Alan Moore: The Complete Wildcats TPB

Adan: Back in 1995, Alan Moore was asked to write WildStorm’s flagship title. He accepted. Alan Moore: The Complete Wildcats TP is how it turned out.

The WildC.A.T.s, slightly modified X-Men knockoffs, had been floundering for a little while, and after twenty issues of rather bland stories buoyed only by Jim Lee’s fan-pleasing artwork, Alan Moore was the reins and started his fantastic run on the title. Savant and Majestic believed the rest of the team to be dead, so they built a new team from the ground up. In actuality, Spartan, Voodoo, Zealot, Maul, Void, Warblade, and Lord Emp had traveled to Khera where they saw it for what it really was: factionalized aristocrats that depended on slave labor and ghettoized the unwanted. An allegory, to be sure, but a good action story, too.

Meanwhile, back on Earth, Moore introduced two of the best characters in the WildStorm universe: Ladytron and Tao. Tao, of course, was the driving force of Moore’s entire run. He was a genetically engineered super genius, able to manipulate anyone into doing anything for him. He plunged the entire city of New York into a gang war all so that he could unite all the super-heroes under him. Tao went on to star in Ed Brubaker and Sean Philips’ excellent series Sleeper.

Ladytron had a much shorter lifespan, unfortunately. She was this crazy cyborg who killed as often as she cursed (which was quite often) and was a nun in the Church of Gort. She showed up in a couple of issues of the second and third Wildcats series (most recently as little more than the Grifter’s ride, I believe). I hope Morrison brings her back in the fourth series (whenever that comes out again).

There were many artists during Moore’s run, but the one I most associate with it is Travis Charest, who is just phenomenal. I wish he did more stuff more often, but this guy is ridiculously slow. But just take a look at any of his work and tell me it’s not something you want to look at tall the time. Sure, he started like many artists before and after him: as a Jim Lee clone, but as he progressed on WildC.A.T.s, he came into his own style (especially the on the covers, where he’d always looked his least Jim Lee-like).

Even if you hate the Wildcats and everything they represent (which is a lot and you couldn’t possibly hate it all), you need to read this collection. Hey, it has Alan Moore’s name on it and when has he ever steered you wrong.

Brendan: This book made me happy that Alan Moore has, for the most part, sworn off work-for-hire. His take on WildC.A.T.S. is more intriguing than the average issue of the Image Jim Lee vehicle, but that don’t make it Shakespeare.

In fairness, it wasn’t that the book was bad. The problem I had was that Moore seemed too restrained by the characters and the story, when all I really wanted was to watch him jam out ideas. I thoroughly enjoyed his take on the Kheran homeworld, with their fully realized political scene and class structure, but felt hampered by the story at home. Look, it isn’t that this book wasn’t a well written, or well drawn. Moore’s bar is raised considerably higher than the average writer’s. I don’t need every piece to be Watchmen, but I like it when I find a Supreme. Moore didn’t do enough here to challenge to form, and so I was left unsatisfied. It doesn’t make it a bad WildC.A.T.S., but it isn’t up to par with other great Moore work. But shit, I’ll probably read it again someday. He’s Alan Moore.

As a side note, if Alan Moore was still accepting work from the big two, he would probably be writing Final Crisis. Personally, I’m glad he’s not.

Black Adam: The Dark Age #1

Adan: Hurm… I’m not sure what I think here. I have this guttural reaction to the book as pretty cool, actually, because it’s just Black Adam being all badass (the book opens with him ordering his followers to beat the shit out of him so that he can’t be recognized), but there are also some characterization issues that I have. Black Adam seems to act more like Vandal Savage than Black Adam in this book. Perhaps this is just desperation seeping into the character, what with his wife dead and his magic word forgotten, but still. Peter Tomasi still puts together an interesting story and I’m especially intrigued by the cliffhanger ending (which I shan’t spoil, so don’t worry).

I’ve always been a fan of Doug Mahnke’s art: I just love the way he draws the Superman-looking characters. They always look meaner and dirtier than they really are. While an interesting look for a Superman or a Captain Marvel, it fits like a glove on Black Adam, especially in this story, where he really is meaner and dirtier.

Brendan: Here he is, the breakout star of 52. This new miniseries picks up where World War Three left Adam, powerless and shamed. With his homeland in ruins, Adam is operating in secret in an attempt to reclaim his lost glory. Departed DC senior editor Peter Tomasi writes with Doug Manke providing pencils in this harshly portrayed adventure. Black Adam is an old character, but it has been Geoff Johns’ brutal anti-hero depiction that fans have responded to since the JSA: Black Reign arc, which Tomasi edited. In Reign, Adam acted as a liberator to his native country Kahndaq. With a touch of subtlety, Kahndaq serves as a metaphor for the Middle East, or at least the American perception of the Middle East in the post 9-11 world. This makes Black Adam an Arabian analog to the American Superman. His concepts of justice and honor differ drastically from the traditional American values, but his commitment to fighting for what he believes in makes him as valiant as any hero.

Although the subtext of the character has been evident in recent years, this issue seemed to posses a greater political bent than any of the stories prior. Adam is operating in secret as part of a zealous terrorist cell, attempting to infiltrate his homeland. He is a great character, but no Black Adam story would be complete without his naïve JSA teammate, Atom Smasher. Atom and Adam make up one of the most dynamic friendships in the DCU, as Adam’s sense of vigilante justice matches with Atom’s sense of proactive heroism. Doug Manke’s art has moments of greatness, but they all seem to occur early on in this uneven issue. I’m still undecided as to whether this issue was interestingly topical or overtly heavy-handed, but I will gladly finish the series to figure it out.

Black Metal v1

Adan: I kind of wish this book was regular-sized so that this would make more sense: “Too much metal for one hand!” As it stands, the manga format is small enough for one hand. Do not let that deter you, for this story is too much metal for one person.

Rick Spears writes another enjoyable story (in the interest of full disclosure, I talk to Rick almost every week at the LCS, but I give special preference to no man!) about twin brothers and their hunt for awesome metal, and what dark prophecy said awesome metal unleashes. Reading the twins’ speech patterns is like listening to a metal album, only without the screams and all that noise in the background, and I have to say, reading metal is a lot more fun that listening to metal (as may be apparent, I am not a big metal fan). The foster mother and brother in the twins’ lives, who are about as un-metal as one can get, are hilarious companions (foils?) for the twins, especially the brother, who seems to go nameless except for the many insults the twins hurl at him (their favorite seems to be ‘Toad’).

Chuck BB is someone I’ve never heard of before, but his art is super cool. It’s obviously very manga-inspired but still retains that western sensibility. A lot of the common manga markers are missing (things like speed lines and bloody noses to denote lust). They are eschewed for traditional western markers, but one can’t help but look at the big eyes and the somewhat chibi character design.

And if you like this, you should check out Vasilis Lolos’ The Last Call v1, also out this week and also from Oni Press. Lolos is Rick’s partner on their Pirates of Coney Island book from Image. That one’s a bit headier, but still super cool.

Brendan: Reagan Junior High?

“What are you, like twelve?”
“Yes, but it feels like millennia.”

I have seen the light in the darkness, and it resides within the pages of Black Metal. When the great Satan comes, I know he will ride to the tune of this book.

Metal is a state of mind, and no one knows it better than the Brothers Stronghand. Twelve-year-old Metal-fanatics, (not Goths, and woe to he who confuses the two) they were sent to Earth to fill the void in my soul that Scott Pilgrim’s delayed schedule has left me. What Pilgrimis to video game nostalgia, Metal is to…metal. This, in turn, assures awesometivity. I would disagree with Adan’s assessment of the manga-influence, if only because to me it spoke to the work of Jhonen Vasquez. This story packs all the sick melodrama associated with metal and youth with a story with a crazy quest. The dialogue reads perfectly with the tone and story, with the twins’ repartee serving as a metronome throughout. This book had it all, but now I’m left waiting to hear the internet spawn a theme song.

Blade #12

Brendan: Why didn’t we all just buy this book? Look at this cover! It is so brilliant, I could cry. Look at Blade’s poor, cancelled face, and tell me you don’t feel bad. Don’t we all remember? This is the character that brought superhero movies BACK! We owe it to him, and to Wesley Snipes, to support a Blade book beyond twelve issues. C’mon, he fights vampires. Buffy fans, anyone?

Personally, I couldn’t get into this book, so I accept the consequences. Although traditional logic would dictate that going with an industry stalwart like Howard Chaykin for art chores would be a savvy move, I actually found that it kept me away from the series. I have liked the Marc Guggenheim work I’ve been exposed to, and I do think of Blade as at least a “C” level character. But Chaykin’s rough work kept me away. I offer no excuses. That said, this was a good farewell issue. It wrapped up the storylines that permeated the entire series, and offered closure to this story, even if it did open a big friggin’ casket full of stories for the future. It had cool revelations, ancient artifacts, Daywalking, and Dracula. If that isn’t enough, Gene Colan stops by to close out the series with a badass sequence and pin-up of the original Blade getup, complete with new justification. This was a good issue, if only a bit exposition-heavy, but you won’t be disappointed if you buy it just for the first image and the last one.

Adan: Alright, first of all, that cover is fantastic. Rarely do covers have a speech bubble anymore, never mind a speech bubble that breaks the fourth wall. That’s just awesome. The inside on the other hand…

I can see why this book is getting cancelled: it’s just not very good. Howard Chaykin’s art is very difficult to look at it without thinking how much better it could be if drawn by almost anybody else in the game (Rob Liefeld and clones need not apply). Guggenheim’s writing doesn’t make all that much sense here either. If Blade hates the guy so much, why does he keep calling him “Dad?” It’s not like this guy has been around all that much in your life, plus he’s a vampire and a dick.

Ugh. The whole thing is just ugh. Hopefully, the next time Blade gets a series (and if Blade on the cover is to be believed, there will be a next time) he’ll get a much better creative team so that he can stay around a little longer.

Casanova #8

Brendan: Only in this book could art chores be taken over by the original artist’s twin brother. And only here could it work so hauntingly. Fabio Moon takes over for Gabriel Ba, (are we sure these guys are real? They don’t sound real. They sound like porn stars from the future.) and though the work echoes the previous volume, it maintains a unique look unto itself. None of the stylistic choices take away from the tightly packed story, but the volume’s new hue is jarring. It seems to suit the story, but it will still take some getting used to.

As for the story itself, it is as enjoyable as any of the previous work. I’ll let Fraction dish the details himself, as he does in the issue’s backmatter, “[Teen Age Music International] Opening! Ridiculous Mission! Turnaround! Eliptical philosophy masquerading as character development! Exploding brainbirds! Touching moment where Cass reveals his humanity, beneath the hedonistic shell!.. Everybody talking like Cool Prick Catchphrase was their native tongue!”

C’mon, now. This shit sells itself.

Adan: These guys are totally real. I met the both of them at SDCC, along with Matt Fraction, and they’re all crazy cool. Crazy cool.

Fabio’s choice of dark blue over Gabriel’s olive green is somewhat jarring and it does take some getting used to, but overall it’s a good decision. Not only does it mark the difference between Fabio and Gabriel’s art style approach to Casanova, but it also marks the tonal difference in the book. Where the first album seemed to be all about the sex, violence, and rock & roll, and any deeper meaning had to be dug for, the second album seems to wear its deeper meaning on its sleeve. The first album opened with Cass kidnapping a half-naked sex robot. The second album opens with Cass in a hospital, dying, killing, and euthanizing. This isn’t the same fun-loving Casanova you’ve come to expect, but it is still the great Casanova read you’ve come to love.

Foxwood Falcons #1

Adan: I was hoping this had been better.

Darren Sanchez’s writing is clunky in this coming-of-age story of a twelve-year-old kid who is suddenly entrusted to be the keeper of a secret vault of secret things. There is a lot of middle school fiction cliches thrown in here: the main protagonist, Robert Wise, is picked on by the jocks, he has a group of mostly socially maladjusted kids, and his father is dead. The dialogue and captions (which are just Robbie’s thought balloons in disguise) are all stilted and forced. Kids don’t actually talk and think like this; adults only think they do.

Artist Matthew Tow and colorist Jeff Balke have that digital colors directly on the pencils thing going, or at least it looks that way. Tow may be inking as well as pencilling, but I don’t think it matter so much. Colors directly on pencils can sometimes look rushed, but Tow keeps the art simple enough that instead of looking rushed, the art looks planned (which is how all art, regardless of style or genre, should look).

There is an interesting premise here, but I don’t think it’s enough to hold my interest with such uninspired writing.

Brendan: After a harsh initial reaction, Foxwood Falcons won me over. The story centers on a family duty-bound to protect ancient treasures, and specifically shows us the story of a twelve year old and his ascent to his duty. Upon first glance, I thought this was going to be just another blasé youth-oriented superhero book. These types of stories are a dime a dozen, especially when coupled with the animation style art provided by Matthew Tow. Darren Sanchez’s writing also didn’t do much to impress in the early going, not helped by the choice to introduce the entire cast in one scene. The adversaries were quickly set, with a Cobra-Kai like squad of football players who wear “KK” on their chest, when my eyes hit their rolling pinnacle.

Then it turned around. The central concept to this series, once we explored it, felt refreshingly worthwhile. Many superhero stories are about legacy, and this story took that concept one step further. There may be too many stories about superheroes, but that doesn’t mean that there are too many stories about responsibility. The issue’s second half was far more enjoyable to me, although it was likely due in no small part to the “ancient plasma swords,” that looked familiar enough that Lucasfilms may get involved. There were some unacceptable grammatical errors towards the issue’s very end, but despite that and the slow beginning I will be interested to see whether or not this series fulfils its considerable potential.

Glister #1

Adan: Now this is the Andi Watson I know and love. Glister Butterworth is a British child who is a magnet for the unusual. In this, her first adventure, she comes into possession of a haunted teapot which contains a dead author who wants to finish his last book. This book is very kid-friendly. No violence, no sex, and the ghost isn’t even all that scary. It’s just a good story about a girl and a ghost. The supporting characters, Glister’s dad and Mr. Wilkes (a wrestler-cum-antiquarian), are hilarious, and Glister herself kind of reminds me of an older Yotsuba with a lot less energy. There is a Skeleton Key back-up that’s also pretty cute. It also deals with the supernatural.

Watson’s art is fantastic as usual. The art style is minimal and cartoony, which is apropos for a book of this kind. I especially enjoyed the gray lines he uses to draw the smoke, clouds, and ghost, instead of the black lines he uses for almost everything else. This helps to cement the ghost’s etherealness.

I’m always looking for new kids’ comics to get my cousins hooked on (as well as my own future children), and I think Glister will be joining those ranks

Brendan: I can’t say a bad thing. This book was a delight. Glister is the kind of neat and simple story that makes children’s literature so much fun. The simplicity of the world portrayed through the eyes of a child is a valuable experience, if only to step back from the multivalent imagery that is so constantly force fed into general life. With just enough magic to make the world interesting, but not too much to make it impossible, this story feels like childhood. I do wonder whether the targeted audience would make it through the lead story, as it is longer than most picture books but shorter than most early level chapter books, but I really hope they do.

I’m happier because I read this little thing. Unbelievable.

Powers #25

Brendan: At some point, when a work reaches a certain level of success, it becomes en vogue for fans to bail. They’ll chalk it up to “selling out,” or “not being what it used to be,” but nine times out of ten the complaints are baseless and boil down to counter-culture, holier than thou bullshit. Powers, especially since the move to Marvel’s Icon imprint, has been a victim of this sort of slander. Of course, the greatest irony of this sway of opinion is the fact that Powers has done nothing if not the opposite of sell out. The last two years of stories have taken more risks in the story than most books dare over a decade. Not content to sit on their laurels of super crime noir vignettes, Bendis and Oeming have pushed beyond their own parameters, taking Pilgrim and Walker to the very edge. Walker is still a cop, although he now works nights as an intergalactic patrolman. Deena is still fighting for justice, but she is relegated to street level vigilante justice, defending the innocent from the powers virus that has become the city’s newest blight. This has always been a book where anything can happen, and sixty two issues in, it still does.

Also, this issue kicks off a new format for the series. With a higher cardstock cover, and extra pages, the $1 hike is well worth it. Pay for quality, kids. Oh, and if you’re still reluctant, look at Oeming’s seventy panel sex scene. That is value.

Adan: I am convinced that Bendis and Oeming cannot go an issue of Powers without some titties being exposed. Sometimes, it’s Bendis telling Oeming to draw naked girls for the sake of the story (like the pervert he is), but sometimes Oeming just throws boobies in there for fun. Did we really need a two-page, seventy-panel sex scene with Walker fucking his girlfriend? Really? I think I know why they needed to up the page count: now, Bendis and Oeming can put in that many more cans into any given issue.

Alright, rant over.

This issue starts eight months after the last one (which is approriate, since that’s about how long ago the last issue came out) with the powers virus that Deena was exposed to running rampant across the city. Deena has gone AWOL and is handing out Heroes for Hire-style justice on the streets. Walker, meanwhile, is tasked to find patient zero and stop the powers virus from spreading. Bendis and Oeming are doing their thing, and they’re going to keep on doing it until people stop wanting it. Hopefully, that won’t come for awhile (though it would help if Bendis and Oeming put that hilarious coroner back into this series on a regular basis).

Now that I’ve spread the love, what the fuck is up with those covers? Oeming’s at least has some anatomy and a background (though Walker is mostly in shadow, as is the city), but Bendis? Did you just wake one morning, realize this thing was due, and xerox an ink blot sort of in the shape of a head to your editor? That is lame, son.

Un-Men #1

Adan: With such a strong first issue, this may be the new series Vertigo has been looking for to replace the soon-to-be over Y the Last Man.

Aberrance USA is a town somewhere in the American southwest which houses the world’s carnival freaks. But not just any carny freaks, Aberrance is home to the Un-Men, genetically engineered carny freaks. John Whalen begins to weave an intricate plot which pits Agent Kilcrop, an employee of the Department of Energy (and an albino), against Uncorp, the corporation that runs Aberrance, and is in turn run by Un-Men. So, if we’re talking high concept, then this is Katherine Dunn’s Geek Love meets X-Files meets Uncanny X-men, only without the spandex.

Mike Hawthorne must have had a tremendous amount of fun coming up with all the freaks that populate Aberrance, including an inside-out man named Mocoso, a three-boobed hooker, and a maintenance worker with a scorpion tail (blink and you’ll miss them) among many, many others. I hope Hawthorne continues to pepper inventive freaks into the backgrounds of Aberrance as the series continues.

I also hope this book finds its audience, and that that audience is huge, because this book is pretty awesome so far.

Brendan: “Un-Men #1 is out August eighth, Un-Men #1 is out August eighth, Un-Men #1 is out August eighth, Un-Men #1 is out August eighth.” These were the words of artist Mike Hawthorne at the Vertigo panel at the Wizard World Philadelphia convention. The panel was bereft of any real news, and as such Hawthorne’s mantra became a running gag and a remarkable reminder. Well, 8/8 is here, and so is Un-Men. Adan is right, this book totally rocks. Hawthorne and Whalen revive the Swamp Thing castoffs, utilizing Aberrance as brilliant and realized a backdrop as the world of Fables. With stirring visuals and a mysterious murder, this is why they make Vertigo comics. Hop on, kids, this is going to be a good one.

And Others…

Adan: A completely wordless book about a dog and his robot friend that he proceeds to immediately screw over is what Robot Dreams GN is all about.

A dog buys a robot and they become instand friends. They play, they watch Laputa together (an ingenious reference, by the way), and then they go to the beach. Then the dog leaves the robot on the beach after it turns out he can’t move anymore. A year passes through the book as the dog finds other friends and has tons of fun, and the robot dreams of what might have been if almost every character it encountered while stuck on the beach wasn’t a complete dick. I’m not sure what the overall lesson we’re supposed to learn is here, but the book looks great, and the story is quite humorous.

Sara Varon normally fills the entire page with panels and art, but marks scene changes with one-panel pages, and I don’t mean splash pages. The panels in question are the same size as other panels in her six-panel grids, and they occupy only one corner of the page, leaving a lot of blank space. Once in awhile, she’ll throw in a completely blank page. This serves to let a reader digest what has occurred. Granted, not a lot of digestion is needed, but it’s nice to have the time anyway. These one panel pages actually begin the story in a rather odd place. The first panel is before the title page, and the second panel is right after the copyright page. That is interesting placement for opening panels, and I have nothing really to add to that. This is just an observation, I guess.

This is another great book from First Second. They are quickly becoming my second favorite publisher (after Oni, of course, whose every book I seem to buy).

Brendan: New Avengers was a blast. I love how this series has become a showcase for the “new” Marvel universe, both by revitalizing characters with unexpected match ups, like Luke Cage and Spider-man, as well as making use of the characters created but left by the wayside, like the Sentry, Echo, and now, the Hood. For me, this is the book where the Marvel story happens.