Archive for June, 2005
June 27, 2005 | Comics
Flak Riot
Michael O'Hare, Robert Place Napton
Image Comics
$3.65 ($2.95)
*** (out of five)
Zoe Nixxon is looking for a break from the mundane — something different.
But when she ditches her lame office job to take a bounty hunter training course she never envisioned it taking her to another dimension.
After a crash course in fighting, weapons and her new Flak Riot motorcycle, Zoe is sent off on her first mission: retrieve tacos — from the OD (Other Dimension).
With Flak Riot, creator Michael O’Hare and writer Robert Place Napton have cooked up an interesting blend of sci-fi and contemporary values with a hint of humour and a dollop of action.
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June 6, 2005 | Trades
100 Girls Vol. 1
Todd Demong, Adam Gallardo
Arcana Studios
$13.95 (Paperback)
**** (out of five)
Sylvia Mark is a blonde teenage girl who is extremely strong and seems to have this deep connection to the supernatural.
While your mind is drifting to inevitable comparison between Sylvia and Buffy The Vampire Slayer, there are plenty of differences, which make the star of 100 Girls stand on her own.
This collection of the first four issues of 100 Girls sees Sylvia slowly piecing together her new-found mysterious past and discovering there are other girls out there who look and sound a lot like her.
Meanwhile, the head of the secret laboratory that cloned Sylvia and 99 other girls in an effort to create metahumans is trying feverishly to find her and three other missing girls.
Just one of the fresh new books from Vancouver-based Arcana Studios, 100 Girls is imaginative and interesting.
The highly original art of Adam Gallardo and sharp story courtesy of Todd Demong have the makings of a fine ongoing series.
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June 6, 2005 | Trades
The Batman Chronicles Vol. 1
Bob Kane, Bill Finger, Gardner Fox, Jerry Robinson
DC Comics
$19.99 (Paperback)
*** (out of five)
It’s back to the beginning for Batman in the movie theatres, so why not in the comics, too?
With a noticeable nod to the June 15 release of Batman Begins, The Batman Chronicles presents the first 13 appearances of the character in chronological order from 1939 and 1940.
These seminal tales by comic book legends Bob Kane, Bill Finger, Gardner Fox, Jerry Robinson and others are interesting nostalgically, but for those who grew up with the modern Batman will seem pretty hokey.
Still, there is something great about seeing these stories in the order they were released and, best of all, in an affordable format for those of us lacking the $500,000 it would cost to assemble these actual issues.
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June 6, 2005 | Comics
Earthboy Jacobus
Doug TenNapel
Image Comics
$17.95 US (Paperback)
**** (out of five)
It is either a remarkable coincidence or perfect symmetry that the name of Doug TenNapel’s new book mirrors that of his most famous creation.
This multi-talented creator has written and illustrated for books, television, films and video games — from which many know him for his creation of the popular game Earthworm Jim in the mid-1990s.
His latest handiwork, Earthboy Jacobus, is a vibrant and imaginative tale of a child from another dimension who drops into the life of a retired police chief.
As the duo begins to bond and to understand each other’s worlds, a group from Jacobus’ realm decends on Earth to try to bring him back — but not if the chief has anything to say about it.
Filled with the wit and humour that fans of TenNapel have come to expect, but with an emotional component that is reflective of his being the father of two small kids, Earthboy Jacobus is well worth a try.
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June 6, 2005 | Trades
Deep Sleeper
Phillip Hester, Mike Huddleston
Image Comics
$12.95 US (Paperback)
*** 1/2 (out of five)
The term horror is one that gets heaved around far too liberally in the world of comic of late.
Many titles claim to be a horror book, but sadly few will actually horrify you, at best they’ll make you shrug your shoulders and say ‘sucks to be that guy’.
Now Deep Sleeper, the latest collaboration between Phil Hester and Mike Huddleston, is a book that will horrify you.
Cole Gibson suffers every night with terrible nightmares — the kind that have him waking up in a cold sweat. It’s starting to affect his job and his relationship with his wife and kids.
But Cole’s nightmares are only the tip of the iceburg as he starts to realize the terrifying visions he’s been having are real and he’s caught in the middle of a spiritual war that may end up costing him everything he holds dear.
Hester, best known as the long-time artist on DC Comics’ Green Arrow, takes readers to an incredibly bleak and dark place that is frighteningly vivid. Huddleson, who previously teamed with Hester for the cult-classic The Coffin, brings this dark, forbidding world to life in striking black and white.
There’s a lot to like about Deep Sleeper, just don’t count on getting any winks yourself after devouring it.
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June 6, 2005 | Trades
Negative Burn Winter 2005
Image Comics
$9.95 US (Paperback)
*** 1/2 (out of five)
Welcome back, Negative Burn — you were missed.
One of the best anthology series of the 1990s returns with all new collections from Image Comics and Desperado Productions, starting with this slightly confusingly named Winter 2005 edition (it being June and all).
But no matter what it’s called, it’s what’s inside that counts and that is some terrific work by some great creators— Kurt Busiek, Phil Hester, Erik Larsen, Jim Mahfood, Evan Dorkin and B. Clay Moore to name a few.
What Negative Burn does better than any other anthology is mix quirky little one-off stories with snapshots of some of the most underrated ongoing and limited series on the market today.
This issue contains some great familiar faces like Dorkin’s hilarious Milk & Cheese, Moore’s gritty Hawaiian Dick, the wildly unpredictable Mr. Glum from Larsen’s Savage Dragon and a prelude to Ron Marz and Luke Ross’ Samurai: Heaven And Earth limited series currently being released by Dark Horse Comics.
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June 6, 2005 | Trades
Batman: Year One
DC Comics
$26.99/$19.99 US (Hardcover)
**** (out of five)
Batman: The Greatest Stories Ever Told
DC Comics
$26.99/$19.99 US (Paperback)
***
Batman: Scarecrow Tales
DC Comics
$26.99/$19.99 US (Paperback)
***
Just over a week to go until Batman Begins hits theatres — have you got Bats in your belfry yet?
DC Comics sure does, launching a pile of comics and collected editions onto the market to coincide with what will no doubt be a resurgence of interest in the Dark Knight, his origins and those of his theatrical nemeses, Scarecrow and R’as Al Ghul.
The result is three collections, two of which are repackagings of previous compilations and the other is new.
Batman: Year One, the reimagining of Batman’s origin by Frank Miller (Sin City) and Dave Mazzucchelli (Daredevil), which is widely regarded as one of the seminal tales of the Dark Knight, has been recollected in a fabulous new hardcover package. Outside of a gripping story with some stupendous art, readers get some great behind-the-scenes materials, such as sketches, script and retrospectives by Miller and Mazzucchelli.
If you don’t own this, and if you’re a Batman fan you darn well should, this deluxe new package is definitely the way to go.
The Greatest Stories Ever Told is an odd mix of stories spanning from Detective Comics #33 in November 1939 to Batman: Gotham Knights #32 in October 2002.
There is a varatible who’s who of Bat-creators, from Bob Kane and Bill Finger to Denny O’Neil and Marshall Rogers and one of my personal favourites, the short-lived but memorable team of Mike Barr and Alan Davis.
Because it spans such a long range of eras The Greatest Stories Ever Told is a little disjointed, but it is an interesting retrospective for those looking for something general.
Scarecrow Tales takes much the same approach as Greatest Stories by looking back at some of the highlights of the character’s 64 years of existence.
It is nice to see this classic member of Batman’s Rogues gallery get some attention and the stories flow a little better than Greatest Stories because of the underlying theme.
The same laundry list of great creators dot this release and you do end up with a better understanding of who Scarecrow is by reading it.
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June 6, 2005 | Trades
Batman: Year One
Frank Miller, Dave Mazzucchelli
DC Comics
$26.99/$19.99 US (Hardcover)
**** (out of five)
Batman: Year One, the reimagining of Batman’s origin by Frank Miller (Sin City) and Dave Mazzucchelli (Daredevil), which is widely regarded as one of the seminal tales of the Dark Knight, has been recollected in a fabulous new hardcover package. Outside of a gripping story with some stupendous art, readers get some great behind-the-scenes materials, such as sketches, script and retrospectives by Miller and Mazzucchelli.
If you don’t own this, and if you’re a Batman fan you darn well should, this deluxe new package is definitely the way to go.
No Comments »
June 6, 2005 | Trades
Batman: The Greatest Stories Ever Told
DC Comics
$26.99/$19.99 US (Paperback)
*** (out of five)
The Greatest Stories Ever Told is an odd mix of stories spanning from Detective Comics #33 in November 1939 to Batman: Gotham Knights #32 in October 2002.
There is a varatible who’s who of Bat-creators, from Bob Kane and Bill Finger to Denny O’Neil and Marshall Rogers and one of my personal favourites, the short-lived but memorable team of Mike Barr and Alan Davis.
Because it spans such a long range of eras The Greatest Stories Ever Told is a little disjointed, but it is an interesting retrospective for those looking for something general.
Scarecrow Tales takes much the same approach as Greatest Stories by looking back at some of the highlights of the character’s 64 years of existence.
No Comments »
June 6, 2005 | Trades
Batman: Scarecrow Tales
DC Comics
$26.99/$19.99 US (Paperback)
*** (out of five)
Scarecrow Tales looks back at some of the highlights of the character’s 64 years of existence.
It is nice to see this classic member of Batman’s Rogues gallery get some attention and the stories flow well because of the underlying theme.
A laundry list of great creators dot this release and you end up with a better understanding of who Scarecrow is by reading it.
No Comments »
