Sweet Tooth is kind of this under the radar series that I really wish was getting a little more attention. Writer/Artist Jeff Lemire has a rough outline for a 40 issue story but is only planning on 20 to 30 issues, so hopefully they all see print!
This second volume takes place almost directly where volume 1 left off. If you haven't read volume 1, stop reading this review and check it out first. Gus, our 9 year old hero is stuck in captivity of a government/militia type of group while Jepperd is seen traveling, what seems aimlessly at first, with his horse and his gym bag seen as his prize for delivering Gus last issue.
This volume takes on a much more melancholy approach over the last volume. We see Jepperd's story unfold in mostly seamless flashbacks, but I did occasionally wish Lemire was spending a little more time in the present. We see Jepperd's and his wife's desperate struggle for survival when the plague/death first started. This flashback and present day formula is followed through the entire volume, and although it dragged a time or two more than Gus's story, by the end of the volume I think most will be happy with the ride.
The other main plot line of course belonged to the star of the series 9 year old Gus "Sweet Tooth". He has been thrown in with the other half breeds and seems destined to be dissected and killed to see what can be learned from the half breeds. It is hard to review much of this section because there is a ton of surprises, and although in hindsight it isn't that unusual to see the story go this way, the twists and surprises to get here left me pleasantly surprised.
Needless to say there are several plot revelations that answer several questions but spawn almost as many. That is one great thing about this series and Vertigo or a lot of comics outside the big two. Deep down inside you know nothing will really ever happen to Spiderman, he has been here since the 60's, but with a finite about of issues there isn't a lot of decompression for the trades. And knowing no one is safe and the story can go any unexpected way leaves you on the edge of your seat. This series feels like Lost after the end date was set, in that after that episode we are heading fast to a conclusion and there were no more filler episodes. Each issue in this volume seems integral to the story and there just doesn't seem time for filler.
The first trade for Sweet Tooth didn't suffer from the decompression many series do, but did suffer a bit in setting the world and characters. That seems to be over. Lemire seems to have a plan and we are racing towards the finish.
That could all change. He could find he has more issues, or pull out for a slower trade to do some character work like the Walking Dead does occasionally, or this could be a wild ride to a great ending.
I am probably not doing Lemire's character work justice. Jepperd does a horrible thing, and through much of the flash backs you may not find yourself rooting for him too hard. But by the end you may be back on his side. And the ambiguous ending may still leave you wondering about him a little. Will this character find redemption and is he on his way or is he spiraling down a path he will not be able to return from.
This is a great series and with some of the other Vertigo heavy hitters I haven't heard much noise about it except for a few best of lists to end the year. If you are tired of the same old same old over at the big two or you like post apocalyptic comics, or you just love well done and entertaining stories check this (and volume 1 out). If you read volume 1 and still on the fence I think volume 2 takes what volume 1 did, and runs with it for a much more satisfying read.
Sunday, March 13, 2011
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Blacksad
John Blacksad, a detective in the private sector, is the protaganist of a recent hardcover collecting the first 3 albums (yes this is originally a European comic) available from Dark Horse comics. On the surface there is a been there done that before, but two things really set this comic apart. First, it is set in the 1950's which is a nice change of pace and turns into a great setting. Second, it is an anthropomorphic story, as John Blacksad is a big giant cat.
This is one of the better comics I have read in some time. It is broken down into three albums. Each album could basically be read in any order as nothing really carries over, but certain characters are introduced in the early albums that will appear again. The 3 albums are titled Somewhere within the Shadows, Artic Nation, and Red Soul and all three are set in the late 1950's in the USA.
The first album, Somewhere within the Shadows, is your typical detective/PI story. John is initially involved because the deceased is an old girlfriend. In fact this first story of corruption, betrayal, twists and turns, has been done many, many times before. It is hard to be too original with so many crime noir offerings available. So what you have to have is amazing execution. And you get that here. There is amazing page layouts, with many, many panels per page. The dialogue is very strong and for the most part flows very well, especially as this was not originally in English. There is just enough character development of Blacksad to keep him interesting, but the book really does flow from page to page. It is easy to rush from page to page as the story draws you in, but I was immediately ready for another reading.
The second volume, Arctic Nation really uses its time frame to set this story up. This isn't your typical detective story. The main theme here is racism, the white animals versus the black animals. This story involves a kidnapping and how unfriendly the white animals can be towards Blacksad as he tries to unravel this mystery. Once this one gets rolling, hang on, there is twist after twist after twist. I think this is the weakest of the three, but still great. I am not sure if I just didn't buy the racism when they are seen as animals, or if the twists became a little bit too twisty, or if a couple of character decisions just didn't seem logical, this one while still very entertaining did not leave me immediately dying for a reread.
The final volume uses the setting once again to tell a story set in the crazy cold war nuclear scare. This volume seems to take the longest to get started, but may be one of the strongest finishers. What is so amazing about these storytellers is there is very little action compared to the first two stories, but what action there is, is explosive and exciting and the plot is gripping to the very end.
The creative team of Juan Diaz Canales and Juanjo Guarnido have done an amazing job. Each panel is wonderfully drawn in a beautiful painted style. Everything about this story is just wonderful.
That carries over to Dark Horse as well. This is a beautiful hardcover that would look great on any shelf. It is over sized for comic book standards and the work just explodes from the page. Don't let the price scare you as you are basically getting 3 graphic novels in a hard back form. The page count might be down, but with 8 to 9 panels average on these huge pages there really is a ton of content here.
I think the only issue I had, and I don't know if this is the number of panels per page or if this is a European practice I am not familiar with, but ocassionally there would be 8 panels on a page devoted to one seen, then the 9th would be the first panel of a new scene. That was jarring in a couple of places as I tried to figure how that final panel fit in before turning the page and realizing I was in a new scene.
I can't recommend this enough. Even though it is cats and dogs and bears, this is not for kids as this is a tough and rough world. Anyone else though who is a detective or a comic book fan in general should be checking this out.
This is one of the better comics I have read in some time. It is broken down into three albums. Each album could basically be read in any order as nothing really carries over, but certain characters are introduced in the early albums that will appear again. The 3 albums are titled Somewhere within the Shadows, Artic Nation, and Red Soul and all three are set in the late 1950's in the USA.
The first album, Somewhere within the Shadows, is your typical detective/PI story. John is initially involved because the deceased is an old girlfriend. In fact this first story of corruption, betrayal, twists and turns, has been done many, many times before. It is hard to be too original with so many crime noir offerings available. So what you have to have is amazing execution. And you get that here. There is amazing page layouts, with many, many panels per page. The dialogue is very strong and for the most part flows very well, especially as this was not originally in English. There is just enough character development of Blacksad to keep him interesting, but the book really does flow from page to page. It is easy to rush from page to page as the story draws you in, but I was immediately ready for another reading.
The second volume, Arctic Nation really uses its time frame to set this story up. This isn't your typical detective story. The main theme here is racism, the white animals versus the black animals. This story involves a kidnapping and how unfriendly the white animals can be towards Blacksad as he tries to unravel this mystery. Once this one gets rolling, hang on, there is twist after twist after twist. I think this is the weakest of the three, but still great. I am not sure if I just didn't buy the racism when they are seen as animals, or if the twists became a little bit too twisty, or if a couple of character decisions just didn't seem logical, this one while still very entertaining did not leave me immediately dying for a reread.
The final volume uses the setting once again to tell a story set in the crazy cold war nuclear scare. This volume seems to take the longest to get started, but may be one of the strongest finishers. What is so amazing about these storytellers is there is very little action compared to the first two stories, but what action there is, is explosive and exciting and the plot is gripping to the very end.
The creative team of Juan Diaz Canales and Juanjo Guarnido have done an amazing job. Each panel is wonderfully drawn in a beautiful painted style. Everything about this story is just wonderful.
That carries over to Dark Horse as well. This is a beautiful hardcover that would look great on any shelf. It is over sized for comic book standards and the work just explodes from the page. Don't let the price scare you as you are basically getting 3 graphic novels in a hard back form. The page count might be down, but with 8 to 9 panels average on these huge pages there really is a ton of content here.
I think the only issue I had, and I don't know if this is the number of panels per page or if this is a European practice I am not familiar with, but ocassionally there would be 8 panels on a page devoted to one seen, then the 9th would be the first panel of a new scene. That was jarring in a couple of places as I tried to figure how that final panel fit in before turning the page and realizing I was in a new scene.
I can't recommend this enough. Even though it is cats and dogs and bears, this is not for kids as this is a tough and rough world. Anyone else though who is a detective or a comic book fan in general should be checking this out.
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Superman: Earth One
Superman: Earth One is the first in a new line of graphic novels exploring Earth One stories. This is the way for DC to wipe the slate clean much like Marvel did with the Ultimate line and tell stories that either the long time comic reader could enjoy, or someone completely new to the medium.
This first outing is by J. Michael Straczynski and Shane Davis and really fits the bill for the second of the goals as a story for newer readers. In fact this seams like it would have been a great fit to launch with a new movie. The other goal, to be for long time Superman fans will probably be a lot more hit or miss depending on personal tastes.
The story starts with a 20 year old Clark Kent. He isn't quite sure what he wants to do with his life, but he has just moved to Metropolis. He is done with school. He succeeds at business, football, baseball, you name it. The only place he doesn't succeed is at the Daily Planet.
It is here that we get a quick introduction to staples Perry White, Jimmy "Jim" Olsen and Lois Lane. And it is quick. And it may be the weakest sequence in the story, as it really seems added in just so we don't go the whole story without seeing them.
Through some flashbacks and phone conversations we are brought up to speed on what Clark's parents would want for him. But what does he want? That is kind of the crux of the entire story, and the answer may well disappoint some fans.
Unfortunately due to a new villain he isn't given much of a chance. This new enemy was a neighbor of Krypton and it is his job to wipe all Kryptonians out, including Clark. Cue big fight scene. Clark looks like he may lose. Unexpected friends help out...well you get the rest.
This seems to be an absolutely fantastic story for a new comics reader. The artwork is great with vibrant colors. The production details are great and you get a real nice hardback to add to your shelf. The story is very solid and the final climax seems to be about right for this type of story.
There are several things the long time readers may notice though, and may not like. Many of these I think make perfect sense, but seem almost out of place in a Superman comic, even a totally new Earth One Superman. There is no Lex. Not even a hint. I actually think this is O.K. as he has to be the most overdone Superman villain ever. I think it is actually a nice move leaving him out, but some people are missing him.
And Superman just seems off. He isn't quite as heroic as you may remember. He doesn't even really go that willingly into the fight until he realizes it is basically his fault that these invaders are here. I think he seems pretty typical for a 20 year old, not knowing quite what he wants or what he wants his future to be, but it just seems so anti Superman. Clark doesn't even come off as that nice of a guy just trying to make money.
Lois is very weak in the story, and this one I agree with. She is barely there, and there is no spark or even a long look Clark's way. I am actually O.K. with this as I remember back to the early days of their relationship he always seemed a little more interested than him. But he barely gave her a second glance. She almost could have been left out of the story, or he just bumped into her in the last panel or something, but she really was a weak link, and there relationship, well it just doesn't exist.
The final thing, is Clark seems to be a super genius solving math problems that haven't been solved in two years. This might seem really out of place to the long time reader.
This is still a great story for a new Superman fan to jump into. It starts out a little slow but then builds to an exciting and climatic ending with plenty of room for a sequel. For long time readers it will be either hit or miss. If you can leave your previous ideals of Superman behind and not take this as a retelling, but a totally new Superman from a different world entirely, or are able to take this as a Superman story you would find at the movie theatre as a summer blockbuster, I think you could be in for a treat. If you like your 70 years of history or like your retellings to be slight changes to this history you may want to stay away.
This first outing is by J. Michael Straczynski and Shane Davis and really fits the bill for the second of the goals as a story for newer readers. In fact this seams like it would have been a great fit to launch with a new movie. The other goal, to be for long time Superman fans will probably be a lot more hit or miss depending on personal tastes.
The story starts with a 20 year old Clark Kent. He isn't quite sure what he wants to do with his life, but he has just moved to Metropolis. He is done with school. He succeeds at business, football, baseball, you name it. The only place he doesn't succeed is at the Daily Planet.
It is here that we get a quick introduction to staples Perry White, Jimmy "Jim" Olsen and Lois Lane. And it is quick. And it may be the weakest sequence in the story, as it really seems added in just so we don't go the whole story without seeing them.
Through some flashbacks and phone conversations we are brought up to speed on what Clark's parents would want for him. But what does he want? That is kind of the crux of the entire story, and the answer may well disappoint some fans.
Unfortunately due to a new villain he isn't given much of a chance. This new enemy was a neighbor of Krypton and it is his job to wipe all Kryptonians out, including Clark. Cue big fight scene. Clark looks like he may lose. Unexpected friends help out...well you get the rest.
This seems to be an absolutely fantastic story for a new comics reader. The artwork is great with vibrant colors. The production details are great and you get a real nice hardback to add to your shelf. The story is very solid and the final climax seems to be about right for this type of story.
There are several things the long time readers may notice though, and may not like. Many of these I think make perfect sense, but seem almost out of place in a Superman comic, even a totally new Earth One Superman. There is no Lex. Not even a hint. I actually think this is O.K. as he has to be the most overdone Superman villain ever. I think it is actually a nice move leaving him out, but some people are missing him.
And Superman just seems off. He isn't quite as heroic as you may remember. He doesn't even really go that willingly into the fight until he realizes it is basically his fault that these invaders are here. I think he seems pretty typical for a 20 year old, not knowing quite what he wants or what he wants his future to be, but it just seems so anti Superman. Clark doesn't even come off as that nice of a guy just trying to make money.
Lois is very weak in the story, and this one I agree with. She is barely there, and there is no spark or even a long look Clark's way. I am actually O.K. with this as I remember back to the early days of their relationship he always seemed a little more interested than him. But he barely gave her a second glance. She almost could have been left out of the story, or he just bumped into her in the last panel or something, but she really was a weak link, and there relationship, well it just doesn't exist.
The final thing, is Clark seems to be a super genius solving math problems that haven't been solved in two years. This might seem really out of place to the long time reader.
This is still a great story for a new Superman fan to jump into. It starts out a little slow but then builds to an exciting and climatic ending with plenty of room for a sequel. For long time readers it will be either hit or miss. If you can leave your previous ideals of Superman behind and not take this as a retelling, but a totally new Superman from a different world entirely, or are able to take this as a Superman story you would find at the movie theatre as a summer blockbuster, I think you could be in for a treat. If you like your 70 years of history or like your retellings to be slight changes to this history you may want to stay away.
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