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March 30, 2005
Lauren Weinstein Shows You How It's Done
"If only there was an inexpensive way to learn the finer points of graphic novel creation from a Xeric Award-winning creator!"
How often have you said that to yourself? Probably millions of times. Well, slappy, guess what: your chance has arrived. Lauren Weinstein is returning to the Makor Center in New York City to teach a class called "Comic Book to Graphic Novel." Best of all, the fee is only $180! Here is the official description:
Modern cartooning combines drawing, graphic art and writing on themes ranging from social satires to memoirs and adventure stories. Make your own graphic novel and study the works of the greats from Robert Crumb to Craig Thomson. Learn how to develop, pencil, and ink your own stories, from short strips to longer works. Students with ambitious longer projects receive technical assistance and guidance. No previous experience required.
More information is available from the Makor web site. Mention The Pickytarian to receive a special secret bonus prize! (And by "special secret bonus prize," I mean a quizzical look of semi-disgust.)
Posted by jdonelson_nyc at 02:52 PM
March 29, 2005
Countdown To A Crisis of Infinite Vomit
Just one quick item today, because I have been blogging so much lately and I don't want to overwhelm you with content. (And that, my friends, is what we call sarcasm.)
DC's Countdown to Infinite Crisis #1 comes out tomorrow. I am of two minds about this book. On the one hand, 80 pages of comics for $1 is a heck of a bargain. On the other hand, everything else about this book makes me want to pry out my eyeballs with a rusty pair of toenail clippers. Let's start with that cover. Jim Lee pencilled it and Alex Ross gave it a painted finish. I have seen a lot of criticism of Alex Ross, but one thing you can't criticize is his straightforward drawing chops. Yes, most of it is photo-referenced, but you still can't deny that he has a well-developed eye for anatomy and realism. Jim Lee, on the other hand? I'm going to err on the side of politeness and say that Lee isn't really my artistic cup of tea. All I can think about when I look at this eyesore of a monstrosity is the unabated cringing that must have gone on in Ross' studio while he was painting it. I would wager my own hard-earned nickels that Ross is still having nightmares about Batman's right upper arm, Wonder Woman's neck, and Superman's left shoulder. Maybe the Crisis will turn out to be infinite cases of elephantitis or gout?
Then we have the title. My bet is that DC hoped to blunt any attempts at parody by coming up with the most inane, self-parodic name possible. They might have gone across the hall to Mad Magazine and asked them to come up with the title. When I see "Countdown to Infinite Crisis," I expect that the secret character that Batman is cradling in his deformed arms to be a poorly-rendered and harshly-lit Alfred E. Neumann.
Then there's the generally odious and crass nature of the whole epic "Nothing Will Ever Be The Same Again!" crossover concept. For starters, everything WILL be the same again. That's the fundamental foundation upon which major superhero properties are built. Killing and raping a handful of 3rd-rate incidental nobodies does not qualify as changing the status quo, especially because at least half of these C-List victims will be revived, re-conceptualized, or somehow re-hashed within the next few years. Bah. Now I'm getting myself all worked up, and telling you things that you've already heard from a million other people who said it better than I ever could.
So there you have it: I find the title, the cover, and the concept physically repellant. As much money as I have thrown away on bad comics in my life, I am going to leave my dollar in my pocket tomorrow rather than join the hundreds of thousands of comic fans that will be lapping up this drivel.
Posted by jdonelson_nyc at 06:02 PM | Comments (4)
March 23, 2005
Subway Reading: Don't Eat The Electric Sheep
Don't Eat The Electric Sheep #3 - Last Wednesday at the comic store, I was feeling adventurous and decided to try out a new book. I came away with this black & white self-published number by Brooklyn cartoonist Joe Flood. Don't Eat The Electric Sheep is split into two continuing stories. The first half is science-fiction/horror/conspiracy tale of an inmate in a psychiatric hospital. The second half is more of a wacky slapstick story, featuring a foul-mouthed duck, a Frankenstein's monster, and a spunky teenage girl. The three of them live in the sewer, where they hunt cybernetic alligators. I'll give you three guesses as to which half I preferred.
Despite its comparatively high production values, this book has an undeniably raw quality that may rub some people the wrong way. Flood's artwork tells the story in a clear and effective manner, with a consistent and pleasing style. His characters are distinctive and well-designed. Certain small touches really stood out for me: the fat fingers on the first story's nefarious Dr. Stepping; the twig-like legs on the duck in the second story; and the fact that the teenage action heroine wields a piece of a metal bed-frame as her primary alligator-bashing weapon. On the downside, there were a few uncomfortable perspectival and proportional issues. The board table in the first scene on the first story seemed to shrink and grow from panel to panel, for example. The sloppy lettering in this book induced more than a few cringes. Flood's line-work, textures, and compositions usually overshadowed these minor shortcomings, however.
My opinion of the scripting is split right along the lines of the split in the story. The first story may read better in a collected format, but this chapter left me scratching my head and shrugging my shoulders. There is some kind of conspiracy afoot, involving experimental drugs and cybernetic body parts. It was a little tricky to understand what was going on and it was even harder to generate any sympathy for Myles, the lead character. It seemed like a lot of important plot points and character development my have occurred earlier in the story. Without any kind of summary or backstory exposition, readers like me who picked up a middle issue are left in the dark. On the positive side, Myles' hallucinatory experiences after taking the experimental drugs were appropriately scary and bizarre. But on the whole, this story fell a little flat.
I was all set to dismiss this book until I came to the second story. Flood solves the problem of the first story with a one-page flashback that not only sets up the story, but also establishes the characters. The tale then kicks into high gear, briskly riding through cyber-alligator-hunting action, with brief pauses for character-driven comic relief. There is a satisfying dollop of self-awareness in this tale, not too much or too little. Flood also gets more opportunities to show off his drawing skills in these pages. The alligators, especially, have descriptive textures and cleverly designed mechanical extensions. The environment seems to be much more fully-realized, with backgrounds that are much less sparse than those in the first story
All in all, this book was a mixed experience. The poor lettering and inconsistencies in the art placed it squarely in the realm of the amateurish. On the other hand, the character designs and clever writing (especially in the second story) compare favorably to any other independent or big-budget comic. I prefer the wacky nature and crisp execution of the second story, but the inclusion of both shows off a level of imagination and creative energy that is unfortunately all too rare in American comics these days. This book is a strong effort by an emerging talent. Issue number four hits the stands today and I recommend tracking it down. It may not be the most polished effort on the stands, but the raw energy with which it is put together just might win you over. 3 stars.
Posted by jdonelson_nyc at 11:14 AM | Comments (1)
March 22, 2005
To Buy Or Not To Buy?
Seven Soldiers Guardian #1 - I have to admit that I was a little disappointed by Shining Knight #1, the "second" Seven Soldiers book. Maybe my expectations were a little too high? I probably have even higher expectations for Guardian, with the always-awesome Cameron Stewart on art and the premise of an NYC superhero who battles "subway pirates." Let's see if Morrison & Stewart can live up to my high hopes.
Sleeper Season 2 #10 - I love this series, and I also love that the creators recognize that it is time for it to end. Writer Ed Brubaker is doing a great job of slowly tightening the screws on Holden. Will our hero be able to wriggle out of this mess and cut the puppet-strings once and for all? This is the stuff that serial adventure is made of. Add Sean Phillips' moody, inky art to the mix and you've got one of the best titles on the stands.
Cholly & Flytrap #2 - I know next to nothing about this book, and the $5.95 price tag doesn't make it any easier for me to try it out. But the cover looks pretty sweet, and that's gotta count for something.
Pigtale #2 - The first issue was a nice, tidy piece of work by comics newcomer and animation veteran Ovi Nedelcu. I'm curious to see where he goes with the story now that he has introduced talking animals to the mix.
Spellbinders #1
Livewires #2 - Maybe I'm just a curmudgeonly old man, but I have precious little room in my heart for super-teen stories. Unfortunately, that seems to be the editorial direction for all new Marvel books. I sort of understand it from a marketing perspective, but... bah.
Young Avengers #2 - Oops, I forgot to buy it last week!
Runaways Vol 2 #2 - And yet here I am, buying a pair of Marvel super-teen books after all. Hypocrisy, thy name is The Pickytarian.
Spider-Man Human Torch #3 - Dan Slott is apparently going to be signing at Midtown Comics next month. I just might have to make an exception to my rule of staying far, far away from the store on such occasions, because I'd like to thank Slott personally for the warm, fuzzy tingles that I get when I read his comics. Ehhh... maybe that isn't something that I want to say to a grown man after all.
Conan #14 - Writer Kurt Busiek deserves a lot of credit for keeping this book from stumbling into corny genre-specific mush. I haven't read an issue yet that I didn't like.
Essential Arsenic Lullaby Vol 1 TP - If you have twenty bucks and you're looking for some unrepentantly politically incorrect laughs, this is the book for you.
Bag Of Anteaters #1 - On a whim, I went to the SLG site to see what this book was about. I have to say, the preview pages made me laugh more than once. It's a "sortabiographical" look at the misadventures of a couple of British slacker-types. The artwork may be a little uneven, but it has cartoony charm. This just might find its way into my stack.
Garth Ennis 303 #4 - After the way that part 1 ended, it looks like Garth Ennis' story is about to take a turn from war-comic action to... well, I don't know what, exactly. I'm definitely curious to find out. Even if it means sitting through more eye-aching Avatar over-coloring.
Queen & Country Vol 7 Operation Saddlebags TP - This is one of the few series for which I exclusively and faithfully wait for the trades. There are so many downsides to this: I can never remember what the hell happened in the previous chapters; I can only gaze longingly at the monthlies while waiting for a new collection; and I wind up with an unexpected $15 demand on my weekly budget. But once I dive into this collection, I know it will be worth my money and my patience.
Posted by jdonelson_nyc at 01:58 PM
March 18, 2005
Subway Reading: The Question and Stormbreaker
The Question #5 - Writer Rick Veitch and artist Tommy Lee Edwards are quietly giving us one of the best comics of the year with this series. In the early chapters, it was kind of hard to see where they were going. Actually it was kind of hard to see anything through the haze of Edwards' unusual art style. The story has since coalesced into an intriguing meditation on justice, spirituality, and urban life, all examined through the prism of good old-fashioned superhero action. Edwards seems to have added a degree of clarity to his art, and the results are nothing short of awesome. His drawing is emotive and kinetic, his compositions are dynamic, and his coloring are gorgeous. The coloring process adds an appealing liquid quality that I have never seen before.
There were a ton of little touches in this issue that really sealed it for me: Lois laughing at Vic Sage's purple poetry; the pattern on the Psychopomp's jacket; the striking cover design. These satisfying little moments are the icing on the cake, pushing this comic from good to great. 4.5 stars.
Stormbreaker #3 - "Beta Ray Bill" has to be one of the worst names in superhero history, and that's saying a lot. I suppose the blame lies with Walt Simonson, who created the character during his legendary run on Thor in the 1980's. I'm enjoying this series, but every time I see one of the hero's fellow alien Korbinites reverently and earnestly refer to him as "Bill," it cracks me up. If the other Korbinites had names like "Alpha Wave Al" or "Gamma Ray Greg," there would at least be some consistency.
I can't find much else to complain about in this series, but by the same token there isn't much that blows me away. An alien superhero tries to save his race from destruction at the hands of Galactus. It's a decent premise, and the creators are doing a solid job with it. I just wish that they weren't playing it as safe and as straight as they are. Andrea DiVito's art tells the story in a classic, workmanlike manner. Mike Oeming and Dan Berman's script is tight and well-paced. Actually, the creator who stands out the most for me is colorist Laura Villari. The effects that she uses on Galactus' herald are perfect. The creature looks ephemeral yet solid, with transparent skin that contains fiery energy. She even manages to make the background starscapes lush and colorful.
What you see is what you get with this series. While it's not the most daring or groundbreaking comic book, it accomplishes its goals and delivers a satisfying read. That alone puts it ahead of a lot of other comics out there. 3 stars.
Posted by jdonelson_nyc at 02:06 PM | Comments (1)
March 15, 2005
To Buy Or Not To Buy?
100 Percent TP - Paul Pope? Aw, yeah! $24.99? Hell, NO!
Ex Machina #9 - The current storyline kicked into higher gear with the last issue. This issue will probably grab that coveted "first read" position in this week's stack.
Human Race #1 - I have no idea what this is. Let's check out what the DC Comics web site has to say about it:
The super-powered fraternity of Delta Chi Delta is charged with a mission: to protect the genetic code of the human race from any outside interference. But when a young man's entire hometown is invaded by an alien force...
No need to go on with this. You lost me at "fraternity."
Manhunter #8 - Suspension of Disbelief provided a fantastic blow-by-blow dismantling of the shaky excuse for legal proceedings that we saw in the last issue. I'm just waiting for this Identity Crisis BS to blow over so that they can get to the next storyline - where the other Manhunters from DC show up to ask, WTF? OK, that's not exactly the plot of the next arc, but it does involve the slew of other DC characters named "Manhunter." That tickles some kind of fanboy nerve somewhere deep in my body. In a good way.
Plastic Man #15 - I know it's a popular reaction, but I've never been one to accuse Kyle Baker of phoning in his art. I think his style, especially when it's heavily computer-aided, is a lot more time-consuming and painstaking than it looks. The frenetic look is not a result of a lack of effort, it's the intended goal. That said, I am more than happy to accuse him of phoning in the story in that last Tom and Jerry "homage" issue. Nobody likes Tom and Jerry more than me (especially Mrs. Pickytarian, who has always been grossed out by Jerry's flesh-colored nakedness). But let's face it, the whole cartoon revolved around about half a premise. 24 pages of tribute seems like about 23 too many, especially when there's nothing else going on in the book. This is a very long-winded way of saying that I'm joining the other 99% of comic book readers out there by jumping off this train.
Question #5 - My initial reaction to this series was less than favorable. But I've gotten into the swing of this series and its unique and original tone. The atmospheric art does a nice job of reflecting the spiritual themes of the story. I am looking forward to reading the arc straight through; I think that the collected format will serve this story much better than the serial format.
Bigfoot #2 - I very nearly picked up issue #1 of this series. But that $3.99 price point... it just makes it that much harder to try out new IDW books.
Black Panther #2 - I'm going to go out on a limb and make a prediction here: nothing is going to happen in this issue except for another tiny drip of set-up.
Captain America Vol 5 #4 - Steve! Epting! Steve! Epting! YEAH!!
Incredible Hulk #79 - When the heck is that sweet Frazetta tribute cover going to appear? Not that it matters, I am definitely hooked into the weird little mind-bender that Peter David is giving us in this book. Plus Lee Weeks is doing a very solid job on the art.
Stormbreaker Saga Of Beta Ray Bill #4 - This title is kind of like Manhunter to me. I can't put my finger on why it appeals to me, but for some reason it does.
Ultimates 2 #4 - I hereby promise not to preface my review of this book with a disclaimer about how much I generally dislike Mark Millar's writing. I promise. Seriously. Stop snickering.
Young Avengers #2 - I still feel vaguely dirty for liking issue #1 of this series. Something about Marvel Comics these days engenders a lot of self-loathing in me.
Conan Vol 1 Frost Giants Daughter & Other Stories HC - I can count on zero fingers the number of hardcover collections that I have bought for full price on the day they were released. This book will most likely be the first of its kind. I really love the fact that Dark Horse is releasing the less-expensive TPB edition simultaneously. While I'm sure that it was a calculated business decision, it still seems like a decision that comes from a love of the comic itself. I know a few people who have been waiting for the trade on this series, and it pleases me that they won't have to wait another 6 or 12 months while Dark Horse tries to tempt them into spending an extra ten bucks on the hardcover. Hardcore fans like me can grab the HC while casual or cautious fans can go with the TPB and get themselves hooked.
Tony Millionaire Sock Monkey That Darn Yarn HC - First I'm going to give you the official Dark Horse promo copy for this book. Then I'm going to defy you to tell me that you don't want to read this book:
Here is a book that contains two stories in one. On the right-hand side is a story about a sock monkey getting his foot snagged on a tack as he's going down the stairs. As he rambles around Ann Louise's Victorian house, he unravels. On the left-hand page is a story about Ann Louise finding a ball of yarn and beginning to knit a sock monkey. The stories merge as the book unfolds and the adventure develops.
Posted by jdonelson_nyc at 05:35 PM
March 11, 2005
Subway Reading: Ultimate Fantastic Four and Street Angel
Ultimate Fantastic Four #16 - Three people were credited with inks on this issue: John Dell, Nelson, and Larry Stucker. I don't know which one of these gentlemen inked the above panel from page 3, but I wish that I did so that I could praise him by name. The surface texture is sensitive and beautiful. The extended hatching lines have a rhythm and personality that is echoed by the curls of smoke. It reminds me of Tony Millionaire by way of Kevin O'Neill's quill pen. Awesome.
Anyhoo, the other panels were pretty good, too. I saw somebody bashing Adam Kubert recently somewhere on one of the internets and I don't get it. The designs in this arc, from the N-Zone, to Annihilus' ship, to Ultimate Annihilus himself, have been striking and spooky. The texture of Ultimate Thing's rocky skin is one of the best textures in the character's long history. I suppose that the character acting could be tweaked here and there to communicate more believable and subtle emotions. But the pros very much outweigh the cons. Since Kubert took over the pencilling chores on this book, the visuals have been top-notch.
Story-wise, it's more of the same. Warren Ellis is taking his typically sweet time to get anywhere. The plotting, characterization, and tone are all very strong, but this arc will definitely read better in trade format. I would be remiss if I did not point out one bit of dialogue: Ben & Reed's discussion of the super-villains that they continue to encounter. Reed's comment at the end was pure gold, summing up the theme that has been the linchpin of this title since Lee and Kirby created it: "The universe is this fantastic place, full of ideas, and you know, cool stuff. And everyone else seems to think it's somewhere to set up their frickin' butt-hat franchise." Yeah! 4 stars.
Street Angel #5 - As we all learned from crap-tastic troubadour Billy Joel, "Only the good die young." Street Angel goes on indefinite hiatus after this issue, leaving us with nothing but the TPB to look forward to for the foreseeable future. It seems like every week brings the last issue of another great comic book. She-Hulk, Hard Time, and now Jim Rugg & Brian Maruca's unique, charming baby.
This issue largely uses Jesse, everybody's favorite homeless vigilantress, as a device to tell the back-story of "Afrodisiac," Rugg and Maruca's tribute to blaxploitation heroes from movies and Marvel comics. The visual storytelling in this issue was imaginative and daring. I loved the spreads that told Afrodisiac's stories through covers and cutout panels from parodic 70's and 80's Marvel comics. These weren't the only two-page spreads in the book, and while I am generally less than enthused to see this device, I have to give Rugg & Maruca props for their usage of it. The chaotic spread that depicted Jesse's fight against the armed thugs was appropriate and effective, especially because it was followed by a quiet spread that showed the scattered results of the violence (not to mention the artist's appreciation for the 3-D illusion that comes from overlapping forms).
Like the best issues of this title, this one ran the gamut from hyper-violence, offbeat humor, and strikingly human moments of characterization. One perfectly-timed joke towards the end reminds us that, despite her penchant for dismemberment, our heroine is still a pre-pubescent girl. The effect is an injection of pathos that puts this book heads and shoulders above its "zany for the sake of zany-ness" peers. I'm really going to miss this title, but I definitely plan to follow these creators to whatever their next project may be. 4.5 stars.
Free Comics!
Loyal Pickytarian Rick Gebhardt is giving away the TPB of Kazu Kabuishi's Daisy Kutter. So what are you waiting for? Get over there and win it already! Tell him The Pickytaraian sent ya!
Posted by jdonelson_nyc at 11:40 AM | Comments (2)
March 08, 2005
Search and Ye Shall Not Find
It's that time again... time to check out the zany search engine phrases that led people to the Pickytarian last month!
[Don't blame me for dipping into this well yet again. Blame the comic book industry for putting out so few good comics last week. The content well is dry these days, my friends. Very, very dry.]
jolene blaylock
This was by far the most popular search engine hit last month. The 89 click-throughs accounted for 14.8% of my search engine traffic. A quick search for the emaciated Vulcan on Google revealed that, out of 4,370 results, The Pickytarian has the honor of a second page listing, at the 18th & 19th spots. I feel like it's my duty to post some badly-Photoshopped nude pictures of T'Pol or some fan fiction or something so that I'm not disappointing dozens of searchers every week.
jolene blaylock pictures
jolene blaylock bikini
jolene blaylock naked
Yes, more of the same. I just enjoyed the progressive prurience of these 3 searches.
bare nipples
And here's the second-most popular search engine hit of the month (12 hits, 2%). It's a kind of funny thing to search for actually; wouldn't you want to see the entire person, or at least the entire breast or torso?
old bare nipples
That's just gross.
amazing joy buzzards
amazing joy buzzards blog
the amazing joy buzzards
amazing joy buzzards sales
amazing joy buzzards reviews
the amazing joy buzzards!
mark andrew smith amazing joy buzzards
amazing joy buzzards #2
If search engine queries were the sole determining factor of a comic book's success, this book would unseat Jim Lee's X-Men #1 as the most popular comic book in history. Actually it would be the fourth-most popular book ever, right behind the last three issues of She-Hulk:
titania vs she-hulk
she hulk vs
she hulk vs titania
titania she-hulk
she-hulk titania
she hulk gallery
she-hulk pictures
titania marvel pictures
she-hulk scans
hulk and titania
she hulk #10 titania
titania vs she hulk
she-hulk fan art
titania review she-hulk
she hulk vs wrestling
titania she hulk # 10
she-hulk vs. titania
she-hulk galleries
titania vs batman
she-hulk wrestling
she-hulk nipple
titania she-hulk nipple
ex machina nirvana -deus
I admire your expert usage of the "-" symbol in your searching. The answer to your question is that Brian K. Vaughan made up that bit about the Nirvana song in the last issue of Ex Machina.
martian nutsack
This has quite possibly become my favorite two-word phrase in the English language.
tom strong timeline
Good luck!
reshaper crack
Every month somebody searches for this, finds a link to my "funny search engine phrases" post, and the cycle begins anew. And I never get any closer to knowing what the hell "reshaper crack" is.
jesse is homeless
I know, I know, I get it already! Jeez!
2005 trendy haircuts
Sorry, but I don't think my haircut has been trendy since about 1992. You're probably looking for this comic book.
jeffrey coombs
This Star Trek: Enterprise actor strangely got 88 less search engine hits than Jolene Blaylock. It may sound low, but he still got one more hit than Scott Bakula.
i am wearing little pants to hide my genitals
Me too!
i m glad you asked
Me too! Wait... wha?
picky bank
Child? Non-english speaker? Or illiterate English-speaking adult? Now that's a fun game.
tips for creating effective characters convincing environments and a compelling story
Mark Millar, is that you again? Stick with it, buddy, one day you'll figure it out.
how to fix a unhappy marriage?
how to fix an unhappy marriage
unhappy marriage
This is even sadder than Mark Millar's search. That's two months in a row; how long before this person just gives up and leaves the jerk?
how to write fine art resume
Claim that you have had a lot of shows in Austria or something. Nobody's going to call you on it, trust me.
expectation on the upcoming indian budget 2005
I expect it will involve many rupees.
feces on the subway
you have no idea.
what queries led to my site
...and that is the sound of an infinitely recursive loop collapsing upon itself.
marvel knights marvel age difference
You got me. I can't keep up either.
seem less bikini
I'm sitting here trying to figure it out. "See less bikini?" "Seems like less bikini?" But then I realized it was supposed to be "seamless bikini." It's another one of those child vs. non-english speaker items.
tight bikini wrestling
Wouldn't loose bikini wrestling be more interesting?
i can t stands it no more
Me, neither! And yet I'm still going with this tired old bit!
crossgen returning in 2005
Awww, that's sweet.
kree skater wonder man
That, right there, sounds like an awesome comic book.
is gud dog
Occasionally there's a little nugget in these things that restores my faith in humanity...
star jones bikini
...and then there are things like this, which erode that faith right back down to zero.
ben templesmith is an idiot
He might be a bit of a gimmicky artist, but I don't know if that qualifies him as an idiot. In fact, maybe it makes him smart!
get spongebob airbrushed on my nails
giant tongues
cheap overt vest
I can't come up with a semi-snappy comment for these three items, but they are too bizarre for me to exclude.
deeply held bias
Maybe the only search on this whole list that found the correct site.
Posted by jdonelson_nyc at 11:05 AM | Comments (3)
March 04, 2005
Subway Reading: Detective Comics
Just a few scattered items today, as my deluge of non-Pickytarian responsibilities continues. I've got a short review, a comment, and a plug for you, not necessarily in that order.
Firstly, a big thanks to The Losers artist Ben Oliver for becoming the second pro to leave a comment on the site! Oliver took my smarmy nit-picks in stride, refuting one of them politely and effectively. I hope to see more of his work after this fill-in run ends, because his work appeals to me even more than regular series artist Jock. Plus, it was nice to have an exchange with a pro that didn't devolve into multi-site name-calling like last year's infamous Jim Rugg brouhaha. Thanks for reading, Ben!
Secondly, my latest round of eBay auctions ends this Sunday! Buy my crap -- I mean my comics! You know you want them!
Detective Comics #804 - David Lapham is really touching all the bases with his script for this arc. Tortured-soul Batman? Check. Impulsive, wise-cracking Robin? Check. Keeping the villains on the sociopathic end of the scale instead of the comically ridiculous end? Check. Lapham's not trying to do anything groundbreaking here, he's just writing a very solid and satisfying Batman story.
My only complaint is that Lapham is only drawing the covers and not the interiors. He is credited with layouts, but I think that's where the problem begins. Don't get me wrong; Penciller Ramon Bachs and inker Simon Massengill have an interesting and appealing style, but it's a little too labored for Lapham's many-paneled layouts. I would like to see finishes with more fluid, confident-yet-minimal brushwork. Sort of like... oh, I don't know... David Lapham? Like I said, I don't want to give the impression that I don't like this team's work. I just don't think it is the right fit for Lapham's fast-paced, small-panel layouts.
Finally, the back-up story that has accompanied this arc comes to a conclusion in this issue. While I heartily applaud the idea of back-up stories in general, I think the execution of this particular one fell kind of flat. It read like a one-shot story that was uncomfortably broken into four (five?) parts. It was a little too hard to follow all of the characters and plot threads of this murder mystery when the story was doled out in such tiny helpings. A series of semi-connected, self-contained vignettes may have been more effective. John Lucas' art style seemed like a bit of a mismatch for this story. His character's faces are exaggerated to the point of freakishness, which would be fine if this wasn't a story about carnival freakshow performers. As it is, I couldn't really distinguish between the actual "freaks" and the normal-faced folks. Maybe this was intended as some sort of sub-textual comment on who's a freak and who isn't? I just found everybody too unappealing to get that layer of meaning.
So I guess this "short review" turned out to be farily regular-sized after all. Yeesh. 3 stars.
Posted by jdonelson_nyc at 11:52 AM
March 03, 2005
must... defeat... forces of evil...
Two of The Pickytarian's most nefarious arch-enemies have joined forces in an effort to derail the production of our hero's beloved blog. Too Much Work and Not Enough New Comics have effectively halted delivery of fresh comic reviews to the loyal Pickytarians out there. Until I can find a way to trump these evil-doers, I will leave you with another scan from the Green Arrow/Green Lantern compilation that I have been reading.
Something to consider while viewing this panel: does the quality of the work that Neal Adams gave us in the seventies outweigh the damage that he did by inspiring generations of knock-off artists who concentrated more on cross-hatchedly defining every possible muscle than on believable figure drawing and clear storytelling? Also, is Adams really going to be drawing the second arc of Frank Miller's All-Star Batman and Robin? If so, the fact that Adams would be following Jim Lee makes for an interesting juxtaposition of the master and his most wayward pupil.
Posted by jdonelson_nyc at 11:30 AM | Comments (2)
March 01, 2005
it's the game you've been waiting for
Hey kids! It's The Pickytarian Play At Home Game! Now is your chance to relive the excitement of "Subway Reading" and "To Buy or Not To Buy" in your very own apartment, dormitory, flophouse, or whatever! Simply click over to my latest eBay actions, buy yourself some of the books recently reviewed on your favorite comic book blog, and soon you'll be smugly tearing down other people's hard work with the empty self-satisfaction of a true Pickytarian!
Potential targets of your ire, scorn, and occassional begrudging praise include Ultimate Nightmare, She-Hulk, Morrison's JLA:Classified and much, much, -- make that a few -- more! Supplies are limited, so act now!
Posted by jdonelson_nyc at 06:25 PM
Subway Reading: B.P.R.D. The Dead and Conan
Rather than get into lengthy reviews of these two books, I am going to take a page from my secret identity as a corporate drone and give you my thoughts in bullet points. These bullet points are ready to be incorporated into any PowerPoint presentation, with the caveats that said presentation must feature no less than three (3) different scene-to-scene transitions; all title text must be animated using the "spiral" animation; and the "Whoosh" sound effect must be deployed liberally. If you do not have any idea what I am talking about, then you should immediately assume a kneeling position and pray to whatever higher being in which you believe. Your prayer must contain no less than four (4) different expression of gratitude that you are exposed to an unending stream of brain-sucking, communication-skills-eroding PowerPoint presentations.
(title page)
Conan #13
Kurt Busiek's Script
- a late (early?) Christmas present to D&D nerds like myself
- reader feels confusion from mildly convoluted set-up and expository dialogue
- this confusion mirrors the difficulties that Conan has with his predicament
- moral quandary
- world of gods and magic
- lack of physical enemies to slay
- guy coughs up a swarm of bugs that take the form of giant talking face - BAD-ASS
Cary Nord's drawing
- seamless storytelling
- tight design
- uncomfortable variation between tight and sketchy rendering from panel to panel
Dave Stewart's coloring
- frigging gorgeous
- conveys foreboding tone of story without being too murky or dark
(repeat title page, with rating dissolving in after 10 seconds or so)
Conan #13
4 stars
(at this point, there should be a delay while the projector mysteriously switches to a bright blue screen bearing a moderately cryptic "INPUT DEVICE NOT FOUND" message. The room should come to the consensus that the laptop should be re-booted. After the re-boot, the presentation can continue.)
(title page)
B.P.R.D.: The Dead #4
Characterization of Roger and Captain Diamio
- "Roger=dumb, Diamio=gruff" setup is often derided as being too straightforward or simplistic
- Closer examination reveals that Diamio's impatience comes from dealing with Roger's unusual Mignola-style dialogue, not necessarily Roger's simple-mindedness
Visual Aspects of the Book
- words do not exist to describe the awesome quality of Guy Davis' drawing
- the character design and the drawing on the last page are also beyond description but deserve to be mentioned
- Dave Stewart colors, once again, are frigging gorgeous
Plot, Story, etc
- reveals the back-story that has been at the center of the arc's mystery
- sets things up nicely for a big punch-'em-up in next month's concluding chapter
Overall Impression
- Mike Mig-who?
- Hell-who?
- the Hellboy character and universe have grown and expanded into comics that actually exceed the quality of the prior comics
- This is a rare and amazing accomplishment by Mignola and Dark Horse.
(repeat title page, with rating sliding in from left or right)
B.P.R.D.: The Dead #4
4 stars
Posted by jdonelson_nyc at 11:17 AM