Sandman Mystery Theatre Vol 4 The Scorpion

Writers: Matt Wagner & Steven Seagle
Artist: Guy Davis
Company: DC/Vertigo
Price: $12.99

Everything I said in general about Sandman Mystery Theatre being pulp goodness and excellent romance is true. Specific to this volume is an interesting story about war profiteering, the oil business back in the '30s, a deadly vigilante named The Scorpion and a big turning point for the relationship between Wesley and Dian. It's funny that only four volumes in, the big secret between them is on the verge of being outed, but I guess that at issue #20, this was about two years into the series, and it makes sense. Guy Davis has settled in as the mostly regular artist at this point, and he's a perfect choice. His work here is not as polished and jaw-dropping as his current work on B.P.R.D., but it's still excellent stuff, and only gets better with every issue from here.

Sandman Mystery Theatre Vol. 3 The Vamp

Writers: Matt Wagner & Steven Seagle
Artist: Guy Davis
Company: DC/Vertigo
Price: $12.99

Some of the earliest and best Vertigo work that has never been collected, I'm delighted that DC has finally decided to rectify this oversight with collections of Sandman Mystery Theatre. The series, a lurid adult pulp series full of the atmosphere of '30s New York, addresses a variety of social issues of the time with a framework that includes mystery, violence, detective work and one of the most endearing and believable romances comics has ever produced. Volume three, The Vamp, has a plot twist that could easily come out of a modern-day story, but which filtered through the pulp lens feels fresher and more interesting, and as always, the case at hand helps to indicate elements of the developing relationship between Wesley Dodds (the Sandman) and his girlfriend Dian Belmont. Their relationship is the real core of the series, although amusing supporting characters like the somewhat racist, ball-busting cop Burke are always fun to watch, and the action, sex and plot twists keep the reader interested. Lesbians, sex scenes, exsanguination and plenty of punching and chase scenes... what more could you want?

Graphic Novel A Day: Grendel Red, White & Black

Writer: Matt Wagner
Artists: Various
Company: Dark Horse Comics
Price: $19.95

It's been a while since I read this miniseries, and I'd forgotten just how good it is. True, some of the stories are a little hard to follow if you're not already familiar with the Grendel cycle, but some of them stand alone just fine. Looking back at the Hunter Rose and Argent era of Grendel, which has relatively few comics about it, results in a lot of great stories, generally with a crime noir or psychological horror edge. Wagner experiments a little in his writing, with poetry, illustrated text pieces and even illustrated haiku, but the book is at its best when it's Wagner writing a gritty crime story and one of the immensely talented artists illustrating. My favorites are Jill Thompson's "Nasty Lil Devil," Cliff Chiang's illustration of two detectives analyzing a Grendel crime scene, Tom Fowler's tale of a corrupt senator's assassination, Farel Dalrymple's work on "Devil's Retribution," Mike Huddleston's "The Devil's Tide", Zander Cannon's "Devil on the Roof" and John K. Snyder III's "Devil's Sentence," but really there are no bad stories here, and a ton of beautiful art.

Graphic Novel A Day: Grendel The Devil Inside

Writer: Matt Wagner
Artist: Bernie Mireault
Company: Dark Horse Comics
Price: $12.95 ($11.01 at Amazon)

I'm a big fan of Matt Wagner, I like Mireault's artwork and I enjoy Grendel, but I have to say, this was one of my least favorite Grendel stories. One of the things I enjoy about Grendel is that Wagner feels free to change up tone and style in each arc, not to mention mixing up his protagonists and antagonists, but this third generation following the original Hunter Rose feels like it's kind of losing the path. The story, in a nutshell, is that the lover of Christine Spar has been hit hard by her loss, and combining that with a growing disdain for the city, he slowly goes mad and starts killing people, eventually putting him in conflict with the cop who brought Christine Spar down. However, the story is told through several viewpoints, including the lead character's thoughts, his notebooks and the voice of Grendel, a presence which has begun to infect him. It's all very experimental storytelling, and it's an interesting experiment, but I guess I prefer Wagner a bit more straightforward in general. Solid work, but not the best chapter in the Grendel saga.