Fables v18: Cubs in Toyland TPB

This is another strong, consistent series that I don’t think gets the attention it deserves. Just because Bill Willingham and Mark Buckingham have been doing it for so long, it is easy to forget how riveting this title can be. I’m guilty of it myself. I let a few trades stack up and didn’t get around to them for a long time. I took the book for granted. Thank goodness this trade is so strong that it reminds me of what I’m missing.

The majority of the trade tells the story of Therese, one of Bigby Wolf and Snow White’s cubs. She seems like a normal kid, except that her toy boat has started talking to her in the middle of the night. Eventually, the boat whisks her away to the titular Toyland, where things are a lot direr than they seem. It’s pretty easy to get a Blaine the Mono vibe from the boat specifically, and Toyland generally. This is a place where discarded, forgotten toys pine away for a queen to save them. Therese is just the latest in a line of possible royalty.

After her disappearance, Darien (another cub) and the tiger Mountbatten stage a rescue, ably assisted by some of Darien’s favorite toys. Things just get darker and darker as Therese’s justifiable hunger keeps her from recognizing those who are trying to help. I felt so bad for most of the cast that even after I closed the book, I found myself thinking about the characters in the story and the trials they faced. Willingham has always been a master at this sort of thing; the warping of the childlike fables into something horrifying and fascinating. This is a great example of the heights this book can reach.

There is a two-parter at the end showing Bigby Wolf discovering his fate through the hand of fate, but I wasn’t as enthralled as I was in the first story. It’s a good thing; the first arc is so depressing it would be hard to move forward without a palate cleanser. There are also plenty of one-page tosses to keep the greater Fabletown story moving forward.

Mark Buckingham’s broken toys are fascinating. Their damage makes them horrific, but you can still see how they were meant to be cute at one time. It’s a perfect manifestation of the characters. Even the broken toys aren’t quite as irredeemable as it seems. Gene Ha’s art is gorgeous, as always, in the backup. I would have liked to have seen him draw more of the main cast, though.

Clearly, this is still an EXCELLENT read, and lapsed readers need to take note and get back on board. I know I certainly am.

Transformers: Regeneration One TPB

What a weird comic. It took me quite some time to work up the nerve to buy this trade, mostly because I was so lost after reading the free comic book day issue a few years ago. 

Listen, I’m clearly a Transformers fan, and I read the 80’s series all the way through the last issue. I’ve actually read a bunch of the Transformers UK material. And yet I had absolutely no idea what was happening when this book started.

SPOILERS AHEAD!

Let me break it down for you. Transformers Regeneration One takes place 20 years after the end of the 80’s Marvel title. Optimus Prime and his Autobots won the war. Prime is mentoring Hot Rod as a future leader. Many of the Autobots seem to have faded into the background of the story, leaving the focus on the Wreckers, the Autobots’ special strike team. Springer, Kup, Topspin, Broadside, RacknRuin, Whirl, and Roadbuster make up most of the team. Grimlock is trapped in robot form after ingesting a substance called Nucleon that has affected Inferno, Blaster, Huffer, and the other Dinobots. Maybe more! I can confirm a few other survivors like Smokescreen, Red Alert, Wheeljack, Trailbreaker, Cosmos, and Tracks.

On the Decepticon side, Soundwave now leads the Cybertron based villains. I must confess I didn’t recognize most of them, other than the 2^nd generation Insecticons. Most of the baddies I do recognize are basically zombies working for Megatron on a post-apocalyptic Earth.

Fortunately, reading these issues in order and all together kept things a lot clearer. Simon Furman does a nice job focusing on his new starring cast. While there are fewer “classic” Decepticons getting panel time in favor of guys like Bludgeon, the conflict is clear and satisfying when the metal fists start flying.

Andrew Wildman’s art is as enchanting to me now as it was when I was a kid. We are blessed with a plethora of talented Transformers artists these days, but Wildman’s art has nostalgia going for it in addition to everything else. Megatron in particular looks like he walked out of a book 20 years ago. I do lament the lack of backgrounds, but I suppose on a post-apocalyptic Earth and a monochrome robot planet, backgrounds are gonna be sparse.

This isn’t quite as excellent as IDW’s modern TF books, but it is still a GOOD comic for fans of the Transformers. 

B.P.R.D.: Hell on Earth: A Cold Day in Hell TPB

So clearly this is one of my favorite comics, but I’m worried that after so many years of consistent high quality, that people are forgetting about the Hellboy universe that Mike Mignola has created. This is a changing, almost real-time world where there are consequences in each and every story. The world is physically changed (usually not for the better) as the result of the BPRD’s adventures over the past few years.

Now, with huge monsters releasing spores into the atmosphere that turn humans into monsters, with horrifying demons crawling up out of the earth at random, and with the “normal” villainy of the Hellboy universe, things are very dire for humanity. But instead of letting the reader become overwhelmed by the post-apocalyptic world that is the status quo; Mike Mignola and John Arcudi spend this trade focusing on smaller stories. Focused narrative beats that keeps the horror from becoming hopeless, because even a few men with guns can still do some good.

The first story in the collection is A Cold Day in Hell. It follows Johann and a small team of BPRD agents as they try to track down what happened to a previous team sent in to stop a cult in Chicago. Complicating factors include the aforementioned monster spores and tunneling demons. When the team’s chopper goes down outside Chicago, the BPRD folks have to hoof it in on their own, meeting up with a few stragglers of the apocalypse along the way.

Again, society has collapsed. There is almost no one left alive for the agents to encounter. Yet they persevere and maintain their humanity as they complete their mission. With one possible exception. I’m not sure if I’m supposed to be as suspicious of Johann as I am… the ghost man has no face, after all, but he just seems… off. There is one important scene where I’m not sure if Johann isn’t allowing someone to die so that he can complete his mission. The other agents are all well realized and it is easy to root and grieve for them, even after only a few pages of exposure.

The second story focuses on newer lead characters. The Russian Occult Sciences Division has an important mission to complete, with the help of a few stranded BPRD agents. It’s an excellent glimpse into the history of the Hellboy world, but it also shows one of my favorite aspects of the line. While accomplishing his mission, the Russian director has teams out saving civilians. Unlike Superman in Man of Steel, Director Nichayko remembers that if everyone is dead, winning doesn’t matter.

Dark Horse continues to maximize its artists too. Laurence Campbell knocks it out of the park in the Chicago sequence. His agents look memorable and recognizable, and dang if I’m not looking forward to seeing Agent Howard do a lot more. It still pays to have super-heroic agents on the team after all. Peter Snejbjerg is an old hand at this stuff, so his chapters look fantastic too. I particularly enjoyed how well detailed the Russian town felt as the team accomplished their missions.

This is an EXCELLENT comic. Don’t forget about it just because it has been coming out for years.

Before Watchmen: Rorschach

The final Before Watchmen Wednesday!

We wrap up our Before Watchmen coverage with a look at Brian Azzarello and Lee Bermejo’s take on the gritty, street-level Rorschach. I’ll say this; you certainly have to say that the creators managed to maintain the character tone from the original series.

In one of the better prequels in the series, this limited series has a beginning through an end, a complete narrative, something many of these Before Watchmen comics have lacked. And it covered new ground, too. The story isn’t exactly revolutionary, but this series gives us a solid look at the types of cases that Rorschach dealt with before the events of Watchmen. So basically, this book is exactly what all the BW books should have been.

I consider it high praise to say that I got a real Punisher vibe from this book. Much like Circle of Blood or Return to Big Nothing, this felt like a big, violent chapter in the vigilante career of the NYC-based Rorschach. The villains have enough character to be despicable, and Bermejo does a great job giving them unique looks so that we can recognize and cheer as each one gets taken out by the protagonist.

The story does introduce a bit of supporting cast at the Gunga Diner, and there is a subplot about a serial killer, but the main plot and driving action is Rorschach’s obsession with a certain group of pimps and drug dealers. It is clear where his focus lies.

Lee Bermejo’s artwork is stunning. I can’t overstate the gritty, grimy feel of New York City, and of the cast of characters involved. Everyone has stains, rumples, and imperfections that add both realism and sadness to the proceedings. Bermejo’s work with the ever-changing Rorschach mask is an inspiration, especially when the mask ends up on someone else. There is almost a sheer quality to the mask, something I would have though impossible to express on the drawn page. Bermejo’s fully realized cast and setting make this series possibly the most faithful to the spirit of the original Watchmen. This is the gateway comic you’d give a fan of the movie who wanted more.

Is this story at all essential to the Watchmen reading experience? No, but it reads like a few chapters of a GOOD ongoing Rorschach series that never was. That’s a perfectly acceptable approach for this type of prequel. 

G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero vol 9 TPB

I feel like these reviews sort of write themselves. Anyone who has read the blog before knows I love Larry Hama, I love G.I. Joe: Real American Hero. Nothing new to see here.

So instead of going into the many reasons I love this book (like the pitch perfect nostalgia, exciting modernized art, or long-form, continuing story), I will recap some of the high points in this trade.

Lots and lots of Joes get a few moments to shine in this collection. With pretty much the entire Joe team captured at the end of last issue, it is great seeing Hama put a rescue team together. Made up of the dregs of the team left behind at the Pit, pickings are mighty slim when it is time to send help to Sierra Gordo. 

The Relief Team call-signs are as follows: Clutch, Cross Country, Lightfoot, Alpine, Spirit, Charbroil, Ace, Wildcard, and Hit & Run. It says something about the strength of characterization Hama has accomplished that the team is a mix of pet characters that have had moments to shine (like Ace, Spirit, and Clutch) along with near ciphers like Alpine, Lightfoot, Charbroil, and Hit & Run. It’s always fun seeing the vehicle drivers mix in with the more outlandish troops too.

After they head out, it is time to defend the Pit. That’s up to the tiny team of Snake Eyes, Scarlett, Lt. Falcon, Mainframe, and Psyche Out. I’m worried that having this command team capably repel a Cobra invasion effectively makes the villains seem helpless. I mean, if a five person team can do that, does Cobra have a chance when there are dozens of active Joes?

The fight does get exciting in Sierra Gordo, though. Roadblock takes one for the team, and Stalker’s recon team has to get creative in order to face down the super-Bats Cobra has stocked in the country. The story has some nice moments for Polly and Junkyard too; Joe pets are silly, but man, that’s part of the gig!

Shannon Gallant’s action scenes steal the show in this trade. There are all sorts of shootouts and action sequences, and the story is always clear. As always, I love his modern takes on the classic Joe costumes. I will say the faces and features seem a bit blurry on a fair amount of the cast. I’m not sure if this is a reproduction issue (do faces look better in floppy format?) or if it could be from blowing up Gallant’s art from a smaller size.

In any case, this remains one of my favorite comic. The top 3 has been entrenched for some time now; G.I. Joe Real American Hero, Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye, and BPRD. All GOOD comics on the rack. 

Am I the only one getting a flashback with that cover?

Original Sin #1

Oof. I know this comic is about space-murder, but man, what a downer.

Seriously. I’m kind of shocked that Jason Aaron wrote this one, as there is no evidence of the sense of fun and adventure that permeated his other Marvel works. I can’t blame Allan Heinberg and Ed Brubaker, because their work is usually right up my alley too. Could it be that there were too many cooks in the kitchen?

And almost nothing happens. The Avengers talk about some steak, investigate poor Uatu’s crime scene, and then the many varied players start assembling for their team-ups. Perhaps part of my problem is that everything in this issue had pretty much been revealed in interviews and preview materials. For whatever reason, the only thing that caught my interest in the whole issue was the scene when Spidey and the Thing took on the Mindless One. I’m gonna need a whole lot more of that type of stuff to come back, though.

I will admit to being intrigued at some of the team-ups. There is a lot of potential in mixing and matching the Marvel U heroes like action figures. Why shouldn’t Ant Man team up with White Queen? I sure hope Black Panther isn’t teaming up with a villain. I know that moral compromises are the fuel for New Avengers, but I dropped that book for a reason. I’m confident that Aaron is writing him to get a good moment, though. I’m not too worried.

And the angst! Geez, this was full of the portentous, dire dialogue that made Infinity bleed purple (prose). Nick Fury is worried that the killer might be a good guy! Actually, looking back, almost all my problems with this involve Nick Fury. He’s just a boring element who barely moves the plot. All he does is walk on panel and glower.

Mike Deodato’s art is pretty darn nice. I don’t care for the space suits on the Avengers, but I love the Mindless One fight. The action is dynamic and the rubble has a nice variety of size and weight. There is a tad too much Photoshop in the backgrounds, but the foreground figures are solid throughout.

I’m not an idiot, I know murder mysteries can’t be “fun,” exactly, but the comic shouldn’t feel like a chore to read. I’m reading Infinity on Marvel Unlimited, and it is really not good. If Original Sin is going to read in a similar dour fashion, I may just cut out now. 

I liked the 0 issue, though, and Aaron has written enough excellent comics for me to give this EVIL comic one more chance to redeem itself. 

Before Watchmen: Comedian

Before Watchmen Wednesday!

Brian Azzarello’s contributions to the Before Watchmen mythos skew closer to Darwyn Cooke’s original stories than Len Wein’s well-meaning attempts to mine old ground. That said, of Azzarello’s two books, Comedian isn’t quite as compelling.

The Comedian’s story is very tied in to the time period, with the main crux of the plot involving the Kennedy’s, Viet Nam, and the politics surrounding both. I’ll admit there were a few times that I’m sure the impact would have been a bit stronger for me if I was more familiar with the players of the time period. (For example, that is G. Gordon Liddy working with Nixon, but I just don’t know enough about him to fully appreciate the interactions.)

As a back story, this doesn’t really explain why Edward Blake is the way he is. The guy is a violent monster in this too, and there is no true “origin” story to speak of. Now, Blake clearly has some sort of break while fighting for the US Government in Viet Nam, but we don’t ever see what made Blake quite this cruel.

What is interesting is that Azzarello gives us glimpses to a Comedian that understands how far gone he really is. There are quiet moments, moments between the massacres and beatings that show that Blake is capable of feeling something besides disgust and rage. When Blake and Moloch share a drink to mourn the passing of an American icon together, it is a great humanizing scene. There are enough scenes like that peppered through the collection to make it compelling.

I’m not sure I ever understood the actual narrative, though. The story doesn’t exactly have a beginning, middle, and end. Instead, this is a glimpse into the Comedian’s life during a very destructive era. It is an illuminating glimpse, but the lack of clear plot kept me from getting more immersed in the story.

J.G. Jones does a fabulous, job, as always. One thing is certain, after seeing his take on the different Comedian costumes (like the one he wears on patrol in Viet Nam); Jones has a knack for realistic portrayal of super-hero costumes. He has a gift for celebrity faces too, but I’m afraid that the constant touch points to the real world took me out of the story a bit.

This is a FAIR comic, but not required reading. I would have liked to have seen a few other Watchmen characters too, especially Silk Spectre, considering how important the two characters are to each other’s development.