Comic Quickies: Young Guns

Rocketeer Adventures 2 #1: Yes! (Fist Pump!) I didn't know this even existed until I strolled into the comic shop one Wednesday and it was in my pull box...it's good to have a shop owner who looks out for you!

So, in case you didn't know, Rocketeer Adventures is back for round two.  And look at that fucking sweet Darwyn Cooke cover!  I would buy that poster.

Anyway, like the first go-'round this new version follows the same template: short 8-10 page comics from an all-star cast of comics creators, and pin-ups from some of the finest artists in the land.  This issue is no exception, as comics legend, Stan Sakai delivers what was my favorite story of the issue.  This was one of my favorite titles from last year, so I'm very excited to be getting more.  If you haven't already done so, check this one out.

Rebel Blood #1: When I heard Riley Rossmo was working on his very own project to follow up his fantastic work on Green Wake, I got really excited. Then, when I saw some art previews, I nearly wet my pants.  Even if the story was about a zombie outbreak, I knew I wouldn't be able to resist.

I guess you could say that Rebel Blood is a zombie story with a twist.  The twist being that even animals can get infected, thus the infection rate is insanely fast.  The story follows Chuck who's a firefighter stationed at one of those remote forest watchtowers when he gets the news of the outbreak.  With his family at home in a distant town Chuck hustles to see if he can save them.  Along the way there's some sweet zombie killin' action.

What I think I liked most about this first issue is that we get a good sense of who Chuck is.  Spoiler Alert: He's kinda a dick.  Which makes him an interesting "hero".  What was extra special is that as Chuck is racing to the rescue, we get into his head a bit as there's a series of green colored panels which depict Chuck's imagination of how his rescue mission might turn out. Through these I got a good sense of the character, and I thought it was a unique and interesting way to handle character development.  I'm definitely excited for more.

Prophet #23: The first arc in the new generation of this amazing title comes to an amazing, and plot-twisty end in this issue.  I gotta say, this had a really awesome ending and it set up infinite possibilities for a future of awesomeness for the title.  In just three issues, Prophet has skyrocketed to the top tier of comics on my pull list.  Each issue has been a wonderland of creative, nutty, fantastic ideas all working together to create a unique science-fantasy action comic.  The writing by Brandon Graham has been sweet, and the art by Simon Roy has been perfect.

I think this is Roy's last issue at the art helm for now, but I'll definitely be looking out for his future projects as I think he's a rare talent in the business.  (In just a paragraph or so I'll be checking out some of his past work too!) My fingers are crossed that he blows up (in the good way) and always has a project that he's working on.  I can't say this enough: you gotta check out Prophet.  Issues 21, 22, and 23 specifically, as they are a shining example of how great comics can be.

Jan's Atomic Heart: One of the goodies I picked up while I was at Emerald City Comicon was Simon Roy's first published work, Jan's Atomic Heart.  I consider this a very fine piece of treasure, as it was one of those things that I just sort of stumbled across, but knew I had to have it as soon as I laid eyes on it.

In this 52 page one-shot (which is printed like a digest-size graphic novel) set in near-future Frankfurt, Jan is the recent victim of a car-accident.  While his body is healing in the hospital, his consciousness has been transferred to and old lunar-made robot body.  Jan soon discovers that similar robot bodies are being used as bombs in terrorist attacks.  Fearing he may be the next to explode, Jan turns to his only friend, Anders for help, but what they discover is more shocking that Jan could have ever expected.

Considering that Jan's Atomic Heart is Roy's first published work, I was surprised at how ridiculously good this comic is.  It is written with all the skill and confidence of a veteran all-star writer and illustrated beautifully.  Simply said, this is a nearly flawless comic.  There's a subtle emotion to the comic that gives the story another layer on top of the great art, and engaging characters.  This is seriously awesome and I strongly urge anyone who reads this to check it out.

Jan's Atomic Heart might be tough to get a hold of through traditional channels, but Roy provides a nice link from his blog to a spot which sells it...you can also see a 22 page preview, so all the more better.  Enjoy!

Comic Quickies: Farewell Green Wake

Green Wake #10: It is sad to say, but issue 10 of Green Wake is the final issue of this wonderful comic.  The title has had a bit of a rollercoaster life span, it was first meant to be a 5 issue mini, then became an ongoing, then when sales were poor, got the ax.  I guess that's the business side of things.

For its brief lifespan, Green Wake has delivered on quality month in and month out.  Kurtis Wiebe's writing has been strong from issue one on out.  Though Green Wake isn't his most accessible work, (my vote is for The Intrepids) this is probably his best.  I always had the feeling Green Wake was a very personal book for Wiebe and that close to the heart element imbued Green Wake with an added layer quality.

Riley Rossmo's art is pretty much the perfect match for the subject matter.  He has an amazing knack for drawing you into the world with his atmospheric art, and he can draw some really gross/creepy/grotesque/wonderful creature-beasts.  All positives in my book!  Truly a great combination of art and writing.

Farewell Green Wake, I'll miss you.  Thanks for all the memorable times, particularly the soul-bearing moments in issue 5.  Wiebe has a great and detailed description of the Green Wake mythos up at his blog, Spinning Yarn.  Definitely worth checking out, but not before reading issue 10!

I should add that even though issue 10 spells the end for Green Wake, there's plenty of great comics from Wiebe and Rossmo already here or on the horizon.  The duo have a cool looking post-apocalyptic comic coming in July called Debris. Also, check out my post about Wiebe's Peter Panzerfaust. He also has another mini coming up called Grim Leaper.  Rossmo also has a four issue mini coming up about a zombie apocolypse called Rebel Blood.  I'm not a zombie lover by any stretch of the imagination, but this one looks worth a read.  Zombie Squirrels! RUN!

Prophet #22: This is easily my favorite comic of the moment.  Prophet is exactly what I look for from a comic: incredibly fun to read, yet stimulating and thought provoking, great writing, incredible art, and wonderfully creative.  Oh, and throw in sweet beasts.  Hard to beat that!

I could very easily gush on about this title, but you'd be better served by just going out and buying the issues for yourself.  This is one of those titles that makes me slash a bunch of lesser comics off my pull list because it makes me realize how great comics can be and that I shouldn't suffer anything less than the best.  (Good-bye Action Comics, Frankenstein Agent of S.H.A.D.E. and Daredevil.)  I think I'm gushing again.  Yup, I am....

For real though, this is some of the best stuff on the shelf.  It will enhance your life.  Read and Enjoy!

Comic Quickies: Finales

Green Wake #5: This fifth issue marks the end of what originally was going to be the whole series, but Green Wake has sold well enough to be magically transformed into an ongoing title rather than a five issue mini.  Nice!

So how'd the first arc go? Pretty great.  The comic has a great blend of mystery and horror, which I know I mentioned before, but that's truly what sells me on the comic each month.

Riley Rossmo's art is totally unique and unlike anything I've encountered before.  Rossmo's style can be a blessing and a curse for me though.  There are times when I feel like his squiggly lines, and textures can be too much. Those times mostly come during the highly emotional moments that Wiebe scripts.  I feel those moments would be better served with a cleaner presentation so that the raw emotional power that is prevalent in Green Wake could have more room to breathe.

As I mentioned earlier, there is a raw emotional power to Green Wake.  Make no mistake, this is an intense story about love, loss and coping with what it leaves behind.  Kurtis Wiebe is so adept at portraying the emotional moments in a very genuine way, that I wonder if he has recent experience in such things.  Either way, it is incredibly compelling.

Overall, a great first arc, and I'm excited to see where the story goes from here.

The Strange Case of Mr. Hyde #4: Another finale, this time in Victorian London.  The fourth and final issue of The Strange Case of Mr. Hyde delivered what the whole series had been building up to:  Mr. Hyde versus Jack the Ripper!

The showdown was a bit boring if you ask me, and the outcome of the action wasn't so much a surprise as it was confusing and strange.   Through the first three issues I really enjoyed where this was going, but I was ultimately pretty disappointed with how the whole thing ended.

Definitely not my favorite mini-series ever, but not the worst either.  Still, I liked the creative team enough that I hope they get some work in the future.  The final page hinted at perhaps some more Inspector Adye adventures, so hopefully Haddon and Corley can keep working and keep improving on what is a solid start in the comics business.

Jonah Hex #70:  The final of my arc/series finales is the final issue of Jonah Hex.

I became a fan of Jonah Hex after the 69th issue rocked my socks off with some great writing and the fantastic art of Jeff Lemire.  When I saw that the final issue would feature the art of Ryan Sook, I figured what the hell, and picked that one up too.

Sadly, my socks stayed firmly on my feet for this issue.

Like I had with the 69th issue, I picked this up because of the artist.  Now, I can't say that I've ever read anything that features Sook's art, but I've seen enough of his various cover artwork to know that the guy is great.  That being said, I can't really say that I was all that impressed with Sook's interior art in this issue.  It was good, but just not as good as I had hoped for.  I think the sparse, barren desert setting didn't allow provide enough of a backdrop for his art to flourish.

The writing wasn't anything special either.  The story was kinda hard to follow, and pretty fucking weird too.  But not in a good way.

A month ago I would have said I was all in for Hex's upcoming All Star Western adventures in the DC relaunch, but now I'm a bit more skeptical, and will approach the first few issues of the series with a much more discerning eye.

Comic Quickies

The Red Wing #1: This is one of those comics that at soon as it came up in the solicits, I knew I'd be buying it.  First of all, it is written by Jonathan Hickman.  I know that's a name that I haven't mentioned yet around here, but his reputation for writing original, imaginative and ground-breaking comics was enough to get my attention....plus, I have technically read his stuff before (The Nightly News), I just haven't reviewed it yet. (Soon!)

Second, this is a comic about time travel...I've been a sucker for time travel ever since I saw Back to the Future.

Third, the art, handled by Nick Pitarra, (a dude who was a total unknown to me prior to this comic), looks like a beautiful blend of Geoff Darrow, and Frank Quitely.  Which is to say, the art is wonderful. 

So, does it all come together to make a decent comic?  YES!  The story is told in a non-linear fashion, and the first issue mostly serves as a means of introducing the characters and the world.  Basically, from what I can tell, it looks like humanity is at war with an alien race, and that war takes place all through time thanks to time travel.  So far the comic has a bit of an Ender's Game meets Wing Commander meets Star Wars X-wings.  But is probably even better than that sounds.

Mystery Men #3:  When I think about this issue, I have to let off a bit of a sigh.  After the first issue, (despite a catch-a-bullet-in-the-teeth scene) I had high hopes for this comic.  The second issue was pretty solid too, and further buoyed my hopes, but this third issue...well, those hopes got a bit deflated.

In this third issue, we learn that the evil board of directors, who have manipulated millions for their own profit, have created a couple more enemies thanks to meddling and back-stabbing done mostly by The General.

One such guy is a country doctor, whose home gets burned down after he gave medical aid to a striking miner.  Deciding to get revenge, this normally mild-mannered Doctor becomes The Surgeon.  The transformation from country doctor to slasher who deals cheesy one-liners like: "You need to remain still for the operation.  But don't worry...you will feel everything."  was a bit of a stretch.  The character just felt way too forced, and I don't see why he's in the story.

The other new character, who'll also very likely definitely become a team member and help fight The General is an archeologist who gains the powers of Achilles complete with shield and roman style sword.  The issue centered almost exclusively around these two new characters, and they were both pretty lame. 

The writing didn't seem on par with the first two issues either, though the art was still high quality.  Hopefully the next issue can get back to what made the first two issues worth reading: noir-style setting, that is light on the over the top super-hero antics and cheesy elements like shitty dialog and goofy action.

Sweet Tooth #23: Not much to say here except: Holy Fucking Shit!  I did NOT see that ending coming.

Um, so yeah, total shocker of an ending in this month's Sweet Tooth issue.

I realize that every time I do a write-up about Sweet Tooth I mention how I absolutely can not wait for the next issue because of some sort of cliff hanger ending.  Well, this issue has the mother of all cliff hanger endings, and I've never not been able to wait for the next Sweet Tooth issue more than right now.  If Jeff Lemire doesn't give me at least one major coronary by the end of this series, I'll consider myself lucky. 

Seriously, if you read my blog, and I haven't sold you on Sweet Tooth yet, I don't know what to say.  With this epic issue, I think Sweet Tooth just nosed ahead, and is no longer tied with Chew as my favorite comic. 

Green Wake #4: Another fantastic issue of Green Wake.  This issue delivered some long awaited reveals about the characters, their past lives, and Green Wake itself.  It was good to get some answers to a few of the mysteries that have been swirling around since the first issue.  From the looks of things, the next issue should be an exciting end to the first arc of this comic.

This is probably my favorite Green Wake issue so far.  There's some slick detective work, some gristly horror-action, and some interesting psychologically thrilling moments.  Rossmo's art was great too, I feel like he captured each scene quite well.

The next issue should wrap up this story arc, so I'm excited to see if Wiebe can bring everything together and deliver an ending that is as great as these past four issue have been.

  Popgun vol. 3:  So, I haven't read the first two Popgun volumes, but it doesn't really matter.  For those not familiar, Popgun is a giant comic anthology (467 pages!)  that collects a wide variety of short comics by a huge variety of comic creators. 

As you might guess, like most anthology collections, you gotta take the good with the bad here in Popgun vol. 3.  There were times when I was reading this that I was totally absorbed into many of the comics and times when I was completely underwhelmed by the content.  That being said, there is more good here than bad, and some of the stuff is really cool.

As far as anthologies go, I say this is a pretty damn good one.  There is literally something for everyone in here, and thanks to it's giant size, there is plenty of material, so you get to experience a whole bunch of different creators.  Worth checking out if you are unsure of what kind of comics you like and want to experience a wide variety of stuff.  Did I mention Popgun offers variety?

Comic Quickies

Screamland #1:  I really thought Screamland had a lot of promise; A comic starring Pulp-style movie monsters who are out of jobs thanks to green screens and CGI, forced to try and make a buck by hitting the convention circuit...Seems like it would be in my ballpark.

Well, I was wrong. 

Apparently at the height of their fame, during an epic Hollywood style party, (think: pool, hookers, blow, alcohol, etc.) these movie monsters, who include a wolf-man, blob, swamp creature and robo-brain, made an orgy porno.  Flash forward to present day where they are all down on their luck and hard up for cash.  The Invisible Man decides he's gonna release the porn, and try to drum up some publicity.  Oh, and some monsters die.

That's about it.

Even though the plot is razor thin, I could have at least made it to issue #2 had the characters been anything more than caricatures of what we already expect from these pulp creatures.  The Wolf-man snarled a lot, the robo-brain was a Nazi prick, the Blob just wanted people to be his friend.  There just wasn't anything that jumped out as unique or interesting about this comic, and the decision to not pick up another issue was pretty damn easy.

 Green Wake #3:  There's comics like Screamland, and then there's comics like Green Wake.  The former is a total let-down and the latter just manages to creep you out, tug at your heart strings, and leave you dazed, confused and itching for more.

To say that Green Wake is a slow burn style story is a bit of an understatement.  Writer Kurtis Wiebe has done a knock-out job of feeding teeny-tiny little nuggets of long-lusted after information at just the right moments.  Not only that but he's created an incredibly intriguing murder mystery tale, and placed the whole story in a town that is a huge mystery in and of itself, aaand filled that town with characters with mysterious pasts.  That's a lot of mystery.

Riley Rossmo has gotta be one of the most unique comic artists out there.  His art is not immediately the most accessible stuff, but it is work that rewards close scrutiny.  Because there is a lot of plot packed into each issue, and I'm usually incredibly anxious to see what burning questions get answered in the issue, I have to force myself to slow it down and really cover each panel.   As great as Wiebe's writing has been in this series, Rossmo's art has been crucial to setting the atmosphere that makes Green Wake breathe with life.  Taking the time to really enjoy the art makes Green Wake all the better.

Blue Estate #3:  First off, the covers for this series have been some of my favorites of the year.  Shirtless Uzbek drug dealer sitting in a zebra skin chair?  That's a winner in my book.

Blue Estate is starting to feel like the comics version of say a Cohen Brothers or Guy Ritchie film.  Large cast of characters, most of them shady, desperate, or ruthless, a plot with lots of ins and outs, great dialog and a mix of violence and comedy.  So far I've been enjoying the ride.

Lucky for me things started to click for me this issue.  Though I enjoyed the last two issues, I sorta felt lost in all the events that were going on.  In this issue I started to make the connections between specific characters, and what they are up to, and how they fit into the grand scheme.

I think the art mash up that happens each issue is at least a little bit responsible for my confusion.  There's been a gang of artists that attack each issue, and during the issue, the artist can switch at any given moment, which means characters can look at least a bit different from one page to the next.  The slight alterations have given me a bit of a challenge, but I think my learning curve is starting to level out.  Definitely a comic that'll require a straight read through once the whole arc is out.

 Mystery Men #'s 1 and 2:  These issues were a total impulse buy at the comic shop this week.  I was nearly out the door with my weekly purchases, when another customer asked me if I had checked out Mystery Men.  I hadn't, which meant I had to at least give it the flip-check.  The in-store description I got was 1930's era Marvel Universe with pulp style heroes.  Going on that description, and a flip-check that revealed some sweet interior art I made the plunge.

The first issue is sort of the "get the team together" issue.  Which could come across as shitty, but it was actually well handled.  Dennis Piper, AKA The Operative,  is a Robin Hod style cat-burgler who steals from the rich to help out the poor, and oppressed during the depression.  His lady, Alice Starr is an up and coming actress who thinks some guy calling himself "The General" will help connect her with some Hollywood directors.

Unfortunately for Alice, The General, who runs a board of rich and powerful people who plot to oppress millions for their profits, kills her in a sacrifice to some sort of demonic creature that has promised to grant The General great powers.

The General, who has some crooked cops in his pocket attempts to pin the murder on Dennis Piper.  While eluding the police Piper discovers that Alice has a sister who might be the next victim.  As Piper attempts a rescue, which turns into an ambush, he and the sister, Sarah, get rescued by a mysterious guy who named The Revenant.

I will say that I enjoyed these first two issues, but there were a few things I could have done without: The Dirty Harry style catch-a-bullet-in-your-teeth shit was not cool, the cheesy ass way The Revenant speaks is kinda lame, and Sarah being essentially a female Rocketeer seemed a bit cheap.  The Revenant's style of speech turned out to be a plot point and now I'm fine with it, but the other things bug me a bit.  Still, I think these are worth checking out, and I'll be on board for the 3rd issue.

Rocketeer Adventures #2:  It is pretty much a guarantee that a week with Rocketer Adventures in the pull box is an automatic awesome week.  So far, this comic has amazed me.

Yes, this issue is awesome for the great Darwyn Cooke story and art.  Yes, it is awesome for the 8 pages of Gene Ha art.  As amazing as those two things are, and believe me they are amazing.  "Betty Saves the Day" by Cooke is a true gem, however they pale in comparison to the absolutely fucking ridiculously gorgeous pin-up by Geof Darrow.  (I couldn't find a picture of it anywhere on the interwebs, I'm sorry.)  Seriously, that double page spread is the coolest thing I've seen in comics this year.  I really hope it'll become available in poster-form some time in the future.  I wants it.

Anyway, all gushing aside, Rocketeer Adventures is great.  Each issue puts together an all-star cast of writers and artists that crank it up to eleven.  You don't need to have read the original Rocketeer material (I haven't, but I will sooner or later) to enjoy this comic.  It is simply great writers and artists doing some of their finest work with a really cool character.  Check it out!

Comic Quickies Debut Triple Threat

Nonplayer #1: Despite being up against some tough competition in the debut department, Nonplayer stands out as my favorite.  In fact, I pretty much fell in love with this one from the first page.  Nonplayer begins in the MMORPG world of Jarvath where a virtual assassination is strangely met with life-like response.  From the looks of things, the lines between reality and virtual reality are going to get pretty blurry in this futuristic fantasy tale.

 The first, and most striking quality of Nonplayer is the absolutely gorgeous art.  I may be a bit of a comic newbie, but Nate Simpson's artwork is hands down the most beautiful comic art I've ever laid eyes on.  Every panel of every page is filled with meticulously detailed and imaginative art, and it is truly an awesome sight to behold.  That being said, the artwork isn't the only strength of Nonplayer.

This debut issue sports some great writing as well.  The opening half of the issue builds up to, and delivers a great action sequence.  From there, we catch a glimpse into the regular everyday life of the main character, and Simpson adds some nice touches, some that are rather subtle,  that make her easy to relate to on a human level.  After watching her do some epic ninja shit in the opening half, it was good to see the normal side of her. I thought the character building was deftly handled. 

On top of the strong character building, Simpson also managed to fit in world building both on the virtual, and non-virtual worlds that his comic features.  It might sound like a packed issue, and it is, but it doesn't seem crammed at all.  By the end, I immediately wanted to read the next issue.  A sure sign of a winner.

Green Wake #1:  Up next in this debut studded Comic Quickies, is the crime noir title, Green Wake.  This one starts out with a gristly murder, and a missing suspect.  The mystery element of this comic hits on three levels.  The first is the murder mystery itself, which is looking to be pretty interesting.  The second is the town of Green Wake itself, that seems to be some sort of lodestone for the decrepit and the lonely.  The third is the main character, Morley Mack, who seems to have a pretty mysterious past.  All these elements play nicely together to make for a damn interesting story.

After reading this one, I feel like I have basically no idea what is going on, but that sense of feeling lost is tampered with the fact that as I read I got the sense that this comic is gonna have a great slow-burn pace to it, and that everything will eventually unfold in good time.

Kurtis J. Wiebe's writing is dark and gritty, and Riley Rossmo's art fits the feel of the comic perfectly.  I'm very excited to see where this one is leading.  

Blue Estate #1: Another crime/mystery story here, but with a totally different feel.  Blue Estate takes place in Hollywood, and has a bit of Hollywood-ized crime feel to it.  The majority of the issue is back story that sets up what will be the conflict for the series.  As with Green Wake, I feel a little bit lost in the early stages of this one, but there are plenty of cool elements (drugs, starlets, ex-KGB agents, money laundering, etc.) at play to make this one worth reading.

I had a bit of a hard time getting into this one because of the art.  The problem was that the issue featured four different artists, each with a different style, and for me it broke up the flow of the story a bit.  There were times when a character would not look quite the same as he or she had earlier in the book, and I had to double check to make sure it was the same person.  Those types of things took me out of the flow a little bit, and took away from the enjoyment.  I'm not sure if the multi-artist approach is gonna continue throughout the series, or if that is a one issue type deal.

Still, a pretty solid comic, and one that I'm looking forward to seeing more of in the future.