Beast: Two-Thirds of a Good Story

By Marian Churchland

I purchased this book on the strength of the solicit. I knew nothing of Churchland’s previous work and I really thought the premise was interesting. It is an image book and presented as an OGN which I always enjoy, so what the hell.

The art in this book is stunning. It is a very wispy style that goes along with the story being told. Churchland’s use of different toned pencils to signify the darkness of the room and night from day is a great and imaginative use of art and the medium. This book is presented in very basic uninked pencils that really showcase the strength of Churchland as an artist.

The writing is also spot on. Each character is so deep and meaningful. You come to care for each and everyone one. By the end of the book I really felt like I was getting a glimpse into the lives of real people and not just fictionalized characters for a graphic novel.

The story deals with Colette, a struggling sculptor that is also struggling in life due to a bad break-up that has occurred. Her father, a former prominent art dealer who has lost favor with the community, gets her odd jobs from time to tie to help sustain each other. The job that he currently gets her is with an unknown Italian benefactor who who wishes to have his portrait done in marble. We meet the commissioner of the piece on the first night and he is a mysterious fellow that wears a sort of mask and sort of stays in the shadows. Through him we learn of the history of the marble and a tale of a brother and sister who owned the amazing specimen that Colette is working on.

The story was fantastic and I wanted to keep reading and reading and learn more and more about the brother and sister, about the history of Colette and her past boyfriend, and also about her father and what caused the community that he was a part of to basically abandon him, but alas it was not to be. Where Churchland was fantastic and bringing me to this point, she left me grasping for more yet never providing the answers. In fact when I read the last page I kept turning the back filler pages thinking there had to be more cause so much was left unanswered.

I unfortunately cannot recommend this book to anyone that is looking for a complete story, I would only say to pick this book up if you are simply interested in looking at pretty art or how to craft an amazingly well-done beginning and middle part of a tale.

I am really interested in seeing where this Author/artist takes me in her next story, hopefully then she will learn how to provide me with the ending and closure that this book was sorely lacking.

-TJ

Punisher Noir #2: Cliché and Gimmick for the Loss, Frank

Writer: Frank Tieri

Art and Inks: Paul Azaceta

Colors: Nick Filardi

Publisher: Marvel

Marvel’s “Noir” line has a consistent trend: Good first issues, bad second issues and a moderate amount of hope for the rest of the run. This is true of the promising “Punisher Noir,” as writer Frank Tieri has the let “noir” gimmick and some cliché storytelling completely upend this tale.

As noted in the review of “Punisher Noir” #1, Frank Castelione returns to New York after World War I ready to restart his life with his wife and son. Unfortunately, his wife dies from cancer, his son turns to petty crime and mobsters threaten his grocery business.

Spoiler Alert: You would think that as a parallel with the Vietnam War, Tieri would use the disillusionment many people felt after World War I as the catalyst for Frank Castelione turn to vigilantism. The Lost Generation may have been a group writers, artists and philosophers, but they were lost for a reason. Instead, by the end of this second issue we realize that this Frank is not going to dawn the familiar skull, but rather his son.

In the previous review of “Punisher Noir” #1, it was probably hope that clouded the perception that this was the direction Tieri would take. It’s not an exact parallel to mainstream Punisher, so it must be a good fit. This might be a case where originality betrayed a writer to take a narrative road covered in debris – though, how original can you be when a son swears revenge after finding his tough-as-nails father dead. If this ruined the plot twist for anyone…then that person needs to read more comics, watch more movies and generally get out of the house every once in awhile.

“Punisher Noir” #2 completely loses all of the hope and potential that was present in the first issue. Most of the promise of this series came from the opening four pages featuring a radio drama voiceover introducing “The Punisher.” In that sequence, “The Punisher” is the title of a radio serial, thus establishing the entire inspiration for the title characters vigilante theme. In the sequence, the voiceover establishes a bleak mood while the faceless man prepares his arsenal for a full-on urban assault. That’s a strong opening…if only the two books published thus far had kept that inspiration.

Even the introduction of familiar “Punisher” characters like Jigsaw, Barracuda, and The Russian fails to inspire any sense of enjoyment. The Russian’s scene, set in a flashback where Frank Sr. is on a train, is so out of the narrative flow, that a very well drawn fight scene is neutered by poor storytelling.

Dark and grittily drawn by Paul Azaceta, the look of the book is the only element that stays consistent and makes these two issues fairly interesting. But even good art cannot save a story set adrift. The colors by Nick Filardi were also a standout in the first issue and remain so in this issue. Muted and grimy, Filardi’s color work gives the book a melancholy feel that instantly transports you to the streets the stories are told on. Yet, for all of the artistic talent present, the book seems a wasted effort.

If you’re a die-hard “Punisher” fan, you’ll probably continue reading this series (aside from any budgetary conflicts). If you’re a noir fan, you’ve already stopped wasting your money on this gimmicky line by Marvel. If you’ve been curious about “Punisher Noir”…wait until is appears in the 50 cent bin at your local comic shop.

-Mike Stewart

F BombCast 56: Full Circle Jerk

This episode is about as good as it gets as we talk Horror, Beatles, and comics. And semi in depth look into the master film making of that perennial classic Jeepers Creepers and TJ’s favorite film franchise SAW. We then discuss the beatles remasters; Find out who is a Paul Person and who is a John Person, or don’t, i really don’t care. We then touch on the solo careers of the two intelligent beatles and discuss which is better. IN comic talk we discuss Return of Shadowhawk on the iPod and Spacedoubles. Then Kevin talks about the Fable Novel, Peter and Max. Just like Deadpool 900 this episode is dedicated to the loving memory of Bea Arthur.

Get it on iTunes, or www.fbombcast.com, or download directly from here: http://media.libsyn.com/media/fbombcast/fbc56.mp3

Chaos Punks 1 & 2

(w) Brian Babyok

(a) Scott Hedlund

(i) Wayne Wise

Baltimore Comic Con was this past weekend and prior to the show I set up a goal for myself to try to rip myself away from $5 trades and 50-cent comics and to really delve into the creator section. I’m not speaking about talking to Neal Adams or Chris Claremont. While honored to spend a few moments with them I would be, these guys have had a plethora of books put out and really don’t need the publicity. I am talking about walking the parameter of the floor and speaking with the guys that put their own money into doing their own book. The people that are doing it not just to see their names in print but for the shear love of the medium, fully acknowledging that most likely they will see no or very little return on their investment monetarily. Chaos Punks is one of the titles that I picked up.

Set in urban Pittsburgh, Chaos Punks deals with a bar band of friends that are trying to trudge through their existence and bound through the mediocrity of that scene. Larissa, one of the band members, is writing the story of the band in what could only be seen as a memoir, and it is through this that we learn the backstory and history of the act.

The comic features all the stereotypes of band life that we have seen a million times before, but in this story they are not so pronounced that it feels dragged down or a slave to them. We have Eric, the sex-crazed rock-star guitarist, who has fame issues. Next up is the sex-kitten singer Molly, who is the center of a semi-love triangle between Steve and Eric, although never fully realized in the pages. Steve is the hapless romantic with no self esteem drummer that wishes he was as “cool” as Steve but sits silently behind his drum set. And Larissa, our eyes into the past, must be the bassist (I don’t think it was ever mentioned) that is also the songwriter and the creative force behind the band. The fifth Beatle so to speak is Leigh, who plays the Yoko Ono part. Once the girlfriend of Eric but when she realizes that her influence is not as great with him she goes on to prey on the weak-minded Steve.

The full story of the Chaos Punks is told in the two issues, although I really wish it were at least four or possibly even six. There were times in the second issue where I felt the story was rushed. I was enjoying this book so much I really wished for a slowdown and elaboration so I could continue the read this fantastic yarn.

A fantastic look into the rise and fall of a up and coming punk act, Chaos punks read like a Behind the Music special for VH1 and was paced perfectly. The art was fantastic and the graytones fit amazingly with the tale being told.

Another thing that deems mentioning are the amazing covers crafted by Scott Hedlund. Using the band in the tale, Hedlund re-created some notable covers. Issue one is a take on the iconic The Who Who’s Next album and issue two is Molly in the middle of the great Tori Amos Little Earthquakes cover. Also featured in the back of issue two are other covers featuring the band such as the Meet the Beatles cover.

If you like music, or just good story about inner turmoil in the workplace no matter the profession, then Chaos punks is for you, Well-written, Well Drawn, perfectly told. The website for the studio is www.strumhaus.com but that seems down at the moment. This story was originally presented as a webcomic and you can still view them at http://www.drunkduck.com/Chaos_Punks/index.php?p=256006. Give it a shot, I have a feeling you’ll be glad you did.

Doctor Voodoo Avenger of the Supernatural 1: A Step in the Right Direction

<(w) Rick Remender
(a) Jeff Palo
(c) Jean-Francois Beaulieu
Publisher: Marvel Comics

In the 1973 film Theater of Blood, Ian Olgivy, playing a British Drama critic, explains to another character that at some point a critic begins to resent an actor when the critic is consistently forced to give him bad reviews. I always found this to be a particularly fascinating line, even more so these days since it perfectly sums up my experience as a reader of Rick Remender comics. If you listen to about 90% of the other comic podcasts out there Rick Remender is the greatest thing since sliced bread, a breath of fresh air and the savior of comics and quite possibly the universe as we know it. The phrase “I get a tingle up my leg” has already been copyrighted by Chris Matthews and is the intellectual property of MSNBC so you won’t hear that one but you get my point. Sadly I have never felt that way about Remender’s work (indeed quite the opposite) but everyone tells me that I should like the man’s work so I keep trying because I really really want to. I hated Triple XXX Zombies, really hated End League, and Gigantic and Punisher has been tolerable at best. I was starting to become angry. Needless to say my expectations were quite low for issue 1 of Doctor Voodoo and while I still don’t think its is in anyway revolutionary or spectacular, as others no doubt will, it was quite enjoyable. I was pleasantly surprised.

Spinning out of events in New Avengers, Dr. Stephen Strange is no longer Sorcerer Supreme and the Eye of Agamotto has chosen Jericho Drumm, Brother Voodoo as the new Sorcerer. Issue 1 basically sets up the series with Strange training Jericho and then quickly takes off with no less than 3 mystical fights starting with classic Strange baddie Doramammu and ending with a surprise a-list Marvel villain. In between we see glimpses of Jericho’s day job as a physician running a free clinic in New Orleans.  My experience with Jericho is strictly limited to his appearance as Monica Rambeau’s on again off-again lover in Marvel Divas (stop judging it’s good) so this issue needed to set up quite a bit for me. Fortunately Remender does an admirable job of  making this an accessible introduction for someone who has never heard of Jericho Drumm. The issue does however presuppose that you are reading New Avengers and therefore know about Strange’s replacement as Sorcerer Supreme. While this is a huge conceit (but lets face it, it’s Marvel) it is more than likely true.

The biggest thing that comes through in Remender’s writing is that he is a huge comic fan. In my opinion this has worked against him in the past, particularly with End League but his passion for the character and the obvious fan boy fun he must have had in writing certain scenes are a plus here. The mystical fights also work but they are a bit heavy handed. Remender takes the Geoff Johns “I can’t believe I get to write this stuff” man-child approach which works for the most part. My only real problem concerned the rather thick laying on of the magic speak which was irritating but forgivable.

Jeff Palo’s artwork is competent enough and seems to follow the same sort of house style Remender has established with his artists. Palo’s style is very reminiscent of frequent Remender collaborator Jerome Opena. The art fits the story quite well, though my only complaint is the presentation of Doctor Strange. Palo’s Strange looks like he should  be wheeled  into a nursing home which is totally wrong for the character.  Other than that, however, the art is quite enjoyable and the scenes set in New Orleans certainly leave the reader eager to see Palo stretch his legs in depicting a city that doesn’t get much comic play.

Doctor Voodoo isn’t going to set the world on fire but its certainly an interesting take on a character that is not saddled with alot of continuity baggage. While I’m still not sold on Remender as the next big star of comics he acquainted himself quite nicely here and left me interested enough to come back next month.

Spider Woman 1: Living Up to the Hype

(w) Brain Michael Bendis
(a) Alex Maleev
(l) VC’s Cory Petit
Publisher: Marvel Comics

There are times when an abundance of pre-release hype can be more of a hindrance than a help. Before it was even released Spider-Woman 1 seemed destined to fall into that category. Marvel’s publicity machine was on steroids hyping the long awaited reunion of Brian Bendis and his Daredevil artist Alex Maleev and Bendis himself has been mentioning the project in interviews for over two years. Delays with the corresponding motion comic forced Spider-Woman to be pulled an resolicited, prompting a collective groan from the fan community. Of course the final nail seemed to be the issues plot itself which involved one word most Marvel readers (at least this one) hope to never hear for a very long time, Skrulls. It would seem then that the deck was fatally stacked against this comic before it was even finally released. I have never been more happy to say I was wrong. Spider-Woman is worth every bit of hype it was afforded.

The story, involving a returned Jessica Drew coping with the fact that her Skrull duplicate nearly destroyed the world is very reminiscent of Bendis’s Alias series. This is a very good thing. Jessica is recruited by Abigail Brand of S.W.O.R.D. as a sort of Blade Runnerish alien hunter. Her first assignment is tracking down one of the surviving Skrulls from Secret Invasion.The issue features very little action and very little actual spoken dialogue. The focus is squarely on Jessica as she recounts through thought balloon that her life has eclipsed Wolverine as the most screwed over person in the Marvel U. Jessica is not coping well with being the most hated face in the world and feels enormous guilt. For those of us who have been on Bendis burnout lately this is a wonderful return to what made him so great in the first place. Bendis is almost unequaled when it comes to presenting quick witted rapid fire dialogue. Jessica’s inner monologues immediately create a sense of sympathy for the character. Her subsequent interaction with  Abigail Brand and her recruitment into S.W.O.R.D. recalls the best scenes involving Carol Danvers and Jessica Jones in Alias with Jessica in the down on her luck victim role and Brand as the light at the end of the tunnel. The dialogue is classic Bendis but with much less snark than has become the mainstream in his Avengers work.

No review of this book would be complete without mentioning Alex Maleev. Maleev’s dark and moody presentation is perfect for the emotional place Jessica finds herself in and he nails every expression with meticulous clarity. The landscapes are also quite gorgeous. Whether its rainy London or the seedy back alleys of Madripoor, Maleev puts you right in the story. The presentation of the scene between Brand and Jessica is a perfect example of how sequential art should look in a dialogue scene.

Spider-Woman 1 is a very welcome throwback to the Bendis of old. Marvel would be well advised to give Bendis a break from having to dictate story direction for the entire Marvel Universe and let him get back to flexing his muscles with this, Powers and Ultimate Spiderman. If, like me, you are sick to death of Dark Reign, I highly advise giving Spiderwoman a shot.

F BombCast 54: Bob Saget Rules

Episode 54

Kevin wonders why i don’t listen to his suggestions but then suggest that we name episodes after something that is so briefly mentioned on the show that i sneezed this morning and missed it, Oh well i sort of listened this time. The three amigos are back together and it takes a while of idling for them to get their engines revved again. I am sort of out of it so lets see if the normal talk is discussed: 1) Genitals-Check 2)Cum-Check 3)poop-nope 3)meat-check 4)porn-check 5)movies-check 6)comics-check 7)Star Trek-nope. Comics Discussed are Walking Dead 1 and some sort of manga thing on his iPod Touch app. Warren Ellis’s X-Man series from around 2000 and JMS’s first Brave and the bold issue. Have fun folks and bear with us during those trying minutes. kthxbye!

Get it on iTunes, at http://www.fbombcast.com

Batgirl #2: Potential Can/Can’t Be Spoiled

Writer: Bryan Q. Miller

Art: Lee Garbett, Trevor Scott and Sandra Hope

Colors: Guy Major

Publisher: DC

What’s that saying?  Out with the old, in with new?  Usually, that’s a long and painful process, involving conflicting perspectives and fear.  But, when there’s a mantle, legacy and coordinating uniforms involved, the transition from new to old is even harder.

A couple of months into “Batman Reborn” it’s become fairly obvious that the emphasis in all the Bat books is on the relationships of the characters in their new roles.  Most of which have some sort of tension working against them.  “Batgirl” looks to be taking on the relationship between Barbara Gordon and Stephanie Brown.

Just call her Stephanie “I’ll wear any bat-costume” Brown.  She’s having trouble balancing her normal life with her new career as Batgirl.  Barbara is trying to convince her to quit.  Stephanie’s mom is oblivious to her daughter picking up an old habit.  Crime is spreading with a new illicit drug hitting the streets.  College is a lot like high school, but more complicated.  She’s a young woman, with big responsibilities, trying to find her place in the world.  Call it the “Joss Whedon” approach to female teenage superheroes.

Writer Bryan Q. Miller obviously follows the storytelling tenet of entering a scene late and leaving early – a fairly well tested approach to dramatically tell a story.  But, as is the case with “Batgirl” #2, the technique can make the reader feel as if they’re watching the highlight reel of the story as opposed to a well crafted narrative.

Still, there are flashes of good storytelling.  The story is firmly set that this book is going to explore the relationship between the original Batgirl and the news upstart.  The tension between Barbara and Stephanie is compelling as both continually question the other’s abilities and motives.  With their personal problems providing some of the motivation to their actions, it’s hard to simply force judgment on who is right and who is wrong.

Lee Garbett art fairs slightly better.  His illustration handles the action quite well throughout.  The pencils are clean and crisp, with solid scenes that seem to burst right off the page.  There is a little hiccup in the middle of this issue, where readers will probably do a double-take, but it’s nothing that will distract from the overall art direction of the book.

“Batgirl” #2 has the right components for a quality book: gripping characters with unique perspectives and motivations; artwork that compliments and enhances the written words; but sloppily using storytelling devices is the quickest way to squander (or spoil) the potential of a book.   Let’s hope the creative team picks it up and delivers on the budding promise of “Batgirl.”

-Mike Stewart

F BombCast 51: A blast from the Past

Ok Folks, This is a major blast from the past. In this, what could be considered the funniest episode of the FBC ever, we discuss saturday morning cartoons, great action figures, some comics, and Kevin’s lack of an original top five makes TJ get in touch with his feminine side. This is also the episode that caused the controversy that we refer to now as us being “Imused.”

get it through iTunes, or www.fbombcast.com,

or download it here:
http://media.libsyn.com/media/fbombcast/fbc22.mp3

Or play it here:

F Bombcast 51

F BombCast Episode 50: The Return of the Shaft

TJ’s Back and i think your f bomb calculator to count the amount of vulgarity in the first half hour. Damn this is a tight episode like a HS sophomore’s anus. Long discussions on Halloween 2 and Batman: The Widening Gyre. Damn I’m tired so this is going to be a short description. Just listen, You know you want to.

Comics Discussed: Batman: Widening Gyre, Next Wave: Agents of H.A.T.E., Incredible Hulk #601, Star Wars Legacy, Preacher, Unknown Soldier, More Marvel, (oh who gives a fuck)

Get it on iTunes, or Listen Here: F BombCast 50