Comic Quickies: Dial T for Tardy

Comic Quickies are back after a brief hiatus.  I've been so insanely busy with school and other life adventures that I've haven't had much time for blogging.  In fact, this is the first time I've sat down to pound out a blog post in over a week... I've been able to keep the blog semi-regular with updates thanks to a couple blogging binges where I cranked out a load of posts, but that supply is starting to dwindle.  So, even though much of the stuff in this Comic Quickies is a week or more old, it's stuff I've read this month that I think merits mention.

Dial H #1: I knew as soon as I heard about China Mieville's comic debut, Dial H, I would have to pick up the first issue.  However, I did a dumb thing and didn't add it to my pull list, so on the day this one came out, I walked into the store to grab a copy off the shelf, and was sadly denied because the shop had sold out all of their copies.  I had to wait two weeks for the re-order to come in, and then, grabbed one of the last few re-order issues. So, suffice it to say that the "H" stands for "hot".

Keeping with China Mieville's modus operandi, this one is kinda weird.  It starts out as two out of shape friends are having an argument about being out of shape.  One guy leaves in a huff, only to be attacked by street thugs a few blocks down the street.  Nelson, the other friend, hustles to try and help, but catches an epic haymaker for the effort.  Luckily, he gets punched right into a phone booth, and while trying to dial 911, somehow gets magically turned into a strange freakshow of a superhero by the name of Boy Chimney.

As the magical smoke-phantasm producing Boy Chimney, Nelson is able to ward off the attackers and carry his friend to safety.  He then awakes a few hours later on random roof top with a minimal memory of the night's events.  After piecing things back together, Nelson figures out that his buddy has gotten on the wrong side of his sketchy employer.  Hoping to set things straight with his new-found Boy Chimney skills, Nelson returns to the magic phone booth and tries to duplicate the previous night's transformation, which he sorta does, but with vastly different results.  From there things get weird and weirder.

I can't really say I was a fan of this one.  It is just all kindsa strange, and nothing about the first issue made me care about what was going on.  Maybe I'll check out the collected trade sometime down the road, but for now, I'm gonna pass on this one.

The Bulletproof Coffin Disinterred #4: Rounding out the "That Shit Cray" double header for the month is the fourth issue of The Bulletproof Coffin Disinterred.  This one scores high in weirdness for the fact that it is a total non-linear issue comprised of 84 panels printed in random sequence.  Yup.  Weird.


The idea here is that one can just paw through the issue willy-nilly and read the damn thing in any order and achieve some sense of entertainment and enlightenment.  I'm not so sure I was enlightened, but this sure was entertaining.  It was one strange, fucked up issue, but I'm always interested to see how people push the comics medium in new and cool directions.  Shaky Kane's art was awesome and trippy as per usual, so I was hugely entertained by that to say the least.

Though the first Bulletproof Coffin mini series provided a great story, this second mini series appears to be just a collection of one-shots set in the world of BPC.  So far, there is nothing to tie together the four distinctly different narratives that we've seen so far, but I also wouldn't put it past Hine and Kane to tie it all together somehow by the end.  If you wanna get your dose of strange, surreal and off-beat in the same serving, Bulletproof Coffin is your medicine.

Mystery in Space (One-Shot): So, uh, I totally picked this up because it had a short comic in here by Nnedi Okorafor.  Sure, there were a few other draws, like the Ryan Sook cover, and the Mike Allred short, but it was pretty much all about Nnedi.

Her story is pretty cool.  I'm not sure if this is her first foray into comics or not, but she's off to a pretty good start.  The story, The Elgort had Okorafor's stamp all over it as her writerly voice, or whatever you wanna call it, came through loud and clear from the get go.  Her scripting was a little shaky, but the story was assisted by some purely sublime art by Michael Kaluta, who I was familiar with from some Rocketeer Adventures stuff.  Overall, The Elgort was a great fantasy story veiled as an SF tale.  This one stood out as the champ of the collection.

The whole she-bang-a-bang probably wasn't worth the $7.99 price tag, but I enjoyed enough of the various comics to be entertained.  I find that I always get really excited about short comic collections, but am ultimately disappointed by what's between the covers.  Maybe  I should lay off them for a while.

Graphic Novel Review: Shaky Kane's Monster Truck

Have I mentioned before that I love me some Shaky Kane art?  Well, I do.  It is weird, awkward, disturbing and beautiful all at the same time.  Shaky Kane's art has probably never been more weird, awkward, disturbing and beautiful than in Monster Truck.

Monster Truck is a graphic novel with heavy emphasis on the graphics.  This artistic wonder takes the reader on a widescreen cruise through a tripped out psychedelic landscape in the cab of a yellow monster truck.  If you want to see some incredibly strange (yet strikingly beautiful) pages of art, and some sweet looking classic cars, colored in ultra bright hues, this is your fix right here.

Aside from incredibly unique visuals, this graphic novel takes a unique approach to design.  Each and every page of art is really just one piece of an epically long, continuous 50 page piece of art.  What I mean by that is that if you cut out each individual page, and laid them out next to each other in one long line, they'd all connect into one massive art piece without any gaps or breaks in the illustration.  I was sorely temped to buy two copies and do just that, and put it up as a border in my room. In the end, I decided the money would be better spend on other comics instead.

The cover of Monster Truck promises "automobiles monsters and mayhem", and boy, it sure does deliver. There is lots of weirdness to be had here, which may or may not be for everyone, but it sure did tickle my fancy.  I find myself picking this up from time to time and just flipping to a random page, just see what kind of random thrills or chills it will provide.  

One thing is certain, Monster Truck rockets my imagination off to new places.  This is one of those rare artistic works where the artist managed to cut free of any creative restraints and deliver a work of unbridled imagination.  I appreciate seeing and experiencing such border-less works of art.  

I think the reason I enjoy Kane's art so much is that he seems to break from reality into his wild imagination with such ease.  It is a refreshing and inspiring thing to see an adult create art that is so unabashedly weird and unique.  Oh, and a lot of fun too!

Grade: A

Comic Quickies: Re-imaging Origins

Action Comics #5: Grant Morrison gets another crack at telling Superman's origin story in this issue, and unlike his previous effort in All Star Superman, which only took up a single page, this one get's a full issue's worth of story.

It's a pretty damn good origin story too.  We get to see a little bit of the downfall of planet Krypton, and even some Ma and Pa Kent in their younger days.  (Good job stickin' it to the man Ma and Pa!) There's also some very cryptic foreshadowing going on here, pointing towards some epic stuff in the future for the title.  Which is about time if you ask me.

Morrison has spent the first four issues telling a cute little Superman story about his youthful struggles, but so far the story hasn't been nearly big enough for a character like Superman.  I'm not saying the first four issues weren't good, they were good, but Grant needs to really bring the thunder from here on out.  I have faith in the man.  Looking forward to seeing what he's got up his sleeves.

 Batman #5: I'll make this really simple.  This is the single best Batman comic I've ever read.

It's like this: Batman is stuck in a massive labyrinth, no bat belt, no food, no contact with the outside world, and the only water to be found is likely drugged.  Oh, and he's been in there for at least eight days so far.

Aside from an insanely tense story, what you get here is a journey through delusion and starvation with one of the normally most sharp minded guys around.  When all of Batman's mental walls start to break down due to exhaustion and hunger, it is a crazy trip, and an incredible read.

Accompanying the fantastic writing by Scott Snyder here is by far the best art I've seen from Greg Capullo yet.  I know, I haven't been so easy on the guy in the past, but he not only impressed me here, but pretty much blew my mind with his depiction of the events in this story.  Capullo does a fantastic job of showing the unhinging of Batman's mind, and puts the reader right there next to the big guy.

It's not easy to describe the amazingness of this issue, it really needs to be experienced, and I highly recommend, even if you aren't a comic reader, or a Batman fan, that you go out and give this issue a read.  It is quite amazing, and pretty fucking awesome to look at too.

All Star Western #5: I'm sad to say this, but I think I'm beginning to get tired of this title.  I've started to realize that there isn't much character depth to Jonah Hex, and each issue bears a striking resemblance to those that came before it: Jonah Hex gets in huge fight, and either A) kicks total ass or B) gets in life threatening situation with no feasible way out, and somehow survives to kick more ass.  Wash, rinse, repeat.

I think I failed to notice this routine for so long because I was enjoying Moritat's art so much, but sad to say, even that has begun to falter in the last couple of issues.  I wonder if he's having a hard time keeping up with the monthly schedule because it seems to me that his art is a little rushed looking these past months.  I don't know, hopefully this one will pull itself together, but right now this one is moving towards being dropped.

Prophet #21: Yes, this is technically the twenty-first issue of Prophet, but it is also the first in a new era for the title.  I guess this was a Rob Liefeld comic back in the day and ran for 21 issues, and has lain dormant like a Balrog for some years. Now it's back, freed from the dungeons of Liefeld-dur (Rob Liefeld's castle of shitty comic artistry and writing) and being written by one of my comic creating heroes, Brandon Graham.

It seems like a minor tragedy that Graham isn't doing the art here too, that is until you actually flip open this issue and see the amazing artwork by Simon Roy.  Graham gives Roy's art lots of room to breathe, and I found myself having eye-gasm after eye-gasm as I journeyed through this issue.  Roy's art is simply wonderful.

Graham's writing is pretty flippin' awesome too.  He took sort of a minimalist approach here, with little dialog, or narration boxes, but his scripting is great, and he works in some great fantasy and sci-fi elements that are as creative as anything China Mieville has cooked up.  I definitely wish I had a Dol Mantle (a symbiotic shawl-like creature that appears to have many versatile advantages).  There's plenty of other great ideas to be had in Prophet, and this issue definitely left me hungry for more.

More than anything else, this comic reaffirmed to me how wonderful and creative comics can be when done well.  Graham seems to be well on his way to creating a true gem of the medium.  This is one of the best single comics I've ever read. Check it out!

The Bulletproof Coffin Disinterred #1: Yay!  More Bulletproof Coffin!

The first arc of The Bulletproof Coffin was one of my favorite titles from previous years, so I'm thrilled to see new material hitting the shelves.  I'm a big fan of the David Hine and Shaky Kane writer/artist combo, so I have high hopes for this series.

The first issue seemed to mostly lay out the origin story for The Shield, and felt like it was mostly a stand-alone comic, but it worked in a few other angles that makes me think the six issues in this arc will interconnect in some way.

I'm hoping to see more of the strange pulp-style heroes that only played limited role in the last arc in this current arc.  So far, this one is off to a great start.

Grant Morrison, Frank Quitely, and Shaky F@$king Kane!

Great news for my fellow comic nerds out there! Flex Mentallo is coming!  After years of being tied up in legal limbo, this never before collected work that combines the talents of Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely is finally being printed here state-side for American consumption.

The story is spun out of Morrison's work on Doom Patrol, and follows body builder Flex Mentallo on a journey of self-discovery and meta-fiction weirdness...I'm down.

Not only does it feature the talents of my favorite writer/illustrator duo, but it comes in a snazzy hard cover OVERSIZED format.  Bonus!

From the looks of things, this beautiful piece of work will be hitting shelves sometime in February.  Something to look forward to.

Props to Multiversity Comics for helping me notice this...they got it from Vertigo: Graphic Content.

Another thing that has me quivering with excitement:  Coming in November we have a sweet looking work of mad-cap genius from Shaky Kane.

I've had Monster Truck on my radar for a while now, but Comics Alliance just released a sneak preview, and it looks insane, and insanely awesome.   


This uncouth graphic novel has a neat little twist to it: The art is 100% continuous; The edge of one page bleeds onto the next, so what you see at the right edge, will become the left edge of the following page.  Technically, this is an 108 page piece of sequential art.  I fully expect Monster Truck  to be one crazy hallucinogenic voyage.  Check out some of the preview pages below, and you can see what I mean about the sequential art.

Robots and Barbie dolls.

Clowns really creep me out.  

Preview pictures courtesy of Comics Alliance.  

Comic Quickies or Sea Creature Double Feature

The Vault #1: Undersea treasure hunting doctors, Gabrielle Parker and Michael Page think they know the location of a massive treasure trove.  They've assembled a team, and acquired the financial backing of a man named Kirilov, who not only can put up the needed money to fund the remainder of their expedition, but can also supply some sweet digging technology.  However, as they near their treasure trove, and start hauling out some booty, a hurricane threatens just over the horizon.

I came into this one hoping for some sweet sea creatures, and monster attacks, and from the way things panned out in this first issue, it looks like my wishes will be granted.  I gotta say though, this first issue was a bit shaky.

There was a lot of information unloaded on the reader, and the learning curve of getting to know the cast of characters, and what is going on is a bit steep.  On top of all that, writer Sam Sarkar packs in a lot of plot development and even the plotting is a bit garbled.  There is a lot of in and out of the water stuff going on, with a character submerged underwater on one page and on the ship in the next.  It is also pretty fucking hard to tell who is who in the diving gear. 

This is only a three issue mini, so I can see why a lot was packed into one issue, but it did feel awkward.  The art is handled by Garrie Gastonny, an artist I found hit and miss during his work on Warren Ellis' Supergod.  The man can draw some sweet beastly creatures though, so I'm hoping for a bit of that in The Vault.

Witch Doctor #2:  So, I was a little skeptical after the first Witch Doctor issue, and though I'm still a bit skeptical after #2, I'm feeling a bit better about things.  This issue kicks off what is intended to be a 3 issue story arc, and has the Doctor investigating a baby who is possessed by a Cuckoo Faerie, a creature that mimics humans, while the brood mother feasts on the human babies her hatchlings are switched out for.

While Dr. Morrow is searching for the Cuckoo Mother, he is contacted by Absinthe O'Riley, a woman who seems to have past connections to the good doctor and is searching for a creature called a "Dagon Lure", a ghastly looking beast if I do say so myself.

The creepy, fucked up looking life-sized Barbie thing that is the Cuckoo Mother is a horribly freaky looking thing, and provided some solid entertainment for this issue.  I get the sense that the real story for this arc lies with Absinthe O'Riley, and her weird sea creature though.  Looking forward to where this is headed. 

Elephantmen #33: There was only one reason I bought this comic...the artwork of Shaky Kane.

Shaky filled in on art for, uh, someone else, in this stand-alone story set in the Elephantmen universe, which I happen to know pretty much next to nothing about.  The story is about a creepy plastic surgeon and his wife/canvas upon whom he tries his most elaborate and daring augmentations upon.  His latest quest is to completely replace her skeleton with an all new ivory one...harvested from dead Elephantmen.

Um, so I didn't pay super close attention to the story, I sorta used my Steven Erikson reading technique where I skim parts that don't seem to matter, and read what is important.  Via this technique I was able to get the gist of what was going on, then sit back and enjoy the insanity that is the art of Shaky Kane. 

Kane's art definitely made this one worth the purchase.  There is some amazingly weird and visceral imagery.  Crazy shit, but totally worth it if you love the work of Shaky Kane.

The Intrepids #5:  As I type this, there is a single, solitary tear leaving a wet track down my cheek...Why? Because it's pretty sad to think that there is only one issue of The Intrepids left to read. 

From the very first issue, I have been in love with this series.  Not only has it featured sharp story telling, some solid humor, great art and some epic battle scenes, but it has, by far I might add, the absolutely best mad-science constructs I've ever encountered.  Though I have a soft spot for the Cyber Bear, Carbon Calamari the robo-squid who terrorizes the pages of this issue, is amazing and is in the running for the Best Creature of the Series.

The Intrepids is truly one of the great comics on the shelves.  I realize at this point, if you aren't already reading it, then it makes sense to buy the trade, however if you aren't reading it, be sure to buy the damn trade when it comes out.  You will not be disappointed.

I can't wait to have the final issue in my hands, and re-read the whole series start to finish.  Great stuff and worth every penny.

The Sixth Gun #13:  I mentioned this last time, but this latest arc of The Sixth Gun is shaping up to be the best one yet.

Every aspect of this comic has shown marked improvement, which is saying a lot 'cause it was pretty damn awesome to begin with.  Hurtt's art is climbing to new heights, and the writing has not only provided some great new characters, but has delivered some great new twists as well.

Though I've enjoyed this series quite a lot, through each issue, I've never had much fear for the safety of the two main characters Sinclair, and Becky Montcrief.  That being said, those two seem to be well and truly effed in this arc.  They are seemingly surrounded by enemies, and their friends seem shaky at best.

This issue had a great cliff hanger of an ending and I'm pretty much drooling for more.

Comic Quickies or This is the End

Nemesis #4: This issue is the grand finale.  Like most Mark Millar comics I've read, aside from Kick Ass, I'm not sure why I bothered with this one.  I'm beginning to think Millar's creating method involves coming up with a bunch of crazy, balls out, brutal circumstances and then linking them all together with thin narrative connections.  For example: A Black-ops team storms a mansion on a covert night mission, a fat dude tied to a bed and wired with c4, the president wired with explosives, the oval office getting blowed up...all these things happen in the span of about a dozen pages, but the problem is that they really don't have any kind of emotional impact beyond a cheap shock value because well, they happen too damn often to mean anything at all.  Yeah a lot of shit gets blown up, and lots of people die, but who cares because no time was ever invested in making those things important.  The onus is on the eye candy and while all the crazy shit happening might look "cool" and be the wet dream of a 14 year old boy it doesn't mean shit to me.  So the question remains: Why bother?  In all honesty, I don't really know.  I'm definitely still finding my way in the comics world, and it is hard to pass up the chance to read one of the BIG name creators in the floppy format.  Shit, I'm still learning my tastes, and I enjoyed Kick Ass enough that I guess Millar got a free pass on this one.  Well, I'm a bit wiser now, and will definitely be more cautious of Millar in the future.

The Bulletproof Coffin #6: Another finale here, and this one was done extremely well.  The previous five issues in this mini-series have consistently been amazing, but I was a bit skeptical that the creative team of David Hine and Shaky Kane would be able to wrap this one up nice an neat.  There is a lot of meta-textual, story within a story action going on through out this series, and I think that element makes it harder to wrap everything up without any kind of weird plot holes.  Well, that wasn't an issue at all here.  Shit, Hine and Kane even managed to plug themselves into the story, along with the rest of the comic production team, in fairly significant, and hilarious roles.   

The Bulletproof Coffin is an excellent mix of action, mystery, meta-textual mayhem, super heroes, lots of weirdness, and some great humor as well.  I feel like this was one of the most under-rated, under-appreciated titles of 2010, and far more deserving of attention than many of the other Image titles that get lots of press and have their first issues sell for $30 on ebay before they hit comic shops.  Hopefully enough people will buy this in trade so that it can be widely enjoyed.  I'll be keeping my fingers crossed that these guys start some sort of new project together asap.

Sweet Tooth #17: I lumped this one in with the "This is the End" theme because I thought this issue was the end of the "Animal Armies" story line, but it turns out I'm wrong and #18 is actually the end of the "Animal Armies" story arc.

I know I probably say this every time I write about Sweet Tooth, but I really think this comic gets better with each issue.  Each time I read one I think, "yup, that's the best Sweet Tooth yet."  This issue is the best Sweet Tooth ever because of the giant punch in the feelings it delivers.

Jeppard has been on an insane quest to rescue Gus for the past few issues, and his crazy plan looks be just about working.  The confrontation between Jeppard and his character foil, Abbot is more amazing than I could have imagined, plus a MAJOR plot twist hits that just about knocked me off my readin' perch.  This issue hits hard on all notes, especially the emotional one, and just like that, I am even further sucked into this crazy world that Jeff Lemire has so wonderfully created.  I can't wait for the next issue.