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------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> In low income neighborhoods, 84% do not own computers. At Network for Good, help bridge the Digital Divide! http://us.click.yahoo.com/S.QlOD/3MnJAA/Zx0JAA/bGIolB/TM --------------------------------------------------------------------~-> Ness Reviews: From IMAGE COMICS DEATH Jr.#1 Written by Gary Witta Art by Ted Naifeh The son of the Grim Reaper has his first day at school. Death Jr. is a pleasant fellow who longs to be loved by friends and family. His father, the infamous fellow who takes the dead to the next world, has a dark job, but is in himself a pleasant soul. The whole book is fun, and never gets too serious. The story is nice, and the subject matter could have been pretty damned dark. I think it could develop an ardent following and deservedly so. Was it to my taste? Well, the subject is not my favorite, but the writing and art are both excellent. So if this is your region of taste, I suggest you pick it up. It is good. SEA OF RED#1 Written by Rick Remender, Art by Salgood Sam & Kieron Dwyer Vampire pirates make the sea a very dangerous place. The pages here are two-toned, but the bone/vanilla pages and red lines make this a truly strange experience. The story is linear and all, but more intense due to sparse detail and bloody effects. The writing is extremely good, and while I do not altogether enjoy the art, I acknowledge that the linework and look fit the concept here. As such, I can say that you should definitely pick this up. However, it is not El Cazador, or even Barbarosa from Kandora. They are historical fiction and fantasy. This is horror. I liked it. IRON GHOST#1 Written by Chuck Dixon, Art by Sergio Cariello In Berlin, Nazi Germany, 1945, a killer is loose, one who targets evil doers. The atmosphere of fear and failure is ripe in the air and the presence of a killer amongst a culture led by evil leaders makes the setting depressing and new. Dixon is a great writer, and here tells the backstory with tremendous skill and grace. The art, by Cariello is ok to good, not striking mind you but able. The feel of the art is better than the linework. I am intrigued here as to the mystery that is ongoing and developing. Chuck Dixon is a writer who is able to create a level of interest in me that goes far beyond many other writers. From Penny Farthing Press CAPTAIN GRAVITY and The Power of the Vril#1-3 Written Josh Dysart, Art by Sal Velluto Captain Gravity is in a world of danger. The Nazis and their agents have sought to find out the mystic power behind the symbol of the Swastika. This dangerous power, if untapped, will cause the balance of power to shift towards that of Nazi Germany. Captain Gravity is the only one who can possibly stop the agents of Nazism, and he places himself in grave danger to attempt this. The writing here is certainly fine, and the art is exceptional. But... the series is reminiscent of Raiders of the Lost Ark, and while I do not mind that, it is familiar. It is nonetheless an interesting title, and one where the hero is truly heroic. I recommend it. From HOARSE AND BUGGY WESTERN TALES OF TERROR #1 & 2, Assorted talent This title is an anthology and a showcase for future talent. The genre is horror, and the setting is the American West. As some may know, I am less of a fan of anthologies as I am single issue or multi-issue-long tales. But these books are special. The editorial work here, and the goal of the book, seems very well done. Though there are many different talents involved, the work is seamless. The stories are not long enough to make memorable impressions, other than for me to say that they were really almost all good. As an anthology fearing reader, this work was a success far beyond my expectations. Steve Niles and other name talents make appearances here, but it is not a title about their participation. In a small industry, this is a victorious book. The stories and art are all of professionally excellent quality, and that there are no visible cracks or stumbles makes me give this title as large of a recommendation as I can give. It was one half-hour of very fun reading. ELK'S RUN #1 Written by Josh Fialkov Art by Noel Tuazon Similar in theme to the movie THE VILLAGE, this title provocatively tells the story of a village of people, all facing some horror, and desiring to leave that place. The story here is very well done, intriguing while clear in design. Do I then wish to read the rest of the story? Yes. But beyond this I can only say that this small paragraph is as much as I can write without going too far into the story. The writing was excellent, the art expressive, and able. As a title from a relatively unknown creative team you could definitely read worse stories. And I must say, I am judging this title entirely upon a first issue, so there is, I hope, far more story beneath the surface. As a first issue this is a good buy. From MOONSTONE BOOKS WYATT EARP #1, Written by Chuck Dixon Art by Enrique Villagran This Western genre story Wyatt Earp is a consideration of the life of the great American West sheriff Wyatt Earp. As per his usual, Chuck Dixon's writing kicks some serious ass. He tells great stories wherein the characters become known to the reader through their actions as much as dialogue. The greatest portion of excellence in Dixon's writing is to be found in his understanding that time spent developing character need not be boring, or stationary. The art is panel-by-panel ok-to-fine, but upon looking at the pages, I find that they are too much for the chosen format of black and white pages. Perhaps the fault is the inks, or the style of rendering I do not know. I do know that this title would have succeeded far better, with me, in color, or more understated inks. THE VICTORIAN COMES TO A CONCLUSION After 25 issues, the Penny Farthing comic THE VICTORIAN comes to a conclusion. Plotted to run that length as in a 5 act play, this work qualifies as one of the best works to have appeared in comics over the last 5 years. I will try to avoid spoilers here, but I would like for you to go to Penny Farthing Press, at PFPress.com, and consider their generous offer for the three trade paperback collections, Act I, II, and III. I promise you that if you are patient this series will be a wonderful read, and one that pays dividends. The series was master minded by Trainor Houghton, and carried out in part by a variety of brilliantly talented cover artists, included amongst them, Neal Adams, Michael Kaluta, Gene Colan Bernie Wrightson, Timothy Bradstreet, Jim Steranko, and Howard Chaykin. Writer Len Wein scripted much of the series. Art chores were shared by Claude St Aubin and others. The work in its component parts is good, the whole story as now completed is something quite a bit more, and is rather perfect. You see, while the comic industry has adopted six issue story arcs as a mainstay, a process called story decompression, PFP and Houghton adopted a 25 issue story, one that never moved along artificially slow, nor artificially fast. There are certainly people who might have become bored with the pace, but that is not a consequence of this story, rather, a consequence of a reader's attention span. For some perspective upon this title... Secret societies from the Victorian era not only existed but thrived. The historical truth is that the over arching spread of Victorian culture led to many different outlets of violence, sex and rebellion to deal with the iron fisted cultural rules of Victorianism. In this series, in addition to expressions of secret disagreement and conspiracy, was a society devoted to the defeat of evil, a single master of action, in many forms, committed to bring down evil. Through the many eyes of the characters but particularly FitzRandolph and Laszlo, we see a great conspiracy, a theft of a nuclear submarine, the missiles thereof, counterfeit money, Voodoo, New Orleans, a great many people groups and assorted interests. But above all, we come to see that the vigilante known as the Victorian (to us, to the people upon the street he is either nameless or known as The Hat for 'his' penchant for wearing Victorian style top hats) is hunting those who violate society's morals and values. Additionally, the local color, the language, the temperatures and surroundings are all captured well here. For mystery, historical fiction, thoughtful thriller rivaling Da Vinci Code and more, the VICTORIAN as a complete series deserves your dollars. At no point was there a flurry of love for this title, but it deserved it. I just ask that if you want to try out the series, to not give up after a single issue. Because the layers here are so well done, that you need to absorb a lot of the work, before you get even a hint of a bigger picture. And beyond the layers, the construction and pace of the story means that there are no throw away story pieces, the whole of the work is unique to comics. The characterization itself was not the strongest point of this work, but that is not really the important thing. WHAT? Characterization Not Important? Yes it is, but as with so many of the best fictional works, the setting and plot and characters are all worthy actors in the play. To focus upon one actor more than any other will diminish your overall experience. In fact, while the art is good it is not great. While the writing is good, it is not necessarily great. While the parts of the whole are not great, the result is in fact Greatness. Now that the story is complete, and this play is over do you mourn its completion? No. Do you pray for a needless sequel? No. You linger in the afterglow. If you have never read this, you need to do so. If you have read a single issue here or there, then I recommend you read more. I am not a compensated endorser of this product, I am just very happy with the work before me, and the whole of the work I have read. SIMILAR TITLES to look for if you enjoyed this series: So you read every issue of the VICTORIAN seven times. You loved it and you want more. What to read? Here are a few ideas. RUSE from CrossGen follows a pair of crime solvers in a mystic Victorian era country. LEAGUE OF EXTRAORDINARY GENTLEMEN from ABC/Wildstorm follows the adventures and work of the literary figures of Victorian era England, as if the works about them were true accounts. SEBASTIAN O from DC/Vertigo is Grant Morrison's Victorian era rebel, who has a good heart but he is also a naughty, naughty boy. And never forget from Image REX MUNDI. ONLINE ARCHIVES: http://www.popthought.com/archives.asp?CMID=3 http://www.robingoodfellow.com/tftlof.html http://www.slushfactory.com/columns/an/ http://tftlof.stlcomics.com/ http://www.thegreatcurve.net/ http://hometown.aol.com/ComicBkNet/ Yo Publishers...Send review products to Alexander Ness The Land Of Frost Box 142 Rockford MN 55373-0142 _________________________________________________________________ ----------------------------------------------------------------- [8] Suspended Animation Michael Vance & Mark Allen MiklVance2@worldnet.att.net http://www.starland.com/sus [Michael Vance, a professional writer since 1977 and has been published in dozens of magazines including Starlog and Jack and Jill, and as a syndicated columnist and cartoonist in over 500 newspapers. His history book, Forbidden Adventure: The History of the American Comics Group, has been called a "benchmark in comics history". He ghosted an internationally syndicated comic strip, and his wrote own strip, Holiday Out, that was reprinted as a comic book. Vance also wrote the comic books Straw Men, Angel of Death, The Adventures of Captain Nemo, and Bloodtide. He is listed in the Who's Who of American Comic Books and Comic Book Superstars. His short stories have appeared in dozens of magazines and recorded by actor William (Murder She Wrote) Windom. Suspended Animation, has been published for more than sixteen years, and Vance worked in newspapers for 22 years as an editor, writer and advertising manager. Mark Allen lives in Western Oklahoma with his wife and daughter. He has been a Baptist minister for over 15 years, and has also written for the Oklahoma news industry. Having indulged in comics for nearly 30 years, Mark now enjoys using the written word to share with others what he believes is a true, and extremely under-acknowledged, art form.] Doc Frankenstein #1, published by Burlyman Entertainment, 32 pages, $3.50. I can truly say I have seen a new spin on the monster of Frankenstein. Writers Andy and Larry Wachowski (the guys who directed the Matrix movies), and artist Steve Skroce take readers on a thrill ride that reinterprets a classic fictional character, as the tragic creature created by a scientist seeking to cheat death becomes a modern day battler of the supernatural. Ah, but that's not all, as this striking first issue hints at the amazing 19th-century journey which led to his current role, in a gorgeous two-page super-panel. I'm not going to give anything away, here, but I hope (Oh, how I hope!) the creative team will be exploring this in the future. In case you haven't noticed, issue one of Doc Frankenstein has me excited. Yeah, those Wachowskis know how to spin a yarn. Especially where an "eight-foot tall, blue-skinned man" with more emotions than he's supposed to have, and who is as hated by some as he is revered by others is concerned. The whole story, fleshing out a Geof Darrow / Steve Skroce creation, is just an all around, darned good first outing, if you ask me. And even if you don't. It's not just fun to read, however, but a joy to behold. Steve Skroce's art is nothing short of beautiful. With a richly detailed and intricate style, Skroce is equally adept at portraying high adventure, action and horror as he is putting the technical aspects of the story on paper. All enhanced by an amazing use of colors by Jason Keith, I believe the work Skroce does here far out-shines anything he has done, previously.If there's a complaint, it's about too many non-story pages. Yeah, rough art on display is nice, but save it for the trade paperback collection. Doc Frankenstein is recommended for older readers, do to some blood and gore. Find it at comic shops, comic conventions, online auctions, or at www.burlymanentertainment.com Mark Allen _________________________________________________________________ ----------------------------------------------------------------- [9] ComiX-Fan Reviews Eric J. Moreels x-fan@bigpond.net.au http://www.comixfan.com/xfan [Editor's note: Some of the following reviews have spoilers to plot details. This is a TEXT ONLY newsletter so those spoilers are not hidden by HTML code as they are on the ComiX-fan site.] VILLAINS UNITED #1 Reviewer: Juan de Joya, dejoya5@yahoo.com Story Title: "And Empires in Their Purpose" Writer: Gail Simone Penciller: Dale Eaglesham Inker: Wade von Grawbadger Letterer: Jared K. Fletcher Colorist: Sno-Cone Assistant Editor: Harvey Richards Editor: Stephen Wacker Publisher: DC Comics Cast: Catman.....Thomas Blake Scandal.....None yet Discerned Cheshire.....Jade (last name unknown) Ragdoll(II?).....None yet Discerned (The) Parademon.....Michael (last name unknown) Deadshot.....Floyd Lawton Mockingbird(II).....None yet Discerned Lex Luthor.....Himself Talia al Ghul.....Herself Doctor Psycho.....None yet Discerned The Calculator.....Noah Kuttler Deathstroke.....Slade Wilson Black Adam.....Teth-Adam The Fiddler.....Isaac Bowen Cameo Appearances: Mister Freeze.....Victor Fries Shadow Thief.....Carl Sands Multiplex.....Danton Black Cheetah.....Barbara Minerva Black Manta.....None yet Discerned Felix Faust.....Himself Bug and Byte.....None yet Discerned Fadeaway Man.....Anton Lamont Gentleman Ghost.....James Craddock Cicada.....David Hersch Fatality.....Yrra Cynril Shrapnel.....None yet Discerned Knockout.....Kay (last name unknown) Phobia.....Angela Hawkins III Skorpio.....Samuel Ellis Prometheus.....None yet Discerned Plasmus.....Otto von Furth The Body Doubles.....Bonny Hoffman and Carmen Leno Gorilla Grodd.....Himself Sabbac II.....Ishmael Gregor H.I.V.E. Agents.....part of H.I.V.E. It's so good to be so bad. It's time to put away all the elaborate deathtraps, plan-exposing monologues and oddly-made motivations back into the toy chest of camp because the villains of the DC Universe are no longer content playing games. And it has long been coming: ever since the manipulations of the Justice League were brought to light it was only a matter before the villains amass themselves and retaliate. Now, if only they could stop killing each other. Villains United #1, one of the four 'Infinite Crisis'-related miniseries coming out prior to the actual event, is a solid, solid effort. Out of the three released as of now this is the one that I was especially looking forward to, just by the fact that it not only revives the notion of a Secret Society of Super- villains but also creates a hybrid of the obscure adventure group the Secret Six and the government-sponsored Suicide Squad. The title indicates that the villains have taken the spotlight for themselves, and I wouldn't be surprised if there was a little (about two water-towers or so) blood shed by the end of this title. A mysterious cabal of villains is being formed under the noses of the Justice League. At the hands of the heroes' most dangerous arch-nemeses this powerful organization gathers all those whom they can find and binds them to the laws of a society of their making, in exchange of anything, anyone, and the blood of their enemies for breakfast each morning. But there are six who refuse to abide to their will, and these six are gathered by a mysterious benefactor promising them unimaginable power...or death. It's funny. The idea of a super-villain worker's union isn't exactly one that is initially appealing - what reader would be interested in having a whole issue devoted to Deathstroke collecting taxes like a good auditor should, through legitimate business deals - but under writer Gail Simone's pen (and the recent events in DC's controversial 2004 miniseries Identity Crisis) it is something that is not only works but also lends credence to the context of an eventual crisis looming. The characterizations are also quite entertaining; Lex Luthor is presented as a vicious and enigmatic enemy, with his own slight charms that make him seem like an effectively sneaky opponent, while the Calculator's analytical attitude suits the character in terms of juxtaposition (meaning, "Hey his name is Calculator...let's make him calculative!"). Although I prefer the implied menace of the original murderer-turned-pop-culture-icon Ragdoll, the presumably new Ragdoll is effectively creepy and almost inhuman, and I'm hoping that there is, if ever, an acknowledgement to the original's most interesting and somewhat unique background. Catman, who was last seen as a bumbling, balding fool in Green Arrow, makes a rather intriguing return as an eco-terrorist and is surprisingly more fascinating a character than his previous appearances have suggested (A guy in Catwoman drag? Please). The most entertaining characterization of all would have to be Doctor Psycho's, whose muttered soliloquy on the many ways to murder Catman is amusing to say the least. The comedy, a seemingly ever-present Gail trademark, is well-enforced here, albeit blacker than most of her present mainstream works. I have to say that, compared to the penciled pages (sans ink and color) that DC Comics provided earlier in the year Dale Eaglesham's art looks a bit less engaging than it should be. While I certainly do not want to completely fault Wade von Grawbadger for the loss (as his work has been really good in the past, so there's no denying his skill), there are some parts in the comic are a bit more detailed than the rest. At some points the characters look realistic, which undoubtedly fits the tone that the whole story calls for. And then there are moments when the characters and backgrounds are somewhat diluted by the lack of ink, which is shame, really. There are several panels in the fight and the veldt that do seem a bit sketchy, and (this is just my opinion, being a little fussy here) the whole scene in the jungle would have exuded a greater depth of atmosphere had the sky not been colored white and sky-blue. It just seems too airy and light for a story that should be all about suspense, mystery and intensity. Don't take that last paragraph of criticism as a serious detractor in buying this book. Eaglesham's art is well-crafted, though at times his work here resembles that of Justiniano or Doug Mahnke, for some strange reason I cannot fathom. I love the splash detail of the Six's headquarters and the look of the characters in the earlier pages, which is the kind of quality I would expect from the artist. Each and every 'Infinite Crisis'-related miniseries deals with a particularly interesting sector of the DC Universe that has, in recent years, been used inefficiently. Villains United #1 seems to be the jump start of the long-dead franchise of books based on super-villains, a concept that, compared to those like JLA and the Avengers, allows the writer and artist to cut loose a little bit more, a trend that normally results in some great stories. But while the expansive cast list implies an impressive inclusion of several more (hundred) villains, I'm hoping that Gail manages to balance the main players in this story all the while adding in an addition or two without fail. This will hopefully lead to a new star-studded Suicide Squad, or, even better, a new Secret Society of Super-Villains comic. All of that hinges on Villains United becoming a success, and in the hands of this creative team, my doubts are pretty much eased. ART: 4.0 STORY: 4.5 OVERALL: 4.0 SEVEN SOLDIERS: SHINING KNIGHT #2 REVIEW mailto:Reviewer: Bill Blank blank_william@yahoo.com Story Title: Mood 7 Mind Destroyer "Justin. An Age of Darkness needs a Shining Knight. But you won't have to fight ALONE." Writer: Grant Morrison Artist: Simone Bianchi Colors: Dave Stewart Letterer: Rob Leigh Assistant Editor: Harvey Richards Editor: Peter Tomasi Publisher: DC Comics Morrison and Bianchi deliver a thrilling if sometimes confusing Shining Knight #2, thus continuing the great run that seems destined to make Seven Soldiers the talk of the summer of 2005. The story begins right where issue #1 left off, with Justin in police custody in the strange and horrifying future that is our early twenty-first century. He is soon visited by an agent of the Sheeda, a monstrous spider-headed beast named Guilt, visible only to Justin, who fights only with words. The creature mixes lies and truths to tell the dark history and triumph of the Sheeda over humanity since the time of King Arthur and the Shining Knight. Justin has every reason to give into despair, will he? Issue #2 sees the introduction of a key new character, Vincenzo, the undying Don, (or at least, that's his alias at this point in the story). SPOILERS! Vincenzo reveals himself to be some kind of shaman who is guarding the cauldron that Justin threw through time in issue #1. Is he the character that will gather the Seven Soldiers? He seems to not only recruit the Shining Knight at the end of the story, but also affirms that "he will not fight alone." The art of Simone Bianchi ranges from very good to stunning, starting with the riveting cover closeup of the Shining Knight. There is a fullness and flowing richness to Bianchi's art, the inks are bold, and the panel designs make some of the action sequences really flow. The result is a delightful and dynamic comic styling full of dark inky shadows and bright heroic color. One of the things that I like about Shining Knight is that things often run opposite of expectation. Instead of the Shining Knight being some old-fashioned stodgy lord from a distant time (with apologies to my fave Prince Valiant), Justin seems the very paragon of modern youth and passion. His adolescent fire is the core attribute that makes his character so interesting. Another mixture of opposites is the Sheeda themselves. One minute they seem like occult characters, but the next they are totally sci- fi. I like the dichotomy. Who would expect a book called "Shining Knight" would have a chapter titled "Mood 7 Mind Destroyer"? My one complaint on the book is the artistic storytelling was wanting in some parts. Perhaps the most confusing was Shining Knight instantly and unexpectedly (and unnecessarily?) changing clothes off panel leaving me totally confused about what happened until the second reading. Couldn't Justin have been shown gathering the clothes, or at least shown where the clothes might have come from by having the thug's clothes exactly match what Justin wears later? In another sequence, Shining Knight transitions instantly from being prone and near-unconscious in one panel to running free behind the two cops who were subduing him, two cops who seemed very professional and unlikely to let such an event take place unless Wally West is the suspect. Again, a panel showing Justin springing up would have helped a lot. Don too changes appearances, but here the confusion has more of a purpose. How Don starts off sharing a bench with Justin, and the at-first-seemingly-contradictory timing of events in the alley and at the Don's compound, were both definitely a little opaque on the first reading. But what is great is that a deeper reading rewards the reader, the key facts do all seem to be in there if you dig hard enough. Morrison's story is well thought out and scripted on many levels and the sometimes bizarre story totally hangs together. Seven Soldiers is the most intriguing series I've read since the Ultimates. If you haven't been checking these books out you are really missing something special, and, I'd dare say, even a landmark in comics. P.S. - Was that Superman putting money in the cauldron?!? Ha ha! ART: 4.5 STORY: 5.0 OVERALL: 4.5 _________________________________________________________________ Thanks for subscribing to the Comic Book Network Electronic Magazine (CBEM) --------------------------->Disclaimer<--------------------------- This is an ANNOUNCE only mailing list, only the Editor can send messages to the list. No one else has access to the subscriber list. Replies to these messages will be received by the Editor ONLY, so you must CC: individual contributors if you want them to get your E-Mail. The E-mail to the E-mag MAY be used in future issues at the Editor's discretion UNLESS you specifically request that they not be. It is our policy to withhold names and/or Addresses, by request only, from letters of comment. 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