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HELL YEAH #1

(W) Joe Keatinge  (A) Andre Szymanowicz

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In an industry built and defined by Super-Heroes, it's kinda hard to come up with a new perspective to offer readers, something inventive that will pull them away from their childhood heroes and take a chance on a new mythology of masked men. Two of the most popular methods have been satire and deconstruction, made famous by books such as Marshall Law and Watchmen. The idea of real world Super-Heroes, as oxymoronic as that sounds, is not a new one, and has certainly been a popular trend in the past years, because who’s to say that there isn’t a superman out there somewhere, working in secret to change things, or perhaps more appropriately, keeping them exactly the way they are...

           "Hell Yeah", by Keatinge and Szymanowicz, enters into the realm of books descended from the likes of Squadron Supreme, The Authority and Kick Ass, but with a definite next generation vibe. Keatinge puts you behind the mask of a college student with the unenviable task of living up to his father's legacy, which is all the more difficult when he's partly responsible for changing the face of the entire world. Now, years later, Super-Heroes have become commonplace, giving rise to hundreds of super powered beings in their wake; one of which being our main character, Benjamin Day.

            With little knowledge of his origin except for a mysterious barcode tattooed on the back of his neck, Ben leads a somewhat reckless life, getting into fight after fight while trying to maintain his enrollment at Kurtzburg University (nice Kirby nod), so as to not anger his parents. Keatinge does a good job of mixing real world problems that readers can identify with into a super powered setting, achieving some of what made the Silver Age Marvel comics so popular. We get a good window into the life of a kid who has everything going for him, but still unable to find a balance in his life, though unbeknownst to Ben, his parents may have more to blame for that then he realizes.

            Working on what is probably his highest profile book yet, Andre Szymanowicz, though still a bit rough around the edges, turns in some pretty good pages, balancing the line of disbelief that is essential in allowing the reader to believe that Super-heroes are walking the streets. Set in Portland, OR, Andre drops in specific locations, such as Powell's bookstore, to give the reader a frame of reference, thought at times I did feel it could have been anywhere U.S.A. That may just be a personal hang up, as I think many of the new books Image puts out are a little light on the environment, providing just the necessary details to evoke a certain scene in the reader's imagination. Sure, Kirby did it at times, as well as the majority of Silver Age artists, but that was when kids had a bit more imagination as opposed to nowadays, and if Image is to achieve Kirkman's goal of reaching non comic readers, creators will need to truly transport the reader to new worlds using participation techniques that has made Manga so popular here in America. Especially a book like this, which I feel could appeal to teens, will need a weapon to combat the inability of many non readers to bring the printed page to life; a fact that Manga has worked around by providing pages rather than just panel of background.

            That being said, I think Szymanowicz has a good handle on character design, especially what a modern super powered kid would wear for a costume. The girls that show up at the end of the comic look like super-hero club kids, which is an idea that has fascinated me since Morrison tackled it in Final Crisis.

            Despite ending on a somewhat overused cliffhanger, I'm definitely curious as to where this book is headed; if it will address the problems brought about by the appearance of Super-Heroes and their impact upon the world, or if it will turn into a universe hopping adventure filled with angst ridden super teen beat down trying to solve their problems with their fists, like their fathers. The tagline for the book is, "The last generation of Super-Heroes", so I can only assume things will not end well for our characters. Though from every death comes rebirth and we may very well be looking at our future saviors.

 REVIEW BY CASEY!

3/5 Z's



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RED LANTERNS #1-6

(W) Peter Milligan  (A) Ed Benes

You Should Read Red Lanterns

Six months into DC's New 52 initiative, its creative direction is crystallizing.  Narrative arcs are beginning to climax and conclude.  While some of these books are proving to be meaty and unpredictable, none have quite the same appeal as Peter Milligan and Ed Benes's Red Lanterns.  Too many of the new titles have been afraid to stray too far outside of the box, regurgitating origin stories and recycling style.  Red Lanterns is about ten feet away from the box.  Instead of being a frantic action comic, it junks superhero conventions in favor of moody observations on consequence and violence. Couple this tone with a bizarre sense of humor, and it has swiftly become one of the most unique titles on the racks, DC or otherwise.

The scenario closely resembles one of Milligan's earliest sagas, Bad Company, which is also about a group of mercenaries led by tragic monsters through hostile alien vistas.  Here, that monster is Atrocitus, leader of a planet of Red Lanterns, a corps of mindless, raging warrior-creatures.  Atrocitus decides that the rage fueling him demands worthy satisfaction and resolves to avenge atrocities across the universe aided by a few of his Lanterns, including the scheming fatale Bleez.  Meanwhile, Milligan's signature interest in the self's capacity to transform finds a strong voice in the story of an Earthling and his murdered grandfather, which crescendos to the climactic snap of a spine on the first page of issue six.

This may sound like a bloody sci-fi epic, but it's more like a brooding space opera.  The narration glides over time, through characters, and across galaxies, giving each conflict a cosmic context.  Unlike many comics, this one sees violence as a non-solution, though it also does not shy away from exploring the therapeutic power of revenge. Like when a soldier in issue two kills innocent children mistaking them for armed hostiles, Atrocitus considers the cyclical nature of vengeance in the same panel that depicts him showering the soldier with napalm blood puke.  Also noteworthy is the book's recurring reflection on the moment where pain becomes rage, wonderfully illustrated in issue five when the pain of a character's betrayal mutates into a powerful fury as his skin is burnt from his face. Red Lanterns is interested in the consequential, which makes it a rare comic indeed. 

Duke of Demonic Cheesecake, Ed Benes's pencils are oddly fitting for the book.  At first, the focus on the scantily-clad Bleez's butt seems hilariously random.  By issue three, when Atrocitus growls at her "I'm not interested in your subtleties!" as she walks away giving the reader an eyeful, the gratuity is thoroughly meshed with the book's twisted sense of humor. And while Benes may indulge in his usual hurricane of hatch lines and uncomfortably posed figures, his layouts expressively stage Milligan's operatic vision.  Tension builds as the extreme illustrations highlight the script's poetic beats, emphasizing both the inward and outward manifestations of wrath.

The most glaring shortcoming of the New 52 has been the absence of any major surprises.  It's been a lot of solid books by a lot of solid talent, which also describes the Old 52.  With Red Lanterns, Benes and Milligan's mutual brands of insanity fuse to create a genuinely different DC comic that I can't recommend enough.

4.5 OUT OF 5 Z'S

REVIEW BY PATRICK!

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GLORY #23

(W) Joe Keatinge  (A) Ross Campbell

Created by Rob Liefeld in the mid 90's, Glory was a blatant rip off of Wonder Woman, just with a hell of a lot more pouches. Relegated to the quarter bins for the last decade, Glory makes her triumphant return as part of the Extreme Studios relaunch that has captured the attention of unlikely fans all over. Seriously, If you told me five years ago that I'd be reading a Liefeld book, I'd have just laughed in your face. What I've come to realize is that, much like George Lucas, Liefeld has some great ideas and characters; he just needs to let someone else execute them. By giving his properties over to creators who come from such different schools of thought, he proves that there are no bad characters, just writers; even if Liefeld himself is included in that statement.

            This time around, writer, Joe Keatinge, plays off the fact that Glory has been absent from the shelves for almost a decade by putting the reader in the shoes of a young journalism student who has been searching for Glory since she disappeared (in the comics) ten years ago. Her search is intermittent with various scenes from Glory's past, paying homage to the various incarnations over the years, as well as her time before coming to Earth.

            Now, this may just be the fourteen year old boy in me, but judging from the opening three panels, I expected a hell of a lot more mythic violence and giant beasts getting slashed in two by Glory's ridiculously huge sword. This is not to say that I don't want a story, but when you've got a phenomenal artist like Ross Campbell, capable of designing out of this world creatures and burly women to fight them, well…you give him just that. It felt like Keatinge was taking himself a little too seriously; I was expecting a bit more humor from a writer who has his character kicking over Nazi tanks on page two.

            Picking up the ball where Keatinge dropped it, artist Ross Campbell, much like Simon Roy on Prophet, maintains his indie edge while still paying tribute to the essence of the character. For those unaware of Campbell's work, such as Wet Moon, Water Baby, Shadoweyes or The Abandoned; he is known for having strong, realistically drawn female leads with emphasis on minor details that allow readers to identify with his characters. Like I said before, I was hoping for a bit more action scenes featuring the wonderfully drawn monsters on the front cover, but clearly Ross is just teasing us with glimpses of what will hopefully be included in future issues. It's interesting to see Ross' work in color, as he works primarily in black and white, though it does give the real world scenes a nice sense of atmosphere, pulling the reader directly into the biting cold of the small French town where the main character finds herself at the end of her quest. While this may not be the best example of what Ross is truly capable of, I'm sure that we are only in the warm up stage of what promises to be an epic battle between the forces of good and evil!

            To be perfectly honest, I was a little under whelmed by the first issue, but I trust in Ross Campbell to deliver mythic violence on an unprecedented scale and hopefully Keatinge will be able to keep up. The Extreme studios relaunch continues as the 90's return in full force! Should we run for the hills or buy 5 copies? Either way, Rob Liefeld is laughing all the way to the bank…

2.5 out of 5 Z's

REVIEW BY CASEY!

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THIEF OF THIEVES #1

(W) Nick Spencer & Robert Kirkman  (A) Shawn Martinbrough



I believe in comic books. These are the last words written by 'Thief of Thieves' creator, Robert Kirkman, at the back of the book, in a letter to the reader. He talks of how comics should be embedded into people's everyday life, the way that everyone watches movies or T.V., rather than being a hobby of a specific niche. And honestly, Mr. Kirkman, I couldn’t agree more.

Thief of Thieves reads like something you'd see on T.V. I don’t say that as a bad thing, but it's true. In a medium where suspension of disbelief is commonplace, this book takes its cues from more down to earth comics such as: Sin City, Criminal, Love and Rockets, etc; real world characters with real world problems. The idea of using a recognizable setting in an attempt to lure more timid readers is one of Kirkman's main weapons in the war to expose more people to comic books, which in theory, should work. Why can't a well written crime comic be as popular as a not as well written T.V. show? Is it just the perceived 'work' that reading something takes as opposed to letting the T.V. think for you? We are Americans after all…

Nick Spencer, who Kirkman hand picked to actually write the book, delivers a tight, engaging script filled with dark humor and a solid window in the life of a man who can take anything he wants. Plus, Spencer teaches you how to steal a car, which is required knowledge for all aspiring criminals. Ok, so yeah, maybe comics do contribute to delinquency, but whatever, Wertham's dead.

On the art side of things, veteran noir artist, Shawn Martinbrough turns out sufficiently moody, though not highly innovative, pages that work well with the script. Using a slightly standard panel layout stands to reinforce the familiar cinematic feel that first time readers can identify with, as overly complex pages would only serve to confuse and annoy.

All in all this book is another solid #1 from Kirkman's Skybound imprint, though whether or not it will succeed in bringing in non comic readers remains to be seen. Either way, I applaud Kirkman for his tireless efforts in the ongoing battle to bring new faces into the comic book world.

REVIEW BY CASEY!

3.5 out of 5 Z'S

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CAPTAIN AMERICA & BUCKY #625

(W) Ed Brubaker, James Asmus  (A) Francesco Francavilla

Captain America embodied the ideals and beliefs of America at its most pure, before the greed of big business and corrupt Governments tainted the dream; when we knew where we stood in the world and who our enemies were. Nowadays, most people find it hard to identify with him, seeing only a boy scout that fights for his country, a relic of times past. True, he was created as a poster boy for kids to look up to during the dark days of WWII, but if you gaze a little deeper, there is much more beneath the surface.

            Ed Brubaker, best known as the man who killed Steve Rogers, teams up with newcomer, James Asmus to bring us a book that takes its queues from Silver Age Kirby adventures, as well as the more modern espionage styled stories that defined Brubaker's previous run. Captain America and Bucky is a testament to the longevity of the character, providing action packed excitement as well as a feel of what it's like to be a man out of time who is never able to escape his past.

            Joining them on this issue is new regular artist, Francesco Francavilla, whose genius I cannot do justice here. Using Silver Age techniques filtered through a non mainstream super-hero lens, Francavilla creates a retro/modern style that perfectly complements the character. With his odd color palette of purples, oranges, browns and yellows, Francavilla infuses the pages with a neo-noir sense, but without the dripping despair that is expected with that style.

            As a longtime Captain America fan, I couldn’t be happier with the direction this new creative team has taken. This is a comic that understands the inherent absurdity of Super-Hero books as well as what it means to represent the notions of a country that no longer exists.

4 out of 5 Z's

REVIEW BY CASEY!

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DARK MATTER #1

(W) Joseph Mallozzi & Paul Mullie  (A) Garry Brown

In the infinite abyss that is deep space, 6 doomed souls awaken from cryosleep to find themselves on a ship with no memory of who they are or how they got on board. Throw in a murderous Albino android and you've got what sounds to be a pretty cool idea for a comic. Unfortunately, the execution was not as smooth as I would have liked.

Using a very standard and archetypal cast, the writers, Mallozzi and Mullie, attempt to evoke the creepiness of the first Alien film, but are bogged down by the inability to smoothly flow from one scene to the next. Because of this, they are unable to build the tension that is necessary to create successful space horror stories. You do get a basic sense of who each character may be, but at the same time, it is exactly what you would expect just from looking at them. I'm hoping that in future issues, the writers play with these stereotypes to produce the betrayals and intrigue that was promised in the solicitation.

Aside from the character designs, Garry Brown's art was sufficiently gritty and dark, creating a cold and hostile feeling that echoes what the characters are experiencing. It reminded me of early Sean Phillips and I expect that Brown will progress quite nicely over the next few issues.

All in all, I am curious to find out how bad things get, and hopefully the crew will slowly descend into madness as each new layer of the mystery is revealed.

2.5 OUT OF 5 Z'S

REVIEW BY CASEY!

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YIDDISHKEIT: JEWISH VERNACULAR AND THE NEW LAND

Edited by Harvey Pekar and Paul Buhle

This is the project Harvey Pekar was working on when he passed. It is a collection of essays, comics journalism and even a play script delving into the state and condition of Yiddishkeit. Yiddishkeit is a term used to describe the culture of primarily Eastern European Jews and the vernacular language of that group of people, but it also means a lot more. The contributions to Western culture by these often-persecuted people are quite extensive, including language, cuisine, entertainment and science. It is somewhat disheartening to realize that one reason Yiddishkeit is so prevalent in Western society is directly attributable to the frequent forced relocation of persecuted people. It is fascinating to me, however, how much resilience is shown by the people who spread Yiddishkeit around the world. I thought I knew a lot about Jewish history and culture, but reading this book has opened my mind to a much deeper understanding of Yiddishkeit.

Review by HOWARD!

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PIGS #1

(W) Ben McCool & Nathan Cosby  (A) Breno Temura

I don't know how this comic is selling in other stores, but if the sales in this one are any indication, it's not selling as well as it should. Set partially in the past, partially in the present, it's an espionage comic that delves into the history and secrecy surrounding the Bay of Pigs (Look it up). The writing is good, the story well researched, and the art is dirty and simple, like all good comics in this genre should be. I don't know why it's not selling more copies, maybe because they paid too much attention to their research and not enough to their Twitter account. 

Review by ERIN!

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Swamp Thing #2:

(W) Scott Snyder  (A) Yanick Paquette

I'm enjoying quite a few of the new 52 titles, but this is one of my favorites. Scott Snyder is one of my new favorite comic writers, and this issue of "Swamp Thing" illustrates why perfectly. The story is solid, engrossing, and you don't need to have read any other comics to follow it.  But Snyder makes you want to. "Flashpoint", the most recent run on "Green Arrow" and anything and everything involving the Parliament of Trees (gods bless Alan Moore). My only gripe is that I was really hoping for more plant factoids, which I personally found just as interesting as the story itself. 

Review by ERIN!