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Comics
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Alright
mighty Marvel fans, this review is for you!
I'm
covering several Marvel events in one review, so pay close attention, cause
it's gonna be a wild ride/review thing.
Maybe.
First
off, we have the thrilling conclusion to Iron Man: Legacy of Doom, by writer
David Michelinie and Rom Lin's classic pencil stylings. It also includes like a dozen other people's
work, but time, space, and attention span are all limiting factors when I'm
writing. This is classic Iron Man,
people. Introducing a suit altered by
the scabbard of Excalibur itself and a colossal demonic entity from beyond,
this issue takes us through the full superhero spectrum. Hero vs. villain, hero and villain vs. giant
monster, Merlin, self-sacrifice, self-doubt and noble intent all have their
moments. Man, I miss the simplicity of
those pre-Civil War days.
Seriously,
if you're hankerin’ for an old school world savin’, this is right up your
alley.
Next
is the Eternals, written by Knauf and drawn by Acuna. Featuring the invincible Iron Man and with a
guest appearance by one of my new favorite super teams, San Fran's own the
Order?! All sorts of interesting ideas
crop up here. Can an immortal become
addicted to something? Can the addiction
eventually kill him? What happens when
they develop mortal ties, like children or pets? Can they be trusted with such fragile
creatures? Druig plays the villain as
always, and heroism seems strangely absent from the landscape as Makkari spends
his time enraptured by the dreaming Celestial and Ajak is consumed by jealousy. All the while, the Horde, the dark
counterpart to the Celestials, draws inexorably closer to Earth. I'm giddy with anticipation.
Talking
quadrupeds! Faith powered space
zealots! The scientific equivalent of
D&D's caller in darkness! Vance
Astro vs. Starhawk! And a
dog that says 'deep doo-doo?!' All this
and more in the upcoming issue of Guardians of the Galaxy!
Man,
if you haven't picked up Annihilation or Annihilation: Conquest yet, please
do. You'll thank me. Outside of all the intrigue and retcons and
hero vs. hero storylines, we have the familiar Marvel cosmic event setup going
strong. Main characters die. Galactic forces marshal to subjugate or
destroy the universe. Galactus himself
puts in an appearance or two. Thanos
meets his maker yet again.
The action is
nonstop, and it takes place light years from where continuity might get in the
way. The Annihilation storylines are
continued in the oddly dysfunctional storyline of Guardians of the Galaxy, as
well as the Nova title. Some of the
funniest and most heartbreaking moments of the last two years take place in the
cosmic Marvel happenings. Oh, and just
cause I can't resist mentioning it, Annihilation has lesbian space dragons.
So,
all in all, Marvel's kicking it up a notch.
Don't miss out on any of these books, or on the years big event, Secret
Invasion! Who can you trust? Marvel to keep bringing you the books that
you love, and me to steer you towards the best of em.
Until
next time... Excelsior!
~ David Fisher, Dlair Austin
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Graphic Novels
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Hello once again, dedicated Dragon's Lair supporters. Recently, there's been a very special addition to the family. Gabrielle Faust, subscriber at the store and independent author, has given birth to a 232 page word baby!
Eternal Vigilance is a tale of post apocalyptic Texas, told from the perspective of a forgotten vampire by the name of Tynan. Possessed of a strong sense of guilt and an unusual capacity for humanity, our melancholy protagonist awakes from his self-induced slumber to find the world much changed. Austin is a crumbling ruin, Fredericksburg a vast crater haunted by the memories of genocide past and two factions have arisen from the ashes of the old world. The Tyst are a global empire, eagerly crushing all resistance in their unending march towards total domination. The Phuree are a nomadic people, the resistance force arrayed against the Tyst, though they're hopelessly outmatched. The remaining vampires of the world have a role to play, will they or no.
Honestly, the story begins slowly. We wake with Tynan in his time-lost tomb as he stirs with the sounds of his own nightmares. The tale is told from his viewpoint. As he takes in his surroundings, the descriptive text can get a little wearisome and gothic, and it seems only to skirt the edges of what I was most interested in reading about: how would an apocalyptic event physically and spiritually alter the Earth? We get a brief glimpse of a single Tyst-controlled cybernetic entity, but outside the that the changes are all described by Tynan as he goes about his often mundane business. From the obligatory scene in which vampiric feeding is described as "orgasmic" to Tynan's ruminations on the 20th century's political and environmental climate, the pacing for the first 30 or 40 pages tends to drag.
Before you write the book off, however, I recommend seeing it through to the finish. The pace kicks off dramatically, with the 1st person perspective giving the story a strong sense of immediacy. The writing gets much better as character interaction occurs with more and more frequency, counterbalancing the descriptive text, which loses its meandering quality and becomes much more focused. The vampires and their supernatural powers, as well as the political intrigue they deal with constantly, are electric and engaging. As the main character comes into his own, we are shown a world of forgotten friends turned enemies, immortals in hiding, and old foes forced into unlikely alliances. The telepathic capacities of vampires give a unique insight into each character and their motivations, giving a fairly inventive twist to character development. By the end, I knew there wasn't enough room to finish the tale of ancient vampire deities and messiahs, and I found myself eagerly anticipating the next book in the series. Oh, also, there's a hint that cyberspace will be involved, called the "flatlands" in Faust's future. I can't wait to see how vampires handle that.
We'll be having a signing by Gabrielle Faust on June 12st so come in and pick up a copy!
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The Many Armors of Iron Man |
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Comics
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A review of the current Iron titles out today
Seen the Iron Man movie yet? Well, what're you waiting for?! This was Marvel's best movie to date, hands down. It's generated a lot of interest in Iron Man of late, so, since you demanded it…
First I'll start with my favorite Iron Man title of all. Unfortunately, it's also one that's no longer in print, but still it deserves a place here. Iron Man: Extremis. Normally, when they rewrite a character's origin, I'm upset and indignant. However, writer Warren Ellis and artist Adi Gronov create an unstoppable powerhouse team that does justice to the armored Avenger like very few have managed before. The artwork is superb, down to Tony Stark's pornstar moustache and the incredibly complex design of the new suit. Just gorgeous. I don't want to give anything else away, but as far as collected works go, this is probably my 2nd favorite, next to Sandman. So, find it online or petition Dragon's Lair and Marvel to start making and carrying it again.
Next is a new series, The Invincible Iron Man, in which Tony's technology falls out of his own hands into those of an immoral madman, who's only reason for using it is to supply terrorists, make a quick buck, and create a brand new tech laced body for himself. And the awful thing is, he handles it better than Iron Man himself. The tech designs are amazing, and the players, villains and heroes alike are realistic in their speech and action (as far as they can be with superpowers). You even find yourself liking the villain, one Ezekiel Stone, which is all the worse after his bombs disintegrate a small African village. It's a clash of Iron wills, with the future of the armor up for grabs.
The third book worth checking out is Iron Man: Viva Las Vegas. With artwork stunningly rendered by the same artist behind Extremis, and the ingenious mind of John Favrene who just brought us the movie, Viva still leaves me with a feeling of unease. The continuity is off. In the movie, Tony needs a giant machine to help him armor up, and everyone knows his secret identity. In the books, he can armor up at will, carrying his armor in something as small as a briefcase, his identity is known, and he doesn't drink anymore. In Viva, he carries his armor in a suitcase, top of the line model from the most recent books, he drinks, and no one knows he's Iron Man. So, I'm just saying, I have no idea when this takes place. Still, it's a good book as a stand-alone, for eye candle value at the very least. It's a fun read, with ancient dragons and a plague of lizards invading Vegas.
And last but not least, Iron Man: Director of Shield. Buy it. It's great. It fuses politics and technology, magic and humanity. It brings back the Mandarin, one of Tony's greatest and most intricate foes, and one of the best villains Marvel ever made. It's got mutant cyborgs and super advanced genetically enhancing cancer cells. Best of all, it portrays the big IM as a hero, despite all the negative press he's gotten because of Civil War. Look people, he was just doing what he thought was right, okay? If I knew there were people out there who could destroy entire city blocks just by looking at them, I'd be a little nervous too. So, the only problem with this book is again continuity. Dum-Dum Dugan is a skrull in Secret Invasion, but here he's a major part of the story line, and totally non-skrull. Ah well.
Oh, one more thing. Tony seriously needs to build some defense against an EMP, cause there hasn't been one series where some bad guy knocks him out with one. C'mon Tony, I thought you were a genius.
Disclaimer: David Fisher is a giant Iron Man dork, in case you didn't notice. Take his opinions with a grain of salt. But he's also a genius with great taste. Just FYI.
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Comics
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Brawn #1
So, you'd think that super-strength and nigh invulnerability would be a blessing? Not so for Sam Ross, the protagonist of Brawn by Brandon Church. Ross is a working class man with a beer belly and a receding hairline. The story (and his problems) begin at his job as a dockworker, which lasts him all of two pages before he's fired for what amounts to just being a nice guy. As if this wasn't bad enough, Sam wakes the next day to find he can crush wood like paper, survive being hit by a car, and is now in possession of a freakishly obvious cybernetic arm and leg.
So first, the good. My initial reaction to the writing was curious interest. The first narrator's inset reminded me of a paragraph form a novel, well written, elaborate, and engaging. Church immediately evokes pathos for his hero, who comes across as more real and accessible than the usual spandex-clad, perfectly formed icons we're used to. The artwork is detailed in an old school eighties sort of way, with particular attention to certain scenes and clothing, courtesy of artist Artula Siriwardane.
And then, the not so good. After the first page the writing stumbles. It seems to hasten, as though Church was writing too quickly, or attempting to fill the first issue with too much information. The editing is definitely lacking, with several obvious typos and the repetition of words needlessly (one paragraph involving the word "hand" is especially illustrative of this). This alone would be distracting, but combined with the fact that on more than one occasion the action doesn't fully synch up with the narrative, I quickly found my enjoyment ebbing. The coloring is pretty drab, consisting of a palette of primarily grays and browns. Male characters' features all have a strange similarity. On top of all this, the story lacks a full range of emotion, without humor or irony to contrast the tedious unhappiness that Sam Ross is feeling.
This book has potential to be good, if the writers follow through on the possibilities in their main character and storyline. It's definitely worth keeping an eye on, but I recommend a little patience with the series, as it may not have hit its stride quite yet. Even so, a cyborg with a beer gut? How awesome is that?
-- David Fisher, Dlair Austin
Dead, She Said #1
Joe Coogan, private eye and alcoholic, has a problem. As the main character in Steve Niles' Dead, She Said, he has several problems. These include giant ants, suspicion for a brutal murder, and a killer hangover. In true noir fashion, I will leave the details of these events undisclosed.
Oh mystery, how you tease. This book has very little character development, you're dropped into the middle of the plot, and the elements and clues given seem completely separate and nonsensical. These may seem to be negative marks, but no. Together, they create the age old question, "whodunnit?"
From the beginning the artwork by artist Bernie Wrightson and colorist Grant Goleash is superb. The opening scene gives the impression of a man lying in a bed soaked with his own blood. Disturbing, but absolutely gorgeous in a technical sense. Subdued colors heighten the overall noir mystique.
Through the book's entirety, I found only two typos. Those are the only details I can point to as being wrong with the book. Oh, and the F-bomb gets dropped a few time. Not a book for the kiddos. Otherwise, A+. Believable dialogue, acceptably baroque internal monologue, and a minimalist approach to plot details come together exceptionally well to make this one of the first PI comics I've enjoyed since Sandman Mystery Theatre. Dead, She Said would be a great addition to any collection. -- David Fisher, Dlair Austin |
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Review of Upcoming Comic 'Life Sucks' |
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Graphic Novels
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So, what happens when you cross Kevin Smith's Clerks with vampires? If your response is "total super coolness," then Life Sucks, written by Jessica Abel and Gabe Soria, illustrated by Warren Pleece, is the book you've been waiting for. If not, bear with me.
Life Sucks follows the ups and downs of Dave Miller, average kid, gas station clerk at the Last Stop convenience store - and newly made vampire. The writing is superb and surprisingly realistic and the characters are fully realized and believable. From the beginning you get a low chuckle in your throat that, at times, becomes an out-and-out laugh. You can't help but feel for poor Dave as he deals with teen angst and love as a creature of darkness. The art is a bit cartoonish, but rather than hindering the look, it allows for greater freedom of expression and individuality among the players in the story. All-in-all, I can't think of anything this book is truly lacking. It could even become a classic (cult or otherwise), but hey - what better way to find out than to read it and love it for yourself?
-- David Fisher, DLair Austin |
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Manga
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![]()  I'm often suspicious of TokyoPop's Amerimanga stuff (you know, Manga by American artists which often involves artists who have learned the surface style but have not really developed their own personal touch, resulting in some pretty uninspiring reading). But Eric Wright's My Dead Girlfriend is a find, with an artistic style and storytelling sensibility that fits well with Japanese Manga but goes beyond the standard artistic style most Americans are used to.
?What if you knew you were destined to die? And to die in a really spectacular, bizarre way, just as your ancestors have always done? And the rest of your family are ghosts? And what if you went to a school with monsters, zombies and ghosts? Well, you'd probably hook up with a dead girl. And things just get weirder from there. There's a positive review from Joss Whedon on the cover. What else do you need to know?? |
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