Todd Klein's Blog, page 271

And Then I Read: DARK HORSE PRESENTS 22

Image © Geoff Darrow and Dark Horse Comics, Inc.

This issue begins with a fine complete story by Howard Chaykin about George Armstrong Custer in an alternate history where his life after the Civil War was quite different than it turned out in our reality. Excellent writing and art.

Part 5 of “Alabaster: Boxcar Tales” by Caitlín Kiernan and Steve Leiber continues to intrigue and entertain me. Southern swamps, ghosts, murders, talking birds, like that.

Part 3 and final of “The Victories” preview by Michael Avon Oeming has some interesting moments, but has not convinced me I need to read more, I’m afraid.

Part 3 of “Journeymen” by Geoffrey Thorne and Todd Harris looks great, and the story isn’t bad, in an “X-Files” sort of way.

“Arcade Boy” does not interest me enough to read it.

“Villainman” is meant to be funny, but I simply found it amateurish.

“Beneath The Ice” part 2 by Simon Roy and Jason Wordie interests me, though the story is a bit vague so far. A primitive society living underground beneath glaciers must deal with gods and spirits in their tunnel world.

“Clark Collins” by Kel McDonald is a kind of amusing look at modern teenage school life.

Part 2 of “Villain House” by Shannon Wheeler is a quite funny look at middle-age dating with odd super-hero elements.

Finally, there’s a nearly wordless “Fish Police” story by Steve Moncuse. That’s a feature I remember seeing many years ago, but never read, and I can’t say this snippet has made me want to see more.

Overall, as with all issues of this anthology, there’s lots of variety and probably something that will appeal to nearly every reader. Recommended.

And Then I Read: THE FLASH 21

Image © DC Comics, Inc.

So, Barry Allen wants to have a chat with Kid Flash, who in this series is a complete stranger to him. Kid Flash would rather not. Thus, most of the issue is a chase around the world. Kind of fun, reminded me of some of the FLASH comics of my youth. There’s a sinister side to the story, with Reverse Flash behind it, and some nice character moments toward the end. As for Kid Flash, I think it’s safe to say he’s not going to be Barry’s sidekick any time soon. The art by Francis Manapul is wonderful, as always.

Recommended.

And Then I Read: THE OCEAN AT THE END OF THE LANE by Neil Gaiman

Image © Neil Gaiman.

I read this shortly after it came out, on my iPad. It always feels a bit odd writing a review of an e-book, I don’t have that physical copy to page through and jog my memory, but in any case, you can easily guess that I liked this book, as I’ve liked all of Neil’s writing.

The framework of this novel feels more personal than many of Neil’s books. It’s begun by the narration of an adult author returning to his childhood home, a side-trip from a funeral he’s meant to attend. The old homestead begins to bring back all kinds of unexpected memories, and the narrator is soon prompted by them to drive further, to the end of the lane where he once lived, to visit the old farmhouse where the Hempstock family had dwelled when he was a child. It seems unchanged, and on entering, one of the family’s women is there still, and she remembers him. Before long, this visit in the present becomes a story about things that happened in the past. Odd things. Scary things. Wonderful things.

I think the kind of magic that Neil has conjured up in this novel comes partly from his imagination and partly from his own childhood memories. The former is not new for Neil, but the latter might be, at least in this amount. I’d call it Remembered Magic. We all have some, if we think about it hard enough. Things that happened to us when we were young enough that the boundaries between reality and imagination were blurred. Things that, to our adult minds, seem impossible or some kind of false memory, but still vividly recalled. It’s the kind of magic I think one can find in the work of the very best fantasy authors, ones who have not entirely left their own childhoods behind.

There’s a frightening character who dominates the center part of the book, reminding me some of The Other Mother in “Coraline,” and she drives the story and provides the chills, but what spoke to me more deeply was the Hempstock family, especially young Lettie, the narrator’s friend, who wields magic as casually as she might shake spiders out of an old jar, as do the rest of her family. Yet, their magic comes with a high price, as it always does in the best books, and that feels real too. As real as all the horrible things that can happen to one in childhood, when one is not in charge of much at all.

A wonderful book, highly recommended. I still feel “Stardust” is my favorite Gaiman novel, but this one is close behind.

And Then I Read: B.P.R.D. 1947

Image © Mike Mignola.

This is the second storyline filling in some background on the Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense during the early years of Hellboy’s life with them, when he was still a child, following up on the 1946 collection. The scenes at the early Bureau with young Hellboy and his mentor and father figure Dr. Broom are touching and rather sad. Most of the book takes place in a rural part of France, where a team of new Bureau recruits have been sent to investigate one Baron Konig. They soon find themselves in way over their heads. Writers Mignola and Joshua Dysart do a fine job with the characters and the scary stuff.

I love the art of Gabriel Bá and Fábio Moon, but on this book it did not work so well for me. The figures were a little too loose and plastic, detracting from the intended horror. Moments that should have been frightening for them at times came across as almost funny because of the odd ways the characters bodies and faces were drawn and distorted. If you think of comics art as a scale between the detailed and accurate realism of someone like Brian Bolland, and the wildly loose and  exaggerated cartoons of someone like Sergio Aragones, I would put Bá and Moon a little too close to the cartoony side for horror, at least in this case. I still enjoyed the book, but the art did pull me out of the story fairly often.

Despite that, still recommended.

And Then I Read: GREEN LANTERN 21

 

Image © DC Comics, Inc.

So, as has become the new tradition for Earth’s Green Lanterns, Hal Jordan returns to Earth briefly after his last cosmic battle, tries to return to his life with Carol Ferris, but finds Earth an uneasy fit for him, and soon is called back to Oa. There, the new Guardians (the ones who were hidden away in a prison for billions of years) have appointed him to an important new post that he doesn’t really want. Meanwhile, there’s lots of rebuilding going on across Oa, and new recruits are being chosen to fill the many empty power rings. And, to keep things hopping, Larfleeze and his Orange Lanterns has arrived to claim and steal whatever he can get his hands on.

The new creative team, writer Robert Venditti and artists Billy Tan and Richard Friend, do a credible job with the issue, though it’s clearly just a pause before the next big threat appears. The characters work okay, and things roll along, though not with the resonance and sparkle of the previous team. I’m willing to give them a chance, depending on what sort of event comes along next, and whether it interests me enough to continue with the GL books. We shall see.

Mildly recommended.

 

And Then I Read: ASTRO CITY 1

Image © Juke Box Productions.

ASTRO CITY begins its new run at a new home, DC’s Vertigo imprint. What’s new, other than the storyline are mostly surface things: new numbering, trade dress and logo style (by J.G. Roshell, I’m sure). What’s not new? Same great creative team: Kurt Busiek, writer; Brent Anderson, artist; Alex Ross, cover; Alex Sinclair, colors; Comicraft, letters. Fine storytelling in a familiar yet unique world full of super-heroes.

“Open the Door” is narrated by a character who is clearly not to be trusted. Everything about him from his name, “The Broken Man,” to his sneering smile to his purple skin and odd lettering style says “trickster.” But, as we have no other narrator, we readers must follow his account and see what we think of it. The story begins with the appearance of a very odd crimefighter right from Japanese animé comics, and proceeds quickly to a giant door that has appeared over Astro City, a door that has “Jack Kirby” all over it: larger than life beings with immense power must surely be on the other side. Many heroes attack the door trying to find out, but to no avail. When it opens, the being that emerges is very much larger than life, and yet somehow familiar as well. And the person chosen to be his Earthly contact? Well, that’s the rest of the story. Except for the final reveal, which adds a new, but not entirely unexpected layer to things.

Fine work by everyone involved. And here’s a super-hero book where you can be almost sure there will be no crossovers. Highly recommended!

And Then I Read: SWAMP THING 21

Image © DC Comics, Inc.

Swamp Thing is back home in the bayou, and writer Charles Soule gets the chance to really show us what he brings to the book with a new storyline. So far I’m impressed. An apparently young warrior woman shows up to claim sanctuary at Alec Holland’s feet, in a tradition he knows nothing about, and moments later she’s attacked by pursuers. The woman acquits herself well, and when Alec has a chance to investigate her case through The Green, he learns more about her story, as well as a new threat headed his way.

The art by Jesu Saiz is excellent, combining beautiful drawing and great character acting with dynamic action and just enough surrealism to work with what has gone before. At times I was reminded of José Luis Garcia López, high praise indeed. I’m looking forward to more from this team.

Highly recommended.

And Then I Read: GREEN LANTERN NEW GUARDIANS 20

Image © DC Comics, Inc.

While the rest of the world has moved on, I’m just getting to this final bit of the last Green Lantern crossover event. It’s a character issue in which Kyle Rayner is back on Earth, reflecting on his recent experiences, doing some painting, and having a heart-to-heart talk with one of his former teammates. I love this kind of story, even more now that they’ve become rare, and are usually just meant as a pause between epics. Kyle faces some big issues that were uncovered by the First Lantern’s exploring his past, and gets some closure, as do we the readers, and even writer Tony Bedard, who I think signs off with this issue as well.

Recommended.

And Then I Read: A WIZARD ABROAD by Diane Duane

© Diane Duane, illustration © Cliff Nielsen.

I’m working my way through this fantasy series about some young wizards, one that I believe predates Harry Potter by quite a few years. Unlike Harry, it’s not in a school setting. In fact, young Nita has been practicing magic all over the place, including deep in the ocean and in distant space, but this time she’s in Ireland, visiting family. It’s meant to be a simple vacation, but of course that doesn’t last long, as magic creatures from Irish mythology and time shifts into the past soon crowd into the life of Nita, her family and her friends.

I like the characters in these books, but they are plot driven. One knows there will be a gradual escalation of menaces and evil until it boils over into a major conflict, dragging in every available magical influence around, and Ireland has plenty to draw from. It’s still a fun ride, even if predictable, and there are enough small reveals and surprises to keep things interesting. The big battle at the climax of the book is exciting, and well told. In all, a good summer read.

Recommended.

Two Short Reads from San Diego

© Zander Cannon and Stan Sakai, respectively.

Most years when I’m walking around Artist’s Alley in San Diego chatting to friends and making some new ones, I’m given a few samples. This year there were two that stand out.

The latest mini-comic from Zander Cannon, “Space Slug, You Are Boomed.” continues his series about his very funny son Jin. Zander is always putting quotes from Jin on Facebook, and usually I tend to skip by such things, but Jin really is quite entertaining. I’m not sure how you might get one of these, but you might contact Zander on his Big Time Attic website to find out.

Stan Sakai continues to produce great work like Usagi Yojimbo, and this year’s sketchbook has plenty of that as well as some other things he’s working on like 47 RONIN for Dark Horse. And there are some funny short strips about Stan and his work here, too, such as what Usagi thinks about Stan taking time off to work on another book. Again, I’m not sure how one might get a copy, but you might try contacting Stan through the Usagi Yojimbo website.

And both Zander and Stan are on Facebook, so you might reach them there.