Comics Are Literature Part 2

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Quite possibly the most famous Batman story out there, Frank Miller’s Batman: The Dark Knight Returns is a gritty and violent tale of a man wrestling with inner demons and putting a ruined city back in order. Ten years after Bruce Wayne hung up his cape, Gotham has fallen to pieces. It is overrun by a gang of killers and, as Bruce walks home one night, they wake up something they wish they never had. The Batman returns with a vengence that can only be satisfied when “his” city is safe once again. Taking on gangs, the Joker, a new police comissioner, and even Superman, nothing will stand in his way.

Masterfully written by Frank Miller (300, Sin City, Ronin, and the contraversial All-Star Batman and Robin, the Boy Wonder), we are invited into the mind of a tortured soul who relives watching his parents die every day. This is 5/5 star material that you don’t want to miss folks.

Ready You Wallets for Joker

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I caught this interview on Wizard’s website and find myself all kinds of giddy. I’ve been on a Batman kick ever since I watched The Dark Knight and I’ve been collecting as many trades as I can. Then I find that DC will be releasing an original hardcover story written by Brian Azzarello (Eisner award-winner for 100 Bullets, Eisner nominee for Hellblazer, Batman: Broken City, Superman: For Tomorrow, and other great stories). Further more, it is being illustrated by Lee Bermejo (an amazing artist who is the regular cover artist for Hellblazer) and Mick Gray. Judging from the sample artwork I have seen, it is going to be feakin’ amazing.

DC’s website offers this synopsis of what to expect from the story:

After yet another stint in Arkham Asylum, The Joker finds “his city” divided among mobsters and costumed villains. Not content to settle for a piece of the pie, The Joker vows to take back the whole damn enchilada by any means necessary. Look for appearances by a slew of Gotham’s most wanted, including gritty takes on Two-Face, Riddler, Killer Croc, Penguin, Harley Quinn and even Batman!

Personally, I can’t wait and there will be an extra twenty bucks missing from my paycheck on October 22nd. Oh, and the scarring on the mouth of the “Clown Price of Crime,” in case you’re wondering, was included in the story before The Dark Knight ever hit movie screens.

Afterthought Review: H.P. Lovecraft’s Haunts of Horror #3 of 3

This week’s afterthough takes a look at the final installment to Marvel MAX’s adaption of the works of H.P. Lovecraft, Haunts of Horror #3 of 3. I am a longtime fan of this underrated and prolific author of some of the strangest fiction I have ever encountered and jump at the chance to check out anything remotely Lovecraftian. The first issue of this three part series was good an enticed me to pick up the second. That one was not so good. However, being the obsessive fan that I am, I have just got finished with the third and final installment. How did it hold up.

Again, Richard Corben provided the story adaptations and artwork on all three tales. The writing on the first story is smooth enough, though the ending seems a bit rushed and the other two stories seem more like highlights (Cliffnotes, if you will) of the stories they are adapted from. Also in the first story, the art has improved from the other issues despite the obvious disproportions. However, it falters in the later two stories. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again, H.P. Lovecraft adaptations need to be shadowy and dark – something that Haunts of Horror lacks.

Again, I find the best part of this issue is the inclusion of the original works by H.P. Lovecraft. I rate this issue 2/5 stars.

Paramount and the Future of Comics

After catching this article on Comic Book Resources today, I am feeling a mixture of joy and sadness. For those of you not willing to click on the link, Paramount Pictures reported this week that they will be releasing “mobil” comics based on the studio’s film properties. This includes Eagle Eye and Mission Impossible. Paramount’s digital entertainment division and Singapore-based Omnitoons will create these Manga-styled comics that run four single panels, four screens to a strip, and 20 screens per story episode. Currently available in the United States, Austrailia, Europe, and India as MMS or J2ME formats, PDE says they will be made available through key carriers worldwide. However, they will only be available downloads for your cell phones and will be treated as premium content by service providers and, therefore, you will be charged per download.

On one hand, I am happy to see this happening. It shows that comics are still a strong media in the world and that they are elvolving. As long as they continue to do so, the comic genre will continue to be strong. This proves also that digital comics are growing in strength, making it easier for independent creators to get the stories they toil over endlessly out to the public. Neorama’s own comics are going to take the digital route in the form of PDF downloads. But, this brings me to my other hand.

This also saddens me. As the digital age rises, I expect we will see a decline in print comics. To me there is nothing better about a comic than being able to hold it in your hands and studying each little detail about the artwork or examining the development of a story by pouring through back issues. With digital comics, you get little of that. Leaning in to a computer or cell phone screen will eventually drive you blind and you only have so much memory to store this strips (which have no collectibility due to infinate availability) on your phone. Ultimately, what costs less: another longbox or more memory for your iPhone? Could this rebirth of comics be the death of the incarnation that we have grown to love them in? We hope not, and that is why Neorama will also be offering its collected stories in trade paperback format as well.

This Week In Comics 8/27/08

Sorry about getting to this so late. I had a hell of a night at my job. But they’re here – this week’s new release reviews.

We start the reviews off with Nova #16. This issue ties the Centurion, while investigating a possible Phalanx infestation, is pulled right into the Secret Invasion storyline. The space trooper must team up with one of the enemy, Kl,rt – the Super-Skrull. However, can he be trusted. And, sure, Nova’s been outnumbered before, but he stands against an entire fleet of Skrull warships. Oh, and did I mention Worldmind seems to be out of action for good?

Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning wrote this issue, kicking off Nova’s run in the Secret Invasion story. The story is solid and the dialog is strong. I should also mention the great character building work they did on Kl’rt. The artwork was provided by Wellington Alves and Geraldo Burges. Action packed and filled with great hero shots.

This is the first “cosmic” character I have ever been into and this issue is yet another reason why. Nova #16 gets 4/5 stars.

 

This weeks indie title comes from indie giant Dark Horse with Star Wars Legacy #27. Now, I am a Star Wars fan and could not pass up the opportunity to check out two Sith dueling to the death. Traveling into the Deep Core, master of Sith lore Darth Wyyrlok must find the knowledge needed to keep his master alive. And he must battle Lord Adeddu, an ancient who once kept himself alive through sheer force of will alone.

John Ostrander wrote the script and, as a fan of Star Wars, I can say he puts me right back into that immortal universe. Furthermore, he manages to turn a story about a Sith into an inspirational tale about confidence. The art by Omar Francia is top-notch and detailed extremely well. Brad Anderson colored the issue and did an equally spectacular job. Details added to Darth Wyyrlok’s ship remind me of the detail on the X-Wings when I first watch A New Hope (complete with rust and dirt).

A good read and an excellent exploration into Sith philosophy with very talented art and colors earns this issue 4/5 stars.

Finally, we have our DC title, Final Crisis: Superman Beyond #1 of 2. As Louis is dying in a hospital bed, Superman is approached by a super god seeking to recruit the man of steel in a fight against a “reality-spanning menace.” In return, the super god offers Superman the chance to save the life of the woman he loves. It is then that we embark on an adventure that spans across the various Earths of the DC Universe and are introduced to a disfunctional team of Supermen.

Written by Grant Morrison, he juggles the various versions of Superman well, though the dialog can get kind of cheesy. However, that’s part of the fun. Doug Mahnke penciled the art and though a few panels seem off, the action shots and most of the panels with Ultraman are intense. Colors were done by David Baron and he makes sure to use them to bring the story alive with everything from divinity to crazed anger.

A fun read, especially with seeing Supermen of so many Earths coming together. I give the first installment of this two part mini 4/5 stars.

Cheap Box Review: Night of the Living Dead: Just A Girl

We’ve all seen them in our comic shops. They’re the cheap boxes, row after row of comics at discount prices because the titles in them just wouldn’t sell or their just not good enough for the showcase. Many people try to avoid them, I can’t get enough of them. Sure alot of the time you pull a dud. However, every once in a while, you pull a gem. Such was the case when I picked up this one-shot from Avatar.

Night of the Living Dead: Just A Girl takes us back to that old farmhouse in 1960, where a small group of frightened individuals holed up against a horde of zombies. For any of you who’ve never seen the original film, you’ve never seen a zombie film until you’ve seen this one. Those of you who have seen it will undoubtedly remember the little girl in the basement. Well, have you ever wondered what happened to her that turned her into a zombie or why she so violently killed her parents? Well this is a book you don’t want to miss.

Written by NotLD co-writer John Russo, I was hopeful that this would not be another crap story riding on the cult classic’s tail. I was not disappointed. Rather than twisting and ruining a story that I consider one the best social satires of our time, it added to it and explored a character that was left pretty unexplored in the movie.  Edison George provided the artwork for the tale, managing to strike a fine balance between story, character, and gore.

This book was an excellent find and I only paid half a dollar for it. Featuring a great story and detailed art, I give this book 4 of 5 stars.

What If You Were Batman

Thanks to Ironman2978 over at the Comic Book Resources Forum, I found this video on YouTube. It asks the question, what would happen if Batmen were your average middle class white collar guy. Now, I know this concept has been done before in alternate reality Batman comics, but (as far as I know) it has never been attempted in film. That is why I present this video to you. The cinematography is good and the plot is solid (also offering a nice twist on Alfred). The acting, though not award winning, is just as good as any straight to DVD movie. As Ironman2978 mentioned, I can see a sequel coming to this nice little fan film. I’m interested in where the filmmakers take the story and what their take on the Joker would be. So, without further ado… The Bat Man.

Comics ARE Literature Part 1

Growing up, I was always told that comics are not a valid literary genre. Just like novels were considered as trashy reading back in the Victorian era and before, comics do not garner the respect they deserve in today’s world. If you are a grown man or woman reading a comic book in a public place, you can rest assured that other adults will look at you as childish and immature. However, I must respectfully disagree. There are several books out there that challenge readers and ask them to think. This is the first in a series series of poststhat will explore some of the comic genre’s best graphic novels and stories. If you have any that you think should appear in this series, post it in the comments and we will definately consider it.

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Allan Moore’s Watchmen is the first and probably the best of these books. Created in 1986 with art by Dave Gibbons, TIME MAGAZINE named it in their top 100 English-language novels from 1923-the present. It is part murder mystery, part sinster plot to create world peace, and all psychological. Since reading it, I have often asked myself how Allan Moore stayed sane while writing a plot that is so complex that you will be scratching your head until the very end… and end that will twist your mind in knots and leave you utterly speachless. If, after reading this book, you do not consider comics literature, then you don’t know what literature is. This is one of Neorama Entertainment’s 5/5 star books.

DC Gets Dark

Andy Khouri reported on Comic Book Resources yesterday that Warner Brothers’ president, Jeff Robinov, intends to explore the darker side of superheroes in films based on DC comics. This is in response to the recent success of the company’s record setting film, The Dark Knight, and the fact that Superman Returns wasn’t such a hot movie. This course of action has thus put a damper on the Superman/Batman movie, the Justice League movie, and a Superman sequel. Instead, the company intends on releasing about two films based on DC characters per year, portraying them as darkly as the character will allow, and using Marvel’s strategy of introducing each character individually with plans of making an eventual team movie. This means reintroducing Superman and retooling some of the other projects they had planned. Currently, they have Green Lantern, Flash, Green Arrow, and Wonder Woman movies in development, as well as a third Batman film.

However, I don’t think this is the solution for them. Honestly, Batman is their darkest character (aside from their Vertigo titles) and he’s still not as dark as he could be. Adopting Marvel’s strategy is a good idea… as long as they stick with keeping the same actors in the roles of the characters they are playing. Rather than making all the characters dark though, they should portray the character as they were meant to be portrayed. For Superman, I would introduce him much like they introduced Batman in Batman Begins with flashbacks shown between an present storyline. Instead of making him dark though, I would show him as someone who has grown to love humanity with an overwhelming desire to protect it. Superman Returns really just portrayed him as a two dimensional character who could do neat stuff. Oh, and could we get someone for him to pound on? And, while I like Jonathan and Ryan Nolan’s scripts for the Batman films, I would make them darker still and invite either Frank Miller or Allen Moore to write the third one. What about this title: “The Goddamn Batman?”

Afterthought Review: The Victorian Horrors of Old Mauch Chunk #1

I have long been a fan of Victorian era horror. Everything from Edgar Allen Poe to Bram Stoker and Mary Shelly. It is for this reason that I picked up ASGMC’s The Victorian Horrors of Old Mauch Chunk, a miniseries set in the town of Mauch Chunk, PA (now Jim Thorpe, PA). As a team of coal miners discover a cave that seems to have dug out of the ground rather than formed naturally. The Gerard Company, who owns the mine, convinces James Ashton, a scientist from Villanova University, to investigate the cave and strange happenings in the town. Upon his arrival, he is approached by a local crazy who implores Mr. Ashton to leave and take him as well. Before he can show the scientist documents that would reveal the mystery, the “addict” is killed and devoured by a dark winged creature. We are left with James wondering down the alley where the vagrant has just been slain.

The book was created by Michael Bann and the story was created by Robert Canton and Michael Bann. Robert Canton wrote the script and does an excellent job of introducing the various aspects of the plot to us and smoothly introducing the characters. Allan Gallo provids highly detailed artwork with authentic architecture and clothing from the era and a growing sense of doom at the end. Michal Bann contributed what little color there is in the book. You see, the whole thing is done in black and white except for three panels splattered with blood. I get the feeling though that, as the story progresses, we will see a lot more of that deep crimson sprayed across that pages. Almost as an added bonus, many of the ads in the issue are Victorian in style, adding to the atmosphere of the story and making it feel like you are holding an authentic Penny Dreadful. I therefore offer this first issue of The Victorian Horrors of Old Mauch Chunk 4 out of 5 stars.