh myself. Then there was the accident and rumors of the series never being finished. But it was, and before the fifth book (Wolves of the Calla) was put out, I reread the other four. Five, six (Song of Susannah) and seven (The Dark Tower) have only been read once, though, so I don’t remember as much of them as I’d like to. My wife is just finishing up the final book, and she’s really enjoyed the series. I know I won’t be able to get her to read these comics, though, which is a shame. They’re beautiful, and the first issue of Treachery continues on with the wonderful writing of Robin Furth and Peter David, and the beautiful images of Jae Lee. I was never a fan of Lee’s until recently. His style has changed dramatically (and for the better) since his beginnings in Marvel Comics Presents and Namor. While many loved his work then, I thought it was horrid. Just really, really ugly. But what he does now is nothing short of art, suitable for framing and all that. And Misters Furth and David had a more difficult time with the previous book (The Long Road Home) and this one, I’m sure, since they’re coming up with the stories rather than adapting King’s work (Gunslinger Born was taken from Wizard and Glass). They do an admirable job, keeping the feel of King’s setting and characters. Any fan of King would be doing themselves a disservice by not picking this up, as would any fan of Jae Lee, Peter David, or wonderful comics.

The Stand: Captain Trips #1

I’ve been waiting for this for, oh, I don’t know how long. The Stand is by far my favorite book, and I do my best to read it once a year. I’ve seen the TV mini-series a handful of times, and I enjoyed it more than I do most big- or small-screen adaptations of King’s books. This was a wonderful start to this adaptation. Like the book and the movie, it starts off with the flu right away. We’re introduced to Stu, Frannie and Larry. So far, it’s a very faithful adaptation, and I’m eagerly awaiting the rest. If I could stand (HAH!) the wait, I’d hold off and read the whole thing after the whole story has been released, but I just can’t do it. But it’ll be on the top of my pile each month. Bet on it. Oh, and fans of the Stand should click on this post’s title. I try to link a website to each title, and this one should be somewhat familiar to readers of the book.

X-Men: Magneto – Testament

Okay, wow. I wasn’t expecting this book, just picked it up on a whim (and the fact that another blog reader was looking forward to it). This looks to be the tale of Magneto’s early life “during the Nazi rise to power and WW II,” which, from the letter in the back of the book, is intended to be in continuity. We learn Magneto’s birth name and see him as a boy in school, a boy hated by his peers and teachers for being different (hmm, what persecuted group in the Marvel universe does that sound like?). All of the scenes that don’t involve his family seem to focus on the hatred the Nazis had for the Jews, as demonstrated by a classmate and the headmaster of Max’s (Magneto) school. It’s some powerful stuff, and I’ll definitely be eager to read the rest of this mini-series.

Leftovers

Booster Gold #12

Time travel can easily give one a headache. This isn’t quite so headache inducing, but it’s not especially memorable, either. Dixon and Jurgens have created a very readable book, very reminiscent of the types of stories that I grew up on in the mid-to-late ‘80s and early ‘90s, before everything had to be realistic. I don’t see anything overly special in it, but it’s enjoyable.

Civil War: House of M

This isn’t an important book, and it seems to be somewhat pointless. It’s the backstory of a universe that no longer exists, like revisiting the Age of Apocalypse or the Heroes Reborn universes. But a good story is still a good story, and this is a good story. Not great, just good. I view this as more of a novelty, where as with Ultimate Origins, I HAVE to read it. But it has it’s own review.

Compost

Big Hero 6 #1

I freely admit that I’m basing my review on reading the first couple of pages and then skimming the rest. But I have yet to find a Manga that I like, and while not technically Manga, it’s too close for me. I’m not at all impressed by this type of Japanese art. I’m not a fan of the big eyes or the exaggerated effects. I wonder if I would like it more if it had a more Western style or look to it.