This week, I'll get away from it all

Lotsa links: This has gone around for a while, but it's worth pointing out: Jason Thompson is going to be updating his Manga: The Complete Guide online, covering whatever has been released since it came out in daily reviews on suvudu.com (here's the link to that series of posts). In addition, he's going to be giving away five volumes from his collection each day to somebody who signs up, so that's a good incentive to read. Here's the post with the details; the whole thing starts on September 16.

Around the blogosphere: Alan David Doane is relaunching his regularly-metamorphosing Comic Book Galaxy site, creating a group blog called Trouble With Comics. Looks like it'll be one to follow, with contributors that include Johnny Bacardy, D. Emerson Eddy, Marc Sobel, Matt Springer, and others. Check it out.

Dark Horse has posted the third Beasts of Burden story online, and it's a doozy, featuring an attack of zombie dogs. The upcoming series looks pretty incredible; I can't wait to read it. Why, if you look below, you might just see it! Cool!

Other neat online comics: I haven't linked to Darryl Cunningham's series on mental illnesses, but it's been really good and very informative. The latest one, on schizophrenia, went up the other day, and I also recommend the recent entry on bipolar disorder. These are eventually going to be collected in a book called Psychiatric Tales. Gotta love the nonfiction comics; good stuff.

I liked this Lucy Knisley comic about the Julie and Julia movie and the condescension critics have shown for young writers who publish online.

Finally, this Kieron Gillen/PJ Holden comic is really good. If Gillen did more of this stuff and less impenetrable music comics, I might read more of his stuff (I kid! He's done some good Thor comics, if I remember correctly).

New comics this week (Wednesday, 9/15/09):

Agents of Atlas #11

The Jeff Parker parade marches on, for now. I think the team fights the bad guys in this issue (there's an informative description). Dan Panosian and Gabriel Hardman on art. Rock.

Atomic Robo And The Shadow From Beyond Time #5

Have I mentioned that I like this comic? Of course, I haven't read the last couple issues, but what I did get to was pretty great. I imagine Robo is still fighting Lovecraftian monsters and whatnot. Fun!

Batman and Robin #4

And here's where I stop buying this series, at least for now (although I probably won't be able to pass it up when Cameron Stewart comes on board...), since Frank Quitely's arc is over and he's being replaced by Philip Tan. Ugh. I'm sure I'll be able to read all about it, and flip through it in the store to catch whatever "important" stuff I miss. See you later, Morrison; you gotta convince DC not to stick you with the bad artists.

Beasts of Burden #1

Did I mention that I was excited about this series? Evan Dorkin and Jill Thompson continue writing about their group of dogs (and one cat) that fight the supernatural. The various short stories were awesome, and this four-issue miniseries looks pretty incredible as well. I urge everybody to buy it so they get to do more. Here's a short preview if you need any more convincing.

Citizen Rex #3

Gilbert (and Mario) Hernandez! I'm waiting for the collection, but I'll be antsy until I get to read it.

Dark Reign: The List: Daredevil: One Shot

I guess this is the kickoff of Andy Diggle's run on Daredevil, and it's not a very good way to gain interest, if you ask me. Not only is it a tie-in to the tiresome Marvel over-event, it's illustrated by Billy Tan (if it wasn't for Shaun Tan, I would think that surname signals comics awfulness). Yuck. Anyway, Daredevil fights Bullseye, which is supposed to be a big deal, even though this is what, their ninety-third battle? Yawn. Wake me when it's over.

Dark Wolverine #78

As much as I hate to say it, I'm curious about this book after reading Tucker Stone's description of it as the adventures of a metrosexual, hipster version of the character. And Guiseppe Camuncoli's art is probably pretty nice as well. So I might give it a look, but I'm still not wasting any money. Take that, comics!

Dominic Fortune #2

Howard Chaykin's old-school adventure continues. If this is anything like the first issue, I expect there will be lots of nudity, violence, and naughty language. Yeah, that's the ticket.

Ex Machina #45

Vaughan and Harris keep leaning towards that final issue. I need another collection; I miss reading this series.

Fables #88

Oh yeah, I still need to read that last collection. Soon, I expect. Anyway, it's still charging on, with a storyline about the various Fabletown witches, I believe. I'll read it eventually.

Invincible Iron Man #18

Matt Fraction's story keeps going, as Tony continues to get dumber, this time going all the way back to his clunky grey version of the armor. When will he end up as a drooling vegetable? That should make for some fun adventures.

MODOK: Reign Delay

Ooh, this is an out-of-nowhere book, and it looks like a fun one at that. Ryan Dunlavey, of Action Philosophers fame, makes his writing debut here, with a goofy-looking story about MODOK and whatever the hell is going on in the Marvel universe. I don't know if it's in-continuity or not, but I do know that I really shouldn't care; I expect hilarity and fun, and that's what matters. Don't let me down, Dunlavey!

Swordsmith Assassin #2

I reviewed the first issue of this Boom! series a while back, and it's not bad, about a samurai sword-maker seeking out all the swords he made in order to keep them from being used by evil people. We'll see if it keeps up the same level of gloomy action and honor, and maybe even gets better. Hope springs eternal.

Thor Annual #1

I haven't been reading these various Thor one-shots that Peter Milligan has written, but I am a fan of his, so I should try to do so more often. This one sees Thor exiled from Asgard and fighting some of the Egyptian gods. Cool. Art is by Mico Suayan and some others. Don't let me down, Milligan!

Ultimate Comics Armor Wars #1

Ah, the recycling of plotlines from old Marvel comics begins anew! Warren Ellis writes this one, and as you would expect, it's about Tony hunting down people who stole his designs. Art is by Steve Kurth, and I should have a review up at Comics Bulletin tomorrow.

Wednesday Comics #11

We're almost at the end now. One of the best moments of the series so far: Hawkman saying "Look what I can do!" That made me laugh. Oh, Kyle Baker, you incorrigible scamp! Also, Wonder Woman got tied up in her lasso, so Ben Caldwell is trying to keep the Marston spirit alive. Two more to go.

Alcoholic SC

Vertigo has this paperback version of the Jonathan Ames/Dean Haspiel book from last year, so maybe I'll finally get around to reading it. It's gotten mixed reviews, but I like Haspiel enough that I want to give it a try. To the library!

Bad Girls TP

I've never heard of this comic, but it apparently came out from DC back in 2003, and it's about super-powered teenagers or something. Mean Girls meets whatever superhero cliche you want to plug in? I dunno, I'm sick of that sort of thing, but I guess it's worth a mention. Notable for the Darwyn Cooke cover; it will look nice on the stands, at least.

Haunt of Horror TP

I think Marvel had previously only collected these Richard Corben comics into two overpriced hardcovers, so this paperback version should be nice to have. Of course, it's too expensive too, at $30 for six issues worth of material. Still, I'll give it a recommendation, because I love Corben. He adapted some Edgar Allen Poe and H.P. Lovecraft, and the text of all the original stories and poems is included. Good old Corben horror; check it out.

Johnny Boo HC Vol 03 Happy Apples

The third in James Kochalka's latest series, about a cute ghost and his little ghost pal. I haven't read any of these yet (although I did purchase the first volume recently), but Kochalka is always fun to read and full of cute, funny energy. This should be good; you know, for kids.

Life & Times of Martha Washington in the 21st Century HC

For those with deep pockets, Dark Horse has this collection of all the various stories by Frank Miller and Dave Gibbons, about a futuristic freedom fighter. Surprisingly, I haven't read any of these; I should really try to get to them. Not here though; $100 is too steep for me.

Locke & Key Volume 1 Head Games HC

People seem to like this series from IDW by Stephen King's son Joe Hill and artist Gabriel Rodriguez. I don't even know what it's about, but it's spooky horror, which can be enjoyable. Despite the "volume 1" in the title there, I guess this is the second collection of the series? Weird.

Marvel Comics In The 1960s SC

Not comics! This nonfiction book from TwoMorrows by Pierre Comtois is all about those heady days of inspiration and creativity at the dawn of the Marvel Age of Comics, or whatever people like to call it. I'm sure there are plenty of interesting stories from that era, as Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, Steve Ditko, and company were pumping out groundbreaking work. This might be a book to hunt down and read, just to get that behind-the-scenes info.

Matriarch Vol 1 TP

Arcana has this superhero book by Robert Burke Richardson and Steven Yarbrough, and while I complain about the lack of new, interesting ideas in spandex-centered stories, this one seems like it's taking a path that I haven't seen explored before: that of the working mother. It's all about a lady hero who has to fight a bunch of villains in a single day while still balancing a job and kids. That could be interesting, or it could be lame, but it's got my attention, so that's something. You can read what appears to be the first 25 pages online, if you're interested.

Mr. Stuffins TPB

Boom!'s long-delayed story about a secret agent/bodyguard teddy bear gets collected. I never did read beyond the first chapter, but I did like that one, and now it's all in one volume, so here you go.

Supergirls Fashion Feminism Fantasy And The History Of Comic Book Heroines TP

Another one of them non-comic book type things, all about them strange beings that us dudes just can't understand, man. Mike Madrid writes this "alternative history" of comics, focusing on the female characters and what they say about society, or something. Maybe interesting? Or maybe kind of tiresome, an attempt to find feminist values in the fetishistic depictions of impossibly-proportioned women in revealing, skin-tight garb and ridiculous poses. I guess that would be interesting as well, or at least kind of humorous. I dunno, this whole thing seems kind of dubious to me, but maybe it's worth thinking about. Alternatively, we could try to move on from that same ridiculous superhero genre that has been infecting the medium for so damn long...

Tank Girl Remastered ED Volume 3 GN

More re-releases of Alan Martin and Jamie Hewlett's raucous comic. I've still never very much of any of the series at all. That's something I need to remedy.

Tiffany's Epiphany HC

Image is putting out this kids' book by Kristen Koerner Simon and Jim Valentino, about a bunch of animals dealing with a bully of a skunk. At least, I hope it's a kids' book.

Tom Strong Deluxe ED HC Book 1

DC won't let Alan Moore's work rest; here's a new version of one of his ABC series, collecting the first 12 issues (I assume; there will be three volumes, and the series is 36 issues long) in a fancy, expensive format ($40). Pretty good comics here, even though it's not my favorite of Moore's work.

Vietnam War: A Graphic History HC

More nonfiction comics! Dwight Von Zimmerman, Wayne Vansant, and Chuck Horner bring this history comic to us from one of them mainstream book publishers (Macmillan). Comics are all growns-ed up now.

Fushigi Yugi VIZBIG Edition Vol 3 TP

The large, omnibus collections of Yuu Watase's fantasy series continue. I should try to read this.

Oishinbo A La Carte Vol 5 Vegetables TP

More food and father/son arguing. I like this series, and one of the good things about it is that you can grab any volume at random and not worry about being lost in the story. So if you haven't read any of it, this is as good a place to start as any. Of course, you might also want to look for a subject that appeals to you; since my wife is a vegetarian, maybe I should get this one for her.

Pluto Urasawa x Tezuka Vol 5 TP

Just when I'm about to catch up on this series, another volume comes out. I'll get to it soon enough, I hope. This series has been pretty damn great so far; Urasawa rules. And so does Tezuka, for that matter. Go fightin' robots! Don't cry too much though; we don't want emotions to get in the way of good action.

Unsophisticated And Rude GN

Well that doesn't sound like something I would want to read at all. WHOSE RESPONSIBLE THIS?

Usurper Of The Sun TP

ZOO TP

Rather than manga, these are two more entries in Viz's line of translated novels, with the first being about aliens threatening the earth by building large structures in the solar system, and the second being a collection of sci-fi and horror stories by a popular author named Otsuichi. I wouldn't mind giving either one of them a go.

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And I guess that's it for the week. I'm going to be on vacation for the next few days, but I've got some Kirby posts lined up, and maybe I'll be able to get to a computer and do something else; we'll see. I'll see everybody when I get back. Don't mess the place up too much.

Razorjack: That doesn't sound like a girl's name

This is a strange one:

Razorjack

By John Higgins

Now this is a comic that I don't understand. Well, maybe I do, but it's pretty hard to follow nonetheless. An obvious labor of love (or some equal emotion) by John Higgins, who is probably best knows as the "third man" on Watchmen, where he provided the color, but has been working on the British comics scene for years , this strange comic is all about demonic forces trying to break into our reality, although that only becomes clear after a good portion of the book is over. It's also about cops and college students and various conspiratorial forces, and who knows what else. I suspect that the only person who fully understands it is John Higgins himself.

The story, as I can make it out, sees a conflict in some sort of demonic realm between the villainous demon woman of the title and a less-evil (perhaps angelic?) creature named Helen. After Razorjack captures and apparently kills Helen, she has enough power to try to open a door into our reality. Meanwhile, two cops (one male, one female, and both the buck-the-system type) inadvertently stumble into the supernatural action while investigating some sort of upper-crust cult, and they end up in the same old building as some theater students who are in the process of making that old horror-movie mistake of reciting some ancient text and opening a gateway to another world. After lots of shooting and weird demon energy swirling about, one cop is dead and the other wounded, and one of the kids might or might not be possessed. Jump forward in time a few weeks (which presumably happened between issues of the original miniseries, although there are no indications of chapter breaks or anything), and the city is a shambles, a serial killer is on the loose, and the dead detective's body has disappeared. Will everyone reunite for an explosive finale that answers all the questions about what the hell has been going on? Well, not really, but there's an ending at least, with hints that there's more to the story and an epilogue that all but confirms that Higgins would like to continue telling tales of humans fighting demonic incursions into reality.

If that description makes any sense at all, it's because much flipping back and forth while reading resulted in a vague understanding of what is supposed to be going on; while reading, it's a barrage of weird imagery and events that don't always make sense; Higgins' fractured storytelling style probably makes sense to him, but some coherence was lost in getting it onto paper. The first half/two-thirds of the book jumps back and forth between scenes (and planes of reality) willy-nilly and without warning (aside from impenetrable captions like "Core Loop - Nexus Minus 24") that it seems like a jumble of barely-related imagery, and characters and plots appear and disappear without ever being explained. The most egregious of these is the strange, murderous cult and its two hulking-yet-well-mannered assassins, who might or might not be involved in all the demonic mayhem, but there's also some stuff about a corrupt police captain that doesn't make much sense either.

But maybe all that is a feature, rather than a bug. As previously stated, this all seems to make perfect sense to Higgins, and he seems to be striving to get his fevered vision down onto paper as best he can. Sure, the dialogue is kind of choppy, but if you read it right, it's got a sort of consistent rhythm to it. And the art usually makes sense, with action staged dynamically and excitingly, and plenty of gore spicing up the proceedings. And there's plenty of memorable imagery here too, like the disturbing site of the evil police captain being discovered "giving mouth-to-mouth" to the injured policewoman:

And the sights of the demonic realm are suitably disturbing, combining exaggerated sexuality with grotesque anatomy and horrific facial features, with the queen bitch of the title being an especially nasty sight:

Your mileage may vary, of course, since this isn't a perfect comic by any means, but Higgins does demonstrate some skill with putting together a comic; in other hands, this might be totally incomprehensible. As it is, it's only mostly so, but the feeling that it all makes sense in another dimension adds to the creepy atmosphere; if you want to be really weirded out by a comic, this might be right up your alley.

"But a destructive revelation is not a father!--And a slaughterhouse is not a home!"

Holy shit, these just keep getting better and better. Today's Fourth World Panel is a doozy, and so is the issue surrounding it, Mister Miracle #9:

I love that image, but it requires some explanation. That's Metron on the right, clasping hands with Himon, a character introduced here (in a flashback issue along the lines of "The Pact") as a sort of mentor and inspiration to Scott Free. The thing is, he seems to be an obvious stand-in for Jack Kirby, right down to his appearance:

This adds a fascinating metafictional aspect to the story. In the first panel above, Kirby is literally the one who created the things Metron is talking about, along with everything around him, from the characters, to the worlds, to the actions everyone takes. The characters are the ones who act everything out, but Kirby is the original source. But not The Source, which here seems to be the fount of human imagination, along with the ideal toward which we should strive:

It's like Kirby is stepping right into his world here to underline that this is what he is trying to communicate through these stories: there are those who want to control you and bend you to their will, but we must constantly strive against them. And Kirby shows himself failing repeatedly, getting captured and killed over and over in increasingly horrible ways, but always returning, never giving up. And that's what he did in his career, never letting himself be ruled by "evil", always working his damnedest to realize his visions. This is glorious, inspirational stuff, and while it's fascinating to examine this aspect of it, it works in the context of the story as well. When Scott finally takes the initiative and refuses to submit to Darkseid, it's one of the most powerful moments of the series so far:

(By the way, I cheated there and rearranged the panels, so please don't get mad).

It should be pretty incredible to see Kirby continue to follow this up; by this point, he's building on everything that has come before, and showing that it's all leading somewhere, to an apocalyptic endpoint, with a showdown between Orion and Darkseid. Wow.

Next: "The Scavengers"! I hope it's good, but I doubt it will be as good as this issue, which is on a whole other level.

Pluto: Robots dying makes me sad

Elsewhere: Over the last couple days, I reviewed Models, Inc. #1 and Modern Masters: Kyle Baker (which isn't up yet, but should be later today)(EDIT on 10/5: if anybody notices, which is unlikely, the review is finally up) at Comics Bulletin. Since I'm not exactly posting up a storm around these parts or anything...

Self-promotion: You might have noticed the Book Blogger Appreciation Week link over on the sidebar, and I put that up there because I've been nominated for an award in the "Best Graphic Novel Review Blog" category. You can go and vote for me if you like, but since I'm up against Jog, I definitely don't expect to win. Maybe I should start mudslinging; I heard he tried to get Tim Vigil to illustrate an Owly spin-off once. That's just wrong. Doesn't competition bring out the best in us?

One link: This "Friendly Dictators" set of trading cards from 1989 illustrated by Bill Sienkiewicz is really cool. Informative too.

Pluto, volume 2-3

By Naoki Urasawa

Strangely and embarrassingly, I don't know if I have too much to say about these two volumes of the series, at least beyond what I said about the first one. It continues to be very good, envisioning a realistic world populated by humans and robots, with various social forces pushing against one another as the increasing sophistication of artificial intelligence presents the problems of human obsolescence and robot servitude. It's pretty classic science fiction, and Naoki Urasawa, working from Osamu Tezuka's lead, pulls it off with panache, making everything work seamlessly. He's got several plot threads working at once, including a classic mystery about who is killing robots and pro-robot humans, the introduction of all the various "World's Greatest Robots", flashbacks to the war that seemed to affect everyone so profoundly, a Klan-style group (right down to the robes and hoods) of influential anti-robot conspirators, some indications that something sinister happened to Gesicht in the past, and the continuing involvement of Atom (a.k.a. Astro Boy) and his sister Uran in all this business. It's compelling, page-turning stuff, and it's as much of a pleasure to watch Urasawa work as ever, but I just don't feel that I have much to analyze in the way of plot movement.

But I do like to point out what I like about Urasawa's storytelling and art, so this might get image-heavy with examples. Be forewarned.

I've mentioned before how impressed I am with the way Urasawa can introduce and establish characterization very quickly and effectively, but volume 3 here sees him go the other way, with a character showing up and elements of his motivation and backstory being doled out slowly, for maximum effect. At first, he seems like a normal husband and father, but as we watch him pick up his brother's body, which had been held for three years due to the involvement in a robot case, we learn that he is actually a hard-core member of the anti-robot society. And only then do we learn some of his history and why he hates robots; his emotions become understandable, even if we don't necessarily agree with him. It's effective work, stretched out over several chapters, and his pursuit of revenge against Gesicht for the possible (actually, it seems quite probable at this point) murder of his brother should continue to make for a high-stakes spectacle. And by the way, he has the unsubtle name of Adolf, but we don't learn that until well after his motivation has been established. Urasawa is such a manipulator.

There's also plenty of nail-biting action, as the great robots continue to be attacked and destroyed, and other than some brief glimpses, Urasawa keeps the attacker off-panel for the most part for maximum mystery. But as good as that stuff is, the scenes in between the battles really make them all worthwhile, as we go back and forth on the humanity and alien nature of the robots. Atom tries his best to understand human emotion, which seems strange, but he also weeps after accessing Gesicht's memories. When the mighty Brando is killed, he transmits happy memories of his family to the other robots, but is interrupted by a strange signal that Atom seems to understand as painful robot emotion, but is unable to explain to a human. And then that gets immediately followed up by Gesicht's creepy nightmares, in which Atom's face in his memory is replaced by that of killer robot Brau 1589:

Even the appearance of the robots seems comfortingly human, until they do something freakishly robotic like remove their head to switch bodies:

Urasawa constantly keeps readers on their toes, making the robots seem friendly and still unnerving, often at the same time.

He does plenty of other work that wonderfully fills out the world too, like a scene in which Adolf drives away from his home, which appears to be a peaceful European villa:

Only for the next page to pull back and reveal that it was actually on the top of a skyscraper, surrounded by sci-fi buildings and arching roadways:

It's a way to subtly incorporate the conflict between human and robot, the old, simple world and new, complex technology, into the very scenery.

And Urasawa does plenty of other amazing things with the artwork as well, including a series of scenes in which Uran takes care of a robot she found (who might be the eponymous killer, but seems harmless, looking like a human hobo) as a sort of pet, discovering that he has painted what seems to be a series of abstract marks on a wall:

As she helps him explore his confused emotions about his powers, which seem to be able to create life as well as destroy it, he adds to his artwork, and the reveal of the final work is stunning, with a surprise inclusion of color in the middle of the chapter.

And finally, the way Urasawa plays with Tezuka's story and art is fascinating and delightful, whether he's modifying Tezuka's characters to match his style, coming up with his own versions of Inspector Tawashi:

Or Professor Ochanomizu (a.k.a. Dr. Elefun):

Coming up with variations on Tezuka's psychedelics:

Or even using his own version of Tezuka's "star system", as in this character who looks a lot like a similar creepy fellow in 20th Century Boys:

It's masterful work, never boring and always gorgeous to look at. I can't get enough of Urasawa's work, and seeing what he'll do with Tezuka's story next is one of the most highly-anticipated comics experiences that I'm eagerly awaiting.

This week, comics are late, due to labor (or the lack thereof)

One quick link: Since I pointed to that post of Urasawa sketches the other day, here's another one, featuring Takehiko Inoue's work on Vagabond. Sweet.

And here's the list for the week, delayed by a day because of Labor Day. Oh, lazy Americans!

New comics this week (THURSDAY, 9/10/09):

Cursed Pirate Girl #2

Here you go, all those of you who weren't fortunate enough to meet Jeremy Bastian at a convention and buy this issue from him. It's now out through the direct market, and I assure you, it's awesome. Sure, you might want to get the first issue if you haven't already, but this still works on its own, I think. Whatever the case, don't pass it up, because this is a crazy, fun, and beautifully detailed comic. Here's more about what I thought, if you really want to know.

Dead Space Extraction

I never did read the original Dead Space miniseries (which was a tie-in to the video game of the same name) by Antony Johnston and Ben Templesmith, but I was interested in it. I still might pick up the trade at some point, since I'm a fan of both creators. But here's a follow-up one-shot to tie into the Wii version/sequel of the game. I might have to try that one out at some point. Zombies in space, right? Why not?

DMZ #45

Brian Wood is still doing his thing, and I'm still liking it. I need to read the trade that just came out...

Hellboy The Wild Hunt #6

Mignola/Fegredo, still appearing. I believe this mini is eight issues long, so there will be a few more before it ends and gets collected, and then I can read it and attempt to follow what the hell is happening. That's what I did on that last series, but I sure enjoyed it through my confusion.

House of Mystery #17

Have I jumped off the boat on this series? I wasn't too keen on the last collection, so I don't know if I'll bother keeping up with the book. Who knows what the future holds. Anyway, the guest artist this issue is Al Davison (The Dreaming?); they might be running out of the big-name contributors...

Kick-Ass #7

Oh lord, this comic is stupid. I guess people like it, but man, it's just dumb people committing violent acts against each other, with little of actual interest happening. This isue is no exception, although we do finally circle back around to that opening scene from the first issue where the lead character gets his testicles electrocuted. Enjoy, Millar fans!

Life And Times of Savior 28 #5

So, is this series any good? I think I read a review or two of the first issue, and it didn't sound all that great. I like Mike Cavallaro's art (his Parade (With Fireworks) was pretty damn great), but yet another superhero riff doesn't excite me too much. Somebody tell me what they think.

Models Inc #1

Ah, another attempt by Marvel to lure the elusive female reader (at least, I assume that's the point, but who really knows). This series follows the adventures of some of the various romance comics models of the past, including Millie the Model and Patsy Walker as they deal with job-related intrigue and a murder mystery, or something. Also, there's a backup strip featuring Project Runway's Tim Gunn, who gets to wear Iron Man's armor for some reason. Weird shit; I'll have a review up on Comics Bulletin tomorrow.

Muppet Robin Hood #4

I think this is the last issue of Boom!'s other Muppet series. I haven't read any of it, but it does look nice, and I imagine it's fun. The poor creators can only suffer in comparison to Roger Langridge though.

Nomad Girl Without a World #1

Here's another interesting Marvel project, which sounds in theory like it might be terrible, but becomes intriguing due to the presence of writer Sean McKeever, making his return to Marvel after slaving away at DC doing by-all-accounts-terrible books like Countdown and Teen Titans. The concept here is that the girl version of Bucky from Rob Liefeld's "Heroes Reborn" Captain America series gets transported to the main Marvel universe. It's pretty funny; the title page reprints some terrible Liefeld art (you can see it here), which should immediately make anybody who peeks inside the cover throw the thing down in disgust. The actual story art by David Baldeon isn't bad though, so maybe this will be worth reading after all. We'll see how it goes.

Olympus #4

Here's another series that looked interesting, but I've heard little about it. Again, somebody let me know if it's any good, for I am innately curious.

Red Herring #2

This one sounded interesting, and I bet it's a pretty good read, if only because of Philip Bond's art. Maybe worth checking out at some point.

Rotten #3

I think I mentioned this when the first issue came out? It's about zombies in the Old West, which could be all right. Another one to glance at if I see it.

Ultimate Comics Avengers #2

More Millar/Pacheco action centering on Captain America and his nazi son, along with a drunk Iron Man and who knows what else. I liked the first issue; it had some of that good Millar action. Hopefully he'll be able to keep it up and not do anything too stupid. That'll be the day.

Wednesday Comics #10

It's getting closer to the end of this thing, and I'm still digging it. I don't think I need to go over each strip this time, but I'll mention that Flash was pretty great last week. Superman still sucks though; it seems he should have taken that super-Prozac after all.

Achewood HC Vol 2 Worst Song, Played on Ugliest Guitar

This might have come out last week, or maybe not; I dunno. It's the second print volume of what seems to be everybody's favorite webcomic (which you can read here, I mention perfunctorily), although rather than collecting a single storyline, it seems to be going back to the beginning and printing the first few years of the strip, with lots of extras. I will say, I've finally come around on the comic; I didn't like it much the first several times I read it, mostly due to the still rather poor art, but at some point I just dove in and read a whole bunch, and it finally clicked. I still have to tolerate the artwork, but the writing is just regularly hilarious. I might have to check out this volume and see what it was like back in the beginning. Here's a preview, which seems odd for some reason.

All & Sundry Uncollected Work HC 2004-2009

The title doesn't really indicate it, but this is by Paul Hornschemeier, and it contains what the title actually does say. I bet his name will be on the cover, so no worries. Anyway, it's a bunch of random stuff from over the years (you can read the introduction for more information), and since I really dig Hornschemeier, I'll probably have to drop the 30 bucks on it. And here's where you can see a preview; enjoy.

Art of Tony Millionaire HC

Ah, it's one of those books that collects non-comics artwork from folks. Tony Millionaire is pretty great though, so this will probably be nice. Here, have another preview.

Biographical Novel Che Guevara TP

Well that title doesn't make sense; I suppose it's meant to be a play on the term "graphic novel", but whatever. The life of Che, yada yada yada, by Kiyoshi Konno and Chie Shimano. Notable? Maybe. Here's the official site, which has one of those "trailer" type previews.

Fantastic Four Lost Adventures by Stan Lee TPB

Wow, this book seems hella overpriced at $25 and only containing that "lost" issue that came out a while back (I reviewed it here and did another post about a page layout from it here) and "three other classic stories" written by Lee. Maybe that "Last Fantastic Four Story" with art by John Romita, Jr.? I dunno, that seems like not very much content for the price. I would skip it if I were you. And then I would probably ruin your life and get fired from your job, because I don't know any of those people.

Giraffes In My Hair A Rock N Roll Life HC

I guess it's necessary to mention most every book Fantagraphics puts out, even if I'm not all that interested in them. This one is by Bruce Paley and Carol Swain, and it's autobiographical, about Paley and the music of the 60s and 70s. It's probably good, but I've got other stuff to read, man. Here's a preview.

Gotham Central HC Vol 02 Jokers and Madmen

I'll admit it again; I've never read any of this series, but I always hear that it's really good. I'll have to look for this and the previous volume at the library or something. Ed Brubaker and Greg Rucka telling street-level crime stories; what's not to like? Other than lame superhero nonsense, that is.

Grimwood's Daughter HC

I had no idea this existed before today, and I might forget about it tomorrow, but I'll mention it for now. It's apparently an early work by Kevin Nowlan, some sort of fantasy thing from the early 80s written by Jan Strnad. There you go; early stuff from a good artist. If that's something you want to read, go for it.

Grown-Ups Are Dumb No Offense SC

You know, I don't mean to be a jerk or anything, but would Alexa Kitchen be known at all if she weren't Denis Kitchen's daughter? Her comics are supposedly really good, but from what I've seen of them (I think the Sexy Chix anthology is the only place I've read any), they're fairly typical kid art. Lots of people have praised them though, so maybe they're not just sucking up to her dad. This book is even being published by Harper Collins; wow. Lucky kid; read her book if you want, but I think I can safely skip it.

I Kill Giants TPB

I've been saying this for a while now, but I might as well mention once again that I should check this out because I've heard good things, even though I wasn't all that thrilled with the first issue of this miniseries. As it came to an end though, people were talking about it being a good look at childhood fantasies and abuse and whatnot; I'm intrigued, so I'll have to look for this collection and see what I think of the whole package. Don't let me down, Joe Kelly!

John Stanley Library Nancy Volume 1 HC

Another volume of comics by what people are calling one of the greatest children's comics artists. Maybe it'll be good? I'm not that into Nancy, but I kind of like what I've seen of the Ernie Bushmiller strips. I don't know how these full-size comics stand up to those though. Eh, worth a look, right?

Love & Rockets New Stories TP Vol 2

Ooh, here's the big release for the week. The second "issue" of volume 3 of the Hernandez brothers' series, featuring more superheroics by Jaime and probably more weird shit from Gilbert (and Mario will probably be in there somewhere). I can't wait. Here's where you can see your preview, as if you really need one.

Marvel Superhero Team Up TPB

Formerly known as "Marvel Bromance". That's the only reason to mention it though; I doubt there's much of anything in here that begs to be read. I recommend hunting for cheap back issues of Marvel Team-Up instead.

Paul The Samurai Complete Works TP

I was not aware of this character/comic, but it's apparently a spin-off of The Tick. That means it's probably pretty enjoyable. That is all.

Process Recess HC Vol 03 Hallowed Seam

More of James Jean's art. I bet it's pretty.

Red Monkey Double Happiness Book HC

Another Fantagraphics release! They're busy this week. This one is by Joe Daly, and Tom Spurgeon's recent review got me interested in checking it out. I guess it's about stoners or something? I dunno. Here's where you can see a preview.

Runaways Good Die Young HC

Marvel's latest attempt to bilk people out of money by overpricing something that was previously packaged in a cheaper form. It's actually the final part of the first volume of the series, and it's a good story, with a surprising reveal and some big drama. If you haven't read it before, this is good stuff, but I recommend getting one of the earlier, better-priced versions of the story.

Squirrel Machine HC

More Fantagraphics! This book by Hans Rickheit is one that people have been talking about for a while now, and it's finally out. I wasn't previously aware of Rickheit, but I realized that he's the guy behind the Kirby/Freud mashup comic that I linked to a few months ago. That was some crazy shit, and judging by the art samples I've seen from this book, it's going to be good. I'll have to try to read it, yes I will. Here, preview.

Storm In The Barn GN

I'm not sure what this is exactly, but it seems to be about a Depression-era kid encountering supernatural forces in a barn near where he lives. It's by Matt Phelan, and you can see a bit of the interior art on the publisher's page.

Super Human Resources TP Season 1

People seem to like this series, which is a humorous take on superheroes as seen by cubicle-dwelling office functionaries in their crime-fighting organizations. That's cute and all, but isn't everybody sick of all the various variations on superhero stories? There are other genres, dudes! Anyway, here's the first collection. You can read the entire first issue here, if you wish.

Ultimatum Spider-Man Prem HC

It's the ignominious end of the first volume of one of Marvel's best comics, but it's pretty poor going, completely hamstrung by the beyond-awful Ultimatum series that kind of ruined the Ultimate universe. Still, you've got some nice Stuart Immonen art, and Brian Michael Bendis does his best to keep things going with what he was handed, but unless you're a completist or something, it's eminently skippable.

West Coast Blues HC

More Fantagraphics! This is the first in their new series of Jacques Tardi imports, a noir story about one of those normal guys that gets sucked into a world of crime and intrigue and whatnot. I've been looking forward to reading these Tardi books, so I'm excited to hunt this down and see what all the fuss is about. For now, here's where you can see a preview.

Which Witch's Wand Works TP

This appears to be a children's book from the UK, released in the US by IDW. It's about two bumbling witches having silly misadventures, or something. Probably cute.

With The Light Raising An Autistic Child Vol 5 GN

On the manga front, here's a series that I've read one volume of, and thought was quite good. Since then, there have been four more installments (with each one being of massive size), so I'm way behind. Maybe I'll catch up someday; I do want to see Hikaru become a cheerful working adult.

Yakitate Japan Vol 19 TP

The bread-making continues. I still haven't read any of this; maybe someday, maybe, maybe, maybe.

Yotsuba Vol 1 GN Yen Press Edition

Yotsuba Vol 2 GN Yen Press Edition

Yotsuba Vol 3 GN Yen Press Edition

Yotsuba Vol 4 GN Yen Press Edition

Yotsuba Vol 5 GN Yen Press Edition

Yotsuba Vol 6 GN

Ah, and here's one to get everybody excited, along with a bunch of reprints. Yen Press picked up this popular title when ADV went under (or whatever happened to them), so they're putting out new versions of the first five volumes, and also the long-awaited sixth one. Everybody can cheer in the streets; our favorite green-haired cutey pie has been released from captivity! This series is really fun and cute and everything, so check it out if you can stand the sweetness. I've only read up through volume 3, so I've got some catching up to do...

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And that's everything? That's a bunch of book-format stuff that will keep me busy (and poor). Better than rich and bored, I always (never) say!

"Like the noise--these feelings rise inside me! I must give names to these feelings!"

Here's today's Fourth World Panel, from New Gods #9:

Actually, that's not my favorite one, but it's got some cool action; I love the exploding double upside-down kick. No, here's the panel that really struck me:

The story here introduces a race of insect-like creatures that have sprung up on New Genesis as a result of the war with Apokolips, although it's not clear if they're tiny people or full-size (they fight some gigantic foes at one point, but they're the same size as Mantis and seem to be human size when one of them comes to Earth). Led by the issue's protagonist, a member of the tribe known as Forager, they bring some food back to their colony, and they're feasting on it above, in a strikingly animalistic, insectile way. It's bizarre and unnerving, since even though they appear humanoid, they're acting like ants. Weird shit, man.

This is another one of those odd aspects of the world that Kirby occasionally introduces; are these creatures basically an infestation to the New Gods, even though they seem like people? What makes them different from humans, or is there no difference? Do the cosmic beings see humanity as anything more than lower beings to either use or exterminate?

Anyway, Forager stands out as a character with morals, hopes, and dreams, rather than just instinctual urges, so he's the one that we follow here, as his colony gets taken over by Mantis, who I think we last saw back in the early issues of Forever People. He defers to a leader known as "Prime One", although Prime One in turn serves the queen, "All-Widow". I love the weird titles that Kirby comes up with. But with Mantis planning to use the bugs for his own destructive ends, Prime One gets dethroned, leading to another unnerving scene:

Man, that queen gives me the creeps. It's all enough to make Forager rebel, and he's headed to Earth to probably team up with Orion and Lightray. We'll have to see what happens next issue. But for now, I'm as impressed as ever with Kirby's worldbuilding and capacity for establishing strange concepts that seem alien and yet mostly comprehensible.

And speaking of Orion and LIghtray, they spend the issue hanging out with some random woman on a rooftop and recuperating from the battle with Kalibak last issue. Orion still gives the chance to deliver an earth-shaking monologue against Darkseid though:

Awesome. Next: "Himon!" That's supposed to be a good one too; this volume of the Omnibuses seems to be where things really jump up to the next level.

Asterios Polyp: Great graphic novel, or greatest graphic novel?

This looks cool: here are some clips from an animated adaptation of Jason's Shhh! Very nice; I'll have to try to see that when it comes out, if possible.

Also: Here are some layout sketches and process pictures from Naoki Urasawa on 20th Century Boys. It's rare to see that sort of thing from a manga creator, which makes it worth pointing out, I think.

Asterios Polyp

By David Mazzucchelli

The question here is, how to even begin talking about this book, which was being hailed as the best comic of the year before it was even released? That reputation is not unearned; it's definitely an intelligent, literate work, full of symbolism and allusion, and gorgeously put together to form a fascinating story. But even though it has only recently been released, the weight of its reputation already makes it intimidating to discuss, as if it is a shibboleth designed to expose those who cannot truly comprehend its high-minded code. Can someone who hasn't completed a masters degree in English even talk about it without coming across as an idiot?

Well, it's worth a try, at least. In terms of plot, David Mazzucchelli's work here doesn't seem all that special, akin to one of those corny indie movies in which a busy rich person moves to the country and learns all sorts of lessons about himself, life, love, etc. That's sort of what happens here, with the titular character, a "paper architect" who has never had any of his designs built (he ends up as a university professor, of course), seen wallowing sadly in an unkempt apartment, when a sudden flash of lightning burns his building down and he abruptly decides to leave his life (what little there is of it) behind, taking a bus trip to the country and impulsively stopping in a small town, getting a job as an auto mechanic, and regaining some sense of direction to his life. Chapters of this storyline alternate with flashbacks to Asterios' past, mostly focusing on his relationship with his ex-wife Hana, a sculptor who seems as quiet and reserved as he is brash and confident, until he finally realizes what's most important to him and sets out to make things right.

But while a basic description like that sounds somewhat banal, the execution is where things really take off, as Mazzucchelli pulls out all the stops to bring this story to life. He uses a lot of visual tricks, including one that is sort of on the nose, in that it's explained in the text; it sees characters depicted in a certain specific style, as if their personality and inner feelings are externalized, taking over their entire being. It's a fascinating visual idea, allowing Mazzucchelli to cut loose with various artistic styles and techniques to represent a whole range of humanity:

Asterios himself is seen as a sort of mathematically-precise model, befitting his logical architect's nature, while Hana seems completely opposite, all soft lines and tactile curves. And Mazzucchelli goes one step further, showing how people can attempt to mold themselves after somebody else, as in a moment when Asterios is tempted into an affair with a student:

But a deeper connection shows a more organic combination, as in Asterios' and Hana's first meeting:

It's a fairly simple metaphor, but an effective one, and it allows Mazzucchelli to do some really interesting visual theatrics. And he doesn't overuse it; most of the book sticks with a more cartoony style (albeit one that sees characters depicted in ways that emphasize their personalities), and the "inner state" emerges when emotions are laid bare. That cartoony representation works really well on its own; Asterios' mechanic boss Stiffly Major is a round, fat man with a small head, showing his large, welcoming nature and reticence to speak, while his wife Ursula carries herself regally, like the goddess she believes she is. And taking it one step further, Mazzucchelli gives each character their own unique word balloon shape and font, making it seem like each character has a separate "voice" in a way that seems obvious but isn't yet widely used in comics.

And aside from all the striking visuals, the characters get fleshed out wonderfully bit by bit through narration, flashbacks, or just watching their interactions; we learn early on that Asterios was a twin, but his brother Ignazio died at birth, leaving him feeling like an invisible half of himself was missing. This gave rise to a personal philosophy in which he gives everything a duality, grouping things into two warring halves. Mazzucchelli illustrates this in a variety of ways, at one point invoking Aristophanes' creation myth from Plato's Symposium, in which people originally had four arms, four legs, and two faces, until Zeus split them apart (for a more rock-and-roll version of the story, see Hedwig and the Angry Inch's "The Origin of Love"). Ignazio (who also functions as the book's narrator) is a constant presence for Asterios, leading to a series of dreams in which he plays out his survivor's guilt, imagining a present in which he is surpassed by Ignazio, or, more painfully, completely perfunctory, with Ignazio living an exact replica of his own life. The duality even extends to the book's color scheme, which limits itself mostly to two colors at a time, with present-day sequences in yellow and purple and flashbacks in blue and pink.

It's a feast for the eyes on every page, but it's not empty showing off. Everything is done with the purpose of furthering the development of the characters, most notably Asterios, but even the minor supporting cast ends up being fully realized, realistic human beings. And as Asterios goes on his journey of the soul, he opens up and realizes some things about himself as well, realizing how much Hana meant to him and how badly he treated her by being pompous, self-absorbed, and dismissive. This becomes especially clear in a sequence in which Hana gets a job designing the sets for a play and working with an even more ego-inflated buffoon named Willy Ilium, who constantly makes inappropriate sexual comments to her. Asterios does nothing put mock Willy, until things come to a breaking point, and the moment he and Hana have in which her real feelings come out is absolutely heartbreaking.

And, as ever, Mazzucchelli keeps the visual and storytelling fireworks coming, in sequences like a series of memories that start slow and then overwhelm Asterios, little physical, intimate moments that might be the most precious part of a relationship, showing that the couple feels completely open and at ease with each other:

Another bravura setpiece sees Asterios have a dream in which he acts as Orpheus, descending into a version of hell to rescue Hana, and maybe even realizing what their problem was all along. It's amazingly done, all densely-textured lines and brushes of ink, with lots of surreal touches:

And it references several preceding moments of the story, including Willy's play and some of the sights Asterios saw along his journey. In fact, that's another important aspect of the book: Mazzucchelli peppers a lot of symbolism and foreshadowing throughout, to the point that a second reading (or a lot of flipping back to previous pages) is all but necessary. There's so much going on here that it's no wonder some readers feel that they are in a bit over their heads.

But at heart, it's a very human story, full of emotion that's realistic, gratifying, and cringe-worthy. As cartoony as the characters are, their forms embody their personalities perfectly, and it's a treat to watch them play off each other and live in Mazzucchelli's meticulously crafted world. Does it live up to its lofty reputation? Maybe so; at the least, if Mazzucchelli wasn't already considered one of the greatest living cartoonists, he probably should be now. This is a work that demands to be read, re-read, analyzed, and discussed, and it's a great example of something that could only be done in comics. The medium is certainly richer for its existence.

Plan B: The Haunted Life of Doctor Anomalous: It's not haunting my dreams yet

Link: Alan David Doane has released a free e-book collecting a ton of interviews he's done over the last decade or so, and it looks like really good stuff. I haven't had a chance to look at it too closely, but there are some good interview subjects in there, and ADD is a thoughtful commentator, so I expect good things here. Plus, it's free!

Plan B: The Haunted Life of Doctor Anomalous

Written by Josh Jenkins

Art by Karl Slominski

"Points for ambition" is my mantra, right? Well, this book might not quite qualify for the use of that refrain, but it does get the "good idea(s), less than perfect execuhtion" award. Maybe one can't expect too much from a micro-indie like this, a self-published graphic novel sold through a website, but the persistent typos and punctuation errors are distracting, and the plot could definitely have stood to be fleshed out a bit more. And since what's good shows a lot of promise, one wishes things could have stayed in the oven just a bit longer and kicked the book up to the next level.

But rather than focus completely on the bad, let's spotlight what's done well here. Writer Josh Jenkins has created a goofy, interesting world here, populated by mad scientists and other strange, silly people. We meet the title character, one Victor Anomalous, in 1942, when he was the head of a secret government research project (the titular "Plan B") tasked with creating alternative weapons. It's a prime facility for scientists of the less-than-sane variety, and the glimpse we get of it is entertaining and full of weirdness, lasting much too short. It's done through the time-honored technique of introducing the new intern/assistant (and thus the reader) to everyone, and it works, with a succession of crazies being paraded across the page and then gathered together for a funny staff meeting. Unfortunately, we don't get enough time with them, since the atom bomb gets developed and Plan B gets shut down, then we jump to the late 80s to see Dr. Anomalous a broken-down, lonely old man who spends all his time watching daytime TV. The rest of the book sees what turns out to be the real focus, as we follow him on a journey to rediscover himself and recall his dark secrets from those years. It would have been nice to spend more time at Plan B, fleshing out the crazy scientists a bit more and seeing what Anomalous was like in his prime. But, since the book has "Book 1" printed on the spine, perhaps future volumes will see the other characters' lives explored further.

Anyway, soon after jumping to the near-present, we learn the meaning of the title, as Dr. Anomalous begins seeing hallucinatory visions of his old compatriots, compelling him to break free from his complacent existence and try to recapture his old glory. Before he knows what has happened, he's traveled across the country and is teaching at a community college near the abandoned Plan B facility. At some point, he breaks back in and resumes his experiments, while attempting to woo a coed who is much too young for him and ruin the life of a academic and romantic rival. There are some funny bits along the way, but the plotting is rather ramshackle, with many of Anomalous' actions being inscrutable (possibly because he's losing his mind) and events occuring without much setup or payoff. For instance, Anomalous has some dark secret that isn't brought up until near the end, and even when it is supposedly explained, not much is answered, and it's hard to tell exactly why he does what he does once it is uncovered.

So yes, perhaps the script could have used a rewrite, and certain scenes or characters (such as Miss Tisk, the love interest character, who comes off as a mostly brainless hanger-on without much in the way of motivation) could have been fleshed out a bit more. But what the creators do well shows that they've got a flair for goofy dialogue and weird physical comedy. Jenkins peppers each scene with funny exchanges and speeches, with Anomalous regularly making mad scientist proclamations, to everyone's confusion:

And artist Karl Slominski has a unique style that appears to be digitally produced, with tons of lines covering the page, yet cohering into angular, expressive images of wrinkled, contorted figures. It's strange-looking stuff, but while it can sometimes be a bit too cluttered to really discern features or actions, it can also lead to some enjoyably cartoony movement:

As with the writing, it's something that could probably use some time to flesh out. Slominski does produce some striking pages here, so with practice, he could certainly improve with subsequent volumes. One can always hope; there's some real potential here.