Todd Klein's Blog, page 307

A Dollar Found

We made it to the beach for the first time this summer (and much earlier than usual). The heat wave we’ve had this week has brought the ocean temperature up to August warmth, and the water was delightful.

Ellen and I went for a long walk through the shallows, as we often do, and I found this Sand Dollar shell (actually the exoskeleton of a creature related to Sea Urchins). It’s in nearly perfect shape. I’ve been going to the beach regularly here in New Jersey since I was a small child, so close to 60 years, and this the the very first Sand Dollar I’ve ever found here. Found some on a beach in Georgia, yes, and in Florida and the Caribbean, but never in New Jersey. Pretty cool! I’ll let it sit in a sunny spot until it gets bleached white, I think, then put it up on display somewhere in the house.

And Then I Read: LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES 8

Images © DC Comics, Inc.

This issue is split into two stories. In the lead one writer Paul Levitz focuses on activities off Earth; first a theft from a medi-center that could have bad consequences for the Legion, then the pursuit and capture of the theif. But were they in time? The art for this is by Steve Lightle, a Legion veteran whose work is not seen often these days, and he does a nice job here.

The second story takes place on Earth, where the three founding members: Saturn Girl, Lightning Lad and Cosmic Boy are out for some recreation on “Founders’ Night.” Paul has some fun with this, and gives Brainiac 5 the spoiler role as he must recruit Lightning Lad for a Legion task in the middle of things. This story is by series regular Yildray Cinar with Dan Green inking.

Here’s a page by Lightle. Steve still has it in my book.

Recommended.

And Then I Read: THE FLASH 8

Images © DC Comics, Inc.

The Flash is trapped inside the Speed Force with another guy named Turbine who spins like the old Flash villain The Top — perhaps he’s meant to be the new version of that character. Against a dizzying backdrop of scenes and stairways that defy logic in the manner of Escher, Turbine tells Flash a lot about the Speed Force that the speedster didn’t know, but ultimately it leads to a battle that throws each of them out of their strange trap. We don’t see where Turbine ends up, but Barry Allen is thrown into another world of trouble involving sentient gorillas. Back in Central City, ceremonies are mourning lives lost in recent Flash-related battles, and Barry’s friends are wondering what happened to him. There’s quite a lot of exposition in this issue, but I found it interesting all the same.

The art by Francis Manapul continues to charm me, one of the most creative looks for a superhero comic on the market in my opinion.

Recommended.

And Then I Read: THE KEY TO RONDO

© Emily Rodda, cover illustration © Martin McKenna.

I find it strange that the little publisher of cheap paperbacks for kids sold through school book clubs of my childhood is now the largest publisher of books for children in the world. They struck gold with the Harry Potter series, and perhaps came pretty close again with the Hunger Games series. Clearly they would like to have more of those, and publish quite a lot of fantasy for younger readers by new authors, hoping one of them might be their next bonanza. The absence of any author bio in this volume is a sure sign that Emily Rodda is a new writer, and I liked her book.

The Langlander family is a large one with a long history, and it has a matriarch, Aunt Bethany, who gathers the clan once a year for a party in her home, where she tells them all the same old stories about their ancestors. Aunt Bethany also has a prized possession, an ornate music box that young Leo and his cousin Mimi both find fascinating. Leo and Mimi don’t get along, which means that when Mimi comes to stay with Leo and his family, things could get touchy. Mimi’s little yappy dog come with her, upsetting Leo’s family cat, and getting everyone off to a poor start. To make matters worse, Leo has just recently received the music box from Aunt Bethany’s estate, as she recently died, and Mimi is quite jealous.

The two get into some arguments about the box and how to use it, and before long Mimi has accidentally found one of the secrets of the box: it’s also a doorway into a richly devoloped fantasy world, one that’s depicted on the sides of the box in very detailed paintings. As Leo and Mimi find out to their horror, the doorway can work both ways. An evil woman called The Blue Queen emerges from the box and begins ordering them around. Leo tricks her back inside, but not before the woman snatches Mimi’s dog and takes the hapless pooch with her.

Mimi is distraught, and is determined to go into the world of Rondo (the one inside the music box) to get her best friend back. Leo agrees to go with her after much argument, and when they arrive inside they are thrown quickly into a series of dangerous adventures. Everyone they meet seems to have a hidden agenda, but they all agree on one thing: The Blue Queen is the worst thing in their world, and taking her on is pure suicide!

Though some things that happened in this story were predictable, others were not, and the complex relationships, creative magic, and interesting characters kept me turning the pages. It’s a good mix of familiar fantasy elements and fairy tales with some modern twists that worked well for me. And the final scenes in the Blue Queen’s castle were exciting and full of more surprises. Well done, and recommended.

And Then I Read: GREEN LANTERN 9

Images © DC Comics, Inc.

Firstly, the cover of this issue does not seem to match the contents. Perhaps plans changed after it was done, or it’s for another issue, but Black Hand is hardly mentioned inside. What we do have is the continuing exploration of the Indigo Tribe, which now includes Sinestro, as he’s been coopted by them. Hal Jordan continues to resist, and escapes from the Indigos to locate their central lantern. What he finds there opens up the history of the Tribe to Hal, and sets up what looks like the next big confrontation for the Guardians. Along the way we see more of Sinestro’s back story in flashbacks, and I have to say writer Geoff Johns is doing fine work there. Sinestro has more depth in this series than ever before.

The art by penciller Doug Mahnke and a tribe of inkers is wonderful, as always. Colorist Alex Sinclair and letterer Sal Cipriano enhance the viewing and reading experience expertly, and in all this book makes for fine reading.

Highly recommended.

And Then I Read: BALTIMORE, THE PLAGUE SHIPS

Images © Mike Mignola.

The first collection of this new feature written by Mignola and Christopher Golden, with art by Ben Stenbeck has a medieval Europe feel to it, though it takes place in 1916. Enhancing the atmosphere are a legion of vampires who are not only preying on the war-ravaged population of some coastal French towns, but spreading an infectious plague that’s killing even more of them. Lord Henry Baltimore is a soldier of high rank who tries to fight back against the vampires, particularly one who has devastated his own life, as we see in flashbacks. Accompanying him is a woman named Vanessa who seems more interested in having adventures than killing vampires. Baltimore tries to put her off, but Vanessa insists on traveling with him despite his warnings that she will deeply regret it. The things they encounter eventually prove him right.

The art by Ben Stenbeck has a strong Mignola flavor, such that Mike may well have drawn rough layouts for him to follow, but that’s just my guess. The story has many shuddery moments as well as some poignant ones, but I have to admit I didn’t find Lord Baltimore as interesting as other Mignola protagonists. I’m not sure why, but perhaps it’s because beneath his anger, and despite his wooden leg, he seems a rather ordinary person. Nothing wrong with that, but he pales in comparison to Hellboy and other members of the B.P.R.D. Still, a good read.

Recommended.

And Then I Read: BACK ISSUE 57

Image © TwoMorrows.

If “behind the scenes at DC Comics” interests you, as it does me, I suggest you read the interview of Jenette Kahn in this issue, conducted by long-time DC staffer Bob Greenberger. It’s lengthy, detailed and full of information. Yes, Jenette doesn’t remember some things (and is probably being diplomatic in other cases), but what she does remember and talk about is fascinating. It’s the kind of insider view one rarely gets of any large company, and hats off to everyone involved in making this happen.

Highly recommended.

And Then I Read: THE BONE FOREST

© the estate of Robert Holdstock, cover illustration by Tom Canty.

The third book in the Mythago Wood series consists of a 90-page story featuring Huxley, the father of the protagonist in the first book, taking place when his sons were boys, and a half dozen shorter stories, none of which take place clearly in the Mythago Wood arena, though some might.

The title story is the long one, and while it does shed some light on Huxley’s explorations of the mysterious Wood full of myths come to life, I didn’t find it as inventive as the earlier books. It’s interesting to see the family interacting, especially after Huxley becomes somehow split into two people who visit the house at different times, one of the more creative aspects. Once in the Wood, things become ever more murky and unexplained, and this time that part of the story didn’t seem as fresh to me. Still, worth reading.

The other stories all have their moments, and all have some of the powerful mix of myth, magic, history and sexuality that the author seems to reach for in his work, but none really stood out for me as much as the first one. Perhaps the shorter length doesn’t work as well for Holdstock’s approach to storytelling, which relies on a slow build-up of strange frightening events, wondrous visions, and sudden conflicts, as well as settings and characters with deep roots in history and pre-history.

In all, I enjoyed this book, but hope further ones in the series are novel-length. Recommended.

And Then I Read: AQUAMAN 8

Images © DC Comics, Inc.

Writer Geoff Johns continues to build new backstory for Aquaman in this tale of another super-group of sorts he was a part of in the recent past. A group called The Others we’ve never seen or heard about before, whose story is unfolding in flashbacks. It’s an international group with some interesting characters, and they are apparently being hunted down in the present by Black Manta, that long-time Aquaman villain, which is why the story is coming forth. Interestingly, Mera, Aquaman’s wife, does not know anything about it either, and we can see some tugging between them over trust issues. A nice mix of things going on here that lifts it above the average superhero fare.

The art by Ivan Reis and Joe Prado continues to be excellent. It has a bit of a Jim Lee feel, which is not a bad thing, and everything about it is appealing to me. My only note for Ivan would be, if you’re going to show a panel with close views of a bunch of newspapers, have your letterer do the headlines and text.

Recommended.

And Then I Read: GREEN LANTERN CORPS 8

Images © DC Comics, Inc.

This issue seems to be the setup for a new conflict between the Alpha Lanterns and the GLC. That feels like something we’ve already seen, but on the other hand, I kind of like the Alphas, so I’m interested to see where this goes. As usual, the Guardians are behaving oddly…they suddenly seem to think very highly of Guy Gardner. And speaking of him, the issue ends with a major brawl in his bar on Oa. (The very idea of a bar on Oa is kind of amusing, I think.) In all, not a bad issue from writer Peter Tomasi.

The art by Fernando Pasarin and Scott Hanna is quite good, with fine figure work and expressive faces and body language, great action scenes, and nice storytelling and pacing throughout.

Recommended.