Comic Quickies: A Hot Batch of Tasty Comics

Reset #1 of 4: This new title has two good things going for it; one it is written by Peter Bagge, of Buddy Does Seattle fame, and it has a premise similar to that of my #2 book of the year last year, Replay.  With two gold stars sitting proudly on its star chart, it should come as no surprise that I've been looking forward to Reset for quite some time.

So what exactly is the premise? Well, the comic stars a guy named Guy Krause, who's a has-been actor and stand-up comedian.  Krause is at a court-ordered safe driving course, thanks to a road-rage conviction, when he meets Angie Minor, a consultant for a tech firm that has developed a machine that lets you relive your own life.  Angie wants to hire Guy to be the guinea pig and test out this new technology.  Since life seems to have Guy backed up against the ropes, he agrees to this strange proposal.

The first issue lays down a lot of ground work, and explains the machine but still manages to pack in some great story as well.  Guy's first foray into his past begins at his high school graduation where a pretty girl who'd never spoken to him all through high school finally talks to him, and when she does she calls him a "Spaz".  It's pretty funny to see how such a stupid little incident has had a lasting impact on Guy and watching him relive that moment is pretty hilarious.

As far as first issues go, this was a pretty good one and I'm definitely looking forward to more.

Prophet #24: Holy shit, it is hard to believe, but this comic just keeps getting better.    First I was treated to three issues of incredible Simon Roy art, and though I am sad to see him go, I was also happy to see that the art for this issue and the next will be handled by the amazing Farel Dalrymple.  This entire issue is like one great big treat for the eyes.  I think I read the whole issue with my jaw dropped.

So yeah, Dalrymple delivers some very beautiful art here, and as per usual, Brandon Graham delivers another slice of awesome story.  This issue kicks off a new story arc, and I gotta say, it looks to be another gem.  I'd put this comic in my top three favorite comics right now.

Even though this comic is already great enough, I think it gets a few extra cool points for not only featuring some kick-ass art talent, but also some absolutely wonderful back-up stories.  This month's Shock Post  by Matt Sheean and Malachi Ward is my favorite one yet.

The Sixth Gun #21: This was a pretty cool issue of The Sixth Gun as it was a completely silent issue.  The reason behind the silent issue is that (Slight Spoiler...) Becky has temporarily lost her hearing due to a large explosion, so we get a text-less issue.

When I was reading this I tried to decide if it would be easier or harder to pull off a silent issue, and I decided it would be much harder.  The scripting has be a lot tighter, and there's a lot of pressure on the artist to carry the story and make it understandable.

Well, easier, harder, whatever, Bunn and Hurtt pulled it off, and delivered a sweet action-packed issue.  Lots of shit gets blowed up, lots of bullets fly and lots of folks get filled with lead.  There's also an appearance by a (seemingly) massive tentacled beast towards the end, so I'm excited to see what that's all about next month.  This is one of the best comics on the shelf month in and month out.

Saga #2: Saga, one of the hottest debuts of the year is back for it's second issue.  The first issue was sublime, so my expectations were pretty high going into this second issue.

Vaughan and Staples did not disappoint.

There's a lot of character development, and world building going on in this issue, and Vaughan does a great job of blending all that in with the story.  I'm already beginning to like, dislike and be weirded out by a bunch of the characters in a way that reminds me of my first ever A Game of Thrones read.  The various story lines are all quite fascinating so far, and I am very eager for more.

This issue also had a very creepy and haunting scene with a bounty hunter named The Stalk that will surely be giving me nightmares until the next issue comes around.  Great stuff!

Review: Buddy Does Seattle

Way back a few months ago at the Jet City Comic Show I picked up a $20 off coupon for Seattle's very own indie comic publisher Fantagraphics Books.  Since I'd never been there, but heard good things, I was pretty excited to check out their shop.

I made two purchases that day, one was Castle Waiting, which I loved, and the other was Buddy Does Seattle.  I'd heard Peter Bagge's, (pronounced "Bag"), name mentioned as a great indie writer/artist and figured that his graphic novel about life in Seattle during the early 90's would be a great place to start. Especially since I live in Seattle, and have an affinity for the Seattle grunge bands of the early 90's.

 Well, it turns out that Buddy, the titular character who the graphic novel is centered around, hates grunge music...Along with just about everything else in the world, which makes sense given that this graphic novel collects the Buddy Bradley stories from Bagge's Hate Comics.  

Even though there wasn't cool shit about grunge bands in this comic, there was a lot to love.  The story follows Buddy Bradley as he lives his life as a twenty-something slacker in Seattle.  Buddy's life is filled with a low paying dead-end job, slacker friends, druggie friends, neurotic girlfriends, and bitter micro brewed beer.  Buddy's life is eerily similar to my early twenties in Seattle, except he had a girlfriend, and my friends are far less slacker-ish. 

At times Buddy Does Seattle can be down right hilarious because the shit that happens to Buddy is so excruciatingly familiar.  Anyone who has gone through their twenties, or is going through their twenties could definitely find plenty to relate to in this story.  The story of Buddy isn't just a comedy though.  There's plenty of tragedy involved, as well as a generous helping of raunchiness.

The best thing about Buddy Does Seattle is that you get a pretty strong idea of what Peter Bagge hates, via Buddy's life.  You can tell Bagge hates grunge when Buddy winds up managing a shitty, sleazy grunge band called "Unsupervised Existence".   When Buddy gets a booth at a comic convention to hawk his "collectibles" you get an idea of how Bagge feels about the convention circuit and the vendors it attracts.  I felt like the story was at it's best when I could sense the hate flowing through the page.

Bagge's cartoon-style artwork is no less impressive than his writing.  I was impressed by how he was able to portray the inner thoughts and feelings of a character through their facial expression and body language.  I think the most fun aspect of his art is that everything is slightly, sometimes completely, over the top and over exaggerated and it makes for some hilarious panels.  When Buddy is shit-faced drunk his body slumps over at ridiculous angles.  When Buddy is relaxing in a hot tub, his body literally drapes over the edge of the tub.  Bagge's ultra-expressed art makes the story and art work together well, and keeps the story pace going at a nice clip. 

All told, I really enjoyed Buddy Does Seattle.  I understand that it might not be for everyone, and there's definitely some stuff that a non-Seattleite might not fully appreciate, but despite that, there is plenty to love.  Bagge's interpretation of what it's like to be a twenty-something in the city is spot-on for any city and still relevant today.  In fact, almost all the shit about the Seattle region and the people is still spot-on today.  That timeless quality is a real strength, and one that makes this graphic novel something that anyone could enjoy. 

Grade: A