Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Ultimate B&W Collection Vol. 1 brings together the first seven issues of the original comic series, along with a oneTeenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Ultimate B&W Collection Vol. 1 brings together the first seven issues of the original comic series, along with a one-shot focusing on Raphael interspersed in-between. While I've watched the cartoon and 90s life-action movies, I've never read any of the comics. The volume gives a great introduction to the early days of these pop-culture staples.
The pace is incredibly fast and has our heroes dive into one spectacular action sequence to the next. One standout moment is the almost issue-spanning car chase, which well symbolizes the kind of ride you are up for. Similarly awesome was the action that follows the news-broadcast build-up at the T.C.R.I building. At that point it's already quite epic when the Turtles return to Earth.
The first issue is relatively self-contained and somewhat reads like a proof of concept. But the stakes escalate quickly, taking the Turtles far beyond their original street-level scope. To keep up the artwork too grows increasingly detailed with every issue, reflecting the creators' expanding vision and confidence.
The collection has all the raw energy you might expect from the early days, but the creators quickly tapped into a well of creativity to create stories that are great not just for nostalgia. Very excited to see where the series is going from here!
Sweet Tooth immediately sucks you into its flannel textured art and the intriguing blend of the post-apocalyptic blame game and neo-Western aestheticsSweet Tooth immediately sucks you into its flannel textured art and the intriguing blend of the post-apocalyptic blame game and neo-Western aesthetics. But most of all it's its lovable main protagonist, Gus, who is just as clueless about the overall mystery as we are. Only that he is so much more naive.
After the opening beats the plot quickly finds direction in the form of a promise. We gather that there was some sort of plague and that in the aftermath children (all children?) were born with animalistic mutations. They are hunted down and no one can be trusted, as Gus's further drums into him, before he too died of the sickness. Yet rumor has it that there is a safe haven where hybrid children may live in peace, the Preserve. One Mister Jepperd, every bit the survivor kind of guy, is determined to bring him there.
If you've played Last of Us (or watched the amazing TV adaptation), visually and plot-wise much of the first volume will have a familiar vibe. But I'm sure it's mostly build-up for something very different, as the (admittedly predictable) ending suggests. What amazed me already was how the art occasionally takes focus and makes the faces and other features look, well, plain different.
Anyway, there is already much to love about this page-turner, and I'm sure there are some emotional punches coming.
"I mean, there's gotta be somebody lookin' out for us, right?"
In Watchmen Alan Moore imagines what superheroes would be like in the real world. For th"I mean, there's gotta be somebody lookin' out for us, right?"
In Watchmen Alan Moore imagines what superheroes would be like in the real world. For this thought experiment to work they won't be leaving the environment where they traditionally operated. Since they are still confined to the pages of comic books, the essential differences will emerge more distinctively.
In the real world it would be truly remarkable if people decided to put on some costume and go out at night to fight injustice. Maybe some people would applaud their efforts, but more conservative circles would certainly call them nutjobs. Maybe that's what you called some individuals roaming your neighborhood. Moore's characters are just as broken. And their individual personalities and flaws are similarly complex.
So don't be fooled by the presentation. The story is not about fighting crime, let alone some mad supervillain. In fact, in the main timeline the days of superheroes are long gone. The few that remain are primarily fighting their own personal demons. For some it's only through recent events that they even find the courage to reflect on their past and to come to terms with who they are and where they are going.
The melancholic and at times existential tone deeply resonated with me. It's especially through long passages of prose interspersed between the chapters (or issues) that the reader gains access to who our heroes and anti-heroes are at heart. From the very first entry I knew this wasn't just a gimmick, it would be genuinely meaningful.
It's the introduction to the original Nite Owl's autobiography of the original Nite Owl, a costumed vigilante who was active back in the golden age. The author took up the advice given to him by an elderly woman who keeps on writing romance novels though she never actually published one. That is, he began by telling the saddest story he knew.
When he was 12 his father worked at Vernon's Auto Repair. Young Hollis loved Moe Vernon. The passionate fan of opera was the kind of guy who loved to pull people's leg. You know, the kind who isn't genuinely funny, who's even a bit annoying at times, yet whose too charming not to like. The kind of person you wouldn't be surprised to learn has a drawer full of toys originally marketed at horny boys. Anyway, one day he receives a letter from his wife that she took their money and left with his senior employee.
He was just to pull a prank on the mailman. So, there he stood, with this pair of oversized boobs tucked on, completely crushed about what he learned. As his favorite opera is playing, Wagner's Ride of the Valkyries, he stumbles out of his office and in front of his workforce. The sad clown must have been such a ridiculous sight, and sure thing everyone's laughing. Just like he always wanted.
Why am I repeating all this? Moore is obviously telling it much better. My point is, the book is full of emotionally powerful moments like this. When this happens with traditional novels (or even gifted storytellers) people tend to say that they vividly saw the scene before them. Here we find them beautifully illustrated. The art renders the moments even more tangible, somehow suggestive of how they would present themselves in reality.
Dave Gibbons's art is absolutely amazing throughout. Here I have to admit that when I first read the book about 15 years ago it didn't fully resonate with me. It's somewhat lacking in detail. I think it results from the conscious decision to evoke the colorful visuals of Superman? What I appreciated much more this time around were the moments of genuine grandeur, the instances when the comic goes way beyond what is possible in our world.
Which brings me to Doctor Manhattan. He's the reason why most superheroes fully lost faith in themselves. Sure, society already lost its trust in them, not the least because of some well-covered scandals. But even the most righteous didn't see the point anymore. Why go on with something if there is someone who is so much better at it than you are? It sure is overblown but the symbolic significance is plainly evident.
Not everything needs to be so heady. For the avid science-fiction reader there is much to love about Doctor Manhattan. He's somehow present in all instances of his existence. From our perspective he might be all-powerful; from his point of view he's trapped by the knowledge of what is to come. In some aspects he's still the man he used to be. Yet, he cannot bring himself to care for the insignificance that is the people around him. And it's not for the lack of trying.
I haven't yet talked about the character that to me and I'm sure to many will be the most memorable. To be honest, it's because I wouldn't know how to adequately talk about Rorschach. He's such a twisted individual. Maybe you could say that he's relentlessly moral. Or that he's so firm in his moral principles that he won't compromise one bit. Only that his principles are what we would call right-wing American to the bone. Yet he's somehow likeable. You don't want him to succeed, but it's incredibly painful to see him fail.
His journal is one great example of how on-point the writing is. The emotional depth and darkness that is expressed in those elliptical lines genuinely goes under you skin. His subject matter is so very much distorted that the murder mystery fades into the background. There is no doubt that he is a very lonely man, and there are strong signs that for him this is an insufferable situation he endured for decades. This is th reason why it's genuinely moving when in the end an old friend treats him with respect.
The political climate throughout is pointing towards the end. With every chapter, the Doomsday Clock is ticking. At the beginning Russia is invading other countries and from what we can gather from the media things are getting worse. At some point World War III seems imminent. For the most part the geopolitical developments form only the backdrop to the main events. Until the mysteries suddenly ties into what is happening all around them.
The conclusion presents us with two reveals. Eventually we learn why the Comedian had to die. In the bigger scheme of things his role is almost insignificant. Actually, it is primarily in the early chapters that we learn what kind of man he was. He committed horrible deeds in the name of America's chauvinist cause for global justice. The macho that he is he even casually tried to rape the original Silk Spectre. Maybe we came to believe that he deserved what happened to him.
Yet even his role in the narrative is more complex than you would originally have imagined. When we learn that he is the father of her daughter we naturally believe that the story we heard wasn't faithful to what really happened. It's almost choking to think of the implications. The first reveal is that her origin isn't as violent as we came to believe. What this means is perhaps even more difficult to comprehend.
The other reveal presents us with a familiar moral issue expanded to the most epic scale. Does the end justify the means? The means turn out to be genocide and the end the potential avoidance of total annihilation. Now that's an awesome supervillain plot. Part of his brilliant plan is that our heroes cannot even act against him. Their hands are tied by similarly utilitarian concerns. I wonder whether it takes a comic-book anti-hero like Rorschach to adhere to non-compromising Kantian principles to break free from ethical shackles.
What impressed me the most was an observation of Doctor Manhattan, at once witty as it is telling of the kind of being he is: "I did the right thing, didn't I? It all worked out in the end." - "'In the end?' Nothing ends, Adrian. Nothing ever ends." It's in moments like this that Alan Moore proves himself to be one of the best writers in any medium.
The intertwined storylines of House of X / Powers of X are built up from all the core issues that lie at the heart of modern-day science fiction and tThe intertwined storylines of House of X / Powers of X are built up from all the core issues that lie at the heart of modern-day science fiction and that are currently much debated in the political domain.
It's easy to see how in the world of X-Men genetic engineering (which can bring about mutations) and artificial intelligence (which advances anti-mutant weaponry up to Terminator dystopia) bring with them a new urgency that breaks up the modus vivendi that existed between homo sapiens and homo sapiens superior. Even the good guys now see themselves as the rightful heirs of Earth. To secure their safety until then they proclaimed their own nation state, the fantastic realm of Krakoa. Good and evil, represented by Professor X and Magneto, team up to form a new frontier against encroaching humanity.
Jonathan Hickman's nonlinear storytelling is highly captivating to read, especially when you realize it's not just the four eras – year zero, year ten, year one hundred, year one thousand – we are introduced to in the beginning. The timelines are placed in a multiverse structure perhaps inspired by The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August.
Background is provided by illustrated paragraphs of prose by which we learn about the future and about the past, and about what happened in the past but will only appear explicitly only in a future issue of the comic. Weapons, technologies, classifications, hopes, timelines, there is really much lore in their to enrich the setting without pulling you too much from the action. To be honest, I often didn't fully understand what I was reading, but I was amazed by how it suddenly made sense when you saw the events take (their often bloody) shape.
Talking of the action, I highly enjoyed the pacing of the more violent confrontations. In superhero comics, I often find that there is not much "weight" to the fights and that they don't really go anywhere; the plot progresses elsewhere. Here, the action often is the means to progress the plot. There are many tragic deaths you know will easily come back – especially after you figured out Moira's special mutant power – but I still felt it in the moment.
Yet, parallel universes are not the only place to being back beloved characters. There is one issue almost entirely dedicated to revival, and it was particularly awesome, visually as well as emotionally. It's all a bit silly and all too convenient how the mutant powers come together in this montage, but the yield really delivers. It's so epic when you suddenly understand what the demonstration was all about, and especially Storm's unifying speech to commemorate the event.
I often struggle with Marvel's big events. You cannot read everything, so often I find myself confused about convoluted contexts, what exactly the multiverse looks like at any given moment, and how much is relevant for what you are currently reading. House of X / Powers of X is very refreshing because it's mostly self-contained, even though I now it lead to the lead to the Dawn of X run of releases. More importantly, it was just so much fun.
If you are looking for a superhero story that is as intense as the advertisement makes it out to be, this should be on top of your TBR (well, you've probably read it already). And damn, I didn't even talk about the incredible artwork, you just have to marvel at those colors. Best superhero comic I've read in a long time.
**spoiler alert** In Volume 2, Saga continues on a high. It's the story of two rescue missions. After Marko's mother dematerialized Izabel at the end **spoiler alert** In Volume 2, Saga continues on a high. It's the story of two rescue missions. After Marko's mother dematerialized Izabel at the end of Volume 1, the reappeared on the closest planetoid. Marko doesn't hesitate to go down there and get back the babysitter of his new-born child. In order to protect him, his mother follows suit. Meanwhile, The Will is still attempting to save Slave Girl from her immoral captors. In the endeavor he receives unexpected help from Gwendolyn, Marko's ex-financée.
Through flashbacks at the beginning of each issue we learn more about our heroes' past. We experience first-hand how Marko and Alana bonded over her love for literature and how her favorite novel represents their world. I enjoyed their little book club conversation and the sudden twist that soon he will be deported to a place of no return. It makes so much sense that she would run with him on an impulse.
Indoctrination, not the least by his parent's well-intended teachings, plays a big role, too. The brought their small boy to the lasst battle on Wreath to drill into him how the Landfallians are the most ruthless and despicable human beings. Finally, we are presented a more human side of Prince Robot IV, as he is badly injured in the war and witnesses how the charming little medic that saved him dies a horrible death in the war crime of using chemical weapons (the poor bastard wasn't given a gas mask). As with Marko and Alana meeting each other in person, close encounters can provide the remedy for the brainwashed.
The volume introduces some immediately likeable characters. The secret star of the show is Marko's father. From the moment he surprises Alana, as well as the reader, with his self-made clothes for her and her baby he captures everyone's heart. The Volume's emotional punch comes from the fact that the man won't have much longer to live, and when he does die I already strongly felt it (even if he was only in the comic for a couple of issues). We see a small episode of father and son in his younger years, and it's heartbreaking when Marko asks the others in the room (including Alana) to leave so that he can mourn with his mother in private.
The conversation that the author has with the robot prince is another highlight. He so convincingly talks as if he doesn't have any emotional investment in the novel at all. Simple cash grab, nothing more than that. The also talk about his son, a soldier now deceased. Naturally, the suggestion is that he died in battle – but in passing he suddenly admits that it was suicide. It's a great scene, because we know that the prince is suffering from trauma, too. He's not weak, though, as he proves by shooting the author in the knee, before he goes on to actively wait for the family to arrive. Actually, I thought the ending was brilliant: "Prince Robot IV was almost always right. But he was dead wrong about my family coming to Quietus anytime soon. (Turns page) We'd already been there a week."
The Volume features some amazing artwork, too. Easily the most striking image is the ogre creature Marko and his mother encounter on their rescue mission. Or his best piece, more accurately. You won't forget this anytime soon. The two-page hatching of the egg – I forgot to mention: the "planetoid" turns out to be a giant egg – was impressive, too. I have to admit, I expected a bit more from the timesuck creature, but I enjoyed the moment when The Will jumps out into open space to retrieve Lying Cat. In the process he uses his lance, a weapon whose stunning force was presented in a cool shoot-out scene an issue earlier.
I wrestled with myself on whether I would give the five-star rating again. In the end I decided that a comic that is able to wrench the tears from you upon the death of characters you only just met is well deserving of the praise.
**spoiler alert** Saga's first volume already delivers on all fronts. It introduces the reader to immediately relatable characters, there is serious t**spoiler alert** Saga's first volume already delivers on all fronts. It introduces the reader to immediately relatable characters, there is serious tension from page one, and it features this wonderful modern illustrations by Fiona Staples. The narration not only warms your heart by its melancholic tone and surprising wisdom on the human condition, it leads ahead to tragedies yet to come.
I cannot even point to highlights. All six issues collected here are full of memorable moments in which Vaughan conveys much about the personalities of his heroes and foes. Well, of course it's not as black and white as that. The events take place in an intergalactic war between Landfall and its moon, Wreath. Combat soon spread over to other worlds and their inhabitants were forced to take sides.
Marko and Alana had both been soldiers, only at the opposite sides of the conflict. They are trying to do good—especially Marko firmly endorses pacifist values—but the world is not that easy. To both parties their love is detestable and their child together, an abomination. There are people who want them dead. Many people. They order or hire forces to hunt them down, including Robot Prince IV and a mercenary named the Will. The latter two, on the other hand, both show some honor or even virtue, while certainly being the bad guys.
It continuously reinvents traditional sci-fi and fantasy tropes in surprising and interesting ways. For instance, I enjoyed the wooden rocket ship with a will of its own. By far my favorite was Izabel, though. Apparently, the victims of Cleave—often mutilated by horrific artifacts of war—persist in some ghostly form after their death. Her interactions with the new parents is really quite sweet. In the end Alana is willing to accept her as soul-bound to her daughter, Hazel (as she eventually comes to be named).
There are already quite a few treats of visually daring imagery. The Will's ex-lover and current-competitor, the Stalk, looks absolutely terrifying with her naked female body and spider legs (and her head a combination of the both). After the Prince blasted a hole into her core, the Will promises vengeance in an epic Taken kind of intensity. I'm sure this will develop in interesting directions. Until then he'll still be busy to save and protect the "Slave Girl" from pastel-colored Sextillion, though.
I've already read the whole series (up to Volume 9, of course) a couple of years ago, but since it's actually back (yeah!) I really have to get up-to-speed again. I'm glad that I forgot so many things—now I can re-experience what is easily among the best comic series of the last decade (or more).
**spoiler alert** Justice League: A Midsummer's Nightmare tells another formation myth of the Justice League. In its introduction, Grant Morrison prai**spoiler alert** Justice League: A Midsummer's Nightmare tells another formation myth of the Justice League. In its introduction, Grant Morrison praises this story as being highly influential, not the least because of its refreshingly colorful visual and more lighthearted tone. I can fully concur, the story is very good fun that invokes DC's happier times.
The reader is introduced to a world where genetic sparks (as they are called) frequently generate waves of new super-powered humans (not dissimilar to Marvel's mutants). We are introduced to numerous of our heroes in their alter egos. There is something quite off here, though. Maybe it's because I'm really no expert when it comes to the DC universe, but I enjoyed the experience that I couldn't quite put my finger on the problem. Admittedly, I didn't even recognize the comic book artist to be Green Lantern. So I thought Clark was thoroughly shaken by the sudden appearance of all these metahumans. Mrs. Prince and Wally West are both teaching at school; there is something not quite right here, either (especially the latter's nightmares). What was really bizarre, though, was Arthur Curry working at a fishing company (for environmental concerns or not)?! And what's with Bruce's parents being back, while the entrance to the Batcave not being where he remembered it to be? And don't even get me started on the people on Mars...
The situation was confusing, but I have to say that I wasn't fully invested. To be honest, other than the allusions towards Dr. Destiny, which immediately had me interested, I was actively waiting for something more exciting to happen. Things much improved with the second issue, though. Bruce and Clark somehow snap out of things, more or less just like this (the creator of dreams really didn't do a very good job there). They team up to get the others, Clark is to approach Diana while Bruce is going to talk to Arthur. The story explicitly acknowledges how it's a bit convenient that only two names showed up on the computer, though it's of course to hide the fact that others won't make an appearance. Anyway, when Bruce shows Arthur where he belongs—Into the aquarium!, that's when I first very much enjoyed this. The artwork of Superman flying off the balcony, moon in the background and the costume shining through, that was truly awesome. As was the shiny armor of the villain whose name was only to be revealed later.
Well, I reveal it now: it's Know Man. Seriously, that's what he is called. It's even given in this 80s heavy metal logo artwork. It was so silly, I loved it. He was originally a prehistoric man. A member of the Controllers granted him immortality (and probably some advanced intelligence), so he ended up spending his time gaining knowledge. To be prepared for... some unnamed threat? He kind of lost me there.
In fact, I think the story didn't quite make up its mind about what the illusions were meant to be. Are their dreams (like for Bruce or Martian Manhunter)? Nightmares (Wally or Arthur)? A haze to be freed off (Clark)? Basically normal life under some stress (Diana or Kyle)? Was it a world they always wanted, where they all could be normal? And what about the empowerment of all these others, was the purpose to prepare them for upcoming threats when the existing heroes couldn't be trusted? In this case, why not let the heroes join forces with an all-powerful humanity? Is it because of all the social upheaval that ensued?
When it comes to action sequences, the comic is unfortunately lacking, too. The mostly unnamed foes are not exactly thrilling. There is the one instance when Wonder Woman faces the student of hers, who then admits that she was told she would be turned to normal again (she had some monster appearance) if she killed the heroes. Makes you wonder about the motives of all the other rampaging metahumans. In the end, it doesn't really matter because they are all sidelined by one well-placed telepathic blast of the Martian Manhunter. There is another dream sequences that has their superpowers spiced up, but that's again resolved too quickly to make any lasting impressions. When eventually the team decides to stay together since it showed that this way they can accomplish great things, it makes you wonder how previous events proved this point.
I'm much too negative here. I dearly enjoyed the visual approach and to some extent even the simple plot. It just feels as if it's too rough around the edges. For instance, there is talk of moral issues—why don't the heroes bring justice to humanity (the issue of agency and free will) and what gives them the right to deprive others of their powers—but they remain mostly unexplored. In the beginning, the subplot of the comic book writer promised great potential, put it's not pursued any further, either (other than the minor detail of Kyle's mind offering the place where Dr. Destiny is held).
**spoiler alert** I wasn't immediately sold on Locke & Key, but it more and more won me over with every issue as I got sucked into the mystery. After **spoiler alert** I wasn't immediately sold on Locke & Key, but it more and more won me over with every issue as I got sucked into the mystery. After their father, a guidance counselor at their school, was tragically killed by students who attacked him at his house, Tyler, Kinsey, and little Bode move with their mother move to her late husband's old family estate of Keyhouse in Lovecraft, Massachusetts. It won't take long for its new residents where the name is coming from.
The underaged characters are already truly flawed and shaken. The oldest, Ty, is suffering from suffocating guilt and regret. It's only later that we learn what eats him up inside, the horrific thing he said to the killer-to-be: "Well, you ever decide to kill your dad, do me a favor, and kill mine while you're at it." It's a horrifying reveal, not the least because of how human it is. Meanwhile, Kinsey is doing her very best to draw as little attention as possible. The somewhat alternative girl doesn't fit in, yet she has to if she wants to disappear. Early on it becomes clear that their father fought his own demons too, of which his alcoholism is probably but a symptom.
The plot is driven forward mostly by Bode's expeditions through the mansion. He soon finds a key and a door to which it fits—only to find that it leads into an out-of-body experience. He is able to spawn where he wants to be and he somehow knows when others are talking about him. In his physical self, he also discovers a strange woman in a well hidden behind another locked door. Unlike little Bode, a grown-up reader will know that she cannot be trusted.
I was very much intrigued by the mystery. There is much more to the keys then you immediately realize. The witch is still wielding power over the boy who killed Mr. Locke, Sam Lesser. We are soon made to realize that Kinsey's bracelet (which used to belong to her father) contains another key. There is talk of the key to anywhere as well as the key to the black door, and there are others of less immediate interest to the dark woman.
I loved how the plot develops. The talk of echoes gave me the chills, especially as Bode is slowly figuring out what was going on. The dialogs about the punchline were just great when suddenly it dawns on you ("What are you, an echo?"). To me it came completely out of nowhere when we are introduced to the real Sam, the smart and well-meaning kid from the white-trash home. Somehow even Mr. Locke cannot help him anymore. I felt genuinely terrified when, after his escape from prison, we see him slowly approaching his destination. And seriously, how scary was the moment when the witch suddenly breaks free?
I've never experienced comics conveying such genuine tension and suspense. I wonder how it will be able to keep up the pace, but it was like the best of crime thrillers and really made me lust for more.
I recently saw The Court of Owls on a list of the best Batman stories. It probably should have been even higher on their list. It's evident how much pI recently saw The Court of Owls on a list of the best Batman stories. It probably should have been even higher on their list. It's evident how much passion went into its creation and there is something awesome to discover on every single page.
It's refreshing to see the Caped Crusader challenge a new enemy, one defined by its aristocratic attitude and, as is common for right-wing identity movements, claims to literally go back for generations. Because of his personal involvement—the owls built their nests in buildings of a fund established in Alan Wayne's name—Batman is even more obsessed than usual (as Dick Grayson puts it). I loved how the obsession aspect is motivated by the young Master Bruce horror mystery subplot in which he suspects the Court to be responsible for his parents' deaths and then leads to his mental breakdown when he is caught in the maze.
As the story continues I was truly creeped out by those owls. The nursery rhyme already makes you feel quite uncomfortable. They lurk in the shadows preying on the bat, just as the real animals do. After Batman had to kill his self-proclaimed executioner, the Talon, we see him stand up again in the hearse. When Batman discovers all those different hideout chambers you realize that they've been there for decades. With their smug Nazi fraternity social media-like appearance they are the most infuriating in their most recent incarnation. And that "Bruce Wayne, the Court of Owls has sentenced you to die", it's just epic!
Capullo's artwork is nothing short of fist-pumpingly awesome. It's very dark even for the Dark Knight standard. When Batman discovers the mutilated John Doe and they perform the gruesome autopsy, I was very much reminded of the aesthetics of brutal Nordic noir crime thrillers. The day scenes starkly contrast with that. For the occasion of the charity event, Capullo used bright colors to lighten up the mood. Incidentally, it was also smart how they used that moment to casually introduce Batman's team and mayoral candidate of Gotham, Wayne's kindred spirit Lincoln March.
I've already mentioned the detective work of Bruce, but it deserves a mention in visual respect, too. It gave me a Sandman vibe, with his creeping face in the shadows and the black drawings of owls, on pinkish and blueish grey backgrounds. Seriously, how cool did the light of the torch look? It was almost a second origin story of Batman in his role as detective. The subplot plays with the wariness of the reader that they would turn the murder of his parents into something much more than it was. Oh, come on, I found myself thinking, do they now make it some sort of conspiracy instead of a homicide for a couple of dollars and a bit of jewelry by a deeply disturbed attacker? Well, Snyder found a very elegant way to do so.
I've already said that the owls were scary as fuck, but the talons are also great opponents for one-on-one fighting. They are actually quite similar to Batman, with their bulky physical appearance, the heavy armor and superior agility. When we see their disturbing creation by the use of super steroids (that would also grant the healing powers), the Talon became even more scary, not the least because of the megalomaniac speech one of the members is given during the festivities. I enjoyed the resolution, too. It was cool how the story tied in with fascination about all things ancient and how Dick (Nightwing) was supposed to be this era's Talon.
The art went completely bonkers in the fewer dream stay in the labyrinth when the pages start spinning. There must be millions of similar storylines in comics, but it still got to me how trapped Batman completely lost his shit there. It gives you the pump when he slowly gains the upper hand again. And that ending, I cannot wait to read how the arc concludes!
Swamp Thing is possibly my favorite comic. Not necessarily this first volume, but the series as a whole (or Alan Moore's run on it). At times it's terSwamp Thing is possibly my favorite comic. Not necessarily this first volume, but the series as a whole (or Alan Moore's run on it). At times it's terrifying, then again it's heartwarming. It's melancholic and sad, then it has your blood pumping. That the stories are able to convey the emotions so impactfully is in no small part due to the incredible art of John Totleben and Steve Bissette. It looks awesome throughout, but then again there are these special pages - breathtaking!
Swamp Thing was originally created by Len Wein with artwork by Bernie Wrightson. Wrightson left after ten issues and soon thereafter, Wein dropped out, too. After a couple of other guys took over, the first volume eventually came to an end. With the release of Wes Craven's movie adaptation, DC (of course) decided to resurrect the character. The first 19 issues of volume 2 were written by Martin Pasko (who ten years later became one of the head writers for Batman: The Animated Series).
To be honest, I really don't know anything about them. As the title says, when Alan Moore took over for issue 20, he had to tie up some lose ends before getting his own story lines underway. His stories revolve around themes of identity, belonging, harmony of flora and fauna, trauma, and fear. They are true horror tales that are able to move you on other levels, too. As often with short stories, I felt like going through the stories one by one.
Chapter One: Loose Ends (The Saga of the Swamp Thing #20, January 1984) Presumably, the big baddie of the earlier issues had been a guy called Arcane. In the beginning of # 20, his air ship in the mountains and the Swamp Thing goes there to look for him. As he was correctly assuming, his nemesis is dead.
I loved the monologue on these early pages. The Swamp Thing acknowledges the importance of Arcane to his own life (how they defined each other). "You were my opposite. I had my humanity... taken away from me. I've been trying to claw it back. You started out human... and threw it all away. You did it deliberately." He also talks about how they are "things of the shadow" and how the world used to be full of shadows (and monsters). Now, there doesn't really seem to be space left for him in the world.
We are also (re-)introduced to a woman called Abby (Abigail Cable, formerly Arcane, the niece of the late foe) and her husband, Matt Cable. Matt has a drinking problem and he seems to have powers to conjure up monsters (powers that he doesn't have under control).
The mysterious General Sutherland (who unlike Arcane doesn't go back to the very beginning of the series, but only first appeared in Vol. 2) is after them. Eventually, his soldiers attack. I loved the pictorial language here, with the Swamp Thing trapped in the woods, around him the "belt of blind whiteness" and the unreachable shadows behind. Showing him being the target of the sniper-scope was delightfully 80s. Great artwork how the straight lines are piercing him and how he then goes down.
Chapter Two: The Anatomy Lesson (The Saga of the Swamp Thing #21, February 1984) Issue 21 gives a very interesting spin on the Swamp Thing's origin story. For that alone, this is already an awesome issue.
As he had planned, General Sunderland is now in possession of the monster's body. His aim is to reverse engineer Holland's so-called bio-restorative formula (that would allow plants to grow faster and in inhospitable areas). For that purpose, he effects the release of Doctor Jason Woodrue, the Floronic Man (a minor DC vilain who first appeared in the 1960s). The design of him, with the yellow body and the leaves as head and pubic hair, looks quite sick.
So far, it was very natural to assume that Alec Holland mutated into a plant when an explosion threw him into water ridden with his formula. Woodrue discovers that it's actually the other way around. The plants modified by the formula devoured Holland's dead body and in this way absorbed his knowledge and memories (Woodrue explains this by analogy with planarian worms, is this for real?). So, it's just a plant that thinks that it is Holland.
When he learns about his true origin, the frantic Swamp Thing now loses his humanity for real and turns into a true monster out for the General's blood. "He'll be pounding, and... and will there be blood?"
Chapter Three: Swamped (The Saga of the Swamp Thing #22, March 1984) In this issue, the Swamp Thing fully turned into a real plant, at least outwardly. Consciously, he wanders through dreamscapes in search for an understanding of his being. Naturally, it gets quite trippy at times. It's not too out there (I think I would have liked the monsters and surroundings to be a bit more detailed), but I very much liked the stark contrast of orange and purple colors.
Abby (Abigail) and Matt Cable came to the swamps to look for the Swamp Thing. It's been a couple of months since Sunderland's troops blew up their home. The picture when they find him half lying in the water looks awesome (I also liked Abby's Red Riding Hood look). Woodrue sneaks up on them, and as he explains: "He's withdrawn. He's a vegetable." I very much liked the idea of severe psychological trauma from finding out about the real essence of his existence.
But the Swamp Thing is not the only character that is psychologically interesting in this issue. Woodrue too is struggling to come to terms with his own identity. He is able to communicate with plants, to control plants - but he cannot be a plant. He literally eats parts of the Swamp Thing, and in this way he is able to touch the Green (as I understand it, something like the unification of all plant life on Earth). The trip his consciousness then takes is probably the highlight of the issue. This is when he turns into the villain of the next couple of issues.
Chapter Four: Another Green World (The Saga of the Swamp Thing #23, April 1984) The Swamp Thing is happy about his existence in the Green (as opposed to "the red world"). However, as he realizes, "There is another mind in the green." Looks awesome how he tuns up in the car
Woodrue turns out to be a real villain when he kills a bunch of kids (it looks pretty cool how he turns up in their car) and eventually attacks a village. The way he terrorizes the people gave me the chills. The Swamp Thing vaguely remembers Abby (and her white hair). Realization of Abby being in danger permeates into his blissful state of plant life harmony. "They wouldn't let me be human... And I became... a monster. ...But they wouldn't let me be a monster... So I became a plant. And now... You won't let me... be a plant." He awakes just in time (after she had been screaming for him for a while), and this one page panel - damn, this is just glorious!
This leads to the first confrontation of the Swamp Thing and the Floronic Man. After the calming blue backgrounds of his reunion with Abby, things now turn brutally red. The villain's design here is awesome. Like the nightmarish version of Peter Pan illustrations. A girl from the village tells him "no more!". He may not take this seriously, but that awesome panel when the Swamp Thing tells him the same thing, that was so fucking badass.
Chapter Five: Roots (The Saga of the Swamp Thing #24, May 1984) This issue ups the ante. Wood-Rue is making an announcement via television. In order to save the planet, humankind must die. For that purpose, he made the plants to increase the oxygen production.
The Justice League is called to stand up against him. They fought him before, and as is pointed out, he always lost. However, it's different his time. Because of the change in atmosphere, they fear to attack him directly. I loved how the issue breaks with expectations.
We are left were we left off, Swamp Thing and Woodrue face each other in front of the blood red background. Woodrue considers him a traitor to his cause. Because of an attack from behind, the Swamp Thing goes down (would be neat if there was a team of superheroes around, right?). However, the fight is not quite over, yet.
"Why do you keep coming back? Why do you keep coming back and hurting me?" The Swamp Thing proves his humanity by defeating him with reason: "Because...you...are hurting...the Green." He doesn't realize that the implementation of his plan would strike back at him. Sure, if the plants release the oxygen all humans and animals would die. Now the question is, "What will change the oxygen... back into... the gasses that... we... need... to survive... when the men... and the animals... are dead?" He has to acknowledge that he was acting like a man rather than a plant.
After the anger is gone, and his mind is no longer flowing through the Green, the color pattern change again ( to cyan). It's hilarious how he eventually runs away. "He realized that the plants couldn't survive without man...and so the plants backed down." - "Yes. I wonder...will your people...do as much?"
Green Lantern and Superman arrive to pick up Woodrue. It's unnerving how crazy he got from losing his place in the world. So they decide to bring him to Arkham. The Justice League wasn't needed. The Swamp Thing proved himself to be a protector of humanity. The scenes where he happily returns to the swamps are so gorgeous. That very last page, Jesus Christ pose in front of the rising sun - glorious!
Chapter Six: The Sleep of Reason... (The Saga of the Swamp Thing #25, June 1984) Named after a painting by Francisco de Goya, this is the first issue in a three-part series. The story revolves around the deep-rooted fears of disturbed children at a psychological institution.
Abby and Swamp Thing hang out at the swamps. She doesn't see Matt much anymore and now has a new job at the facility for autistic children. There is another creep around, this time a red-headed and red-eyed guy who tells people their tragic future and who exposes their dark past.
Matt is not in a good place and reproach her. He got a bit pudgy and doesn't do much other than drinking and lying in his bed. He doesn't like the idea of Abby starting to work, and certainly not at a mental institution. Although his concerns may be grounded in male chauvinism, the Swamp Thing is worried, too. He feels that something is not right, that something evil is coming with the autumn.
The scenes at the institution made me very uncomfortable. There is this red-headed kid, Paul, who talks of himself in third person and who is obsessed with spelling. He has this very mean look on his face, which gave me the creeps. We see a couple doing a seance when some sort of crazy looking white monkey shows up and kills them. As we learn, the Monkey King (as he is called) is somehow connected to Paul. One night, it comes for the children. It's hungry, but what will it do to them?
Chapter Seven: ... A Time of Running ... (The Saga of the Swamp Thing #26, July 1984) In the previous issue, Abby witnessed an accident in which a man was spiked by a swordfish his wife made him purchase at an auction. Afterwards, she is having tea with the red-haired man, Jason Blood (who was also present when the accident happened). He says that the children are in danger and that she is to save as many of them as she can.
This explains the opening moments of the issue, where you see her and the Swamp Thing running through the woods. These panels look awesome (the water splashing at their feet). As is now clear, they are trying to get to the Elysium facility as fast as possible. Interspersed are flashbacks from her day at work earlier. These scenes again make you feel uncomfortable. Not only because all the craziness that is going on. Now, all the children are drawing Monkeys, not just Paul anymore. When she meets with him, "You know you'll die pretty soon." When they finally arrive, there is a great opening to the final act: Great opening for the final act, when the completely exhausted Abby (her throat visibly burning) acknowledges. "We ran all that way...and it's already in there."
As is explained now, in the final act of the previous issue, the Monkey King was eating the fear of the children, and that's why they all know him now. The monster feeds on fear and then uses it as a weapon (for instance, Paul's mother was killed because she bit through her own tongue). I thought this one child's fear, the fear of cancer without having explained to him what it actually is, was seriously terrifying. The poor boy just started to be haunted by what he imagined it to be. It's explained that the Monkey King came into our world, because Paul's parents didn't take ouija seriously and carelessly misspelled something. Yeah, they really got what they deserved.
Blood shows up in his real form (or evil persona), Etrigan The Demon, a DC character that goes back to the early 1970s (you may have seen him in Neil Gaiman's Sandman). To be honest, at that point I got a bit confused about what is really going on. The atmosphere was great, though: "It began with death. It began with Blood... I guess it'll probably end the same way."
Before she went to the Swamp Thing, Abby had a fight with Matt. It got pretty nasty. At the end, however, Matt decides that Abby needed him and he goes into his car and rushes towards the Elysium Institute. Unfortunately, he's too drunk to drive and crushes into a tree. This is where the chapter ends for now.
Chapter Eight: ... By Demons Driven! (The Saga of the Swamp Thing #27, August 1984) This is a direct continuation of the previous story. The best part of this issue is clearly Etrigan's poetic commentary that permeates the whole issue. It's so perfectly written and makes him come as a truly disturbed madman. He is confronted by the Swamp Thing. Their fight is short, but brutal (like tearing off the Swamp Thing's arm). When he furiously strikes, the monster looks like a mangy dog. They again make use of the deep red backgrounds which perfectly contrast to the monster's yellow.
Meanwhile, Abby and Paul are running from the Monkey King. He constantly shifts his shape to turn into what they truly fear. These creatures sure look terrifying. There is something like a riddle for Abby, which I think will play a role in upcoming issues. Eventually, Paul is able to overcome the monster by overcoming his fear of him. This seems to have cured him from what had plagued him before. In the aftermath, he is a much more gentle boy. The moments of the Swamp Thing and the boy together are heartwarming.
Finally, this issues sets up what is to come. The severely injured Matt strikes a deal whose consequences are not yet known. Presumably, it's similar in nature to the bond between Blood and Etrigan. At least he seems fine by the end of the story. Actually, better and more healthy than before.
This continues to be good, even though I have to admit that I still don't read it as passionately as I've read Vaughan's other works. Yorick and his cThis continues to be good, even though I have to admit that I still don't read it as passionately as I've read Vaughan's other works. Yorick and his crew are on their way to California where Dr. Mann has her backup lab. At the same time, this issue focuses much more on Yorick's sister Hero, radicalizing more as part of the Amazons.
Yorick finds himself in a village full of strange women, already leading to the inevitable love-affair sub-plot. I'm not sure about this one. While certainly not the most exciting way to fill the pages, it's handled somewhat okay, and with this out of the way maybe future volumes can focus on something more interesting. There is a little bit of mystery to the village's inhabitants, too, and I did like that it involved a different institution of society in the end.
In the volume's climax, Hero (together with the Amazon's leader and some of her follow cult-members) arrive in the village. To be honest, I felt that this moment could have been a bit more developed, with wider reaching implications. Still cool, though.
Some interesting developments here. While everything went all too smoothly in volume 1, now hints of danger are introduced and there is a lurking fearSome interesting developments here. While everything went all too smoothly in volume 1, now hints of danger are introduced and there is a lurking fear that our main protagonists only scratched the surface of what is going on. So there is at least some degree of the mystery that I was hoping for.
The stakes are getting more personal this time around. The reverend is lead to question the success of his past exorcism and his power against the forces of evil in general. Kyle Barnes puts his priorities into finding some answers as to what his own role in all of this is (particularly, in what it means to be an "outcast"). In a moment of weakness he also visits his former wife and child, and (in what might very well be the best scene in this volume) we get to know more about their struggle to come to terms about what exactly has happened. Finally, for brief moments we also follow two other characters now: Kyle's sister is taking some action of her own, and we see Satan meet up with some of his demons.
What bothered me quite a bit is how stiff the faces of the characters looked, especially in more dynamic scenes. Maybe this way of drawing is a "thing" (it reminded me of the comic book panels in the 'Max Payne'-videogames, for instance), but it made the faces weirdly stand out. Kyle Barnes and his daughter looked particularly peculiar.
Apart from this issue I again totally loved this volume. I'm slightly afraid that it will somewhat tread water in later issues, but as it stands now I'm really eager to see how the series continues....more
I don't know anything about 'The Walking Dead', and Robert Kirkman certainly wasn't on top of my list of comic book writers I was eager to check out. I don't know anything about 'The Walking Dead', and Robert Kirkman certainly wasn't on top of my list of comic book writers I was eager to check out. But the first couple of volumes of the trade paperbacks of the 'Outcast'-series somehow fell into my lab, so I thought why not give it a try.
I was immediately drawn to the book's expressionistic color scheme, and how the colors starkly contrast in certain key scenes. What surprised me, though, was how much I felt sucked into the plot pretty much from the start. I mean, it's not overly original, but it's just done in a very cool way.
After some boy starts to act completely out of character, completely unrecognizable and prone to extreme violence, the local minister is contacted (because, in the past, he had warned the mother that something like that might happen). To the minister's mind, what is going on is a war between Heaven and Hell, and the forces of evil take possession of innocent people, using them for an (as off yet) unknown purpose. So, he resorts to exorcism as a means to expel the demons from their human hosts. At the same time, there is this other guy, certainly deeply troubled (as the reader will figure out in an instant) and living in this complete mess of a house. At the begin of the story, he is visited by his sister, who seems to be the only person who still cares about him. The reader soon gets to know that there were other demonic possessions of the people close to him, but he seems to have certain powers by which he can defy the demons. Eventually, he teams up with the minister to help people in need.
I thought the action scenes here were very exciting, the dialogues gave me the vibe of some awesome movie from the 80s (name your favorite), and it certainly made me eager to find out more of what is going on. Actually, it's the latter aspect that I hope will be explored more in later volumes. It would be great if the mystery takes center stage in what is to come. Looking forward to more!