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Pen-Elayne
For Your Thoughts - Week of December 10-16, 1995
This week's digest: FIREBRAND #1 Writer/Co-Creator: Brian Augustyn Here's what I thought... I buy most of the books that Brian Augustyn edits. He has shown a knack for working with some of the best writers in the business. Still, I was more than a little skeptical about the debut of this title. The subject matter didn't really interest me, and I was pretty prepared not to like it. Okay, I was pretty prepared to tear it apart, if I even bought it. Talk about rushing to judgement. So I read it in the comics shop - least I wouldn't be "wasting" my money if I didn't like it. First time I've ever read a book in the shop in a long while. Brian, ya fished me in. Well, for now. Now first, I must say that it's still not subject matter which particularly interests me. I don't care for stories about or featuring "hero cops." We are surrounded by "hero cops." You can't flip your TV remote for five minutes without seeing a dozen of them, it seems. Other, equally noble professions surely exist, but the sheer percentage of shows about the police so outnumbers shows about other real-life occupations that I'd probably find myself turned off even if I didn't suspect there are more boys in blue out there like Mark Fuhrman than Serpico. So, it's an uphill battle to get me to pay attention to something like this to begin with. Secondly, and more importantly to this reader, the whole thing is very... how do I say this without jumping on my soapbox? Hmm, no way, so I guess I'll climb up. Very *male*. All the major characters, including the protagonist, are guys. The only woman is actually the protagonist's young sister, and she appears as a ghost during his near-death experience. This book could very easily have worked just as well if Alex Sanchez had been a woman. No alternations that I can see would have been necessary - save for an alteration in the mindset of the creative folks involved here. The fact that they thought enough to create a brand-new character and make that character Latino but not (por exemplo) Latina speaks volumes to those of us yearning for good, dynamic female characters to add to DC's pantheon. Hey, we all bring our own personal baggage with us to everything we read. Excuse me while I repack my suitcase. There. For what it is, then, I think FIREBRAND works very well. Sanchez is not just a hero cop, he's an obsessed detective. How obsessed? He collects milk cartons with different "Have You Seen Me?" kids' faces on each one. (The one panel showing him stocking his fridge with these cartons while insisting to his older brother Javier on the phone that "I do not obsess" was what sold me on this book. Very nice example of "showing, not telling.") He considers it his personal duty to save every kid, and he's been looking for a link as to their disappearances, where nobody else can even find a link. Well, he's gotten too close to the truth, and someone who likes that has arranged for his apartment to blow up in flames. He hates fire - it killed his sister 16 years ago, and he couldn't save her. So, I'd say we've got motivation out the wazoo here. The near-death scene was, I thought, very well done - if this is followed up on, it means he's experienced a sense of closure to a chapter of his life already, as a major source of his angst and guilt resolves itself, which is pretty daring for page six of a premiere issue. Alex awakens from a coma three months later to find himself rebuilt, many of his limbs replaced with the medics having "sheathed all the bones in some super acrylic material" (=whew= at least it's not adamantium!). He has become the "project" of Dr. Newton Lovell (who could also have been female... okay, I'll refasten the latch), who proceeds to oversee his therapy for the next couple months - at which time he meets his "mysterious benefactor." The benefactor is some rich guy (not gal... oops, how'd that suitcase come open again?) named Noah Hightower, who for his own reasons (namely, having lost a son mysteriously 25 years previous) wants Sanchez to be a Force For Justice. And he's designed this nifty, high-tech looking suit. Looks like it already has a guy inside it, too, the way Velluto draws it (and he does very nice work, by the way). I mean, there's even a bulge... there... you know? To say Sanchez is reluctant would be putting it mildly. So we fast- forward another two months and eavesdrop on Sanchez' partner Leo (as opposed to Leora - okay, okay), come to visit him with a progress report on nailing the sumbitches who tried to off Sanchez. They just happen to have caught up to Leo, who runs outside to protect his car while asking Alex to call Security. Sanchez retorts, "Leo, Security here is three retired guys who play cards all night" (great line, Brian!) and searches the premises to find something else to help him... You got it. Anyway, all pretty standard stuff, until Alex turns the energy-boost knob on his spiffy suit and fire engulfs him for the third time in his life. And from every indication at the bottom of page 20, he's in agony. Surprise. Fire now good. But Sanchez still rusty. The bad guys get away, killing their fellow thug in Alex's grip who might have talked, and we head into the next issue with the suit feeling real nice. Yes, lots of standard, almost cliched stuff, but Augustyn keeps it interesting. Velluto's art is tres spiffy - good facial details, well chosen angles, the works. Trish's colors could be a bit more vibrant, but there's not much you can salvage with the paper on this $1.75 book, and she does what she can. (She too did a great job on the near-death scene.) I don't know if I'll stay with the book, but I'm intrigued enough to get the next issue, despite the preponderance of testosterone... =sigh= I know, you're sick of hearing it, but I'm almost sicker of reading it... In any case, recommended, with the few reservations I note (repeatedly) above. So, what did y'all think? DC VERSUS MARVEL/MARVEL VERSUS DC Writer: Ron Marz (with thanks to Peter David) Here's what I thought... This is a very adequate book. It is not Kewl Fights, thank goodness. But it seems to promise Kewl Fights, as evidenced by the "Round One" on the inside cover. Jurgens' art is very, very nice in most places (although Castellini could use a few anatomy lessons vis a vis the female figure). The plot is extremely standard, however. There is nothing new here - Mysterious Source Draws Universes Together. Unidentified Homeless-Type Person In Touch With Mysterious Source But "it's... too... early...". Page 32 shot of All-Powerful Being Red, All-Powerful Being Blue. Tell ya a funny story - I skipped seeing pages 11-13 upon first reading this book. Don't ask me how - I remember page 10, just not the three after it. Must have been distracted by something at work. Just read them now, for this review (wish I hadn't, esp. page 13) - didn't feel like I missed anything. Maybe that's an okay ratio, 3 pages out of 32. But I still feel like I could have glossed over more and still not missed anything. Because there's very little there to get. Heroes and villains nabbed by Mysterious Source. Tell, tell, tell, and very little show. Just poses, and captions telling us the characters' names. The could-have-been- interesting device of Clark Kent's Daily Planet article on the Mysterious Happenings is among the clunkiest expository passages I've read in a long time. (Like he'd actually call Daredevil "The Man Without Fear" in a news article. Not if he didn't want to be shown the door.) The one bright ray of hope is where the exposition/article reads, "Although misunderstanding has led to blows in some cases, more often we have risen above our differences, united by a spirit of learning, or friendship, or teamwork." If this is the focus of Marvel vs. DC, I'm all for it. But this was not what the publicity campaign led anyone to believe, and so I await #2 with some trepidation. Some good angles - the "teaming" of reporter Clark Kent with photographer Peter Parker. Spidey's entrance, with the Chrysler Building in the background (the most overused building in comics for a reason), and his subsequent encounter with the Joker (a good choice for the opening scene). The fact that Peter David will be writing the next issue. Some "eh" angles - The unexplained process by which J. Jonah Jameson retains enough credibility in an alternate universe to immediately rise to the editor's chair at the Daily Planet. The Batman telling, not showing - very hokey dialogue. Thor - who is this guy? Am I supposed to care? Wolverine lighting up - a mildly cool panel by Castellini, who draws men far better than he draws women. The layout on the 2-page spread of 26-27. The Cosmic Stuff. Some bad angles - Page 13. The Beast acting kind of stupid. Telling, not showing. Page 13. Lobo. The portrait gallery on pages 17-18. Oh, and page 13. Says Mike Carlin in the back, "...truth to tell, the denizens of both the Marvel and DC Universes, behind the scenes, actually mingle and merge way more than you might suspect." It's called "freelancing," Mike. :) This is not worth $3.95, folks. It would have been worth 99 cents, and I think it's a shame DC and Marvel didn't run with that idea. With the power of both sides of the Big Two behind it, this book should have been highly subsidized. And it remains to be seen whether, given the overshadowing news at Marvel's press conference today, anyone will care enough about this book to buy this issue, let alone future ones. So, what did y'all think? AQUAMAN #17 Writer: Peter David Here's what I thought... Recently in The Last Avengers Story, Peter (through a character) remarked as to how frustrating it was that superheroes are always so reactive rather than proactive. Apparently he's decided to do something with this book to correct that deficiency. And I'm glad of it. I'm tired of heroes waiting for things to happen to them as well. Orin's been given this wonderful gift, this simpatico with this sentient alien vessel, and he's decided, by Neptune, to use it. The possibilities inherent in this Great Responsibility give him nightmares, but don't deter him. In fact, when he's fully conscious he actually seems to thrive on it. Which worries Dolphin, who's suddenly being put in the position of The Practical Partner. Travelling with Orin in a very, very alien vessel, feeling like she missed a page. :) Orin fills her in by strapping one of those Tell-All Brain Thingies ("Brain and brain, what is brain? It is controller, is it not?" Sorry, flashback) to her head and telling her to sit right back and she'll hear the tale... well, you know how it goes. Did you know, for instance, that the dinosaurs were actually hunted to extinction by ancient aliens? And that their disappearance caused the Ice Age, rather than the other way around? Yes, some uncomplicated peoples still believe that other myth. But here in the Future, we can surmise things were Very Different. So Dolphin gets brought up to speed, and we look in on Admiral Strom (boo! hiss! sound of popcorn being thrown at screen), who's actually an Alien Contact! Boy howdy, the truth is out there. Wayyyy out there. He tells the aliens not to invade. The aliens pretty much say "Up yours." So much for friendly interplanetary relations. Orin and Dolphin travel to the first of the Lost Cities of Atlantis to recruit the Hy-brasil for the coming battle. The mutant mantoids' guardian king (whose face kinda reminds me of J'Onn J'Onzz in Martian mode) wants nothing to do with hew-mons. They fight for supremacy; it's The Way, don'tcha know. Orin wins. The guardian king's mate gives the king a dagger, and he commits the Hy-brasilian equivalent of harakiri, which for some reason shocks Orin. Not only is he still thinking in human terms, he's apparently still thinking in Western terms. Of course, now that the king is dead, long live the king. The queen plants a cold one on his lips (apparently the creative team is still thinking in human terms too) and declares him her new mate. Dolphin's a little freaked. I like the art. McCraw can do no wrong as a colorist. The plot's way hokey, but it's fun in a Silver Agey way. I hate the implied sexism of the male Hy-brasilian fighting and the female being a kind of preying mantis type. But I'm very pleased that Orin's so proactive. And I'm reading on. So, what did y'all think? Writer: Kurt Busiek Here's what I thought... This is Marvel's equivalent of BATMAN & ROBIN ADVENTURES. It's a great book for kids, and it does its readers the courtesy of giving us single- issue stories. And it goes B&A one - actually, a few - better. It's got Kurt Busiek writing it, for one. (Paul Dini's no slouch, but I prefer Kurt's writing.) It has continuing subplots that B&A doesn't really contain. And it's only 99 cents. Everyone who reads and loves UTOS as much as I do should take at least one child with whom they're acquainted into a comic book store (and you know, this holiday season's a mighty good time to do this) and buy that child this book. And demand from Marvel that they put out more of this stuff. Good, inexpensive, kid-friendly work by talented writers. As far as I'm concerned, this book ought to be Marvel's flagship. It is just about the only book I'm exempting from this week's .sig. :) The plot concerns the villain named the Wizard. I don't know this guy, not being that familiar with the Marvel Universe, so I asked my beloved. (And thanks to Steve, I now know way more about the Frightful Four than I ever imagined I'd want to...) Kurt pretty much told us newbies what we needed to know via Spidey's page 4 thought captions, including the observation that hits the nail on the head for us, "He just wants to make the Torch look bad." Yep, the Wizard is out to show up Johnny for the lummox that I suppose even Johnny is afraid he is. He's committing petty crimes, escalating to more serious ones, and cluing the Torch in (a la the Riddler, who appears in this month's B&A... too coincidental? you be the judge) on the locales of his nefarious deeds with complicated hints and even equations. No way could Herr Storm solve this all by self. But Spidey's a certified geek! Yay! Smart enough to realize that Torch doesn't have a prayer. I love the interplay between the two hotshots. Johnny shouting, "I would've figured that out eventually!" was one of my favorite lines (followed by "You wanna come take a look at my convertible?", and Peter's response, as a close second). Gad, this was fun. I think what I loved most about it is the way it encourages kids to want to be smart (so they can solve kewl riddles too, no matter how far-fetched!). Even little things like the Torch having to spot-weld and then immediately cool what he's welded - nice, intelligent touch. And we've got a couple good setups for future issues, with Betty Brant beginning to Suspect Things (apparently) and Jason talking Sally Avril into helping him discover Spidey's secret identity. Neat. Coupla tiny nitpicks - these "kids" still look way too old to be in high school, Mr. Olliffe. Did you get them from 90210 Central Casting? :) Oh, and Kurt (although this is prolly Olliffe's "fault" as well), I get to pick on you two issues in a row over Clothing That Shouldn't Defy Gravity When People Hang Upside Down. I mean, that's a loose sweater Sally's wearin' there. :) 'Course, now you'll use the "but it's out of panel range" defense, won'tcha? ;) Fun, kiddies (of all ages)! You go buy! Good! Yay, UTOS team! Keep 'em comin'. (And I finally found issue #2, so my collection's complete thus far - hooray!) So, what did y'all think? Kurt Busiek's ASTRO CITY #5 Writer: Kurt Busiek Here's what I thought... Another nice Issue of Analogs, as we catch a 2-page glimpse of the Rebel Outcast Superhero Team (in this case the Astro City Irregulars), explore the Grandstanding Hotshot (Crackerjack) in some depth, and look in in our protagonist, the Alien in Disguise living among us, wavering on passing judgement as to whether he should call in the invasion troops until he decides if The Human Race Is Worthy. The alien goes by the hew-mon name of Bridwell, so for purpose of this review let's just call him Nelson. :) One of Nelson's hobbies is keeping tabs, via a very spiffy laptop, on all the supers around Astro City and beyond, and we see him updating his files in a couple pages that will surely make Astro City FAQkeeper Elmo happy. Er, Kurt, a question: What is the difference between "global" and "international" vis a vis superhero activity? I know you make a distinction, but it's unclear to me from looking at Nelson's notes. He's interrupted by a cherub of a lad who thinks the 'puter's kewl, which pisses him off to no end, albeit briefly. Nelson has an itchy trigger finger, you see, and any little thing could set him off to "send the signal" for his race to invade this world. He's calmed down by the time he reaches his boarding house, where we meet the effervescent Eugene Wallace and a room full of gossiping biddies. Nelson hates biddies. "Why, on my planet," he tells us, "women are warriors - bold and strong, whose actions and words have weight and force!" Can I live there, please oh please? His finger itches again, but - something makes him hesitate, and after stalling the invasion forces again (by telling them a half-lie, that "extensive paranormal activity requires more time to catalogue") he drifts off to sleep... ...only to awaken in a burning building. Seems the old baseboards couldn't take the juice of his advanced circuitry. I love this. It's so wonderfully logical, you wonder why more comics haven't pointed this sort of thing out. (This series gives me that feeling a lot.) He can't escape, because then he'd be found out. Suddenly -- Crackerjack to the rescue! Somehow the half-bumbling do-gooder saves Nelson's hide (he may be an ass, but he's a talented ass), only to give away his secret identity once outside the building. Oops. (This was hilarious!) Seems lovable goofball Crackerjack is actually lovable goofball Eugene Wallace. Nelson says "I never suspected," which I guess surprises me because he seems so sharp otherwise, but never mind. He's sharp enough to plant a "sens-circuit" on Crackerjack which "will let me see and hear whatever happens to him." Seems Nelson has decided to let the fate of the planet rest on how Crackerjack does this evening. Well, he does fine, but he's real obnoxious in the process - hitting on female heroes (and stealing credit for their capture of bad guys the Techsperts - I love this name), subduing a villain by blind luck, stringing up criminals but leaving no evidence for the cops (this is great, this is so very superhero, and I notice Kurt deftly avoids this trap in his latest UNTOLD TALES OF SPIDER-MAN too), and just goofing around irresponsibly in general (I don't want to ruin these pages by telling you everything he does, it's more fun to read it yourself). But the thing is, he gets the job done. He's a jerk, but an effective one. He makes a difference, and Nelson has to admire that despite himself. Of course, it doesn't take much to set him off. And wouldn't you know it, it's those biddies again. This time he pushes the button, which leaves (as we do) Astro City, on a planet very similar to Earth (but not exactly like it - notice the word "Earth" is never used in this issue?), sending the signal for the aliens to invade... To be continued? Who knows? Next issue gives us Samaritan and Winged Victory's date... will the invasion happen in the meantime? Will it happen at all? Has it already happened? Only Kurt knows, and he's too busy writing future issues and answering letters in one of the best letter columns around. (John, much better backgrounds this time - the light yellow works well. I'd certainly recommend using it again.) John Gaushell and I have started an interesting correspondence regarding computer lettering. I think I've come to the conclusion that it's a lot like animated movies. I saw, and loved, TOY STORY (just like I read and love ASTRO CITY), but at the same time I'm in awe of what the old Fleischer studios used to do with rotoscoping, Superman, Koko the Clown, etc. in an age way before computers. And, you know, why can't we just enjoy both for what they are? (Have I caved in yet, John? <g>) As is usual with this title, I'll leave in-depth analyses for those more steeped in iconography than I am. I will say I liked this issue, but it didn't grab me like the last one did. And I'm not sure it was supposed to; I think in a way the whole point was that it was all kind of surface. Judging, or not judging, by appearances. (And speaking of appearances, I'm gonna start savin' up for that Astro City font, you betchum!) Quality work all 'round, folks - a good, solid read. So, what did y'all think? Sergio Aragones' GROO #12 by Aragones Here's what I thought... =snif= Groo go bye-bye. After umpteen issues (to learn how many "umpteen" is, check out the letter column - the best letter column of any comic, and I'll miss it greatly) Sergio, Mark and co. are taking a break. =sob= Come back! All is forgiven! Please! =choke= Oh, okay, they deserve the break, but gosh, I think this title ending is gonna leave a sizeable gap in my life. (Mayhaps I need more of a life?) I'm not going to tell you about the plot, about how Pipil Khan can't get the idea of killing Groo out of his mind, but he's never met Groo so he has no idea what he looks like, and meanwhile Groo helps out this village and... no, I'm not going to tell you about it. It's good, it's all good. They haven't missed with an issue yet. Buy it. Savor it. Read it slowly - look at all the little pictures Sergio puts in there. Smile a lot. Wish them luck. I know I do. Don't stay 'way too long, folks. So, what did y'all think? THE BOOKS OF MAGIC #21 Writer: John Ney Rieber Here's what I thought... Well, given that Tim and Molly got out of last storyline's predicament through the power of their love, it seems fitting that this issue begin to examine the nature of that love - and, more generally, the nature of Men/Boys and Women/Girls as a whole. We open on Tim synopsizing recent events for us, while talking about how much he doesn't trust magic. Still, his desire to see Molly (they're both being punished for their absences) overwhelms his good sense, and he uses magic to change himself into a cat. (Great job by the Comicraft folk in distinguishing the Tim voice from the Cat voice.) Cat-Tim goes in search of Molly, only to find she's let herself out her window by tying some ropes together. He should have stood out the back of the house, not the front. :) Molly's gone to Hyde Park to sulk and talk things over with Marya, still leaning against her unicorn. She's got a lot on her delightful and complex mind, and it's a pleasure "listening" to her talk. Molly is currently one of my favorite characters in comics. (And faux-flighty Marya makes a fascinating contrast.) They're summarily visited by a woman who's apparently very familiar with magic. We see this woman earlier in the book, hanging out front of her Soho shop, "Circe's - Tattooing, Piercing and Other Alterations." "Circe" is apparently very good at altering men into animals; she's brought her latest pigeon with her, and settles down to have a good long talk with the girls About Those Men. One of Those Men - er, boys, Tim, has given himself wings to as to better catch up with Molly. The Cat in him doesn't like this atALL. "You'll pay for this," the Cat warns, "I'm going to play with you someday." (Elayne, nodding, examines her still-fresh scars...) Another of Those Boys, Marya's former "boyfriend" Daniel, sulks on a London rooftop talking to the severed mechanical head of the Reverend (see previous issues for the whole grisly tale) about what Hamlet had to say about women (specifically Ophelia). The Rev spots Tim-Cat flying overhead, on his way to Hyde Park... ...and taking refuge in a nearby tree, where "Circe" is still giving out advice, just about flooring Molly in mid-cynicism. "I'm Little Red Riding Hood with rabies," she responds to Molly's request for her identity. "Isis with PMS... I'm the girl who really can say no." Oh, she's Johanna - why didn't you say so? :) :) (I'm kidding, Johanna!! Please don't hurt me!!) Interestingly, she adds, freeing her pigeon as the rainy weather suddenly stops, "I don't hurt, and I don't get hurt." Well, not any more (or not yet), at any rate. The Rev and Dan know something's up - the rain wasn't supposed to end this quickly. God said so - or was that the Devil? Dan, who still has a bit of magic in him, figures Marya's at the center of things, and heads for the Hyde to check it out. Tim-Cat's got a major case of the guilts listening to Molly talk about him. He's not quite got the whole story yet (it doesn't look like he understands the Future Tim bit that Molly learned of last issue), but he's feeling lousy anyway. As he cautiously approaches the female trio, Dan drops down from the sky, broom in hand, supposedly looking to sweep Marya off her feet again. Tim-Cat growls at him, and - "Circe" grabs Tim-Cat, names and shapebinds him. Unfortunately, the naming and binding incluedes "Mind blank, mouth shut" - Tim's stuck and caged in the form of a dumb animal. Oops. She then turns her attention to Dan, "put(ting) his soul back into him" and changing him into a puppy. Awww... Marya's happy. Molly's pissed - she'd better not do something like that to Tim. Er, too late... Moral of the story: Men are such animals. Women are such witches. Not sure I like this moral (if indeed it is that). I almost admire PMS-Isis' principles - after all, the changed Daniel "is going to be petted until he forgets how to whine. And when that happens, he'll get his boy-body back..." But what's Tim done to deserve her "wrath" (if one could call it that), besides love Molly? I mean, he's certainly not as obsessed as Daniel... okay, he is, but he's not as dangerously obsessed... And he's right to love her, damnit. I love her too. She's wonderful. Anyway, I felt a little - off while reading this. Very, very sorry for what's happened to Tim. Very unenamored of the Bitch in Heels. Very much like I ought to be taking sides in some Grand Battle of the Sexes, and I don't want to. I refuse to think of love as a battle; I much prefer to see it as a truce. The cover was beautiful - probably the nicest cover of any comic this week (with the possible exception of Alex Ross' work on the new ASTRO CITY, but I preferred this cover anyway). The interior art is better in closeups than far shots, but at least Gross knows how to draw actual girls. And cats. :) So, what did y'all think? RADICAL DREAMER #5 (Insight Studios) by Mark Wheatley Here's what I thought... I've been picking up this title since it was in that big fold-out frm (which I liked, but it seems I've been way outvoted from what Mark says in his editorial), but I've never reviewed it because it's a hard book to describe. There's a lot happening - we're dealing with a dystopian world consisting of Owners, their somewhat privileged employees and the usual vast unwashed multitudes. We're dealing with the nature of dreams and reality, of addictive pasttimes, of love and betrayal... not easy stuff for me to encapsulate. Fortunately, Mark will be bringing out a backstory next April, called RADICAL DREAMER PRIME, and I'd urge you to pick it up if you think you might be at all interested in his work. The stylized art and writing is by no means accessible to all, and I will admit I struggle through some of it even now, but I find that struggle infinity rewarding. This book gives me a lot to think about after I've put it down. Plotwise: Our hero, the dead-in-life but living-in-dreams Max Wrighter, is out to Wright-- er, right the wrongs caused by his invention, the Dreamnet, by destroying it. To that end, he's been able to enter other people's consciousnesses while they're on the Dreamnet, and is slowly learning to use the power of his mind to affect their bodies. A very powerful example of this is the current story of Valerie McKinnion, Max's former lover with whose mind he is now joined. Wheatley does something relatively daring - instead of showing us what would be an extremely brutal attempted rape scene, he opts to give us two pages of prose, covering Val's retreat into her own mind and memories, and Max's chase to bring her back before her captors succeed with their nefarious plans. I think it works very well, and we're spared any prurience that more illustrations might have entailed while still painfully aware of the situation itself. I told you it wasn't an easy read. Suffice it to say, Val escapes. Meanwhile, Max's former partner Dr. Winkness (my favorite character in the book) makes a deal with the Owner named Master Futran in exchange for information on finding Max (she's been toting around his dead body hoping his mind would return to it). Futran, having had his mind brought back to his own body, wants to be free of the Dreamnet. Assisting him is Colin "Reality" Knight, only... is it Colin? Well, yes and no. You see, as soon as Max makes dream contact with Winkness, his Evil Radical doppelganger shows up and pushes him through time. Max's mind is now travelling in four dimensions, as he relives his own life through the minds of his parents, travels back to the previous day to enter Colin's mind and write him cryptic notes so that he'll be around to save Val when Max's mind is wrenched from hers as he makes dream contact with Winkness... Well, I love it when comics play around with time, so I'm a happy camper, but you see where this book might take some getting used to. The current storyline, which is in essence the "origin story," gets wrapped up in #6, and I'd advise new readers to wait for the PRIME in April and the eventual (I hope) TPB of the first six issues. Slow going in places, but very, very worth it. So, fellow dreamers, what did y'all think? THE COPYBOOK TALES Issues 1 through 5 Writer: J. Torres Here's what I thought... God, what a great mini. This was ever so much fun! Best mini I've read in awhile. So good it ought to be slick and full size and everything. And, whaddaya know, Dan Vado thought so too - the bimonthly series from Slave Labor starts next summer. Wish it were sooner. It's ostensibly about the past and present adventures of writer Jamie and artist Thatcher, trying to self-publish or submit or do something with their comic Northforce, about a Canadian superhero team, eh? But it's also about Jamie and his high school friends ten years ago, and stuff they did then. Very reminiscent of stuff like SHADES OF GREY and ZOT! (the latter without the "real life" superheroes of course), except fewer girls in the high school flashback scenes. I shouldn't even call them "flashback scenes" per se, as the book jumps from present to past and back so quickly that sometimes you have to look twice before you notice that it's Young Adult Jamie. Levins does a nice job of varying hairstyles and attitudes, although I think he could work on making the young adults look a little older than their 15-year-old counterparts. But the art has a very friendly, inviting feel to it. And the writing's spot-on. Self-mocking without being self-conscious. And I didn't once feel like an outsider. Perhaps an anthropologist, at times, peering in on the strange habits of this unusual race called High School Boy, but it's all so very human, so situationally funny that I didn't stay objective for long. The Sheep Incident. The Porn Movie. TV Addiction Then And Now... Great stuff, and I'm looking real forward to their Slave Labor debut. In the meantime, the minis cost a buck each (checks or m.o.'s payable to Tim Levins) - get the address from J. Thanks so much for sending this along, J! [These reviews are copyright 1995 Elayne Wechsler-Chaput, living in the Land of Lousy Newsgroup Post Propagation, wishing she too could read the latest press release from Marvel Comics announcing their imminent name change to Mootpoint Comics, and wondering if anyone will notice... As you can imagine, these are reprinted with permission from the rec.arts.comics newsgroups on Usenet, and the culprit can be found cowering at <firehead@panix.com> in case you're interested in finding her out.] |
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