Lazarus, Vol.1 – “Family” (Image)

October 12, 2013 Civilian Reader Comics, Review Brian Level, Dystopia, Family, Forever Carlyle, Graphic Novel, Greg Rucka, Image Comics, Lazarus, Michael Lark, Santi Arcas, Sci-Fi, Stefano Gaudiano, Volume 1

Writer: Greg Rucka | Art: Michael Lark, w. Stefano Gaudiano & Brian Level | Colors: Santi Arcas

Forever Carlyle, the Lazarus of the Carlyle Family.

In a dystopian near-future, government is a quaint concept, resources are coveted, and possession is 100% of the law. A handful of Families rule, jealously guarding what they have and exploiting the Waste who struggle to survive in their domains.

Forever Carlyle defends her family’s holdings through deception and force as their protector, their Lazarus. Shot dead defending the family home, Forever’s day goes downhill from there…

Collects: Lazarus #1-4 & “Family: Prelude”

Prior to this, I was perhaps most familiar with Rucka’s first two, excellent Punisher volumes (must remember to finish off that series at some point). On the strength of just those books, I knew I wanted to read more of his work. That’s when I started to read and hear about Lazarus. As soon as this collection was available, I snapped it up and read it in one sitting. All I can say is that the hype is justified. While short, this is a very strong beginning.

The story opens with a pretty long, brutal scene that gives us an eye-popping, wince-inducing introduction to the nature of a Lazarus:

Despite the above attempted-murder, Forever has plenty of… gumption left in her, and isn’t averse to doling out her blunt Family Justice:

Over the course of these four issues, we learn about Forever’s psyche – she is unsure about the society in which she lives. She feels disconnected from her family, uncomfortable with her purpose, her nature. One gets the feeling that she’s headed for a break with the Family. It’s going to be an explosive journey, I’m sure.

The book offers a short, tantalizing taste of the Lazarus world, the dystopia controlled by a select few Mafia-on-steroids-like families. We’re not overburdened with world-building, but Rucka gives us just enough in the story to get situated, leaving breadcrumbs for us to follow and keep us guessing and get us hooked. This book is a perfect example of how comics can be used to show us new worlds and stories, without resorting to telling (which I still find strangely common for a visual medium). Forever is sent to parlay with a rival family, the Morrays. We learn through her mission that there is at least one other Lazarus, a member of the Morray family. They have met before, and share a deep affinity for each other’s situation and understanding of their lives – given their nature who else, really, could related? Meanwhile, Forever’s family members, her “brothers and sisters”, are plotting against her, each other, and their father. This does not bode well for the future.

The pacing is fast but not rushed. It’s a dystopian world, the families appear in total control of the Americas, in a neo-feudal system that benefits the Families, while everyone else is categorised as either “Serfs” or “Waste”. It’s the argument against tyranny and the 1% writ large, exaggerated into a truly crushing social order.

Overall, this book is really quite excellent. I would have preferred a bit more world-building, sure, but I have a feeling this will be unrolled slowly and when necessary over the course of the series. The book is rather slim in length, which might leave people dissatisfied. I certainly would have liked more, but I see why the story was stopped here for the first volume. I can’t wait to read Volume 2. It’s not difficult to see why it has received so much praise. Very highly recommended, but if you need your comics more substantial in length, you may want to wait until the second collection is released/available before diving in them both together.

You just might just like it…

Witchblade: Rebirth, Vol.1 – “Unbalanced Pieces” (Top Cow/Image)

October 12, 2013 Civilian Reader Comics, Review Alisson Rodriguez, Arif Prianto, Diego Bernard, Fred Benes, Graphic Novel, Horror, IFS, Image Comics, Magic, Occult, Rebirth, Supernatural, Tim Seeley, Top Cow, Volume 1, Weird Stuff, Witchblade, Witches

Writer: Tim Seeley | Art: Diego Bernard | Inks: Fred Benes, Alisson Rodrigues | Colors: Arif Prianto of IFS

In the wake of Top Cow’s Rebirth, Sara Pezzini has relocated from New York to Chicago and struggles to adapt to being a private detective. Pezzini quickly discovers that a change of scenery and occupation hasn’t changed one thing… the Witchblade is still a magnet for the supernatural Quickly drawn into a conflict between two mystical gangs, she must once again balance her responsibility as bearer of the Witchblade with her personal life.

Collects: Witchblade #151-155

I haven’t read a great deal of Witchblade comics, or other comics in Top Cow’s universe (Artifacts, The Darkness), but I’m somewhat conversant in the mythology. I read the first book by Ron Marz, which was itself a reboot/jumping-on-point, but then became distracted by the New 52 and a selection of other books (I’m not proud of it, but… Batman, baby!). After it was announced that Tim Seeley was taking over writing duties, my interest was piqued once again, having rather enjoyed his Hack/Slash horror-comedy series. So I dove in… And rather liked what I found.

I’m not sure that this needs a particularly long review. People who know the series already will know pretty much what to expect – it’s dark, gothic, but also slick. The only major difference is the location, as Sara has moved to Chicago (interestingly, that’s also where Dick “Nightwing” Grayson just moved to in the DC New 52). For new readers, this book has a lot of extra material that gives you some background. It’s not essential to read in order to enjoy this, though, as the concepts are pretty tried-and-true, but with some well-conceived and original developments.

Seeley blends a private investigator storyline and feel with just the right amount of weird in the first issue/chapter to get us intrigued. But then things get really weird – Sara tangles with biker witches, age-sucking creatures with a very strange version of their own ‘Witchblade-armour’, and a strange, supernatural beastie with a long history of fighting bearers of the Artifacts…

Things are not going well for Sara in her new environment, and her sense of displacement and ennui is well written. She’s finding her place, and it’s not going particularly well – on the social, financial, and divine purpose fronts. Add to this a policewoman who has it in for Sara, and a rather unsatisfying romantic (un)attachment with a stage magician harbouring an ulterior motive.

The story is well-written, well-paced and well-realised. Despite my aforementioned lack of fore-knowledge of the extended Witchblade mythos, I didn’t have any trouble following this. It’s weird, it’s sometimes amusing, it’s often creepy. The art team does a great job of bringing Seeley’s story to life on the page in crisp, sharp artwork. It’s eye-catching and vivid. I’m very glad I picked up volumes two and three in the ComiXology sale the other day, as I think I’ll be sticking around for a lot more of this series. I may have to try out the Rebirth The Darkness series, too.

If you are a fan of supernatural stories, filled with the occult, magical and gothic weirdness – not to mention a few gribbly beasties – then Seeley’s Witchblade is absolutely for you. Definitely recommended.

Comics Round-Up – Constantine & Lucifer (DC, Vertigo)

September 30, 2013 Civilian Reader Comics, Review Constantine, DC Comics, Devil at the Gates, Heaven and Hell, Horror, Lucifer, Occult, Supernatural, Vertigo, Volume 1

Still haven’t been reviewing as many comics as I had been earlier in the year, but I recently started reading two very good series – one brand new and on-going (Constantine), one already completed (Lucifer). I enjoyed them both very much, so I thought I’d show them some brief love on the blog.

CONSTANTINE #1-4

Writer: Jeff Lemire & Ray Fawkes | Artist: Renato Guedes (#1-3), Fabiano Neves (#4) | Colors: Marcelo Maiolo

Liar, cheater, manipulator… John Constantine is all of these, and yet he uses these skills and more to protect the world from the darkest corners of the DC Universe.

Spinning out of both Hellblazer (which spanned 300 issues, and was Vertigo’s longest-running series) and also Justice League Dark, this series gives John Constantine its entire attention. I’ve only dipped in to Hellblazer, and certainly haven’t read nearly enough to consider myself overly familiar with the character or conversant with his part, but I enjoyed what I had read. The dark focus on the occult and supernatural were like catnip to me, and they were also what made me try Justice League Dark (which I have been enjoying quite a bit, too).

This series is written by Jeff Lemire, who also recently took over JL Dark. It’s a really good opening to the new series, I think, and we get a good introduction to Constantine’s character. It’s dark, deliciously so, and Constantine is his charming-anti-hero-self throughout. He’s not afraid of sacrificing others for the “greater good”, either – making him not a whole lot better than his antagonists. The end of #1 was particularly gruesome and startling, but these four issues are filled with visually and narratively stunning work. The main villains in this particular story (still incomplete at this stage) is the Cult of the Cold Flame, who have cropped up in JL Dark, too. I’ll certainly be reading more of this series. Recommended.

(Issue #5 is part of the Trinity War story-line, so I’ll be reviewing that as part of an Event review, in a few weeks’ time.)

LUCIFER, Vol.1 – “Devil at the Gates”

Writer: Mike Carey | Artist: Scott Hampton (Sandman Presents…) & Chris Weston | Inks: James Hodgkins | Colors: Daniel Vozzo

From the pages of THE SANDMAN, Lucifer Morningstar, the former Lord of Hell, is unexpectedly called back into action when he receives a mission from Heaven. Given free reign to use any means necessary, Lucifer is promised a prize of his own choosing if he fulfills this holy request. But once he completes his mission, the Prince of Darkness’ demand shakes the foundation of Heaven and Hell. Now as his enemies unite to stop his reemergence, Lucifer gathers his forces as he prepares to launch his new revolution.

Collects: Sandman Presents Lucifer #1-3, Lucifer #1-4

This is an excellent, independently intelligible spin-off from Neil Gaiman’s Sandman (of which I have only read the first book).

In the first of these two story-arcs, we join Lucifer at his Los Angeles club, Lux. I’m not really sure how to review this book. It’s excellent, certainly, and wonderfully dark. It reminded me of Richard Kadrey’s Sandman Slim series (which is excellent and highly recommended). Lucifer is called up to help out Heaven one last time, in return for a particularly generous reward. The former Lord of Hell sets off on a very strange, dream-like journey. People’s wishes are coming true, and the consequences are starting to become devastating. Teaming up with a “victim” of this plague of wish-granting, Lucifer needs to get to the bottom of the mystery, before the world wishes itself into chaos.

In the second story, the first of Lucifer proper, we begin in Hamburg, where a set of mystical Tarot cards tries to influence the world around it. We get some neo-Nazis, hate crimes, and all of the seven deadly sins exaggerated and enhanced by the influence of the Tarot cards. Lucifer intervenes, in order to bring balance back to the world.

I really liked the alternative location – for once, we weren’t in the USA or UK, which I certainly welcomed. It’s still early days, but we start to see how the series will shape up in the future. I don’t want to spoil things (from either of the two stories), so this is perhaps a rather thin, unsatisfactory review. Nevertheless, I think this is an essential read for anyone with a taste for the darker sides of fiction and comics. Heaven and Hell are popular tropes in speculative fiction, but Lucifer Vol.1 offers a genuinely original spin, and is both written and visualised brilliantly.

I liked this so much, I bought volume two before I had even finished it. I’ll be starting that very soon indeed, so will hopefully have a review up in the next week or two. Deliciously dark, this is a must-read.

Graphic Novel Round-Up (September)

September 26, 2013 Civilian Reader Comics, Review Archer and Armstrong, Astro City, DC Comics, East Of West, Graphic Novel, Image Comics, Kurt Busiek, Marvel, Valiant Comics, Volume 1, Volume 3, Wolverine and the X-Men

I’ve not been keeping on top of graphic novels and comics as I had been – just been too busy and distracted. Nevertheless, this weekend I was able to catch up on some, so I decided to write very quick reviews of those that stood out.

Reviewed: East of West, Vol.1; Wolverine & the X-Men, Vol.3; Astro City, Vol.1, Archer & Armstrong, Vol.1

East of West, Vol.1 – “The Promise” (Image)

Writer: Jonathan Hickman | Artist: Nick Dragotta

This is the world. It is not the one we wanted, but it is the one we deserved. The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse roam the Earth, signaling the End Times for humanity, and our best hope for life, lies in DEATH.

Collects: East of West #1-5

This is a pretty interesting series. It was much-hyped when it was first published, but I nevertheless waited for the first story-arc/volume to be available. It is a dystopian future, where much of life seems to have been consolidated onto the American continent. There is an apocalyptic storyline that keeps you guessing, as three of the four horsemen ride out (after being reborn) to track down their missing fourth. Death, as it happens, is the MIA horseman, and he is pursuing his own agenda and mission. Specifically, to find his missing love.

There’s a fair mount going on in the first issues that make up this opening story-arc. It’s well-written and very well-rendered. The artwork is superb, with not a few arresting pages and panels (see, for example, above and below). The story has a lot of influences that one might be able to spot (I couldn’t say for definite if they are genuine influences, or just things I spotted and have associated with my own science fictional/dystopian favourites).

It’ll certainly be interesting to see how this series shapes up in both the short and long-run. Count me in for the long-haul. This is a must-read for anyone who likes dystopian futures, apocalyptic stories, with a healthy dose of futuristic politics, technology, weirdness, and an expertly written story. The artwork complements Hickman’s narrative excellently. Plenty of surprises, but pleasantly familiar at the same time. Recommended.

Wolverine & the X-Men, Vol.3 (Marvel)

Writer: Jason Aaron | Artists: Chris Bachalo & Nick Bradshaw | Colors:

AvX tie-in! Wolverine is torn between two teams! Cyclops comes to the Jean Grey School to extend an olive branch, but will Wolverine’s X-Men join their estranged ex-teammates against the Avengers? And even if they do, will the students follow their lead? After seeing the events of AvX, the kids have a choice to make – but it may not be what you expect!

Plus: Iceman vs. Red Hulk! Kid Gladiator goes after the Avengers single-handedly! The Shi’ar Death Commandos take on the Phoenix! And the secret history of Warbird!

Collects: Wolverine & the X-Men #9-13

I enjoy this series a lot, actually. At first, I had been left a bit wary by the sense of humour, but it has leveled out very well – it’s quirky, funny, and well written. This volume, however, while still enjoyable, also highlights all of my issues with Marvel’s near-endless cross-title Events. In this case, the too-long-running Avengers vs. X-Men. Now, I was lucky that I had read the AvX twelve-issue mini-series, which meant I did have an overall idea of what was happening. However, without that, this book would have come across bitty and confusing: the characters jump about too much, not to mention suddenly, and it feels very much like only a small part of a larger story. There were also a few moments of fast-forward in order to prepare the characters for the massive Event. This grates, because it means Marvel consciously forced writers to refer everything back to the larger event. Therefore, this is not so much a “tie-in” but a “companion”. A pity. For those who have read the main mini-series, though, this book will give you more context and added depth to the conflicts of the central characters – particularly Wolverine. I also really liked the final chapter/issue collected here, and the background we got for Warbird, Kid Gladiator’s bodyguard. Really good issue – the art, story, everything. Excellent.

The whole book is brilliantly rendered, actually. The contrast between Bachalo’s and Bradshaw’s artwork, while stark, does not jar when we do shift. Instead, they somehow manage to complement each other rather well. It’s vibrant, eye-catching, amusing, filled with detail and sometimes subtle. Superb support for Aaron’s writing and story, which they both really manage to bring to life.

Volume 4 is also connected to AvX, but I’ll be reading it anyway, given my fondness for the characters involved. The first two volumes focused more on the school and the new students (and the runaway bamfs, who are always amusing, as is Broo), which I hope we’ll return to in the very near future.

Wolverine & the X-Men is one of the few series that continued post-AvX basically unchanged, for which I am glad. I’ll probably read volume 4 this coming week(end).

Astro City, Vol.1 – “Life in the Big City” (DC Comics)

Writer: Kurt Busiek | Artist: Brent Anderson

Welcome to Astro City, a shining city on a hill where super heroes patrol the skies. Each chapter in this collection is a standalone story, highlighting different aspects or characters in the Astro City world. The city’s leading super hero tries to be everywhere at once, and berates himself for every wasted second as he longs for just a moment of his own. A smalltime hood learns a hero’s secret identity, and tries to figure out how to profit from the knowledge. A beat reporter gets some advice from his editor on his first day on the job. A young woman tries to balance the demands of her family with her own hopes and desires. Despite the fantastic settings, the characters in these slice-of-life stories feel like real people, and that gives the stories real power.

I’m not really sure what to write about this book. It is certainly interesting and worth reading – especially if you are a fan of comic-book heroes in general. The first chapter focuses on a very busy super-hero: he’s super-focused on saving as many people as possible, while also keeping down his job as a fact-checker at a publication. Unfortunately, he never seems to have the time to enjoy his super-powers. Like flying. It’s a very nice story, and the character is re-visited later in the book, when he goes on a date with a heroine of the city. This was an interesting chapter, which looked at the motivations of super-powered vigilantes, and also touched upon some of the classic clichés and patronizing tone leveled at female characters (which is, of course, the point).

The book is filled with nostalgic touches, from the use of a newspaper office as a location (a nod to Superman), but also the “$” signs on the swag bags from the robbery. It’s really quite fantastic. True, I think much of the attraction comes from nostalgia and a wish to peal back the curtain on the lives of super-heroes and those their actions impact.

If you are familiar with classic super-hero tropes, and are looking for both a nod to nostalgia and a development of the lives of these heroes, then Astro City is a must read. This is a really interesting introduction to the series, and I look forward to reading more of it. Certainly recommended.

Archer & Armstrong, Vol.1 – “The Michelangelo Code” (Valiant)

Writer: Fred Van Lente | Artist: Clayton Henry, Pere Peréz (#3-4) | Colors: Matt Milla

It’s history in the breaking! After years of meditation and training, 18-year-old Obadiah Archer has been dispatched to New York City to carry out the sacred mission of his family’s sect – locate and kill the fun-loving, hard-drinking immortal known as Armstrong! But as this naive teenage assassin stalks his prey, he’ll soon find that both hunter and hunted are just pawns in a centuries-old conspiracy that stretches from the catacombs beneath Wall Street to the heights of the Himalayas. And Archer & Armstrong will have to work together if the future is to stand any chance of surviving the past’s greatest threat!

Collects: Archer & Armstrong #1-4

This is my second Valiant collection, after the somewhat disappointing Bloodshot (sorry, it just didn’t click with me, despite my past fondness for the author’s work). After reading this collection, I must say I remain on the fence. The two protagonists had a lot of potential. Archer is the brain-washed son of a crazy, right-wing, creationist power-couple – the opening pages of the book leave little doubt as to how we’re supposed to think about them (if any member of the GOP needs ‘proof’ that publishing were an anti-conservative brand of the liberal media…). Armstrong is the immortal, and shares not a few characteristics with Obelix. This does not make Archer an Asterix analogue, but their relationship does have shade of the Gaulish favourites. Archer is tasked with killing He Who Must Not Be Names (Armstong), and to that end is shipped off to New York City, that hive of villainy and sin. But, our young crusader quickly comes across evidence that his parents are actually the crazy, evil bastards that he has been brought up to abhor. Naturally, this comes as something of a shock to our highly-gifted, rather deadly young hero. Together with Armstong, he sets off on a mission to save the world from the evil machinations of the Sect, who know nothing of the forces with which they are meddling.

I’m not sure if this was meant to be taken at all seriously. I get the feeling that Van Lente and Co. are aiming for truth-through-farce, which is something they have certainly managed to achieve. The tone is light throughout – sometimes too light. True, I do like a bit of darkness in my comics, but this title seemed to not quite get the appropriate balance – when a supposedly ‘serious’ scene came along, it was overshadowed by something silly that happened either just before or immediately after. The “commentary” was at times rather forced, blunt, and simplistic, which weakened the impact. The humour ranged from smile-worthy to meh. (That really should be a technical term… Sadly, it just just an onomatopoeic way of indicating my lack of enthusiasm.)

The story was a bit run-of-the-mill, focusing on one-percenters led mega-conspiracy to keep the masses poor and downtrodden. And yet, despite the unevenness, the lack of preparedness for the tone… I kept reading.

I really couldn’t say for sure if I thought this was actually good or just so bad it went out the other side and became readable. There are certainly things I didn’t like, and yet it seems to be knowingly poking fun at all of the things I like to poke fun at, too. It’s left me rather unsure what I think. I hate that…

Will I be reading the next story-arc? Well… maybe. I’m not in any hurry to do so, but given the frequency with which Valiant Comics offers sales on ComiXology, I will probably be tempted in the not-to-distant future.

Comics Round-Up: CAPTAIN AMERICA (Vol.5) Collections (Marvel)

July 23, 2013 Civilian Reader Comics, Review Bucky Barnes, Captain America, Death of Captain America, Ed Brubaker, Graphic Novel, Man Out Of Time, Man With No Face, Mark Waid, Marvel, Volume 1, Volume 2, Volume 3, Winter Soldier

With my new job, I haven’t been spending as much time at my home computer in the past few months. I have not, however, stopped reading. Not by any stretch of the imagination. As a result, though, I have been racking up a lot of sets of notes for books (fiction, non-fiction, and particularly graphic novels) that I haven’t had a chance to feature on the blog, yet. So, over the next couple of weeks, I’m going to try (famous last words) to get a whole bunch mini-reviewed.

Part of the attraction of shorter reviews for many of these graphic novels, along with the lower time commitment, comes from a desire to avoid spoilers. Some of these – as in this review – are volumes that come pretty late in established (or slowly-becoming-established) series. Anyway, let us get on with it. Here are some thoughts on the following Captain America books: The Death of Captain America, Vols.1-3, Man With No Face, and also Man Out Of Time.

DEATH OF CAPTAIN AMERICA Vols.1-3 & MAN WITH NO FACE

Writer: Ed Brubaker | Artists: Steve Epting, Mike Perkins, Butch Guice (Vol.2), Rob De La Torre (Vol.3), Luke Ross (Vol.3) | Inks: Butch Guice (Vol.2), Mike Perkins (Vols.2,3), Steve Epting (Vol.3), Rick Magyar (Vol.3), Fabio Laguna (Vol.3) | Colours: Frank D’Armata

Collects: Captain America #25-48

Continuing the story begun in Winter Soldier, Red Menace, and Civil War, Ed Brubaker manages to keep this series going very strong. I have no doubt the impact of this storyline would have been much greater, had I not already known about the wealth of series featuring Steve Rogers-as-Captain America that would come afterwards. I can see how it would have been pretty shocking at the time, though.

The story is pretty strong, and in the first volume we see how Steve’s death impacts those who have fought alongside him for years and even decades. Brubaker and the art team do a great job of portraying the pall of gloom that descends on the core members of S.H.I.E.L.D., Iron Man, but especially Bucky (Winter Soldier) Barnes and Natasha (Black Widow). We also learn of Rogers’ wish that Bucky should take on the mantle of Captain America. This is quite a contentious issue, given Bucky’s status as a wanted criminal (the Winter Soldier, you’ll remember, was a Russian assassin). What follows over the course of the three Death of Captain America books is a combination of survivors getting to grips with the new reality, a significant amount of soul-searching (without ever getting too ‘emo’), and Bucky’s growth into the role of Captain America. Understandably, it takes a while before our new star-spangled hero gets even remotely comfortable in his new role, and Red Skull and a small clutch of evil minions certainly don’t make things easy.

Speaking of Red Skull et al… I can’t help but think of some of these classic Captain America villains as being rather more cartoony than can properly survive in modern comics, with modern tastes. Certainly, Brubaker & Co. have done a superb job with the story and the artwork (very atmospheric throughout), but the Red Skull, Armin Zola… Too silly, in my opinion.

Sharon Carter’s storyline was a little too drawn out, I think. It was interesting, certainly (and there are a couple of shocking reveals along the way), but I think this could have been handled better, without resorting to some rather cheesy ‘classic’ plot devices.

This problem is sidestepped in Man With No Face, as Brubaker places Bucky’s past – as Cap’s sidekick and as Winter Soldier – at the centre of the conflict. The story revolves around a couple of mission in China, and a decades-long plot for revenge. I thoroughly enjoyed this one (perhaps more than the Death of… storyline, which did start to feel a little dragged out). This fourth book is an interesting story. The eponymous antagonist (sort-of: the Man Without a Face) is truly creepy, but his boss is even more creepy in his lack of super-powers or weird ‘evil’ deformities (I can’t say more without ruining things). The story is filled with slow burn, noirish touches, and I was hooked throughout.

All of these books, but especially the latter, are great, and continue the story brilliantly. For me, Brubaker’s Captain America will always be the Captain America for me. I love this series, and am very glad I have a few more books to read…

Highly recommended.

CAPTAIN AMERICA: MAN OUT OF TIME

Writer: Mark Waid | Artist: Jorge Molina | Inks: Karl Kesel | Colors: Frank D’Armata

When the Avengers pull a mysterious, tattered soldier from the sea, they unwittingly bring back to life the Living Legend of World War Two – a man whose memories of a life sixty years ago are as fresh as yesterday! How will Steve Rogers, frozen in suspended animation for half a century, adapt to the world of the 21st century?

Collects: Captain America – Man Out of Time #1-5 (complete mini-series)

This is a great story. We see Steve Rogers slowly come to grips with the new time, from its history and tech to his place within it. Tony Stark gradually brings Cap up to speed and into the modern age, showing him a number of developments, exhibitions at the Smithsonian, and more. We learn of how he survived: it seems that he fell into the sea and (somehow) became frozen on the day Bucky was blown up on a plane (to later re-emerge as the Winter Soldier).

Frankly, Waid knocks it out of the park. It is a brilliant story, written with heart and nuance. The author’s trademark subtle and gentle humour is also on display. Waid also uses Captain America’s reintroduction to his own country as a means to offer up some social, political and cultural commentary, too, which I thought he handled very well.

The artwork is often stunning, and certainly enhances the story (though sometimes the faces were a smidge more cartoony than I like), and this is both a moving and striking graphic novel. The many full-page images, for example, are particularly wonderful and evocatively composed (see below for but two examples).

Man Out Of Time is very highly recommended indeed. A must, in fact, for fans of the character.

Sandman, Vol.1 – “Preludes & Nocturnes” (Vertigo)

May 23, 2013 Civilian Reader Comics, Review Daniel Vozzo, Fantasy, Graphic Novel, Horror, Malcolm Jones III, Mike Dringenberg, Neil Gaiman, Preludes and Nocturnes, Sam Keith, Sandman, Vertigo, Volume 1

The Start of the Classic, Hugely Popular Comic Series

Writer: Neil Gaiman | Artists: Sam Keith, Mike Dringenberg & Malcolm Jones III | Colorist: Daniel Vozzo

An occultist attempting to capture Death to bargain for eternal life traps her younger brother Dream instead. After his 70 year imprisonment and eventual escape, Dream, also known as Morpheus, goes on a quest for his lost objects of power. On his arduous journey Morpheus encounters Lucifer, John Constantine, and an all-powerful madman.

This book also includes the story “The Sound of Her Wings” which introduces us to the pragmatic and perky goth girl, Death.

Collects: Sandman #1-8

This book starts with a great, century-spanning first chapter/issue, as Morpheus is summoned, trapped, and held captive for generations. The atmosphere and writing is superb, and it’s not difficult to see why this series grabbed so much attention when it first started. I was absolutely sucked into Gaiman’s story.

The first storyline is, effectively, a quest tale. After the first chapter, Morpheus is freed (that’s not really a spoiler), and sets out to reclaim three precious, powerful items that were taken from him. These are the items that make him who he is, allow him to perform the role of the Sandman. Gaiman has, however, populated his story with so many weird-and-wonderful creations and characters from mythology, literature and fable. At first, he must relocate his pouch of sand (in this chapter he meets Constantine – a very dark story towards its end, and very cool); then his helm (which requires a trip to a very twisted Hell to see Lucifer), and finally his ruby amulet (a really twisted story about a serial-killer with mind-control powers).

The series was re-coloured, recently.
Here are two examples of the re-done pages (above and below): new on the left.

I was surprised to see some other DC characters appearing: John Constantine, Etrigan (that most garish of DC demons), and some members of the Justice League. I had always been under the impression that Sandman was a wholly original title and character, taking place in a new setting. The book and story don’t suffer for these cameos, though. I was just surprised. Maybe I should have investigated it a little more beforehand…?

Enter, Constantine [#3]

The story is, as I’ve mentioned, quite superb to begin with, and I found myself almost immediately hooked. “One more chapter” became three, and then all eight. I lingered over so many pages and panels, and got completely sucked in. Things change mid-way through, a bit, and got much weirder. Not bad-weird, just… weird. (Minus one for Eloquence…) The artwork also shifts to something often less clear and inconsistent. There’s a rawness to it, though, that I can certainly see appealing to many people. Would I have preferred something a bit more conventional? Certainly, but it can’t be denied that the artwork packs a good amount of punch as well.

The Sandman prepares to go to Hell… [#4]

Not bad, but not as amazing as I had expected. This shouldn’t be a surprise, though, given just how popular this series has become. I really like Death (quite looking forward to getting around to reading her mini-series). Despite the couple of minor niggles, I’m really interested in reading the rest of the series, as well as its various spin-offs.

A classic of the genre and medium, this is certainly recommended.

Enter, Death [#8]

Trans-dimensional New 52 (DC Comics)

May 5, 2013 Civilian Reader Review DC Comics, Earth 2, Graphic Novels, Mister Terrific, New 52, Sci-Fi, Super-Heroes, Transdimensional, Volume 1, Worlds' Finest

There are three series in DC’s New 52 that feature inter-dimensional travel shenanigans, so I thought I’d compile a joint review of all three: Earth 2, Mister Terrific and World’s Finest.

Mister Terrific actually travels between these dimensions, too, so he has a way of anchoring the series together (although, he features more in later issues of World’s Finest, which are not reviewed here). I’m not sure if I’m reading too many New 52 titles, now – I seem to have a shorter fuse when it comes to quality, and am finding myself more inclined to drop series quicker. Or, equally possible/likely, I’m more of a traditionalist, and just prefer the ‘core’ characters that make up the Justice League and their solo-series. Certainly, I’m finding myself really liking Geoff Johns’ series (Justice League, Aquaman and Green Lantern).

Anyway, back to these three series… I had very mixed feelings about them all, and was quite disappointed with two of them. I’ll keep these reviews short, therefore, otherwise I’ll just feel like I’m flogging a dead horse. Also, as with most books I read and don’t connect with, there are some spoilers below.

***

Mister Terrific Vol.1 – “Mind Games”

Writer:

Introducing the electrifying new villain Brainstorm, who is determined to bring Los Angeles to its knees – beginning with Michael Holt!

Collects: Mister Terrific #1-8

I picked up all eight issues of Mister Terrific during one of ComiXology’s sales. I read the first three. I’ve not read the rest of them, and each time I open up the fourth to start reading… I just give up before I turn a single page. This is my first DNF of the New 52 series collections (the panel, below, from issue #2 was just too apt to ignore and not include – it perfectly reflects my own feeling when reading this series). I’d be happy to put some of this down to a complete lack of familiarity with the character. But really, I just think this series wasn’t up to scratch.

I’m always amazed when a comic book, a visual-dominated medium, has more telling than showing in it. It’s littered with pseudo-science, cliché terminology, and frankly sub-par writing. I can understand fully why it was cancelled. Even the revelation at the end of #3 felt forced, where it should have had a huge impact on the story and reader.

The artwork’s not bad, though, and I think the premise has (or, at least, had) a lot of potential. But from what I read in the first three issues, I just can’t generate the enthusiasm to finish it – even though there are only about 100 pages left of the entire series.

If someone can tell me that it got better before the ending, I’ll get back to it. Otherwise…

Earth 2, Vol.1 – “The Gathering”

Writer: James Robinson | Artists: Nicola Scott, Trevor Scott & Eduardo Pansica | Colors: Ivan Reis & Joe Prado

Who are the heroes of Earth 2? When the Batman, Wonder Woman and Superman of Earth 2 fall in battle, it’s up to a new breed of heroes to come together to combat the returning evil of Apokolips!

Collects: Earth 2 #1-6

I read and rather enjoyed the first issue of this series, when it came out. As with so many series, I decided to hold off until the first collected volume/storyline was available, and on the strength of the debut issue had pretty high hopes. Sadly, these expectations were not met. The premise is interesting, certainly, and I like the idea of alternative versions of these heroes fighting their own battles, completely removed from the ‘normal’ DC Universe heroes and storylines.

However, despite the strong start, this series is riddled with irritating storytelling. For example, the Green Lantern of this world: before he is the Green Lantern, he’s some high-flying celebrity. He proposes to his partner, and we get a good idea of how devoted they are to each other. Then, a handful of pages later, there’s a train crash. His partner dies, and he… moves on rather quickly and easily. I’m not sure if this was an editorial decision, just a way of quickly providing the character with a motivational life-tragedy (in itself, rather cliché). Certainly, given that the character was trumpeted as the first(?) gay major DC character, the quick dispatch of the love interest (whose name I can’t remember) smacked of tokenism.

The storyline itself was just rather flat, and didn’t compare favourably with Robinson’s other stories and series that I’ve read. Given that he’s broken with DC under not the happiest of terms, I can’t help but wonder if this series suffered from overbearing editorial control. In many ways, it’s playing it safe – great, big bad-guy, terrorising Washington, killing everyone (he’s some kind of death creature, Grundy). Instead of getting a sense of any real peril, the threat posed by this big bad ends up forming the crux of a team-building exercise.

The artwork is rather good, I must say, which only makes the lackluster storyline all the more disappointing.

If I’d taken any notes while reading this, I probably could go on at greater length about the things that niggled, but I don’t really think there’s much point. Overall, this was disappointing, leaving me rather nonplused and uninvested in the characters. Will I try the next story-arc? Well… perhaps. A couple of other comic fans, whose tastes are often similar to my own, enjoy this series quite a bit. So… maybe. But not in the near future. And only if I can find Volume 2 or the individual issues on sale.

Worlds’ Finest, Vol.1 – “Lost Daughters of Earth 2”

Writer: Paul Levitz | Artist: Kevin Maguire, Wes Craig (#0 & flashbacks), George Pérez | Inks: Scott Koblish | Colors: Rosemary Cheetham (#0 & flashbacks), Hi-Fi

Discover why these two heroes are stranded on our Earth – and what it means for the heroes of the DC Universe.

Collects: World’s Finest #0-5

The #0 issue (which originally came out mid-way through this story-arc) takes place two years before the events of Earth 2 #1. We’re introduced first to Helena of Earth 2. She is Bruce Wayne and Selina Kyle’s daughter. She is also the Robin of this universe. We meet her on the hunt, shadowed by her mother, and afterwards we learn that Bruce is not at all happy that she went out without him.

Then we meet Superman, who is trying to train Supergirl, while mourning the death of Lois Lane. It’s a much quicker introduction than Helena’s, but it gives us pretty much everything we need to know.

The rest of this chapter tells us of how they met, and the tragedy that brought them together (though Supergirl still wishes to keep her identity a secret).

The first story-arc, then, takes place on the main DC world, is pretty good. The first chapter has a fun nod to Huntress’s past identities in the DCU (Bertinelli, the “mafia princess”, for example – above). I’d already read #1 before picking up the rest of the first issue volumes, and rather enjoyed it. The pair of heroines, who have very different approaches to their vigilantism are nevertheless fast-friends. They end up in Japan, and confront Hakkou, the irradiated man. Each issue also contains flashback sequences, which tells us of the first two years Helena and Supergirl-now-Power Girl spend in their new home. It’s a nice balance of action and a twist on a coming-of-age story (a “coming-to-terms” story, perhaps?).

There are clear connections between this series, Earth 2 and Mister Terrific – both of which, as mentioned above, were not as good as I’d hoped they would be. This series is more fun, but it also feels like it’s not quite settled, and a bit thinner than it could have been. We’re still learning about the characters, their dynamic, and so forth, so at least Levitz gives the impression of not being in as much of a rush as Robinson to establish this new team’s dynamic. It is pretty good, and I like the characters, so I have no doubt I will read some more. Given the slight shakiness, though, I’m not wholly sold on this – it does bear more examination, though, and I hope things will take off better in the second story-arc.

In terms of the artwork, I really like the style for for the ‘present’, but the flashback art seems much more inconsistent, with characters sometimes deformed or distinctly different in appearance than they should ever be (faces change shape, rather than expression, for example). There were a few emotional moments that were robbed of their punch because the artwork/pencils looked cartoony (especially the tragedy at the end of #0). Both styles feature nice, bright and sharp colours, though.

Batman & Robin, Vol.1 – “Batman Reborn” (DC, pre-New 52)

April 7, 2013 Civilian Reader Comics, Review Alex Sinclair, Batman and Robin, Batman Reborn, Damian Wayne, DC Comics, Dick Grayson, Frank Quitely, Grant Morrison, Graphic Novel, Jonathan Glapion, Pantazis, pre-New 52, Volume 1

Writer: Grant Morrison | Artist: Frank Quitely (#1-3), Philip Tan (#4-6) | Inks: Jonathan Glapion (#4-6) | Colors: Alex Sinclair (#1-3,5-6), Pantazis (#4)

The new Dynamic Duo hit the streets with a bang in their new flying Batmobile as they face off against an assemblage of villains called the Circus of Strange. They also tackle their first mission investigating a child who’s been abducted by the mysterious Domino Killer. But will everything go smoothly? And who exactly are the new Batman and Robin? The newest era of The Dark Knight begins here!

Collects: Batman & Robin #1-6

Grant Morrison has the tendency to be awarded the privilege of writing momentous moments in the ongoing DC chronology. Sadly, I have yet to read any that have lived up to expectations. With the recent publication of the New 52 Batman Incorporated #8, I decided to catch up on some more of Damian Wayne’s tenure as Robin, and chose this as a starting point. It’s not terrible, but nor is it as strong as I would have liked. In other words, it’s exactly what I should have expected from a Morrison-penned comic…

Bruce Wayne is dead. After his death at the hands of Apocalypse in Final Crisis, Dick Grayson (former Robin and Nightwing) has assumed the Bat-mantle. As this series begins, it’s his first week on the job, and he’s nervous as hell. Damian isn’t helping matters, as he doesn’t respect Dick too much, or at least, he does only grudgingly. Damian goes off-mission frequently, and reacts badly when Grayson cautions him (“Look at you! The pathetic impersonation of my father makes a mockery of his memory! Keep your clues and your ‘detective skills’ and your limits.”).

At the start, our caped heroes are chasing after Toad, some kind of a mutant criminal. He’s working for Professor Pyg, the leader of an extreme circus troupe, “Cirque d’Etrange”. The first three issues/chapters of the book deal with this first mission for the new Batman and Robin. It’s ultimately drug-related, but I never felt it was as well-developed as it could be. It felt quickly over, and we’re just expected to accept what we’re told. I think there could have been a lot more meat to the story.

The second story, “Revenge of the Red Hood”… Well, this left me a little confused – is this the old Red Hood (last seen in flashbacks in the superb The Killing Joke), or the new Jason Todd Red Hood? Batman clears things up at the end of #4 and Robin also clarifies (“He looked different the last time we slapped him around.”). The Red Hood has adopted the last surviving victim of Professor Pyg, and given her a new mission and a new name: Scarlet. Together, they are taking a very hard line on Gotham crime, tear a bloody swathe through the underground elements of a city teaming with criminals and a society with a vast sea of dregs. It builds in a strange way, and I think the introduction of the Flamingo was the first sign of things reverting to the… less-good Morrison norm.

I did really like the way Morrison writes Grayson’s angst and anxiety over assuming the Batman role, especially towards the beginning, and also Alfred’s support is well-written and heartwarming. As always, the personal relationships are far more interesting (not to mention better-written) than anything else Morrison deals with in his stories. Jason Todd was rather cartoony. A pity, as he’s one of my favourite characters in the Bat-family.

Professor Pyg and his evil henchmen, not to mention Toad as well, are just… Well, silly. This is, as usual, the problem with Morrison’s comics. He has some great bits that are ruined by distracting silliness and poor execution. I still contend that Morrison has a streak of authorial laziness in him – for example, an aerosolized pathogen, at the evil genius’s lair, and Batman finds a test tube marked “antidote” right beside it – this can sometimes be funny, but it seemed to me that Morrison was just not interested in devising a more interesting, original solution to his story. He too often goes for the easy fix (although, at least he wasn’t responsible for the truly awful Letter Finale to Superman: Red Son). It’s also as if Morrison feels he needs to exaggerate certain things, when he’s obviously capable of nuance, in order to… Actually, I don’t know how to put this without demeaning the medium, but in order to ‘make it a comic’, and differentiate it from prose. Or something. It’s maddening. Thankfully, there was some good, gentle humour as well sprinkled throughout this book, which helped diminish the impact of some of the more annoying things contained within.

Batman & Robin Volume 1 is some of the better Morrison stuff I’ve read. I’ve picked up the next two volumes (they were on sale a while back on ComiXology), and will review them together.

If you love everything Morrison writes, I have no doubt you’ll like this. If you do not, then I can’t guarantee you’ll like this, either. But, it is among his better-quality work.

Scarlet Spider, Vol.1 – “Life After Death” (Marvel)

March 16, 2013 Civilian Reader Comics Andre Mossa, Christopher Yost, Edgar Delgado, Graphic Novel, Houston, Kaine, Karl Kesel, Life After Death, Marte Garcia, Marvel, Michael Babinski, Neil Edwards, Ryan Stegman, Scarlet Spider, Spider-Man, Volume 1, Von Grawbadger

Writer: Chris Yost | Artist: Ryan Stegman (#1-4, #6), Neil Edwards (#5) | Inks: Michael Babinski (#1-4), Von Grawbadger (#3), Karl Kesel (#5) | Colors: Marte Gracia (1-2) Andre Mossa (#3) Edgar Delgado (#4-6)

Spinning out of Spider-Island, The secrets of the Brand New Scarlet Spider revealed! Who is the new webbed wonder – and why has he come to face corruption in Houston, Texas?

Collects: Scarlet Spider #1-6

I read a short Scarlet Spider story in a random Marvel Point One issue I picked up on Free Comic Book Day in 2012. I rather liked it, but have only just got around to trying out more of the series. And, I must say, I really enjoyed this. Definitely a series to check out if you want an edgier character in the Spider-Man universe.

At the start of this book, Kaine (who, for those not in the know, is a clone of Peter Parker) is in Houston, and he stumbles across a human trafficking operation. He deals with the criminals, but all of the people in the shipping container are dead. Except for one girl, who takes to the hospital.

Carpet of spiders!!

The first two chapters of the book deal with this case (some, big, flame-wreathed dude comes after the survivor… As can happen in super-hero circles…), and also Kaine’s introduction to Houston. We learn of his tendency to do good when all he wants to do is run away, to escape across the border and buy a beach or something (he doesn’t have everything sorted). I thoroughly enjoyed this intro, and I liked the clear differences that are developing between this series and any of the other Spider-Man titles I’ve tried thus far. And I think Houston’s going to be a cool location (being used to New York, it’s pretty funny when he runs out of skyscrapers, when webbing along…).

That’s gotta hurt…

In the third chapter and beyond we really start to see Kaine’s very different methodology to Peter Parker (see above – yes, he’s holding the perp by his face…). But, there are also some nice parallels between this series and the Spider-Man structure: for example, Kaine meets his own fiery red-head, Annabelle Adams, the barmaid of the hotel Kaine’s living in (remember the thing at the start, when he beat up some human traffickers? Yeah, well he “found” a lot of cash… Wonder if they’ll sustain this, and how…). I liked Annabelle immediately. She joins the group of people who know what he’s up to, including the doc from the hospital, Meland, and his husband (who’s a cop). It was pretty nice to see Kaine’s good side warring with his tendency to want to beat the crap out of people…

Oh, and to make things really awkward, the Guild of Assassins gets involved, as they’ve been chasing Kaine for quite some time. To begin with, I have no clue what was going on, but luckily, chapter four offers a brief catch-up that will give new readers everything they need.

One thing that really stood out for me is the interesting set of powers Kaine has: razor-sharp claws (he shaves with them…), webs, but no Spidey-Sense, and a type of cloaking ability I didn’t quite understand. Then in chapter five he has big fuck-off claws/spikes that extend out of his wrists… In the same chapter, we learn he can also talk to spiders… To find dirty bombs hidden in Houston… Silly, but very awesome.

The final chapter doesn’t tie things up so much as give us hints for so much more cool stuff that is still to come in the series.

Ultimately, despite this not being my most in-depth review, I really enjoyed this book. There’s lots of action, the creation of a new setting (for the character/genre – Houston’s obviously real… No, really!), Yost injects a good and dry humour (sometimes rather dark), and there’s a lot of solid story. Throughout, the artwork’s sharp, with only a couple of strange panels or character contortions.

Scarlet Spider is definitely recommended. As soon as the next few issues are cheaper on comiXology, I’ll be picking up more of this series. (What? I’m a geek on a budget!) I’m also going to try out Venom next, as I continue exploring the extended Spidey-world…

Original issue covers

Variants for #1 (x2) and #4 – I really like that one on the right.

Mini-Review: Fatale, Vol.1 – “Death Chases Me” (Image)

February 28, 2013 Civilian Reader Comics, Review Cult Shenanigans, Dave Stewart, Death Chases Me, Disappointing, Ed Brubaker, Fatale, Graphic Novel, Horror, Image Comics, Noir, Sean Phillips, Volume 1

Writer: Ed Brubaker | Artist: Sean Phillips | Colors: Dave Stewart

In modern times, Nicolas Lash stumbles upon a secret that will lead him down the darkest path imaginable… to a seductive and ageless woman who’s been on the run since the 1930s.

And in 1950s San Francisco, reporter Hank Raines crosses paths with that same woman and gets caught in a vicious triangle between a crooked cop and a man who is more monster than man.

But who is Josephine and what is her secret? And how many men will die and kill for her?

Collects: Fatale #1-5

Brubaker and Philips’s Fatale is an interesting, if flawed blend of noir-ish thriller and horror suspense and weirdness. The series has enjoyed plentiful good and middling coverage in all comic-related corners of the internet. I’m not really sure I can add much to the discussion, to be honest. After finishing it, I found I had very little opinion on it – positive or negative.

The story is fine: there are corrupt cops; a rash of strange, “cult killings” all over San Francisco. This first volume follows a number of slightly-muddled story-threads, which all lead up to an underground confrontation with a cult-leader (who is a lot more than he appears to be). Josephine appears to have a strange, powerful allure for apparently all men she encounters – and, of course, a mysterious past. Despite my interest in such stories, though, Fatale never really managed to excite my interest beyond the cursory.

The artwork is good, and certainly enhances the atmosphere and noir-feel to the story, but it is sadly not a style I would spend much time lingering over.

I think Fatale would have worked much better as a prose-novel. It was too fast-paced near the end, despite an almost agonizingly-slow build up at the start. Despite my qualms and reservations, it will be interesting to see how the series develops in the second volume, but I wouldn’t rush to buy it. (Luckily, I recently got Volume 2 through NetGalley, so I could get to it a lot quicker than I otherwise would have done).

In conclusion, then, and coming from a huge fan of Brubaker’s other work – specifically his initial run on Marvel’s Captain America (and Winter Soldier), Gotham Central (review coming soon), and also Batman: The Man Who Laughs – I’m sad to say that this was a massive disappointment.

I borrowed Fatale Volume 1 from the local library.