Hey, everyone. "Moriarty" here with some Rumblings From The Lab.
Big-ass comics days mean big-ass carpal tunnel syndrome pains for me. Must... format... giant... articles...
Hi Gang. Andrew from GHMonline.com here with another batch of recommendations for you. Two of these (Deadline from Marvel Comics and League of Extraordinary Gentlemen from DC) actually hit stores this week so arrive early to get your copies.
ALIAS #12
Written by Brian Michael Bendis and Illustrated by Michael Gaydos with David Mack and Mark Bagley
Published by Marvel/MAX Comics
Reviewed by Aaron “Vroom Socko” Button (vroomsocko@hotmail.com)
I’m the first person to admit that I’m writer oriented when it comes to comics. It’s not that I don’t appreciate the work of artists, I do. I just think that good artwork shouldn’t be noticed. As such, I don’t comment much on artists who probably deserve attention. The art on this issue of Alias, however, is just so damn good I can’t help but praise it.
First off is the main storyline by Michael Gaydos. His work here is like a colorful noir, as contradictory as that sounds. The book is, after all, a superhero crime comic, and I can’t imagine it looking any other way. Several friends of mine (@$$holes, the lot of them,) have commented negatively on the amount of empty space on some of his pages. I find it a bit unsettling as well, but I believe that’s the intention. Most of the vaster expanses of white occur in scenes where Jessica discovers confusing or conflicting information. As an emotional tool, this is rather effective.
Second, the journal pages by David Mack. It’s Dave Mack, what more do you need to know? If Marvel decided to publish Rebecca’s journal in its entirety I’d but it in a second.
Finally, there is Mark Bagley’s flashback/dream sequence. I’ve been a fan of Bagley ever since his days on New Warriors, and I’m of the opinion that there’s no greater superhero artist at Marvel today. If you doubt me, take a look at the first Thunderbolts story arc, where he drew every major character at Marvel, as well as several minor ones.
Oh yeah, someone wrote this book too. Some guy named Bendis. Well, if you haven’t read issue #11, feel free to read that one first. This part features Jessica hunting for the source of a rumor about Rebecca, talking to the press, and hearing a lecture from the town priest. Oh, she also gets some nookie.
The problem with reviewing a Bendis book is twofold; his plots are so intricate that even pointing them out is possibly a spoiler, and his dialogue is so quotable that there’s a temptation to fill the review with everything this or that character said. Just trust me when I say that this is a great storyline. If you’re one of THOSE people who dropped the book because the first story arch was too long/convoluted/had too much Cage sex, (you know what I mean you sicko,) then give this new storyline a try. You’ll be glad you did.
DEADLINE #4
Written by Bill Rosemann and illustrated by Guy Davis
Published by Marvel Comics
Reviewed by Andrew Goletz
The first great mini-series of 2002 comes to a satisfying conclusion.
To bring you up to speed, Kat Farrell is a rookie reporter for the Daily Bugle, and she hates “Capes". While real heroes sacrifice their lives to help others, the ‘capes’ dress up in silly costumes and beat the hell out of each other while damaging public property and putting innocents at risk. Kat is stuck on the superhero beat +until she can nail a big story, be proven worthy of greater things and move up the ladder to the Crime Desk. During her routine stories on the superhero set, Kat has uncovered a mystery: someone is killing ‘capes’. What does this have to do with the deceased Judge Michael Hart and the new enigmatic vigilante running around calling himself the Judge? The answers are revealed here.
I was very happy with the way this final issue tied up all of the loose ends and gave readers an even better look inside what makes Kat tick. After a 3rd issue which came close to straying a bit away from the ‘street’ elements of the series, part four comes off very strong and reminds me why I became captivated by the series in the first place.
Kat’s interaction with the cops investigating the break-in to her place, where she is treated as much as a suspect as a victim, is solid. The same goes for the scene in which she starts digging in to the apartment where Judge Hart and his wife were killed. Thanks to the blabbering of a nosey neighbor, Kat is able to piece together the identity of the person who’s been trying to scare her off the ‘cape killing’ story. Instead of just treating the subplot as a cast aside element, we see the results of their discovery through to their conclusion.
While I won’t reveal how it comes together and spoil anything, I will give credit to Rosemann for coming up with an interesting story for one of the older Marvel Universe villains. With the events of Deadline, it appears that this character finally has something worthwhile to do aside from his typical MO, not to mention that there is the possibility of redemption.
My favorite moment of the issue, and perhaps the entire series, concerns a conversation between Kat and Ben Urich. This is a moment that feels like two characters coming alive off the page, a real and honest moment between Kat and Ben. I enjoyed the interaction between these two throughout the miniseries, particularly Kat’s hero worship of Urich, but it all came together for a short, but definitive scene here.
Guy Davis does another amazing job illustrating here. I would have liked to see more of New York in this book, but with the way things turned out here, it’s a small gripe to have. And in many scenes, readers are given some gorgeous shots of the City, whether it’s in the foreground or just a tantalizing shot to fill out the panel in a crowd scene. Davis simply makes more artistic use out of a page than anyone I’ve seen in recent memory.
At the risk of making this come off too much of an op-ed piece, I gotta say that I’ve been disappointed with the sales of this series (along with The Hood and Power Company and Lab Rats). One can argue the critical value of these books, although Deadline has met with overwhelmingly positive reviews, but the fact is that all of these series offered fans what they’ve been complaining about for years: new characters. When fans and critics complain about the fact that publishers keep going back to the well with new Batman or Spider-Man books or ride the nostalgia wave with titles like GI:Joe or Transformers and then (for the most part) ignore titles like the ones mentioned, why shouldn’t publishers just throw up their hands. With Deadline, the creative team offered new characters who weren’t wearing spandex or using superpowers and gave us a strong female lead who wasn’t drawn like a member of the Swedish Bikini Team. Sell outs in stores, positive word of mouth and rave reviews could be enough to ensure that we see a Deadline 2 (the low selling Lab Rats has already been canceled), but it shouldn’t have been up for debate. I can only hope that when the inevitable Trade Paperback hits, some of you remember this and other reviews and check it out. You don’t owe it to the creative teams or publishers, but to yourself.
Rosemann and Davis have combined to tell one of the more impressive stories of the year, along with bringing to readers, a wonderful new female lead and impressive addition to the Marvel Universe staple of characters.
FABLES #3
Written by Bill Willingham and Illustrated by Lan Medina
Published by DC/Vertigo
Reviewed by Aaron Weisbrod
FABLES #3 is a deceptive read.
The first time I read it I was initially disappointed because so much of the issue seemed like flashbacks to scenes from Issues #1 and #2. However, as I sat back and digested what I read in Issue #3 I realized that Bill Willingham, being the sneaky guy that he is, pulled a fast one on me. Although a fair percentage of the book is indeed told using flashback narratives, Willingham included a lot of new material into the flashbacks that readers weren’t privy to the first time around.
Sneaky, sneaky, Mr. Willingham… you almost got away with it.
For those of you who haven’t been reading this series, “getting away with it” is the central theme of this first story-arc. After an evil being known as The Adversary has driven all of the Fables out of the Fable realms they were left with no choice but to try and seamlessly integrate into modern-day New York. Now living in our world and trying not to be noticed by the “mundies” (aka: “The Mundanes”…us normal folk), some of the highest-ranking members of Fabletown’s governing system are trying to solve the murder(?) of Rose Red.
Leading the investigation are Detective Bigby Wolf (who has been able to live amongst the “mundies” through use of a powerful charm spell) and Rose’s sister Snow White, the powerful and business-savvy Deputy Mayor the Fabletown.
Admittedly new to this sort if thing, Bigby has been doing his best to solve the mystery, even though his procedure seems to involve little more than finding possible suspects (including Jack (of beanstalk fame), Bluebeard the Pirate, Prince Charming, the Black Forest Witch, and even Snow White herself) and grilling them about whether or not he/she is the murder. Regardless of this seemingly “unscientific” approach, Bigby claims that he’s figured out most of the major components of the crime and is fairly confident that he can solve the mystery… until some of his suspects start to pursue the mystery on their own.
As I said last month, FABLES is a book that has enormous potential to fail, but thus far it has been hitting on all cylinders. The art is good, the storytelling is clever and well-paced, the characters are believable and likeable, and the mystery is genuinely engaging. Thus far, there’s really nothing to dislike about this book. Even the re-imagining (or is it “stripping-down”?) of the familiar characters of old works better than I could have ever hoped or imagined.
FABLES is one of those rare books that isn’t done justice when you try to explain its concept to your friends. Rather, you simply need to shove the issues at them and insist that they read them for themselves. Only then can the craftsmanship behind this groundbreaking series be truly understood and appreciated.
The hype this book has been receiving over the last three months comes with good reason: it’s a solid mature readers book that “clicks” at every level. Issue #3 serves as a pretty good jumping on point, so if you haven’t explored this series yet due to the scarcity of the first two issues, don’t hesitate to pick-up Issue #3, as it will fill you in on all of the major information you need to know.
Oh yeah… and keep your eye on the pig.
GODDESS (Trade Paperback)
Written by Garth Ennis and Illustrated by Phil Winslade
Published by DC/Vertigo
Reviewed by Aaron Weisbrod
Way back in 1995, before PREACHER was recognized as the modern-day classic it is today, Garth Ennis teamed-up with illustrator Phil Winslade to release an eight-issue mini-series titled GODDESS.
Being somewhat hip on the Garth Ennis tip at the time I picked-up GODDESS issue by issue as it came out. It’s a fun romp about a young woman named Rosie Nolan who has unlimited and uncontrollable powers over nature. In fact, one day while strolling around in the Scottish border country when she suddenly and inexplicably breaks Scotland away from the rest England.
Obviously this little feat does not go unnoticed, and it just so happens that the event was caught on film by a CIA spy satellite. Enter Harry Hooks, a bastardly CIA agent in charge of Project K1732: an under-funded project that is on the lookout for sources of psychic powers that can be harnessed for use by the U.S. military. When Rosie’s feat is caught on tape, Hooks sees an opportunity for power, fortune, and a big-ass promotion. The chase begins.
As Hooks closes in on Rosie a ragtag bunch of early twenty-somethings also get drawn into the upcoming maelstrom. Included are Jeff Harrison (the lonely wanker), Mudhawk (a heavy-metal loving animal-rights activist who’s not above murdering people who endanger animals), and Samantha Flint (his tomboyish ex-girlfriend). Through a series of unrelated but intertwined events they all end-up at Rosie’s house as Hooks and his C.I.A. goons arrive, and a few exploding heads later they are all on the run from the sadistic Hooks.
At around this time Constable George Dixon also becomes involved in the storyline. You see, in an effort to make sure there were no witnesses at the attempted kidnapping, Hooks shot a nearby Constable who arrived at the scene. The now-deceased cop was the partner of Dixon, a complete psychopath (albeit he is of the cool and collected fashion—unlike the manic Hooks) who enlists the aide of two gigantic psychopathic and borderline retarded brothers known as “The Butcher Brothers” to help him hunt down Hooks.
By the second issue all of the players are in place and it’s a globe-hopping adventure as Rosie, Jeff, Mudhawk, and Samantha try to discover the source of Rosie’s powers while simultaneously trying to stay one step ahead of Hooks and his government flunkies, who is unknowingly being pursued by a trio of murderous psychopaths.
Got it? Good.
Although I didn’t realize when it was originally hitting the shelves, GODDESS, much like Ennis’ graphic novella TRUE FAITH, was pretty much a literary predecessor to PREACHER (much like Ayn Rand’s ANTHEM and THE FOUNTAINHEAD were predecessors to ATLAS SHRUGGED and George Orwell’s ANIMAL FARM was a predecessor to 1984). Anyone who has read PREACHER (or PUNISHER, HITMAN, HELLBLAZER, or any of Ennis’ other recent works) will recognize familiar character concepts at play in GODDESS: the hopeless wanker, the rock and roll rebel, the fiercely independent woman, the obsessed general, the Mongoloid killer(s) of below-average intelligence, the cool and collected psychopath, and the protagonist with supernatural powers who is on a quest to find “the meaning of it all.”
Regardless of the familiar plot, GODDESS still serves as an extremely entertaining read. The characters are likeable (or despicable, depending on what they’re supposed to be) the pacing is swift, and the over-the-top humor usually still hits the mark all these years later (even the dated Lobo reference is a hilarious reminder of what a over-glorified parody of himself the character eventually became—a concept he later revisited in the MUST-HAVE one-shot HITMAN VS LOBO).
Furthermore, Winslade’s artwork is absolutely gorgeous. It puts his work on the recent HOWARD THE DUCK mini-series to shame and should make many people out there realize how overused the term “gorgeous outwork” really is. Need proof? Look at the boat scene on p.65 or the two-page spread on p.128-129 for just two (of the numerous) examples. The covers Winslade provided for the mini-series are also top-notch, and they easily hang with those of Tim Bradstreet, Glenn “Inconsistent” Fabry, and Kaare Andrews
I bitched for years about this series not being collected into a TPB (especially considering how may people didn’t know this gem even existed), and I was scared that the finished product would never see the light of day after the horrific events of September 11th (the book contains a scene where Dixon and the Butcher Brothers land a commercial aircraft on a beach filled with civilians—the scene remains in the TPB unaltered). However, the book is now finally here and will be sitting in the “Garth Ennis” section of finer comic stores everywhere.
The $19.95 cover price is pretty darn reasonable considering the high quality of the story and the artwork, and any fans of Ennis’ work would be hard-pressed to find much to complain about in this excellent tale. In fact, I can easily see this book becoming a “sleeper classic” among male and female readers alike now that it’s available in this convenient form. Seven years later, this story still ranks among some of Ennis and Winslade’s top work.
Now if only DC would reprint TROUBLED SOULS…
THE LEAGUE OF EXTRAORDINARY GENTLEMEN: VOLUME TWO #1
Written by Alan Moore and Illustrated by Kevin O’Neill
Published by America’s Best Comics
Reviewed by Aaron Weisbrod
Before I get into the contents of the issue itself, I think it’s worth mentioning that this is the 80th(!!!) book to come out under the ABC banner. With the exception of the six-issue GREYSHIRT mini-series (all of which were written and illustrated by Rick Veitch), the three issues of TOM STRONG’S TERRIFIC TALES (Moore shares writing duties with one or two other writers on this anthology book), THE ABC 64 PAGE GIANT (another anthology title), and the ABC Sketchbook (duh!), every issue under the ABC line has been written exclusively by Alan Moore. Remember that the next time you think that Moore hasn’t been doing very much lately. (And thank Paul Shiple for helping me do the math, if you’re ever unlucky enough to cross paths with him)
Part of the fun of the LoEG titles is the process of discovery you go through as you read each issue, so if you want to delve into this issue completely blind, skip down past the following…
***** SPOILERS ALERT*****
The issue opens on the planet Mars as Gullivar, a man riding a flying carpet, meets with an eighteen feet tall, hooded, four-armed reptilian-looking Martian who is one of the Hither People. After a brief conversation in Martian (sorry, no translations are given) Gullivar goes inside and meets with a human warrior named John. After briefly discussing, among other things, Michael Kane from Negalu and the ancient ruins of Varnal (aka: “The Green City”) the two join the Hither people in a last ditch effort to stop the “Molluscs.”
On their way to the Mollusc fortress they are spotted by a Tripod, and are saved only when the Sorns (incredibly tall humanoids with extremely long legs) march in and disable the Tripod. With the combined forces of the Hither people and the Sorns, Gullivar and John are able to penetrate the first wall of the Molluscs’ fortress just as they are fleeing Mars in escape pods that are launching into space. It is then, with extreme horror, that John and Gullivar realize that the Molluscs are headed for Earth.
The end of the issue takes place on Earth as the League hastily arrives at the scene of an unusual crash site. The group seems extremely nervous in the few silent panels they are featured in, and not without good cause. After all, Moore himself has stated that the team will not make it intact through this story-arc. Let the speculation begin...
*****END SPOILERS*****
Even though about 1/3 of this issue is written in Martian, the story is already incredibly engaging… albeit Issue #1 is primarily a set-up for the rest of the mini-series. The League’s presence, although somewhat short in this first issue, contains a gravity not felt in even the darkest moments of LoEG: VOLUME ONE, and this only adds to the impending sense of chaos fans of H.G. Wells’ WAR OF THE WORLDS are rightfully expecting as the series goes on.
Although I was never a fan of Kevin O’Neill before LoEG, his artwork on LoEG: VOLUME ONE absolutely blew me away, and his artwork in LoEG: VOLUME TWO is even better. It’s cinematic, stylized, and fits the storytelling like a glove. He’s doing the work of his career on this series, and is also apparently so far ahead of schedule that the book will actually be coming out on a *gasp* monthly basis! Keep your fingers crossed!
Furthermore, each issue of this mini-series will contain text-based chapters of the LoEG “Fieldguide” at the end of each issue (much like the “Allan and the Sundered Veil” text pieces in the back of LoEG: VOLUME ONE—if you never got around to reading it, do so right now for some clues about the events in the LoEG: VOLUMES TWO and THREE). This particular installment of the “Fieldguide” features a prologue that contains information on at least two past incarnations of the League and the various discoveries (ranging from the mythological to the supernatural) they have uncovered throughout the years.
If there’s anyone out there who has been waiting for the TPB to read LoEG: VOLUME ONE (and hey, I don’t necessarily blame you, although the HC format suits this book extremely well…), make sure you pick it up and read it the day it hits the shelf. It easy ranks as one of Moore’s finest works and deserves a place in every comic reader’s library alongside other Alan Moore classics such as WATCHMEN and MIRACLEMAN.
Now, as an extra-treat for those of you who have already read LoEG: VOLUME ONE, do yourselves a favor and look-up “LEAUGE OF EXTRAORDINARY GENTLEMEN” on Yahoo (or any other Internet search engine, I suppose). In doing so you should come across a website that has compiled a panel-by-panel(!) appendix for the whole first series. It’s fascinating stuff that exposes the thousands of “Easter Eggs” present in VOLUME ONE. (I’ll post the exact website in the “Talkback” forum once I can get to it and make sure it still works.) Here’s to hoping the website’s author compiles a similar appendix for LoEG: VOLUME TWO, since my knowledge of pulp novel Martian stories isn’t nearly as plentiful as that of my knowledge of classic characters from English and American literature…
NOBLE CAUSES #4
Written by Jay Faerber and illustrated by Patrick Gleason and Sean Clauretie
Published by Image Comics
Reviewed by Andrew Goletz
Like the finale of Deadline, Noble Causes #4 provides a great resolution to what is now the first mini-series from Jay Faerber and Image Comics. It’s a question of sales and because of the sometimes fickle market, the creator believes Noble Causes stands a better chance at longevity by going the ‘series of mini-series’ route. The benefit being that every few months there will be a new number one and offer great chance of the title being discovered by readers. Whatever works. They could make it a series of monthly one-shots and I’d support the idea because the more people that find this book, the better.
For those unfamiliar with the book, think Fantastic Four with a larger, more dysfunctional family. The Noble family are as concerned with looking good to their fans and maintaining a good public image as they are saving the world. In fact, not much world saving or superhero slugfests occur at all. In this first arc, we’re introduced to the major players. There’s Doc Noble, the father and inventor. Gaia is Doc’s wife who controls the elements and may have had a fling or two. The three Noble children are Race (the good son), Zephyr (the only daughter with power over the wind) and Rusty (the oldest son who had his brain encased inside a robot body following a near deadly battle). There’s also Celeste (Rusty’s wife who may or may not really love him), Frost (the rumored illegitimate son of Gaia) and Liz (Race’s new bride).
In the very first issue of this series, Race was murdered by an unknown assailant, leaving Liz a fish out of water in a very strange pond. Not only was she now a part of this superhuman family, subject to media scrutiny reserved typically for musicians and movie stars, but she was going to do it alone. Much of the enjoyment I got out of the series has been in seeing the Nobles through her eyes. Liz wasn’t rich, famous or powerful before she met Race, so there is a sudden jarring affect that the sudden lifestyle change has on her. Not to mention the fact that she’s been put in the middle of this family with all of their bickering and doesn’t have Race to lean on anymore.
In the previous issue, we learned that Zephyr, who was hospitalized after an attack by an unknown assailant, was pregnant. The mystery of her unborn child’s father would continue through this issue, but the main story was the revelation of the person or persons who killed Race, attacked Zephyr and nearly murdered Rusty.
Doc Noble awakens, dazed but strangely familiar with his surroundings. He is both relieved and alarmed as he realizes the type of situation he’s in. Again, I can’t go too much into the plot without spoiling pretty much the entire story. Even the backup story in this issue concerns how the mystery person(s) set their targets on the Noble family and offered some much needed information in the way of explanation. For once, a backup story added to the overall enjoyment of the issue instead of detracting from it.
I was very pleased with the revelation of the family’s mysterious assailant and thought that the rational behind it was extremely fitting and believable in the context of the story. Too often, writers try and force-feed the readers the identity and motives behind mysterious masterminds, etc. Faerber is able to weave a fun mystery that doesn’t go on for too long and then ties it up in a way where several plotlines are resolved at once.
Of course, still other questions remain, like who are Frost’s parents and what is his real relationship to the Noble family. There’s also the mystery of who the father of Zephry’s baby is. The nice thing about this series is that while several different subplots run concurrently, none get in the way of the main story (that is until Faerber decides their warrant top billing). A and B don’t lead to C in Noble Causes but it’s fun to see how A meets D while B and C are just starting to boil.
You could do worse than check out the Griffin Nominated series from Image Comics. Noble Causes resumes in October with a brand new cover artist (Michael Avon Oeming) and new number one. So look for Noble Causes: Family Secrets this Fall.
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