Whatcha Readin'? 12/22/05
Dec. 22nd, 2005 01:40 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
jkcarrier
Most of this stuff is left over from Mid-Ohio Con. Still got a stack of minicomics to get through.
CONVERSATION #2
Jeffrey Brown & James Kochalka
B&W minicomic w/color cover, 48 pages for $4.95
http://www.topshelfcomix.com/
Brown and Kochalka each draw themselves as they debate the meaning of comics, art, and life in general. Alternately pretentious and silly, as they make various pompous statements, then berate themselves for thinking too much. It's actually a lot funnier than it sounds, and the art is great -- lots of clever visual bits that underscore or undermine the dialogue (I especially like Brown's Giant Hands Of Doom). A lot more polished than your typical "jam comic", and some good food for thought.
"Talk to the mop! The mop doesn't care about your excuses!"
SMALL FEATHER BAT
Pam Bliss
B&W minicomic on orange paper, 8 pages for 50ยข
http://www.paradisevalleycomics.com/
Originally done as a Halloween give-away. Gideon Lykander is working late in the library, and gets a spooky surprise. This is very cute, and typical of Pam's whimsical sense of humor. Gideon is an atypically fastidious werewolf, carefully undressing as he undergoes his big transformation (hence we get the amusing sight of a half-man, half-wolf in boxer shorts). As Halloween treats go, it sure beats another pack of SweeTarts or Pixie Stix.
"Even for a librarian, Gideon is a strange one."
BLINK: UP LEAVES FALL DOWN
Max Ink
B&W digest comic on gold paper, 20 pages for $3.00
http://www.coldcut.com/
Two young women, Blink and Sam, hang out and make small talk. There's no big melodrama or over-arching plot here, just a couple of short, gently humorous vignettes. In one story, the two girls reminisce about childhood, and their different attitudes towards it. In the other, they verbally clash over the completion of a crossword puzzle. The dialogue quickly establishes the different personalities at play, and by the end it's like you're having a conversation with two old friends. The art is really beautiful, combining cartoony figures with a meticulous pen-and-ink style, somewhat in the vein of Dave Sim. I enjoyed this a lot.
"I was surprised. He can dance pretty good, for an old hippie."
SUPER F*CKERS #273
James Kochalka
Color mid-size comic, 24 pages for $5.00
http://www.topshelfcomix.com/
A pretty effective parody of the typical angsty teen superhero team. In Kochalka's version, the teens are all self-involved slacker assholes, sort of like "X-Statix" turned up to 11. The heroes spend all their time hitting on each other, hazing the newbies, getting stoned, and generally screwing around. Things take a slightly more serious turn (but not really) when a couple of members are stuck in a hostile dimension, while another one gets shot. Plus another one suddenly has an epiphany and converts to Christianity, which is something you don't see too often in Teen Titans. Goofing on superheroes at this point is pretty much shooting fish in a barrel, but it's funny nonetheless.
"Damn, Percy! You complain about everything!"
HONOR BRIGADE #1
Tom Stillwell & Bradley Bowers
B&W full-size comic w/ color cover, 24 pages for $2.95
http://www.honorbrigadecomic.com/
A wisecracking superhero named Toy Boy breaks into a factory and scuffles with a security guard. We learn that Toy Boy has an unspecified beef with the building's owner, a sinister corporate type named Conroy. This could turn into something interesting, but the first issue is so slight that it's hard to get involved with the story. The art is solid enough, but the layouts -- many of the pages have only 2 or 3 panels, with not a lot going on in them -- just add to the empty, underdeveloped feel. Hopefully the pace will pick up in future issues, and we'll see more of the team in action (the book comes with a poster showing the entire Honor Brigade team, but only Toy Boy appears in the actual issue).
"Oh, poo. Whatever happened to shoddy American workmanship?"
ADAM STRANGE ARCHIVES VOL. 1
Gardner Fox, Mike Sekowsky, Carmine Infantino & various
Color full-size hardcover, 220 pages for $49.95
http://www.dccomics.com/
Reprints of the classic 1950s space opera. It's a familiar story, in the vein of John Carter or Flash Gordon: Earthman gets transported to a distant world, falls in love with an alien princess, and fights various interplanetary menaces. But Fox and co. pull off the formula with great style. Adam is not your typical two-fisted tough guy, but a thinking man's hero. Each story unfolds like a puzzle that he has to solve (sometimes literally) in order to defeat the bad guy. It's a very accessible fantasy -- you don't have to be a super athlete or an expert marksman to be the Hero of Planet Rann, just reasonably clever. Carmine Infantino is considered the "definitive" Adam Strange artist, but I was pleasantly surprised to see that the early Mike Sekowsky-drawn issues are just as good. Sekowsky is best known for his dependable-but-kinda-stodgy work on Justice League, but here he really cuts loose with gorgeous alien landscapes and well-staged action. Terrific stuff.
"Find the Orkinomikron!"
BIGG TIME
Ty Templeton
B&W full-size softcover w/ color cover, 126 pages for $14.95
http://www.dccomics.com/
Lester Bigg is a weaselly little homeless guy, full of resentment and contempt. Through convoluted (and hilarious) circumstances, he gets to confront his underachieving guardian angel, and forces him to grant Lester's fondest wish -- to be famous. What follows is a wickedly pointed satire of celebrity culture and what some people will do to get a slice of it. Lots of crazy characters and situations careening off each other as the story hurtles forward. There's not a dull moment in it, and plenty of great laughs. Templeton manages a very tricky balancing act -- Lester remains the same small-minded bastard throughout much of the story, but you find yourself rooting for him anyway. And when he does manage to achieve a measure of redemption in the end, it's both satisfying and believeable.
"Nothing gets the public's attention like hookers."
AVENGERS: CELESTIAL MADONNA
Steve Englehart, Roy Thomas, Sal Buscema & various
Color full-size softcover, 224 pages for $19.95
http://www.marvel.com/
A reprint of a pivotal Avengers story-arc from the 1970s. The time-travelling villain Kang arrives in the 20th century on the trail of a prophecy: One of the women living in Avengers' Mansion is destined to become the all-powerful "Celestial Madonna"... and Kang wants a piece of that action. This sprawling, ambitious epic unfolds in classic Marvel style -- plenty of action, soap-opera melodrama, crazy time-paradoxes, and lots of references to previous storylines (all meticulously footnoted, natch). There's a lot of exposition here, as Englehart tackles the "secret origins" of the Vision and Mantis, with a history of the alien Kree tossed in for good measure. But the stories are so jam-packed, and the pace is so relentless, you never have a chance to get bored. The art is solid, if not spectacular, for the most part (the couple of chapters by then-newcomer Dave Cockrum are stand-outs). I'm a little disappointed at the perfunctory packaging, though. An introduction to put these stories into a historical context would've been nice. The coloring looks like it was based on the original issues -- which would be ok, but they duplicated all the original errors as well (like the miscoloring of the Kree). Even the cover is just a bland shot of Mantis lifted from one of the interior panels. I think the material deserves a little better presentation.
"As for you, my dark-tressed one... I leave you with the words of an obscure poet, all but forgotten in Kang's 40th century: 'To thine own self be true!'"
TRUE PORN VOL.1
Kelli Nelson, Robyn Champman & various
B&W full-size softcover w/color cover, 224 pages for $14.95
http://www.trueporncomic.com/
An anthology of autobiographical stories, all involving sex. Despite the title, most of them aren't all that "sexy" -- the creators are examining sex as a phenomenon, not trying to create an erotic thrill. There's an interesting range of approaches here: some stories are confessional ("Oh God, I'm so screwed up!"), some are observational ("Wow, people are strange!"), and a few are even boastful ("Whee! Look at this great sex I'm having!"). The artwork likewise covers a broad range, from realistic to cartoony to downright abstract. Some of the material here may disturb you, but on the other hand it may reassure you that you're not as weird as you thought!
"So, what are we doing for dinner?"
SHOWCASE PRESENTS SUPERMAN VOL. 1
Otto Binder, Wayne Boring & various
B&W full-size softcover w/color cover, 560 pages for $9.99
http://www.dccomics.com/
A collection of Superman stories from the 1950s. These little 8-to-12 page gems are perfect "popcorn" reading: light, fluffy, and addictive. The stories are highly formulaic (90% of them involve Superman staging some elaborate hoax to entrap a criminal), but full of crazy ideas and naive charm. A lot of enduring characters and concepts were introduced in this era: Supergirl, Brainiac, Metallo, Bizarro, the Fortress of Solitude, Kandor, etc. The writers were clearly wracking their brains to come up with ways to challenge their essentially indestructable, unbeatable hero; the solutions they come up with are pretty clever (if totally outlandish). These stories are pure fun, slickly illustrated by the likes of Wayne Boring, Kurt Schaffenberger, and Curt Swan. The overly-Photoshopped cover looks like shit, but the interior reproduction is excellent. And you sure can't beat the price.
"It's ironic! Luthor, the Kryptonite Man didn't get me... but his Kryptonite Monkey will!"
CONVERSATION #2
Jeffrey Brown & James Kochalka
B&W minicomic w/color cover, 48 pages for $4.95
http://www.topshelfcomix.com/
Brown and Kochalka each draw themselves as they debate the meaning of comics, art, and life in general. Alternately pretentious and silly, as they make various pompous statements, then berate themselves for thinking too much. It's actually a lot funnier than it sounds, and the art is great -- lots of clever visual bits that underscore or undermine the dialogue (I especially like Brown's Giant Hands Of Doom). A lot more polished than your typical "jam comic", and some good food for thought.
"Talk to the mop! The mop doesn't care about your excuses!"
SMALL FEATHER BAT
Pam Bliss
B&W minicomic on orange paper, 8 pages for 50ยข
http://www.paradisevalleycomics.com/
Originally done as a Halloween give-away. Gideon Lykander is working late in the library, and gets a spooky surprise. This is very cute, and typical of Pam's whimsical sense of humor. Gideon is an atypically fastidious werewolf, carefully undressing as he undergoes his big transformation (hence we get the amusing sight of a half-man, half-wolf in boxer shorts). As Halloween treats go, it sure beats another pack of SweeTarts or Pixie Stix.
"Even for a librarian, Gideon is a strange one."
BLINK: UP LEAVES FALL DOWN
Max Ink
B&W digest comic on gold paper, 20 pages for $3.00
http://www.coldcut.com/
Two young women, Blink and Sam, hang out and make small talk. There's no big melodrama or over-arching plot here, just a couple of short, gently humorous vignettes. In one story, the two girls reminisce about childhood, and their different attitudes towards it. In the other, they verbally clash over the completion of a crossword puzzle. The dialogue quickly establishes the different personalities at play, and by the end it's like you're having a conversation with two old friends. The art is really beautiful, combining cartoony figures with a meticulous pen-and-ink style, somewhat in the vein of Dave Sim. I enjoyed this a lot.
"I was surprised. He can dance pretty good, for an old hippie."
SUPER F*CKERS #273
James Kochalka
Color mid-size comic, 24 pages for $5.00
http://www.topshelfcomix.com/
A pretty effective parody of the typical angsty teen superhero team. In Kochalka's version, the teens are all self-involved slacker assholes, sort of like "X-Statix" turned up to 11. The heroes spend all their time hitting on each other, hazing the newbies, getting stoned, and generally screwing around. Things take a slightly more serious turn (but not really) when a couple of members are stuck in a hostile dimension, while another one gets shot. Plus another one suddenly has an epiphany and converts to Christianity, which is something you don't see too often in Teen Titans. Goofing on superheroes at this point is pretty much shooting fish in a barrel, but it's funny nonetheless.
"Damn, Percy! You complain about everything!"
HONOR BRIGADE #1
Tom Stillwell & Bradley Bowers
B&W full-size comic w/ color cover, 24 pages for $2.95
http://www.honorbrigadecomic.com/
A wisecracking superhero named Toy Boy breaks into a factory and scuffles with a security guard. We learn that Toy Boy has an unspecified beef with the building's owner, a sinister corporate type named Conroy. This could turn into something interesting, but the first issue is so slight that it's hard to get involved with the story. The art is solid enough, but the layouts -- many of the pages have only 2 or 3 panels, with not a lot going on in them -- just add to the empty, underdeveloped feel. Hopefully the pace will pick up in future issues, and we'll see more of the team in action (the book comes with a poster showing the entire Honor Brigade team, but only Toy Boy appears in the actual issue).
"Oh, poo. Whatever happened to shoddy American workmanship?"
ADAM STRANGE ARCHIVES VOL. 1
Gardner Fox, Mike Sekowsky, Carmine Infantino & various
Color full-size hardcover, 220 pages for $49.95
http://www.dccomics.com/
Reprints of the classic 1950s space opera. It's a familiar story, in the vein of John Carter or Flash Gordon: Earthman gets transported to a distant world, falls in love with an alien princess, and fights various interplanetary menaces. But Fox and co. pull off the formula with great style. Adam is not your typical two-fisted tough guy, but a thinking man's hero. Each story unfolds like a puzzle that he has to solve (sometimes literally) in order to defeat the bad guy. It's a very accessible fantasy -- you don't have to be a super athlete or an expert marksman to be the Hero of Planet Rann, just reasonably clever. Carmine Infantino is considered the "definitive" Adam Strange artist, but I was pleasantly surprised to see that the early Mike Sekowsky-drawn issues are just as good. Sekowsky is best known for his dependable-but-kinda-stodgy work on Justice League, but here he really cuts loose with gorgeous alien landscapes and well-staged action. Terrific stuff.
"Find the Orkinomikron!"
BIGG TIME
Ty Templeton
B&W full-size softcover w/ color cover, 126 pages for $14.95
http://www.dccomics.com/
Lester Bigg is a weaselly little homeless guy, full of resentment and contempt. Through convoluted (and hilarious) circumstances, he gets to confront his underachieving guardian angel, and forces him to grant Lester's fondest wish -- to be famous. What follows is a wickedly pointed satire of celebrity culture and what some people will do to get a slice of it. Lots of crazy characters and situations careening off each other as the story hurtles forward. There's not a dull moment in it, and plenty of great laughs. Templeton manages a very tricky balancing act -- Lester remains the same small-minded bastard throughout much of the story, but you find yourself rooting for him anyway. And when he does manage to achieve a measure of redemption in the end, it's both satisfying and believeable.
"Nothing gets the public's attention like hookers."
AVENGERS: CELESTIAL MADONNA
Steve Englehart, Roy Thomas, Sal Buscema & various
Color full-size softcover, 224 pages for $19.95
http://www.marvel.com/
A reprint of a pivotal Avengers story-arc from the 1970s. The time-travelling villain Kang arrives in the 20th century on the trail of a prophecy: One of the women living in Avengers' Mansion is destined to become the all-powerful "Celestial Madonna"... and Kang wants a piece of that action. This sprawling, ambitious epic unfolds in classic Marvel style -- plenty of action, soap-opera melodrama, crazy time-paradoxes, and lots of references to previous storylines (all meticulously footnoted, natch). There's a lot of exposition here, as Englehart tackles the "secret origins" of the Vision and Mantis, with a history of the alien Kree tossed in for good measure. But the stories are so jam-packed, and the pace is so relentless, you never have a chance to get bored. The art is solid, if not spectacular, for the most part (the couple of chapters by then-newcomer Dave Cockrum are stand-outs). I'm a little disappointed at the perfunctory packaging, though. An introduction to put these stories into a historical context would've been nice. The coloring looks like it was based on the original issues -- which would be ok, but they duplicated all the original errors as well (like the miscoloring of the Kree). Even the cover is just a bland shot of Mantis lifted from one of the interior panels. I think the material deserves a little better presentation.
"As for you, my dark-tressed one... I leave you with the words of an obscure poet, all but forgotten in Kang's 40th century: 'To thine own self be true!'"
TRUE PORN VOL.1
Kelli Nelson, Robyn Champman & various
B&W full-size softcover w/color cover, 224 pages for $14.95
http://www.trueporncomic.com/
An anthology of autobiographical stories, all involving sex. Despite the title, most of them aren't all that "sexy" -- the creators are examining sex as a phenomenon, not trying to create an erotic thrill. There's an interesting range of approaches here: some stories are confessional ("Oh God, I'm so screwed up!"), some are observational ("Wow, people are strange!"), and a few are even boastful ("Whee! Look at this great sex I'm having!"). The artwork likewise covers a broad range, from realistic to cartoony to downright abstract. Some of the material here may disturb you, but on the other hand it may reassure you that you're not as weird as you thought!
"So, what are we doing for dinner?"
SHOWCASE PRESENTS SUPERMAN VOL. 1
Otto Binder, Wayne Boring & various
B&W full-size softcover w/color cover, 560 pages for $9.99
http://www.dccomics.com/
A collection of Superman stories from the 1950s. These little 8-to-12 page gems are perfect "popcorn" reading: light, fluffy, and addictive. The stories are highly formulaic (90% of them involve Superman staging some elaborate hoax to entrap a criminal), but full of crazy ideas and naive charm. A lot of enduring characters and concepts were introduced in this era: Supergirl, Brainiac, Metallo, Bizarro, the Fortress of Solitude, Kandor, etc. The writers were clearly wracking their brains to come up with ways to challenge their essentially indestructable, unbeatable hero; the solutions they come up with are pretty clever (if totally outlandish). These stories are pure fun, slickly illustrated by the likes of Wayne Boring, Kurt Schaffenberger, and Curt Swan. The overly-Photoshopped cover looks like shit, but the interior reproduction is excellent. And you sure can't beat the price.
"It's ironic! Luthor, the Kryptonite Man didn't get me... but his Kryptonite Monkey will!"
