Thursday, March 29, 2012
Saturday, March 24, 2012
DrawSomething: Draw EVERYThing
From an article over at ComicAlliance, Chris Sims treats your eyes to some fantastic doodles by Matt Digges.
For those that don't know, DrawSomething is the latest app-craze sweeting the Apple community. The game is painfully addictive, right up there with Angry Birds or Cut the Rope. The only drawback I can mention is that while playing I'm trapped by the smaller screen of my phone while my girlfriend cackles away in the corner playing on her stylish and much more drawing-friendly iPad.
Anywhoo, go enjoy some more doodles over at ComicAlliance and pick up the app.
 |
| He even included the KirbyDots. |
For those that don't know, DrawSomething is the latest app-craze sweeting the Apple community. The game is painfully addictive, right up there with Angry Birds or Cut the Rope. The only drawback I can mention is that while playing I'm trapped by the smaller screen of my phone while my girlfriend cackles away in the corner playing on her stylish and much more drawing-friendly iPad.
Anywhoo, go enjoy some more doodles over at ComicAlliance and pick up the app.
Wednesday, March 21, 2012
Pick of the Week 21/3/2012
If I could do this week all over again, I would.
While two of my favorite books had new issues this week (BPRD and Rocketeer Adventures) I stuck to my guns in waiting for their inevitable pay-off in hardcover form. As I was walked out of the shop thinking about how good they would be, little did I know what I was holding in my hand would be a tremendous let-down for one of the books I was most eager to read in issues: Dominique Laveau. More on that after the Pick of the Week.
Batman #7: Pick of the Week: It's hard to write about a book that's consistently good. Everything said about this title should be worth repeating: it's worth your time and money. Snyder and Capullo are doing some of the best work I have ever seen both in the story department and art. Several key points in the book include the introduction of a new character (new to us, old to Bruce), a stunning panel of a worried Alfred, and the revelation of who the primary Talon villain is (and what he is). Perhaps the greatest highlight of this issue is the historical connection between Dick Grayson and the Talon, making sense of months of speculation. It's hard to introduce ideas of long-forgotten family connections (something common in comics to up the stakes) but Snyder remains so damn convincing at providing a plausible reason for it (the circus and its history meeting Gotham's darker history) that it doesn't come off as what could have been a last-page cliffhanger. This connect is instead merely another gear in the finely-tuned machine that Capullo and Snyder have going. The issue continues building on the tone and the colours evoke a strong remembrance of Year One, something that Snyder has played with before in The Black Mirror.
Team: Scott Snyder, Greg Capullo, Jonathon Glapion.
Prophet #23: This book astounds me. I originally picked it up on a whim expecting... come to think of it, I'm not sure what I expected. What I got was one of the most imaginative science fiction stories I've ever read. PROPHET is in many ways the spiritual successor to old B-list science fiction done with A-game talent where the reader is rewarded by both letting the story wash over them and engage with it actively. The finest moments are the beats of humour, delivered without dialogue and done with a look or gesture. The best of these are when watching John Prophet's living Dolmantle react to the world around him. The book is creative, engaging, and surprising -- something that is hard to find in other series where the issues and solicits are talked about months in advance. The story's backup has art done by Frank Teran who foreshadows Farel Dalyrmple who will be taking over for the next 3 issue arc. The difference between Teran's style and current artist's Simon Roy is like comparing Dune to 2001. I still remain optimistic for the title's art shift next issue -- the story has me hooked.
Team: Brandon Graham and Simon Roy, backup by Frank Teran.
Near Death #6: After what seemed like a long jump between 5 and 6, it's here. Near Death remains a fun little ride every issue as a self-contained story. The art is starting to pick up after a few cracks in the previous issues and as for the story, you better like stand-alones. Unlike a typical series standalone by a fill-in-artist (for example) Near Death's issues feel cripplingly short. The issue can sometimes be done before you have the chance to get into it which makes it hard to come back to the book every month when the previous instalment felt so fleeting. Still a good action series, but for those looking for a longer-form crime/action story I would recommend leaping over to Image's other darling Thief of Thieves. If you want a guilty pleasure of the one-and-done Near Death is pretty standard fare.
Team: Jay Faerber, Simone Guglielmini, Ron Riley, Charles Pritchett with cover by Francesco Francavilla.
Diablo 3 #3: Gave the first two issues a chance and now, I'm out. Every few pages has the bad habit that plagues many other tie-in-properties where there's the shoehorning of exposition to referring to the subject-matter's story bible. Clunky, I still enjoyed some of the art but this ends my run with the mini.
Team: Aaron Williams, Jospeh Lacroix, Lee Loughridge.
Dominique Laveau: Voodoo Child: Disappointment of the Week: Not my thing, no matter how much I wanted it to be. The series begins with a one-beat protagonist who stays frantic through the entire issue, doing little to win our admiration as readers on anything but her being a lost young girl. There's also an overabundance of things going on, staggered by frustratingly flowery narration boxes that reveal themselves as the author and not the characters of the world being told. Disjointed and bogged down by its own writing, at least Denys Cowan's art is terrific. Sigh.
Team: Selwyn Seyfu Hinds, Denys Cowan, John Floyd.
I really should have bought Hoax Hunters and Smoke & Mirrors
 |
| I should have bought Hoax Hunters and Smoke & Mirrors. |
Batman #7: Pick of the Week: It's hard to write about a book that's consistently good. Everything said about this title should be worth repeating: it's worth your time and money. Snyder and Capullo are doing some of the best work I have ever seen both in the story department and art. Several key points in the book include the introduction of a new character (new to us, old to Bruce), a stunning panel of a worried Alfred, and the revelation of who the primary Talon villain is (and what he is). Perhaps the greatest highlight of this issue is the historical connection between Dick Grayson and the Talon, making sense of months of speculation. It's hard to introduce ideas of long-forgotten family connections (something common in comics to up the stakes) but Snyder remains so damn convincing at providing a plausible reason for it (the circus and its history meeting Gotham's darker history) that it doesn't come off as what could have been a last-page cliffhanger. This connect is instead merely another gear in the finely-tuned machine that Capullo and Snyder have going. The issue continues building on the tone and the colours evoke a strong remembrance of Year One, something that Snyder has played with before in The Black Mirror.
Team: Scott Snyder, Greg Capullo, Jonathon Glapion.
Prophet #23: This book astounds me. I originally picked it up on a whim expecting... come to think of it, I'm not sure what I expected. What I got was one of the most imaginative science fiction stories I've ever read. PROPHET is in many ways the spiritual successor to old B-list science fiction done with A-game talent where the reader is rewarded by both letting the story wash over them and engage with it actively. The finest moments are the beats of humour, delivered without dialogue and done with a look or gesture. The best of these are when watching John Prophet's living Dolmantle react to the world around him. The book is creative, engaging, and surprising -- something that is hard to find in other series where the issues and solicits are talked about months in advance. The story's backup has art done by Frank Teran who foreshadows Farel Dalyrmple who will be taking over for the next 3 issue arc. The difference between Teran's style and current artist's Simon Roy is like comparing Dune to 2001. I still remain optimistic for the title's art shift next issue -- the story has me hooked.
Team: Brandon Graham and Simon Roy, backup by Frank Teran.
Near Death #6: After what seemed like a long jump between 5 and 6, it's here. Near Death remains a fun little ride every issue as a self-contained story. The art is starting to pick up after a few cracks in the previous issues and as for the story, you better like stand-alones. Unlike a typical series standalone by a fill-in-artist (for example) Near Death's issues feel cripplingly short. The issue can sometimes be done before you have the chance to get into it which makes it hard to come back to the book every month when the previous instalment felt so fleeting. Still a good action series, but for those looking for a longer-form crime/action story I would recommend leaping over to Image's other darling Thief of Thieves. If you want a guilty pleasure of the one-and-done Near Death is pretty standard fare.
Team: Jay Faerber, Simone Guglielmini, Ron Riley, Charles Pritchett with cover by Francesco Francavilla.
Diablo 3 #3: Gave the first two issues a chance and now, I'm out. Every few pages has the bad habit that plagues many other tie-in-properties where there's the shoehorning of exposition to referring to the subject-matter's story bible. Clunky, I still enjoyed some of the art but this ends my run with the mini.
Team: Aaron Williams, Jospeh Lacroix, Lee Loughridge.
Dominique Laveau: Voodoo Child: Disappointment of the Week: Not my thing, no matter how much I wanted it to be. The series begins with a one-beat protagonist who stays frantic through the entire issue, doing little to win our admiration as readers on anything but her being a lost young girl. There's also an overabundance of things going on, staggered by frustratingly flowery narration boxes that reveal themselves as the author and not the characters of the world being told. Disjointed and bogged down by its own writing, at least Denys Cowan's art is terrific. Sigh.
Team: Selwyn Seyfu Hinds, Denys Cowan, John Floyd.
I really should have bought Hoax Hunters and Smoke & Mirrors
Thursday, March 15, 2012
Northern Exposure Thursday #4
Some more shots from across the country. This week, statues. Enjoy.
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| Terry Fox Memorial, Ontario |
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| Winnipeg, Ontario |
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| Calgary, Alberta |
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| Stratford, Ontario |
Wednesday, March 14, 2012
Pick of the Week 14/3/12
This week the pick was chosen by a matter of inches. Saga reverberated with me emotionally, Thief of Thieves captured the thrills, and Saucer Country reminded me of what I loved as a kid. As such, here are this weeks picks filled with aliens, world wars, dinosaurs, and crime.
Saga #1 (Pick of the Week): The elephant in the room for comic releases this week. What do I say? Was it fun? Absolutely. Was it smart? No doubt. This new sci-fi-fantasy epic by Vaughan and Staples has been heralded as the second coming of creator-owned comics (or third, but who's keeping count?). There's a fair number of strange things at play during the first oversized issue: a cat lie-detector, a unicorn-woman, and erectile dysfunction in the form of a tv-headed alien. Drawn with a strangeness and familiarity, Fiona Staples makes the triumphant first issue a regular romp across the cosmos. The heart of the story, however, stays true to its two charming protagonists, Alana and Marko, and their new baby girl Hazel. The choice at making the book narrated from the point of view of Hazel is an inspired choice and while Vaughan has always been smart at adding references to his work that play between satire and metafiction, Saga continues the trend. Hazel's narration allows the reader to acknowledge that no, this isn't a "comic-book" story about pinning the future on a young girl. Vaughan reminds us the stakes aren't the galaxy, but this new family, and as such the universe can wait -- because there's nothing more compelling than people looking out for each other.
Team: Brian K. Vaughan, Fiona Staples.
Saucer Country #1: My "aliens and conspiracy theories" phase came and went before I was out of my teens. Saucer Country reminds me why those stories were so fascinating while promising to be something new. Most science-fiction stories involving alien abduction focus on the "out there" -- the hunt for truth versus fiction, Mulder. Exceptional tales, like Saucer Country, mirror external search with the "in there" of the subject's mind. Is Governor Alvarado the victim of alien probing, or could her abuse-survivor trauma be the source of fantastical explanations? The best thing about reading Saucer Country is I don't know what to expect. Alien abductions seem to be done-to-death fare but with a female character that has the means (and courage) to push herself to the highest level of government to find the truth, I'll be sticking around to see where this goes, plus Ryan Kelly on art isn't too shabby either. Special MVP credit to Giulia Brusco on colours for making the entire book ooze green suspense.
Team: Paul Cornell, Ryan Kelly, Giulia Brusco.
Peter Panzerfaust #2: Panzerfaust wins the "Han Solo" moment of the year for the "I Surrender" page. A strong follow up to the first issue, the structure feels far more polished. The players are spoken for and the plan is set, both clarified to the reader through light exposition and solid visual clues. Wiebe's writing comes across are authentic in the boy's speech and Jenkin's art is at its finest when it plays within the broken boundaries of a panel grid. As a war story my expectation is that in time the book will stray away from its cleaner depiction of war-torn streets and begin to explore the damage of mass-rubble, but I'll be damned if Peter and the boys haven't already racked up a remarkable body count. Panzerfaust remains a boyish thrill that makes subtle reference to its source material while providing the great poses, world-building, and smart cliffhangers that comics are known for.
Team: Kurtis Wiebe, Tyler Jenkins.
Thief of Thieves #2: After an underwhelming first issue, issue two gets to the meat of what the story's about. Giving up his life of crime, Conrad spends the issue trying to rebuild the bridge with his ex-wife while reminiscing over a previous heist. Smothered in the beautifully coloured pages by artist Shawn Martinbrough and colorist Felix Serrano, Nick Spencer's tale goes against a common crime convention: the last heist. Courage and money won't win back love where it might have before (shown in the flashback heist's robbing of a diamond store to steal an engagement ring). Little surprises like Conrad's wife being the getaway driver or her being pregnant give the story a pump of life that drives home the cover's tagline: "There is nothing he can't steal... Nothing he can't have... except for the life he left behind".
Team: Robert Kirkman, Nick Spencer, Shawn Martinbrough, Felix Serrano.
Demon Knights #7: The siege against our heroes has come and failed, and if the team's struggle to buy time should be a mirror to my reading the book, they JUST held out. The cunning of Vandal Savage, heroism of Jason Blood/Etrigan, and revival of Madame Xanadu were more than enough to get my heart racing. The art by Diogenes Neves remains insanely detailed and makes it unfair to other artists who leave blank backgrounds. The siege itself has been slow moving and the introduction of all the characters and probably would have been better to read in trade. That said, Cornell still demonstrates enough charm to make the book an enjoyable read (even if upon reflection things ponder on a little too long). Loud, fun, and fierce, the next arc will be something I pick up in trade.
Team: Paul Cornell, Diogenes Neves, Robson Rocha, Oclair Albert.
Batwoman #7: Kate Kane's villains are proving to become modern revivals of those stories told to scare young children. Whereas Batman's rogues reflect the shattered psyche, Batwoman's luxuriate in the myth of urban legend: the Man with the Hook, White Queen, Bloody Mary, the Weeping Woman, and Killer Croc? It makes sense when you think about alligators in the sewers. It's a fascinating little bundle of foes. For the rest of the book the chronology and pacing continue to suffer some minor nitpicks. The bouncing between the "now" and the "weeks"/"days" ago does does little to escalate the drama. It's a rule of writing to keep the stakes high and tension moving, but by straddling several timeframes (and character relationships) the book speeds through rather loosely with the indication of where the dramatic beats should be. Instead, things just keep piling on and getting bigger and aa result of this, the story just kind of feels there, growing without an immediate emotional core.
Team: J.H. Williams III, W. Haden Blackman, Amy Reeder.
Until next week.
 |
| Four of these books banded together to create Blur |
Saga #1 (Pick of the Week): The elephant in the room for comic releases this week. What do I say? Was it fun? Absolutely. Was it smart? No doubt. This new sci-fi-fantasy epic by Vaughan and Staples has been heralded as the second coming of creator-owned comics (or third, but who's keeping count?). There's a fair number of strange things at play during the first oversized issue: a cat lie-detector, a unicorn-woman, and erectile dysfunction in the form of a tv-headed alien. Drawn with a strangeness and familiarity, Fiona Staples makes the triumphant first issue a regular romp across the cosmos. The heart of the story, however, stays true to its two charming protagonists, Alana and Marko, and their new baby girl Hazel. The choice at making the book narrated from the point of view of Hazel is an inspired choice and while Vaughan has always been smart at adding references to his work that play between satire and metafiction, Saga continues the trend. Hazel's narration allows the reader to acknowledge that no, this isn't a "comic-book" story about pinning the future on a young girl. Vaughan reminds us the stakes aren't the galaxy, but this new family, and as such the universe can wait -- because there's nothing more compelling than people looking out for each other.
Team: Brian K. Vaughan, Fiona Staples.
Saucer Country #1: My "aliens and conspiracy theories" phase came and went before I was out of my teens. Saucer Country reminds me why those stories were so fascinating while promising to be something new. Most science-fiction stories involving alien abduction focus on the "out there" -- the hunt for truth versus fiction, Mulder. Exceptional tales, like Saucer Country, mirror external search with the "in there" of the subject's mind. Is Governor Alvarado the victim of alien probing, or could her abuse-survivor trauma be the source of fantastical explanations? The best thing about reading Saucer Country is I don't know what to expect. Alien abductions seem to be done-to-death fare but with a female character that has the means (and courage) to push herself to the highest level of government to find the truth, I'll be sticking around to see where this goes, plus Ryan Kelly on art isn't too shabby either. Special MVP credit to Giulia Brusco on colours for making the entire book ooze green suspense.
Team: Paul Cornell, Ryan Kelly, Giulia Brusco.
Peter Panzerfaust #2: Panzerfaust wins the "Han Solo" moment of the year for the "I Surrender" page. A strong follow up to the first issue, the structure feels far more polished. The players are spoken for and the plan is set, both clarified to the reader through light exposition and solid visual clues. Wiebe's writing comes across are authentic in the boy's speech and Jenkin's art is at its finest when it plays within the broken boundaries of a panel grid. As a war story my expectation is that in time the book will stray away from its cleaner depiction of war-torn streets and begin to explore the damage of mass-rubble, but I'll be damned if Peter and the boys haven't already racked up a remarkable body count. Panzerfaust remains a boyish thrill that makes subtle reference to its source material while providing the great poses, world-building, and smart cliffhangers that comics are known for.
Team: Kurtis Wiebe, Tyler Jenkins.
Thief of Thieves #2: After an underwhelming first issue, issue two gets to the meat of what the story's about. Giving up his life of crime, Conrad spends the issue trying to rebuild the bridge with his ex-wife while reminiscing over a previous heist. Smothered in the beautifully coloured pages by artist Shawn Martinbrough and colorist Felix Serrano, Nick Spencer's tale goes against a common crime convention: the last heist. Courage and money won't win back love where it might have before (shown in the flashback heist's robbing of a diamond store to steal an engagement ring). Little surprises like Conrad's wife being the getaway driver or her being pregnant give the story a pump of life that drives home the cover's tagline: "There is nothing he can't steal... Nothing he can't have... except for the life he left behind".
Team: Robert Kirkman, Nick Spencer, Shawn Martinbrough, Felix Serrano.
Demon Knights #7: The siege against our heroes has come and failed, and if the team's struggle to buy time should be a mirror to my reading the book, they JUST held out. The cunning of Vandal Savage, heroism of Jason Blood/Etrigan, and revival of Madame Xanadu were more than enough to get my heart racing. The art by Diogenes Neves remains insanely detailed and makes it unfair to other artists who leave blank backgrounds. The siege itself has been slow moving and the introduction of all the characters and probably would have been better to read in trade. That said, Cornell still demonstrates enough charm to make the book an enjoyable read (even if upon reflection things ponder on a little too long). Loud, fun, and fierce, the next arc will be something I pick up in trade.
Team: Paul Cornell, Diogenes Neves, Robson Rocha, Oclair Albert.
Batwoman #7: Kate Kane's villains are proving to become modern revivals of those stories told to scare young children. Whereas Batman's rogues reflect the shattered psyche, Batwoman's luxuriate in the myth of urban legend: the Man with the Hook, White Queen, Bloody Mary, the Weeping Woman, and Killer Croc? It makes sense when you think about alligators in the sewers. It's a fascinating little bundle of foes. For the rest of the book the chronology and pacing continue to suffer some minor nitpicks. The bouncing between the "now" and the "weeks"/"days" ago does does little to escalate the drama. It's a rule of writing to keep the stakes high and tension moving, but by straddling several timeframes (and character relationships) the book speeds through rather loosely with the indication of where the dramatic beats should be. Instead, things just keep piling on and getting bigger and aa result of this, the story just kind of feels there, growing without an immediate emotional core.
Team: J.H. Williams III, W. Haden Blackman, Amy Reeder.
Until next week.
Thursday, March 8, 2012
Northern Exposure Thursday #4
This week's instalment is in honour of another great issue of Animal Man. Have your pet spayed or neutered and enjoy some hipster-shots from across Canada.
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| Ottawa, Ontario. |
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| Winnipeg, Manitoba |
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| Vancouver, British Columbia |
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| Nakoda Lodge, Alberta |
Pick of the Week 7/3/2012
Transformations, some through fire.
Swamp Thing #7 (Pick of the Week): Even after defeating the rising threat of boy-herald-of-doom William Arcane, Alec Holland is having a terrible go of things. Forced to make the decision of whether to change into a monster to fight monsters is not an easy chase, or one devoid of high stakes. Nature is burning, the princess has been kidnapped and warped into a mirror-evil, and the influence of the Rot continues to spread. It's when things get THIS bad the reader can expect to feel an emotional battle-cry when the protagonist puts their foot down with a commanding "enough is enough" bravado. Snyder and Paquette do an excellent job transforming Holland into the big-green monster without giving too much away, the jolly green force of nature being treated as exotic and hidden from the reader as much as possible. There is no last-page stinger of Swampy revealed, but of Holland going off to make his heroic stand after his monstrous-new-form scares the agents of the Rot (who are no pushovers themselves). By showing the reader the intense carnage of the Rot, the choice to hide Holland's monstrous form takes the character back to its roots in horror comics. Toes curled in excitement for next month's instalment.
Team: Scott Snyder, Yanick Paquette. A deal with the devil.
Animal Man #7: Perhaps my second favorite issue since the series started seven months ago. Having so much in common with the fight against the Rot, the series feels at its most unique when its replicating the emotion of family life. There are flash-forwards to a possible future-war (in which Buddy Baker's daughter Maxine becomes a threatening badass) but the scenes with Buddy's non-powered son Cliff and the pair's lurking around town that sells the book for me. Buddy and Ellen's attempts to raise their children is like, to make use of a pun, herding cats. I'll admit, even though parents and their kids bump heads in fits of ego there's nothing more rewarding than having your dad swoop in and steal the scene making you both look cool. Steve Pugh continues to take over art duties from Travel Foreman and does well drawing people but lacks the visceral horror and of Foreman's monsters of Rot.
Team: Jeff Lemire, Steve Pugh, Travel Foreman, Jeff Huet.
Manhattan Projects #1: A nifty little concept made better by some great storytelling decisions. Notable for the twin-timelines of two men, the swapping of which comes as a great a twist on the story as any. What happens when the world's greatest scientist-turned-pacifist gets swapped for a homicidal maniac? Time will tell. Robots and b-level science fiction fun done at the a-level, Manhattan Projects is a great first instalment for a new creator-owned gem. Plus, Einstein.
Team: Jonathan Hickman, Nick Pitarra, Chris Peter, Rus Wooton.
Fatale #3: Despite a ridiculous number of reprints I find anxious myself to wash myself of this series, but keep pulling along in the hopes things will improve. Each time the next issue comes out I find that I have to go back and read the first few out of sheer confusion over what exactly is going on (a problem I've never had with a series before). Longtime collaborators Brubaker and Phillips have hit a snag with their recent series by perhaps thinking too far ahead. Brubaker's writing pushes two stories (one then, one now) together to explore a femme fatale gifted with mysterious powers from an even more mysterious force. The conflict that arises is that there are a lot of balls in play: from police drama to cults to the fatale to the modern incident to men with glasses to demons, ect. Reading Fatale leaves me with the sensation of bumbling around in the dark and able to grab onto some beautiful granite countertops but unable to glean anything remarkable about them. Phillip's reliance on drawing the same face with different hair is also beginning to show.
 |
| Trees on fire, labs on fire, all's clear, and car's on fire. |
Swamp Thing #7 (Pick of the Week): Even after defeating the rising threat of boy-herald-of-doom William Arcane, Alec Holland is having a terrible go of things. Forced to make the decision of whether to change into a monster to fight monsters is not an easy chase, or one devoid of high stakes. Nature is burning, the princess has been kidnapped and warped into a mirror-evil, and the influence of the Rot continues to spread. It's when things get THIS bad the reader can expect to feel an emotional battle-cry when the protagonist puts their foot down with a commanding "enough is enough" bravado. Snyder and Paquette do an excellent job transforming Holland into the big-green monster without giving too much away, the jolly green force of nature being treated as exotic and hidden from the reader as much as possible. There is no last-page stinger of Swampy revealed, but of Holland going off to make his heroic stand after his monstrous-new-form scares the agents of the Rot (who are no pushovers themselves). By showing the reader the intense carnage of the Rot, the choice to hide Holland's monstrous form takes the character back to its roots in horror comics. Toes curled in excitement for next month's instalment.
Team: Scott Snyder, Yanick Paquette. A deal with the devil.
Animal Man #7: Perhaps my second favorite issue since the series started seven months ago. Having so much in common with the fight against the Rot, the series feels at its most unique when its replicating the emotion of family life. There are flash-forwards to a possible future-war (in which Buddy Baker's daughter Maxine becomes a threatening badass) but the scenes with Buddy's non-powered son Cliff and the pair's lurking around town that sells the book for me. Buddy and Ellen's attempts to raise their children is like, to make use of a pun, herding cats. I'll admit, even though parents and their kids bump heads in fits of ego there's nothing more rewarding than having your dad swoop in and steal the scene making you both look cool. Steve Pugh continues to take over art duties from Travel Foreman and does well drawing people but lacks the visceral horror and of Foreman's monsters of Rot.
Team: Jeff Lemire, Steve Pugh, Travel Foreman, Jeff Huet.
Manhattan Projects #1: A nifty little concept made better by some great storytelling decisions. Notable for the twin-timelines of two men, the swapping of which comes as a great a twist on the story as any. What happens when the world's greatest scientist-turned-pacifist gets swapped for a homicidal maniac? Time will tell. Robots and b-level science fiction fun done at the a-level, Manhattan Projects is a great first instalment for a new creator-owned gem. Plus, Einstein.
Team: Jonathan Hickman, Nick Pitarra, Chris Peter, Rus Wooton.
Fatale #3: Despite a ridiculous number of reprints I find anxious myself to wash myself of this series, but keep pulling along in the hopes things will improve. Each time the next issue comes out I find that I have to go back and read the first few out of sheer confusion over what exactly is going on (a problem I've never had with a series before). Longtime collaborators Brubaker and Phillips have hit a snag with their recent series by perhaps thinking too far ahead. Brubaker's writing pushes two stories (one then, one now) together to explore a femme fatale gifted with mysterious powers from an even more mysterious force. The conflict that arises is that there are a lot of balls in play: from police drama to cults to the fatale to the modern incident to men with glasses to demons, ect. Reading Fatale leaves me with the sensation of bumbling around in the dark and able to grab onto some beautiful granite countertops but unable to glean anything remarkable about them. Phillip's reliance on drawing the same face with different hair is also beginning to show.
Thursday, March 1, 2012
Northern Exposure Thursday #3
This week's shots from across Canada.
This week's theme is a continuation of last week's graffiti and wall murals. Enjoy.
This week's theme is a continuation of last week's graffiti and wall murals. Enjoy.
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| Montreal, Quebec |
Moore Comes for You
One of my favorite new artists Josh Gowdy did up this up a week ago and pasted it on his blog, cementing him as an artist I'd love to work with one day.
The squid is in.
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| It'd happen. Just like that. |
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