Graphic Novels – Page 231

July 26, 2008

Star Wars Omnibus: Tales of the Jedi Volume 1

By various (Dark Horse Books)
ISBN: 978-1-84576-471-5

Dark Horse Comics have held the comics producing section of the Star Wars franchise since 1993, and in that time have produced thousands of pages of material, much of it excellent, some not so much: and most of that the earliest material.

Now, it might be heresy to speak this aloud but dedicated fans aren’t all that quality conscious when it comes to their particular fascination, whether its comics about the Old Republic or the latest batch of action figures, or whatever. And no, I’m not just talking about Star Wars fans now.

The Omnibus line is a brilliant and economical way to keep the poorer material in print for such fans by bundling old publications into classy digests (they’re slightly smaller than US comic-books but larger than the standard manga volume, running about 400 full colour pages per book). Tales of the Jedi chronologically collects the various extrapolations set prior to the first film Star Wars IV: a New Hope.

‘The Golden Age of the Sith’ is by Kevin J. Anderson, Chris Gossett and Stan Woch, with colours by Pamela Rambo and lettered by Sean Konot. It’s set 5000 years prior to the rise of Darth Vader and first appeared as a comic miniseries of the same name issued as #0-5. Odan-Urr is a scholarly Jedi obsessed with historical research unwillingly dispatched to a Star system where the charismatic Empress Teta is trying to unite seven warring planets into a pacified, civilised nation. Running supplies to the combatants are the Daragon family, but the last mission goes wrong leaving their children Jori and Gav in the care of the Hutt who financed the missions.

Years later the siblings are hyperspace explorers still trying to work off the debt when they discover a route to a dark and distant system with a hideous secret. Millennia previously when the Jedi first began many succumbed to the Dark Side of the Force. After a brutal war they were driven from the civilised galaxy and lost to history. Fleeing to the outer reaches of space these dark knights found the decadent world of the Sith, which they promptly conquered. Interbreeding with the natives the Jedi became Sith Lords and after brutal ages of conquest retrenched into complacency.

As Jori and Gav arrive in this lost system two warlords are fighting for the vacant position of supreme leader. But now the warlike Sith have a route back to the civilisation that banished them. Jori is coerced into bringing the wizards back to Republic Space with her brother Gav a hostage slowly succumbing to the seductive Dark Sideâ€¦

This leads directly into the second tale ‘The Fall of the Sith Empire’ as Odan-Urr and Empress Teta lead the resistance to the Sith assault whist the Republic dithers. Originally released as a five issue miniseries (by Anderson, Dario Carrasco Jr., Mark Heike, Bill Black and David Jacob Beckett, coloured by Ray Murtaugh and lettered by Willie Schubert) this epic war-story concludes the tale originally ended on a classic cliffhanger. Full of intrigue and bombast, both parts of this convoluted tale suffer from rather pedestrian art and predictable plot (although the quality of visuals does improve by the end), but nevertheless tells the long-anticipated tale of the first encounter between the Jedi and the Sith Lords. There’s loads of action, drama and heroic sacrifice and it does provide a solid base for succeeding tales to build on.

It is followed by the saga of Ulic Qel-Droma and the Beast Wars on Onderon from the comic book Tales of the Jedi, which began much closer continuity, eventually collected with the Saga of Nomi Sunrider as Knights of the Old Republic in 1997. Written by Tom Veitch, art by Chris Gossett and Mike Barreiro, coloured by Pamela Rambo and lettered by Willie Schubert, it’s set a thousand years after the events of the Sith War. As three young Jedi are sent to the planet Onderon, a world of hideous monsters permanently besieging a vast city citadel of sentient beings, these young heroes are bursting with overconfidence. Unfortunately all is not as it seemsâ€¦

One year later: Nomi Sunrider is a wife and mother, who dutifully follows her Jedi husband when he is ordered to report to the Jedi Master Thon in the Stenness system. En route he is murdered by bandits for the Adegan crystals he carries (can’t make lightsabers without crystals, right?). As he dies his spirit tells Nomi she must be a Jedi in his place. This intriguing tale of responsibility is the best work in the whole omnibus as Nomi conquers her fears and reservations in time to aid Ulic Qel-Droma and his fellow Jedi on Onderon, who have fallen foul of a secret infestation of Sith sorcerers.

Powerful and moving, the first chapter of Veitch’s script is ably illustrated by Janine Johnston, who then relinquishes the art chores to the quite superb David Roach, whose lovingly rendered realism adds tremendous factual weight to the proceedings. This is the moment the future quality of the franchise was assured.

Increasingly well produced and featuring scenarios familiar to most readers, these are comics stories that act as a solid gold entrance into the world of graphic narrative and one we should all exploit to get more people into comics

July 25, 2008July 19, 2008

Shaun the Sheep: Shaun Encounters

A SEARCHLIGHT BOOKÂ

Shaun the Sheep: Shaun Encounters

ISBN: 978-1-4052-4169-4

I haven’t covered anything specifically created for the very young for a while so let’s rectify that omission with this great activity book for three year olds (and over) that’s a huge bunch of fun and a great introduction to graphic narratives and themes, especially as the subject is also that rarest of animals, a British kids franchise with his own newsstand comic.

In case you haven’t seen the stop-motion adventures of Shaun the Sheep let’s start with a quick biography. He first appeared in the Wallace and Gromit animated feature A Close Shave in 1997 (he’s the one that got shorn – get it? – in the knit-o-matic machine). After a guest-shot on the 2002 series Cracking Contraptions he finally graduated to his own show on the BBC in early 2007.

Shaun is a sheep of singular intellect yet he lives on a farm where he has worryingly surreal adventures which pay mute tribute to those timeless silent classics of slapstick comedy. They are extremely entertaining for both adults and kids alike.

This lovely book uses the best of modern paper technology to tell the eerie tale of annoying aliens who invade the farmhouse where, as usual, the humans and Bitzer the sheepdog are useless. Naturally, Shaun has to deal with the invasion in his own inimitable mannerâ€¦

This robust hardback is a great introduction to the magical world of books, and especially pictorial narrative. It is augmented by the coolest thing I’ve seen in years: a number of the illustrations are printed on transparent cels, and by the deft application of a torch the pictures come fantastically alive.

In a world where books are increasingly alien to people, the combination of great characters, compelling stories and pictures, plus every darn trick in the book, is a welcome tactic in getting kids reading. Forget games, buy that child a book!

July 24, 2008July 19, 2008

Marvel Platinum: The Definitive Incredible Hulk

UK EDITION

Definitive Incredible Hulk

By various (Marvel/Panini Publishing UK)
ISBN: 978-1-905239-88-7

As the second Hulk film screened across the world Marvel quite sensibly released a batch of tie-in books and trade paperback collections to maximise exposure and hopefully cater to fans who want to follow up with the comics experience. Under the Marvel Platinum/Definitive Editions umbrella this treasury of tales reprints some landmarks by name-creators that whilst far from being â€œdefinitiveâ€, do provide a snapshot of just how very well that simplistic man-into-monster concept can work.

In addition to a lavish and thorough career overview and origin in the extensive text features section this volume gathers the entire first issue by Stan Lee, Jack Kirby and Paul Reinman (which I recently reviewed more fully in Marvel Masterworks: The Incredible Hulk 1962-1964 (ISBN: 978-1-905239-89-4). This inevitable classic is promptly followed by Fantastic Four #25 and#26, a cataclysmic clash that had young heads spinning in 1964 and lead directly to the Emerald Behemoth regaining a strip of his own in Tales To Astonish.

In ‘The Hulk Vs The Thing’ and ‘The Avengers Take Over!’ by Lee, Kirby and George Bell (AKA a moonlighting George Roussos) â€“ a fast-paced, all-out Battle Royale occurs when the disgruntled man-monster reaches New York and only an injury-wracked FF can halt his destructive rampage. More a definitive moment in the character development of the Thing, the action is ramped up when a rather stiff-necked and officious Avengers team horns in claiming jurisdictional rights on â€œBobâ€ (this tale is plagued with pesky continuity errors which would haunt Stan Lee for decades) Banner and his Jaded Alter Ego. Notwithstanding the bloopers, this is one of Marvel’s key moments and still a visceral vital read.

Herb Trimpe and Sal Buscema both drew long and well-regarded sequences for the Hulk’s monthly comic although their contribution is rather ignored these days. They are both represented by a single story here from Incredible Hulk #124 (cover-dated February 1970). ‘The Rhino Says No!’ is written by Roy Thomas with Buscema inking Trimpe in a tribute to The Graduate where the Leader and the aforementioned Rhino stop the wedding of Bruce Banner and Betty Ross.

Swiftly following is the first appearance of The Defenders from Marvel Feature #1 (December 1971) wherein the Hulk joins forces â€“ grudgingly â€“ with Dr. Strange and that ultimate anti-hero The Sub-Mariner to save the world from the deathbed master plan of demented super-scientist Yandroth. ‘Day of the Defenders!’ was again written by Thomas, pencilled by Ross Andru and inked by the legendary Bill Everett, and of course it launched one of the most successful team-books of the 1970s and 1980s.

John Byrne had a brief and controversial run on the Hulk in the 1980s, represented here by ‘Member of the Wedding’ from #319 (May 1986). Written and drawn by Byrne, with inks from Keith Williams it was another action-packed wedding issue.

From the immensely popular Peter David/Todd McFarlane run comes ‘Vicious Circle’ (issue #340, February 1988) wherein The Hulk â€“ who has reverted to the less powerful but smarter grey version previously only seen in his very first appearance – ends up in an unwinnable fight with the X-Men’s Wolverine. I’m sure I don’t need to remind you that Wolvie actually debuted as a throwaway villain in Incredible Hulk #180-181 in 1974.

Taking up a major portion of the book is the complete Future Imperfect miniseries originally released in December 1992-January 1993. Written by David and illustrated by George Perez it has the Hulk travel into the future to defeat his older, nastier self â€œThe Maestroâ€, a tyrannical despot who has enslaved humanity.

This volume concludes with the latter part of a superb two-issue epic from Incredible Hulk Volume III, 2001. Paul Jenkins scripted the brooding and poignant ‘Always on My Mind’ (from issue #25) by John Romita Jr. and inked by Tom Palmer; but although visually stunning the story suffers from the exclusion of the first part (both can be seen in the recent Marvel Masters: The Art of John Romita Jr. (ISBN: 978-1-905239-73-3), and a less charitable reviewer might wonder why with such a wealth of great Hulk material around the editors chose to truncate something already in print in favour of something readers don’t have easy access to?

Still and all, this book has some classic moments, many wonderful creators and of course a humungous amount of carnage and destruction. What more can any fan want?

July 22, 2008July 19, 2008

Hexbreaker

A BADGER GRAPHIC NOVEL

Hexbreaker

By Mike Baron & Bill Reinhold (First Comics)
ISBN: 0-915419-30-0

During the huge creative outburst of the early 1980s a number of quality independent publishers sprang up with an impressive variety of high quality concepts and packages. One of the very best of these was Mike Baron’s captivating psycho-warrior The Badger. Thankfully for those I can convert, those tales are being gradually collected by IDW Publishing and as I lay my hands on copies I’ll review them, but this oversized, slim tome might not make the cut, drawn as it is in the larger, squarer format that finally went the way of Betamax video tape in the early 1990s.

Norbert Sykes is a Vietnam veteran and martial arts devotee. On his return to Madison, Wisconsin after his tour of duty he was locked in an asylum where he met an immortal Celtic wizard named Ham. Together they escaped and teamed up for some of the strangest adventures in comics. As well as believing himself a superhero, Norbert has many other discrete, distinct personalities ranging from a little girl to Pierre the homicidal maniac rattling around in his battered skull. He can also communicate with all animals.

Hexbreaker was a tentative experiment in the new format of extended story â€œgraphic novelsâ€. Briefly, it relates how the Badger is invited to compete in a martial art tournament organised by the Black Lotor Liu Hu Society, who as Any Fule Kno are the secret masters of the World. Every century the 100 best fighters on Earth battle to the death and the winner/survivor receives one wish: anything at all, possible OR impossible.

As a westerner and certified lunatic, Norbert has to overcome s certain amount of graphically physical resistance just to get there and picks up the tragic and mysterious Dr. Mavis Davis along the way. Once there however, it seems a lot of old enemies have been waiting for himâ€¦

Baron’s love for Hong Kong cinema is evident in this glorious, manic riot of all-out action, but even so there’s a huge amount of comedy and character-play on show, and the denouement has lasting repercussions for the regular series.

This is a big box of comics delights: raw, frantic, captivating and beautifully illustrated for full-on fun and well worth tracking down for the red-blooded fightin’ man of your clan.

July 21, 2008July 19, 2008

Green Lantern: No Fear

By Johns, Pacheco, Van Scriver, Cooke & Bianchi (DC Comics)
ISBN13: 978-1-84576-204-9

Following on from his bombastic return in Green Lantern: Rebirth (978-1-84576-131-8) this volume recounts the further adventures of Hal Jordan, troubled test-pilot and inter-galactic policeman, in a series of short tales that reintroduce some of his oldest foes whilst re-establishing him as a major star in the DC firmament. Collecting issues #1-6 of the current monthly comic book with the addition of pertinent sections of Green Lantern Secret Files and Origins 2005, all the stories are written by Geoff Johns, and the eagle-eyed among you can probably pick up his first hints and plot-markers for both the Sinestro War and Final Crisis epics to come.

‘Flight’ is illustrated by Darwyn Cooke, providing some additional character-building flashbacks whilst fixing Hal’s current place in the hierarchy of GL’s currently on Earth. The eponymous ‘No Fear’ introduces the sexy rival jet-jockey Jillian â€œCowgirlâ€ Pearlman, the sub-plot of the slowly rebuilding Coast City (razed by the space-tyrant Mongul and now a new town seemingly incapable of attracting residents) and sees Hal’s new employers messing around with very dangerous alien technology that leads to an all-out battle with a new breed of robotic Manhunter, courtesy of Carlos Pacheco and JesÃºs Merino.

Ethan Van Scriver returns for the next chilling yarn as paralysed psychokinetic Hector Hammond and the super evolved predator The Shark find themselves victims of alien meddlers, before the dead and very unhappy Black Hand returns to genocidally stir the mix, lavishly rendered by Simone Bianchi, all ably assisted by inker Prentiss Rollins.

Green Lantern has always been a lynchpin of the DC universe and whilst these action-epics won’t win too many new readers, they do successfully provide the faithful readership with high quality superhero fare.

July 20, 2008July 19, 2008

Green Arrow: Year One

By Andy Diggle & Jock (DC Comics)
ISBN: 978-1-84576-727-3

Green Arrow is one of DC’s Golden All-Stars. He’s been a fixture of the company’s landscape – in many instances for no discernable reason – more or less continually since his debut in More Fun Comics # 73 in 1941. During those heady days origins weren’t as important as image and storytelling so creators Mort Weisinger and George Papp never bothered, leaving later workmen France Herron, Jack Kirby and his wife Roz to fill in the blanks with ‘The Green Arrow’s First Case’ at the start of the Silver Age superhero revival (Adventure Comics #256, January 1959).

This latest tweaking of his origin comes courtesy of Andy Diggle and Jock (better unknown to all as Mark Simpson) and massages the well-worn tale of a wealthy wastrel who finds purpose after being marooned on a desert island into a comfortably modern yet unsettlingly dark and violent contemporary milieu.

Adrenaline junkie/trust-fund millionaire Oliver Queen makes a fool of himself at a society bash and is compelled to join his bodyguard Hackett on a boating trip only to discover that the man he trusts his life with has stolen all his money and intends to kill him now to get away with it.

When the murder-attempt goes awry Ollie washes up on a tropical island where the early days of privation and thirst only worsen when he discovers the place is a huge drug factory complete with slave workers and a sadistic crime queen named China White.

He built a bow to catch fish: now that he has a new reason to live can he use it to stay alive?

This modern retelling is sharp and edgy as you’d expect from these extremely talented creators and in this modern spin actually benefits the character under revision. An excellent addition to the legend of one of DC’s most enduring, endearing characters.

July 19, 2008

Children of the Night Tide

By Jan Strnad, Dennis Fujitake & Tim Solliday (Fantagraphics Books)
ISBN: 0-930193-24-5

In terms of variety and creativity the 1980s were a fabulous time for comics, with an expansion in every aspect of the market, except general sales, where, in fact, the decline of all printed reading matter continued. Comics died as a mass-market medium, becoming too expensive to sell on corners and in general stores, but developed their own methods of direct distribution, allowing different formats and most especially a broader spread of genre and cross-genre storytelling. Artists too, for good or ill, were no longer tied to house-styles or chimerical fashion.

This lovely slim volume of classic fantasy comes courtesy of then-fledgling publisher Fantagraphics who have since gone on to become the leading proponent and champion of both the American industry’s most radical, experimentalists and the World art-form’s fascinating and endangered history and antecedents.

Best known for his television and film work today Jan Strnad worked sporadically with a number of leading comics figures such as Richard Corben. He garnered well-deserved praise and attention for the satirical science-fiction series Dalgoda, which he co-created with the wonderfully stylistic Dennis Fujitake, and wrote a number of short serials for the fantasy anthologies that sprang up with the rise of the direct market. Here in ‘Sea Dragon’ they combine to tell the salutary tale of Winston, a young Wyrmling who dared to aspire, and of his consequent fate in a glorious fairytale for modern kids of all ages.

This brief saga (18 pages) is accompanied by the far more traditional story ‘Goblin Child’ which expands on the theme of children stolen by the Night Folk to tell a truly moving and compelling tale of mother’s love, power, pride and sacrifice. It’s drawn by Tim Solliday, better known today as a painter and illustrator, in a loose, linear manner that evokes memories of Everett Raymond Kinstler and Roy G. Krenkel (people you need to look up NOW if the names are unfamiliar â€“ this internet stuff’s great, innit?) and one of his early paintings adorns the back cover. His eerie black and white line-work is a perfect fit for the script and it’s a pure shame that he’s produced so few strips.

This delightful book is happily still available from the publisher â€“ and, I’m sure, elsewhere â€“ and will impress any story fan or aficionado of traditional fairytales as well as the usual comics suspects.

July 17, 2008July 12, 2008

Catwoman: Catwoman Dies

Catwoman Dies

By Will Pfeifer, David Lopez & Alvaro Lopez (DC Comics)
ISBN: 978-1-84576-774-7

This action-heavy compilation starts the clean-up process as the current series prepares for cancellation by taking a number of the key premises of this incarnation and negating them. Rather than go for the favoured comics ploys of re-writing reality the creators have opted for Selina Kyle enlisting the aid of trusted friends to cover her tracks and â€œdisappearâ€ her.

Collecting issues #66-72, and featuring a somewhat muddled and misguided cross-over with the DC Universe Event Amazons Attack!, super-thief, single mum, and unelected guardian of Gotham’s East Side Catwoman is driven to finally forsake her life due to her increasingly high profile on the radar of such villains as Lex Luthor, the Calculator, Blitzkrieg and especially the relentless, revenge-obsessed Soviet superhumans Hammer and Sickle.

Although still a good solid read, the end is in sight and creators Pfeifer, Lopez and Lopez know they’re on clean-up detail. Necessary and enjoyable for established fans, but this isn’t the book to start with if you’re a new reader.

July 16, 2008July 12, 2008

Booster Gold: 52 Pickup

By Geoff Johns, Jeff Katz, Dan Jurgens & Norm Rapmund (DC Comics)
ISBN13: 978-1-84576-847-8

Spinning off from the weekly series 52 and by extension Infinite Crisis, this intriguing take on Heroism features Booster Gold – a hero traditionally only in it for fame and fortune – acting as a secret saviour, repairing the cracks in Reality caused by all the universe-warping shenanigans of myriad universal, multiversal Crises. Working at the instruction of the enigmatic Rip Hunter: Time Master, Booster forgoes all his dreams of acclaim to save us all over and over again.

In this volume (collecting issues #1-6 of the monthly series) whilst undertaking this monumental plastering job, Hunter and Booster find themselves at war with a gang of villains using time-travel to eradicate superheroes before they can begin their careers. In short order he reinstates the events that lead to the creation of Green Lantern, both the Barry Allen and Wally West Flashes, and via a unique team-up with butt-faced bounty hunter Jonah Hex, even Superman himself.

Along the way he has to take steps to ensure his own birth by introducing his 20th century ancestor to his future wife and is attacked by another relative using the Supernova outfit he used in 52. Complex, no?

The book ends on a semi-cliffhangerÂ that depends on one of Hunter’s prime Maxims being wrong. After a salutary lesson involving Batgirl and the Joker (based on Batman: The Killing Joke) falls on deaf ears, Booster ignores the warning that the past cannot safely be changed, and with the aid of past and future incarnations deliberately thwarts the murder of the Ted Kord Blue Beetle. With his best friend restored to him he feels ready for anything, but surely, nothing is ever that easy for the Greatest Hero Never Known?

Fast-paced and deeply imbedded in various DC continuities this is a light but readable thriller, but might be a little hard going for readers new to the DCU. However writers Geoff Johns and Jeff Katz do a fine job keeping things accessible whilst Dan Jurgens and Norm Rapmund capably handle the vast cast of characters just passing through. Worth a look, but if you’re unsure, perhaps you should wait for the paperback edition.

July 15, 2008July 12, 2008

Boneyard, Vol 6

Boneyard vol 6

By Richard Moore (NBM)
ISBN: 978-1-56163-510-8

Boneyard goes from strength to strength. This sixth black and white collection features more frantic antics of a decent young guy who inherited a cemetery with an extremely engaging â€“ and lively -gang of goblins, monsters and weirdoes in situ.

Michael Paris is developing much more than a crush on Abbey the Hot Vampire Chick, but life – and unlife – is made really complicated by an over-amorous fish-woman, the jock (think â€œGreaseâ€ not Glasgow) werewolf and all the assorted demons and monsters he’s nominally responsible for.

Nevertheless he’s finally summoned up the courage to ask her for a date when pernicious fate sticks out another hobnail-booted foot for him to trip over. That’s how he ends up attending a formal ball held by the Over-God with the power and duty to eradicate all misbehaving supernatural creatures. And then somebody spiked his date’s drinkâ€¦

Charming, touching and wickedly funny, this is one of the best comics comedies of the last thirty years and should be on everybody’s bookshelf.

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