This week, I might actually buy some comics

Of course, most of them will be from the last three weeks or so...

New comics this week (Wednesday, 9/10/08):

Big Hero 6 #1

I'm not sure if these are brand new characters or if they had been established earlier, but it's a new Marvel miniseries about Japanese superheroes, written by Chris Claremont.  It might be all right (I'm sure Jason Powell will jump right on it), but the manga-influenced art by David Nakayama certainly looks nice.

Criminal 2 #5

Here's more of the counterfeiting adventures of the guy who draws the "Frank Kafka, P.I." comic strip.  I don't think this series is going to be getting any worse.

Damned Prodigal Sons #3

It's about time the final issue of this miniseries showed up.  I've been in suspense as to what's going to happen to our temporarily dead hero for months now.  Cullen Bunn and Brian Hurtt have been delivering a worthy follow-up to their original miniseries, and I can't wait to see what happens in the conclusion.

Dark Tower Treachery #1

It's the latest miniseries in Marvel's continuing Stephen King assault.  I didn't read the one before this, but I might try to get the collection at the library.  The story seems decent enough (although I imagine the books are the real way to go), but the real draw is Jae Lee and Richard Isanove's art.  It's pretty.

The Goon #28

I tried to drop this series, but I couldn't.  Eric Powell has his hooks in me too deep.  This issue, the Goon recruits the zombie priest to his side, or something like that.  I'm sure it will be entertaining, and probably a good story to boot.  Don't let me down, Powell!

I Kill Giants #2

The first issue of this Joe Kelly/JM Ken Niimura series was okay, but it didn't grab me and make me need to keep reading.  The story seemed interesting, but not enough really happened, and the central mystery of whether the girl protagonist is actually a magical giant killer or not didn't really seem that compelling.  Niimura's art was all right, if a bit rough.  And why did she have bunny ears?  I dunno; I won't recommend against it, but I don't feel the need to read any more.

Interiorae #3

One of this week's Ignatz books (Fantagraphics has been dropping a lot of them lately), this continues Gabriella Giandelli's "surreal tale".  Slideshow preview here.

Kick Drum Comix #1

Jim Mahfood!  This will be a two-issue miniseries of short stories (in color!).  Sounds like fun.  Mahfood has awesome style, so I bet it will be quite enjoyable.

Montana Briggs #1

I don't know why this caught my eye, but it's apparently a western about a bounty hunter.  I do like the western genre, so if I ever saw it, I would probably look at it.  There's some glowing praise.

Patsy Walker: Hellcat, Agent of Initiative #3

I didn't get to read this one ahead of time, but based on the first two issues, I bet it will be enjoyable.  A bubbly model heroine going on mystical Alaskan adventures.  Dig it.

Pax Romana Bumper Editon

Since this series is so late, it looks like Jonathan Hickman/Image are trying to encourage people to catch up with this book, which smooshes the first two issues together.  I've enjoyed the series so far (although not as much as Hickman's previous work, The Nightly News), mostly because I like the way he pushes the boundaries of the medium.  I hope he keeps it up.

Sammy The Mouse #2

The other Ignatz book for the week.  I've heard that this Zack Sally riff on Mickey Mouse (I think that's what it is) is really good, but I haven't had the chance to read it.  Someday.  Here's one of them slideshow previews.

Secret Invasion: Runaways/Young Avengers #3

I can't really recommend this crossover tie-in series, even for fans of either team, but it sure looks nice, with art by Takeshi Miyazawa and colors by Christina Strain.  Not that great a story though, 

The Stand: Captain Trips #1

Part two of Marvel's Stephen King explosion.  I've never read this book either, but it's supposed to be good, a post-apocalyptic thrill-fest.  This adaptation is written by Roberto Aguierre-Sacasa, with art by Mike Perkins.  Eh, it might be all right.

Welcome To Hoxford #2

More of Ben Templesmith's nastiness.  I'm not buying this series, but I would sure like to.

Wolverine: Saudade

It's yet another Wolverine comic, since he had failed to meet his contractual obligation for 75 appearances this month.  This one is interesting though, since it's by "two of Europe's top creators", Jean-David Morvan and Phillipe Bouchet.  Wolvie goes on vacation in Brazil and gets into trouble, of the unsurprisingly stabby variety.  I should have a review up at Comics Bulletin tomorrow.

Bad Boy 10th Anniversary HC Limited Edition

Frank Miller and Simon Bisley present a nihilistic tale of violence, or something.  Also, there are probably whores involved.  I've never read it, but it's probably worth checking out.

Batman The Black Glove HC

This was the best part of Grant Morrison's run on Batman so far, if only because of J.H. Williams III's amazing artwork.  This book also collects #372-375, which I believe is a sort of prequel to the current "R.I.P." storyline.  That's a weird combination.  It's probably not worth the price for the hardcover, but I bet the eventual paperback will be a decent value.

Bomb TP

This collects a four-issue miniseries by Steve Mannion that is described as Raiders of the Lost Ark meets Mad Magazine.  Sort of a goofy adventure comic, I guess.  I do like the art; here's a couple preview pages.

Daredevil Prem HC Guardian Devil 10th Anniversery ED

Here's a new collection of Kevin Smith's run on ol' hornhead.  It's really not that great a story, but it began the current volume of the series.  I guess it's worth a read if you really want to find out how Karen Page died (spoiler: tiresomely).  Art by Joe Quesada.  Stupid conspiracy by Mysterio.

Enigma Cipher TP

From Boom! Studios, this series is a murder mystery centered around the infamous Nazi codes from WWII.  Probably pretty interesting.  Andrew Cosby and Michael Alan Nelson write, Greg Scott draws.

Eternals by Jack Kirby Book 2 TPB

More Jack Kirby awesomeness.  I think this one features the appearance of a robotic Hulk.

Freak Brothers Omnibus TP

Gilbert Shelton's hippy comic is one of those underground classics, but I've never read it.  I guess this is my chance, with a 224 page, $35 edition.  I don't know if I have to get high to enjoy it, but is probably won't hurt.

Gotham Central Vol. 1 In the Line of Fire HC

I never did read this Greg Rucka/Ed Brubaker series about the cops that work around Batman, but it's supposed to be really good.  As is becoming my mantra, I guess now is my chance.  This collects the first ten issues for $30.  Crime-tastic!

Look Out!! Monsters

Geoff Grogan's Xeric Award-winning book uses monster imagery to examine the post-9/11 American psychological landscape, or something.  Whatever the case, it looks quite good.  Here's the official site, which has a few preview pages.

Omega the Unknown Prem HC

Oh, man, I waited to read this until it was collected, and now I can't afford it.  Crap.  I've read good and not-so-good reviews, but it looks like an amazing book, like nothing else that you're going to see from Marvel.  I should probably go straight to the library for it, because I don't want to miss it.  Jonathan Lethem wrote, Farel Dalrymple drew (with Gary Panter on one issue, and Paul Hornschemeier providing colors), and now it costs $30.  Buy it, if you're more flush with the funds than I am.

Wolverine Origins Vol 5 deadpool Premiere HC

While Wolverine: Origins is generally a poorly-regarded series, known mostly as the thing Steve Dillon is wasting his time on instead of doing something worthwhile, this story was supposed to actually be quite entertaining, going all-out with the Loony Tunes-style comic violence.  Eh, I don't care about either Wolverine or Deadpool, so I'll still skip it, but if it's your thing, go for it.

Afro Samurai Vol 1 TPB

I thought this anime series was pretty enjoyable, if not great, so I wouldn't be averse to checking out a manga version.  It's by Takashi Okazaki, published by Seven Seas, $10.99.  That's all.

Burst Angel Manga Vol 1 GN

Now here's an anime I haven't seen, but I've thought it might be worth checking out, if only because I like the character designs.  I guess scantily-clad chicks are all it takes to interest me.  And they fight monsters!  Eh, it's probably stupid, but like everything else, I suppose I could take a look.

Goth GN

I thought I read a little of this manga in scanlation, but I don't know.  It looks like a horror series about two teens exploring "humanity's dark side".  It probably lives up to its title.

Nui Vol 1 GN

Kind of small manga pickings this week.  See, I'm mentioning this series, about a girl whose stuffed animals come to life, with some being good and some evil.  Fighting ensues, probably.

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And that is all.  I would promise more content tomorrow, but it probably won't happen.  So, whenever.

The Facts in the Case of the Departure of Miss Finch: I expect this will quickly depart from people's memory

Not much new in the way of news, so straight to the talky:

The Facts in the Case of the Departure of Miss Finch

Story by Neil Gaiman

Art by Michael Zulli

Lettering and script adaptation by Todd Klein

So, let's talk about adaptation.  It's a pretty common debate in the film world, but is it as widely discussed in comics?  Comics versions of literary classics are pretty common, and most superhero movies end up getting a comics adaptation, but do people often bother to wonder whether the adaptation is necessary?  What's the point of taking a story from one medium and creating a version of it in a different medium?  In some cases, it can be an interesting exploration of different ways to tell stories, but often it seems like crass commercialization.  This book might be one of those latter cases, since Neil Gaiman is pretty respected in the world of comics, so having his name on the cover of one is sure to sell a few copies.

In this case, while Gaiman is given top billing, he actually only wrote the short story on which the comic is based; Todd Klein adapted it to a comics script, and Michael Zulli provided the art.  Gaiman is skilled enough at comics scripting, that he might have been able to turn the story into a good graphic narrative, but in Klein's hands, it reads exactly like an all-too-faithful adaptation.  We get several scenes like this:

And most of the rest of the book features captionswhich describe what is happening on panel, breaking the oft-repeated "show, don't tell" rule.  It's obvious why Klein chose to do this; Gaiman's language is so vividly descriptive that you don't want to throw any of it out.  In fact, the words often describe the action better than the actual images that accompany them.  It begs the question as to why bother with the adaptation?  If the original text is so good, pictures really aren't necessary, unless you're going to do something interesting with them, something that necessitates the story being told in comics form.  And that just isn't the case here.

Not that the pictures are of poor quality; rather, Zulli's artwork is exquisite, detailing the characters and situations with a rough, yet detailed line and some beautiful painted colors.  The story (which involves a Gaiman stand-in, some friends, and the pseudonymous woman of the title attending a sort of punk circus that takes place in London's underground slums, with strange results) looks as good as a straightforward adaptation like this is going to, with some nice-looking renditions of the weird events and some really nice work with facial expressions:

But I just can't get into it; with the original story doing such a good job of bringing imagery to life with simple textual descriptions, and most all of that text being reproduced here, the images become superfluous.  It's not impossible to adapt Gaiman's works well (see P. Craig Russell's version of Murder Mysteries for an example), but this book only serves to highlight Gaiman's storytelling skill.  I say skip it, and read the original version instead.

BoBoBo-Bo Bo-BoBo: That's too many Bos

I appear to be slacking. Eh, sometimes the writing urge doesn't strike. But I do have a review of Atomic Robo: Dogs of War #2 up at Comics Bulletin. And also this:

BoBoBo-Bo Bo-BoBo, volume 1
By Yoshio Sawai



Sometimes you read a comic so bizarre and out-of-the-ordinary, that you feel like you mind has been permanently warped. This can be a good experience (as with some of Grant Morrison's more outre works) or a bad one (Tarot: Witch of the Black Rose springs to mind), but it's rare (for me at least) to be left with a feeling of babbling incomprehension, unsure what to make of the book, not knowing whether it was good or bad, and suspicious as to your own (not to mention the author's) sanity. Such is Yoshio Sawai's BoBoBo-Bo Bo-BoBo.

Or maybe it's just a case of material based on the intricacies of Japanese language and culture not surviving the translation. There's also the possibility that Sawai is just filling his work with intentionally stupid and nonsensical material in an attempt to satisfy the easily-entertained children's audience. Myself, I prefer to think of him as deranged, because that just makes the book seem funnier. And boy, is it funny. I laughed out loud at several points, if only because Sawai managed to hit the perfect combination of absurdity and surreality.

I don't know if it's worth it to explain the plot, but I'll give it a try. Viz certainly doesn't make it easy, since, according to Wikipedia, this "first" volume is actually the eleventh volume in the Japanese series. Viz gave it a try a couple years ago, putting out a different "first" volume that was actually the ninth volume. The result is kind of charming; with no buildup or backstory, it's seems as if Sawai has thrown readers into a world where weirdos constantly wage ridiculous battles with each other, for no apparent reason. Bo-BoBo is a blond-afroed muscleman who fights evil using his "Fist of the Nose Hair" technique (which probably made more sense in earlier volumes; at this point, he doesn't really use his nose hair much, choosing instead to transform into crazy forms and smash bad guys cartoonishly). He also has quite a posse joining him (they can all be seen on the cover): Beauty, a teenage (preteen?) girl, and the one "normal" person in the cast; Poppa Rocks, a sort of cartoon sun; Torpedo Girl, who is pretty much what her name describes; Softon, a guy with a pile of poop for a head; and my favorite, Jelly Jiggler, a sentient mass of human-shaped Jello. I mean, come on, that's a great name; just saying it makes me laugh. There's also another "normal"-seeming human boy named Gasser, who spends this volume in captivity, and the doughboy-esque Dengaku Man, who seems to be on Bo-BoBo's side, but mostly serves as a punchline for jokes.

As for the actual plot of the book, it's pretty much just a string of fights, with Bo-BoBo and pals battling a series of crazy villains who fight with techniques like the "Fist of the Gothic Font" or "Fist of the Objet d'Art." Hey, why not? These fights generally see one of the villains using some crazy attack, and the heroes repelling it in a silly nature. Then they counterattack, doing something silly, and other silliness ensues. Characters often get hit and spew blood out of their mouth. And through it all, Beauty just sits and watches, constantly reacting in bug-eyed disbelief at what she is seeing. In fact, some of the funniest moments probably come from her reactions:













Really, those don't make much more sense in context than they do here. There's plenty of other weirdness and craziness though, sort of similar to a Tex Avery cartoon, in which characters suddenly turn into bizarre forms, or produce weapons and objects seemingly out of thin air:



There are also some hilariously-timed moments, such as this scene during a fight in which all the participants are hanging over a pit with bungee cords connected to their legs, and Poppa Rocks and Jelly Jiggler have seemingly plummeted to their deaths:



Or Bo-Bobo having a haiku contest with an opponent:






And some moments are just plain surreal, as in a scene in which a viewscreen bearing the chief villain's image appears on Poppa Rocks' crotch, and Bo-BoBo reacts to it:



I don't even know what to say to that sort of thing.

So, I don't know whether this series is actually good or if I can really recommend it to anybody; it's so strange and weird that, while it does tickle my funny bone, it might just be annoying to others. But I will say that I enjoyed it, and upon finishing the volume, I often found myself chuckling when remembering some moment or other. Of course, my IQ might simply have lowered to the point at which I laugh uproariously at the likes of waterskiing squirrels or LOLcats. But by all means, give it a try, if you want to risk similar brain damage. I could use the company.

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

This week, I choose to celebrate labor by not doing any

I mean, what's the deal with Labor Day? You don't do any labor; you got the day off! They should call it Relaxation Day!

Okay, enough of that silliness:

New comics this week (THURSDAY, 9/3/08):

Army@Love Art of War #2

I just got done talking about this series. I can't wait until this new miniseries gets collected; it looks good. I especially dig the covers, which homage famous paintings in Veitch's humorously deadpan style. Funny stuff.

Baobab #3

The latest Ignatz book, from Italian (?) artist Igort. This one follows a boy growing up in Japan and two cartoonists working in South America at the turn of the 20th century. Probably good stuff.

Boy who Made Silence #6

I believe this ends the current "volume" of this series, with more to come as Joshua Hagler completes it. I really dig the story, even if it's probably beyond my scope of understanding. Beautiful, artistic stuff. Check it out if you haven't before.

Boys #22

Ending the current storyline. That last issue was incredible; harsh, acerbically funny, and incredibly hard to read, given the events being referenced. It took Garth Ennis a little while to get going on this series, but he is really knocking it out of the park these days.

Challenger Deep #1

After the outer space thrills of Station, Boom! Studios is going the other direction, with a story set in the Marianas Trench, about scientists trying to stop a subterranean methane explosion that could destroy the earth. By Andrew Cosby and Marcelo Meuller. I'll give it a look.

Fables #75

Hey, did you hear that James Jean is leaving this series? Bummer. His covers have been consistently excellent. So who should replace him? Duncan Fegredo? Massimo Carnevale? J.H. Williams III? That's a tough act to follow. Anyway, here's an anniversary issue, or something. The wait between collections on this series is always too long.

Fringe #1

I have no idea if this new J.J. Abrams TV series is going to be any good, but people seem excited about it. This comics spinoff will probably not be as good, although I really don't know how well the quality has fared on DC/Wildstorm's TV tie-in comics. But if you can't wait to experience the show, I guess this works as a preview.

High Rollers #2

Also from Boom!, this urban crime series continues. I read the first issue, and wasn't really too impressed. I should try to put together a review that explains why, but who knows, maybe this issue will change my mind. We'll see.

Invincible Iron Man #5

More Matt Fraction/Salvador Larocca Iron Man. It's the big Ezekiel Stane fight. Yay?

Marvel Apes #1

The latest of Marvel's gimmick series, trying to capture some sort of zeitgeist. Having read the issue, it's not really my thing, but some might like it. The story follows the Gibbon, a loser ex-villain who ends up transported to a universe populated by monkey versions of all the Marvel characters. Kind of dumb, but the end hints at some interesting ideas about the feral nature of monkeys. Eh, maybe it'll get better. I suspect that, much like all the zombie stuff that people like, the real draw here might be the goofy covers. That's worth all the money!

Roberts #1

I heard about this series at Wizard World back in June, and it interested me mostly because I had seen some work by the artist Erik Rose, and I like his style. This miniseries is one of those high-concept pitches: the Boston Strangler and the Zodiac Killer both end up in the same retirement home, with hilarity ensuing, I assume.

Sub-Mariner The Depths #1

I would normally ignore this sort of thing, but this miniseries is written by Peter Milligan, who is always worth paying attention to, even if he isn't always reliable for a good story. This one, illustrated by Esad Ribic, sees man's first encouter with Namor, treating him like an undersea horror. The first issue is moody and creepy; it could turn out to be a pretty good story.

Universal War One #3

More of that Marvel/Soleil densely-illustrated sci-fi. I haven't read beyond the first issue, but I thought that was decent, so the series might keep getting better. I always support the release of European comics in the U.S., so if this seems interesting to you, by all means, read it.

X-Men Manifest Destiny #1

I don't normally care about these X-Men miniseries/anthologies (or X-Men comics at all, these days), but I'll highlight this one because it has a story about Tabitha/Boom Boom illustrated by Chris Burnham, the artist of Nixon's Pals. That's all.

Beetle Bailey By Mort Walker Vol 1 1950-1952 HC

It's yet another classic newspaper strip collection, this one from Checker. I don't know if the original series is very good, but it's probably better than the tiresome legacy strip that it has become. Gotta love the availability of all this classic material though.

Deitch's Pictorama TP

The latest book from Kim Deitch (and his siblings), combining comics and illustrated prose. Probably some really good stuff here.

Fokke & Sukke SC

A collection of a popular comic strip from the Netherlands. It's apparently very crude and offensive. Here's the official website (in Dutch).

Good Neighbors Vol 1 Kin HC

A kids' graphic novel from Graphix, a division of Scholastic. Written by Holly Black, author of The Spiderwick Chronicles, and illustrated by Ted Naifeh, it's about a fairy girl trying to clear her human father's name in the disappearance of her mother, who has been sent back to fairyland. Sounds decent, and I love Naifeh's art. Here's a review on Blogarama. And there's a preview at the official site.

Immortal Iron Fist Vol 2 Cities Of Heaven

The paperback version of the second collection of Ed Brubaker and Matt Fraction's Iron Fist work, finishing off their work on the title (minus, I think the couple of solo issues that Fraction wrote alone). I need to check it out; I've heard it's pretty awesome, detailing a big, crazy, mystical martial arts tournament. I can't wait.

Impossible Territories Unofficial Companion To The League Of Extraordinary Gentlemen TP

The new Jess Nevins annotations book, detailing the minutae of Alan Moore's writing on The Black Dossier. I don't know how essential these books are, but it's fascinating to see everything that Moore manages to pack into the series. It makes for a good way to bide the time until the next League story comes out.

Love And Rockets New Stories Vol 1 TP

Aw, man, I gotta get this. Although, I haven't read any of L&R volume 2, so I don't know if I'll be able to follow it. But it's great to get more material from Los Bros Hernandez.

Martian Confederacy Vol 1 Rednecks Red Planet GN

A lowbrow-seeming sci-fi story about three blue-collar workers who try to save Mars, or something. Could be interesting. Here's the official site.

Mixtape Vol 2 Food One/Jim Mahfood Art HC Regular Edition

More of Jim Mahfood's artwork, comics, and whatnot. I dig his style; this is probably some pretty good stuff.

Mo And Jo Vol 1 Fighting Together Forever GN

From Toon Books, it's a kids' graphic novel by Jay Lynch and Dean Haspiel about a superpowered brother and sister who are always squabbling. I'll try to check it out just for Haspiel's art; he's awesome. Here's the official page, with a preview.

Prince Of Persia HC

I was interested in this book, since I love the various video games, but from what I've heard, it doesn't have much to do with them, even though it's written by series creator Jordan Mechner. Still, it might be worth a look.

Slow Storm TP

Also from First Second, it's a graphic novel by Danica Novgodoroff, about the relationship between a Kentucky firefighter and an illegal immigrant. Novgodoroff's art is really impressive, and the book looks quite good. I'll try to read it. Here's a post by Novgodoroff on First Second's blog featuring some artwork from the book.

Dororo Vol 3 TP

Here's the big manga release of the week, the final volume of Osamu Tezuka's wild and crazy supernatural samurai story. I just received the book from Amazon, so I should be able to read and review it soon. I can't wait; I only wish the series was longer.

Honey And Clover Vol 3 GN

Another excellent release for the week; I love this series. You can read my thoughts on it every month when I do my Shojo Beat posts, but I'll say that you should definitely check the series out if you haven't already.

Kurosagi Corpse Delivery Service Vol 7 TP

I like this horror-ish series quite a bit, but I've only read the first two volumes. I hope I'll be able to get to the rest someday.

Mixed Vegetables Vol 1 GN

This series about cooking and romance looked interesting when it was previewed in Shojo Beat (here are my comments). I wouldn't mind checking it out.

MPD-PSYCHO Vol 6 TP

Another sort of horror series from Dark Horse. I've read the first three (four?) volumes, and I do enjoy it, so I should try to keep up. Gotta love the goriness.

Mushishi Vol 4 GN
Mushishi Vol 5 GN

This series has received a lot of acclaim, but I wasn't all that thrilled with the first volume. It looked nice, but the stories didn't really wow me. I guess I like silly comedy and big action over quiet contemplation. How superficial of me. Anyway, looks like two more volumes are dropping this week, so if you like it, you're in luck.

NANA Vol 12 TP

Oh, man, I'm behind on this series, which is inexplicable, since I love it so much. I still need to get volume 11. I'm so ashamed at my poor level of devotion.

Slam Dunk Vol 1 GN Viz Edition

I will give this Takehiko Inoue series a high recommendation; I totally dug this volume (if you couldn't tell from the banner up at the top of the page). Classic basketball action and high school hijinx. Read it!

Wanted Shojo Beat GN

Another Shojo Beat preview series that I talked about, this one is about pirates, and it's by Vampire Knight creator Matsuri Hino. It looks crazily interesting, but not necessarily good. I think it's only one volume? Another one I could check out, I guess.

Yokai Attack Japanese Monster Survival Guide SC

Is this Kodansha's first book for the U.S. market? It's not actually a comic, but more of an illustrated guide to Japanese monsters. That's always a fun subject, so it will probably be an interesting read. Now bring on the Kodansha manga!
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And that's the week. I should probably make the trip to the shop and actually pick up some comics for once. Or I might sit at home and keep reading whatever I've already got on hand. Hey, it's all comics. More content tomorrow, or whenever. Later.

Army@Love: If only

Some links:

After reading Brian Heater's interview with Nate Powell (part one, part two), I'm really interested in checking out his new book, Swallow Me Whole. I liked Powell's previous work, Please Release, and this one seems like a fascinating exploration of juvenile mental illness. I'll have to try to acquire a copy.

Also, Mark Andrew Smith has posted a fairly lengthy preview of the new volume of The Amazing Joy Buzzards on Myspace. If you've seen me raving about this series before, but have yet to experience it, here's your chance. The new book comes out on November 19!

And while I'm linking to previews, here's a page with a bunch of previews of the stories in the upcoming Liquid City anthology of comics from Southeast Asian creators. Lots of good-looking stuff.

Army@Love, volume 2.0, Generation Pwned
By Rick Veitch (with Gary Erskine)



What with collaborating with Alan Moore, crafting exquisite European-style fantasy and science fiction comics, doing stories that comment on the superhero comics industry, pioneering the field of dream comics, and much more, Rick Veitch has had a long, distinguished career, but he's nowhere near ready to lay down his pencil. With Army@Love, he has created a unique and crazy satire of the war in Iraq, and modern American life in general. When you read it, it's hard to believe the audacity (and believability) of what you're seeing; Veitch has turned a harsh magnifying glass on the superficialities of American culture, and while it's funny stuff, it makes you sick to realize how truthful it is.

In the near future that Veitch posits, military service has been re-branded as "peak life experience", like an extreme sport for the newest generation. The military is sponsored by a variety of corporations, including one "Polka Cola", and they throw regular "Motivation and Morale" retreats, which are basically sex-drenched orgies that get the troops to ignore anything going on above their belts. The culture of marketing has taken over, encouraging soldiers to join the "Hot Zone Club" (by having sex in the middle of a war zone) and treating life and death as mere commodities like anything else. It's pretty ridiculous, over-the-top stuff, and while it's played for laughs, it's scary because it's not that far removed from our current reality.

Veitch populates this scarily plausible setting with a large, thoroughly unsympathetic cast of thrill-seekers, self-promoters, ladder-climbers, schemers, liars, conmen, and just plain unlikable people (there are one or two possible exceptions, but everybody gets a chance to lower themselves). Nobody escapes Veitch's ire, from the high-level officers who worry about their own personal careers more than the good of the country or the men under their command, to the enlisted men and women who have no interest in the good of the country they are occupying outside of how much of it they get to blow up, to the civilians who treat the war zone as just another profit opportunity, importing predatory salesmanship and credit practices to the rest of the world. While it's enjoyable and amusing to watch these despicable specimens screw each other (both literally and figuratively) and pursue their all-too-temporary gratifications, it's also painful, since you see the complete disregard they have for their fellow man.

The question is, does Veitch make his satire too subtle? At times, it seems that the commentary gets buried below the plot and character developments. I would compare it to two other contemporaneous series which address the Iraq War: DMZ and Special Forces. While the former isn't meant to be humorous, it uses a fictional setting to address very real concerns. And while Kyle Baker's series is hilariously funny and full of large-scale, action-movie thrills, it makes a point of commenting on real-world events, refusing to downplay any of the anger at what is happening in the world. Army@Love, on the other hand, seems to lose track of the satire at times, getting caught up in the soap-operatic relationships of its cast and some futuristic science fiction ideas. Of course, that's Veitch's prerogative, but it's a shame to see him back away from such caustic provocation in favor of detailing the exploits of his repulsive characters. Or maybe the satirical edge is dulled by reading the chapters in close succession to each other; in a monthly format, the setting may re-emphasize itself with each installment, rather than settling into the background over the course of a long story.

But whatever the case, Veitch has crafted a compelling world here, and it's an enjoyable read that refuses to ignore the state of the world today and the effects and consequences of our society's current actions. The following panel is a good summary of the book's themes (and the source of the volume's subtitle):



Plus, it's got some really nice artwork, full of sweeping landscapes, urban rubble, unique characters, wild action, copious sex, and just plain craziness:



I highly recommend it, and can't wait to read the follow-up miniseries, Army@Love: The Art of War. Hopefully, Rick Veitch continue to wow us with his storytelling skills and satirical wit for years to come.

Short-Tempered Melancholic: A description of my mental state after reading this

I don't know what that means.

Short-Tempered Melancholic and Other Stories
By Arina Tanemura



Arina Tanemura is apparently incredibly popular, for some reason. Me, I've never been able to get into her stories much, mainly due to the overly-stylized art, with characters sporting eyes that take up about a third of the surface area on their faces. But the kids seem to like her, or at least Viz wants them to, because they've been running excerpts of her various manga series in Shojo Beat every chance they get. So why not give one of her books a try?

This short story collection probably isn't her best material, if only because the limited length doesn't allow much development of characters or themes; instead, we get four stories about girls trying to find a boyfriend. Tanemura does exhibit her flair for likable, high-energy heroines though; each of the protagonists here fits into the mold of the cheerfully flighty and exuberant teenage girl. The love interests aren't quite as interesting; they're all blandly handsome boys who end up falling for the cute heroines. But it's a book for girls, so the boys don't need to be much more than eye candy, do they?

In the first story, which shares its title with the book (although I don't know what that title means, since none of the characters exhibit any short-tempered or melancholy), Kajika is a member of a ninja clan who doesn't do a very good job of keeping her abilities secret, opening her family up to the possibility of an attack from rival families who are trying to steal their secret weapon. But being a teenage girl, she has a crush on the cute Fujisaki, and when he urges her to be more ladylike, she decides to give up her ninja ways. Being a short story, all this happens in the first ten pages, leaving the rest of the story to detail the consequences of her decision. Not to spoil anything, but it turns out that there might be an ulterior motive to getting her to give up ninja-ing. We eventually get some actual fighting, but it's of the silly kind that is resolved in one panel:



This is a shojo manga; it's all about the emotions and whatnot; no time for action! The story is actually two chapters long, so after the initial conflict is resolved, another one arises, in which Kajika's childhood friend Yuga decides to receive ninja training from her grandfather in order to go up against Fujisaki in a battle for Kajika's heart. But will she ever figure out that Yuga likes her? I wonder.

The second story, "This Love Is Nonfiction", uses one of the standard romantic comedy premises (seen in movies such as The Truth about Cats and Dogs), in which a less attractive girl passes off her pretty as herself to a guy she likes but has never seen face-to-face (in this case, he's a pen pal). Karin is the pretty friend (so the script says; she doesn't really seem any more or less attractive than her friend Yuri, outside of her long, flowing hair), and she meets up with Yuri's friend Ryo:



She's supposed to explain the situation, but she ends up going on a date with him and maybe even falling for him, because she's that type of flighty Tanemura character. Yuri chases after them as they hang out in an aquarium, and she keeps bumping into a weird guy wearing glasses and a surgical mask who also seems to be following the pair. Any clue where this is headed yet? Don't worry, there's no yelling or tears; it's going to be a happy ending for all involved.

"Rainy Afternoons Are for Romantic Heroines" is a bit less silly; in fact, it might have the most interesting relationship in the volume (or maybe I'm just saying that because the love interest seems to have actual emotions). Minori keeps "accidentally" forgetting her umbrella so she can get Takato, the boy she likes, to walk her home. He acts grumpy about it, but he still walks with her, and she worries that she's just harassing him. But we see that he still waits for her; maybe he reciprocates her feelings?



There's some goofy plot about a boy that Minori rejected in junior high, and some talk about Takato not believing in love, which causes Minori to swear to "awaken his passion". It's the normal Tanemura stuff, but I did like that central relationship, in which the couple quietly grow closer together.

Finally, there's "The Style of the Second Love", which was Tanemura's first published work. It's about Mana, who secretly likes her best friend Yume's boyfriend, but doesn't want to ruin their relationship. There's also Nakamura, who keeps bugging her, but she finds herself annoyed by him because he's popular with all the girls. Will she ever be able to get over her feelings for the guy who is off-limits, and realize what's right there in front of her face?



This one definitely seems like an earlier work, if only because Tanemura didn't draw eyes quite so gigantic at that point. But otherwise, it's pretty much the same as the others, with silly comedy and simple teenage romance.

So has my opinion on Tanemura changed? Well, I think I can see why she's popular, since she crafts some pretty fun characters and seems to get at the kind of relationships that teenage girls would like, but the appeal seems like it would be limited to those still in that age bracket. Anybody who has matured past that adolescent stage would probably be more interested in something weightier. I think I've also gotten used to Tanemura's art, if only through regular exposure, but I'm still not a fan of the giant eyes; when characters' irises get distorted to a kidney-like shape, that's just freaky, and not at all appealing. But I do see that Tanemura has a skill at goofy comedy, especially of the physical variety, and she comes up with some decent character designs (for the girls at least; they boys all look the same to me).

So I don't think I'm going to convert to Tanemura fandom anytime soon, but I would probably give her stuff a recommendation to teenage girls who want to read some manga. It's the kind of comic that I recognize as not being terrible, but definitely not falling into my area of interest. So interpret that as you like.

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

Dragon Ball: A joke about testicles here would not be inappropriate

God, I'm such a liar. Why do I lie so much? From now on, I'm going to say, "I'll have a review up when it's up, so don't expect it at any specified date. So there!"

But I do have another review of Fantastic Four: True Story #2 up at Comics Bulletin.

And I did want to link to this short comic by Hope Larson and Bryan Lee O'Malley. Enjoy.

Okay:

Dragon Ball, VIZBIG Edition volume 1 (a.k.a volume 1-3)
By Akira Toriyama



I haven't read a whole lot of shonen manga, possibly due to a subconscious condescension toward the genre. It's aimed at little kids; it can't be worth my valuable time! But I do often hear that some shonen series are quite good, so I feel like I should check some out. But then there's the other factor: length. Many of the series are intimidating in scope; series like One Piece, Naruto, or Dragon Ball last for dozens of volumes and would potentially make for months or years of reading. If I start, will I ever be able to finish? And if I'm ever going to try to read some of these, where's the place to begin? If I go with a more off-the-wall series, like, say, Beet the Vandel Buster, will it not be good enough, and thus taint my interest in the entire genre?

Well, why not just jump in to one of the most popular series from a respected creator? Dragon Ball is an incredibly well-liked manga, and Akira Toriyama is somebody who I've really enjoyed in the past, so why not start at the beginning and see how it goes?

While the series as a whole is overwhelmingly long, it's easy to jump right into at the beginning. In short order, we get introduced to Son Goku, a young, monkey-tailed orphan who lives in the wilderness. He's pretty sheltered, so he's pretty surprised when a girl named Bulma shows up and disrupts his life. She's looking for all the "Dragon Balls" in the world, mystical jewels which, when all seven of them are collected, will summon a dragon god who will grant one wish. She already has two of them, and Goku has a third, left to him by his late grandfather. Bulma ends up recruiting Goku to join her on the quest for the Dragon Balls, and they embark on a series of wacky adventures looking for them.

It's pretty enjoyable reading, since Toriyama has built an interesting, unique world, full of futuristic technology, talking animals, mystical creatures, magic, and dinosaurs. And the characters are tons of fun to spend time with; Bulma is faux-sophisticated, but still young and naive, while Goku is so sheltered, he's astonished at everything he sees, including the differences between boys and girls:



He's also incredibly strong, so he ends up in plenty of fights and other adventures. He has a magical extending staff, and in the course of their journeys, he acquires a cloud that he can fly around on, but it only works for those who are pure of heart. He seems to qualify simply due to his ignorance; he's so simple and clueless that it comes across as a complete lack of guile.

Plenty of other characters soon join the fray, including Oolong, a shape-changing pig who is obsessed with girls' pantiesl; Kame-Sen'nin (a.k.a The Turtle Hermit, a.k.a Muten-roshi, a.k.a the Invincible Old Master), a weird, horny old man who is also obsessed with panties; Yamcha, a badass thief with a mastery of martial arts and a deadly fear of girls; and Pilaf, an evil, dictator who is also collecting Dragon Balls. It's constant hilarity, and surprisingly, the Dragon Ball quest reaches its goal before the end of the second volume. I wasn't expecting that; it seems like the sort of story that could be dragged out for several more volumes. Of course, it ends in just about the silliest way possible, leaving the possibility of another quest in a year's time, when the Dragon Balls become eligible for collection again (that's the rules of the game, I guess). In the meantime, Goku decides to go for training with the Invincible Old Master, who, despite his goofy look and complete lack of morals or decency, is the great martial arts master who trained Goku's grandfather.

This training sequence takes up most of the third volume, as Goku is joined by Kuririn, a fellow trainee who is a bit more on the worldly side (he can tell the difference between boys and girls, for one). After a lengthy qualifying feat that sees a new member join the cast (Lunch, a girl who changes personalities from sweet and nice to mean and violent whenever she sneezes), they end up going through an over-the-top, cartoonish version of the training sequences in martial arts films. The Turtle Master has them run all over the place delivering milk, plow large fields with their bare hands, swim through shark-infested waters, and dodge a swarm of bees while tethered to a tree. Amusingly, he says that while they might already be skilled, the goal is to "break the wall of humanity" and achieve superhuman abilities. Hey, sounds logical to me.

After eight months of training, they end up entering the Tenka'ichi Budokai, a martial-arts tournament that will determine "the strongest under the heavens". When they get there, they discover that all the training has given them amazing speed and strength. While they worry that they might not be able to compete against the hundreds of other contestants, they both easily make it to the finals, which will mostly take place in the next volumes, seeing them compete against a variety of strange characters, which include a dinosaur, a powerful old man, a sexy girl, and a disgusting fat guy who fights with the power of his stench. It should be incredibly fun to see it play out.

So, it's a hell of an enjoyable story, due to Toriyama's skill at setting up fun situations and populating his crazy world with quirky characters. Being a story aimed at the younger crowd, it's chock full of bathroom/anatomy humor, with joke after joke about butts, boobs, wee-wees, poop, panties, and so on. It seems a bit weird, considering the difference in cultural appropriateness between Japan and the U.S., but it's still quite funny; Toriyama has a great sense of timing:



He's also good at upending expectations; when the evil Pilaf captures Goku, Bulma, and Oolong, he grabs Bulma, intending to torture her to get her to reveal the location of a hidden Dragon Ball, the most degrading act of torture he can think of is this:



He also pulls off some nice wordplay (probably more so than we realize, considering how difficult it is to translate a lot of Japanese puns; the translators should be commended for what does come through). Pilaf makes for an especially rich source of comedy; he and his cohorts are known as the Reich Pilaf, and he's constantly using phrases like "order of Pilaf", "side of Pilaf", and so on. I don't know, it's silly, but it cracks me up.

And the action! Considering that there are still a few dozen volumes of constantly-escalating stakes to go, the fighting here is already pretty exciting, with Goku seeming near-invincible. Toriyama has such a dynamic style, it's super-fun to watch people get beat up:



Like the rest of the story, I can't wait to see what he comes up with next.

I should also mention that the series is apparently based on Journey to the West, a classic of Chinese literature. I'm not especially familiar with the story, and I'm not sure how exactly this series maps onto it, although I'm pretty certain Goku is the Monkey King, and Oolong is Zhū Bājiè (a.k.a "Pig"). Perhaps the rest of the connections are yet to come.

So I'm certainly glad I gave this story a shot, because I think I've quickly become an addict. Toriyama has a skill at crafting page-turning stories that make you highly excited to find out what will happen next. It's ridiculous; this is kids' stuff, but I can't tear myself away. I'm going to have to keep reading and see where it goes. I don't think I have any other choice.

This review was based on a complimentary copy provided by the publisher.
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Bonus self-referential humor!



Man, I guess I'll need to read Dr. Slump sometime as well.

This week, we've got something or other showing up

Nothing new to say here?

New comics this week (Wednesday, 8/27/08):

DMZ #34

This issue finishes the current storyline, "Blood in the Game". I only just picked up the collection of the previous arc, but the sooner this one comes out, the better. It's been too long since I've read this book.

Doktor Sleepless #8

I had been enjoying this series well enough, but it didn't survive the culling of my pull list. Still, I believe the previous issue ended with a "to be concluded" caption, so maybe this finishes a story arc or something? I don't think the series is ending or anything...

Fantastic Four: True Story #2

More of the FF battling monsters in the world of fiction. I should have a review up tomorrow at Comics Bulletin.

Final Crisis Superman Beyond #1

It's a spinoff of the regular Final Crisis series, starring Superman as he adventures through the multiverse, or something. I wouldn't normally care about this sort of thing, but it's actually written by Grant Morrison, so it will probably be pretty good. Art is by Doug Mahnke, so it will look nice as well, and there's even a 3-D section, which I imagine Morrison will make interesting. Definitely worth a look.

Freedom Formula #2

I only just reviewed the first issue of this futuristic robot-racing series, and here's part two already. Check it out, maybe?

Guerillas #1

I guess monkeys and gorillas are the new zombies. This silly-looking series is about a troop of specially-trained monkey soldiers in Vietnam. Cute concept, I guess, but is there more to it than the pun of the title?

Haunt of Horror Lovecraft #3

The final issue of Richard Corben's Lovecraft adaptations. This one includes "Facts Concerning the Late Arthur Jermyn and His Family", "The Well", and "The Window". Probably good.

Jack of Fables #25

I also dropped this book, but I'll miss it. This issue starts a new storyline involving Humpty Dumpty and Robin Page, I think. Maybe I'll get the trade.

Newuniversal Conqueror

Another spinoff of Warren Ellis' main series, this one tells the story of the 5,000-year-old remains that the archaeologist characters were investigating. It's written by Simon Spurrier (Gutsville), with art by Eric Nguyen. Worth a look, I would say.

Northlanders #9

It's the beginning of a new story arc on Brian Wood's Viking series. This one is about the first Viking attack on England, at a monastery in Lindisfarne. Art by Dean Ormston. I'll probably try to get the trade.

Pax Romana #3

Wow, Jonathan Hickman takes his sweet time getting his books out, doesn't he? I figured I could keep picking up this series, since who knows how long it will be between issues. The problem is, I don't remember what was happening last time. The time-travelers were starting a new government in the Roman Empire, I think. Let's hope I can figure it out. I guess the lesson here is, wait for the trade if you want to be able to follow the story.

Runaways #1

Oh, boy, I've been dreading this. It's the new volume of the series, by Terry Moore and Humberto Ramos. Having read this issue, I'm sorry to say that it's not very good. Moore doesn't have a very good grasp of the characters, making them all seem like interchangeable teenagers, and Ramos' art is frenetic and not very appealing. Maybe some will be able to tolerate it, but as a fan of the series (even through Joss Whedon's short tenure), I wouldn't recommend it.

Al Jaffee Tall Tales TPB

A collection of newspaper strips from the artist who was (is?) more well-known for the fold-ins in Mad Magazine. The strip ran from 1957-1963, and it was vertically oriented. This book collects 120 of them, with an introduction from Stephen Colbert. Sounds neat.

All Star Superman Vol 1 TPB

I was just talking with a friend who was waiting for a softcover version of this volume to come out so he could buy it, and lo and behold, here it is. The first six issues of the excellent series by Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely, featuring what might be my favorite single issue: the Clark Kent/Lex Luthor prison chapter. That one was great. Really, read this if you haven't; it's some damn good comics. And it's only $12.99!

Americas Best Comics Primer TP

It's strange that DC is putting out this $4.99 collection of the first issues of Tom Strong, Top Ten, Promethea, Tomorrow Stories, and Tom Strong's Terrific Tales, since the ship has pretty much sailed on this imprint (although Zander Cannon and Gene Ha do have a new Top Ten miniseries coming out soon). Maybe it's just to promote sales of the various collections. Oh well, it's cheap, and it's all pretty good stuff, so I would recommend checking it out if you've never read any of it.

Barb Wire Omnibus Vol 1 TP

So, was this series any good? I never read any of it, and I'm probably more familiar with the Pamela Anderson movie, although I've never seen that either. Not that I'm planning to buy it either way, but does anyone have any fond memories of the series, or was it just another 90s "bad girl" series?

Ben Templesmiths Art Of Wormwood Gentleman Corpse SC

I like what I've read of this series, and I do hope to catch up on the rest of it as soon as I can, but I don't know if it warrants an art book. But, hey, Ben Templesmith is a damn good artist, and it's probably cool to check out his sketches and whatnot, so go for it, if you can afford it.

Daredevil by Bendis Omnibus Vol 1 HC

If you want, here's your chance to spend $100 to get a big book of Bendis. This collects everything he did on the title up through #60, including #16-19, which were illustrated by David Mack (and are quite good, from what I remember). It's pretty decent crime/superhero comics, so hey, why not check it out if you haven't read it?

Foundation TPB

This Boom! Studios series about some sort of conspiracy based on the prophecies of Nostradamus looks interesting. Maybe I'll check it out sometime.

JLA Deluxe Edition Vol 1 HC

Another expensive edition of well-regarded comics, this is the first volume of a collection of Grant Morrison's run on the title. $30 gets you the first nine issues, plus the story from Secret Files and Origins. I did enjoy this series, but it's been a while since I read it, and recent discussion has made me think that maybe I should go back and see how well it holds up. Luckily, I have all the issues, so I don't need to shell out the high price for this version.

Metal Men HC

This recent miniseries from Duncan Rouleau looked pretty good, throwing in some wild science fiction concepts to the silly "shape-changing robots" stories. Here's an expensive version of the collection, so maybe I'll get to read it soon.

Strange Embrace Vol 1 HC

So, is this horror series from David Hine any good? It looks kind of creepily cool, but I really haven't heard much about it. Is it worth a look?

Warren Ellis Scars New Printing TPB

Speaking of horror, here's a new version of Warren Ellis and Jacen Burrows' more-realistic horror series, based on the horrible stuff that homicide detectives sometimes witness. I haven't read it, but I've been wanting to check it out. Now's my chance, I guess.

Wolverine Logan Premiere HC Color

Ah, here's the color version of the Brian K. Vaughan/Eduardo Risso book. It's weird that they would put out the two different versions on separate weeks. Ah well, check it out if you like.

Young Inhumans

I think this was the version of the series from Marvel's failed "Tsunami" imprint of a few years ago. It was written by Sean McKeever, which makes me think maybe I should try to check it out, but I know so little about it that I'm not really planning to rush out and buy it or anything. Can anybody tell me if it's worth reading?

Cross X Break Vol 1 GN

A fairly weak manga selection for the week leads me to point out this odd-sounding series from Go! Comics about a boy who gets sent to study in a dangerous fantasy world or something. Interesting? Lame? Who knows?

Dragon Ball Complete Illustrations HC

Here's one of Viz's only offerings for the week, an artbook from Akira Toriyama, collecting illustrations from his most famous (?) series. Probably quite nice-looking.

Three In Love Vol 1 GN

Another Go! Comics book, with a Ménage à trois twist on the typical shojo love triangle. Weird. Interesting?
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And that's pretty much it for the week. Stay tuned tonight (promises, promises) for another review. It's a good one.