Todd Klein's Blog, page 281

And Then I Read: SWAMP THING 18

Image © DC Comics, Inc.

I skipped issue 17, having grown tired of the crossover, but came back for Scott Snyder’s final issue, and I’m glad I did. It focuses on Alec and Abby, always the center of this modern Swamp Thing story for me, and is full of heartfelt emotion as well as a fair amount of action, as Alec rescues Abby from Arcane, only to have her become something quite different, something that will separate them, perhaps forever. (Though this is comics, so you can’t quite believe anything is forever.)

The art by Yanick Paquette plays to his strengths again, as it did in the earliest issues, allowing him free reign to design artful and attractive pages while still letting the emotion to shine through. Really, if all the issues could have been like this one, I’d have enjoyed the entire run of this book more.

Highly recommended.

And Then I Read: WORLDS’ FINEST 10

Image © DC Comics, Inc.

On the cover, and on a few pages inside this issue we see the impact of the death of a boy that Huntress felt a kinship with, but hadn’t known for long — the one filling the role of Robin. If you haven’t been reading the Batman titles, this may come as a surprise, and the impact on this one is not huge. Writer Paul Levitz walks the tightrope pretty well, giving us some emotional context, but keeping much of the issue focused on his current storylines. That storyline involves industrial espionage, an old hero re-imagined, and some very smart technology. We see Power Girl and Huntress in action separately, and helping each other as well. A good issue overall. The art this time is entirely by Kevin Maguire, who does a good job, though his Power Girl looks rather different from the George Perez one of previous issues. Kevin’s strength has always been in portraying character emotions through facial expressions and body language, and he does that very well here.

Recommended.

Blasting into Summer

As often happens, we’ve gone from wintery weather to summer in two days. The temperature here hit 75 degrees in the shade a little while ago. Having caught up with work for the moment, I went out and did some yard cleanup. I also restarted the pond pump that runs the little waterfall and aerates the water, after cleaning out leaves and algae for the last two days. I found one small frog yesterday, don’t see him today, but our large goldfish has made it through another winter with no problem. He’s at least six inches long now. I used to feed him, but gave it up, as I don’t really want to encourage a lot of growth. He gets by fine on what’s naturally in the pond.

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Some of the daffodils have been out for over a week, more will open now, I’m sure. I wanted to plant more last fall, but somehow in October it just doesn’t seem appealing.

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I did buy a few pansies Saturday, and put them out in pots yesterday, where they’ll brighten up our front walk until it gets too warm for them.

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Every spring one or two of these small but charming wildflowers bloom in our yard. Wish I knew what they were, but I can enjoy them as “mystery flowers” all the same. The blossoms are about a half inch across.

ADDED: Found it! A non-native bulb flower originally from alpine Turkey and Greece: Chionodoxa. The resource is HERE. Described as a vigorous self-seeder. Certainly nothing I ever planted, but someone in the area did.

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I know this one, grape hyacinth. We planted a few many years ago, and one or two still come up in the lawn. I try not to step on them.

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The first of hundreds of dandelions has opened in the driveway. Pretty flowers, but annoying plants.

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The cats are quite happy to have the windows open for the first time in months, here’s Tigger on a front windowsill watching me.

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They’re also quite happy to have the sliding doors open to the porch, and I’m equally happy to get a break from constantly letting them in and out! They clearly approve of the return of the rockers, obviously intended for their seating pleasure.

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Along with all the good news comes the return of tick season. While writing, I found this lone star tick crawling up my arm. Right, nightly tick checks begin today as well!

 

World Series of Birding 2013

A little over a month from today, Saturday May 11th, is the annual outdoor escapade and fundraiser known as The World Series of Birding. Ellen and I have signed up with the Cape May Bird Observatory Century Run team as usual. Along with many other teams we will attempt to spot as many bird species as possible. The top teams will go from midnight to midnight, and cover the entire state of New Jersey. Our Century Run team’s goals are a little more relaxed: we go from 5 AM to about 9 PM and stay within Cape May County. It’s still a marathon to test one’s determination, but usually a lot of fun, too. Each participant pledges a minimum of $1 per species seen, which you can supplement with pledges from friends and family if you like. And that, my good friends, is where you can participate!

As in the past, I’m encouraging you to make a pledge for my WSB big day, to help me raise funds for the Cape May Bird Observatory, part of the New Jersey Audubon Society, and their valuable mission of conservation, education and research. You can pledge any amount, but the usual method is to pledge per species seen. Last year our total was a very good 146 species, as the weather really worked for us, as did our scouting and travel plan. A more typical total is 140 species. If we tally 140 species, a pledge of 50 cents per would result in a monetary gift of $70. A pledge of $1 per species would mean a gift of $140. As a bonus, I’m offering any of my Signed Prints as incentives: for a pledge of 50 cents per species, the print of your choice, for $1 per species, any two!  This can, if you like, include my next, as yet unannounced print. Higher pledges are welcome and will garner more prints in the same ratio. Pledges lower than 50 cents will get you a signed comic or two that I lettered, my choice. All pledges will support education about and preservation of New Jersey wildlife and natural resources, as well as my enduring gratitude!

Here’s a LINK to my blog about last year’s WSB Century Run, if you’d care to read it. And if you’d like to pledge, click the CONTACT ME link  here or in the right column of this page and let me know by email. I’ll be collecting pledges until May 10th. Oh, and if you’d like to participate in person by joining the team, let me know that too, and I’ll put you in touch with someone to sign you up. Our team will be out there tallying on the 11th, rain or shine, hoping for good weather and lots of migrating birds. Who knows, maybe this year we’ll hit the elusive goal of 150 species. Here’s hoping!

And Then I Read: AN ANCIENT CASTLE by Robert Graves

© Robert Graves estate.

This slim hardcover looks like the sort of book that would explain to a child what a mediaeval castle was and how it worked, and there’s a little of that, but mostly it’s a clever historical and detective story. I have many books by Graves who wrote historical novels over a wide range from ancient Greece through nineteenth century England, most famously his books about Roman emperor Claudius. He also wrote highly-regarded works of research into mythology, autobiographies, lots of poetry, and more. This seems to be an early attempt at a book for younger readers that was not published until 1981, about fifty years after it was written. In just 60 pages he spins a fascinating story of Sergeant Harrington, in charge of the ancient ruined castle at Lambuck, his son Giles, and some men that plot to do them great harm: Sir Anderson Wigg and his chauffer and accomplice. Together these men entrap Sergeant Harrington, making him look like a drunkard and derelict in his duties. Meanwhile, young Giles and his friend and neighbor Bronwen have discovered a secret room in the castle ruins that could contain ancient relics, or almost anything, once they manage to get inside it. Graves plays it all out masterfully, in highly skilled yet simple prose.

The illustrations by his niece Elizabeth are, sadly, quite awful when she tries to draw people. The drawings of the castle alone, like the one on the cover, are okay, but others are embarrassingly poor, and clearly she was not hired for her figure-drawing ability. This doesn’t really distract much from the book, since the writing is so good. Recommended, if you can find it. (One of the books I got at a used book sale recently.)

Pulled At Random From My Files #5

Images © Wizard and Marvel Characters, Inc.

The assignment was a simple one: create a “Wizard” logo for their magazine in the style of the HULK logo below:

It was designed by artist Herb Trimpe and first appeared on this cover in 1968. The idea was simple, the execution took time, but as I wasn’t being asked to come up with a new idea, it was mostly a matter of putting the time into the drawing, perspective and inking. This was all done by hand, needless to say. It appeared on issue 157 dated November, 2004.

And Then I Read: GREEN LANTERN 18

Image © DC Comics, Inc.

The two great themes of literature are often cited as love and death. Writer Geoff Johns seems to have a talent for and attraction to the latter. Hal Jordan, Sinestro and many others are in a dead zone, put there by Black Hand, and now the newest of Earth’s Green Lanterns, Simon Baz, has joined them. Unlike the others, he has an object of power, the GL ring that Sinestro made for Hal. All three of them try to use it to break out, not all of them will succeed. Meanwhile, Black Hand is still out there threatening ancient Guardians and GL Corps members, but the dead zone is where this story is centered. The art for that part is appropriately dark and shadowy, full of cool blue watercolor art by Szymon Kudranski I think (if I’m reading the credits right). The atmosphere is unlike most superhero comics, and the interplay among the heroes is very well done. Geoff Johns at his best.

Recommended.

And Then I Read: THE WEE FREE MEN by Terry Pratchett

© Terry and Lyn Pratchett.

For a long time the only thing I’d read by Terry Pratchett was “Good Omens,” his collaboration with Neil Gaiman. I made some assumptions about that book I now realize were unwarranted, namely that all the funny bits and jokes were Terry, and all the deeper emotional bits were Neil. I finally tried a solo Pratchett book in 2011, “The Amazing Maurice and his Educated Rodents,” and liked it a lot. Indeed, while it had jokes and humor, the characters were well-rounded and the drama, suspense and emotional content of the story were handled well. The same is true for this one.

Teenager Tiffany Aching is a down-to-Earth farm girl whose grandmother was a respected authority in the area, and perhaps even a person of some magical power who kept it well hidden. Tiffany still mourns her, and when confronted with unexpected magic in her own life, tries to live up to her granny’s legacy, even though she knows nothing about magic. Too bad, because everyone else seems to think she does and should, considering her the old woman’s rightful heir. Tiffany doesn’t lack courage, and she wields a mean frying pan, but the plague of magical horrors emerging in the neighborhood are a tough challenge. Fortunately she has some very small but very strong and fierce allies, the Wee Free Men. They’re Pictsies. “Not PIXIES!” as they shout, combatively. When Tiffany’s baby brother is stolen by an evil fairy queen, she and the Wee Free Men set out to enter the queen’s own realm and steal him back, despite massive odds against them. Tiffany is bringing her pluck, her determination and her frying pan!

Not only are the characters great fun, the story is full of creative and inventive magic and enough twists and turns for several books. A second book about Tiffany and the WFM is part of this omnibus, and I’m looking forward to reading it soon. Highly recommended.

And Then I Read: THE FLASH 17

Image © DC Comics, Inc.

This issue wraps the Gorilla Grodd storyline and ties up a number of long-dangling plot threads, while of course dropping a few new ones. The opening fight between Barry Allen and Grodd is a thing of beauty as rendered by Manapul and Buccellato. I can’t recall another book where the co-writers were artist and colorist, but that dual partnership of writing and art sure works great on this title. Back in Central City, Grodd’s gorilla invaders are leaderless and faltering, and as the storylines collide, the invaders receive some new shocks. The aftermath is well done, and the final page shows where the next threat is probably coming from, and let’s not forget the other simmering cauldron of trouble named Doctor Elias. All good stuff, well told and beautifully visualized. More, please!

Highly recommended.

New STARSTRUCK… if YOU want it!

Image © Elaine Lee and Michael Wm. Kaluta.

STARSTRUCK is a favorite among the projects I worked on. Beginning around 1980, it was the first chance I had to really stretch as a letterer, as it required many styles, and working with Michael and Elaine was terrific. You can imagine how happy I was to receive this message from Elaine:

“Hey, Todd!

Michael Kaluta and I are launching our Kickstarter for HARRY PALMER: STARTRUCK, tomorrow morning, Tuesday, April 2, 9:00 AM EST.

We’re trying to get as many people as possible to pledge in the first few hours, so that we’ll get noticed and promoted by Kickstarter. If you don’t mind helping us spread the word, please do. We’ll be eternally grateful!”

Of course I’m happy to do it, and hope you’ll support the project on Kickstarter tomorrow, as I will. I’ll post the direct link once it’s up. The art above is an enticing teaser!