I grabbed this for 2 reasons – the cover and the name. They’re both awesome. Written by Jesse Blaze Snider (yes, he is a musician, the son of Dee Snider infact) and pencilled by Ryan Benjamin this new six issue mini-series is kind of like Twilight for the manly.
Snider is fairly new to comics, but it doesn’t really show. The old familiar story convention of having a narrator introduce us to a dying man and how he got into that predicament kicks things off, before we’re hit with, “But I’m getting ahead of myself. That’s not where the story begins. It’s not even where it ends. Our story begins six feet underground.” Sure, not entirely original to start a story with the protagonist’s death, but in this case it works-barely. The dead man is Jonathan Romero. He gets out of his grave, having been buried in 1986 and finds a homeless girl called Whisper hanging out at the cemetery with her snarling dog. They exchange unpleasantries and part ways, with Romero (nicknamed Romeo) seemingly smitten. The building of this romance between the cynical Whisper and the undead vampire Romeo is the basis of the series. Romeo has done some horrendous things to escape hell apparently, and was protected by the also-resurrected Hollywood Vampires, a collective of bad fangs. To escape hell forever they must kill a virgin.
For a debut issue, this is okay. There’s a lot to introduce here, but compared to say, Mark Waid’s Irredeemable, or even Hexed which were strengthened by their simplicity, Dead Romeo seems to be filling every page with characters. If all those characters serve a purpose, then that’s fine, but only future issues will tell. Snider’s not a bad writer though. Romeo seems quite clearly the romantic vampire, a la Angel, while every other vamp seems like they’re auditioning for the next Lost Boys sequel. They’re all bad to the bone. Got it.
I’ll give this series a go, because despite my harshness, I can see what Snider’s attempting. There’s going to be a battle, with love caught in the middle, and tough choices involving sacrifice to be made. Dead Romeo just needs time to develop the characters, and Snider shows promise in his dialogue. It’s not off to a great start, but with more streamlining this series could be interesting. Benjamin’s pencils are fine. There’s heaps of blood (if there was any swearing this would’ve been a Vertigo book) and each character, including Romeo in his glam rock outfit, Death the skeletal barman, and Dwight Phry (leader of the Hollywood vamps) possess a distinct visual identity.
Vampire tales have been through the wringer of pop culture so many times, there’s almost nothing new to say, but Snider may very well be creating an intriguing, atmospheric tale here. It’s just hard to see so far.
See a preview of this ish here.
Wow. Just – wow. I’ve never doubted Mark Waid’s mad skills behind the keyboard. The guy knows how to write good superhero comics, and has done so for years. Anyone who’s read Kingdom Come will agree. Now that he’s the EIC of BOOM! Studios, he appears to be ramping things up, free from the tight editorial reigns that The Big Two can sometimes choke a writer’s potential with.
I picked this up on a whim last week and have only now forced myself to read it. I’m glad I did. I followed Superman for years after his Death in 1992-93, which brought me firmly into comics. Then I gave up on his books, only following his latest adventures in JLA or Superman/Batman. Then Geoff Johns did wonders with the character, specifically with his re-introduction of Braniac. Now Superman is leaving earth, and his own title. Or titles. As of this issue, Superman will not be appearing in his titular series, or in Action Comics. He’ll be replaced in the latter by the new crimefighting team of Flamebird and Nightwing, and in this issue we learn who’ll become the new “Superman.” Or Supermen. As was the case in the awesome World Without A Superman storyline that lasted almost a year after his death, DC proved just how strong his supporting cast is, and do so again here. As Supes makes a new home on New Krypton, he’s filled in by Mon-El, his similarly powered hero, and returning heroes The Guardian and Steel, who both played a big part after Supes’ death. Supes appears in flashback cameos as he says his farewells and goes on his recruitment drive. Mon-El gets a secret identity, in Jonathan Kent, taking the name of Clark’s recently deceased father, and beats up on female baddie Rampage, while realising he’s got a lot to learn about superheroics. It’s awesome to see Steel and Guardian back, if purely for sentimental reasons. John Henry Irons is a great character and held his own series for years, but hasn’t been much of a player in the DCU lately.
I’ve been reading the Superman Homepage for, well, years now. It’s the place to go for all your Supes-related news. Yesterday, being April Fool’s Day, they launched a few pearlers. 
Challengers Comics is throwing a city wide party this Saturday April 4th, 2009 at 5pm.
I read a lot of comics. I look forward to the Previews catalogue each month and my new comics every Thursday or Friday. For as long as I’ve been reading them, comics have primarily consisted of 22 story pages. Sure, the argument over that arbitrary number re-surfaces from time to time, and perhaps monthlies aren’t as in favour as Trades and OGNs, which find a more welcome home at bookstores, but to make a story have impact in 22 pages is no easy feat. Not every comic I read is a winner of course, and some steal minutes from me as I trudge through them. However, this month has been a good one. And of course, if you read comics, you more than likely want to work “in” comics as a creator. If that’s you, then take note of these recent releases in how to craft an engrossing story.
I picked up War of Kings #1 when it was released a few weeks ago. I haven’t been up to date on all the Marvel happenings lately, but I’m glad I grabbed it. What a space epic! With a royal marriage, speeding spaceships and weird aliens, it was awesome. Now, you can read it for free, and if you like it, the second issue by the same creative team is due out on April Fool’s Day. (No kidding!) Press release below.
comicbookjesus 