Comic Book Journal

We have fun here at Comic Book Journal don’t we? Hee hee. Ah yes, fun with numbers. To correct the last post, the Action Comics annual received a six on a scale of one to ten. Maybe I should invent a new scale hmm….something to ponder, perhaps a contest in the future then. Anyway I still have a ton of stuff to review, so onward!

With a title like Adolescent Radioactive Black Belt Hamsters, I was not expecting to be entertained. In fact, I was expecting another Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles rip-off. And I though the days of animals having human characteristics were over. I thought Dynamite was a one-trick pony with Battlestar Galactica, but Dynamite has created an entertaining read with this series. Far from parody, ARBBH shows two aging former super hamsters fighting chupacabra in the Texas sun and reuniting with old allies.

While the story is entertaining and the artwork is nuanced and meshes well with the story, the book, in my humble opinion is overpriced. At $3.50 an issue the series, despite its high production quality will find it hard to attain and maintain readership. Overall, I’d give this book a seven out of ten. The comic is highly original with stylized artwork and high quality production– sure to attract new and younger readers, yet it could sink under the weight of its hefty price.

Interested in having a hamster of your own check out the forum on pets at home zookeeper on our own 451 Press. I’m sure you can search to find valuable advice on caring for your very own radioactive hamster. Here’s a link to one of the posts there: http://www.homezookeeper.com/wordless-wednesday-goofy-hat-boy/

Still more to come….

Being a Mike Mignola fan, I thought I’d pick up an issue of Abe Sapien. Again, Dark Horse, has made a wise decision keeping Mike, and of course, Hellboy, in their stable of growing horror comics. Dark Horse, as a publisher, is in my opinion, one of the most fan-oriented publishers in the marketplace. They have also launched campaign to capture the hearts of online readers with their Myspace Dark Horse Presents site. Now that we’ve got that out of the way, back to Abe. Did Abe Sapien impress me? As far as story goes, I’ve seen a little better from Mignola. Did Abe Sapien intrigue me? Yes, yes it did. Granted, I picked up this issue right near the end of the storyline, so I wasn’t as engrossed with the storyline as I would have been if I followed the story from the beginning, but this is the beauty of Mike Mignola’s plotting. Through this stand-alone issue the compelling plot and the fantastic artwork did make me want to find the first three issues, or perhaps get the graphic novel when published. If the arc is finished with the same quality and care as this particular issue, I anticipate those sales figures to be strong and steady for Dark Horse. Do not be mistaken, this title is not the typical Hellboy fare, that at times can be tongue in cheek. This is a serious horror comic and has almost a Lovecraftian feel to it. Also I can’t say enough about Jason Shawn Alexander’s artwork. His detail, pacing, and textures give the artwork the exact same tone the storyline has as well. Again, shades of H.P. Lovecraft. On a scale of one to ten, I’d have to give this book a solid eight to ten on the basis of originality alone. For more reasons why I like Mike Mignola, see my post at: http://www.comicbookjournal.net/why-i-like-mike-mignola/
Stay tuned…more reviews cometh!

Devil’s Due publishing has successfully proved they are more than just a one-trick pony. By branching out to other genres and different types of storytelling platforms they have proven they have what it takes to be successful on the comic book front, not just with GI Joe either. Other than Image and Dynamite Entertainment, I feel they have produced the best quality of work, outside of Marvel and DC. As far as independent publishers go, they are among the best. So what has made Devil’s Due successful? Talent. They consistently attract high-profile talent and that leads to a high quality of product made. Spooks #1 is no exception.

With a script by acclaimed fantasy novelist R.A. Salavatore and long-time comic book scribe, Larry Hama (who also draws a pretty picture or two himself), this series has large market success all over it.

The storyline of Spooks is fairly simple. It’s werewolves, vampires, and monsters versus the rest of the world in a battle for complete domination. Throw in some powerful magic, and an undead war general in charge, and you have a pretty good fight. The government has assembled a highly trained team of officers to protect and defend against supernatural enemies, and possible terrorists. In the first issue the spooks members see what they are up against with seven foot werewolves and then Frankenstein’s monster joins in at the end of the issue. I think this series could be really entertaining, but would like to see more development from the members of the task force. Right now, they just seem to be cardboard cut outs of characters.

I look forward to the series, but this issue was just not enough of a taste to keep me involved. In my opinion no one will ever write the story of humanity versus supernatural forces better than Mike Mignola. To see why he writes the ultimate end of the world story see my post at http://www.comicbookjournal.net/why-i-like-mike-mignola/

Now about the art. Adam Archer has made me believe werewolves exist they were literally jumping off the page. This is dynamic action, nicely rendered beings, brilliant backgrounds. And what I like most about Archer’s artwork is it flowed. It is clear that this issue was storyboarded and planned out before he drew even the first panel. Careful planning plus attention to detail equal outstanding artwork.

On a scale of one to ten I’d have to give this book a solid seven out of ten. While it’s a great starting point for a new series, that’s all it does is give a sample of what could be greatness. I’d have to have more of a sense of direction as to where the story will be taken before I could give it a ten. Sorry Devil’s I’ll give you your Due, but I’d just recommend this story to a casual reader who is looking for some fluff reading on the bus.

http://www.comicbookjournal.net/battlestar-is-pure-dynamite/ is the comic book to beat right now. It looks as if the industry is on the upswing in terms of independent publishers starting to be successful again. Recently I have noticed the trend of new companies forming, and either taking over known licenses or creating original material that is inspiring. Maybe all of the new blood (pun intended) will revitalize a dying marketplace. In Aracana’s Eve: Vampire Diva, a vampire who has the ability to control werewolves and other creatures of the night must navigate the cutthroat world of divadom and Hollywood. I give the creative team props for the originality of this concept. The idea is fresh, the art seems to complement the campiness of the storyline. But make no mistake, this title is no Anita Blake: Vampire Hunter. Marvel is the publisher to beat in the goth/vampire scene right now. Maybe if the theme was a little more mature, and the characters personalities a little more edgier I would enjoy this book more. Maybe if the plot progressed to something a little darker in the background it would make me want to pick up more than one issue. I give Aracana credit for originality, but that’s about it. I do give the book an e for effort and hopefully this will give the creators an open door in the industry to further define their work and hone their skills. I wanted to like this book more than the average comic, but it did fall a little flat. I’d have to give this one a solid six out of ten. Not bad, but no verging of greatness either. If you’re interested in more from Aracana, they do have a web site at www.aracanacomics.com. Onward!

To check out what’s up with my blogs this month check out http://www.comicbook journal.net/the-pop-culture-superhero-collison/ . This a review from an independent publisher, Red5Comics. I have to say, for an independent company with this title only, to my knowledge in production. This title is fairly impressive. Afterburn, is the story of a post-armageddon earth where only one hemisphere is decimated. Jack, the Texan hero of the story is a former oil worker who narrowly escapes the doom. Where most of the population has been destroyed how does he reinvent himself? He becomes a kind of a soldier of fortune and leads a crew of survivors as they steal (or repossess) priceless works of art–for a cost of course. The writing and plotting is light as dialogue and action blend smoothly between panels. The characters, and concept is fresh as well. And the art is vivid and detailed. I think the colorist is the unsung hero of this creative team. Without the colors muted in all the right places, and eye-popping in others, the book would not be quite the same. I have to say, Afterburn is an impressive first endeavor and I’d like to see more from Red5Comics. All in all, this book gets a seven out of ten for plotting, art, and originality. Look forward to more reviews coming your way!

Myth and folklore leave lasting impressions on any culture. Since it is now October, we’ll take the story of the Jack O’ Lantern for example. From folklore, it is rumored that a stingy man named Jack made a deal with the devil which took a wrong turn. Jack ended up tricking the devil, which saved his soul from Hell, yet, he was also barred from Heaven. Jack was doomed to wander the land forever, with nothing but a burning ember left to him by the devil to light his way. Jack, scared to lose his only light hollowed out a turnip and put the light inside of it. Thus, the legend of the Jack O’ Lantern was born. The myth later evolved to a pumpkin instead of turnip, and many Scottish and Irish families, used these “lanterns” to ward off evil spirits. We continue the tradition today. Comic books are one legacy we can leave behind. Sometimes the characters are borrowed from past myths and legends, others are completely original. Characters like Scooby Doo, Ghost Rider, Spawn, Evil Ernie, the Spectre, and Dr. Strange, all uniquely deal with the otherwordly, and are all perfect Halloween comic picks. Proving that horror comics have a future in the industry. Such titles as 30 Days of Night, Buffy, Angel, Anita Blake: Vampire Hunter, and Moon Knight are still going strong. New twists on old familiar characters will surely haunt your world this October like the new Marvel:Zombies, Resident Evil, and Silent Hill. When considering a list of favorites however, don’t forget to include the classics in the stories you will tell such as The Witching Hour, House of Mystery, and Tales of the Crypt. As comic book readers, and also storytellers we have the power to shape our own mythos for generations to come. I think Buddy Scalera in his 1999 article for Wizard had the right idea by passing out comic books instead of candy for trick or treaters, this will ensure the embers will never burn out in the niche the comic book genre in the annals of literature. So happy October loyal readers, if you’re unsure of costume ideas for your collective parties be sure to check out my blog about the Top Ten Sexiest Superhero Costumes. It can be found here:http://www.comicbookjournal.net/top-ten-sexiest-superhero-costumes/

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!

A new book slated for release in November looks promising. Chris Morgan’s new comic, “Salem.” looks to be intriguing. Released by independent Boom studios, it has already been announced as certifiably cool from Previews and could be a critical darling. The book which tells the story of a colonial witch hunter in Salem could be what’s needed to fill the niche in horror comics that has been left after the success of zombie thrillers, such as 30 Days of Night has waned. Do yourself a favor and get a first printing of this gem, I have a feeling it could be a very popular comic in the future. Remember the old adage of supply and demand, it’s very possible this could be the sleeper hit of the fall. With an interesting concept, gorgeous visuals, and a Lovecraftian tone, all of elements of a hit are in this book.

Its been mulled before, though no concrete option actually exists. Many authors of the sci-fi/fantasy genre - including Orson Scott Card and R.A. Salvatore - has come to the four color format, but let’s be honest - J.K. Rowling has enough money and publicity that she doesn’t really need to work again . . . tapping into a new Harry Potter audience is something of an oxymoron . . . if not downright impossibility.

But as I’ve said before, the comic medium offers several possibilities, especially if Rowling’s next book is some sort of concordance/encyclopedia. As previously mentioned, Stephen King’s Dark Tower comic runs in a similar manner, with added background material in the end of every issue, compliments of Robin Furth - who might just be a rising star in comics.

I’m not going to spoil anything for anyone, but there several gaps in the adventures of Harry Potter . . . as revealed in the seventh and supposedly final book . . . that could a very compelling comic.

Comic book sequels to established continuity has already make big business - like say Buffy: Season Eight. J.K. Rowling has always had a “never say never” approach to her beloved creation, but writing the bestselling books is a huge commitment either way you cut it.

Maybe JK should put HP in the comic book medium - to give readers their much-needed Hogwarts fix. Plus, while its doubtful - but not impossible - that many comic fans aren’t already cued into Harry Potter, her involvement would give a huge boost to the comic medium at large.

Just imagine what J.K. Rowling did for reading books happening the comics.

Just what’s in your library?

For the past three to four years, my own library has developed an ever-expanded graphic novels section.

Over the next couple of days, I’m going to be studying just how the library setting has impacted the comic book industry.

Consider this first part just a survey - a brief outline of the state of graphic novels in my local library - as well as anyone who cares to answer.

But not all libraries are created equal, so understanding just what kind of library helps us visualize where the graphic novel section fits in here.

Here’s my round of questions:

1) Is there a specific place for graphic novels in the library?

Yes - it’s actually located in the section of the non-fiction half of the library, around all the various superhero encyclopedias and comic collector books. There’s a sign on this column that reads “graphic novels” and shows a manga girl reading a book.

2) Just what kind of library is it?

Its a small town local library. Its very nice for a small town library - two floors, not including a basement/meeting area, as well as internet access and inter-library loan connections to other regional collections.

3) How would you rate the library itself?

8 out of 10. It doesn’t have the biggest CD collection, but the staff is helpful and the library is generally well-kept.

4) How would you rate the graphic novel section, if there is one?

Also 8 out of 10. It started out small, but its grown by at least several new titles per year. It can be pretty messy - don’t evn touch the Star Wars books, as kids have gone through them so much they verge on the brink of disintergration. But when you’ve worked children sections in a library like me, you learn to accept some rugrat messes here and there; on the plus side, some of the stacks are probably unreachable for kids at least until they hit middle-to-late middle school.

Well, those are my answers. What’s your take? Are graphic novels a rising force in the stacks or is mine just the exception to a very dull rule?

A quiet week for once . . .

Least I Could Do returns from New York after confirming the non-existence of ninjas or turtles. Rayne gets a call from his brother, who announces he has a cat named Qui-Gon Jinn. Rayne considers injecting his cat Baby with midi-chlorians.

No new Dominic Deegan’s this week, after a move and break-up threw the creator Mookie into a major deep funk. I offer my condolesnces to Mookie.

And in Arthur King of Time and Space, Arthur is captured, and Lancelot is captured trying to rescue him. Well, things don’t go exactly like that in the Western time period, where Lancelot does something else to, uhhh, help the forlorn Guinivere.

Well, its 12:12 up here and I’ve been up while my town - and in fact the entire surronding region - has been in the path of a superstorm!

The damage has subsided and I don’t see any shattered windows or downed trees out my window, but I don’t dare look - there were 80 mph winds out there just a minute ago!

On that note, today’s update will be slightly abbreviated, since the only one of our normally watched webcomic - Dominic Deegan - has yet to update until the morning. So I’ll provide comments on the remaining two webcomics before soundly retiring to sleep, before updating the Dominic Deegan watch sometime tomorrow afternoon.

Least I Could Do - Rayne’s New York escapades continue, and frankly, I want him back in the old routine again. Rayne watches Avenue Q on Broadway, spends a night with one of the leading lady, and gives an awesome comeback to the play’s creators. Which leads me to something I’ve always wondered - does Ryan Sohmer have to get permission for every real person who shows up in his hilarious webcomic, or do some sort of parody-protecting laws apply?

Arthur King of Time and Space: Boy, do we learn about the origins and layout of Arthurian legends in this webcomic! Sometimes the commentaries - regarding the various works which mark up the King Arthur source material - is just as interesting if not more so than the webcomic itself! More plotting around the budding relationship between Guinevere and Lancelot - hopefully next week will be more heavier on the plot directly than this week.

Dominic Deegan: Over in Dominic Deegan, Gregory has to deal with his lack of White Magic through his body changing in some weird ways. More to the point, he’s a skinny dark-haired guy who looked pretty much the spitting image of his brother. Gregory uses this new body to his advantage when one of the Chosen comes looking for Dominic for revenge. The female Chosen is immensely baffled by the faux Dominic’s willingness to change -as well as his forthright kindness. The Gregory-Dominic lookalike scernario is a bit too coincidental for my taste, but I really like the female Chosen - I’m not sure her name has been mentioned yet - could Mookie finally be on the way to creating a villain for whom we care?

Expect something different for the list this weekend. I’m going to go to my local grocery store and compare their findings with my local comic book store. Just what’s on the newstands these days? The answers might surprise you.

The third round of Small Press Idol has begun, and all the projects are posted, with less than a week left of official voting.

Sequential art is a lot harder to produce than just character designs and a cover, and the intensity shows in the line-up. No team managed to turn in a project on the first day of submissions, and many teams found themselves navigating a difficult deadline.

With the June 3rd deadline passed, the current line-up is conspicously absent of several heavy-hitters of rounds past. Virgina Mills-Barfield’s Windy City and Joe Reynolds’ Philadelphia: The Game are not among the posted works. At this point, there’s no way of knowing if they miss or made it and haven’t been posted yet. Although I will say this - if the latter is true, the crazy competition is going to get that much crazier.

The current Top 6 looks like Ninja Garden, Sky Pirates, Thieves, The Mid Ground, The Retreiver and Gutter.

Another prize has been added to the works - the next seven works will provide the cover and lead story for their respective Mysterious Visions Anthology. At this time, they are Translucent, Ruthless, Kensuke, Zombies of Liberty, Ho vs. Joe, Pierced, Pinnacle and Arena.

But with less than a week to go, all of this is sure to change! So do you’re civic duty and vote!

Vote Pierced!

(I can’t help it . . . I really want that cover now!)

Okay, we have plenty to cover even in the dailies, so here we go!

Dominic Deegan brings plenty of interesting developments. Dominic’s brother Gregory turns himself into a comically bulky hulk by overdosing on his own white magic. Dominic “fixes” it - only to turn Gregory into a short, skinny, scruffy guy nearly unrecognizable - which works to his advantage when the sole remaining Chosen comes looking for him.

Least I Could Do began by finding Rayne kicked out of several Broadway shows for riding the actors. It was cute in the Lion King, but downright disturbing everywhere else. Rayne is currently intrigued by the actress behind a puppet play, but I’m wondering if Rayne might have bigger problems when comes back down to Earth, as I think his boss, or perhaps, his boss’ boss, might be eyeing Rayne for downsizing.

Arthur King of Time and Space is finally dealing with the fallout of Lancelot’s night the with deceptive Elaine. The reactions run through all time periods - past, present and future - in many perspective and hilarious implications in the relationship between Lancelot and Guenevere. In one entry, Lancelot tells his forbidden love in medieval times it would have been better if they had met before she was married. The very next panel is in the future - same set-up - where Lancelot it would have been better for their relationship it they had met after she had been married.

This is Gravity finds Amanda - Dexter’s literally visionary friend - trying to discover the truth behind a series of arson plaguing a routy part of town known as the Wild West. Also, a superhero - or a guy running around in a ski mask - named the Watchman is involved. I’m so hooked.

In the epilogue of Between Two Worlds, Juhani responds to lame earth-bound fireworks by shooting up a freeze way from the other side into the sky. Let’s hope he knows what he’s doing, because he doesn’t, the whole cast might get frozen - what a weird twist ending that would make!

And finally Flatwood finds its hero Zack oh so closer to finally meeting the mysterious Mr. Milk whose been haunting his dreams like some Kubrick reject from the Shining. Though this comic has sporadically updated as of late, its always worth checking out for its sheer creativity and atmosphere!

Well, I have a Star Wars Top 10 to finish today, so let’s get started.

Dominic Deegan: For most of the week, its been just what Dominic does on his time off - which in some cases include prancing around merrily. But of course, every cloud with a silver lining has darker filling, and a mysterious woman - a survivor of the Storm of Souls - has come to finish the job and destroy the town of Barthis. After she finishes her salad. And chocolate cake.

Least I Could Do: Least I Could Do finds Rayne and company in New York for some kind of business. Thus far, Rayne has hired a helicopter service and a limo-complete-with-swimming-pool to drive him from place to place. But I can’t beat the suspicion that there’s something darker to this story - that his bosses might have used the opportunity to get him out of the office to discuss something Rayne might not like very much.

Arthur: King of Time and Space: We’re thankfully back in the medieval storyline for the majority of the week. Lancelot is conspicously absent during a feast (perhaps due to his Elaine troubles) much to the chargin of Guenvere. And just when we’re about to make some headway in the story, it jumps to present day Guenever angry about something. I can’t take this suspsense!