Graphic Novel A Day: Extreme Cheater Edition

I've been a little busy, but I have been reading graphic novels on a mostly daily basis. I just haven't had time to do write-ups. So rather than go through and back-date a bunch of posts, find images, etc., which I'll probably just keep procrastinating on, here's a list of what I've read and quick thoughts:

Star Wars Visionaries TP (Dark Horse) - Stories and art from concept artists who worked on Star Wars III: Revenge of the Sith. Most of the stories are pretty weak, save a decent offering about a soldier on Hoth by Alex Jaeger and M. Zachary Sherman and an interesting and beautifully painted story about the origin of General Grievous by Warren Fu. But the art throughout is really nice, and the concept art showcased really cool. I would have preferred this to be a gallery piece, mostly showing off unused concept art, but it's an interesting idea for a Star Wars book at any rate.

Mutation Vol. 1 TP (Markosia) - Really nice Bruce Timm-esque art, some solid superhero slugfests, but the stories just don't make any sense. It's clear what writer George Singley is aiming for, a basic no-calorie superhero action book, but he needs a little bit more of a hook to make it anything but pretty fights by Ethan Beavers.

Captain Gravity and the Power of the Vril TP (Penny-Farthing) - A somewhat overwrought and melodramatic take on the pulps, Dysart's script should have dialed back a little on the angst and aimed for a more fun, pulp spirit, but despite that, it's a pretty solidly entertaining yarn that is more or less true to the nature of pulp superheroes. Also, terrific art by Sal Velluto (with some inks by his Black Panther compadre Bob Almond), nice colors by Mike Garcia and solid production values from Penny-Farthing. Never rises to great, but a solid B offering.

B.P.R.D. Vol. 6: Universal Machine TP (Dark Horse Comics) - Another fantastic offering from the regular BPRD creative team, revealing some of the secret history of zombie captain Ben Daimio and really allowing non-powered agent Kate Corrigan time to shine as she bargains with a sadistic demon for the return of Roger the Homunculus. Plus, as always, Guy Davis and Dave Stewart just bring the house down with the art.

Ex Machina Vol. 5: Smoke Smoke TP (DC/Wildstorm) - The best Ex Machina trade since the first one, including flashbacks to Hundred's days as a hero, intrigue within his cabinet, great supporting cast (love the two gay firefighters more than most of Mitchell's actual support staff) and a fantastic single issues shedding light on the past of his bodyguard Bradbury. Terrific art by Harris, Feister and Mettler as well. This might be my favorite Brian Vaughan book at the moment.

Para TP (Penny Farthing) - Stuart Moore's tale of a supercollider accident, a grieving daughter and an investigation into what happened starts off intriguing and creepy and then quickly goes off into bizarre, borderline superhero/sci-fi territory where it doesn't belong. Too much over-the-top technology like killer robots and other-dimensional ghosts, and the spooky, X-Files-ish vibe of the early issues is lost. Good mystery setup, extremely dissatisfying resolution.

One Page Filler Man (Image) - Jim Mahfood just cuts loose and makes it up as he goes along. The results are mixed, but the art is strong and there are great, fun bits throughout.

The Norm In Color (The Norm.com) - This is a gorgeously produced book. Michael Jantze is an extremely talented cartoonist, and his work in color is jaw-dropping, comparable to some of the greats like Berke Breathed or Bill Watterson. Seriously, there's a visual imagination at work here that takes aspects of pop culture and cartoon culture, breaks them down and incorporates them, and it's stunning. Unfortunately, the subject matter of too many of the strips and the gags resulting are often overly familiar riffs on guys and girls and relationships, without much new to offer. That's not to say there aren't laughs to be found, or genuinely touching moments, or that The Norm is bad. Indeed, it's very entertaining most of the time, in the same way that a good, solid sitcom can be entertaining. It's just that visually, the book is breaking boundaries, but its story and characters are of a more standard variety, and art this great deserves stories just as great.

Avengers/JLA (Marvel/DC) - Finally broke down and bought this deluxe hardcover, and I still really like the story. It's a kind of old school team-up we'll not see again, given that the fans seem to want a much different kind of darker, more "realistic" superhero universe from both Marvel and DC. Makes for a last great hurrah for these types of stories, though, with amazing art by George Perez and a real love-letter to the characters by Kurt Busiek that still manages to be an exciting, classic style superhero story at the same time. The companion volume, with all the background on the Marvel/DC crossovers in general (and JLA/Avengers specifically), is also a nice treat.

Degrassi The Next Generation Vol. 1: Extra Credit (Pocket Books) - Planning to write a review of this J. Torres-penned graphic novel at Comic Pants at some point. In short, it's a lot like Breaking Up (with art by Christine Norrie) - good craftsmanship, and though I'm not really the target audience, I can tell that it does what it sets out to do very well.

King City Vol. 1 (Tokyopop) - This one I did review at Comic Pants. Loved it. My favorite graphic novel read of the month thus far.

Giant Robot Warriors (AIT/Planet Lar) - Reviewed this one at Comic Pants as well.

Essex County Vol 1 Tales From The Farm TP (Top Shelf) - An emotionally charged look at a sad little boy and the uncle who tries desperately to connect with him, and a has-been hockey player who finds a friend in the boy. Lovely art, and a poignant, effective portrayal of complicated relationships.

Graphic Novel A Day: Jack of Fables Vol. 1

Writers: Bill Willingham & Matthew Sturges
Artists: Tony Akins & Andrew Pepoy
Company: DC Comics/Vertigo
Price: $14.99

I wasn't sure about a spinoff from Fables, despite it being my favorite book, but as it turns out, Jack of Fables is different, but every bit as good, as the book it originated from. Following Jack, the archetypal scoundrel, the book features a willfully fourth-wall breaking narration style that really works, cleverly populated Fables worlds outside the ones we see in the Fables book itself and the same sense of humor, strong plotting and great moment-to-moment writing I've come to expect from Fables. Tony Akins and Andrew Pepoy hit the same high notes as Fables artist Mark Buckingham, and the whole thing feels like a fun roadtrip out of Fables land and into the real world, with one of the most larger than life Fables as your guide. A fun read even if you've never read Fables, an absolute must-read if you like that book.

Graphic Novel A Day: Beyond! HC

Writer: Dwayne McDuffie
Artist: Scott Kolins
Company: Marvel
Price: $19.99

This is a great deal, price-wise, as it's an oversized hardcover of a six-issue miniseries for only $20. It also features great superhero comics writing by Dwayne McDuffie and terrific artwork by Scott Kolins. Heck, I'd recommend it for the Dragon-Man fight alone, but there's also a good use of Gravity (up until the end, which I'm still not crazy about), Deathlok, the Dr. Pym incarnation of Hank Pym and Space Phantom, to name only a few. Those whose love of the Marvel Universe extends into the C-listers like me will love this book. Honestly, it's the fringe characters who tend to hold my interest more than the big guys in either universe, and I was glad to see some of my small favorites get the spotlight for a little while.

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: Journey Into Mohawk Country

Writer: Van Den Bogaert
Artist: George O'Connor
Company: First Second Books
Price: $17.95

An unusual graphic novel, Journey Into Mohawk Country is a graphic narrative based on the words of a real Dutch explorer who traveled into what would eventually be New York state in the early part of the 15th century. Den Bogaert's prose is a little overly florid and, oddly, kind of dry at the same time, and so the narrative text didn't really grip me as I would have liked, but O'Connor's art (with Hilary Sycamore's colors) certainly did. Recalling the work of Mark Oakley on Thieves & Kings, O'Connor's visuals provide the stirring, imaginative imagery that Den Bogaert's words don't. The result is a graphic novel that is not an entirely gripping read, but is an entirely satisfying visual performance.

Graphic Novel A Day: Seven Sons

Writer: Alexander Grecian
Artist: Riley Rossmo
Company: AIT/Planet Lar
Price: 12.95

A folk tale retold in a western (as in the Old West, not just a western POV) style, Seven Sons is an interesting read. I hadn't previously heard the tale of the seven brothers, but there's a good text piece in the back of the graphic novel that tracks some of its history, and Grecian's story stands alone whether you've heard it or not. It's got the universal themes of xenophobia and family loyalty, and a nice mythic feel that smoothly blends the style of American folk tales and Chinese myth, both inspirations for the tale as told. Artist Rossmo has a compelling style, with a charcoal-looking finish and a style that reminds me in some ways of Vertigo/Minx artist Sonny Liew. Although his storytelling has some kinks to work out, it's a promising debut, and I'm sure we'll be seeing more of him in future. Also, there are no lettering credits, so I'm not sure whether it was Grecian, Rossmo or somebody at Planet Lar, but the sound effects lettering on this one is nice, bold and classic.

Graphic Novel A Day: Kafka

Writer: Steven Seagle
Artist: Stefano Gaudiano
Company: Active Images
Price: $14.99

I first discovered Seagle's work on the underrated superhero book Primal Force, but it's clear he'd had a burgeoning career in the small press long before that. Thankfully, Richard Starkings' Active Images is uncovering these gems and republishing them with the same kind of beautiful design and production values you'd expect from the guys who design Godland and Elephantmen. Kafka is a thriller, about a spy with some limited abilities to influence the minds of others, and as he goes on the run from two different sets of agents, both claiming to be the government, the story unfolds as to how he got these abilities and skills. Gaudiano, best known for his work with Michael Lark on Gotham Central and Daredevil, is very rough here, but his storytelling is solid enough, and it's easy to see why this indy gem was nominated for an Eisner back in the day.

Graphic Novel A Day: Rock Bottom

Writer: Joe Casey
Artist: Charlie Adlard
Company: AIT/Planet Lar
Price: $12.95

Joe Casey and Charlie Adlard both have a history of AIT/Planet Lar, although most of my favorite projects from them have come from Image (Godland, The Walking Dead, etc.) Rock Bottom is an interesting story about a musician (and a bit of a womanizer) who finds himself turning to stone. The how and why leads him to dig into his own history and analyze his life, and the same happens with his best friends, a lawyer and a doctor. It's an interesting "real guys" type of story with a science-fiction element as its driving focus, and probably the best thing to recommend about it (besides Adlard's terrific clean-line artwork) is the excellent writing of human relationships that really makes the story work.

Graphic Novel A Day: DMZ Vol. 2 Body of a Journalist

Writer: Brian Wood
Artists: Brian Wood, Kristian Donaldson & Riccardo Burchielli
Company: DC/Vertigo
Price: $12.99

While the first trade paperback of DMZ was good, it was uneven. There are no such troubles with DMZ Volume 2, which really takes everything good about the first volume and raises it to a new level. Wood said on his blog that "By the second DMZ arc, I had realized what sort of book I wanted DMZ to be," and it's easy to see what he means in reading Volume 2. The political machinations and general danger of Matty Roth and his newfound celebrity journalist role, not to mention the various factions working at cross purposes and the constant worry of betrayal, all come through in the "Body of a Journalist" story. And Burchielli's artwork, as always, is fantastic, bringing the images of a wartorn, third world version of Manhattan to all-too-vivid life. As a bonus, the book also includes the "origin of Zee," one of my favorite DMZ stories to date with art by up-and-comer Kristian. It closes out with issue #12, which was Brian Wood working more in the collage underground format he used for Channel Zero. While it wasn't a wholly satisfying single issue read, it makes a great extra to finish out the trade and pack the whole thing with lots of information about the world and characters of DMZ. I like the first DMZ trade, but I love volume two.

Graphic Novel A Day: Gyakushu! Vol. 1

Writer/Artist: Dan Hipp
Company: Tokyopop
Price: $9.99

I'm a big fan of Dan Hipp's work on Amazing Joy Buzzards, so I had to check out his original graphic novel Gyakushu! from Tokyopop. It's very different, tonally, featuring some of the same over-the-top sensibilities but in a more serious, tragic way than the comedic tone of AJB. To tell the truth, I prefer AJB, with its wild, out there premise and cast of characters. Gyakushu's story, featuring revenge-driven action, is similar to the type of tale I've seen plenty of before. That said, this is an interesting read, with an intriguing fantasy setting, some terrific action and fantastic artwork throughout. Though I'm awaiting his return to AJB more, I'll definitely check out another volume of Hipp's Gyakushu.

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: Who Fighter With Heart of Darkness

Writer/Artist: Seiho Takizawa
Company: Dark Horse Comics
Price: $11.95

Promising weird war tales, I was looking forward to reading Who Fighter, especially when I saw that it also included an adaptation of "Heart of Darkness," the novel on which Apocalypse Now was based. Not that I have any huge fondness for the novel or the movie (I haven't read the former nor seen much of the latter, although it's on my list to watch someday), but it was an interesting idea. As it turns out, while Who Fighter is plenty readable, it never fully engaged me. Takizawa has a love for historical detail, but at the same time he assumes his reader already knows the history, and as someone who doesn't follow military history, I didn't really know any of it. The first story is the best, about a Japanese pilot who runs afoul of alien technology, but it never really got into truly creepy or mind-blowing territory like I was hoping, playing out more or less along expected lines. "Heart of Darkness" is interesting, but lacks the edge of madness that I always picked up from Apocalypse Now, making it a bit bland. And the last story, a 8-pager about tank warfare, doesn't really have an impact either. All of these have nice artwork, particularly the impressively detailed tanks, planes and other technology of war, but the stories never connect.

Graphic Novel A Day: Grendel Tales: The Devil May Care

Writer: Terry Laban
Artist: Peter Doherty
Company: Dark Horse Comics
Price: $19.95

I've read most of the Grendel Tales series, the ones that came when Matt Wagner opened up the post-apocalyptic world of Grendel for other readers. In general, they were great reads, and this one, a rare story that I hadn't already read, was no exception. This time in, writer Terry Laban and artist Peter Doherty focus in on a nurse trying to run a hospital in Indianapolis, where the corrupt Grendel warlord system has turned the Indianapolis 500 into a barbaric ritual that is pretty much the only reason the city still exists. Like all of the Grendel stories, it has a nihilistic tone to it, and it's definitely a tragedy, but the characters are fascinating, the plot and its many twists gripping and Doherty's art really beautiful, reminiscent of Wagner's stuff but clearly his own style. Doherty, a Judge Dredd artist, clearly knows his way around futuristic violence. It occurred to me in reading this book that Grendel has a real Shakespearean feel to it in many ways, with doomed or forbidden love and a corrupt, often brutal feudal system at its heart.

Graphic Novel A Day: Museum of Terror Vol. 3

Writer/Artist: Junji Ito
Company: Dark Horse Comics
Price: $13.95

For me, Junji Ito is the best horror writer (and one of the best horror artists) in comics. I first discovered his work on the Lovecraft meets Japanese horror flavored series Uzumaki, and have been seeking out more ever since. The first two volumes of Museum of Terror, Dark Horse's reprinting of Ito's work, have focused on his undying girl who inspires murder in others Tomie, and while it was good, it wasn't as great as Uzumaki. This volume begins collecting other short stories, and while the quality is hit and miss, there are several stories in here that are as creepy and effective as the ones Ito told in Uzumaki. My particular favorites in this one are the blood-spattered Bio-House, about a secretary who gets more than she bargained for when she dines with her boss, the cover-featured "Long Hair in the Attic" about a girl whose hair gets the better of her, the EC-esque "Love As Scripted" and the story of a haunted town in "The Village of Sirens."

Graphic Novel A Day: The Nightmarist

Writer/Artist: Duncan Rouleau
Company: Active Images
Price: $14.99 ($10.19 at Amazon)

Knowing of Rouleau's general style, and of the premise of Nightmarist (it's a horror book about dreams and madness), I suspected this was going to be one weird book. I worried it might go from weird to straight-out incomprehensible. On occasion, it does cross that line and I found myself skimming over to the next bit, but in general this is a legitimately creepy, twisty, turny piece of horror fiction, with stunning black and white art that I suspect any fan of Chris Bachalo will find very much to their liking. I'll confess that the whole plot about our heroine possibly being crazy, possibly being some sort of monster, possibly some sort of savior didn't really engage me, but I found her fascinating as a character, and there were any number of great moments throughout. Unusual, beautiful and quite unlike anything else out there, if you're looking for some good horror, a rare find in American comics, check out The Nightmarist. (Note to Nate, if he's reading: You should borrow this from me.)

Graphic Novel A Day: Jack Staff Vol. 3: Echoes of Tomorrow

Writer/Artist: Paul Grist
Company: Image Comics
Price: $16.99 ($11.55 at Amazon)

This volume, like volume two, jumps around in time quite a bit, and while there's a lot I like, there are a lot of elements I wasn't crazy about either. The sideways arranged story of the Druid got annoying enough that I didn't read it, and Grist again teased more of Jack's past, but stopped short of providing answers. On the other hand, the Becky Burdock/Bramble & Son story featuring vampires, vampire hunters and vampire-worshiping cults was a whole lot of fun, the Claw's short-circuiting of a young thief absolutely hilarious, the Alan Moore-looking mystic Morlan a lot of fun and the unexpected resolution of the German super soldier story quite enjoyable as well. Overall, this is a great read with nice art, although again it's the kind of thing that really reads much better in trade paperback. I miss Kane, and I'd like more answers on the backstory in Jack Staff, but this is still a really great read.

Graphic Novel A Day: Jack Staff Vol. 2 Soldiers

Writer/Artist: Paul Grist
Company: Image Comics
Price: $15.95 ($10.85 at Amazon)

Inspired by reading the last two Kane books, I decided to dive back into Paul Grist's full color superhero offering, Jack Staff. As I remembered, Jack Staff is really good comics, but it pales in comparison to Grist's work on Kane. Jack Staff has a wide cast of interesting characters equally inspired by British and American comic book heroes, and some of the same quirky weirdness that makes Kane work, but it's almost impossible to really follow in single issue form, and leaves unanswered questions even in trades. The jumping back and forth in time and jumping between narrators in this volume gets particularly confusing, and while it's not impossible to follow, it's harder than it should be. I also keep waiting for Grist to provide answers to some of the big questions, like why Jack is as young as he is for someone who fought in World War II, but he doesn't really seem interested in those details. There are answers here to what happened to Jack during World War II, what ties him to Becky Burdock and several other mysteries involving several other characters, but I wish there were more straightforward answers and straightforward storytelling.

Graphic Novel A Day: The Legend of Grimjack Vol. 6

Writer: John Ostrander
Artist: Tom Mandrake, Robb Phipps & Mike Machlan
Company: IDW
Price: $24.99 ($16.22 used at Amazon)

And so ends an era for Grimjack. Though original artist Tim Truman had already moved on, John Ostrander stuck with John Gaunt for a little while longer, until the stories reprinted in this issue, where he and new artist Tom Mandrake put him through hell with another doomed love and then sent him to his final reward. Or so it would seem. It's funny, I bet reading this in single issues was amazing, because who would have guessed they would do what they did to the main character? True, the next iteration wasn't as good as the original, and in many ways this is the end of the best of Grimjack, but there's still plenty of good stuff to come, and this was a particular high point, taking the grim noir tone of the series to its logical conclusion.

Graphic Novel A Day: Hellboy Animated Vol. 1: Black Wedding

Writers: Jim Pascoe & Tad Stones
Artists: Rick Lacy & Fabio Laguna
Company: Dark Horse Comics
Price: $6.95 ($6.95 at Amazon)

Wow. I haven't watched the animated Hellboy stored on my Tivo yet, but I'm going to get to it soon, if the strength of this new digest from Dark Horse is an indication of what to expect. And given that Tad Stones, writer of the second story in the volume, is heavily involved in the animated movies, it probably is. At any rate, there are two really good stories in here. The main feature, "Black Wedding," is a beautifully illustrated story that features all the BPRD and Hellboy and is clever, funny and true to the spirit of the BPRD/Hellboy series but with a style that marks it as different for the "animated" style and the closing story, a shorter one about young Hellboy messing up BPRD research with his emulation of his screen idol, is a lot of fun as well. Great for fans of Hellboy and the BPRD, new and old alike.