We’re an unabashed local fan of Comic Gong, which is heading into its third year with the announcement of 2015 dates and arrangements.
The date is set down for Saturday 16th May from 10am to 4pm, and the call has gone out for exhibitors who are interested in setting up.
All the details are here, so get in quick as exhibitor expressions of interest close on 30th November.
This series, designed to introduce us to some of the many and varied other inhabitants of the Spider-Verse has been one of the biggest and most pleasant surprises to come out of The House of Ideas this year. The main thrust of this five issue series consists of five one-off stories that get our collective reading appetite primed for the big upcoming Spider-Verse event that is to feature these obscure Spider-Men and Women as well as countless others.
However, the series has ended up being much more than the sum of its parts. One of the biggest developments to come out of the series is of course the inclusion of Spider Gwen in the Marvel Universe proper but for me that was secondary to just how good each of these single narratives really were. These stories were diverse in content, tone and style of execution, the one thing they all shared was dynamic storytelling. As good as each of these issues were, it appears that they saved the best for last.
The final issue is written by former My Chemical Romance front man Gerard Way. This is Way’s Marvel debut but he has co-created the brilliant Umbrella Academy series as well as The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys for Dark Horse. There is a significant anime influence to Way’s work and that is definitely apparent here as he introduces the young heroine Peni Parker, daughter of the late Peter Parker and genetic heir to SP//dr, a symbiotic combination of an Iron Man-like suit of hi-tech armor and arachnid companion. Way and artist Jake Wyatt present a completely fresh and inventive re-imagining of the Spider-Man mythology; there is just enough of the familiar to provide a connection but from there it is certainly not the same old “friendly neighborhood Spider-Man”. Given the limitations of a single issue, Way does a fantastic job of creating fully actualised characters. Sure, we don’t get the luxury of a meticulously detailed back story, but we do get a sense that these characters have some extensive roots in this universe. Take Way’s clever slant on Mysterio – it’s the perfect melding of science fiction and comic book villain but something more than merely an amalgam of the two genres. The same applies to the writer’s take on the extra-dimensional doppelgänger of Daredevil.
These previously unseen versions of characters we have known our whole comic book reading lives serve as anchors that keep this entirely new universe from feeling alien to us. It’s more like seeing a person we love with a completely different hairstyle; all the things we love about them are still there beneath the newly styled coif. Way very accurately captures the feeling and tonal quality of a Spider-Man story right down to the subtle nuances; the quirky sense of humor, the high ideals, especially the “great responsibility that comes with great power”. It’s all there, transcending time, dimension and universe.
Way enters the Marvel Universe like a brilliant, blazing shooting star. This story is engrossing, entertaining and refreshingly dynamic. The only complaint I have is that it is only one issue. I hope that Marvel gives Way another assignment sooner than later. He brings a degree of edginess and, God forgive me for saying this, a certain hipness that is not easy to find. Way is cool without being pretentious possessing an obvious love and respect for the medium of comic books. Much of his intelligent use of metaphor and penchant for obscure references as found in Way’s lyrics, are likewise evident in his scripts.
Jake Wyatt’s art is as unique and brilliant as Way’s writing. He has a style that readily lends itself to Way’s anime infused imagery and brings these images electrically to life. The artist incorporates Peni’s personality with SP//dr extremely effectively, particularly in one panel where we see that the young protagonist has put Hello Kitty-type stickers on the actual armor providing a touching and humorous juxtaposition between the menacing look of SP//dr and the diminutive girl who pilots the heroic symbiotic robot. Wyatt’s art is dynamic and his approach to storytelling is energetic, fueled by his unique use of panel placement and vivacious page composition.
The final Edge of Spider-Verse installment will definitely leave you wanting more. Marvel showed extremely shrewd judgment by closing the series with Way and Wyatt’s electrifying issue. It has all the action, excitement and razor sharp humor that we have come to expect from a Spider-Man related title. I would love to see these two creators return to these characters, this time for an extended stay. Until then I’m sure they will turn up in the big event along with a multitudinous amount of other Spider-Beings like Miguel O’Hara and Peter Parker but I for one will be looking forward to being reunited with Peni Parker and SP//dr. (5/5)
There are a lot of comics that come out each week, and I never seem to be able to cover all the ones that I want to. So from now on I will be doing a weekly round-up, where I take three of my favourite comics for the week, and one I don’t particularly like, and give you a short reason why. I still plan to write about some bigger events by themselves, but single issues that I enjoy will go here. So without further ado, here is my picks for the week of 8/09/2014!
Four issue in, and Southern Bastards is easily within my top five favourite comics right now. It tells the story of Earl Tubbs, a man returning to his childhood home of Craw County, deep in the American south. Coming back to clean up his childhood home, Earl is confronted by the memory of his father, a small town sheriff who administered his justice with a thick tree branch. Craw County has changed since his fathers death forty years prior, now being run by the corrupt coach of the local football team, and Earl is forced to become the man he never wanted to be.
The thing about Southern Bastards is that it is so much more than that description. Both a meditation on masculinity and violence, as well as living under the shadow of a father who was almost larger than life, Earl Tubb’s tale is a somber and depressing look at the sins of a father, and a town that has given up on being anything but complacent with its criminal underbelly. #4 brings all these themes to a head, as the fallout of the last issue has forced Earl to rethink his place in Craw County, both as a citizen and as the son of a violent man, as he confronts Coach Boss. This issue is easily the most action packed so far, bringing Earl right to Coach Boss’ doorstep – with unexpected consequences.
Aaron should be commended for committing to the world he has created. Any lesser writer would not have headed in the direction he has decided, but Aaron has gone right down the rabbit hole without so much as a stop to take a breath this issue, and by doing so has laid down the rules for the future of this series: anything can, and will, happen.
But this series would not be anything without brilliant art, and Latour is a master artist, both in style and execution. His quieter moments are drawn with a wide frame, as he works to show how slowly this town works, but as soon as the action begins, he gets right up in the character’s faces, showing the raw emotion and the gory details of each individual blow dealt. His subtle colour work this issue should also be commended, as the palate slowly draws on more of a red hue as the action ramps up. This is easily some of the most inventive and brilliant use of colour I have seen in a comic.
With it’s first arc wrapping up, Southern Bastards presents an exciting new direction. With a huge character reveal in the epilogue, this series is only going to shine brighter as the year progresses. The Jason’s have struck gold, and I can’t wait to see what is next.
Wolverine tends to be a more divisive character within Marvel’s ranks, with most people bemoaning his tendencies to turn up in almost every X-Men/Avengers comic imaginable. Well, Charles Soule figured out the one way to fix this – kill Wolverine. Death of Wolverine only needs the the most basic understanding of the character, and that in Paul Cornell’s Wolverine arc “Killable”, his famous healing factor was taken from him. this is how events should be done – no over complicated setup; no need to read thirteen separate tie ins to get the full picture (yet), just a fully featured, standalone story.
Death of Wolverine begins with a fantastic full page spread of an injured Wolverine. It becomes clear that Steve McNiven of Old Man Logan fame really knows how to draw Wolverine, with his panels showing every inch of the intensity of such an important character. His work is bloody, violent, and downright impressive. Justin Ponsor’s colours help this along nicely – while they aren’t nearly as stylised as some other artists, instead opting for a more realistic colour scheme, he still manages to use muted colours to give the entire proceedings the feel of an old Western film, the last stand of a loner gunslinger.
That’s not to say that Soule isn’t up to the task. Having not written Wolverine in an X-Men comic before, you’d think he may need a moment to find his stride, but you’d think that he had been writing the character all his life. Soule’s Logan is sad and reflective, finally aware of how much time he has left, and of how much pain his lifestyle really brings. He uses different captions, one each for pain, smell, and sound, to highlight how much the character takes in. This is especially important in regards to pain, as it gives the reader a chance to understand how little the character was aware of how little he paid attention to such feelings, and now they are brought to the forefront.
Death of Wolverine begins strong – Soule has a firm grasp of the character, and McNiven definitely knows how to draw him. But events have started strong before, so hopefully because of the quick turn around between issues means that this series doesn’t lag. I guess we all hope that Soule has a clear idea of where we are headed – he certainly hasn’t failed us yet.
My theory when writing something completely off-the-rails insane is that you have to commit – you don’t only go part of the way to creaking something completely bonkers, only to find a point that they realize they don’t want to cross. God Hates Astronauts is that theory in practice, as writer-artist Ryan Browne creates something incredible – a tale that is going to be really hard to explain in such a short piece (I’d struggle in a larger essay so bear with me here), and makes it surprisingly readable, even if we aren’t sure what direction it is heading in.
God Hates Astronauts begins with a man with a crab for a head and the admiral of his ship, named Admiral Tiger Eating A Cheeseburger (obviously), being blown to bits by a makeshift rocket ship. From there, the tale changes gear to one of bestiality, galactic royalty, infedelity, Deadpool-style non sequiturs, and a whole load of other things. I couldn’t possibly string these all together to provide a decent synopsis, but trust me the issue is a blast.
Browne is a master of insane plotting, but manages to make it cohesive. Everything that happens in this universe makes complete sense in regards to everything else – this isn’t an insane man in a sane world a la Deadpool, it’s insane people in an insane world. Yes, we don’t really know where the story is headed by the end of the issue, but it sure was a ride to get there.
His art is nothing to scoff at too. He is well suited to his own weird sensibilities, such as a man with a ghost-hippo head, and his amusing sound effects are equally as weird. Everyone looks suitably manic in a cartoon kind of way, and it really is pure unbridled fun.
Really the only thing I wanted to put in this review of God Hates Astronauts was “Sean likes Comic” but it wouldn’t have really sold it to you anyway. Not that I did a particularly good job with it, but trust me on this – God Hates Astronauts is easily one of the funniest, if not the most insane, comic you will read all year.
Let me begin by saying that the current ongoing of Grayson, telling the story of Dick Grayson becoming his own little 007 after being demasked in Forever Evil, is really good. I love where he is headed, free from the doom and gloom of the regular Bat family proceedings to pursue an international man of mystery story, with the excellent Mikel Janin on art. That series, as it stands, is really good. Grayson: Futures End#1 however, set five years ahead of the rest of the continuity, isn’t. That’s not for lack of trying – Tom King and Tim Seeley get the tale to somewhere in the end, giving a brief recap of Dick’s past , but most of the issue is a bit of a mess.
It’s a story written in reverse, like the Christopher Nolan film Memento, but that’s where the similarities end. Where Memento gives itself a strict set of rules in how each of the preceeding scenes play out, Grayson jumps time frames erratically. From minutes before, to potentially years, the story jumps around without so much of an explanation of where it was headed. We don’t see why Dick does what he does this issue, nor do we understand his motivations. He seemingly commits an act that is incredibly out of character, without building it up at all. This story would have been better suited if it had been told in a way that was more cohesive, even in a more standard chronological order format, but it’s not the technique that is the fault – it’s how it was used.
The art isn’t particularly anything to write home about. While some of the later scenes where colourist Jeromy Cox uses more than the reds, greys, and greens are more suited to Stephen Mooney’s style, the earlier stuff is confusing and not nearly gritty enough for the content. No, it’s not bad, but it lacks the oomph required for the story.
I really do have to hand it to the team for trying – they could have made a succinct story that utilised the backwards storytelling to a better effect, but the story they wanted to tell was too broad, and covered a large time frame. The shame is that this team really does good work in the main series, they just miss the mark a bit here.
This review contains spoilers for the issue
Batman Eternal has been a series that has been ticking along nicely in one corner of the DC universe. The weekly format lends itself more towards a television show, rather than the standard monthly fare, as the fast release schedule has allowed for a series that has been happily dropping major cliffhangers left and right. The Bat universe suits this format easily, as the large ensemble cast ensures that not one character is going to hog the spotlight for too long – well aside from the titular Batman of course. The team of writers and artists, led by the always excellent Scott Snyder, have manged to find a suitably epic groove in which to explore the Bat family, and issue #21, while beginning a little slowly, manages to solidify this series place as some of the best Batman stories to come from the New 52 – and with the current lineup, that’s saying something.
James Tynion IV picks up the scripting reins of issue 21 and he maintains a steady hold of the events barreling out of issue 20. Batman believes he has got Jim Gordon out of prison after evidence comes to light regarding the train crash back in issue one, and the newly appointed Commissioner Bard isn’t quite who he seems. But the real star of the show is Alfred this week, finally being able to show off his skills that his daughter has consistently bemoaned him for apparently losing in previous issues. Bad-ass Alfred is always a treat when he pops up, and his speech when he lets the intruder know that while Bruce may have an aversion to guns, he certainly doesn’t, makes me hope that Alfred’s back story gets it’s own series.
But enough about the awesome Alfred sequence – lets talk about the reveals. Firstly, Hush makes his big entrance into the New 52, and it seems his original back-story is going to remain intact. Hush is an interesting choice, as he is inevitably going to draw parallels to Lincoln March who was brought up in Court of the Owls, both men vying for the position that Bruce Wayne holds. It will be interesting to see how differently this story will develop moving forward, as the especially muddy events surrounding anything pre-New 52 may alter how much Batman has come to blows with this villain.
The next large development this week is Bard being revealed as one of the big bads for the series. Now this I like – Bard in previous issues had read as a slightly more pessimistic Jim Gordon, willing to do some of the “tough choices” eschewed by the larger superhero community. This is fine, as this can create some pretty decent morality issues – especially due Batman’s work ethic – but this had been done to death. Having Bard taking on a more sinister role is a welcomed approach, and it seems to come out of nowhere.
Jason Fabok is as suited to a Batman story as he has ever been. His detailed and realistic pencils make for a fantastic full page spread with Hush and Alfred (even if it does look like Alfred is being stabbed more than he seems in later panels), and his character work is full of dark and foreboding frowns – always a plus for a Batman comic. Brad Anderson’s colours don’t do heaps to stand out, but it does lend a nice dark and bleak atmosphere to the proceedings.
Batman Eternal is a blast, and shouldn’t work as well as it does on a week-to-week basis. Faring much better than its DC counterpart Futures End, Snyder and Co. have crafted a beast of a story that continues to impress as it closes out its latest arc. But lets be honest – I’m just thankful to see a badass Alfred once again.
San Diego, CA (August 13, 2014) – Vampires are part of today’s popular culture but in the 1990s, they were underground. And that is exactly where Sonja Blue, the protagonist of Nancy A. Collins’ (Vampirella, Swamp Thing) comic book series, Sunglasses After Dark, hunts for the monster responsible for making her one. IDW Publishing is proud to be collecting the cult-classic miniseries for the first time in a fully remastered graphic novel due this November.
“I am thrilled to finally see Sunglasses After Dark collected as a graphic novel,” said Collins. “The road was long, but the end result is something I am proud of. My collaborator, Stan Shaw, has outdone himself as both artist and colorist. I think fans of Sonja Blue will be pleased. ”
Acknowledged as one of the first Urban Fantasy novels, Sunglasses After Dark burst onto the fantasy/horror scene in 1989, garnering widespread critical praise and winning the Horror Writers Association’s coveted Bram Stoker Award. Together with artist Shaw, Collins adapted the novel into a six-and-a-half-issue comic-book miniseries, which became an instant cult classic. The IDW collected edition will be digitally re-colored by series artist Shaw, completely re-lettered by Eisner and Harvey Award winning letterer Thomas Mauer, and features re-tweaked dialog and narration by Collins herself.
The story begins in a madhouse and goes on to reveal the mystery behind the disappearance of a nightclubbing heiress and her transformation into a tough-as-nails punk vampire/vampire-slayer. Sonja Blue is a “living” vampire who still possesses a soul, and is determined to fight for what remains of her humanity, while still seeking bloody revenge against the vampire who attacked her. But as dangerous as hunting down vampires may be, it is nothing compared to her greatest foe: The Other–the demonic alter ego with which she is locked in constant battle for the body they both share.
If you like your vampires with a bit of grit and a side of punk, this is the one for you. The full-color, 212-page hardcover is coming for you in November (ISBN: 978-1-63140-162-6).
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A Cyclone comics super special #1, January 1987 issue, featuring dozens of artists:
A classic piece of Australian comics history. The issue I own is #4 – 1986:
Jason Aaron steps on the brakes, slowing the brisk pace of his revelation filled narrative in this current issue that trades dynamic character interaction and up-tempo timing for meticulously detailed exposition and historic flashbacks – all in the cause of more fully examining the character of Nicholas J. Fury.
One may infer by this opening sentence that they are in for an arduously drawn-out, exhaustive portrait of Marvel’s eye patch sporting super spy, but boy would they be wrong. Aaron does take a rather unexpected detour with this issue, especially in light of how exciting and shocking this story has been thus far. However, he very deliberately dissects Fury with surgical precision at the very moment this information becomes imperative to the forward progression of the narrative. There are elements of Fury’s extensive and storied past that even die hard Marvel fans may not know or readily remember because of Aaron’s decision to literally turn this issue over to Nick Fury (a great majority of the story is narrated by Fury).
The preceding two issues have ended with mind-blowing revelations centered on Fury; first his perceived murder by the Winter Soldier which is immediately followed by the revelation that the Fury slayed by the Winter Soldier was in fact an LMD and the “real” Fury is actually alive but a very elderly man. All of this data is almost too much to take in – so much in the way that the Star Wars films go on to become the story of Darth Vader, Original Sin has become Nick Fury’s tale. This shift makes an exclusively Nick Fury-centric issue not only clever but necessary.
Aaron delves into the history of Marvel’s greatest Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. beginning with his days as a member of The Howling Commandos through his time as leader of the Secret Warriors on up to his current often ambiguous position within S.H.I.E.L.D. and the Marvel Universe as a whole. This interlude may seem to be a bit too lengthy of a digression at this point in an exciting, well established narrative but I think that if you read it as a precursor to the next chapter of the story it makes perfect sense. Although this approach does seem to hang a dynamic supporting cast out to dry for an entire issue; that is my only complaint and it is precisely because Aaron has done such a bang up job with the characterisations and interactions within this diverse and eccentric cast that they are so sorely missed, particularly Doctor Strange and the Punisher. For my money you can’t get a more “odd” couple, but Aaron makes magic happen with these two diametrically opposed “heroes”. The main plot of Original Sin is so strong that it can withstand a course deviation to further and more deeply develop one of the main players in this multi-faceted narrative without losing significant momentum. I can just about feel Exterminatrix and Dr. Midas lurking in the shadows, waiting for their moment to strike with maximum proficiency and malice.
Mike Deodato does a phenomenal job of bringing Fury’s legendary past to the page as he astutely illustrates Fury’s narration, enhancing his words with striking and dramatic images. Deodato does some of his most stunning and inventive page composition in this issue. He makes effective use of panel layouts creating an intensely cinematic feel depicting scenes from Secret Invasion and other equally iconic moments in the life of Nick Fury. Once again Frank Martin captures the tone of the narrative perfectly with his evocative palette of moody, subdued shades. The collaborative result of this creative team is a cohesive work crafted with chemistry and a mutual vision. This is visually one of the most dramatic issues in the series.
Sure this issue is a bit of a change of pace, especially following the big reveals of the previous issues, but Jason Aaron shrewdly throttles down the action and gives us a decidedly more cerebral chapter as a preface to what is sure to be a return to the excitement and over the top action that we have come to expect of this wildly entertaining and engrossing epic. Don’t jump ship if this issue didn’t scratch you where you itched. Have faith true believers, this is going to be one event that lives up to and dare I say exceeds the hype.
’nuff said. (4/5)
Skottie Young and Jean-Francois Beaulieu could have gone for an obvious cash grab when given the opportunity to work on a Rocket Raccoon solo series. It’s a character that many see as the next Deadpool or Harley Quinn in terms of his popularity among non-comic readers who are obsessed with t-shirts, action figures and everything else featuring the likeness of a comic book character. However, Young and longtime collaborator Beaulieu took the high road and gave us a darn near perfect comic book full of gorgeous, eye-popping imagery and a story powered by endless kinetic energy. The lush, meticulously detailed pages stuffed to overflowing with imaginative images should come as no shocker to anyone even remotely familiar with Young’s brilliantly inventive style. But what pleasantly surprised me was his skill and competence as a writer. Young deftly crafts a narrative more befitting the adult audience that will be seeing Rocket on the big screen in this summer’s hugely anticipated Guardians of the Galaxy film. That’s not to say that this book is overtly “adult” in its content, but Young does build on Rocket’s reputation as a bit crass and somewhat rough around the edges – he is no Lobo but he is not too far behind when it comes to attitude and conquests of the fairer sex. In fact, his dealings with the ladies are the reason Rocket has found himself in hot water this time around.
This is a runaway train of epic proportions; from the opening pages which feature two guards discussing the merits of a reality show based on the concept of a living sentient planet, Young displays his comedic prowess as he cleverly uses humor and the over the top action to propel the narrative forward at break neck speed. There is scarcely time to catch your breath between pages as Rocket is chased from a wrestling event featuring his good friend and fellow Guardian, Groot through an arena teeming with every form of flamboyant alien life imaginable, and boy can Young imagine some colorful creatures (one of them sporting a Southern Bastards patch on the back of his jacket). This is precisely the kind of exciting, fun-filled story that Rocket Raccoon was created to star in and Young really gets the most out of the character, whether it’s through the extremely sharp, spot on dialogue or just his attitude-exuding posture. Rocket comes across as a bushy-tailed Han Solo, equally savvy with weapons and women. This little guy is on a rampage fueled by the possibility that he may not be the last of his race and the need to clear his name while this shadowy other is on a killing spree.
Rocket Raccoon is a decidedly more mature title than we have seen Young work on before; however he proves with a single issue that he is more than up to the task. He seems exceedingly comfortable with the material and handles the grittier fare with proficiency and flair, particularly when it comes to scripting dialogue. Young is a shrewd storyteller and one of the most gifted and inventive illustrators working today. His highly stylized, larger than life approach to sequential storytelling is a perfect fit for this character and setting especially when Beaulieu’s vivid colors are added to the equation. There is a definite otherworldliness to the finished product here. The scene inside the arena is a particular stand-out with its nearly limitless array of hues glimmering and gleaming in an ethereal glow. There is a certain cinematic sensibility to the entire work, a vivaciousness that enlivens the imagery giving life to the pages as the story unfolds as if of its own volition. It is a living narrative full of energy, heart and humor.
This is a perfect inaugural issue – there is action by the ton, there are loads of laughs, the genuine variety that are the result of good writing and there are characters that capture our collective interest and at times even our hearts. Skottie Young has done his job well – he pulled us in and made us want more. Now all he has to do is continue to do that on a monthly basis – after reading this tremendous first issue I have no doubt that he can and will do just that.
(5/5)
IDW will publish the crossover, which will mark the first time BOOM! Studios has partnered with another publisher on a series. Together they will bring Star Trek,licensed by CBS Consumer Products, and 20th Century Fox’s Planet of the Apes together in a way that is sure to delight existing fans and make new ones. The series will pair the original U.S.S. Enterprise crew with Taylor, Nova and the cast from the original Planet of the Apes film.
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