Pocket Full of Rain: I feel like my pockets are full of excellence

I thought there were a few things I wanted to link to, but should I bother? Ah, why not:

Alison Bechdel has a strip she did for Entertainment Weekly on her site; it's about all the books she feels like she should read but was never able to get to. I feel her pain.

Huh, maybe that was the only one. Okay, here's something good:

Pocket Full of Rain and Other Stories
By Jason



Norwegian cartoonist Jason has such a unique style, with his animal characters and deadpan humor, that it's hard to imagine him making comics that look any different. But this compilation of his earlier work from 1992-1999 shows us exactly that, giving an eye-opening view to the process of his artistic evolution. We see him try out all sorts of different styles, from realistic, to somewhat cartoony, to versions of his animal characters, with some of them mixing with humans, through to the motif he eventually settled on and continues to use. It's fascinating to watch, and since he's such an enjoyable storyteller, the stories themselves make for great reading aside from the interest in the art.

The longest story here is the one that gives the book its name, a 44-page 1995 story that sees Jason using a realistic style to examine some of his familiar themes, like relationships which are affected by the past of the participants. It follows one of Jason's typical disaffected young men, a police sketch artist named Erik who meets a girl and finds a genuine connection with her. But her previous boyfriend, a dangerous hitman with a penchant for blowing soap bubbles, shows up and causes trouble, forcing them to flee to what they think is a safe location. It's an odd story (although not when compared to Jason's other work), with plenty of strange, surreal touches, like a zombie panhandler who lurks in the background, the fact that the criminals that Erik sketches are all aliens or monsters, or a scene involving hats:



But the weirdness, while adding spice to the story, only serves to make the realistic human moments stand out. It's beautiful to see the relationship play out, and the difference in how Erik interacts with his best friend (all their conversations seem to be made up of movie quotes or discussions about pop culture) versus his girlfriend (whose name we never learn) shows what he sees in her. He can talk philosophy with her, or bare his soul about love and death. It's wonderful to watch, and it shows that Jason had the human element of his stories down even at this early date.

As mentioned, the art takes a more realistic style, making for an odd disconnect, since this certainly feels like a Jason story, but it looks so different. He does a nice job of it though, using some interesting shading effects, and I like the way he uses thick black brushstrokes to depict wrinkles in fabric:



And we can still see some recognizable touches, like the flying sweat drops that are used to show nervousness:



Jason also tries out some other styles through a couple dream sequences, one of which uses a more cartoony style that we'll see him try out later, and another that seems to use an old, folkloric style of artwork:



It's quite good, and it sets a good tone for the rest of the book, which is mostly filled with shorter works and ephemera. There are several one- or two-page strips in which an author avatar talks with an animal character about mundane matters, sometimes punctuated with a dog showing up and shooting one of them. A few seemingly-autobiographical bits that highlight Jason's personality. Some of them are semi-realistic, and some feature versions of the eventual animal characters. It's interesting to see the animal style develop; at one point it was more three-dimensional and rounded:



But as the years progress, you can see how it became the flat style that still persists. Other sections of the book see some goofy, surreal science fiction stories, like 1992's "Invasion of the Giant Snails", which sees a character named Sam Space fight off some gangsters using bananas and hair dryers (because they are shaped like guns). It's a strange story that rests on dream logic, and provides laughs just because of the weird non sequiturs. 1998's "Spacecat" is a funny, short piece in the style of Golden Age sci-fi comics, in which a cat hero rescues a space princess from an evil mad scientist. One of the weirder strips is the 1998 "X-Pilt", which combines The X-Files with a bizarre Norwegian children's show that apparently wounded the psyche of anybody who grew up there in the 70s:



Later in the book, there are a few other of these weird, dreamlike comics, with the most effective probably being 1997's "Kill the Cat". These are a bit less comic and more disturbing though, bringing that morose Scandinavian mindset to the page. There's also a pretty good comic from 1997 about the breakup of a relationship called "Falling". And my favorite of the short pieces is probably 1997's "Papa", which takes a cue from the film The Killers (which was based on a story by Ernest Hemingway, whom Jason is obsessed with), seeing a couple of shady characters show up at a small-town diner and terrorize the people there, planning to do something to the old man who often frequents the establishment:



Then, one of the patrons visits the old man, who seems to be based on Hemingway himself. The old man feels old and useless, unable to write like he used to. That's about all there is to it, but it's a creepy and emotional little story.

The final large segment is a series of newspaper strips from 1998 which were submitted to a paper but never accepted. It's a weird, surreal, funny strip, following a guy dressed in a striped prisoner's outfit (complete with a large metal ball shackled to his leg) as he wanders a desert landscape, interacting with ghosts, animals, and sentient cacti. It's pretty absurd, but it has a goofy, deadpan vibe, and some enjoyable breaking of the fourth wall:



Rounding out the book is a section of the beautifully painted color covers to Jason's anthology series Mjau Mjau, where most of these stories were originally published. And the table of contents, which is the last thing in the book, has some essential author's notes, giving background on many of the stories.

Overall, it ends up being a nice book, if not really among Jason's best work. The title story is a good addition to the author's well-known works, and the rest of the stories are interesting glimpses into his mind, but the main appeal of the whole volume does seem to be seeing the development of his style. Luckily, he's such a good artist that even his lesser works are fascinating to examine; even though he settled on one style, he is capable of spinning a great story using a large variety of artistic effects. It's probably worth a look for anybody who likes to see European comics translated into English, but fans of Jason's work will definitely get the most out of it. But if they're anything like me, they'll savor the chance, and continue to hope for more work from a great cartoonist.

Shojo Beat: Fame and zen. And etc.

I really meant to get to this last night. Don't tell me I'm getting behind again already...

Shojo Beat
September 2008



Not too much in the way of interesting non-comics content this month, although there is a review of The Adventures of Johnny Bunko. The mascot illustration of the month is by Aimee Major Steinberger, author of Japan Ai: A Tall Girl's Adventures in Japan:



She also contributes an article about places to shop in Tokyo, but it's not really my thing, being as I've never been there and don't plan to go anytime in the near future, and the locations are all clothes stores where you can presumably buy lots of gothic lolita fashions and whatnot. Ah well, I'll stick with Chris Butcher's travelogues instead.

Okay, on to the manga:

Blank Slate
By Aya Kanno

This month's preview chapter is an odd one for a shojo magazine; it's all about hitmen, bounty hunters, and killing, with little in the way of romance (or so it seems at first) or even female characters. It takes place in some sort of oppressive future with rival totalitarian governments sanctioning bounty hunters to hunt down criminals. Our main character is one of those hunters, named Russo, and he gets tasked to take down a big-time murderer named Zen. But when he hunts down Zen, he finds himself enthralled by him, and ends up joining him in his criminal activities, all while plotting to murder him at some point. But will he grow to close to Zen and find himself unable to finish the job?

So why would this be classified as a shojo manga? That can probably be summed up in one word: yaoi. Or maybe not; I'm not very well-versed in that genre. But the point of this series seems to be all about the smoldering glances that Zen and Russo give each other, barely able to suppress their desire. It even skips over what would seem like important details, like what exactly Russo finds so charismatic and enthralling about the murderer, and why he has no problem joining him. There is some talk about Russo's desire to control others, with the ultimate form of control being taking their life; mayhap he fetishizes being controlled himself? Being a Shojo Beat title, I don't expect there will be much in the way of hot guy-on-guy action; it will probably be limited to chaste glances, and maybe a climactic kiss or something. Ah, it's not like I'm going to try to read anymore of it; yaoi holds very little interest for me, outside of curiosity and speculation about just what the appeal of the genre is for its audience.

Honey Hunt
By Miki Aihara

Miki Aihara seems to have a mixed reputation among manga fans, mostly due to her series Hot Gimmick. That enjoyably soapy series was fun to read just to see the way Aihara drew out the over-the-top drama that swirled around the characters, but many complained about the ugly gender roles and lack of positive character development, and the badly-received ending didn't help. Myself, I don't think I ever read the last couple volumes, so I should try to finish it and see what I think about the series as a whole.

In the meantime, Aihara has another series starting here, and it seems like it might be off to an enjoyable start. Yura is the daughter of a famous actress and a respected composer, and she hates living in their shadow. But even that was preferable to the storm that hits her when they split up; having your parents divorce is emotional enough for any teenager, but throw in constant harassment about the situation from paparazzi, and it quickly becomes unbearable. Can she find the strength to get through it?

Looks like more of the Aihara drama, with a couple of potential love interests and some really mean villains in her uncaring, self-centered parents. Yura does get a nice, cheer-worthy moment when she finally stands up for herself in front of the TV cameras:



We'll see how it goes, but I'm ever-hopeful for some over-dramatic soap-operatics. Bring it on, Aihara!

Vampire Knight
By Matsuri Hino

This series must have picked up some new readers since it started, because this chapter takes the opportunity to do a plot recap in its first few pages. Then it seems to kick off a new plotline, about Yuki trying to discover the past that she can't remember, and find what really happened when her family was killed. This leads to lots of the classic angst, and a journey to the headquarters of the vampire hunter society to view their historical records. So: secrets revealed! But not this time; instead we get a weird cliffhanger in which Yuki's curiosity causes a book to burst into flame(?). There's also another plot involving the president of the society (a woman who always holds a fan in front of her face, for some reason) wanting to make use of Zero's newfound vampire abilities for some sort of nefarious ends. So I guess we'll have to wait to see what happens. Interesting developments? Perhaps. I did like this bit, in which Yuki tries to remember what happened while taking a bath:



Apparently the mental strain caused her to hallucinate blood? I dunno, but it's nicely freaky. Okay, let's keep up the plot development! I might actually be excited to read this series for once!

Crimson Hero
By Mitsuba Takanashi

Hmmm, Takanashi is going to have to do something to mix things up here, because things seem to be going too smoothly. The volleyball team is doing awesome, rocking everybody else at their tournament. Everybody is getting along swell and everything:



Sure, there are some hints at future drama, including boys who might be interested in Nobara, and a lecherous principal who might cause problems for the team, but the inter-squad tussles seem to be all resolved. Maybe we'll just focus on the actual games. But I don't think so; I'm sure Takanashi has plenty of complications to invoke.

This chapter actually focuses mostly on Yui, the former member of the team who finished her eligibility. Now that she has moved on, the team is starting to do well, causing her to feel like she did nothing to contribute. It's a nice bit of characterization, and it's great to see the team show how much they appreciate her.

So it's not a big, dramatic chapter, but it's a pretty solid one. Let's hope for more big volleyball action or dramatic fireworks in the future though. I don't want to get bored here.

Honey and Clover
By Chica Umino

Strangely, this month's two chapters of this series seem like middle chapters, furthering plots without making much real progress. But big plot developments aren't really the point of this series anyway; it's more about small moments between friends, along with some goofy comedy. So this time around, an encounter with cicadas causes characters to muse about life, and Mayama spends time with his coworkers and gets a bit jealous when they start to flirt with Ayu. It's all nicely-done, but like usual, the bits of comedy are probably my favorites. The details of Mayama's workplace are pretty hilarious; we see their feng shui-based pre-sales-meeting ritual:



And we get to meet the bosses, a pair of mincing twins named Mario and Luigi:



Ah, gay comedy. I guess it's universal. Also funny is that aforementioned cicada encounter:





So, I dunno, it seems like a kind of slight month, but it's still pretty enjoyable. I guess that's what happens when a series is so damn good.

Sand Chronicles
By Hinako Ashihara

If you want big dramatic plot developments, this is the go-to series for the month. Wow, it's a hum-dinger. Ann is in Shimane for winter break, and the appearance of Fuji's cousin brings up some big revelations about his family (although it's nothing that readers don't already know about) and prompts Ann to worry about Fuji, who has gone missing. All this emotion, along with the anniversary of her mother's death, dredges up some self-critical feelings; in a heart-breaking scene, Ann remembers how she said "Goodbye!" to her mom as she left on the fateful walk that ended with her suicide, and she worries that she might have said something to Fuji that prompted him to do something similar. It's a horribly realistic scene; who hasn't gone over and over events in their heads, replaying events, worried they said something wrong? For teenagers, who live in such an over-emotional state anyway, this sort of thing can be debilitating. Daigo, being the good boyfriend, tries to reassure her, but she blows up at him and says something she will certainly regret:





Again, it's awfully realistic; how often do we lash out at those closest to us when we are beating up on ourselves? Man, being a teenager is not the most pleasant experience, is it?

I won't reveal the big events at the end of the chapter (not this month, at least), but they make for plenty more fodder for good drama. This series is great because of the excellent characters and drama that seems like it could happen to anybody, and it seems like it will keep going in that direction. It can be hard to read, if only because it might remind you of similar unpleasant experiences, but it's so well done, you can't stop reading. I've lavished plenty of praise on this series, but I think it totally deserves all of it. Read it, I say!
-----

Hey, that wasn't so long. I might be able to get caught up again after all.

Rex: Yes, he's like a tyrannosaurus

In case anybody didn't see it, I wrote a review of Radical Comics' Freedom Formula #1 over at IndiePulp, so you can read all about that one.

Also, I promised a while back that I would link to the trade version of Cory Doctorow's Futuristic Tales of the Here and Now when it was available, and I figured out where it can be found today. So go here to (legally) download it, in CBR or PDF versions. Having read most of the stories contained within, the only one I can really recommend is "Craphound", but I guess the others are worth a look if you haven't read any of Doctorow's fiction. Otherwise, I would stick to his original short stories or novels, most of which are available for free download online. For instance, his new young adult novel, Little Brother, is available here. I've got to read that one when I get the chance.

And now, I'm about to get caught up, just in time to start reading comics again:

Rex
By Danijel Zezelj



While Croatian artist Danijel Zezelj might be a fairly minor figure in the U.S., known mostly for his work on some Vertigo titles like Loveless and El Diablo (or the still-unfinished Desolation Jones; who knows if Warren Ellis will ever get around to finishing that one), he has been working steadily in Europe for the last fifteen years. Upstart publisher Optimum Wound definitely sees some promise in these earlier works, because they've snapped them up for publication, starting with the 1995 book Rex. It certainly seems like a good move; Zezelj has a cool style that definitely deserves more attention.

It's interesting to compare this early work to Zezelj's current output; you can definitely see how he has refined his heavily-shadowed style over the years. At this point, he seemed a bit more frenetic, filling pages with splatters of ink to create pools of shadow (and lots of blood). Or maybe he was just amping up the grotesquerie to fit the ultra-noir trappings of his tale.

You see, this book is a tale of revenge, and not much else. The titular character used to be a heroic, virtuous, crime-busting cop named Bill Orlowski, but we only get to see those days in flashback. That era ended when he was framed for drug trafficking and sent to prison, where he transformed himself into a hugely-muscled animal of a man, renaming himself Rex and focusing only on murdering those who wronged him, preferably in the goriest fashion possible. Noir isn't really the right description here, since the morally-murky twists of the genre are pretty superfluous; the point of the story is bloody vengeance.

Maybe "grindhouse" or "exploitation" would be better terms, since it's a book aimed at satisfying the most bloodthirsty urges of its audience. And it certainly does that, with a series of gritty, nasty scenes of Rex being grievously injured in prison and waging his personal campaign of terror on his antagonists. This could be a pointless exercise in nihilism, but it becomes readable (depending on your aptitude for this sort of thing) simply due to Zezelj's style, which gets splattered all over the pages like it's flowing straight from his veins. He renders characters in a baroquely high-contrast style, showing every rippling muscle, wrinkle, wound, and scar in a criss-cross of black lines that cover their bodies and faces:



Action scenes are full of visceral intensity, with bodies crashing into each other violently in a jumble of brush strokes:



And there's plenty of other violence as well, with gunshots, car crashes, the works. It's all so over the top that you can't possibly take it seriously, but it definitely makes for an enjoyable, if somewhat stomach-churning read.

The translation isn't perfect, but it's serviceable, and its choppiness might even enhance the noir-ish nature of the story. I do like the sound effects, which remind me of those in Richard Corben's comics, and the occasional bits of mood-setting poetry that are delivered via caption are pretty amusing. Here's a sample:

I never learned chemistry
Elements went loose
I burned it all solid
With the poison of my curse
I chased my dreams like a dog
And they chased me back like cats
At the end we are all just passengers
On the ocean liner Rex

Overall, it's not an essential, unmissable read or anything, but it's a pretty interesting diversion, especially if you're interested in Zezelj's work. Optimum Wound has plans to publish more of his European comics, so it should be fascinating to see the further evolution of his style. And who knows, maybe he'll include a weightier story along with it.

If you're interested in reading the book, it can be purchased from Amazon, and it has also been serialized online, starting here.

This week, I may continue to slack off. Because I am a slacker

But, hey, I do dig the movie Slacker. Richard Linklater is cool. Anyway, here's what I probably won't be buying:

New comics this week (Wednesday, 8/13/08):

Antoine Sharp The Atheist Vol 2 #1

I never did read the first volume/miniseries featuring this creation by Phil Hester. But it seemed interesting; Hester is a pretty imaginative guy, and I've loved his collaborations with Mike Huddleston (The Coffin, Deep Sleeper). So maybe I'll take a look at this sometime. This volume sees Kevin Mellon on art, rather than John McCrea (who might not have even finished out the first volume; I'm not sure).

Atomic Robo Dogs of War #1

Hey, did I mention that I totally dug the first Atomic Robo miniseries? Because I did (dig it, that is). And here's some more. I might even get to review it, so stay tuned to hear what I think.

Freedom Formula #1

Speaking of reviewing stuff, I'll hopefully have something about this futuristic robot-racing series up at IndiePulp soon. It's weird and interesting. From Radical Comics (was "tubular" taken?), and featuring some interesting effects. Ah, you'll see what I'm talking about. I'm such a tease.

Galaxy Quest Global Warning #1

I have no idea if this will be any good (it's written by Scott Lobdell, which doesn't exactly make me want to rush out and buy it; he's kind of a workmanlike writer with little in the way of memorable appeal), but it's interesting, in that the movie is fairly good, but old enough that few are probably going to jump at the chance to read comics based on it. A weird choice, but it could be fun. Oh well, it's not like I'm going to read it anyway.

Golly #1

I thought this came out a couple months ago, but maybe it didn't make it and is only showing up now. Phil Hester again, writing about a dumb guy who gets appointed as Heaven's warrior against demons that are attacking the earth even though the end times were canceled. Sure, why not? It's "for fans of Preacher and The Goon", which would include me, except I'm not a fan of stuff that's for fans of other stuff. How's that for a paradox?

The Goon #27

Speaking of The Goon (which is what I'll be doing, in my sleep, since I'm forgoing buying the series), here's the newest issue. It's another one of those anthology-type issues, with short stories by Eric Powell, Kyle Hotz, and Rebecca Sugar (who did that super-sad story that I linked to last week). These sorts of issues are usually a little bit disappointing (especially since the regular plot won't be furthered), but they'll probably be enjoyable enough. So lap it up, you bastards that can afford to read it.

Hellboy The Crooked Man #2

And I don't care if I can't afford it, I'm buying this issue. I love when Richard Corben draws Hellboy, and the first issue of this was awesomely weird and creepy. I bet he and Mignola will keep the vibe going.

Punisher #60

The final issue of Garth Ennis' long-running tenure on the "adult" version of the Punisher. And somehow, I've yet to read any of it (unless you count spinoffs, like Born, Barracuda, The Cell, or The Tyger). Now that it's over, I should really consider looking for some of the collections at the library or something. I've never been too big a fan of the character, but Ennis manages to tell some pretty great stories using him, and I constantly hear about it being so good. So, I'll catch up, someday, someday, always someday.

Punisher Kills the Marvel Universe #1 Skrull Variant

I have read this one though, and while it's somewhat amusing, it's not nearly as great as the reputation it seems to have accumulated. It's an earlier Ennis work (is it the first Punisher story he wrote?), and I don't think he had a handle on the character yet. Also, it seems to be going for the "superhero satire" that Ennis has become known for on books like The Pro, The Boys, or the non-MAX Punisher, but it's way too serious, lacking that darkly comic touch he can bring to his tales of violence. Really, it's an interesting curiosity, but don't expect anything great if you haven't read it. Or maybe you're just buying it for the nonsensical Skrull variant cover, in which case you probably don't care one way or the other. Enjoy, weirdo!

Secret Invasion: Thor #1

Does anyone else get the feeling that Matt Fraction really wants to write a Thor book? Because here he is, writing another one-shot (or is it a miniseries? Do I really care?) about the character, trying to make him cool again. In this case, he's teaming up with Beta Ray Bill to fight Skrulls, which does sound like fun. Probably better than whatever boring shit is probably going to happen in the Secret Invasion: X-Men miniseries. Art by Doug Braithwaite. Yeah, I'll give it a flip-through if I bother going into the shop this week.

Station #2

I enjoyed the first issue of this outer-space murder mystery from Boom! Studios, so I'll give this one a look. And maybe I'll even write something about it to boot!

Tales Designed To Thrizzle #4

Another victim of my slashed budget, but it's one that I regret not getting. Michael Kupperman's weird humor book is almost always laugh-out-loud funny, so check it out if you haven't before. Can anything match up to the hilarity of porno coloring books?

Universal War One #2

I thought the first issue of this European series (published by Marvel, in their deal with French publisher Soleil) was interesting, but I don't think I would pay six bucks a pop to read more of it. I was going to review it, but I wasn't able to get my hands on a preview PDF. Poor me. But maybe you'll like it, if you bother to look. Come on, take your eyes off Wonder Woman's ass and see what else is on the shelves!

Welcome To Hoxford #1

In another example of the tragedy of my lack of funds, I'm going to have to pass on this new Ben Templesmith series. Damn. It's about a prison/mental hospital full of murderers and psychopaths, which is a subject matter right up Templesmith's alley. I bet it will be great.

X-Men Origins Jean Grey

For those of you who like the overly "artistic" renditions of stories telling the secret pasts of characters that run around in silly costumes, here's a one-shot about that one X-Men character who is a girl. Actually, I make fun of it, but I would consider buying it if I had money, for one reason: it's written by Sean McKeever. He can write teenage girls surprisingly well (in what is probably a very non-surprising revelation, I was a big fan of his Spider-Man Loves Mary Jane), so it will probably be a good read, if you can bear Mike Mayhew's Alex Ross-lite painted style. Is that a recommendation? I dunno.

Amazing Remarkable Monsieur Leotard TP

This is already out, but maybe it's just now making it to the direct market. It's Eddie Campbell's story about an influential circus acrobat who stumbles through history. I'll tell you all about it, once I get the chance to read it. Soon. Soon!

A Treasury Of 20th Century Murder Vol 1 The Lindbergh Child

It looks like Rick Geary exhausted the subjects for his "Victorian Murder" series, since he's moved on to the 20th century. Which is fine; he'll be sure to find strange tales of death no matter what era he chooses, and I'm sure he'll continue to render them in his uniquely unsettling manner. I'll try to read it when I can.

Black Diamond Get In The Car And Go TP

Larry Young's oddball story about a raised, continent-spanning highway of freaks and debauchery in a near-future America looked to be in interesting read. I've got a review copy at home, so I expect I'll get to it soon. Watch for it!

Bone Boxed Set #1

It seems like some new Bone item comes out every month or so, doesn't it? Here's a boxed set of the first three volumes, averaging out to about nine dollars each. It's as good a way as any to experience the series if you haven't previously. Why haven't you previously? Come on, man, haven't you been hearing all the accolades for the last decade? Get with the picture!

Clockwork Girl HC

It's the collection of the nice-looking series about a girl who is gear-driven. I still wouldn't mind looking at it.

Comics And Sequential Art TP Norton Expanded Edition Graphic Storytelling And Visual Narrative TP Norton Expanded Edition

Will Eisner. 'Nuff said. Okay, maybe not quite 'nuff. Not having read all of Eisner's comics (I've had Life, in Pictures sitting in my "to read" pile for way too long), I don't feel like I have to read these comics theory volumes quite yet, but they're definitely something I hope to get to someday. But if you're curious about how much of a master of the form Eisner was, get 'em.

Deathblow And Then You Live TPB

While I know nothing and care less about this Jim Lee-created character, I heard that this short-lived, Brian Azzarello-written volume of the series was awesomely ridiculous, featuring silly concepts like a dinosaur with the brain in Osama Bin Laden. DC was nice enough to collect the whole thing here, so even though I can't afford it, I might buy it anyway.

Delphine Vol 3 TP

The latest (and penultimate) issue of Richard Sala's Ignatz book. Sala is another one of those cartoonists I always feel I need to catch up on. I used to dislike his style, but after seeing samples online, I've come around on it, but I still haven't read any of his comics. I'll get to them at some point, I'm sure. Anyway, members of Fantagraphics' website (registration is free) can read a free four-page preview.

From The Shadow Of The Northern Lights TP

I think this is that collection of Swedish comics that everybody was raving about at Mocca earlier this year. As I often say, I love getting the chance to check out comics from around the world, so I'll definitely read this one if I get the chance.

Grotesque Vol 2 TP

The other Ignatz book of the week, from Sergio Ponchione. I don't know if it's good (other than being considered part of "International Graphic Novels At Their Zenith"), but it's there. Fanta also has a preview of this one at their site, but it was originally printed in the Free Comic Book Day 2008 sampler, so you might have seen it already.

Middleman Collected Series Indispensability Compendium SC

If you've watched any of the TV adaptation of this series (and I'm sure you have, since I'm sure the audience of ABC Family overlaps extensively with readers of this blog), you know how enjoyable it is. Well, now you can get caught up on the original stories, most of which have already been adapted as episodes of the show. Javier Grillo-Marxuach and Les McClaine have put together a really fun series with some highly appealing artwork. This volume collects the whole series to date. Read it! And you can check out my review of volume 3, if you like.

MOME Vol 12 Fall 2008 TP

Speaking of series I feel like I should read, I really should check out this anthology series sometime. Not that I can afford it. This issue features David B., Paul Hornschemeier, Dash Shaw, Al Colombia, and many others. Sounds like good stuff.

New X-Men by Grant Morrison Ultimate Collection Vol. 2

Yes, this is apparently an "ultimate" collection (not to be confused with Marvel's Ultimate Universe), so throw out that $100 omnibus of Morrison's entire run on the series. Or get this one, if you don't yet own the comics in some version. It's quite good (for the most part).

Spider-man Kravens Last Hunt Premiere TPB

One of the better-regarded Spider-Man stories of the last twenty years, although some might look at it as the point where the series got too serious. I dunno, I thought it was good the last time I read it (in a trade collection that I got at a used book store for 75 cents, ha ha), but that was a while ago. Maybe it actually sucks. But if you like your superheroes having psychological breakdowns, this is the book for you.

Testament Vol 4 Exodus TPB

For the first year or so, I really liked this bizarre Vertigo book about weird mystical connections between the Old Testament and a future ruled by an Orwellian, techno-totalitarian government. But at some point it went off the rails for me, and I lost interest, possibly because I found it too difficult to follow from month to month. So, did anybody keep up with the book through this final volume, when it was cancelled? Or did everybody else bail too, explaining that abrupt ending?

Yoko Tsuno Vol 3 Prey & The Ghost TP

This is one of those European comics published by British company Cinebook, and it involves a girl who is an electronic engineer who travels around the world helping her friends, while getting involved in fantastical and sci-fi adventures. It sounds pretty neat. I doubt I'll ever read it, but it does look interesting. Here's Cinebook's site, with a couple sampler pages.

Black Lagoon Vol 1 TP

On the manga front, Viz has this action series about pirates (the modern kind, not the peg-legged, eyepatch-wearing type), mercenaries, assassins, and whatnot. I've got a copy on my review pile, so I'll have a review up sometime soon, hopefully.

Gimmick Vol 2 GN

I reviewed the first volume of this series about special-effects makeup, and found it fairly mediocre. But it might get better, so somebody let me know if it does.

One-Pound Gospel Vol 2 TP 2nd Edition

I also reviewed the first volume of this Rumiko Takahashi boxing series, and really liked it, so I'll definitely try to read this second volume. It's good stuff.

Samurai Champloo Complete 2-Volume Series TP

So, is this manga any good? I love the anime, but I have no idea if this manga lives up to its excellence. I believe it's a spinoff of the anime (which is different from the norm, with anime series usually stemming from a manga), and I could definitely see it being a cheap cash-in, rather than something that captures the TV series' unique energy.

Yen Plus Magazine #2 Sept 2008

Hey, didn't the first issue of this new anthology just come out? Well, it's good that they're getting it out there, I guess. I would have tried to pick up that first issue if I could afford it, but it looks like I'll be observing this interesting experiment from afar. I do think we could stand to use more manga anthologies, so I hope it succeeds. Go manga/comics!
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Okay, that's enough of my prattling. I don't know if I'll go to the comics shop this week, but I'll consider it, if only to get Hellboy and last week's Special Forces. Yeah, go comics! Maybe I'll even write something about them at some point.

Aces: Curse of the Red Baron: Is this book aces, or is it cursed?

Huh, looks like I'm slacking off a bit this week or something. Is it because I'm trying to finish Catch-22 before I start reading more comics, to keep my review queue from growing too long? But I started reading it so I could catch up on the backlog of reviews! How ironic. Anyway, here's the real post:

Aces: Curse of the Red Baron
Written by Shannon Eric Denton and G. Willow Wilson
Art by Curtis Square-Briggs



This book is a rousing action-movie-style adventure, or at least an attempt at one, set against the background of a World War I. Since I've got war on the mind lately, that might be why I found it kind of distasteful. But if you're able to separate the "fun action" and "horrors of war" parts of your brain, you might be able to enjoy it.

Of course, that depends on the actual quality of the storytelling, which is not horrible, but it's not exactly exemplary either. Shannon Eric Denton (The Revenant, Gutwrencher) and G. Willow Wilson (Cairo) put together a decent hook for a story, with an English pilot and an American soldier who both believe they shot down the Red Baron embarking on a quest to find the Baron's treasure, following a map that Heath, the Englishman found in the wreckage of his plane. They end up encountering what seems to be the ghost of the Red Baron, getting involved in a conspiracy plot involving a secret society called the Black Hand, and encountering a crazy sci-fi scheme. Many of the twists and turns of the story are pretty silly, but, as mentioned before, this is action-movie material, and it doesn't really aspire to be anything more than a light romp.

It all works well enough, although if this was a movie, a comedian like Patton Oswalt or Michael Ian Black would get hired as a script doctor to punch up the dialogue, because what is intended to be snappy banter ends up pretty dreadful:



And while the Black Hand plot sort of works as a threat, I dislike the implication that humanity had to be manipulated into committing horrible acts upon each other; it's a poor explanation for man's inhumanity to each other, and it seems to miss the point of looking at why people decide they have to kill one another. Plus, the conspiracy turns out to be one of those ridiculous ones where they are trying to prevent some awful future event from occurring, only to discover that (*gasp*) they are the ones who caused it! Not exactly an unexpected twist, that. An epilogue looks at the history of World War I and the Black Hand's supposed involvement (from the assassination of Archduke Ferdinand on), and it proffers a more satisfying explanation for their activities, in which they were trying to demonstrate the horrors of war to the world. That's exactly the thing I was complaining about above, but I still prefer it to fantastical sci-fi motivations.

But as I said, that sort of thing is my own bone to pick with the story, so the book really lives or dies on how effective the action and adventure are. And unfortunately, Curtis Square-Briggs might not have been the best choice to bring the story to life, because his style is kind of rough, scratchy, and static, making a lot of the action hard to follow. He uses a lot of deep shadows, so not only can it be difficult to tell characters apart, it can be tough just to figure out what they are supposed to be doing. And outside of some close-ups, characters have a very limited range of expressiveness, sporting only minor variations on the same facial expressions throughout the book:





Square-Briggs does manage to deliver some fairly good depictions of flight (although not consistently; see the first panel above for an example of confusing plane movement), showing the low-tech, early-20th-century biplanes swooping and twirling throughout the sky:



I would love to see a comic that really focused on aerial combat; it seems like a great subject for the visual medium; we don't get that here, but it's fairly satisfying for what it is.

The best part of the book is the aforementioned epilogue, which runs through some historical details of World War I, attempting to tie the Black Hand's villainy into the real-life events. It turns out to be pretty interesting stuff; I would have been fine just reading a book-length version of these recitations of facts and figures. Especially when it contains cool stuff like this:



I have no idea if that invention is real, but I do think it is awesome.

So unfortunately, I have to give this book a thumbs-down, but others might appreciate it a bit more than I did. It's definitely not terrible, but between the implausible plot, poor dialogue, rough artwork, and light treatment of war, it tipped the balances to the negative side of the scale. Make of that what you will.

This review was based on a complimentary copy provided by the publisher.

Slam Dunk: Ah, to be young, stupid, and good at sports

Here's that review of Spider-Man Loves Mary Jane Season Two #1 at Comics Bulletin. Now for the business:

Slam Dunk, volume 1
By Takehiko Inoue



Takehiko Inoue obviously loves basketball, judging by the number of manga series he has based around the sport. His current series, Real, is about a wheelchair version of the game, and he has also done a goofy, futuristic hoops series called Buzzer Beater, but Slam Dunk is where it all started, back in 1991. After reading some of the excellent Real (as well as his samurai series Vagabond), it’s fascinating to look back and see how his art style has changed over the years, as well as the development of his storytelling skills.

While his more recent work takes a more serious, adult tone, Slam Dunk is a full-on shonen sports comedy, with an obnoxious, talented protagonist, the requisite love interest, plenty of slapstick antics and comic violence, some locker-room humor, and lots of super-deformed character art. It’s definitely an early work, but you can still recognize Inoue’s art style, and he was a great writer even then, crafting a fun, gripping story with some entertaining drama and lots of truly hilarious moments.

The story here is about Hanamichi Sakuragi, one of those self-confident, full of himself, ridiculously talented shonen characters, who decides to join his new high school's basketball team when he meets Haruko, a cute girl who is just his type, and finds out that she is a big hoops fan. Being a headstrong and not especially bright fellow, he throws himself into the task, but he doesn't know the first thing about the sport, so Inoue gets some good comedy out of his mishaps, like when he tries to perform a slam dunk for her and bonks his head on the backboard. You'll have to read the book to see the actual scene, which is beautifully staged, with a perfect punchline, but here's the aftermath:



Of course, there are some complications, like Hanamichi's tendency to get in tussles with the upperclassmen (most of whom he already towers over), and the existence of Rukawa, another guy who Haruko thinks quite highly of and is already pretty awesome at basketball. And then there's the Takenori, team captain, who Hanamichi picks a fight with and ends up playing a pick-up game against. He's a huge guy, with an awesome (awesomely bad, that is) haircut:



Some (mostly Hanamichi) would even refer to him as a gorilla. Their lengthy game is wonderfully done, drawn out over three chapters and punctuated with some hilarious comedy, including a moment that will probably serve to have Hanamichi perpetually on Takenori's bad side:



It seems like a lopsided contest, but in true shonen manga fashion, Hanamichi is determined and talented enough to learn just enough over the course of the game and prevail. But wouldn'cha know it, Takenori is Haruko's older brother, and she had just wanted them to be friends, so Hanamichi could help lead the team to the national championship. Takenori, humiliated by his defeat, doesn't want anything to do with him, so Hanamichi goes about trying to get on his good side, in the silliest manner possible, of course, doing things like delivering a huge box of bananas to Takenori's desk. Because gorillas like bananas, of course. Hanamichi eventually wins him over by showing more dedication than some of the current members of the team, but once he joins the squad, he gets relegated to the corner of the gym learning fundamentals with Ayako, the spunky team manager:



But he soon gets frustrated because he can't join in the rest of the team's practice activities, leading him to quit dramatically. To be continued! Oh, the drama!

It's an amazingly fun read, showing that even when Inoue was starting out, he knew what he was doing. He's able to draw the reader in quickly and get them invested in Hanamichi's travails, while still laughing at him when he screws up. The art is an interesting early version of his style, usually remaining more spare and clean than his current work, but during moments of action or intense emotion, he sometimes makes it more scratchy and kinetic, similar to how his current artwork. He also does a lot more comedy and chibi here, with characters contorting their faces into crazy expressions and tears flowing freely. And he uses some interesting representations of both physical and verbal conflict, as in this scene when Haruko thinks Hanamichi has been fighting with Rukawa, his rival for her affections:



And I love that dynamic action. Scenes of characters jumping, running, fighting, or performing the eponymous action are beautifully rendered, with rushing speed lines and cool motion distortion. My favorite example is probably Hanamichi's incredible effort to defend against Takenori:



So it's definitely tons of fun, and this is only the initial volume of what was a long-running series, lasting 31 volumes. I expect future volumes will be filled with some excellent, dramatic basketball action. It was good enough that it even sparked a large increase in the popularity of the sport in Japan. When was the last time a comic had that kind of effect on society in the United States? I can't wait to read more, and I'm sure Inoue will continue to blow me away with his excellence.

This review was based on a complimentary copy provided by the publisher. Volume 1 is scheduled to be released on September 2, 2008.

This week, I will continue to not buy comics

Damn economy. I'm so deprived. I've only got around 20 books sitting in a pile at home, how can I be expected to be happy if I don't get more the instant they are released to comic book stores? Anyway:

New comics this week (Wednesday, 8/6/08):

Army @ Love: Art of War #1

Rick Veitch's excellent satirical comic starts its second "season". The second trade of the first volume is one of the books sitting in my "to read" pile, so hopefully I'll get to it soon. I'm annoyed that I won't be able to afford to buy this new series as it's coming out. I hope it doesn't get cancelled again because of me. So everybody buy it, please. It's great stuff.

Boys #21

In which we learn the tragic story of what happened on 9/11/2001 in this comic's universe. How did the lame superheroes of Ennis' creation screw things up? It should be entertaining (and tragic, emotional, etc.) to find out. I expect I'll finish the current storyline before dropping this book, just because I hate to quit mid-stream.

Comics Comics #4

Picturebox's magazine (?) about comics continues, with a cover by and interview with British cartoonist Shaky Kane, Frank Santoro writing about coloring, Dan Nadel interviewing Woody Gelman, the creator of Bazooka Joe, Wacky Packages, and Mars Attacks, and Tim Hodler taking a look at the manga series Berserk. Also stuff from Joe "Jog" McCulloch, Sammy Harkham, Brian Chippendale, and more. Read all about it here.

Criminal Vol 2 #4

Beginning a new four-part storyline called "Bad Night". Who knows what it will be about or in which era it will take place, but I bet it will be good, since this is one of the best series on the stands.

Crossed #0

Garth Ennis' new horror series from Avatar, illustrated by Jacen Burrows. Looks like they're doing the "preview" issue which is actually part one of the story, like they've been doing with Warren Ellis' books lately. This one purports to be gruesome and shocking, a post-apocalyptic vision in which humanity has sunk to the most brutal, vile state possible. Sure to be nasty, and knowing Ennis, probably a good read. Maybe I'll be able to check it out someday.

Final Crisis #3

I'm annoyed that I pretty much have to stop reading this series, because it's been pretty good so far. Let Grant Morrison do whatever the hell he wants, and he can turn out some good comics, especially when illustrated by somebody like J.G. Jones. So, yeah, let's see some crazy shit, like Darkseid possessing Terrible Turpin, Flash outracing a bullet fired backward in time, and whatever else springs from Morrison's demented brain. I'll finish reading it eventually.

House of Mystery #4

I had to drop this one too, but I do kind of regret it, since it has been enjoyable. This issue features a short story illustrated by Steve Rolston. Cool?

Invincible Iron Man #4

Tony Stark continues to get some rehabilitation at the hands of Matt Fraction. Don't tell anyone, but I read a preview PDF of the issue, and it's still enjoyable, mostly because Fraction brings humanity to his characters. The scenes between Tony and Pepper Potts (who is undergoing some interesting developments) are especially good, but there's also fun technobabble and other silliness. I would keep buying it if I could.

Jack of Fables #24

Another one that I would like to continue to buy, but I don't know if I'll miss it too much, since I'm having trouble remembering what was going on. I think we were in the middle of an Old West tale, with Bigby Wolf pursuing Jack and his outlaw gang across the frontier, with less humor than usual for the series. Like all this other stuff, maybe I'll be able to catch up and read it someday.

King Size Spider-Man Summer Special

This looks to be a dumping ground for unused Spidey stories, with a probably unremarkable tale by Keith Giffen about something or other, and a sure to be enjoyable story by Paul Tobin and Colleen Coover about Mary Jane teaming up with She-Hulk, Hellcat, and Marvel Girl to fight the Enchantress. That one would be worth the money, methinks. Marvel should put Tobin and Coover on a Marvel Adventures title and just let them do whatever they want. I would read it, or at least tell others to.

Patsy Walker Hellcat #2

Speaking of offbeat, charming Marvel books, this Kathryn Immonen-written story about the model/heroine adventuring in Alaska continues to appear. This issue (which I've read, in one of those previews) gets a bit weird and mystical, but it's still entertaining, mostly because of the excellent character writing and cool artwork by David Lafuente. I'll urge people to read this one too.

Rest #0

Here's the latest in comics "created by" celebrity types; the famous person in this case is Milo Ventimiglia, from the show Heroes (although I'll always think of him as Jess from Gilmore Girls), which must somehow give him comics cred. It's about a guy addicted to a drug that won't let him sleep, and maybe he becomes a superhero or something? Eh, whatever, it's probably pretty skippable.

Special Forces #3

Hey, Kyle Baker's oft-delayed Iraq war satire shows up, the same week as Rick Veitch's kinda-cancelled one hits shelves! Shared themes! I dug the first two issues of this, so I'll definitely be buying this one, when I get the chance. Let's hope I can remember what was going on (I believe it involved explosions and shooting. And boobs).

Spider-Man Loves Mary Jane Season 2 #1

Hey, you know who would have been an excellent choice to take over this series? Paul Tobin and Colleen Coover. Just sayin'. Instead, we've got Terry Moore and Craig Rousseau (replacing Adrian Alphona, who was originally supposed to illustrate but only provides a variant cover), who aren't bad, but judging by the first issue, they certainly don't fill Sean McKeever and Takeshi Miyazawa's shoes very well. I should have a more in-depth review up at Comics Bulletin tomorrow.

Venom: Dark Origin #1

Obviously, this was a story that needed to be told. I'm sure the tale of Eddie Brock's psychological torment was just aching to spring from the mind of whatever schmuck was ordered to scrawl "some crap about Venom" by Joe Quesada. Yeah, don't miss it; surely the most important comic of the year.

Amelia Rules Funny Stories Vol 1 TPB

A collection of "classic" stories from Jimmy Gownley's well-regarded children's book. I'm going to have to start buying more stuff like this in a few years, when my daughter gets old enough to read. Gotta get the kids hooked on comic while they're young.

Blurred Vision Vol 4 GN

A fine art comics anthology that's been getting some attention lately. I should look for it (or previous volumes) at the library, because it seems to be worth a look. Here's a pretty good look at the book by Caleb Mozzocco.

Complete Zombies vs Robots TP

I thought IDW already put out a "complete" collection of this series, but I guess they're doing it again, including Amazons vs. Zombies vs. Robots, and who knows what else. I was actually kind of disappointed by AvZvR, but I still like Ashley Wood's art (I should try to write something up about that World War Robot book that came out a few weeks ago), so I'll recommend this halfheartedly. Hey, if you aren't sick of zombies yet, maybe you might enjoy this!

Creepy Archives HC

Dark Horse's fancy-schmancy collection of the classic horror anthology magazine, which featured stories by artists like Bernie Wrightson and Neal Adams. Too expensive for my blood, but maybe I'll try to get it from a library or something, because this is stuff that would be worth checking out.

Cthulhu Tales Vol 1 TPB

Boom! Studios collects some of their Lovecraft-themed anthology books. I never really got into any of these, but there's at least one story by fellow comics blogger Kevin Church in here, so I'll give it a plug. And I did get a review PDF of the book, so I might end up writing something about it if I ever read it.

DMZ Vol. 5 The Hidden War TPB

Here's the biggest source of conflict for me this week, since I don't really have the money for this book at the moment, but I really, really want to get it. DMZ is one of my favorite ongoing series, and I've been waiting for this one for a long time, so I'm sure I'll defy bankruptcy and end up buying it. I believe the issues collected here were a series of one-shot stories about various characters in the book's war-torn setting. Brian Wood does a great job writing this stuff, so I can't wait to read it.

Mask Vol 1 Omnibus TPB

Dark Horse continues to collect various comics from throughout their history, and while this one isn't a lost classic or anything, it's pretty enjoyable, especially if you're a fan of Doug Mahnke. The series doesn't have all that much in common with the Jim Carrey movie it inspired; it's more of a violent, anarchic romp, with some fun stories written by John Arcudi. Worth a look, if you've never read it.

Pro 4th Ptg

Man, this must be a popular book, since it seems like a new edition comes out every year or so. For anybody who doesn't know, it's a satirical story by Garth Ennis and Amanda Conner about a prostitute who is given super powers and joins an obvious Justice League pastiche, completely ignoring the way things are supposed to be done. It's a funny piss-take on the silly childishness of superheroes, if a bit of an obvious one. But Ennis is a pretty hilarious writer, and Conner is the perfect artist for the book, so I would recommend reading it if you never have. Unless you're offended by the idea of Superman shooting a plane out of the sky after getting a blow job, in which case, you should probably stick to your self-serious Geoff Johns comics and leave me the hell alone.

Punisher Vol 1 Welcome Back Frank HC

Wow, lots of Garth Ennis books this week. This looks to be a deluxe, expensive version of his revamp of the Punisher with his Preacher cohort, Steve Dillon. It's quite enjoyable, with lots of classic moments of humorous violence (including the bear-punch immortalized by Chris Sims). Again, it's worth a read if you've never done so.

Showcase Presents House of Secrets Vol 1 TPB

Will this be the fifteenth version of the original appearance of Swamp Thing that Mike Sterling owns? My sources say yes. This looks like one of the more desirable of the cheap black and white reprints, since these old horror comics are pretty cool.

Spider-Man J Vol 1 Turning Japanese Digest TPB

Unfortunately, this is not the 70s Spider-Man manga by Ryoichi Ikegami, but a newer version that originally appeared (in the U.S.) in the pages of Spider-Man Family. I'm still waiting for the Ikegami series to get a reprint, Marvel! This one can probably safely be skipped though.

Stinky GN

From Toon Books, this kids' book by Eleanor Davis looks to be a cute story about a monster making friends with a boy. Fun? Probably. Here's the official page on Toon Books' site, with a couple preview pages.

Bleach Vol 1 Collectors Edition HC

Viz is dropping a crapload of books this week (month?), starting with this fancy hardcover version of the first volume of Bleach. I really should check this series out sometimes, if only because John Jakala gives it such high praise.

Bobobo-bo Bo-bobo Vol 1 TP Shonen Jump Edition

I've seen an episode or two of the anime version of this series, and it's dementedly funny and bizarre (if quite a bit juvenile), following the adventures of an afro-ed muscleman who fights evil with his prehensile nose hairs. I don't know how the manga compares, but this volume is one of many on my review pile, so I'll probably get to it eventually.

Croquis Pop Vol 1 GN

One of Yen Press' manhwa books, this has to do with people who can see spirits in some sort of "dead zone" and use those visions to make art. Weird, but maybe cool.

Gin Tama Vol 7 TP

Another series I should try to catch up with, since Jakala also gives it praise. Samurai vs. aliens (I think)!

King Of Thorn Vol 5 GN

I've gotten behind on this series, and now that I don't have any money to spend, it doesn't look like I'll get caught up anytime soon. It was a fairly lightweight action series, so I probably won't miss it too much, but it was still pretty enjoyable. Check it out, if post-apocalyptic plague survivors fighting dinosaur-like creatures sounds like your sort of thing.

Rosario + Vampire Vol 2 TP

I read the first volume of this, and it was not terrible. I've got this second volume on my review stack, so maybe I'll get to it, and if so, I'll let you know if it's worth bothering with. Monster schools do seem to be popular these days...

Short-Tempered Melancholic And Other Stories GN

This is a collection of shojo manga superstar Arina Tanemura's short stories, and I should probably read it (it's yet another item in my queue of reviewables), since I've gradually become less resistant to her work after having it shoved down my throat by Shojo Beat. We'll see if I can stomach it.

Shonen Jump #1 5th Anniversary Collectors HC

The fancy hardcover version of the first issue of Shonen Jump is also showing up this week/month. If you're an SJ obsessive, here's something for your birthday wish list. I reviewed it recently, if you want to know what I thought.

SS Astro Asasho Sogo Teachers Room Vol 1 TP

Another book from Yen Press, this is a collection of a four-panel strip about a group of female high school teachers. Looks like it could be all right, although that 4-koma format doesn't always translate especially well to Western eyes. Here's some info at Yen's site.

Sugar Princess Skating to Win Vol 1 GN

Finally (whew!), we've got another shojo series from Viz. I talked about the first chapter when it was previewed in Shojo Beat, and it looks like a pretty solid shojo series that I could actually read. Hopefully it won't disappoint.
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Okay, enough of that. More content tonight, one hopes.

The New York Four: Girls are so emotional

Before the review, a few links:

I know everyone has been linking this webcomic by Rebecca Sugar, but it's really good, so I'm joining the crowd.

In other neat webcomic linkage, Marcus Parcus has this cool riff on Winsor McCay's Little Nemo.

And I've got a contribution to Comics Bulletin's "slugfest" review of Northlanders #8. Go emo Vikings!

The New York Four
Written by Brian Wood
Art by Ryan Kelly



The cover of Brian Wood and Ryan Kelly's entry into DC's Minx line (which, I probably don't need to remind anybody, consists of comics aimed at teenage girls) depicts its titular characters emerging confidently from a New York City subway station, as if they're luxuriating in the freedom that comes with young adulthood, ready to conquer the mythical "big city". The story inside doesn't quite match up to that image, although the possibility does exist that its characters will eventually reach that promised state. Instead, we get a more realistic (yet still somewhat soap-operatically dramatic) portrait of college freshmen (freshwomen?), ready to begin their adult life but still hampered by insecurities and unsure of what kind of person they want to be.

While there are four characters in the eponymous group, this book focuses mainly on one of them (as with a few other Minx books, sequels, while not yet announced, seem inevitable; this one even ends with a caption reading "see you next semester"), the withdrawn Riley Wilder, a student at NYU who has the bad habit of limiting her social interactions to the virtual world, rather than making friends in "meatspace". While she has been an obedient daughter, she uses the opportunity of entering college to reconnect with Angie, her black sheep of an older sister. Seeing how together and confident her sister is inspires Riley to make some real-life friends, and she soon connects with three classmates, planning to move into an apartment with them and helping them all get jobs.

Those jobs, which consist of taking practice tests for SAT prep courses, give Wood a chance to deliver exposition, since they require the girls to attend regular videotaped therapy sessions. This allows Wood and Kelly to have them appear to talk directly to the reader, introducing themselves and giving updates as to what is going on with them:



It's a bit obvious for the experienced reader, but it's also effective; we learn that tomboy skater-girl Ren Severin has trouble interacting with members of the opposite sex, man-eater Merissa Vasquez has a tendency to date several men at at time and use her feminine wiles to achieve her goals in a fairly unethical manner, and spoiled rich girl Lona Lo struggles with getting the same high grades she was able to achieve in high school, leading her to begin stalking one of her professors.

But this is mostly Riley's volume, so we spend most of our time with her. Wood develops an interesting conflict, giving her a "love interest" that serves to hold her back from developing as a character; just as she's starting to come out of her shell, she finds an email address that has been slipped into her pocket while at a nightclub, and she starts spending all her time texting this guy on her cell phone instead of maintaining real-life relationships, sometimes even missing classes and work. Wood is good at writing characters that aren't always sympathetic (sometimes even going so far as to make them downright unlikable and alienating readers who have trouble separating character from creator), and Riley definitely stretches one's patience at times. It's almost painful to watch her act so stupidly, but Wood makes her endearing enough that we really feel for her when everything comes crashing down around her.

In fact, I wanted to discuss said climactic events, which will necessitate SPOILING the big twist, so skip ahead if you haven't read the book (or don't, I don't really care). So, when the big twist shows up, in which Riley's online boyfriend turns out to be Frank, her sister's real-life boyfriend, my first instinct was to groan about the soap-operatic nature of the reveal. But once I thought about it, I thought it made sense. It's much more likely that Riley would become involved with someone she knows, rather than a random stranger (and I have to give Wood and Kelly credit for a nice bit of misdirection in which Riley bumps into a young guy right before discovering the email address in her pocket). It also serves the purpose of humanizing Angie, who before that point had seemed awesomely together, as if she had figured out everything Riley was struggling with. But if she could fall in love with a lame guy who preferred to have online relationships with younger girls, she's definitely not the perfect role model she seemed to be. And I liked that Wood didn't go the obvious route of having Angie walk in on Riley and Frank, misconstruing what was going on and blaming Riley for Frank's actions. Of course, a similar scene does occur eventually, but it comes at a more apt time, after Riley becomes overwhelmed by emotion and confusion at her circumstances. Overall, the big climax is kind of overly angsty, but it's not the silly bit of random circumstance that I originally took it for. [END SPOILERS]

Ryan Kelly is developing into an excellent collaborator with Wood (they also worked together on the excellent series Local, and Kelly will be illustrating an upcoming issue of Wood's Vertigo series Northlanders), taking his scripts and turning them into fully-realized stories with expressive characters and beautifully detailed backgrounds. He imbues each of the four main characters with distinct personalities through a combination of wardrobe, posture, and facial expressions:



And he has a great sense of motion and energy. In one of my favorite images in the book, we see Riley texting away while walking down a busy street, completely missing all the bustling real-life activity going on around her:



And he can really bring the emotion, whether depicting rapturous joy (and the sheer adrenaline rush of experiencing an awesome band in a small nightclub; also, dig the way Kelly fills the scene with a ton of detail, yet uses shading to subtly direct attention to the important elements of the scene):



Or that particular blend of anger and hurt that can come from parents just not understanding:



There are plenty of other nice touches, like the Scott Pilgrim-influenced captions announcing characters' status or arrows pointing out certain details. And I love Wood's travelogue-style "NY 101" captions that introduce new locations in the city by pointing out cool bits of insider information for non-New Yorkers. It's a pretty good story all around, and while it doesn't really come to a fully satisfying ending in this volume, more books in the series should be able to continue the story and allow Wood and Kelly to flesh out the other three members of the eponymous group. I for one can't wait to read more.