Todd Klein's Blog, page 132

And Then I Read: GREEN LANTERN #3

Image © DC Comics. Written by Grant Morrison, art by Liam Sharp, colors by Steve Oliff, letters by Tom Orzechowski.

Earth has been captured and shrunk by an intergalactic slaver named Volgar Zo of Dhor. It and all the life forms on it are being offered for the best price at a slave auction whose bidders include Steppenwolf of Apokolips and The Dominion. Volgar Zo is being protected by Blackstars using the power of Evil Star, and as Hal Jordan and a group of Green Lanterns watch, Earth is sold to a godlike being called The Shepherd. Needless to say, Hal is not going to allow this without a fight, but when he engages The Shepherd, he’s invited to talk to the people of Earth to see what they think. As Hal is shocked to discover, they’re okay with their new god, even after Hal reveals the horrible truth about his true motives.

This is a fun idea, kind of drawing on Kanjar Ro from the original JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #3 crossed with Brainiac and his miniature cities. Where it goes is interesting, too. I’m enjoying this series, and I like everything about it; the writing, the art, the coloring and the lettering. Nice to have GREEN LANTERN to look forward to again. Recommended.

And Then I Read: WONDER WOMAN #58

Image © DC Comics. Written by G. Willow Wilson, art by Cary Nord & Mick Gray, colors by Romulo Fajardo Jr., letters by Pat Brosseau, cover by Terry & Rachel Dodson.

Wonder Woman is beginning a new arc with a new creative team, so I’m giving it a try. The story begins on Themyscira as Queen Hippolyta and Philippus visit a deep prison where Ares, God of War, is being held, along with Grail, a warrior woman. As you might guess, Ares has an escape plan. Back in Virginia, Diana is alerted by Etta that Steve Trevor is missing, possibly captured on a mission to Durovnia, which has a treaty with the U.S. It also has some apparent refugees from Olympus, and Diana soon finds Ares there as well.

The art by Nord and Gray is appealing, simpler than the average DCU hero book, but charming and expressive. The story is fairly predictable so far, but we’ll see where it goes. Recommended.

And Then I Read: THE WRONG EARTH #5

Image © Ahoy Comics. Main story by Tom Peyer, Jamal Igle, Juan Castro and Rob Steen. Backup by Paul Constant, Gary Erskine, Andy Troy and Steen.

There’s something fun and funny about the juxtaposition of Earth Alpha and Earth Omega in this series, one being nostalgically silly, the other being over-the-top grim. Having their heroes switched makes it all the more interesting. Having their primary villains, both named Number One, switched as well has turned surprisingly dark this time as one of them finds life is not all it’s cracked up to be.

Imagine Frank Miller’s Dark Knight having to deal with the silly Batman villains of the 1960s TV show, or the Batman from that struggling to survive in a Frank Miller world. Strange and unexpected twists abound, and I like the fact that I don’t know where writer Tom Peyer is going next. Ever.

The backup Dragonfly story is not as surprising or entertaining, but it begins a longer arc, so we’ll see where it goes.

Recommended.

And Then I Read: THE WORK OF E.H. SHEPARD

A combination art book and author biography, I enjoyed reading this and looking at the images. Shepard is best known for illustrating the Winnie the Pooh books, “The Wind in the Willows,” and many other British books for young readers. He was also a regular contributor to the British humor magazine “Punch,” and others. The casual lines of the Pooh illustrations are just one of many styles he employed, he was an excellent portrayer of the human figure, a fine painter, and his pencil sketches show amazing skill:

Kipper, as he was known from an early age, landed several scholarships at the Royal Academy, Britain’s premiere art school, and was never without work. Even while fighting in World War One he found time to get some work done for his publishers. Kipper seems to have been a cheerful and optimistic person, well liked by everyone who knew him. Some family tragedies like the early death of his mother, and the deaths of siblings and children, took their toll, but he was happily married all his adult life, generally made enough to support his family, though the wartime years were tough, and had a rather amazingly prolific career. He also wrote and illustrated two books of childhood memories, and a few children’s novels late in life, and did his last work for publication in his nineties. He was awarded the Order of the British Empire in 1972, four years before his death, and his work on the Pooh books continued to be celebrated even then.

This was found at a used book store by a friend, and is well worth reading, though the text is a bit stodgy at times. Recommended.

And Then I Read: THE DREAMING #4

Image © DC Comics. Written by Simon Spurrier, 
illustrated by Bilquis Evely, colors by Mat Lopes, letters by Simon Bowland, 
cover by Jae Lee and June Chung.

This comic has rapidly become my new favorite, and this issue is full of wonderful things. It begins with a new look at the character Cain, tying him in beautifully to a long historical tradition and raising the resonance and impact of his story. Then we see Abel in a new role as security guard at the gates of horn and ivory, invoking his power to detect and reveal secrets in a completely new way. That could have been an entire issue’s worth of plot, but it’s just the first five pages. The main story centers on the new steward of Dream, Judge Gallows, who is turning the realm into a nightmare of fear and mistrust, death and vengeance. There seems to be no way to stop him…but at last Lucien comes up with a plan. It involves Dream’s siblings.

At first I thought this title was going to tell smaller stories on the edges of things that wouldn’t change the status quo much. I was completely wrong about that. Perhaps it will end up that way, but for now we’re on a hell of a ride!

Highly recommended.

Incoming: BLACK HAMMER Volume 3

Images © Jeff Lemire, Dean Ormston & Dark Horse.

The third trade paperback collection of this series I’m lettering has arrived, comprising issues 1-5 of the “Age of Doom” storyline. If you’ve been reading this fine series, you probably recognize many of the characters as homages to golden age and silver age superheroes and supervillains from the past, but all with Jeff and Dean’s unique perspective. In these issues we got into some more recent territory that was quite familiar to me. So familiar that I had to be careful not to get too close to myself, if you see what I mean.

That made it all the more fun, and I think readers will enjoy the inside joke. It also advances the story, unveils more of the mysteries and secrets that Jeff has so carefully planned, and continues to surprise and entertain. Or at least, I think so.

Not sure if this is out now, but if not, if will be soon.

And Then I Read: EDGAR ALLAN POE’S SNIFTER OF TERROR #1

Cover art by Richard Williams

I forgot to review this one. I find mixtures of humor and horror an uneasy pairing that often doesn’t work for me. The first story here is in that category, an adaptation of Poe’s “The Facts in the Case of M. Valdemar.” Poe’s idea was that someone on the point of death could be hypnotized to be kept alive. The story was originally presented as factual, but Poe later admitted it was fiction. In the adaptation, the subject is a chef, and the gross and disgusting decay of his body and mind create some truly stomach-turning visuals, though the ending is kind of funny.

On the other hand, the second story, “Dark Chocolate,” is a brilliant work of metafiction that is both convincing as a story of love and horror, and also a quite funny inside joke about those monster-themed breakfast cereals of a few decades ago. Written by Mark Russell with fine art by Peter Snejbjerg, it does an amazing balancing act on the cusp of humor and horror, not to mention other human emotions. If they were all this good, the Poe anthology would be a winner in every way.

British humorist Hunt Emerson also has a two-pager that I enjoyed.

Recommended.

Watching MARY POPPINS RETURNS

Of course I had to see this. The books are favorites in my library, and I loved the 1964 film, even though I was somewhat disappointed when I first saw it because it differed so much from the books. And even at age 13 I knew Dick Van Dyke’s accent was trash. He was still great in every other way. Over many re-watchings, I came to love the film for what it is.

The new one is a lot of fun, and I enjoyed it. Emily Blunt’s take on the title character is actually somewhat closer to the books, she has more of an edge than Julie Andrews. Lin Manuel-Miranda does fine as Jack the lamp-lighter, clearly the equivalent of Bert the chimney-sweep in the first film. He does better with the accent and is charming. Here the two original film’s Banks children are grown, and Michael has three children of his own, and is recently widowed. His sister Jane is often on hand for support, but Michael is floundering, and about to lose the family house. Of the original staff, only Ellen the maid is present, now doing all the chores. Admiral Boom is still next door firing his cannon, and a few other characters from the books return or are added in the new film, with fine work by David Warner, Meryl Streep, Angela Lansbury and Dick Van Dyke, all in small roles. The music is pleasant, the songs are fun if not as memorable as the ones in the first film. (It’s telling that I was most moved by a few brief themes from the first film in the background.) The singing and dancing, sets and animation are all well done.

My only knock on the film is that it tries too hard to be like the first film, often imitating and drawing on the earlier work, as in, “we need a dance number like the chimney sweeps,” or “we must have a live action and animation mash-up with music hall number.” Yes, there are some unique ideas, but not many. I did like seeing a few more characters and situations from the books brought to life, and the acting and emotional resonance was fine, it all felt true enough. But, as the Disney trailers for new versions of “Lion King” and “Dumbo” emphasized, Disney now is all about drawing on past successes rather than breaking new ground.

For a young person who hasn’t seen the first film, this one might well become a beloved favorite. It was good, at times excellent, but it will always come well behind the 1964 film for me, and the books are best of all.

Rereading: LILITH by George MacDonald

Cover art by Gervasio Gallardo.

George MacDonald was a man of his time, and that was the Victorian era of Great Britain. He was a highly intelligent and religious man who was first a minister in Scotland, then retired from that at age 26 to devote himself to writing. He was quite successful, creating all kinds of novels and stories for both children and adults in his long life. Best known today are his fantasies, and “Lilith” is the final one of those, written in 1895 in his seventies. It’s probably his darkest work, yet it’s still full of wonders and religious themes. The title character, Lilith, is the first wife of Adam according to Jewish theology, who was banished from Eden before Eve was created, and is an evil being.

Mr. Vane is a studious young man who has just inherited his father’s estate and home, which contains a large library. While studying there, Vane catches glimpses of a mysterious intruder who seems to come and go at will. Eventually he meets the man, who sometimes takes the form of a raven, and calls himself Mr. Raven. Raven challenges Vane to go with him to his own world, a sort of afterlife, where he can grow spiritually through a deep sleep that will transform him. At first Vane agrees, but in the end fearfully turns aside and follows his own path into the strange world where horrors and heavenly visions compete for his attention. He is captured by a group of stupid giants, but then rescued by an opposing group of young children. Their leader, Lona, becomes his friend, and he wants to help her, but doesn’t know how, and he wanders on. Eventually he comes to the city of Bulika where he meets and falls under the romantic spells of Lilith, it’s ruler. Eventually disillusioned, he returns to the children and leads Lona and her band against Lilith, but periodically he returns again to his father’s house, is counseled by Mr. Raven and his wife, who try to set him on the right path that his ego and stubbornness keep denying. Only the deep sleep in the house of many beds can lead to his and everyone’s resurrection.

While this book has some Victorian melodrama and too-cute children, on the whole it’s a fascinating and at times frightening exploration of the inner wonders of MacDonald’s imagination and faith, and well worth reading. I have to say I prefer his fantasy work for children, such as “The Princess and the Goblin,” and “At The Back of the North Wind,” but this one is original and wonderful too.

And Then I Read: HIGH HEAVEN #4

Image © Ahoy Comics. Main story written by Tom Peyer, art by Greg Scott, colors by Andy Troy, letters by Rob Steen, backup by Peyer and Chris Giarrusso, additional material by Carol Lay and others, as listed above.

This time we get some insight into the mediocre Heaven where David Weathers has been placed, and it revolves around the mysterious L-Meat, some of which is pictured on the cover. L-Meat is more of a metaphor, though, for all the mediocrities of life and after-life. David is able to listen in on the creation of his heaven and L-Meat by those in charge, and it only sours him further on his post-life experience, but with this new information, perhaps he can escape his fate and go somewhere else. Or, perhaps not. He certainly isn’t through trying!

In the “Hashtag: Danger: backup, the cute alien sidekick Glorp turns out to be a lot more powerful than anyone knew, making him a lot more valuable than anyone expected. The team has mixed reactions to that.

Among the backup text stories, “Transformation” by Carol Lay stands out for me as the strongest entry.

Recommended.