HAUNTED CITY (Comic book review)
This book was a submission, and it’s hard to get a good flavor for a single issue of a comic–particularly when you’re sent only issue #2. But from what I gather, in #1 I missed the exposition of the concept: NYCPD Tom Whalen got shot in the head and now is protecting New York from an Irish death Goddess, a ghost, and various other things that go bump in the night. And merciless criminals who, of course, are as scary as anything supernatural. And we’re in the middle of a race riot in Harlem. And there’s some corrupt cops.
There’s an awful lot going on in Chap Taylor, Peter Johnson, and Michael Ryan’s book, on Aspen Press, not the least of which is the art. Ryan has a wonderful ability to make humans look “real” and “real creepy” at the same time, mostly by spending time on faces. Faces are something too many comic artists ignore or hide in shadow. But there’s very little shadow in Ryan’s work. And yet, he can still do horror. Quite good.
It’s hard to get a sense of the writing from this one issue, particularly because the concept is so rich and the plot develops at a pretty breakneck pace. Not that I’m complaining: You’re pretty much in and running from page one, never slowing down.
BEAR CAVALRY-Maple Trails
Solid indie rock. What does this remind you of? I hear a little bit of Bloc Party in here, but not in a derivative kinda way…
I dig it.
https://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Fplaylists%2F834197 Maple Trails EP by Bear Cavalry
COMIC BOOK NEWS AND HILARITY
They have totally changed the opening to the Walking Dead.
Now, hit the break for lots more foolishness, including the latest on the “real” Batman movie, the status of the Deadpool flick, Green Arrow’s TV show, new Garth Ennis work, and the latest on The Walking Dead.
(more…)
JOE THE BARBARIAN: The Greatest Comics of All Time
In just 8 issues, Joe the Barbarian became one of my favorite comics of all time. In it, Grant Morrison and Sean Murphy weave fantasy and reality in a book about a boy who transports to a dream world—or does he? This is a fairly standard concept–it’s been done famously by Wizard of Oz and Alice in Wonderland—but Morrison uses this “standard” plot device to powerful effect. And the art is nothing short of breathtaking.
Check out this spread:
Morrison is often difficult to read. He can be nonlinear and can expect too much of his readers. But here, he brings us along fast enough that we don’t get bored, but not so fast as to leave us behind. It’s a risk, when dealing with an overused concept, that readers will dismiss the story as something they’ve seen before. Morrison avoids this by bringing in both the familiar (toys come to life, and we see cameos from Transformers to Star Trek) and the new (characters with mythical names and backstories that are only hinted at), proving that he is truly one of the greatest comic book writers of all time.
I bought the hardcover for all the comic fans I know–it’s a true “all ages” book that can be enjoyed by adults and kids without being simplistic for the grown-ups or condescending to the younger ones.
The book may not have sold that well, but for those of us who read it, it left a deep, powerful impression.
