« June 2005 | Main | August 2005 »
July 26, 2005
To Buy or Not to Buy
Astro City The Dark Age #2 - If I was feeling exceptionally grouchy, I could probably work up a bit of cynicism towards this title. I could say that the allegory of superheroes reflecting their historical and cultural eras is too heavy-handed, or that the characters are too stock and uncomplicated. Luckily, I'm in more of a half-full glass kind of mood, and I trust Busiek enough to let this 8-parter play out beyond the first issue before making such judgments. I guess what I'm saying is that the first chapter didn't draw me in quite as much as I hoped.
Catwoman #45 - Pete Woods' art was a revelation last month. I'm looking forward to more.
JLA Classified #10 - Here are three salient facts about this comic book: Warren Ellis wrote it; Jackson Guice drew it; the story has absolutely nothing to do with Day of Infinite Villain OMACrisis. Yes, the computer-generated covers are exceptionally lifeless and uninspiring, but that doesn't dampen my enthusiasm in the least for the 6-part arc that this begins in this issue.
JLA Cyberforce - Because you demanded it! Yes, you demanded it in 1994, but still, it was once in demand! Really!
Losers #26 - 2000 A.D. veteran Colin Wilson handles the art for the 3-part story that kicks off in this issue. You can see some of his work here, including what I presume to be a couple of pages from this arc.
Black Panther #6 - I believe that this is the last John Romita Jr./Klaus Janson issue of this series, which seems like as good a reason as any to make it my last as well. It's not the worst super-hero comic that I've ever read, but honestly it was pretty uneven and unengaging.
Combat Zone True Tales Of GIs In Iraq Vol 1 TP - For those who like their propaganda served up with a nice helping of... propaganda? Karl Zinsmeister, editor of the right-wing magazine The American Enterprise, wrote this book and Dan Jurgens drew it. Here's something I learned from the description on TAE's web site: Dan Jurgens is "famous for creating the Superman series." That sounds like the same kind of unbiased accuracy that I expect from this comic book.
Daredevil vs Punisher #2 - The opening chapter didn't quite grill my cheese, but Lapham's run on Detective Comics took a few issues before it started to grow on me, and I have faith that the same thing will happen with this series. Here's hoping that the coloring won't be as eye-bleedingly awful as it was last month.
Fantastic Four #529 - Straczynski has a couple of good plot ideas going here, but they're being dragged down by weak characterization, clunky dialogue, and one too many Thing's-ass jokes. A game-time decision.
Runaways Vol 2 #6 - Brian K. Vaughan good yes like like buy buy buy
Spider-Man Human Torch I'm With Stupid TP Digest - Breezy, funny Spidey/Torch stories from various eras of the characters' past. If you missed the limited series, this is a nicely-priced opportunity to read some superhero stories that aren't bogged down with faux-mature trappings and self-important melodrama.
Hellboy The Island #2 - This was supposed to be released last week, but some sort of printing error forced a last-minute delay. The Suckytarian suspects that they might have accidentally left out Hellboy's pants. Presumably and hopefully, all pants have been restored.
Cute Manifesto TP - James Kochalka's autobiographical stuff has a ton of charm, but it's also kind of slight and seems to have a limited range. I'll pass. If they were to print a sequel to Fancy Froglin's Sexy Forest, however, I would be first in line!
HEE! - A collection of single-panel gags from the depraved yet hilarious mind of Ivan Brunetti.
Tick Days Of Drama #0 Mini Comic
Tick Days Of Drama #1
Tick Days Of Drama #1 Ltd Variant Cvr - A new Tick mini-series! According to the publisher, the #0 mini-comic will be attached to the #1 issue. But if that's the case, why is it listed as a separate item? Adding to the confusion is another flashback to 90's comics, an overpriced variant cover. Hopefully I won't inadvertently buy 6 copies of the same comic.
Posted by jdonelson_nyc at 11:54 AM
July 21, 2005
Subway Reading: Tales to Thrizzle and The Ultimates
Tales Designed to Thrizzle #1 - Color me thrizzled by this collection of short comics and illustrated prose by Michael Kupperman! His heavily-hatched "clip art on acid" drawing style acts as the straight man for a steady barrage of absurd gags. Kupperman's comic timing is impeccable; the panel-to-panel rhythm of the Snake n' Bacon piece had me in stitches by the end. The third section, "Comics for Old People" deviates a bit from the relatively straightforward jokes that make up the first two sections ("Comics for Kids" and "Comics for Adults"), and as a result the book ends on a more obtuse, bizarre note. Call me a simpleton, but I prefer the laugh-out-loud stuff. Nonetheless, this book is densely packed with a hefty amount of mad ideas and hilarious punchlines. Highly recommended.
Ultimates 2 #7 - As great as Tales Designed to Thrizzle was, I have to admit that it was sorely lacking one invaluable item: a toddler getting shot in the head at point-blank range. Honestly though, as inappropriate, unnecessary, and cheap as that scene was, I felt a lot more weary than upset by it. That's the problem with shock value. You can't rely on it to create drama or humor for very long, because after a while it's not shocking any more.
Posted by jdonelson_nyc at 01:40 PM | Comments (6)
July 19, 2005
To Buy and Buy and Buy
Oh, it's going to be a hungry week at Casa de Pickytarian, because the budget is not going to withstand the assault from this week's comics. Something's gotta give here, and I don't think I like Manhunter or Astonishing X-Men's chances...
100 Bullets Vol 8 The Hard Way TP - Each time a new trade comes out, I have to go back and re-read all the previous ones to refresh my memory of the story. Which isn't necessarily a bad thing, because it gives me a chance to bask in Eduardo Risso's masterful storytelling and design all over again. Risso doesn't seem to get the attention and praise that fans lavish on a lot of his peers, but the amount of imitators out there indicate the level of professional respect that he deservedly receives.
Detective Comics #808 - Lapham keeps on keepin' on with his Batman run. I've enjoyed the way that he carried over his plotting style from Stray Bullets by letting the larger overall plot take a back seat to some of the smaller related stories. Lapham's resistance to wrapping up each investigation/conflict in a tidy little bow before moving on to the next one adds a layer of credibility to the story. When you're talking about Batman fighting The Penguin, a little credibility goes a long way.
Ex Machina #13 - It sometimes dips into melodrama, but that's a minor complaint about this freshly-anointed Eisner Award winner. A movie deal was recently announced, and that has me wondering: will a risk-averse movie studio keep the World Trade Center stuff that is so integral to the plot?
Manhunter #12 - The last issue was so crummy that this book has found itself perched precariously on the bubble. In a crowded week like this one, it needs to pass a thorough flip-through test to make the cut.
Astonishing X-Men #11 - Speaking of the bubble, my patience is just about at an end with this book. The plots are thoroughly underwhelming and I've seen better art from John Cassady. The long delay between issues isn't exactly building my anticipation, either.
Defenders #1 - I was never in on the joke of Giffen & DeMatties' beloved Justice League stuff. Nonetheless, I'll take a chance with their take on Marvel's most absurdly-conceived super-team.
GLA #4 - Liking it. Buying it.
Incredible Hulk #84 - The 2nd issue in the House of M crossover arc. Frankly, the story in chapter one failed to grab me, and the art was sort of ho-hum and over-colored. I think I'm going to pass.
Ultimates 2 #7 - see GLA #4.
Conan #18
Goon #13
Hellboy The Island #2 - It's definitely a good week when there are new issues of my three favorite Dark Horse titles!
Love & Rockets Vol 2 #14 - I tried to get through the monster Locas collection, but it whooped my butt soundly. I like these individual issues much better because the brevity of the chapters makes it easier to savor and appreciate the pure cartooning genius of the Hernandez brothers.
Tales Designed To Thrizzle #1 - A collection of wacky comics from Michael Kupperman makes this the first week in Pickytarian history with two new Fantagraphics books to buy. According to the Fantagraphics web site, the debut issue of this new ongoing series features "'Uncle Billy’s Drunken, Bitter Guide to the Animal Kingdom,' new Pablo Picasso adventures, information on sex blimps and sex holes, an opportunity to meet the hot boy band Boybank, cowboys debating whether comics are serious literature, 'Cut-out n Play:Soccer Joust!' and much, much more." Yeah, OK, sold.
Northwest Passage #1 - Scott Chantler has a great eye for staging and storytelling, and his confident, cartoony drawing compares favorably with Jeff Smith's. I'm not sure how much of an audience exists for frontier-era action, but I'd pay $5.95 for 72 pages of Chantler's art any day. Check out this lengthy preview on CBR and see for yourself.
Posted by jdonelson_nyc at 04:19 PM
July 15, 2005
If this was a Jeopardy category, it would be called Potpourri
Yesterday I finally acquired that precious badge of comic nerd cred... The Composite Superman action figure! Because I am the worst collector/speculator in the world, I immediately ripped open the package and pulled out the figure. The reason I bring this up is to share with you the reaction of my wife, the lovely and fortunately non-judgmental Mrs. Pickytarian: "Look, he has half Batman penis and half Superman penis."
On his blog, Double Articulation, Jim Roeg posts a lengthy and scholarly examination of the narrative obstacles faced by superhero movies. In the process, he takes the Fantastic Four movie to task for its inability to overcome these obstacles. It's well worth your time, especially if you'd like to read something more considered and in-depth than cheap semi-jokes about an action figure's crotch. Good job, Jim!
Put me down as curious about but wary of Darwyn Cooke's upcoming Spirit series from DC. As much as I loved Cooke's recent issue of Solo and his New Frontier series, I have some reservations about setting The Spirit in the present day and teaming him up with Batman(?). For me, the strength of the book was Will Eisner's inspired drawing style and innovative visual storytelling rather than any inherent appeal of the characters. Of course I haven't read more than a handful of Spirit stories, so take my opinion for what it's worth. To that end, I have unqualified anticipation for the third part of DC's Spirit announcement, which is an affordable paperback reprint of "nearly two dozen" of Eisner's classic Spirit stories. The main thing that has kept me from reading more of the book is DC's insistence on reprinting them only in the unaffordable hardcover Archive format.
No word on whether they are going to bring back the poorly-aged racist caricatures from Eisner's series...
I feel so wanted... Dave Ex Machina has invited me to join his East Coast Bloggaz Crew. To quote GangStarr, "Peace to Boston, Philly, Connecticut, DC / All the east coast cities are fly to me!"
Posted by jdonelson_nyc at 10:52 AM
July 14, 2005
Subway Reading: Ultimate Fantastic Four
It had been weeks since I spotted anybody reading any kind of comics on the subway. It was getting dire, to the point where I found myself trying to decide if seeing somebody doing the Jumble on the Daily News comics page counted. Yesterday, however, the drought ended. I spotted a Pickytarian lookalike reading an issue of Bendis & Maleev's Daredevil! I considered asking him if he wanted those Sam & Twitch books by Bendis & Maleev that I can't get rid of, but decided against it. By the way, if you want them, just drop me a line and they're yours. I will even pay for U.S. shipping. Anybody? Anybody? Hello?
Ultimate Fantastic Four #21 - I really wanted this book to work. The good news is that despite the best efforts by the creative team to untrack it, the book isn't a complete disaster. While Millar can't manage compelling characterization, even when it's handed to him in the form of characters that have been well-defined for 40 years, he can come up with an engaging adventure plot. That's what he's done here, taking Reed's exploration of an alternate reality (i.e., the "616" Marvel Universe) in an unexpected and clever direction. I also appreciated the foreshadowing in the form of Franklin Storm warning Reed about getting seduced by superhero life and taking too many chances... why, if you hold it up to the light just so, that might even be considered a theme!
Before I get myself all worked up about the art in this comic, there is one thing that I like. The coloring is exquisite. The combined efforts of penciller Greg Land, inker Matt Ryan, and colorist Justin Ponsor lead to some very cool effects.
As it turns out, Greg Land is the perfect artist for Millar. Land's lifeless, two-dimensional figures are ideal vehicles for Millar's flat, one-dimensional characters. But the one thing that distracted me more than the badly integrated photo-referencing, more than the inconsistent likenesses, more than the seemingly arbitrary facial expressions and poses that have nothing to do with the story or the dialogue, was the depiction of the teenage Sue Storm as an adult porn star. From the impossible body, to the outfits that hearken back to the 90's "Bad Girl Era" comics, to the pouty collagen lips and tousled Maxim-spread hair, there is NOTHING about her depiction that says "teenage science nerd." Look, I understand fan service, I know what sells comics, and I know what I sound like by complaining about this. But even if you don't mind comics' rampant exploitative objectification of women, you still have to admit that this Sue Storm could not be any less connected to the character that has been established in the previous 20 issues of this book. It's not just sexist, insulting, and pathetic, it's lazy.
Posted by jdonelson_nyc at 11:01 AM | Comments (2)
July 12, 2005
To Buy or Not to Buy?
Action Comics #829 - I'm still picking up this Gail Simone/John Byrne title, depsite the wierd out-of-nowhere resolution to the last storyline. Apparently the characters who suddenly appeared and stole away with the villain originated from some kind of crossover madness. That's the price I pay for reading Marvel or DC comics this summer, but a panel or two of lip service that explained who these charcters were and what they were doing would have gone a long way. Nonetheless, John Byrne's art makes me happy, and seeing it in a book that neither he nor Chris Claremont is writing makes me even happier.
All Star Batman And Robin The Boy Wonder #1 - I know I'm the only person in the world who feels this way, but Jim Lee's art drives me batty (har, har). What don't I like about it? The bizarre muscle-fetish anatomy, the disatracting over-hatching, the uniformly thin line weight, the pin-up poses and gritted teeth in place of character acting, the splash pages instead of storytelling... shall I go on? I love the idea of Frank Miller writing a light-hearted, continuity-free Batman, but I just can't get past the visuals. When is Morrison & Quitely's All-Star Superman coming out?
Desolation Jones #2 - Yes, Warren Ellis' stuff has gotten a bit formulaic, but it's a good formula that I haven't tired of. It helps to have J.H. Williams III doing the art.
How To Draw The Batman - "The" Batman?
Mnemovore #4 - One of those books that I like, and that I will buy, but about which I have nothing new to say. Creepy horror, solid art, rock on.
Seven Soldiers Guardian #3 - After Shining Knight's redemptive third issue, this may have become my least favorite of the Seven Soldiers minis. Of course, Morrison's least is miles ahead of most of his competiton's best. And luckily, Cameron Stewart is drawing the book, so there's no way I would pass it up.
Smoke #2 - I've heard great things about this book, and I liked what I saw when I flipped through issue #1. But at that price point of $7.49 per issue, I'm waiting for the trade.
Ultimate Fantastic Four #21 - But Pickytarian, you said Mark Millar makes you crazy! You said that you were so upset about Warren Ellis leaving that you weren't going to touch this one! You said... I know what I said. But damned if the lead-in from issue #20 didn't grab me a little bit. Plus I really do like that Fantastic Four. I'm going to give it a shot, despite the presence of Greg Land's photo-lifted cheesecake art. And while we're on the topic, that wasn't me that you saw in Midtown Comics buying the first two issues of JM Straczynski's FF. It was my evil FF-loving clone. Damn you, clone! Stop making a hypocrite out of me!
Man With The Screaming Brain #3 - I'm loving the mad scientist retro-horror goodness in this title, but I'm loving Hillary Barta's art even more.
Nat Turner #1 Corrected Printing - Maybe they will "correct" the shoddy toilet paper on which the first run was printed? Either way, pick up this book if you haven't already done so. It's the best work that Kyle Baker has done in a long time.
Banana Sundays #1 - Colleen Coover is a heck of a cartoonist. It's nice to see her breaking out of the porno-comic ghetto that surely restricted her audience. Throw in the fact that this is a book about talking monkeys and I am definitely buyng it. Check out this preview at the Oni Comics web site and judge for yourself.
So what did I miss?
Before I forget... I put up some new eBay auctions. Recent comics such as Spider-Man/Human Torch, Ex Machina, Ocean, and more could be yours for cheap. Happy bidding!
Posted by jdonelson_nyc at 10:26 AM | Comments (7)
July 11, 2005
The Fantastic Suckytarian
Editor's note: After a long hiatus, The Suckytarian returns to this site to provide you with a glimpse into his cold, soulless, heart. The following is his review of The Fantastic Four movie. Please note that any views expressed herein are most certainly not, and in fact likely contradict with metaphysical certitude, the views of The Pickytarian...
Hello, you bloggy bastards! You might remember me from past works such as Killer Shrike: How Curvy Wrist Blades And A Top Knot Can Make YOU A Bad Ass Too and In Defense of "Warlock and The Infinity Watch". I am the defender of all that the Pickytarian despises. I am the purveyor of all that the Pickytarian ignores. I am the Suckytarian. And I am here with one simple question: What the hell is an Ioan Gruffudd?
The Pickytarian has been begging me to return to the site for some time now, but I could not bring myself away from my worn-out copy of Daredevil and my stack of Reginald Hudlin Spider-Man comics until today. Until I had a purpose. Until I saw this opportunity to save the Pickytarian from his own pickiness. To save him from giving in to his snobbery and missing out on a genuine good time. I am here to tell you that Fantastic Four is FANTASTIC FUN!
Critically panned and technically bad, Marvel's latest cinematic offering had me smiling like a giddy little kid from start to finish. And from the bright-eyed looks on the many young faces surrounding me in the theater, the movie had real little kids giddy too! This movie is a hit and the franchise WILL have legs.
WHAT YOU WON'T LIKE
All of the reviews you've read or heard are 100% right. The good ones AND the bad. If you can get a hold of some of the more scathing reviews before seeing this flick, please do, as it will help you get over any high hopes or fanboy pretension, and just enjoy it for what it is.
Lowered expectations were key to my enjoyment. So was seeing the comparatively dull and heavy-handed Batman Begins only a couple of weeks prior. And there is definitely something magical and infectious about the laughter and excitement of a theater full of children.
Here's a quick rundown of what you will not (and SHOULD NOT) like about this movie:
- Jessica Alba's acting. She is just too wooden. Sure, she's hot, which goes a long way toward making her tolerable. But they should've gone with that Mean Girl chick originally rumored for Sue Storm.
- In the very beginning of the movie, Ben Grimm makes a blond joke at Johnny Storm's expense. Look at any posters or promos for this movie and you will notice a problem with such a joke. Johnny Storm IS blond in this movie, but you can only tell during one scene where he is back-lit enough for the orangey yellow color of his crew cut to show. Anyway, it is one of those little hiccups early on that can set the most discerning fanboys off on a tear. You've been warned, so get over it.
- The guy who plays Reed Richards has an accent in real life, and he seems to be having a very hard time keeping it in check throughout the movie. Either that or he's just as wooden an actor as Jessica Alba. The generally poor performances by these two definitely spoils some of the chemistry between the supposed future Mr. and Mrs. Richards.
- There are a couple of instances where all of the key players show up at the same place at the same time right on cue for some pivotal action. The filmmakers should have used 5 or 10 of the minutes saved by streamlining the early origin bits to provide at least a tiny bit of justification for these annoying moments of convenience. (But if you could tolerate the same problem during the climax of Batman Begins, you shouldn't even notice it here.)
- Masked Dr. Doom looks cool, but he just sounds like the Nip/Tuck guy standing in a voiceover booth doing a preliminary script read. There's still hope for the DVD release or, at least, the inevitable sequel, for the filmmakers to fix this egregious error. They really dropped the ball in depicting the VOICE OF DOOOOOOM!!!! Jerks.
But that's it. That's my gripe list.
WHY IT WORKS
I went into this movie expecting the absolute worst. What I got was a care-free take on what I have always considered a care-free comic. The Fantastic Four, in whatever medium, has always been about fun to me. Spider-Man and Batman are steeped in tragedy and the respective hero's inner turmoil. The X-Men are bogged down by racism and a constant, layered "us versus them" dynamic. But the FF are celebrities and beloved adventurers. They are a happy family with awesome powers and abilities doing amazing things.
The movie is recognizably the origin of the FF, but it has been streamlined and updated in order to make the movie's plot as compact and kid-friendly as possible. The specific reason the characters go into space is different. The participants in the space flight and their roles in the mission are not quite the same. But the changes manage to make the original story MORE accessible without sacrificing ANY of the necessary relationships. Victor Von Doom is still jealous of all things Reed Richards, and he will come to hold Reed responsible for his fate. Sue and Johnny Storm have a better reason to be on the mission than "Well, she's Reed's girlfriend and Johnny's her little bro." And all of the characters are given an implied history that adds depth to their relationships, particularly the relationship between Ben Grimm and Johnny, without tacking an extra 20-30 minutes of clunky exposition or stretched logic to the story. Dare I say the filmmakers have IMPROVED the FF's origin? I think I do.
The overall plot doesn't drag and it does not insult your intelligence... unless you were insulted by the plot of the original (or current) comic plots. In which case, why the heck would you want to see this movie anyway? And why are you visiting this Web site? Weirdo.
Ultimately, the main reason you and anyone else will enjoy this movie is the relationship between Johnny Storm and Ben Grimm. It is so spot-on perfect and true to the comic that your inner child will not be able to resist smiling and laughing along with their back and forth throughout. Its just that good. As good a job as I thought Christian Bale did in Batman Begins, Chris Evan (as the Torch) and Michael Chicklis (Thing) are just absolutely brilliant. They got it. And they make this movie something special. Another Alba-esque casting decision for either role, and this movie would be a total disaster. These two guys are the shining beacon of hope that makes all the suckiness suck a little less, and elevates what's good to great. I don't see Oscars in their future, but I will bet money that Evans and Chicklis win the MTV Movie Award for best duo.
To wrap this up, let me once again reference Batman Begins, which * prior to seeing FF * I really liked (and still, technically, do), but now seems to be far more flawed. BB was NOT a fun or enjoyable movie. It as grim and heavy-handed. BB suffered from pretty much the same flaws as FF, and just about every movie in the comic book genre (annoying convenience, some crappy acting here and there). But then FF excel by not claiming to be more than it is. FF doesn't pretend or presume, like BB does, to be a mature, adult-minded, independent-spirited FILM. FF knows what it is. Its a commercial for Happy Meals. Its an introduction, for little girls and boys, to 4 of the coolest characters that they've never heard of. Its a good time at the movies.
Fantastic Four gets a SOLID ***3 1/2 stars from the Suckytarian (and Batman Begins gets knocked down a peg to an even ***3 stars in the process).
Posted by jdonelson_nyc at 02:01 PM | Comments (4)
July 08, 2005
Is it October yet?
I was all set to complain about this week's disappointments from Marvel. Daredevil/Punisher was as painfully over-colored as I feared, and the story flails and convulses under the weight of the inevitable flaws that appear when the Punisher is dropped into the world of super-heroes. The Incredible Hulk got sucked into the House of M vortex, with predictable, uninteresting results. But just when I was ready to rail against Marvel's creative bankruptcy, Newsarama smacked me in the face with news of October's Marvel Monsters series of one-shots:
Devil Dinosaur: Written by Eric Powell and Tom Sneigoski and illustrated by Powell and Mark Farmer
Monsters on the Prowl: Written by Steve Niles and illustrated by Duncan Fegrado.
Fin Fang Four: Written by Roger Langridge and Mick Gray with art by Langridge
Where Monsters Dwell: An anthology, featuring stories by Jeff Parker, Peter David and Keith Giffen and art by Russ Braun, Arnold Pander and Giffen.
I can probably live without the anthology, but Duncan Fegredo, Roger Langridge, and Eric Powell? I think the nerdal lobe in my brain just ruptured with geek-out glee! The icing on the cake is that each book will feature a reprint of a classic Jack Kirby story! And the icing on the icing is that Eric Powell is doing all of the the covers!! Follow the link above to see the covers; check out that Hulk/Devil Dinosaur piece!!! I can't type enough exclamation points here, people!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Posted by jdonelson_nyc at 01:25 PM | Comments (1)
July 06, 2005
The SCUM Gang attacks!
Because of the July 4 holiday, new comics will not be released today. But don't throw yourself off a bridge just yet... you can get some new comic goodness today after all! No, I'm not talking about those Bendis/Maleev Sam & Twitch books (for which, as you might not be surprised to learn, I have not received a single request). I'm talking about The Pickytarian's 24 Hour Comic! Enjoy...
Posted by jdonelson_nyc at 09:38 AM | Comments (2)
July 05, 2005
Miscellany
Sean T. Collins drives a truck through the plot holes in Batman Begins. Good stuff!
My eBay auctions ended and a couple of things didn't sell, so I'm giving them away for free. If anybody wants a 5-issue run of Sam & Twitch by Bendis & Maleev (issues #15-19, it's a complete story arc), email me at the address on the right. Make sure to include your mailing address. If you live in the US, I'll even pay for the shipping; if you're outside the US, you'll have to pay me for the shipping via PayPal. First person to reply wins! It's the simplest, quickest contest ever!
Looks like another slow week for new comics. Marvel has the first issue of the Daredevil vs Punisher miniseries, written and drawn by Stray Bullets creator David Lapham. I can't love a comic book more than I love Stray Bullets, but the preview of the DD/Punisher book has me worried. That is some garish coloring. Hopefully this can be chalked up to the fact that it's on the web; it will be a disaster if the printed version swallows up Lapham's virtuoso line work to this extent.
Also notable is a self-published book called Shards by Ryan Irish. It's a wacky sci-fi/Western story, featuring hyper-violence and talking monkeys; I defy you to find something to dislike in that setup. The black and white art has a strong Joe Sacco feel, from the exaggerated perspective and anatomy to the tight outlines and patterns. In a light week like this, why not check out something new?
I am finally in possession of the original art from my 24-hour comic! Thanks to Peat and The Suckytarian for rescuing the book from the clutches of Jim Hanley's Universe. I'm in the process of scanning it right now, and I will post it here as soon as I finish. A note to aspiring 24-hour comic creators: don't use full-size 11 x 17 boards. Not only does it take much longer to actually draw, but scanning each page on a regular-size scanner is a maddeningly tedious, slow process. Anyway stay tuned to see The Pickytarian put his money where his big, fat mouth is!
Posted by jdonelson_nyc at 11:25 AM | Comments (4)