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April 21, 2005
Subway Reading: Klarion and Young Avengers
A quick note before today's reviews: check out this post and comment thread on the Precocious Curmudgeon site about painted comics, featuring some opinions from yours truly. It's interesting how polarizing Alex Ross' work can be. Is it the fault of the work itself or is it because of the pre-conceptions that readers bring to painted comics? There are also some great recommendations for other painted work, which I am eager to check out for myself.
Klarion the Witch-Boy #1 - Once again, I need to give props to the DC brain trust for simultaneously putting out the Seven Soldiers and the Infinite Crisis crossover events. It's a cynical yet shrewd exploitation of the split between the elitist (AKA me) superhero fans and the... populist (?) superhero fans. I have way too many issues with the collector's mentality and grim n' gritty aspects of Countdown Crisis to even consider touching those books with a ten-foot pole. On the other hand, I know a lot of comic fans think of Grant Morrison as way too pretentious, high-fallutin', and dismissive of continuity to go anywhere near the Seven Soldiers stuff. While I would love to see a comic book that appealed to both sides, I have to tip my cap to DC for maximizing the returns from the comic book buying public.
I didn't mention a word about Klairon, did I? Like the rest of the SS tie-in books, I found it well-crafted and enjoyable, if not mind-blowing. Artist Frazer Irving is new to me, and I really enjoyed his iconic style. He is credited with the drawing and the coloring on the book, and honestly the coloring was maybe a touch too local-color specific and unvaried. I'm willing to give it the benefit of the doubt, though, because I expect that he is setting up a visual dichotomy between the look of the Limbo-world in which this issue is set and the "surface" world or whatever, which is where the series is obviously heading. I'll give this one 3.5 stars.
Young Avengers #3 - Like its predecessor, this issue was largely devoted to exposition and backstory. It doesn't get too bogged down, though, and there are still a lot of unanswered questions. The art is starting to grow on me, though I would like to see a little more variation in the character's likenesses. I also thought the panel layouts and camera angles got a little repetitive: flip through and note how many horizontal single-panel tiers include a crowd of two or more talking heads.
The main thing that I want to mention is that writer Allan Heinberg ties this story to Kyle Baker's Truth miniseries! I assumed that Marvel's new conservative editorial regime would sweep Truth under the rug and never mention it again. I was thrilled to be proved wrong. Between the ties to that controversial series and the ambiguous sexuality of the Hulkling (every time I type or utter that name, I have a little tiny seizure), this series is sure to set off the reactionary message board posters. Which means more delicious fodder for Fanboy Rampage. Which means even more entertainment for me, which means that I am going to give this book 3 stars.
Posted by jdonelson_nyc at April 21, 2005 11:45 AM
Comments
To be honest, I had no idea Alex Ross' work was "polarising" before I read that post (and BeacoupKevin's) yesterday. I mean, I get their point, but...it's not really Alex Ross' fault if someone thought painted comics 'legitimised' or 'elevated' superheroes, is it?
Anyway, the painted stuff is...nice...but personally, I always liked Ross for his costume designs.
Posted by: Michael at April 21, 2005 04:07 PM
I was just as surprised as you were, Michael. Alex Ross is not my favorite artist in the world by any means, but I don't think it's fair or accurate to accuse him of trying to make superhero comics into something that they aren't.
Posted by: jdonelson_nyc at April 21, 2005 05:06 PM
I'd invite anyone who thinks that Morrison is too pretentious or high-falootin' to pick up the first issue of The Guardian - a comic that knows what it means to be a superhero comic. And it has subway pirates in it - what more could you ask for?
As for Klarion - it's easily my second favorite of the Seven Soldier first issues so far. I also believe that the color in the book is going to be used to give us a "shorthand" for the distinction between Klarion's world and the surface. I like how Teekl the cat makes a strong visual impression in the world - obviously another thing that makes Klarion different from the others (I wonder if Klarion's father brought Teekl from the surface world or something).
I thought Morrison did an excellent job of both introducing Klarion to us and introducing the world of Limbo Town to us. He made me very curious about the whole setting of Limbo Town and I'm a little disappointed that it looks like Klarion won't be there for the future issues.
Posted by: Jer at April 21, 2005 10:28 PM