Comic Book Journal

People who never read comics often ask me, “I’ve never read comics. Where do I begin?” Recently, the first example of a title I give them to read is Fables. Fables recently won an Eisner for best continuing series, and I agree, it is. For you, loyal readers, who have never read Fables, I do refer you to my blog for Vertigo graphic novels. It is: http://www.dccomics.com/sites/vertigo_num1s/. This will let you read the first issue at no cost. The art is gorgeous and the concept of continuing fairy tales, set in a modern day world is intriguing. The writing is also top notch. Taking time to read this issue will make you realize why comic books continue to be the most underappreciated, underused art form today.

As the fall convention season kicks off I’m left pondering a couple of things. Consider this an unofficial poll. Who thinks that it’s okay to have different genres associated with comic books during a convention. An example of this would be a sci-fi/comic convention or an anime/comic convention. I personally feel that while both or all genres of pop culture should be celebrated, and many share a collective fan base, why take away from the power of the comic book culture blending it with another. This is why I feel that bigger cons such as San Diego’s comic con ultimately hurts the medium more than helps it. Sure by bringing in Hollywood or television a larger fan base is created, but at what cost? Some people feel the other way why not combine conventions for convenience and gain readership that way. I just feel as the industry evolves the comic book community as a whole is losing sight of what made comics special and the legends who created them historic.

Also, have a web comic you want reviewed feel free to send me a link and I’ll give my honest opinion. Send to: Velma92181@yahoo.com

I was going through the latest Previews and found something that would make a great Christmas gift. (Hey it gets earlier every year.) In terms of design Graffiti has really outdone themselves with this extremely well-designed Batman shirt. It’s quite different than any Batman design I’ve ever seen on a tee shirt. Take a look:
In other news, the World of Warcraft comic book is set to be sold November 14, and with it’s release, I’ve done some pondering. I’m not much for online gaming, though I do dig some video games. With that said, maybe I missed the point of massive multiplayer online games, but isn’t the point that you create your own guilds and storylines? Being immersed in storyline and character interaction is what drives mmorpgs so why take that creative power from the audience by having a licensed comic book? I guess the folks at Blizzard decided that partnering with DC and Wildstorm would make for a good crossover and a lot more cash, that’s my view anyway. I long for the day when someone invents an online rpg that is graphically beautiful, extremely easy to play, immersive, and free. That’s the only way you’d catch me in another realm. Anyway, at least Jim Lee’s cover is nothing less than beautiful. Of course if you have questions or comments on my humble blog just let me know.

Here’s another glimpse of the strangeness that can Ebay. Would someone stop the madness, please. Just when I thought the world of collecting would be limited to variant covers, I’ve discovered that someone is actually selling just the advertisements from some mid seventies books. Sure these ads are cool and retro, but come on, who wants a hostess fruit pie ad hanging on the bedroom wall? So what’s next? The letters page from a comic? These ads are going for $7.99 each if you’re interested, personally, I’d rather have the set of Lady Death glasses that’s being sold, at least that way I can use them. That’s all from ebay today, I gotta go and buy some pies.

Warner Brothers and DC Comics have announced that the director for their upcoming Justice League film will be George Miller. While the film may or may not be released after the Dark Knight and before the next Superman film, a release date has not been announced yet. Who’s George Miller? Miller directed Mad Max and also wrote collaborated on the story. He also wrote and directed Babe 2: Pig in the City. That’s pretty much it. I do see how Mad Max generated a cult following and how his Babe 2, tried to appeal to an audience of all ages, not just children. Even though Miller does have film credentials and is an experienced director, I’m left scratching my head. I don’t know why Warner Bros. and DC just have Chris Nolan stay on after the Batman trilogy completes, or even during the middle of it, to helm the Justice League. He’s proven he’s got the chops to direct a comic book movie. He stayed true to the original material, and brought the Batman legend to a new generation never sacrificing the integrity of the character to do so. I shudder to think that the Justice League will just be action scene upon action scene, but it appears it could be so. Questions, Comments, Thoughts? You know where to reach me. Until tomorrow,

Jess

In December Image comics is taking a chance on its readers by dropping the price of the Spawn: Godslayer title. The fantasy series, is more than just standard Spawn fair. As I’ve often said in my postings, Image is getting it right by dropping the price point so that new readers can afford to try the title. Also, the particular issue, #7 to be exact is a surprisingly good jumping on point for new readers, since it begins a new story arc. And have you seen the art? It’s gorgeous detail and soft shadow and line work, proves that you will get all the bang for your buck (see pic). Also, in way of the price point, Frank Cho’s new title, Jungle Girl #0 and also #1, launch this week and the zero issue is just a quarter. I’m glad to see publishers are getting it right, and hopefully getting new readers by seeing that price plays a major part in what readers will consider picking up.

Sorry about the last post people. I have went back in and put the link at the end so it should be accessible now. It’s definitely worth checking out as many of the titles are diverse and refreshing.
With that said, onward to today’s post which I’m sure you’ll have as much fun reading as I did writing. I was watching television (a necessary evil) last night, the Emmy’s to be specific and noticed there were loads of car commercials, so I pondered, what vehicles would some of my favorite superheroes drive? Without further ado here’s my list of what some of DC’s finest would drive:

Superman– Chevrolet Cobalt: (blue) Why? It’s modest, classy, and traditionally American. As Clark Kent it makes sense not to be flashy, yet it is powerful and dependable.

Batman– Gran Sport Spyder (black) Why? It’s a Masirati. It’s the epitome of wealth. It’s sleek, sexy, powerful, and fast. What other car would the crime-fighting playboy find to suit him.

Wonder Woman– Subaru Baja (white) Why? The Amazon needs something dependable, sporty, and roomy. With it’s toughness she can tackle mountains, yet it does have a sporty, sophisticated feel.

Green Lantern– Ferrari (green) Why? It would feel like flying through the galaxy on earth. Fast, sexy, and sporty, the Emerald protector of the universe would love the handling and rush of driving this high end speed machine.

Martian Manhunter– Chevrolet SSR (red) Why? It’s futuristic looking plain and simple. It’s strangely retro, yet has a futuristic feel with plenty of pickup in this new pickup. It’s fun, odd, and always dependable, just like the Manhunter.

Well there you have it, just a few of my favorites. Also, please do stay tuned. I’m going to have my own version of the Emmy’s right here on site. I’m going to post what I feel to be the best of the best of the year so far. This is can promise you. It will be better written, than any awards show ( other then the MTV VMA’s nobody could write Britney’s horrible performance better than MTV) you have seen. Until then, later days.

Jess

sorry about the last post guys. I’ve went in and added the link to the graphic novels. If you pull it up again it should be there. Thanks for letting me know!

Jess

Even though it’s Top Ten Friday, I had to write and share this cool link for Vertigo comics. Sure, it’s a tactic to get new readers, but hey it’s free, what’s better? Vertigo has posted a page with some of their most acclaimed graphic novels and the first volumes are downloadable and completely and utterly free. I give Vertigo a big thumbs up for this. Here you can read everything from classic Swamp Thing to American Virgin and Fables. Anyone who’s been wanting to try a first issue, or series, but scared to shell out the expense will find this site invaluable. http://www.dccomics.com/sites/vertigo_num1s/

I was talking with my roommate the other day about her tattoos as she is thinking about getting another one, and I have been considering the question of superhero tattoos. I have come to the conclusion that in general is a good idea if you want the body art, if an only if you do the proper planning. Here is an example of a reason not to get a comic book character tattooed on your body
As you can see, the proportions are off on Spidey and he appears scrunched and pained as he swings on his web. Most tattoo artists are not experienced in heavily detailed linework like comic artists are. Also depending on the part of the body tattooed, it may or not fit with the spatial considerations for each individual character. What I mean by that is take a classic character such as the Hulk, he has inhuman proportions, therefore his design will naturally be bigger than other characters to show his massive size. Sure, you have have a three inch Hulk tattooed on your shin if you want, no one’s stopping you, but it would lose much of its detail and without the size of the character, the Hulk could turn into the lost green Smurf in an instant. On the other hand, here is an example of good comic book tattoo art:
Notice how the Crow sits perfectly positioned in an area with just enough space on the body to showcase the detail of the character. The artist not only did an excellent job with placement, but also used proper lighting and proportion so that the Crow looks like an actual person poised in thought, rather than a black and white blob quickly inked on. He does not have any action whatsoever, which also makes this a perfect “portrait” tat. There is no tricky perspective to master as without the action in the picture, there is no possibly in lapse of judgement by the tattoo artist as to how it should be set up. I just wanted to give you guys and girls a few things to think about as summer fades away, it’s only another year until it’s time to hit to the beach and no better way to show off some skin than with some sun, sand, and fresh ink.

The future of comics have arrived in mobile format. Comic book publishers have launched deals with several wireless companies to provide titles via a wireless connection. The comic book cell phone comics display panels one at a time on the screen and comics such as Bone and various manga titles have already launched. The service is relatively inexpensive anywhere from $3-$5 a month for a dozen or so titles loaded directly to the phone. With comics reaching the digital age, I wonder if this is the future of comics or just a plain bad idea. I think the one panel approach definitely takes away from the respectiblity of the artwork, as the format of a page with different panels and shots can often-times be as beautiful as the artwork itself. Not to mention, with the layout being panel per panel the storytelling is somehow shorted, not being as dynamic as necessary for a 24-48 page book. I think that newspaper comic strips would be a far better medium to approach for this type of technology. For example, a three panel strip for Garfield than carries a storyline for two weeks could be sent directly to the phone for reading in a day or two. This would also greatly improve readership for those syndicated strips as well, revitalizing the dying art of the newspaper comic strip. My verdict on comic book files through a mobile service–bad idea. Publishers should just make the actual books less expensive as an entertainment medium.

It’s Friday, so I’m going to pimp your ride. I think that the auto industry has a wealth of merchandising power yet to capitalize upon with comic books. With that said, here’s the Top Ten Comic Book/Auto Accessories

10. ‘My Child is an Honor Student at Xavier’s School for Gifted Youth,’ bumper stickers.

9. Krytpo the Superdog Bobble head dog. There’s no better companion than man’s super best friend.

8. Plastic Man seat belt covers.

7. Longshot “lucky” fuzzy dice.

6. Iceman ’stay cool’ cup holders.

5. The Human Torch beverage warmers

4. ‘Bamf. Bamf.’ Nightcrawler navigational system. It’s not Tom-Tom…it’s Bamf Bamf!

3. Spider-Man web ’spinners.’ Cool rims with flashy web design.

2. Captain America steering wheel cover. Retro and an All-American classic.

1. Incredible Hulk brush guard. Picture it– A Hummer with a monstrous Incredible Hulk brush guard on the front, practically indestructible.

It’s official, The Dark Knight is the most viewed movie trailer on the web! As reported on Yahoo yesterday, more surfers checked out the teaser trailer than any other. While this may or may not come as a shock to you, I think it’s impressive and at least worth noting. The Dark Knight comes from Legendary Pictures, the same production company that handled Superman Returns. This worries me. I believe under the help of Chris Nolan the movie will be as great as Batman Begins, hopefully it will far surpass Superman Returns, which if you watch the original after viewing the newest version, it looks as if it were shot scene by scene minus the Christopher Reeve charm. Batman films have made a great journey from campy to classic, and I think that The Dark Knight will be just as well-made and acted as Batman Begins. In fact, with an all-star cast, I don’t even think Heath Ledger as the Joker could ruin it. If you wanna check out the trailer (which to save you some time is just Christian Bale and Michael Caine discussing the situation) here’s the link to the yahoo site: http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/1809271891/trailer

See you tomorrow for the first of many Top Ten Fridays!

I was reading an article the other day on Stevenson’s “Strange Case of Dr.Jekyll and Mr. Hyde,” and it got me to thinking. I posed the question in my head, what happened to the “secret identity?” Few new superheros protect the intergrity of their identity. For older superheroes such as Superman, the duality of the alter-ego vs. personality of their superhero identity created internal conflict, thus creating an interesting human emotion which not only furthered plotlines, but created tension and drama. That’s part of why we read Batman, not only to see his crime-fighting exploits, but also to see what’s going on in Bruce Wayne’s personal life and how that affects him as a superhero. I think that more creators should rely on the tool of the secret identity. It makes for pure good story.

If you haven’t already, it’s time to check out Dark Horse Comics Presents on Myspace.com. No subscription is required to Myspace in order to peruse the offerings. You don’t even have to get a subscription to the online comics. This is completely FREE. I applaud Dark Horse in ths bold move to get new readers. And these are great comics kids. I read all of the mini issues on the site, and was extremely impressed by Ron Marz’s story with Samurai:Heaven and Earth. The art was gorgeous also and the attention to detail (notice the reflection of the rider and horse in the eyeball) along with the coloring, set the mood for a great epic. I would follow this one in print as well. Do yourself a favor: check this stuff out!