Friday Review - All Comics
Eric read Angry Youth Comix #12 by Johnny Ryan:
I was truly surprised at how much I liked this. I've followed AYC on and off for years, and always find it good for a few laughs and a few raised eyebrows, but this issue specifically seemed to operate on a much higher level. Maybe it's just that Johnny Ryan sustained a storyline (called Boobs Pooter's Joke-Pocalypse) for the entire issue instead of over just a few pages or panels, but in doing so he showcased his filthy sense of humor in the best possible light: as one situation bleeds into another, the storyline developes a dada logic to it that reminded me of both Slacker and the films of Luis Bunuel, albeit in the most disgusting and lowbrow way possible. Well worth a look, as long as you're ready for a 10 on the offensiveness scale.
Benn read a bunch of first issues:
Seems to be a lot of new series starting up, so I thought I'd tackle a bunch of first issues that have come out over the past week or so.
Batman Confidential #1
by Andy Diggle/Whilce Portacio:
This reads as Batman: Year 2. Andy Diggle's Batman dialogue has a lot of that forced, fascist, vigilante, Clint Eastwood dialogue that Frank Miller used to define his Batman. But instead of feeling dated and cliched, it makes for an interesting juxtaposition for Bruce Wayne who is competing against Lex Luthor as a military contractor. A tad melodramatic, yes, but contemporary and full of potential. Hopefully Diggle will use this Batman to take a look at Wayne Enterprises in a fasco-corporatist America.
Newuniversal #1
by Warren Ellis/Salvador Larroca:
Okay, honestly, I don't remember the details of Marvel's New Universe ages ago, but I remember liking it. Ellis' story plays like Neil Gaiman's The Eternals meets the tv show Heroes. This is a world where the twin towers still stand,so we know things are off. The art seems to want to convey a Hollywood blockbuster or made for TV mini-series feel, with characters bearing strong resemblances to real life actors (Lost's James Ford, Bruce Willis, Johnny Depp, James Gandolfini, and Gene Hackman). If this is more than just a storyboard for a movie, and artists are going to use actors' likenesses, why not do something completely impossible and use actors from various generations, both living and dead?
Friday The 13th #1
by various:
A solid start for a franchise that holds a special place in many horror fans' hearts. If you're bored with Japanese horror, self-aware post-modern horror, and the let's torture them to death gorefests, this Friday the 13th has all the classic elements that, strangely, now feel fresh again.
Crossing Midnight #1
by Mike Cary/Jim Fern:
This could be described as Vertigo's take on manga, except it isn't at all like manga. With its foundation Japanese fairytales, this reads more like a Japanese reinterpretation of Sandman, which would then be reinterpreted by Vertigo.
I was truly surprised at how much I liked this. I've followed AYC on and off for years, and always find it good for a few laughs and a few raised eyebrows, but this issue specifically seemed to operate on a much higher level. Maybe it's just that Johnny Ryan sustained a storyline (called Boobs Pooter's Joke-Pocalypse) for the entire issue instead of over just a few pages or panels, but in doing so he showcased his filthy sense of humor in the best possible light: as one situation bleeds into another, the storyline developes a dada logic to it that reminded me of both Slacker and the films of Luis Bunuel, albeit in the most disgusting and lowbrow way possible. Well worth a look, as long as you're ready for a 10 on the offensiveness scale.
Benn read a bunch of first issues:
Seems to be a lot of new series starting up, so I thought I'd tackle a bunch of first issues that have come out over the past week or so.
Batman Confidential #1
by Andy Diggle/Whilce Portacio:
This reads as Batman: Year 2. Andy Diggle's Batman dialogue has a lot of that forced, fascist, vigilante, Clint Eastwood dialogue that Frank Miller used to define his Batman. But instead of feeling dated and cliched, it makes for an interesting juxtaposition for Bruce Wayne who is competing against Lex Luthor as a military contractor. A tad melodramatic, yes, but contemporary and full of potential. Hopefully Diggle will use this Batman to take a look at Wayne Enterprises in a fasco-corporatist America.
Newuniversal #1
by Warren Ellis/Salvador Larroca:
Okay, honestly, I don't remember the details of Marvel's New Universe ages ago, but I remember liking it. Ellis' story plays like Neil Gaiman's The Eternals meets the tv show Heroes. This is a world where the twin towers still stand,so we know things are off. The art seems to want to convey a Hollywood blockbuster or made for TV mini-series feel, with characters bearing strong resemblances to real life actors (Lost's James Ford, Bruce Willis, Johnny Depp, James Gandolfini, and Gene Hackman). If this is more than just a storyboard for a movie, and artists are going to use actors' likenesses, why not do something completely impossible and use actors from various generations, both living and dead?
Friday The 13th #1
by various:
A solid start for a franchise that holds a special place in many horror fans' hearts. If you're bored with Japanese horror, self-aware post-modern horror, and the let's torture them to death gorefests, this Friday the 13th has all the classic elements that, strangely, now feel fresh again.
Crossing Midnight #1
by Mike Cary/Jim Fern:
This could be described as Vertigo's take on manga, except it isn't at all like manga. With its foundation Japanese fairytales, this reads more like a Japanese reinterpretation of Sandman, which would then be reinterpreted by Vertigo.
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