The Lives of Sacco and Vanzetti: I wouldn't give their troubles to a monkey on a rock

A Treasury of XXth Century Murder: The Lives of Sacco and Vanzetti
By Rick Geary

 

Rick Geary's "Treasury of Victorian/XXth Century Murder" books never fail to be fascinating and educational, presenting meticulously researched information about violent incidents from the past, both famous and lesser-known, then exploring the surrounding circumstances engagingly and enjoyably, making for an quick, yet comprehensive, history lesson for those of us who want a taste of old-school salaciousness. There's something about Geary's grim, quiet presentation that brings the events to life without being sensationalistic, yet also seems kind of alien, with odd-looking people acting out terrible scenes that seem as foreign to us due to their inhumanity as their period garb and setting.



This particular case is especially interesting since it was notorious on a worldwide scale, yet seems to be little more than a footnote in the present day. A payroll robbery and double murder led two anarchist-affiliated Italian immigrants to be arrested and charged, even though their guilt seemed pretty unlikely at best, with the subsequent guilty verdict being a result of anti-immigrant prejudice at its worst. Seeing the events play out, marching unrelentingly toward what was almost certainly a wrongful execution, is kind of banally horrific, a miscarriage of justice that would seem unthinkable in modern times, if we didn't have plenty of examples of exactly that sort of awfulness filling the news daily (those will have to wait a while for Geary to get to them).

Whether one can draw a direct line from past horrors to the present is arguable, but Geary isn't interested in making any sort of social or political statement; he's just laying out the facts, and he does as remarkable a job of it as always, filling pages with maps, diagrams, informational text, timelines, and recreated images of the various people involved, pacing it in a perfectly steady flow of information that makes the reader feel like they understand the ins and outs of what happened, even if it must be a simplified version of a complicated tragedy, one that was confused by poor memories, lies, rumors, protests, and myriad other factors.

It's also wonderfully illustrated, although there's not much here that one wouldn't expect after reading most anything else by Geary. The texture given by closely-spaced parallel lines, the blank faces, the frozen moments; it's as excellent as always. I particularly like the emphasis on details provided during the trial, like an inset magnifying a bullet being held by the coroner:

And the goofy details that show up here and there make me smile; it seems like Geary is slipping a bit of humor into such a steadfastly dry relation of events with panels like the second one below:



Whether you're interested in the details of history or just like to see good comics storytelling, this is a really good book, one that educates and fascinates, and kind of outrages, even when the events depicted are nearly a century old. That would be a remarkable accomplishment on its own, but when it's just one example among many, you know you're in the presence of great talent.

Groo watch: Sergio Aragones Funnies #2

These days, most of Sergio's Groo cameos come in the form of something in the background of one of the regular "Sergio in his studio" intros, or on a page of something he's illustrating, but it's still fun to spot them wherever they appear. For instance, here's Sergio at a convention, with a "Groo Game" on his table:



I'd love to play that, if it's real. Next, in the answer page to the issue's games, we see a neat Groo statue (along with one of The Sage!) at Sergio's feet:



And finally, and most oddly, there's a Gogurt ad illustrated by Sergio taking place at a comics convention, and Groo can be spotted on a poster:



There's one other appearance, and one that is actually more of a real cameo than an image-in-an-image, but it's on the cover of the next issue, so I'll wait until then to make note of it. More obsessiveness next month!

Miranda Mercury: Strong? Check! Female? Check!

Miranda Mercury, volume 1: Time Runs Out
Written by Brandon Thomas
Art by Lee Ferguson
Published by Archaia Entertainment

Several years ago, the first issue of what was intended to be a comics miniseries (or maybe even an ongoing series?) came out, and it was very promising, in its exciting action, fun sci-fi ideas, and enthusiasm for comics storytelling. One of the more interesting ideas was that it was labeled as the 295th issue of a long-running series, a quick way to establish a huge amount of backstory for its world and characters and lead up to a big 300th issue spectacular. Unfortunately, further issues never materialized, due to various personal and professional reasons (more information is available at mirandamercury.com, for the curious). Until now, that is, with the release of a hardcover "collection" of the entire miniseries, promisingly branded with a "volume 1" to indicate that more will be appearing in the future.

It's especially nice to see that while the initial issue was good, the creators have only gotten better in the intervening years, making the final book a well-written, slick, brightly-colored portion of the title character's life. She's a space-traveling adventurer, fighting for good in a future full of alien thieves, doomed planets, corrupt superhero law enforcement, time raiders, and psychotic villains. She's a strong female character in the best sense of the word, a smart, incredibly capable hero who always succeeds in her fight for good through sheer force of will. Aided by Jack Warning, her teen-genius sidekick who seems to be as amazing as she is, their adventures are pretty fantastic, with them constantly shooting rayguns, flying around on hover-bikes and pterodactyls, operating sci-fi machinery, fighting monsters, and just plain being awesome.



While the external threats seem to get most of the focus, there's an internal conflict that provides some interesting exploration of the characters, demonstrating that while Miranda is heroically altruistic, she's also stubborn, focused on her goals to the point that she neglects to take care of herself, which leads to a volume-ending cliffhanger, and what might be a continued look at what drives her and how she can balance her work, personal issues, and family. Between all the inter-dimensional fistfights and planet-saving chases, of course.

Miranda is a pretty great character, all calm competence and quick-thinking action, keeping her personal struggles internal and letting Jack do most of the emoting for her. What's especially nice is that her race could go completely unremarked; as it should be (and hopefully will be in the future), skin color has no bearing on her heroism. However, writer Brandon Thomas includes at least a few references to racism, or at least discrimination and xenophobia (hey, the future isn't perfect), before a final-chapter revelation that suddenly brings race front and center, with Thomas optimistically demonstrating humanity's potential when pointless, arbitrary prejudices are removed. It's a pretty moving statement, and it makes for a fascinating underlying theme beneath all the action and adventure.



If there's anything to complain about here, it's that sometimes the stories move so fast, it can be difficult to tell what exactly is going on. Luckily, this is more a feature than a bug, with the creators never standing still long enough to allow anyone to get bored, forcing readers to stay light on their feet and keep up with the breakneck pace. Layouts, action, and sometimes even plot points can be tough to interpret, but this comes from ambition rather than clumsiness, and if we're being generous, it fits within the conceit of the long-running series, assuming that readers are familiar with this world (er, galaxy), these characters, and they way they work. When Miranda and Jack are apparently miniaturizing an entire planetary civilization and coaxing a sun to migrate to a new location, this can seem obtuse, but when a mission to capture a smuggler leads to Miranda being wanted by authorities and pursued by a team of superheroes, it's exhilarating, providing the sense that anything can happen before you can even realize it. It's innovative, modern storytelling, seemingly catering to the ADHD set but actually forcing close attention, and even coming up with interesting formal ideas like missing (that is, stolen) panels and spatial reorientation of pages. There's always plenty going on here, both on and under the surface.



For anybody who was waiting for more of this story, this is a real treat, collected in a gorgeous hardcover that is designed to the hilt, the story beginning on the inside front cover and never letting up, text pieces introducing each chapter so that the stories can begin in the middle of the action, bright colors popping off the page and providing a futuristic look, clean, dynamic art propelling the eye across layouts, the whole thing working pretty amazingly well as a great bit of pure comics storytelling. This book was definitely worth the wait, and hopefully it won't be another several years before another volume sears its way into our consciousness along with it.

Finder: Voice: You find yours, I'll find mine

Finder: Voice
By Carla Speed McNeill
Published by Dark Horse

For such a complex, long-running series, Carla Speed McNeill's Finder is surprisingly open to new readers, easing them into the weird sci-fi society of the domed city of Anvard and getting them acquainted with the characters without seeming like they've missed too much to understand what is going on. In fact, this late volume might be the ideal entry point, which is a pretty remarkable accomplishment, and probably even more so in that while McNeill's includes plenty of explanatory endnotes that point out details in the art, relationships among characters, and descriptions of the intricacies of the world, none of them are necessary for understanding or enjoyment of the story itself; in fact, they are best experienced as a bonus to read through after the book itself is finished, a sort of behind-the-scenes DVD extra that isn't essential, but is full of neat, interesting information.

It's a testament to the richness of McNeill's world that it seems so full of activity, detail (both futuristic and street-level-grimy), and, well, life, that the things going on in the backgrounds and corners of the panels could be spun off into their own compelling stories. However, here she focuses on Rachel Grosvenor, who, as the story begins, is competing in a sort of beauty contest to be granted membership in her clan, the Llaveracs, one of several tightly-knit (both genetically and socially) groups that form the ruling class of society in this world. She ends up losing something important, leading her to embark on a quest throughout the levels of both the city and civilization which are well below what she is used to experiencing, as she tries to find one Jaeger Ayers, who turns out to be the regular lead of the series but is surprisingly absent here. His presence still looms large over the story, but this particular Finder tale is more about Rachel and her continuing maturity, which makes for a fascinating journey through McNeill's fully-formed ecosystem, seeing her navigate threats that are physical, social, and even mental, with the result being that she "finds herself" rather than the object she thinks she is seeking.

This is all very satisfying stuff from a world-building and storytelling level, but what's really stunning here is McNeill's artwork, which fleshes out the world beautifully through gorgeously detailed settings which are given rich depth and texture with her trademark dense cross-hatching, and character art that is some of the best in the business, fluid movement meeting solidly physical violence, expressive faces convincingly demonstrating exactly what information needs to be conveyed to the reader. Rachel, especially, is a marvel of emotion and nuance, from the way McNeill captures her brushing her hair behind her ear:

To the way she converses on her futuristic brain-implant cell phone by making a familiar phone gesture:



To the wide variety of expressions that make their way across her face (and also her body, with posture telling as much as facial expression, along with hair that ranges from meticulously coiffed to unkempt and unruly) as she ends up in a bevy of unfamiliar situations:

 

 

 And finally, as she ends up at the end of her rope and just lets her emotions out in a powerfully expressive scene:



It's some pretty amazing work, and McNeill is at the top of her game here, throwing in some Jaime Hernandez exaggerated reactions and Dave Sim expressive lettering, while making this comic steadfastly her own, a fully-formed vision of a speculative society and characters that seem as real and three-dimensional as somebody you meet walking down the street. While it builds on years of previous stories, this is a wonderfuly deep stand-alone work, and one that will certainly prompt readers to seek out any- and everything else she has done. They won't be disappointed.

Wizard Chicago 2011: Comics to read

Yes, comics were acquired at the recent comic convention, and here are some words about them:

God Hates Astronauts #1-2
By Ryan Browne

The superhero genre has pretty much become a dead end, an endlessly recycling series of convoluted plots and ridiculous conflicts, with even the "innovative" or "satirical" seeming tired and played out by this point. If there's anything left, it's full-on absurdity, and that's what Ryan Browne is doing with this webcomics-turned-print series, to hilarious effect, making his characters profane, moronic, squabbling, violent doofuses with stupid powers and ugly costumes, fighting over petty things and doing nothing much of any worth or positivity. It's laugh-out-loud funny, full of silly gags, jokey sound effects (a personal favorite is "Fucked!"), and nonsensical details that are funnier for their lack of emphasis, like Dr. Professor, the moustache-sporting Rhino scientist. The escalating nastiness that happens to the ostensible hero over these two issues is pretty horrifying, yet more imaginative, memorable, and gross than any number of Geoff Johns dismemberments, while still being gut-bustingly funny. This is great comics, full of personality, silliness, and really nice art. Get in on this party now before Browne gets gobbled up by the corporate comics machine.

God Hates Astronauts can be read online, but I recommend purchasing the print editions, which are really nicely done. Also recommended: Blast Furnace, Browne's other ongoing webcomic, which is written off the top of his head, with new pages appearing daily, planned to continue for a full year.
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My Deadbeat Dad
Written by Ian Boothby
Art by Nina Matsumoto

This handmade minicomic introduces a compelling idea that may or may not ever receive a follow-up, but even in this small space, it does receive more than just a basic introduction, which is nice. The story follows a girl whose parents are divorced but whose dad signed a really binding custody agreement that still gives him visitation rights even though he is dead and in hell. That's a great idea, and writer Ian Boothby (of various Simpsons comics) could have just described it and stepped back, happy with a job well done, but he does come up with some nice ideas regarding the ramifications, including the reason why the version of hell seen here is kind of cartoonish rather than horrifying. Artist Nina Matsumoto (also of some Simpsons comics, but also her own series Yokaiden) turns in some nice art, especially the screen tone shading and a few bits of fast-moving action. If we're lucky, we'll see more of this story someday. Here's hoping.
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Do Not Disturb My Waking Dream #2
By Laura Park



The autobio comic has long been the red-headed stepchild of the indie comics scene, easily-mocked as full of boring, self-centered, trite observations about the daily lives of artists as if they are interesting to anyone but the creators. Interestingly, this minicomic fits that description to the letter, but Laura Park is such a good artist that even the hastily-sketched depictions of unremarkable activities are fun to read, just to see how well she can make simple shapes and shading do so much to convey her emotions, insecurities, joys, and irritations. It's delightful stuff, sometimes seeming like stream of consciousness "this is what I did today" journaling and then skipping to well-realized strips capturing funny or memorable moments, then zooming out for more detailed images that demonstrate an excellent facility with cross-hatching. The simple minicomics format is perfect for this sort of thing; what might not fit well in a slick hardcover works wonderfully on simple white stapled paper, a wonderful little collection of moments from somebody's life, presented without any attempt at profundity or self-importance, just a record of stuff that seemed interesting enough to get down on paper, and is definitely worth a look, if only to examine how good Park is at dashing this stuff off and making it cute, enjoyable, and visually appealing. Any longer work from her would be welcome, but keeping it short, sweet, and simple has its appeal as well.

Wizard Chicago 2011: Pictures of Groo

One great thing about attending conventions for me is the chance to obtain more entries in my sketchbook, which bears the theme of what might be my all-time favorite comic, Sergio Aragones' Groo.  Here's what I came home with this year:

Nina Matsumoto provided a cool pose, effortlessly mixing her style with Sergio's.



Pia Guerra did a nicely cartoony depiction of both Groo and Rufferto. I especially like Groo's hands and feet here.



Tom Scioli added his own particular style to his drawing. Interestingly, he mentioned recently thinking about Groo when trying to come up with other non-serious barbarian comics like his webcomic American Barbarian.



Mike Norton did a sort of super-deformed Groo, then surrounded him with foliage, which was especially fascinating to watch him draw, as he seemed to nonchalantly wave a brush pen around the page and ended up with all that moody shrubbery. When his tablemate commented on that, he said it was because he felt bad about the poor drawing (nonsense, says I!) and wanted to add value, or something.



Sean Dove contributed a wonderfully cartoony depiction of Groo. I really like this one, especially the facial expression.



Lilli Carre did this one, which might be one of my favorites ever, just for the humor. Also, she didn't do any underdrawing, just laid the whole thing down in ink without any room for error. Color me impressed.



Finally, Jeremy Tinder did this goofy pose. After finishing, he said, "I don't know what he's doing. Yoga, I guess." I love it.

I don't think I'll ever get tired of getting these sketches. I just love watching the artists do their thing, seeing all the different techniques and ideas and marveling at the skill as they manage to turn a blank page into a fun image in a matter of minutes. Even if I can't really make art, I can sure appreciate it.

Wizard Chicago 2011: Swag post

As is customary when one attends a comics convention and brings things home, here is a photo of said loot:

These are, from left to right, starting with the top row:

• The Miranda Mercury volume 1 hardcover, by Brandon Thomas, Lee Ferguson, and company, published by Archaia
• Any Empire, by Nate Powell
• Past Lies, by Nunzio DeFillipis, Christina Weir, and Christopher Mitten (purchased from Mitten)
• Two minicomics by Nick Meccia
• The Shortpants Observer #1, a locally produced anthology published by Short Pants Press
• A God Hates Astronauts shot glass
• Some promo postcards from Nathan Fox, who was unfortunately called home for an emergency
• The Myth of 8-Opus: Prologue, by Tom Scioli
• A sketch card promoting Jeffrey Brown's The Incredible Change-Bots. He asked what for my least favorite character (I decided on Siren, who had betrayed the Awesomebots in volume 1), then drew its destroyed head at the bottom.
• A postcard promoting Save the Date, an upcoming movie which was written by Jeffrey Brown.
• A postcard promoting Sunday Press, who had a booth displaying copies of all their huge, awesome old comic strip collection.
• Laura Park's Do Not Disturb My Waking Dream #2.
• My Deadbeat Dad, a minicomic by Ian Boothby and Nina Matsumoto. I scored one out of an edition of four!
• God Hates Astronauts #1 and a 24 hour GHA minicomic, by Ryan Browne.
• A postcard for artist Jeremy Sorese
• Fogs, a minicomic by Eric Roesner
• A preview minicomic for the graphic novel Breathers, by Justin Madson.

Not a bad haul for what was a pretty miniscule budged this year...

Wizard Chicago 2011: Just when I think I'm out

After last year's obnoxiously celebrity-focused Wizard convention, I swore off future Wizard conventions in Chicago, but the surprisingly strong guest list (on the comics end; while some might flip for things like a cast reunion of the children from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, I am not one of them) for this year's event proved that I am nothing if not weak-willed. It actually seemed like some of my suggestions were taken to heart, like expanded panels (most of which were celebrity/TV/movie focused, but the fact that more of them existed was notable) and increased attendance from Chicago-area creators. Maybe it was just a coincidence, but the con seemed like it was moving ever so slightly back toward the kind of convention I would like to attend.

The event itself was actually pretty enjoyable, if only due to modest expectations. The celebrity areas did not seem as crowded with photo-seekers as they had in the past, and the random booths with the tenuous connections to nerd culture seemed more appropriate. Purveyors of swords, t-shirts, Japanese snack foods, bootleg DVDs, and weird contact lenses still proliferated, but they seemed less a major force and just another place to spend money alongside the many comics retailers.

Artist alley, my haunt of choice for most cons, was packed, both with artists and con-goers, and while the ratio of good work to crap was still fairly low (so many pin-ups, so few comics, so many fucking zombies), there were a lot of artists in attendance that I was excited to talk to, like Laura Park, Lilli Carre, Nina Matsumoto, Jeffrey Brown, Mike Norton, Chris Burnham, Pia Guerra, Christopher Mitten, Eduardo Risso, Ryan Browne, Spike Trotman, and many more, not to mention a good number of promising up-and-comers. That aspect alone is the real reason I go to conventions, and dumber pleasures like seeing people dressed up in weird costumes is just a bonus.

Of course, there are also some other interesting things to see that you're not going to see anywhere else, like a Lego club that had set up a display that was something like thirty feet long and amazingly detailed, consisting of scenes recreated from such disparate properties as Raiders of the Lost Ark, Futurama, and Arrested Development:

Or a display of what a sign claimed were "the rarest comics in the world", ashcan editions of Action Comics, Superman Comics, Superboy, Supergirl, and Superwoman, which were originally produced before the comics themselves came out to secure trademarks, featuring cover and interior art from previously-published comics.



All in all, it was definitely not a wasted day. There was much to see, purchase, and interact with, and as much as I may get annoyed by aspects of it, it's still fascinating to see such a huge swath of nerd culture all crammed into one location. Will I bother with it next year? That remains to be seen...