Below are a few pages from The Art of Top Cow, that’s being released tomorrow.
Watchmen Director’s Cut DVD Review
I remember seeing Nite Owl’s ship, and the excellent repeating trailer, on display at last year’s Comic-Con and here we are a year later. The film adaptation of DC’s classic 12 issue maxi-series has come and gone and has excited and perplexed many. I loved the film on the big screen. It was everything I hoped it would be and more. Sure, it wasn’t exactly a precisely faithful take but like Sin City before it, it showed the world that comics can be deep and mature. Hollywood had been trying to make the landmark story into a cinematic epic for the last twenty years, but it wasn’t until director Zack Snyder made 300 and proved himself worthy of the Watchmen helm.
Snyder’s brave choices are immediately obvious. The 1985 setting, the profanity, the brutal violence. It’s all there and it works and there’s even more swearing, lewdness and blood splattering in this Director’s Cut. There’s always an undercurrent of menace in this dark world where superheroes, or “masks” are outlawed, and the casting is almost perfect, particularly Jackie Earle Haley as Rorshach. His gruff narration and moving ink blot mask are exactly what I’d imagined when reading the comic. Dr. Manhattan (Billy Crudup) is the only one with actual superpowers, though the other members of The Watchmen (The Comedian, Silk Spectre, Ozymandias) fight like superhumans. His glowing blue naughty bits may unsurprisingly be too much for some but it fits with Snyder’s overall vision. It ain’t always a subtle film. The sound and special effects are suitably fantastic, though the song choices don’t always work. Watchmen doesn’t look kindly on America and it believes heroes can kill villains. It’s not the typical superhero tale, and that’s what has made Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons’ masterpiece stand the test of time and be lauded as the best that comics has to offer.
The Director’s Cut includes an extra 24 minutes, meaning the film is now just over 3 hours long. Obviously if you didn’t like the film at the cinema a few more scenes won’t change your mind, but those scenes, and primarily the extra content will serve to cement fans’ love of the film. The additional scenes are enjoyable, but not necessary to the film’s narrative. They include a brief look at the kid reading the Tales of the Black Freighter comic that runs in the original series (and was made into an excellent animated film), Silk Spectre II being interrogated by government agents about Dr. Manhattan’s whereabouts and President Nixon and his advisers discussing the possibility of nuclear war. A gang’s attempted home invasion of Hollis Mason’s (the original Nite Owl) home is by far the best new scene.
On the second disc there’s a music video for Desolation Row by My Chemical Romance, 11 short video journals chronicling the film’s production and a very impressive doco on the power of the source material and why it was such a wake up call to the sequential art medium. This doco includes great art from Gibbons as well as interviews with the cast and other creators, including former DC President Jenette Kahn, colourist John Higgins, editor writer Len Wein, and singer Gerard Way. It shows the visual history of the project and is a must for those who don’t understand what all the fuss about this book is. Curiously there’s no sign of the rumoured Black Freighter segments being integrated into the film, but I think it’s better enjoyed alone anyway.
There’s simply no denying the power of this film and it is one I enjoyed watching or rather, experiencing, again. It’s available on DVD, Blu-Ray and on iTunes now.
The Art Of Top Cow Preview Part 3
Here’s a third look at the coffee table tome showcasing some of the great art from Top Cow over the years. The Art of Top Cow is released on July 22.
The Art Of Top Cow Preview Part 2
As promised, here’s the second daily preview of Wednesday’s release of The Art of Top Cow Hard Cover.
Zeke Deadwood: Zombie Lawman Review
Having been somewhat perplexed by Slave Labor Graphics’ recent Strange Eggs Jumps The Shark anthology, I was pleasantly surprised at the entertainment value in this western/zombie/comedy mash-up. Zeke Deadwood: Zombie Lawman is created by T.A Boatwright and Ryan Rubio, and the title of this one-shot pretty much tells you what it’s all about.
It begins with an old-time radio show as an earnest narrator tells tha tale of the titular gun slinger, or as he puts it: Whenever innocent blood is spilled upon the sand of the American West, a foul wind blows in across the frontier – signaling the arrival of justice!
It opens on a nameless town filled with the kind of bandits and desperadoes seen in many 1950s TV shows (or The Three Amigos) before a brave sheriff makes his last stand. Then in rides a skeletal figure to rescue the people from the wild shooting in the streets. Zeke makes his presence known at the church and tavern, and makes a rotten impression due to his undead stench, and then seeks the leader of the bandits for a good old fashioned shoot out.
Boatwright’s pencils are simple, but the inks really make it stand out. The black and white art fits perfectly with the rough atmosphere and it’s an entertaining enough one-shot. It’s certainly not hilarious, but it’s pretty harmless too. The 3 pin ups in the remaining pages by T.J Kirsch, Havard S. Johansen (see below) and Guy Davis are simply awesome and I’d love to see a Zeke Deadwood series done by any one of them.
Zeke is basically a zombie Clint Eastwood or Gary Cooper, but with a penchant for singing and falling off his horse, though not at the same time. There’s nothing revealed about his origins, or any deep themes. Zeke Deadwood is just a streamlined approach to a novel concept.
There’s an interesting interview with Boatwright here, with a look at some interior pages too. I hope we see more of Zeke. As we all know, zombies work in any genre, and this one has the potential to be another winner.
The Art of Top Cow Preview Part 1
The Art of Top Cow Hard Cover is released on Wednesday July 22. It’s a full colour coffee table book with an impressive 352 page count from the likes of Marc Silvestri, Dale Keown, Stjepan Sejic, Michael Turner, David Finch and many more. Top Cow describes the mammoth tome thusly;
The Art of Top Cow is a gigantic collection that combines The Art of The Darkness, The Art of Witchblade and The Art of Marc Silvestri, plus select additional pieces drawn by some of the best artists to have graced the pages and covers of Top Cow titles. This is the definitive art collection for the ultimate art fan.
This over-sized 10” x 12” coffee table book will feature a beautiful dust cover with a unique poster printed on the inside of the dust cover.
I thought I’d share a few random pages a day with you every day until its release, because any excuse is a good one to show great art. Feast your eyes on the gorgeous artwork below. Consider it a gallery of babes and brutes.
Superman/Batman #62 Review
There was a time when this title and JLA were among my favourite DC series. They were always reliable. However the last 2 or 3 years, like any monthly book, has seen its fair share of ups and downs, creatively speaking. This issue is a return to form though I gotta say. Anytime I see Michael Green and Mike Johnson’s names under the writing credit I know I’m in for a treat. The duo have catapulted this series back to where it belongs with their handful of issues together.
Since Batman is dead and has been replaced by the original Robin, and Superman is hanging out on New Krypton, this series has either had to focus on out of continuity tales, or place greater support on the multitude of great satellite characters that both titular heroes have acquired over the years.
This issue focuses on Robin (TIm Drake) and Supergirl and right from the …bat I noticed something was a little off. Tim is wearing his awesome red and black costume, which he gained in DC’s One Year Later stories after Infinite Crisis and before Final Crisis. However as this is touted as his first team-up with Kara, he should be in his green and yellow costume. Yes, I notice these things. I’d expect DC too as well. That’s a minor hiccup though.
Rafael Albuquerque’s art is just superb here. He really plays of the youthful energy by the two teenaged leads and depicts their interactions with a light touch. What did surprise me was the menace and horror with which he shows Joker and later, Mr. Zsasz. Basically the story has the costumed pair quelling a riot at Arkham Asylum, while Supergirl learns for the first time what dread Gotham holds. When Joker is introduced he’s standing in a doctor’s coat holding a freshly amputated leg in his hands, causing the Kryptonian to smack him around, which doesn’t help matters. A few pages later Tim has the same reaction when they meet Mr. Zsasz surrounded by sliced corpses bathed in an eery red light. Despite the manga flavour of the pencils, Albuquerque really sells the terror of Arkham and its inhabitants tremendously well. He makes Killer Croc a monster and Poison Ivy a babe.
There’s no real surprises here. We don’t know why Batman and Superman leave their partners, apart from a JLA mission, and they don’t return, and it’s a standard beat up the bad guys adventure. What elevates it somewhat are Tim and Kara’s interactions out of costume in a coffee shop talking about working with their respective mentors. The differences between the pair shine through in their crime fighting approaches too, with Kara’s naivete and Tim’s seen-it-all attitude being shown in a subtle way.
It’s a simple, done in one story with delicious pages and a streamlined approach, and sometimes in the world of comics, that’s more than enough.
Was Superman A Spy?
Brian Cronin’s excellent column for comicbookresourecs.com continues to be fascinating reading. This week it’s all about those popular creatures of the night – vampires. Read it and astound your Twilight loving friends with some fascinating trivia. Where else will you find Bob Hope, a cross dressing Frankenstein and a Japanese animated movie based on Marvel’s Tomb of Dracula?!
On a related note, Cronin’s new book, Was Superman A Spy? is a very interesting read. Like his column, but structured without the false/true clarifications, it focuses on Marvel, DC and other publishers and all the weird legends that surround their storied history. It’s comprised of new and previously published (on his CBR column) material and is a brisk, informative read that serves as an engrossing reminder of the strange and wonderful history of the comic book form. I picked up an extra copy for a friend who hasn’t read comics regularly in about fifteen years and he lapped it up. It really is a great book.
I also reviewed Cronin for the last issue of Extra Sequential about the book (starting on page 18.) Go here for my interview with Cronin and here for his latest Legends column.
Do Androids Dream Of Electric Sheep? #1 Review
The opening page of this issue from BOOM! Studios states that, “this series is the complete text of Philip K. Dick’s Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, presented in graphic form.” It’s an interesting message to those who may be expecting these pages to show Harrison Ford running around in the dark getting beaten up by androids. I recently watched the ultimate edition of Blade Runner, the 1982 film directed by Ridley Scott that loosely adapted Dick’s novel, so the differences are fresh in my mind.
I must say that BOOM! have the most diverse range of licensed titles on the shelves. From Pixar properties such as Cars and The Incredibles, to Warhammer, The Muppet Show and Die Hard they offer something for every type of reader. This mammoth 24 part adaptation of the 1968 sci-fi novel is another bold string in that curious line-up.
From the first page it becomes jarringly obvious that this is no ordinary reading experience. Not surprisingly it lies somewhere between a novel and a traditional comic book. These days readers are more accustomed to reading captions that reveal the inner thoughts of the characters. The captions here are initially of an omniscient narrator, as is to be expected. With no writer’s name on this comic the enormous effort of bringing a forty year old story from prose to sequential art hangs on the brave shoulders of artist Tony Parker and colourist Blond.
I’d imagine that Parker and editor Ian Brill would’ve spent many hours discussing the finer points of Dick’s original text, and how to work with it in pictorial form. With word balloons followed by caption boxes stating, “He said gloomily,” and so on it breathes like a unique media hybrid. Deckard’s discussion, with caption narration switching perspectives, goes on for 6 pages, but within these 6 pages a few facts present themselves, such as the reason for the unusual title, the fact that most of the city has left earth thanks to World War Terminus, and that the city’s gases occasionally create “specials” (read: mutants) in the populace.
This first issue opens with android hunter/killer Rick Deckard waking, and arguing with his wife Iran over before going to their respective “mood organs” to decide what their emotions will be. It’s a great start that shows what sci-fi does best; the integration of seemingly absurd technological ideas in an ordinary context.
The next 6 pages show Deckard conversing with his neighbour about their respective animals. It is by this point that most readers will decide if this series is for them or not. As is to be expected, this is more wordy than an average Brian Michael Bendis title. For some it may be a trudging read, but it’s obvious that Dick is a revered writer for a very good reason. He creates this world with depth and clarity. There are points of mild bewilderment, particularly with the sequence focused on the special John Isadore but at least for a $4 comic, you get a lot of reading material in this extra-sized ish. This one won’t be hurried through on the average daily commute.
The afterword, or “backmatter,” by fan fave writer Warren Ellis gives some truly fascinating insight in to Dick’s upbringing and talent and the literary weight of “Androids.” It’s a nice touch and puts Dick, and his most famous work, in context, and perhaps will help some readers justify BOOM!’s decision to publish the novel word for word. Let’s face it, if you’re going to publish a book exactly as is, why bother with pictures? However, it’s exactly that kind of choice that make BOOM! the unique publisher they are. I can’t imagine any other comic book company toying with this idea, and it does highlight the strengths, and perhaps weaknesses of the sequential art form. Tony Parker’s art decides for us what we see, rather than imaging it on our own if we were to read the novel.
Not a lot happens here, but things end when Deckard receives a new case, so perhaps things will pick up next issue. It is somewhat plodding but fans of Philp K. Dick, or those that want to see where Blade Runner took its cues, will be satisfied. After reading this debut issue, I can see why the entire tale will take 2 years to tell. It has already sold out before hitting shelves, so there are obviously plenty of curious readers out there.
Coheed And Cambria Kills Audio With Boom
Press release below about a new comic from the increasingly diverse BOOM! Studios, written by Claudio Sanchez of the band Coheed and Cambria. The book launches in October but a preview book, and vinyl figure will be available at next weekend’s Comic-Con at San Diego.
Claudio Sanchez, the celebrated creator of the COHEED AND CAMBRIA mythology, including the best selling sci-fi mini-series, THE AMORY WARS, is back with an entirely new concept! One of the most unique and powerful minds in rock and comics unleashes possibly the most provocative new comic of 2009: KILL AUDIO!
Shipping this October from BOOM! Studios, fans can get a first look at KILL AUDIO this July at Comic-Con International, when Claudio Sanchez signs the KILL AUDIO PREVIEW BOOK available only at the BOOM! Studios Booth #2543. In addition to the KILL AUDIO PREVIEW BOOK, fans will also get a chance to purchase the monotone variant of the KILL AUDIO VINYL FIGURE, limited to 1200 pieces. The KILL AUDIO VINYL FIGURE will only be available during signing times.
“This is disturbing work, and I mean that as a compliment,” BOOM! Studios Editor-in-Chief Mark Waid said. “Anyone who’s a fan of THE MAXX or of Robot Chicken should check this out.”
KILL AUDIO follows the adventures of an immortal little troll who struggles to find purpose in a land where creativity is a controlled substance. When musical creativity spirals into chaos, KILL AUDIO discovers his life mission.
Supported by a wildly eccentric posse and a nemesis hell-bent on proving his mortality, KILL AUDIO takes on non-sensical musical sub-genres while traipsing across a vivid landscape, all of which could only come from the intense mind of Claudio Sanchez.
The KILL AUDIO PREVIEW BOOK and the KILL AUDIO VINYL FIGURE* will be available at the BOOM! Studios booth (#2543) with Claudio signing on Friday and Saturday from 4pm – 5pm.
Written by Claudio Sanchez and Chondra Echert, KILL AUDIO features mind-melting art by Harvey Nominated Mr. Sheldon with covers by Mr. Sheldon and Kristian Donaldson of DMZ fame. The KILL AUDIO PREVIEW BOOK will sell for $5 while the limited edition monotone variant KILL AUDIO VINYL FIGURE will sell for $40.
*Please note the Vinyl Figure will only be available during signing times.
The Surrogates: Flesh and Bone Review
Now up at Broken Frontier is my review of the excellent second volume set in The Surrogates universe. This Top Shelf OGN is by the same creative team of writer Robert Venditti and artist Brett Weldele, and it’s awesome. A world where the populace is largely dependent on robotic avatars while they laze around at home is a great premise and the creators weave in issues of class and culture with great skill. Highly recommended. Here’s an excerpt of my review:
Publishing this as a complete 144 page OGN was a good move from Top Shelf. From interrogation rooms, to boardrooms, it appears as a seamless narrative. Whereas the precursor to this volume was focused more on themes of living vicariously through surrogates, Flesh and Bone focuses more on the divide between the haves and the have-nots. It’s almost like a sci-fi Spike Lee film.
You can read the rest here.
Also released recently was the new poster for the film adaptation of the first volume, that hits cinema screens on September 25. It stars Bruce Willis and is directed by Jonathan Mostow (U-571, Terminator 3).
Archaia Previews
Archaia is back in a big way and this week have 3 series continuing from where they left off. Details, and pretty pictures, below.
ARTESIA: BESIEGED #3 (of 6)
(W/A) Mark Smylie
As I Lay Dying. Stabbed and poisoned, Artesia hovers on death’s door while ghosts and spirits debate when she will die and King Euwen presses his assault on the city of Abenton and the palisades of the Daradjan camp. After a long (involuntary) hiatus, the saga of Artesia returns.
ROBOTIKA: FOR A FEW RUBLES MORE DOUBLE-SIZE RELAUNCH ISSUE #1&2
Alex Sheikman and David Moran (A) Alex Sheikman (Col) Joel Chua
Special double-size issue relaunching the new Robotika series, combining the previously published issue 1 with the all-new issue 2! When all you’re after is A Few Rubles More, nothing but trouble awaits. Hallucinogenic tadpoles, Black Legion mercenaries, Beppe the Gangster, the Queen, Digital Djhitis and the Three Yojimbos caught in the middle of two rival gangs and a drug deal gone very bad. Now, just when his fighting skills are needed the most, Niko is confronted with his equal and maybe his “even better” – the enigmatic Mister Saint Just! Plus, a Robotika back-up tale “Once Upon A Time…” by David Moran, Brian Churilla (Dark Horse Presents, The Engineer: Konstrukt) and Jeremy Shepherd (The Engineer: Konstrukt).
THE KILLER #9
A Deadly Soul, Part One. A professional. A man of few scruples, nerves of steel, and a steady trigger finger. A man whose crimes might be catching up with him. A man on the verge of cracking. Archaia presents THE KILLER, a hardboiled noir series chronicling one man’s journey through some seriously bad mojo. In this issue: The Killer’s never as deadly as when he is in danger. The survival instinct that guides him drags him through the darkest corners of his soul. Safety and revenge are irreconcilable, and the time has come to choose!
Superman and Ali vs Wednesday Comics
DC’s Wednesday Comics came out this week, on Wednesday! (which is new comics day for US residents).I think fans have put undue pressure on the series, whereas DC are just playing it as an experiment. It’s a grand idea from art director Mark Chiarello, but it’s not the saviour of the comics industry as some would like to believe. However, featuring the first Superman tale in USA Today, with future Supes installments on the USA Today website holds great cross-over potential. The new weekly series is in old newspaper, or tabloid format, at 14″ x 20″ and holds 15 one page stories, by different creative teams. To give you a sense of scale, here’s a bunch of photos of people reading it. There’s some great stories inside, and a flavour for everyone. Most stories are fine for non-fans too, whether it be Teen Titans by Eddie Berganza and Sean Galloway or Green Lantern by Kurt Busiek and Joe Quinones. There’s no continuity tie-downs, but on the flipside there’s not a lot of info about all these characters either. Since they’re being sold in comic shops where nerds dwell, the ideal situation would be for fans to buy a copy for their young relative who may be hooked by the spectacle, or the old relative who may remember the large Sunday funnies of their youth. After they buy a copy for themselves of course.
Speaking of nostalgia, I dusted off another large comic I haven’t looked at in years. It’s not as large as WedCom however, but in the spirit of big comics, I thought I’d share a few pages of 1978’s Superman vs Muhammad Ali, in all it’s faded paper glory. The cover boasts the story as, “the fight to save earth from star-warriors” and is deliciously drawn by Neal Adams, which makes the pages seem even bigger. Inside is a de-powered Supes fighting Ali for the right to save earth from aliens. It’s written by Denny O’Neill and has ’70s attitudes written all over it.
Noology Review
Right off the bat I must say that Noology is a cool name and it’s a real word! It’s also a pretty cool abstract comic by Aussie artist Tim Gaze. Gaze is apparently quite well known in the world of such comics. It’s also a world I’ve only recently been made aware of, thanks to Fantagraphics’ excellent Abstract Comics: The Anthology, of which Gaze is a contributor. You can see some of his recent work on the diverse Abstract Comics blog here. There’s also a very impressive definition, and look at the history, of this artform from Gaze here.
In Gaze’s own words, he creates “experimental poetry,” and has been doing so for a few years. Noology is available now as a free download or as a paperback for less than $9, for 130 black and white pages. Noology is described as glitch poetry, asemic writing and visual noise. Don’t worry, I have no idea what they mean either, but that’s the beauty of abstract comics – you don’t have to really. Visual noise is definitely the best description for this book (of which some of the pages have been seen in previous publications). As I flicked through the pages I kept being reminded of static, or snow, on a TV screen thanks to faulty reception. There was a mystifying, almost trance inducing quality to these pages. It can be enjoyed quickly, as there’s no text, or narrative.
It actually took me at least 4 reads of the whole book to appreciate it. At first glance, with its frantic lines on every page, there doesn’t seem to be huge differences between each of the first few pieces, but as I looked more closely I could see the evidence of the work put in. A true artist has a reason for every line and even though the entire contents are black and white it resonates with diversity. Some look like paintings from a gallery, some look like tapeworm under a microscope and some look like the readings on old school radio equipment. This is yet another great example of what comics can do that no other medium can.
You can find more of Gaze’s unique work here.
comicbookjesus 