¿El nuevo Transmetropolitan? ¿Pero qué se ha fumado Ellis?

Doktor Sleepless – Libro 1 – Engines of desire

Guión: Warren Ellis
Dibujo: Ivan Rodriguez
Color: Mark Sweeney, Greg Waller

Tomo 17×26cms, tapa blanda, 216 páginas a color

El nuevo Transmetropolitan.
En los lugares donde no existe la pluralidad de pensamiento, una voz fuerte y clara puede causar auténticos estragos.
Años atrás, John Reinhardt fue uno de los propulsores de la subcultura de los Grinders, movimiento cuyos seguidores practican modificaciones extremas de su cuerpo, y de las Shrieky Girls, mujeres que se conectan entre sí­ en red para sentir lo mismo al mismo tiempo. Ahora, John Reinhardt ha vuelto a Heavenside convertido en Doktor Sleepless, la caricatura del cientí­fico loco, y se ha traí­do consigo una pregunta: “¿Dónde está el futuro que nos prometieron?”. Con tal de hallar la respuesta, no dudará en poner patas arriba la ciudad. Por la noche, Doktor Sleepless emite a través de una frecuencia de radio disparatados monólogos y recorre la ciudad acompañado de su letal enfermera. Nadie, aparte de su antigua novia, sospecha lo peligrosas que van a ponerse las cosas…
Una nueva genialidad de Warren Ellis, el creador de Transmetropolitan, Blackgas y Black Summer.

Precio: 15.00 €

Doktor Sleeples – Libro 1 – Engines of Desire: y es que no hay muchas similitudes entre Transmetropolitan y esta. Vale, los protagonistas de ambas tienen una visión crítica del mundo; ambos protagonistas tienen ayudantes; ambos se drogan y ven cosas raras; y a ambos les gusta tocarles las narices a la autoridad… Pero ahí se acaban las similitudes entre ambos. El Doktor no tiene una ex-mujer que le quiere matar, sólo tiene una ex-novia a la que tiene acojonada, el Doktor no lo sabe todo – y lo más grave es que no sabe que su enfermera se cargó a un conocido suyo al que iba a necesitar más adelante – al menos por ahora y Spider sabía incluso demasiado; el Doktor tiene pelo y no parece tener tatuajes. Además, la diferencia principal es que el Doktor es un personaje de cómic. Vamos que no es la nueva Transmetropolitan.
Lo que no quita que sea una historia bastante interesante y muy pasado de vueltas, otro de esos cómics totalmente necesarios de Ellis. El dibujo de Iván Rodríguez muy bien, no es el mejor dibujante del mundo pero cumple de sobra.
Lo que sí tiene es una página web dedicada a la serie que se va actualizando aleatoriamente con datos de la historia y los personajes. Echadle un ojo. Si queréis, claro.

Detective Comics #856

Greg Rucka’s story in Detective Comics isn’t particular deep.  It’s a relatively simple story, in fact: Batwoman learns that the new leader of the Religion of Crime is coming to Gotham, goes, confronts her.  It’s a pretty standard adventure comic, with Rucka’s usual capable plotting and dialogue.  In fact, the more concise, fun Question back-up in the book features slightly sharper writing thus far… but no one will confuse that for the better read.  Hamner continues to turn in clean, dynamic work on the Question back-up, while J.H. Williams III’s work on the main feature remains stellar.  The book is gorgeous and well-written, and consistently worth your time.

Grade: B+

Wonder Woman #35

Gail Simone finishes up this brief arc with a few revelations and a lot of aftermath left over from “Rise of the Olympian”, including some dark promises and new powers.  All of it sets up the next big story, but it’s done in one of the book’s most engaging, fun arcs Simone’s run has produced.  She goes a way too heavy on the fan-worship of Black Canary in a number of awkward, uncomfortable internal monologues from Wonder Woman, but the arc otherwise offers action with gorgeous, fluid art from Lopresti paired with a simple story setting up another major new chapter in Diana’s life.

Grade: A-

Final Crisis Aftermath: Ink #4

Ink continues to be a pleasant surprise for me.  Fiorentino’s art, while occasionally muddy, is improving, and he’s demonstrated himself to be an apt choice to illustrate just how formidable the Tattooed Man can be.  Wallace’s story, meanwhile, generally maintains its pleasant mix of urban crime drama and superheroics, though the more action-oriented approach to this issue meant that it sacrificed a little bit of the drama in favor of the superheroics.  A late game plot twist took that shift a little too far, however, and the issue ends somewhere between the ridiculous and the parodic.

Grade: B+

Final Crisis Aftermath: Dance #4

Dance finally pulls itself out of the slump the mini had been in and starts moving forward.  Though the last issue was of a high quality, the mini really wasn’t going much of anywhere.  With the team broken up, however, and the media blitz that had blinded them for the first few issues fading, Most Excellent Superbat finally has time to check up on his home country.  Not all is right in Japan, however, and he’s forced to get the team back together again.  Casey’s writing of these new teen heroes remains relatively sharp, while Chriscross’ cartoony art more than keeps up with the book’s humor and energy.  If only DC’s other teen heroes were even half so interesting right now…

Grade: B+

Incognito #6

Brubaker and Phillips complete the first arc with the strongest, most exciting issue yet.  We learn even more about the origins of the Overkill brothers, learn about why Yuri was created, and see a massive showdown between Zack and his old allies.  All the action is well-illustrated by Sean Phillips in some of his most exciting fights yet.  The book is undeniably over the top, but it loves living up its pulp roots.  Though it’ll be quite some time before we get the next issue, the news isn’t all bad – the reason for the long delay is because Brubaker and Phillips will be returning to do a new arc on Criminal.

Grade: A

Runaways #13

Immonen was responsible for last year’s manic, excellent Patsy Walker: Hellcat.  Unfortunately her Runaways, which finds her teamed with Sara Pichelli, lacks both the momentum and the cleverness of her debut work. Pichelli’s art is clean and cartoonish, giving the book a sense of energy, but it isn’t enough.  It isn’t enough, however.  After subpar runs from Whedon and Moore, Immonen and Pichelli needed to start their run off with a bang.  Unless the end of the arc offers up some pretty massive surprises, it’s safe to say that she’s failed to do so.

Grade: C

Doktor Sleepless #13

After a lengthy delay, the good Doktor returns.  Things are heating up in Heavenside, mostly according to the Doktor’s plans.  The issue reads like a montage of the city going to hell, and while it isn’t the most creative or compelling issue Ellis has turned in thus far, it is nonetheless immensely satisfying to see everything come to a head like this.  Rodriguez continues to improve as his design becomes more confident and his figures become less stiff.

Grade: B+

- Cal Cleary

Read/RANT

Detective Comics #855

Doktor Sleepless #11

Final Crisis Aftermath: Ink #3

Final Crisis Aftermath: Dance #3

Incognito #6

Runaways #12

Wonder Woman #34

“Doktor Sleepless” has been on a crescendo since it began. And I don’t mean just its complex story, but also its quality — it started well, with good writing and art, and is now brilliant, with Warren Ellis orchestrating the city-wide confusion like a maestro and Ivan Rodriguez delivering gorgeous and narratively exceptional artwork, showing a scary improvement since the first issue.

Leaving aside my half-assed musical analogies, this series is easily Ellis’ strongest title on Avatar Press. The titular character finally appears after several issues behind the curtains, and he appears not only on a splash page, but also looking much more vulnerable than we’re used to seeing him. And this is disarming — so far portrayed as an iconic character, Ellis and Rodriguez show the human being beneath the goggles, paradoxically at the climax of his mad scientist delusions.

In fact, Ellis and Rodriguez deliver a series of nine-panel pages that are nothing short of sublime, portraying the violence in Heavenside in a disconnected, almost random way as the Doktor goes back to assuming his role and the “camera” slowly zooms in on his face.

Now efficiently colored by Digikore Studios (making up for Andrew Dalhouse’s incompetent work as colorist), Ivan Rodriguez’s art has never been more beautiful. His story-telling is top-notch, and his human-figure drawing has shown considerable improvement, not to mention his good facial expressions (not only he can draw a convincing “mad scientist grin”, but John Reinhardt’s face as he says “I never said that” is ominous and frightening). His panel-arrangement is clear and organized, and his shadowing — which used to be sketchy — is much sharper. Seabra, a Brazilian artist, inks five of this issue’s pages, and he clearly followed Rodriguez’s style quite well, since I couldn’t tell which pages those were without the help of the credits page.

(as opposed to say, the pages in “The Boys” inked by Rodney Ramos, which look radically different — and actually better — from the ones inked by Darick Robertson himself)

I didn’t think, in the beginning, that I’d like this book as much as I do now. But I find myself eagerly awaiting the next issue, and very interested in the complex and clever story Ellis and Rodriguez are telling so well.

“Gravel #13″ is not as successful. Ellis and Wolfer went for a talky issue — which isn’t in itself a bad thing — but I realized, upon reading the same page for the third time because I hadn’t absorbed it yet, that I wasn’t too into it. It doesn’t really take the plot forward and — with the exception of the interesting legend told by a certain character (regarding a giant) — the people Sergeant Major Gravel meets in this issue have nothing truly interesting or new to say.

The problem is that this comic is coming to rely too much on a structure — in this story arc, for example, we see Gravel interviewing people on the first half of an issue and finding someone with powers to hire on the second. And in this particular episode, it’s just plain tiring. It’s a “meh” kind of read that is partially saved by Wolfer’s competent artwork (with equally competent coloring by Juanmar) — his human figures need a lot of work, but his visual narrative and composition make up for most of it. The splash page showing a cop being victim of magic is quite good.

However, I find myself, contrary to “Doktor Sleepless”, not all that thrilled by the cliffhangers — even the one on this issue, which promises to answer the long-standing mystery this arc is about, failed to make me curious.

“Punisher Max #73″ surprised the shit out of me. Because it is VERY good. I did not expect this level of quality after Garth Ennis’ departure, but Victor Gischler is doing an excellent job of crafting an entertaining story while staying true to the protagonist — well, mostly. I will admit I have mixed feelings about the jokes Frank Castle makes in this issue, but they never go into over-the-top territory.

What does go into over-the-top territory is the story itself, and in this case this isn’t a bad thing. Gischler knows how to extract humour from the situations he puts The Punisher in, and the last panel is hilarious by presenting an even bigger threat than the immense Earl (who kills a gator with his bare hands in this issue).

Maybe comedy is not something you’re expecting from Punisher Max, but I accept that with a change of writer a change of tone might come as well, and as long as the character is still himself, that is okay. Gischler proves to be a thorough storyteller, giving us some insight even into the thoughts of the guy the Punisher had on his car’s trunk (and who inadvertently turns out to be Castle’s salvation).

Goran Parlov is at the top of his game, and so is colorist Lee Loughridge. Together, they deliver beautiful visuals and Parlov displays his usual ability with facial expressions — few are as capable as he is in that area. He nails, as always, Castle’s face on any given moment, which is vital in counter-balancing the jokes Gischler makes Castle say. And except for a mistake in the first page (“Ususally” instead of “usually”), Cory Petit’s lettering is efficient as usual.

However, “Punisher: Noir” is a good idea that Frank Tieri turns into shit with his blatant use of cliches and his poor portrayal of The Punisher –

– in fact, this is what most people who write The Punisher get wrong: the man himself. On the flashback showing Castle during World War One, it’s simply ridiculous to see him wield two pistols (with skull logos on them, no less) and charge alone into an enemy trench. Tieri doesn’t seem to get The Punisher is the most dangerous vigilante in the world precisely because he’s not a moron, let alone THAT much of a moron.

The way Tieri introduces his villain is equally laughable — the villain punishes his henchmen cruelly, in this case, by cutting their fingers off after pretending he wouldn’t do them any harm. Cliches like this are all over this book, which is a shame because it had so much potential. Thanks to Tieri, it’s predictable and brings nothing new.

However, Paul Azaceta’s art, colored by Nick Filardi with moody tones that fit the time period, is attractive and interesting. With better writing, it could really have some impact, but not on the service of a writer who thinks setting The Punisher on the thirties and calling it “noir” is enough. As for the lettering, Joe Sabino gives no reason to complain except for a moment where he dramatically increases the font size of a single word in the middle of a sentence (“Hell” in “Get the hell out”) — and he increases it far too much, making it look like the character has said it so loudly it’s incredible the windows don’t shatter.

All in all, it’s the same story involving mafia, protection money and etc. we’ve seen so many times, but with The Punisher — and a moron version of The Punisher at that.

Há algum tempo eu digo pra muita gente que o DeviantART é o melhor site da internet, muita gente pode não concordar, mas pra mim, que gosto pra caramba de arte, é o melhor e pronto!

Na edição desse ano do Anime Friends, o evento contava com o 1º Encontro DeviantART Brasil, que reuniu alguns artistas brasileiros que promoveram diversos workshops interessantes. No último dia do evento (19/07) os convidados da sala DeviantART eram Renato Guedes, Daniel HDR e Felipe Massafera. Se você não é fã de quadrinhos, tenho certeza de que não faz a mínima ideia de quem sejam esses caras, então…

Renato Guedes é desenhista da DC Comics e um dos atuais responsáveis pelos quadrinhos do Superman, Daniel HDR desenhou para a Marvel e hoje é responsável pela Lady Death da editora Avatar (EUA) e Felipe Massafera fez capas para a Mundo Super Herói (Editora Europa), Anna Mercury e Doktor Sleepless (Avatar) e hoje trabalha para a DC, pelo o que eu entendi de um rápido comentário dele.

Eu estava lá no domingo para a tarde de autógrafos com os três. Eu havia comprado uma revista do Superman (que nenhum dos três participou ¬¬) para que todos autografassem, mas consegui mais do que autógrafos. Os três estavam fazendo desenhos para todos que iam até à sala, e nisso eu ganhei do Renato Guedes esse desenho aí em cima e uma revista americana do Superman que ele autografou na hora, do Daniel HDR um desenho do Homem de Ferro com direito a uma dedicatoriasinha e do Felipe Massafera um desenho do Coringa =D. Saí de lá muito feliz, agora eu tenho relíquias pra guardar junto das trocentas revistas de quadrinhos que eu tenho em casa.

Agora falando do Anime Friends… o evento foi muito bom! O sábado foi melhor que o domingo, tinha menos gente e dava pra você andar tranquilamente e ver tudo com calma. Vários cosplays legais que a irmã da Gabi (minha namorada, pra quem não sabe) ficou tirando fotos, alguns estandes de quadrinhos, onde eu aproveitei pra recuperar edições atrasadas, estandes de miniaturas, games, jogos, rpg, cardgames, trocentas lojinhas, paintball, show de J-Rock (Rock de japonês doido) e até um negócio inútil de tunning.

Foi bem legal, a Gabi comprou trocentos milhões de saquinhos de Mupy, aquela bebida que é igual Yakult (ela vai me matar quando ler isso), comprei revistas, comi Cup Noodles, tirei foto com o Majin Boo (lol) e ganhei os desenhos… mas pelo simples fato de ter sido o primeiro evento que eu fui com a Gabi, foi perfeito!

Pra quem quiser ver os outros desenhos e as capas das revistas é só acessar meu álbum no orkut.

‘Of course the Chinese mix everything up – look at what they have to work with! Buddhism, Confucianism and Taoist alchemy and sorcery. We take what we want and leave the rest, just like your salad bar.’ Egg Shen in John Carpenter’s Big Trouble In Little China

(Disclaimer: I am, to quote Jim Jarmush’s great film Dead Man, a Stupid Fucking White Man. I have no formal training in the deep mysteries of any native ’shamanic’ or tribal tradition – of any single tradition at all, for that matter. I am just a product of my time and place, trying to find my way. That perspective is the basis for all that follows.)

The title this time around is a misnomer. There are no authentic shamen. Not any more.

The term ‘shaman‘ is a specific one. It refers to Tungus-speaking tribal practitioners of folk magic and spirituality. They were wiped out so completely by Soviet and Chinese Communism that Western ‘neo-shamen’ from Michael Harner’s school came over and instituted their own versions of ’shamanic’ practice to replace the native tradition. So that makes anyone claiming to be a shaman – neo or Gutter or otherwise – inauthentic.

The idea of shamanism we have today, which draws ideas from many different tribal and native traditions (via anthropology, which co-opted the term), is likely a very different thing than the original Siberian form. The word ’shaman’ has become a placeholder, a symbol for something else – usually describing various interpretations of traditional and tribal spiritual praxes involving a rather borderline position to the rest of the tribe, consciousness-alteration and ‘travelling’ to spirit realms for healing and wisdom. Of course, in considering the use of tribal spiritual motifs from other cultures, we soon hit a problem… which is usually called cultural ‘theft’ or appropriation.

There’s no doubt that an awful lot of problems have arisen due to the heavy-handed appropriation of older cultural concepts. The Native American Nations have often complained about (mostly) white New Age practitioners taking elements of their practices and touting them, out of context, as a spiritual path. Interestingly, common terms used by Native Americans to describe these Newagers are ‘plastic shamen‘ and ’shake-and-bake shamen’…

I think the key factors here are around concepts of respect and authenticity. (A third factor is, of course, commerce. That’s a big enough can of worms that I’ll have to open it in a later post.)

The respect part I get, absolutely. Barging into a native tradition and announcing you’re not only a fully-fledged practitioner of that traditions mysticism but that you’re improving it and that the natives are Doing It Wrong, is insulting and crass. “Taking the piss”, as we Brits call it.

If you’re going to work fully in a magical or spiritual tradition, I would say showing due respect to the culture it came from is just good bloody manners, as well as good sense. But at the same time, worrying about how the symbols and memes of such cultures are used (or even misused) outside of their native context often seems more a matter of colonial guilt and shame than disrespect. It’s a complex set of issues.

(Plus, some of those tribal traditions have attitudes and practices – homophobia, misogyny, isolationism, child abuse, human sacrifice – which are frankly best left to the past. Of course the actions of colonial invaders in the past were often just as vile… and I can’t offhand think of a culture that has not been invaded and colonised at some time in their past, or been the invader, or both. Like I said, complex.)

Is it cultural appropriation for a white man to enjoy (or perform) Afro-Carribean-based music? Or for an Indian movie maker to be inspired by Hollywood (or vice versa)? Or an Amazonian native to wear a Manchester United t-shirt? For a magician to use laymans versions of quantum or meme theory as magical tools?

To me, that’s kind like asking whether Crossroads Blues was performed better by Robert Johnson or Cream. Or more directly, which is better – traditional Yoruba magic, Haitian Voudon, New Orleans Voodoo or Cuban Santeria?

Cultures are always a mix of the native and the foreign, the traditional and the new. Have been ever since humans started to trade. The quote at the start states the mix of currents in Chinese spirituality quite nicely, for example. The degree of mixing changes over time and place – sometimes just a touch, sometimes a dollop. Sometimes the mixings can provide something genuinely good – like the massive upgrade to British cuisine provided by Asian immigrants in the 1970’s. Sometimes it doesn’t work so well – such as Japanese whiskey. But cultures and traditions evolve through mixing and exchange of ideas.

This is especially true of Britain, a Mongrel Nation if ever there was one (as explained in scrupulous and often hilarious detail by Eddie Izzard in his TV show of that name). The original native British (and Western European) ’shamanic’ traditions are all but gone too, banished by the Christians… but enough hints and pieces remain in myth and legend – in our culture – to inspire a new ‘tradition’ of mystical praxis to arise. It’s not terribly authentic, in all likelihood – there’s no way to really know (though many talented pagans and historians are doing their best to find out all they can about it.). Large chunks of it have been drawn from other native traditions. But it is powerful and quite beautiful at times. At other times, it can be a farrago of confused, misquoted and misapplied traditional currents, mixed in ignorance, stirred in arrogance. The result isn’t authentic at all – no matter how hard some Newage types try to claim it as such.

No question that the Plastic Shamen and their techniques are all-too-often a hodge-podge of different traditions and practices thrown together more-or-less at random. And, I have to admit, that could be said of what I do too.

That’s part of the reason I coined the term Guttershaman to describe my path/spirituality/whatever. Most people know what shaman – and gutter – implies.

Yes, I picked up my information from libraries, other practitioners, movies and TV shows – and I made a whole bunch of stuff up, based on my experiences and discoveries. At the same time, there was always something about the shamanic concept as I understand it that called to me. The elements of being an outsider to the tribe as a whole, but still in some sense having a responsibility to it. The use of ecstatic and terrifying occurrences as a tool for spiritual development. The process of bringing something back from ‘the other side’. And, ultimately, the sense of being called to the path by something beyond the normal world. If there’s any ‘authenticity’ in what I do, it’s to that.

My wife is also a ’shaman’. Her path, to put it mildly, differs from mine. She found that her way is Curanderismo – the Hispanic American folk practice. She has spent a long time in Peru, learning it first hand from a master whose family has worked in this path for generations. She’s also a neuroscientist by training, and has picked up more than a little of the multi-model approach to magic both from myself and her own studies. Thus when she thinks about that path, there is a degree of both distance and immersion, depending on circumstance and context.

Also… her master has taken the sacred songs (icaros) from many different tribes in Peru and elsewhere to bring into his praxis. And… that tradition is itself mixed with Catholic elements brought over by the Conquistadors. In fact, the majority of the lyrics to the icaros are in Spanish and use Christian imagery. The pure native tradition just isn’t there any more.

Is the system she follows ‘authentic’? Is it more or less so for her (an American woman of East European Jewish ancestry and a trained scientist) to practice it than for her Columbian-born, mixed-race, Catholic-indoctrinated Maestro? And is she more or less of a ’shaman’ than I?

Put it this way – she and I both get results. And we work together great.

It’s the concept of ‘authenticity’ that gets in the way, I think. It’s like ‘purity’ in some ways – an impossible, and sometimes dangerous, ideal. Except, perhaps, when talking about being authentic to an ideal…

To feel your true identity is not based in your immediate family, your tribe, your country and its religious and social habits – but is something you sense and strive towards – is not easy. Sometimes an idea from another culture is exactly the thing you need to, forgive the term, become yourself. Sometimes who you’re born and raised as isn’t who you are. It isn’t theft to find a different culture to your own enriching – as long as you are authentic in your respect, that you strive not just to take but also to give.

As long as you don’t take the piss.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

‘Authenticity is bullshit. Never more so than today.

We can be anyone we can imagine being. We can be someone new every day.

…See if any of these comments are familiar:

“You should be happy with who you are.”

“Be yourself”

“That stuff’s just fake.”

“Don’t get ideas above your station.”

“Take that shit off.”

“Why can’t you be like everyone else?”

Yeah?

We’re not real enough. We’re not authentic to our society.

…But you know what? Back in the days before the internet, a kid called Robert Zimmerman said, “fuck that, I’m going to be the man I dream of being. I’m going to become someone completely new and write about the end of the world because it’s the only thing worth talking about”. And that was one guy in Minnesota, in the decade the telecommunications satellite was invented. Imagine what all of us, living here in the future, can achieve.

Be authentic to your dreams. Be authentic to your own ideas about yourself. Grind away at your own minds and bodies until you become your own invention.

Be mad scientists.

Here at the end of the world, it’s the only thing worth doing.’

Warren Ellis, in Doktor Sleepless Issue 5, ‘Your Imaginary Friend.’

POSTSCRIPT – In researching this piece, I came across a lot of very interesting writing on the subjects discussed. Two I found – one long, the other very short – are especially worth a look.

(Next on Guttershaman – Culture, money and morality. Tricksters and thieves. Probably.)

Livin’ in the future.

* World’s first flying car prepares for take-off.

* First baby born screened for breast-cancer gene.

* Obese Americans now outweigh the merely overweight.

* Giant plasma TVs banned in Britain to fight climate change.

So, onward in my review of the single issues I’ve read, this week and last.  Right this second?  

Doktor Sleepless #11

Book 1 of Doktor Sleepless contained issues 1-8.  Despite a slow middle ground, the end of Book 1 had a pretty big pay-off, with surprising possible revelations about the past, present and future of the series.  So when Book 2 opened up without the Doktor in sight, I was perplexed and perhaps a bit worried.  The quality off the dialogue and storytelling was still strong, but it felt a little like filler.

Now, three issues into Book 2, I’m content to admit to being wrong.  While the Doktor still hasn’t made an appearance since #8, Book 2 has been building up a strong supporting cast, and has taken an interesting tact – what effect have the actions of the Doktor had on the city?  While current books like Batman pretend to give serious thought to these issues, mostly they’re still about the punching and the kicking, but we’ve had some interesting insights into the highs and lows of Heavenside since the Doktor arrived, and now’s no different.

Issue #11 continues the quality writing, and artist Ivan Rodriguez continues to improve.  Heavenside, and the world as a whole, continue to be fleshed out in impressive, interesting ways.  With hope, Doktor Sleepless can continue to be released at a regular pace.  While the story is moving forward only microscopically, it is nonetheless doing so in interesting ways.

Grade: B+

A helpless fan of warning signs, I’m very glad to see new Doktor Sleepless covers on Flickr.

So the only person I really have to blame for the lack of posting is myself. I should really keep up on this thing, otherwise it’s a complete waste of my time and minimal if not near-nothing efforts. I’m sorry, I will do better to write things worth reading — or at least write things at all.

Check this out if you’re into graphic design or just like pretty images: see them here.

I stayed up all night learning new techniques and whatnot, since I’m doing graphic work that I’m actually getting paid for — even if it’s a minor amount. I enjoy it and would like to produce better images, so practice was almost a requirement. Plus, it gets another creative part of my brain turning, which is never a bad thing.

In other personal news that may or may not interest you, I’ve played a shit-ton of World of Warcraft in the past week. Let’s keep this short:

Leveled 74-77 Draenei Death Knight

Leveled 1-33 Human Priest

Leveled 1-27 Draenei Hunter

Basically, I discovered that the recruit-a-friend triple kill/quest XP makes leveling through old-world content a lot more enjoyable. Blizzard really needs to do more of this, if you ask me — a whole fucking truckload more. Between this shit and the re-customization service, I’d just like to see the option to pay for a character slot that would start me create a level 58 character with blue gear equivalent to the stuff a Death Knight gets. We already know it’s possible and I personally think that those who want to re-re-re-re-experience the 1-60 content can do so all they like.

Give. Me. My. Fucking. Level. 58. Character. Slots. Thanks. Bye.

Strange that I’m coming off so hostile in this post, since I’m listening to The Beatles while writing it. I don’t mean to sound or write hostile, but I guess that’s just how ready I am for this sort of elder service.

I’ve also been semi-neglecting my Twitter updates because of my recent WoW-a-thon. This is much easier to maintain, and my reason for not doing so has largely been because I don’t really like to tell people following me on Twitter about my time in Azeroth. It’s kind of like telling average people about how awesome motion pictures or music is: fucking redundant beyond reasonable belief.

In the realm of Blu-ray and such, I’ve been given Wall-e and The Incredible Hulk for birthday presents. Glad I got them, because both movies are testaments to owning an amazing HDTV and PS3 aka Blu-ray player aka machine I sometimes game on as well. Wall-e is much more a tour de force for HD content than anything else, which makes me all the more pissed that Disney/Pixar hasn’t put out all their previous movies on Blu-ray yet.

JUST GIVE ME THE INCREDIBLES AND THANK YOU GOODBYE, K.

Sorry, I’ll stop demanding things in un-enjoyable text now.

Oh yeah, also been reading more comics. I highly recommend NO HERO and cautiously recommend All-star Batman and Robin TPB Vol.1 and the newest issue of Invincible Iron Man that happens to be a decent jumping-on point in the story. Frank Miller and Jim Lee entertained me with the Batman and Robin stuff, but Miller definitely likes to make all his characters into this weird “I’M A MAN WHO HAS BIG HAIRY BALLS AND FUCKS WOMEN, HARD, A LOT … ” crazy types of characters. It’s even weird when this kind of dude his taking a little kid under his er, bat-wing, as it were. Marvel is on shaky ground with me right now, after the current “SECRET INVASION” bullshit and especially after making Tony Stark a big gaping, bleeding asshole throughout and after the whole Civil War debacle. However, with Issue 8 of Invincible Iron Man it seems like the character is going back to his roots of defying a government who’s spurned him with the kind of smarts you’d expect from a dude who build the world’s most destructive mobile weapon/armored suit with his bare hands.

As for comics you should be reading (and will be hung over a massive pit of blood-thirsty mutant boars for not doing so):

FreakAngels (free and awesome, free and awesome, you’re a set of testicles wearing a bonnet if you don’t check this thing out!)

Invincible

The Walking Dead

The Sword

The Astounding Wolf-Man

Doktor Sleepless

Geoff Johns’ Green Lantern (Rebirth is the start of his run, and he’s still going into next year’s awesome-sounding BLACEST NIGHT summer event)

So there, a hefty post to keep the two or three of you reading this entertained. Hope you got something out of it other than a slight bit of dribble down your chin!

Happy Yalda! Ah, let me tell you, Yalda aside, a Saturday night with nothing but the internetz to comfort you can be a cold, dark place. But, just like a good majority of the staff here at Counterforce, it’s totally doable.

See what I mean? How fucking awesome is that?

How to tell if your cat is trying to kill you.

I thought Obama would get me laid.

Bush shoe-tossing game sells for $7,800 on Ebay in just four days.

I read a short story today.

“Hey! You’re hot and I feel great. Let’s get married.”

Speaking of which, I found this clip randomly here on the internetz, but I think I love this girl:

Ninja robber.

“My understanding is that he’s leaving show business to pursue a career as a thermometer.”

Law professor “hit student hooker during sex.”

This is either a really inappropriate or really good time to say that Counterforce is against violence towards sex workers. Sex worker rights are human rights.

Just for Peanut, here’s a really cool cover of a Ryan Adams song that I kind of super dig. The original is very U2-ish (like very very very), and the cover, by a band called Company Of Thieves is nice because it doesn’t feature Ryan Adams.

Speaking of which, here’s my favorite scene from Purple Rain (edited though ).

The First Lady (and Voice) of Star Trek died on Thursday.

Pain hurts more if the person doing it means it, which segues nicely into…

Karl Rove’s IT Guru dies in a plane crash. Don’t piss off  Karl Rove. Travis Barker and DJ AM pissed him off and you saw the warning he sent them, right?

The 15 weirdest Jeff Goldbum moments.

The 7 images that are too badass to be real (but totally are). Like… this one:

Batgirl demands equal pay! (You know I hope you get it, Bats)

“Sick and beyond belief.” A woman who hasn’t seen her son in 14 years finally finds him on a social networking site. Can you guess what happens next?

And if you want to give yourself a sick and beyond belief feeling, here’s Amy Winehouse topless.

The five best music videos of 2008.

Speaking of music, while we’ll probably throw in our song of the year in Monday’s part two of Counterforce’s top albums of the year (because by now you’ve definitely read and obsessed over part one, yes?), I will happily share with you the runner up for song of the year right here (though this song comes in a very scary and distant third place). Hold onto your shit though, kids, this is a hot track:

Doktor Sleepless Brings Poison This Season

Santa Claus is bringing his sleigh to Schuler Books, filled with thrills, chills and three-fisted action for you lucky comic geeks. The Eastwood location is pleased to have a good selection of top shelf items, old standbys and new wonders, along with the occasional hard-to-find gem (provided you know whom to bribe)

All of those who are down with Warren “Internet Jesus” Ellis have several reasons to rejoice this season. We have Black Summer, Doktor Sleepless and Freakangels in at the store. Body Modification pioneer superheroes take it on the lam as a rogue member kills the President, a man who shouldn’t exist has a terrible prescription for the world, and weird kids who destroyed the planet now try to hold onto what’s left, one steampunk day at a time. These three creator-owned series are all under the Avatar imprint, and are compelling, intriguing visions from one of the most prolific comic writers we have. If you dug Transmetropolitan, Planetary and the Authority, check these out.

Fans of DC’s Vertigo line can score cool stuff as well. The fourth Absolute Sandman is now available, which completes the whole series in a slipcased, oversized hardcover format, allowing fans to truly savor the excellent stories and art that make the series the treasure it is. Plus, the fifth and final volume of “The Exterminators,” Bug Brothers Forever, is out, along with “Fables” War and Pieces.  “Bug Brothers” delivers a solid and satisfying (if seemingly rushed) ending to one of the weirdest ideas for a title to come along for some time, while “War and Pieces” chronicles the now-open conflict between the exiled Fables and the their lost homelands.

New and notable series are Northlanders and Vinyl Underground. Northlanders is historical fiction centered on Vikings, with an intriguing and bloody look at why you REALLY can’t go home again (or can you?). Vinyl Underground is the “Invisibles” crossed with the Mod Squad, presenting a new and hip take on dirty occult London and the people who make it their home, or hunting grounds. Both of these series are going someplace good – get on board now and you’ll thank yourself. (Speaking of which, have you checked out Scalped yet? No? Shame on you!)

Plus, at Eastwood we have a good run on 100 Bullets, DMZ, Swamp Thing, Transmetropolitan, Sandman (of course) and Y The Last Man, along with hard-to-find favorites like Seaguy, Skreemer, Human Target and The Losers.

From DC, the word is… Watchmen.  We have the softcover, the hardcover, “Watching the Watchmen,” and The Absolute Edition. We don’t have any word on the legal situation with the movie, though. Keep watching this space.

Speaking of movies: The Spirit is out on December 25th, and we have both collections of Darwyn Cooke’s new series staring this groundbreaking comic anti-hero, along with the Best Of. Will Eisner’s cunning hero is a classic character, and will hopefully get more of the attention he’s due once Samuel L “M.F.” Jackson beats him up on the silver screen. But you’re ahead of that curve, right?

Make Mine Marvel? Absolutely. We have the latest in the Death of Captain America and the New Avengers in this week. “Death” continues to build on the shocking assassination of Steve Rogers, and the assumption of the role by the very much alive Bucky, with the Red Skull trying to buy himself America through Zola, Dr. Faustus, a third party candidate and… Captain America? And if you think that’s confusing, the leadup to Secret Invasion continues in New Avengers, proving that Mr. Bendis knows how to milk an idea until there’s nothing left in the cow… and yet still find pail after pail of comic goodness.

Also, check out Red Hulk. Who is this red abomination who’s killing and maiming the Hulk’s old enemies? If it isn’t Bruce Banner, then who is it? Even at the end of the first storyline we have more questions than answers in this stunning continuation of what’s been some *ahem* banner stories for the big green guy (Planet Hulk, World War Hulk)

The graphic novels based on Stephen King’s The Dark Tower continue to amaze and enthral, as does the latest in Season 8 of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Also be sure to check out Joe Hill’s “Locke & Key” series: Welcome to Lovecraft is a stunning story, proving that Hill’s talents aren’t confined to only novels and short stories. (But you should read Heart Shaped Box as soon as you get a chance)

And yes, we have all of local author Ryan Claytor’s graphic novels – “And then one day…” et al. Come by and help support a local writer, darn you!

I’m on a roll here with these Xion skins.  This one is fairly simple so far.  A skin that mimics the Clatter system from Doktor Sleepless, of which I am so fond.  Feel free to leave comments, I’d appreciate them.  skin is again here.  and the screenshot:

screenshot

see you all again soon.  Interesting news today, but nothing worth posting.

Batman #680

Written by Grant Morrison

Art by Tony Daniel, inked by Sandu Florea

Colors by Guy Major

In a nutshell: a very pretty trainwreck.

There is no doubt this is the best issue of Batman R.I.P. yet, nor there is any doubt that it’s still weak. Unfortunately, Morrison didn’t see how ridiculous the entire idea was: a Batman dressed like Robin acting like an imbecile with extra-dimensional IMPS as his conscience. R.I.P. has failed to come up with an unpredictable twist so far. Really, guess who betrays Batman in the end. Not to mention that twat Damian – Batman’s ohgodithurtstowritethis SON – returns in this issue.

Jezebel is in danger, and Batman needs to invade the Black Glove’s mansion in order to save her and put an end to all this. In there, the Joker (or something like him) awaits.

One of the few things I liked about Morrison’s run was a redesign of the Joker, one of my favorite villains. At first, I liked his even more disfigured face and new clothes, but now Morrison’s trying to hard to turn him into Sweeney Todd – and in this issue, he has some of the worst lines he was ever forced to say. Aside from mentioning “Holmes and Moriarty, Sylvester and Tweety” and other references to allude to his conflict with Batman (when the fuck did The Joker become rational and culture-aware like this?), he also says:

“No, Batman, that’s just wikipedia.”

SERIOUSLY. Now this has to be the most pathetic pop culture reference ever seen in a comic book, especially considering WHO utters it. And it’s ridiculous how the Joker can be rational when talking to Batman, but out of nowhere he decides to slice his own tongue in half. The Black Glove continues to be a unintentionally hilarious villain, with his pompous talk and good manners that resemble about a thousand other villains and buttfucks originality.

Morrison is lost when it comes to parallel narratives as well. We get a single panel of Le Bossu wandering down a corridor saying “look at what he did to my face”, only to return to the other narrative without any clarifications at all. And it’s a small panel, tucked among others, for no other reason than adding a desperate cliffhanger.

And as I already mentioned, the betrayal at the end is as surprising as finding out Batman is Bruce Wayne. “No shit”, I said when I saw it.

Fortunately, Tony Daniel’s superb artwork makes up for Morrison’s mediocre script. His style looks like a beautiful mixture of Jim Lee and Andy Kubert. His Joker is simply perfect, and you can almost forgive his hideous lines when you look at his eyes and his smile. And even if the panel where the betrayal is revealed is not surprising at all, the expression on the betrayer’s face is impeccable. With flawless inks by Sandu Florea, Daniel seems to know what he’s doing better than Morrison himself, and Guy Major’s colors add a disturbing aura to the whole thing.

Just a shame Morrison is not up to the extremely talented art team, and screws up with a plot that relies solely on shock value (“LOOK I AM SLICING MY TONGUE!!”) and two fucking colors.

Let’s see if a truly shocking twist shows up in the next and final issue. Also, if somehow Morrison decides to kill the Joker to add more shock value, it’ll be proved he’s a self-indulgent, arrogant writer who believes his run was such a masterpiece he could kill a character like the Joker in the end of it. I say this because the way the Joker is slicing his own body all the time, he won’t survive for too long.

NO HERO #1

Written by Warren Ellis

Art by Juan Jose Ryp

Colors by Digikore Studios

In a nutshell: more of the same.

It’s funny that, when working at a publisher that gives complete creative freedom, Warren Ellis chooses to hit the same note of “superheroes in the real world”. I sat back and enjoyed “Black Summer” despite an unsurprising ending, but now I can’t help feeling that, despite different plot elements, “No Hero” is just more of the same. While Garth Ennis is exploring Avatar’s creative freedom to write the kind of stories he couldn’t in other publishers (a western, a tale about the anti-christ, a zombie story), Ellis seems to still be interested in the superhero genre, and his other projects – with the exception of Doktor Sleepless – are flat and uncompelling, like the first issue of Anna Mercury.

Not that Ellis has suddenly lost his appeal or anything – he’s an absolutely brilliant writer. I’m a fan of his work, which is why I’m being so exigent. So far I haven’t seen a truly original comic by Ellis in Avatar except for Wolfskin, which should have more issues. The Warren Ellis I know and love is in Crécy, it’s partly in Doktor Sleepless. Because Warren Ellis is not conventional, and this is what “No Hero” is shaping up to be.

“No Hero” tries to establish vigilantism as part of the United States’ history, and Carrick Masterson as one of its most influential figures, the leader of The Frontline. That’s when Joshua Carver, an aspiring superhero, does his best to get Masterson’s attention, by patrolling the streets at night and violently disposing of muggers and rapists.

It looks like this book wants to be not about heroes or villains, but the grey area in between them. But the things seen in this first issue make the following ones very predictable. I’ll make some guesses, see if they come true: Carrick Masterson will turn out to be a man capable of anything, who’ll introduce Joshua Carver to the Frontline and then disappoint Carver with his lack of morals. Carver himself will be the naive idealist guy who learns a lesson in how the world really is. The green-haired girl will either be his love interest or Masterson’s right hand.

Juan Jose Ryp’s art is gorgeous as usual, oozing detail. His narrative storytelling and facial expressions, though, could still use some more effort, since neither of which have any subtlety. And why is it that every time Carver hits someone, what looks like sand explodes from the spot he hit? Is his power to cover everyone in sand or something, or has Digikore Studios fucked up the colors, which are far from having the same brilliance of Greg Waller or Mark Sweeney?

All in all, “No Hero” is, so far, a conventional superhero story. I’m still waiting to be surprised by a truly original concept. When it comes to “superheroes” in a historical setting, Garth Ennis is already doing that in “The Boys”.

Doktor Sleepless #9

Written by Warren Ellis

Art by Ivan Rodriguez

Colors by Andrew Dalhouse

In a nutshell: despite a lack of character voice, “Book Two” starts off intriguing and powerful.

Another thing I think has become a problem to Warren Ellis is the concept of character voice: make all your characters unique, and not extensions of yourself. And this is something that curses the first pages of this issue, when the new protagonist, a culture blogger, types up a blog entry and her writing style is incredibly llke Ellis’ writing style – I know because I receive his Bad Signal e-mails and I read his blog. I particularly highlight this bit: “Jesus, it looks awful. Like someone chopped some meat off a hobo, dipped it in cigarette ash and rubbed it all over everything.”

But when she gets off the train and walks around post-Doktor Sleepless Heavenside, the story becomes intriguing once again. The Doktor himself never appears in this issue, just the supporting characters. It’s a good way to set up what’s coming next, and to surround him in an aura of mistery and danger. Also, the blogger becomes more interesting as the story progresses, with the introduction of a new character who calls himself “Big. On account of my huge cock.”

Ivan Rodriguez’s art is getting better and better every issue. His lines are more firm, his shadows are less sketchy, and his visual narrative is, as usual, excellent. His portrayal of Heavenside truly LOOKS like someone chopped some meat off a hobo, dipped it in cigarette ash and rubbed it over everything. And that’s a compliment. Andrew Dalhouse’s colors are pretty and also clever: notice how he colors the blogger in brighter tones, to set her apart from Heavenside’s grayish environments.

“Doktor Sleepless #9″ is off to a good start. I just hope Ellis can stop adding his sarcasm and his cynism to all his characters as he’s been doing of late.

Avatar Press, a little known comics studio that’s been around for quite some time, has recently been gaining something of a fanbase. This is largely thanks to Warren Ellis, who launched two books there at the same time – Black Summer and Doktor Sleepless – and also an OGN or two, like Crecy.  He continued to launch series after series, each of which gained a small, but loyal fanbase that often outsold most of the Vertigo titles.  Black Summer has wound down to a fair amount of critical acclaim, and with that, Ellis began No Hero. Meanwhile, Doktor Sleepless completed its first 8-issue ‘book’ (the conclusion of which both Billy and I enjoyed), and began its second.

No Hero #1

Warren Ellis’ newest series, titled No Hero, is about vigilantism in America, or so it seems – its history and power in our culture, its relation with heroism, etc… – as a longstanding group of extreme superheroes find themselves recruiting when a few members are murdered. Straight-edge young Josh Carver wants to join the group, because Josh has some violent tendencies and a desire to make the world a better place.

The first issue is entirely set-up for what’s to come as we meet The Front Line, a group of super-powered vigilantes, Josh Carver, and the man who set it all up, an eccentric inventor capable of giving superpowers to whomsoever he decides is worthy.  It’s interesting set-up – as all of Ellis’ best series’ are, it’s built around various social issues rather than costumed brawls and continuity wanks – but it’s hurt by messy art from Juan Jose Ryp, and while it has a strong voice, not much happens. Enjoyable, and I look forward to seeing more from the series, but not without flaws.

Grade: B

Doktor Sleepless #9

Doktor Sleepless #9 marks the beginning of Book 2, and it’s interesting to note that the good Doktor doesn’t appear at all in this issue, nor does scary Nurse Igor. Instead, we’re introduced to a brand new character, a stranger to Heavenside, named Sarah Berlin. Sarah has come to Heavenside two months after the events of Book 1, and man, how things have changed. Seers in masks, riots, bombings – Heavenside has become a far more dangerous place to live while under the influence of Doktor Sleepless, and I have a feeling that much of Book 2 will be an examination of the changes he’s wrought.

Doktor Sleepless has always been a powerful series – if you have the money, I strongly urge you to check it out, especially now that you can read that entire first chapter in a single sitting. As a new beginning, Doktor Sleepless #9 doesn’t work at all without #1-8, and I’d recommend re-reading the series before sitting down with this one, but as the beginning of a second act, it’s a pretty excellent read.  We learn more about the world outside of Heavenside, and about Heavenside itself. The issue is well-written, and artist Ivan Rodriguez continues to improve. Highly recommended.

Grade: A-

Wonder Woman #24

Gail’s Wonder Woman run has been solid all-around – but after the excellent opening arc, the Circle, it lost a lot of momentum, as it was followed by two decent arcs that lacked the emotion or even excitement of the first.  This is the fourth arc of Simone’s run, a small two-issue arc titled ‘Celebrity’.  After Wonder Woman’s very public battle with The Devil, she’s experienced a surge of popularity, and so Hollywood comes calling.

The issue has its strengths – Gail has clearly found the voice of her cast.  The opening scene, between Nemesis and Hippolyta, is absolutely great, and it’s followed by more excellent character work with Diana, the Hollywood execs, and two super-intelligent gorillas.

Of course, the appearance of a villain with a grudge – in this case, the Simone-created Queen of Fables – throws a wrench into the works.  A solid issue, and I have high hopes for the remainder of the arc.

Grade: B+

Green Lantern Corps #28

Green Lantern Corps is a book I’ve only recently begun to pick up in single issues, and I consider it to be a pretty solid book.  Not spectacular, but not pretty good.  That said, I feel that this arc could have benefitted from an extra issue – and an improved threat.  I just don’t feel that five Sinestro Corps members is huge threat for the entire Corps, and I was kind of curious about the fact that it’s mentioned that there is no recording anywhere of that particular race of beings existing.

There are some cool aspects, and the last page of this issue definitely kicks GLC into pre-Blackest Night mode.  It’s a fun issue, but it’s nothing special – the arc as a whole is rather skippable.

Grade: B-

Patsy Walker: Hellcat #3

Patsy Walker: Hellcat opened strong with one of the funnest first issues in recent memory, but the second issue bordered on incomprehensible.  This issue is more in the vein of the first – fun, slightly spastic, cute, and hilarious.  This is the first comic I can remember laughing out loud during in quite some time, and I was laughing out loud more than once.  Part of that is thanks to artist David Lafuente and colorist John Rauch, who do an excellent job throughout at numerous visual gags, and with Patsy’s facial expressions.  Meanwhile, writer Kathryn Immonen goes nuts in this issue, and it leads to good times.

We move on in the story, as we have every issue of the mini thus far.  I’m still not sure WHY the story is happening, but it’s definitely a breath of fresh air, and one that gives Patsy a pretty unique voice in comics.

Grade: A-

Doktor Sleepless #8

Doktor Sleepless opened really strong, but quickly slowed to a snail’s pace.  While there were still interesting ideas in each issue, thanks largely to the back matter, not much was happening.  That said, read on – Doktor Sleepless has come back with a vengeance.  It’s funny, it’s a little scary, it’s insane.  It’s everything that we love Warren Ellis for.  I have a strong feeling that the series will read notably better in trade, but regardless, this was definitely a strong issue, and an excellent way for Ellis to end his first arc.

Grade: B+

Does that headline make sense to any of you? I liked it, so I went with it.

Anyhow, I need to stop my habit of double-tapping the enter key whenver I want to start up a new paragraph. Or maybe WordPress needs to stop double-lining me. Ah crap, I’m already off-topic! See what freedom does to me?

All right, comics! The Walking Dead! Robert Kirkman!

What, you want more? Jeez, fine. You’re kind of demanding, did you know this? It’s like having a high-maintenence girlfriend that’s so cute and innocent at times that you can’t bring yourself to dump her. Except in this example she’s also a reader of this blag (not blog, because I’m not that professional with this) and happens to uh- where was I going with this?

Oh right, zombies!

So I’ve been reading a lot of this awesome comicbook called The Walking Dead. Did you see the link up there? Foreshadowing. Hey, move that cursor away from your bookmarks folder! The idea behind this comic series — which was penned by Robert Kirkman (double-foreshadowing) — is simple: What happens at the end of all those zombie movies? Either all the survivors die or they continue to survive, but the movie ends. This takes incredibly human characters well into years of a zombie apocalypse and glances back occasionally to remind you just how much twisted shit has gone down since the first page of the comic.

Death, death and more dead-ness. People are either killing zombies or each other. Oh and sometimes zombies kill people, too. It’s all very gruesome, terrible and somehow wonderful. Kirkman likes to put twists and surprises in his comics, but he doesn’t try to constantly keep you guessing in traditional means. He’ll throw you bones by mixing up obvious twists with incredibly-not-obvious twists. Just when you think you’ve got something figured out, everything goes to shit and you’re burning through the pages with your eyes. Which can really be a shame, because the artwork is really awesome in The Walking Dead.

I’ve found myself re-reading these comics just to make sure I soak in the artwork. It’s all black and white inking, but with a deft greyscale shading that gives the entire thing a very black and white movie feel. Plus, the violence really pops off the page due to the clarity that the lack of color creates. I haven’t finished the series yet, but I highly reccomend it to anyone who loves either zombie stories or just great character-driven stories in general.

This is why I still read comics. While I may still indulge in the occasional Green Lantern or Iron Man comic, stuff like Invincible, The Walking Dead, Doktor Sleepless and The Sword are what keep me buying these things. More on all of those in later posts!

Via WarrenEllis.com

When I’m away from my desk:  Doktor Sleepless, Bender, Zim, and Gir keep careful watch over my piles of numbers.

The Boys #19 (****)

Finally! Answers! I, like many others, was beginning to wonder if Ennis had completely bamboozled us. Maybe The Boys wasn’t really about anything? Maybe it’s just about normal folks getting juiced up and beating on super folks, like in some twisted revenge fantasy? No, no, no… oh ye of little faith. Ennis, that bastard, had a plan all along; he just took his sweet old time getting to it. Like most of his books, this one is really about the corrupt military-industrial complex and their abuse of power. But, unlike in most of his books (of any of his books?), Ennis fucking spells out the entire scheme in this issue. No, not just the plot. He’s talking about the real world. He’s talking about America. He’s talking about us. This entire issue reads like a post on some “Aliens Killed JFK” blog. And I loved it (mostly because I agree with everything being said). Politics and spandex! I want more. Besides those bits, which take up the majority of this issue, we’re also treated to a scene where The Homelander and Butcher have a quiet little chat. The Homelander… what an asshole. Okay, so for all the haters… come back. This book is worth it.

Doktor Sleepless #7 (****)

I finally understand what this book is about: “Where’s my jetpack?” It really is that simple, and really that brilliant. Special thanks to this issue’s back matter. Without it, fumbling around on my own in the dark, I don’t think I would have ever discovered it. I’ve spent a great deal of time over the last three years researching new technologies and “futurism” that I became blinded by the obvious. Which is not to say AT ALL that I am a futurist, I just enjoy its study. Anyway, for months I couldn’t fathom what the hell it was Ellis was talking about, but not because I didn’t understand the technologies he was using in this book. I mean, usually the ideas he uses are so far ahead of the curve a reader literally assumes they’re pure science fiction. That is, unless… unless that reader has been doing the same kind of research. I had thought Ellis had lost his touch. I read about nanotech clouds and thought to myself, “Jeez, Ellis, this stuff isn’t bleeding edge anymore… you getting lazy?” But that’s the point. It’s not bleeding edge anymore. It’s not part of some far away future with beings barely recognizable as humans. It’s here. The future is here and we don’t even know it. We are the bleeding edge. “Where’s my jetpack?” could be summed up as the complaint of our generation, but it also serves to display our collective ignorance, or… is that arrogance? Where’s your fucking jetpack? It’s been on your back this whole time!

Number of the Beast #5 (****1/2)

I am really enjoying this book. This may be my guilty favorite of the three “WWII heroes frozen in time” events running right now. I love that it plays with dozens of strands of Wildstorm continuity and yet still manages to be daring enough to create a whole new world of characters and subplots that could stand on their own for readers that haven’t a clue about the almost 15 year history of the Wildstorm universe. And I love The High. I love that he’s feeling betrayed by his own people. Superman is one bad day away from being The High. You know what? Forget comparing this to Project Superpowers or The Twelve, this mini-series event is as good as or better than Secret Invasion or Final Crisis. I sincerely recommend this book. It’s 8 issues long and runs bi-weekly so it is quite an investment. But, the bi-weekly schedule means you don’t have to wait as long for your next fix. Maybe that’s why I find it so satisfying?

Young Liars #4 (*****)

The plot is so insane, it literally changes from issue to issue, that I have no clue where Lapham will take us next. Bravo, sir. So much shit happened in this issue:

• Danny takes off his shirt.
• Big C finds out the truth about her friendship with Sadie.
• Danny and Sadie have lots and lots of sex. And blood.
• Sadie takes over a cruise liner at gunpoint… in the nude.
• Lapham tops it all off with the best cliffhanger yet!

This is quickly becoming my favorite Vertigo title. Better even than Jack of Fables? Hmm…

Quick Hits:
• Amazing Spider-Man #551 (*****): A million stars! Please, when this whole “brain trust” idea inevitably falls apart… please, please, PLEASE give Dan Slott his own Spidey title to work on.
• Amazing Spider-Man #552 (****): This is closer to three stars, but the glow of the last issue has colored me biased. Oh, wells!
• Angel: After the Fall #8 (***): These, I like these. Why didn’t they start with these? Also, Lynch isn’t as bad as I thought. It’s the artist that sucks. Why do they continue to employ this guy? His pencils are some of the worst I’ve ever seen.
• Brit #6 (***1/2): There was a really fun issue in this first arc, and now the book has kind of leveled off. This last one was good enough to grant the stay of execution.
• Cable #4 (**): Slowing dooooowwwwwnnnnn… inject plot developments ASAP!!!
• Criminal 2 #3 (****): What a depressing story… my favorite kind!
• Green Arrow/Black Canary #9 (***): It’s not bad. It’s not good. It’s just forgettable. Like the entire run.
• Green Lantern Corps #25 (**): Tomasi’s writing is wearing thin. The issue wasn’t terrible, but then it took a turn for the cheesy once the Mother Mercy creature started spinning her life story. Lame. More Mongul, please? Oh, good. He’s back next issue.
• The Invincible Iron Man #2 (****): Despite how annoyed I am at the forced movie continuity, Matt Fraction is writing a pretty decent Sci-Fi book. Now that I’ve read Casanova, it reminds me of that book. I’ll stick with it for now.
• Iron Man: Legacy of Doom #3 (****): Much better than the last issue. I like the giant interdimensional eye on the last page… so fruity!
• The Last Defenders #4 (***1/2): The reason I like this book: it appears to be the only Marvel book that is actually dealing with the political ramifications of the Superhero Registration Act and the Initiative. That’s cool.
• Moon Knight #19 (*): Whatever. I’m canceling this shit.
• New Universal: Shockfront #2 (***): This book is really, really slow. It feels like a relaunch and not the next chapter.
• Nightwing # 145 (**): Enough with the stupid glider! It looks stupid! It’s a stupid idea! I don’t want to see it anymore! Stupid!
• Punisher War Journal #20 (*): Can’t wait for Remender to take over solo.
• Robin/Spoiler #1 (*): Huge, huge, HUGE disappointment. Nothing happened that I wanted to happen. Definitely a fumble. Second and inches turned into fourth and punt. UGH.
• Spawn #179 (*****): I know hardly anyone is still reading this comic, and once McFarlane comes back actual anyone won’t be reading it, but David Hine is doing a superb job of fleshing out the Spawn mythology. This issue is really, really good. I thought about putting it in the spotlight, but what good would it do? Everyone has their preconceived notions about Spawn. Bah.
• Titans #3 (-): Last issue for me. Thank God. I read a review where the reviewer said they really liked this book. They are a liar.
• Trinity #1 (**): Wonder Woman, Batman and Superman sitting around in public talking about superhero stuffs… WTF? What worked as an epilogue for Kingdom Come does not work here. Not at all. And what the hell is Wonder Woman wearing? White on white on white? I’m blind! Yes, this is a setup issue, but what happens when the setup sucks? Also, the backup was terrible.
• Trinity #2 (***): More of the same terrible from the first issue, with a slight improvement… the villain here is the lamest looking character since Busiek’s failed Power Company book. I give you two months Trinity… two months then I’m out.
• The Twelve #6 (*****): The plot is thickening quite a bit now, almost ready to serve. I feel like this is what Rising Stars should have been. We all know Thor is great, but The Twelve has single-handedly restored my faith in JMS.
• Ultimate Origins #1 (***): Not the best idea ever, but I’ll go with it. Of course, I’m speaking of the “Wolverine is mutant zero” idea. I’m interested, that should be enough for now.
• Wonder Woman #21 (***): I’m so confused. I feel like a missed an issue. This arc is just not doing it for me, I suppose.
• Young X-Men #3 (*): I gave this book three issues and in three issues Guggenheim proved that he can’t write an X-Men book. So, I’m done.

Man, that’s a ton of Quick Hits. I’m in Ohio this week so I didn’t have time to split this up into separate posts. Sorry for the long read, and any and all spelling or grammatical errors.