Todd Klein's Blog, page 355

And Then I Read: ED HANNIGAN COVERED

There are several great reasons to buy this comic. First, as the cover says, it's a benefit for Ed, who has Multiple Sclerosis, preventing him from drawing. Second, if you like process, as I do, you can learn much more about how some classic Marvel covers were created from often uncredited sketches by Ed. He did the same thing at DC for a while, when I was on staff there, and I can personally vouch for the fact that he was terrific at cover sketches. You'll agree after reading this.

If you're a logo fan, you'll see how Ed liked to play with them, often destroying them for one cover, as above, and at a time when it all had to be drawn out by hand, not messed about with a computer. As you can see, Ed describes his process on most of these. Then there are comments and tributes, both written and drawn, from many of Ed's artist and writer colleagues. Finally, there are layouts for an entire Cloak and Dagger story Ed was supposed to draw, but never did, which is more great process information.

48 pages, no ads, proceeds go directly to Ed. Great deal and highly recommended!

And Then I Read: EMERALD WARRIORS 2 & 3

Images © DC Comics, Inc.

There are a lot of things to like about this new spinoff series. Guy Gardner is the main viewpoint character, and while he's never been a favorite, I do like the way writer Peter Tomasi is handling him here. Less of a total jerk, more of a sarcastic but competent veteran. Guy is off to the Unknown Sectors, wherever they might be, looking for enemies of the Corps, and tagging along are Arisia and Kilowog, two GLs I like, plus one of those blood-spewing Red Lanterns I find repulsive, but who knows, maybe I'll come around to this one. Lots of subplots: a big baddie out where they're headed, and unfinished business for Arisia and Guy. If this book sticks with these characters and doesn't get bogged down in crossovers, it could become my favorite GL title.

The art by Farnando Pasarin and Cam Smith is excellent. Realistic where it makes sense, fantastic where that's wanted, great figure work and character "acting," good action scenes and storytelling. Absolutely nothing to pick on!

Recommended.

Greatest Comics Logos article on CBR

Image © DC Comics, Inc.

I was asked to write the article last week, and it's just gone up on their site. Comments and your own list are welcome here or there.

CBR ARTICLE

And Then I Read: GREEN LANTERN CORPS 52 & 53

Images © DC Comics, Inc.

Issue 52 wraps up the "Revolt of the Alpha-Lanterns" storyline in a fairly satisfying way. I still don't like the whole Alpha-Lantern idea, but the sacrifice and redemption of one of them here is well done, and the battle against the Cyborg Superman has some effective moments as well.

Issue 53 begins a new story focusing on The Weaponer, a longtime GL villain, and one with an ability that makes him pretty effective against the Corps: he can quickly evaluate any opponent and create a weapon to defeat them. The story also brings Qward into the picture, the Weaponer's home, and Sinestro as well, the target of The Weaponer's wrath. Not a bad start.

The art on 53 by Tyler Kirkham and Batt is effective, though the over-muscled and busily-rendered style isn't really to my taste. The storytelling is fine, and there's plenty of energy from everyone, so it's not a bad superhero look. And so far, in this title, Brightest Day is not overcomplicating things.

Recommended.

Neil Does Narnia

If you're a regular reader of Neil Gaiman's blog and twitter feed, as I am, you might remember that the snowy woods on his property reminded him greatly of the ones in C.S. Lewis' first Narnia book, "The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe." All it needed was a lone lamppost, and as often happens in Neil's magical life, one was located that runs on solar power, which Neil's family gave him for Christmas. It was soon installed in the woods, looking so very Narnish. Now some friends have posed as characters, including this charming fellow as Tumnus the Faun. Read more HERE.

Great stuff, but I bet Neil would trade the snowy woods for a warm beach somewhere…

And Then I Read: GREEN LANTERN 57 – 59

Images © DC Comics, Inc.

The Brightest Day storyline running through this and the other Green Lantern titles has the effect, for me, of adding a lot of extra characters and complications that I can't always follow completely. This means that, while there are parts of each issue I understand and enjoy, there are others I kind of glaze past. My favorite character throughout these three issues is Larfleeze, I'm finding him delightfully self-absorbed and quite funny. Hal seems largely uninvolved emotionally, even when his former love interest Carol Ferris heads off to take charge of the Star Sapphire group on another world.

When Barry Allen, The Flash shows up to try to talk some sense with Hal, it provides a breath of fresh air to the convoluted storyline, and the words coming out of Barry's mouth express a lot of what I've been feeling: what the hell is Hal doing teaming with these evil, villainous characters? Why has he cut himself off from the rest of the Corps? Why won't he accept help from his friends? I'm guessing answers to these questions will be forthcoming, and I hope soon. Meanwhile, Barry gets dragged into things in a way he and I didn't see coming. Is this the beginning of Flashpoint, or something that will be resolved in the next issue of GL? Hard to say, I'll be reading to find out.

Recommended, but getting tough to follow.

And Then I Read: KINGDOM OF THE GOLDEN DRAGON

© Isabel Allende.

This is the second in a trilogy about teenager Alexander Cold, his grandmother Kate, and their Amazon River friend from the first book City of the Beasts, Nadia, who accompanies them on this new adventure to the Himalayas. In an imagined kingdom there, largely cut off from modern civilization, some monks encounter an ancient life form we would know as Yetis. Meanwhile, the three adventurers gain access to the kingdom for a festival, when it's invaded by mercenaries intent on stealing a golden statue that's the key to the monarch's power and wisdom. This is all masterminded by a wealthy but mysterious man who wants not only the statue, but the predictive power it holds, and to gain that he must also capture the king. Along the way, Nadia is kidnapped by the mercenaries, and Alex goes off alone to try to rescue her. One of the monks who has befriended the Yetis helps Nadia, and soon is on the way to try to rescue the king and the gold statue as well. This could be perilous to all, as he is the king's son, and the only free man who now knows how to use the statue's power.

Like the first book this is a page turner with lots of adventure in an exotic location, well researched, with some elements of fantasy and in this case a good deal of Buddhist mysticism and mental magic. A good read, though I can't say I liked it quite as much as the first book. Kate, the grandmother, doesn't have much to do in this one, and seems kind of wasted, and the plot gets convoluted at times. Still a good read with some exciting moments, and recommended.

Podworthy: JAMES TAYLOR

I've always liked the music and the voice of James Taylor, though I'm not sure when I first became a fan. His initial album, above, was an Apple Records release in 1968, but all I remember from that is the single "Carolina On My Mind," which I liked. Not sure I knew who James was yet then, though. I got the album quite a few years later.

His second album, Sweet Baby James, came out in 1970, and while I don't think I bought it, I know I heard it all. I was living in Kansas City then, going to art school there, so someone I roomed with probably had it. I loved the single, "FIre and Rain," liked all of it, really. I'm guessing that's when I became a Taylor fan, and started following his work more. But as I poor student, probably not buying his albums yet.

By 1977, when the album JT came out I bought it right away, and it's still my favorite, with the song "Secret O' Life" my all time favorite Taylor song. Also in 1977 I started working at DC Comics, a division of Warner Brothers, James' label then, and as a Warner employee, I soon learned, I could order any Warner album (as well as sub-labels like Reprise, Elektra and Asylum) for one dollar! Needless to say I bought all James' albums to date then, as well as lots of others.

Ellen and I saw James live twice, I think first in 1988 on tour to support this album, which as lots of great songs, and again a few years later, at the Garden State Arts Center and Atlantic City, respectively. Great shows, both. Unlike some performers, James only seems to get better with age.

October Road, released in 2002, was the last with mostly Taylor-penned songs, and it has some fine ones. More recently there was an album of covers in 2008, which I haven't yet heard…

…and a Christmas release in 2006 that I absolutely love, it quickly became my favorite Christmas album.

New last year is a live concert album with old friend Carole King, haven't heard that one yet, either. I'll get to it one day soon, I imagine. Meanwhile, I've put nearly everything from the 16 Taylor albums I have on the iPod, 190 songs. James' voice always makes me feel fine.

And Then I Read: THE BIG WANDER

© Will Hobbs.

I have yet to read a Will Hobbs book for teens that I didn't enjoy, but this one is more surprising than some, with a plot that takes interesting twists and turns through both a physical landscape and a summer of growth for the hero, Clay Lancaster.

It begins as a summer road trip for 14-year-old Clay and his older brother Mike through the deserts and canyons of the American southwest, traveling in Mike's aged pickup from place to place, making a few friends, in search of their missing Uncle Clay, an ex-rodeo star. Before long they're stuck in a trading post in Monument Valley, their truck stolen, with a pack-mule left in exchange. Mike heads home by bus in disgust, but young Clay convinces Mike to let him stay on at the trading post, where he's found a job. Once Mike is gone, Clay continues to search for his uncle, getting further and further from civilization with the help of his new friend, the pack mule, a small stray dog, and friends he makes, including some local Indians who know his uncle well. In fact, the tribe adopts the boy for a while, introducing him to their ways and customs.

Clay's journey gets even stranger when he heads off on the trail of his uncle into Colorado, finding him stuck in a small town jail for trying to round up and remove wild mustangs before they can be caught and slaughtered for feed by the government. New allies in this town include a girl with a horse of her own who rescues young Clay from some quicksand, and they soon become fast friends, and maybe something more. But what can two kids do about Uncle Clay in jail and the impending destruction of the last local herd of mustangs?

Great read, highly recommended.

And Then I Read: LAST CHANCE TO SEE

© Serious Productions, Ltd. and Mark Carwardine, cover painting © Robert Giusti.

I think this is the funniest nature book I've ever read, and perhaps one of the saddest as well.

We've had this in the house for a few years, Ellen read it, and I always meant to as well, and finally got to it. Knowing Douglas Adams as the author of the humorous science fiction series of books and plays, "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy," I expected it to be funny, but I also thought Adams must be a nature enthusiast with a hobby of seeking out highly endangered species. Not so, in fact Adams was sort of a stunt-casting writer for this book, put together with Carwardine, a real British naturalist, by the BBC for what they hoped would be an entertaining series for the radio. I can see how this must have happened, a few execs thinking, "That Hitchhiker's Guide was quite popular on the radio, let's send him out in the real world looking for creatures as exotic as the ones in the show." Adams seems to have thought it would be fun, too, though most of the funniest parts come from all the times that weren't much fun: dealing with human bureaucracy in all its Byzantine glory, for instance, dealing with harsh travel and local conditions and weather, even dealing with animals that couldn't be found at all.

Adams' humor makes it all a very entertaining read. The sad part comes from the situations created by humanity that lead to animal (and plant) extinctions at an ever increasing pace all over the world, often through simple ignorance and neglect more than evil intent. Adams makes all that quite clear as well. So, even as we can laugh at silly animals like the Kakapo, a flightless parrot once common in New Zealand, now almost gone, that has such a complex and arcane courting ritual it almost never succeeds, even when all parties are willing, or the river dolphins in China trying to survive in water so polluted they can rarely be seen at all, or the Komodo dragons, giant lizards worthy of the name dinosaur who have become a sort of sideshow attraction for a select group of tourists.

Despite the sad situations many of these animals are in, Adams describes how some dedicated people are making a difference in their possible survival, though it's always precarious when a species is almost gone, and that also makes for interesting reading. Even if you're not a huge nature fan, you'll enjoy this book's engaging and funny approach to the subject. Recommended.