Dylan's Sequential Theology 08.08.2012

Another good week for Dark Horse, and while I did enjoy Dynamite's Vampirella Annual #2 in stores this week, my personal stance on censorship conflicted with the "all-ages" feeling I try to give this site. But if you want to see Vampirella save a town full of NOT Twilight fans from being eaten by vampires (don't worry, plenty get brutally eaten in the bargain), I do recommend it. And Stefano Cardoselli has a digital Heavy Metal issue dedicated to his work out this week. Just a heads up, those links are probably not safe for work.

ON TO THIS WEEKS BOOKS!

BUFFY SEASON 9, #12
Story by Andrew Chambliss, Pencils by Georges Jeanty, Inks by Nathan Massengill, & Colors by Michelle Madsen

In this issue Buffy helps Mark Zuckerberg try and shutdown a portal to hell by shutting down HAL 9000. 

You heard me. 

Okay, it's not ACTUALLY Mark Zuckerberg, but Theo Daniels looks remarkably like him, and he is the founder of a social media site set to go public called "Tin Can." And the Tin Can servers look A LOT like HAL...
Anyways, in order to secure enough money for Theo Daniels' startup, he accidentally gave a large portion of control in the company to a cabal of demons (naturally) that are using Tin Can as a portal to our world. And considering the timely severing of this world to demon realms (thanks to Buffy's actions at the end of Season 8) this portal is a prized commodity to other realms.
Due to Spike's recent departure, Buffy now has to rely on a new more-pointy-faced-demon-friend and the "All New Scoobies" destroy the Tin Can servers and sever the link between this world and the beyond! They run into a Cthulhu-esque demon, and excitement and calamity ensues.
This series continues on its course and if you're missing your regular dose of Fubby the Sampire Vlayer, this book continues to deliver the goods. And the Phil Noto variant covers are a real treat as well. 

CONAN #7
Story by Brian Wood, Art by Becky Cloonan, Colors by Dave Stewart

The first six issues of this series were typical Conan adventuring that will fill anyone's need for pre-historic Cimmerian carnage. The mighty Conan saves his pirate queen love by hacking and slashing through an entire city. The blood and chaos their love brings to all who cross their path is the stuff of legend! No one can stop this pair of lovers from ruling the world they have carved for themselves... Except Conan's mom.
When Conan decides to go home and bring justice to a man who has been committing atrocities against the Cimmerians in Conan's name, he gets to bring his great pirate queen, scourge of the seven seas! home to mother. The entire introduction goes south real quick as Conan is rather taken aback when his mother refers to her as a prostitute and the entire village laughs and mocks her as though she is a clumsy stupid child. Brian Wood built up to this twist so beautifully, I was laughing in commiseration with Conan over the treatment of his beloved. I probably should not have spoiled that moment, but that is precisely what sets this story apart from the usual swords and sorcery. Brian Wood shows us Conan "The 20 Something" instead of Conan the mighty warrior! And while the series has had plenty of blood and brutality up to this point, this issue of pause and perspective was excellent.
If you are not reading this series already, you really should. If not for Brian Wood's contemporary twist on the Cimerrian, than for Becky Cloonan's incredible brushwork. She brings a youthful arrogance to Conan that completely sells the story, while at the same time allowing you to believe that magic can exist in this time long ago before history began.

CREEP #0
Story by John Arcudi, Art by Jonathan Case

Another series spinning out of Dark Horse Presents, and I can't wait for this mini-series! Although this pilot issue is a great self-contained story in and of itself, John Arcudi's pumpkin-jawed private detective is elegantly rendered but richly detailed by Jonathan Case. The Frank Miller cover leads you to think you're in for a spin-off to Sin City when you're more likely in for a quiet piece about urban life and the unexpected paths life can send us down.

It's a simple story where "The Creep" is hired by his former highschool sweetheart to investigate the suicide of her son. She suspects a sinister plot lurks underneath the surface of this tragedy, and hopes that Oxel will be able to get to the bottom of it. Despite his reservations about helping her, he has a soft spot for the dame that thankfully doesn't lead to her betraying him or his untimely demise... yet.

MASSIVE #3
Story by Brian Wood, Art by Kristian Donaldson, Colors by Dave Stewart

Two Brian Wood books from Dark Horse this week! The trap set by Russian pirates last issue is sprung and the crew of the Kapital fend them off thanks to the "unorthodox pacifism" of Mag, Captain Callum's long time friend. This brings the crew to discuss the necessity for security and protection. I'm a sucker for stories about nation building, and the crew of the Massive and Callum Israel's idealism for a better tomorrow mixed with the realism of a man who has seen his dreams dashed to ribbons, makes him an interesting "ruler" of this floating nation. His word is final because he had the vision to believe in a better world, but he feels possibly more lost than those that follow him.

He decides to steer the ship to Unalaska, Alaska. A place so far from civilization, that the U.S. government overlooked the succor it gave to Soviet fishermen during the cold war. There they stock up on supplies, and weapons before they return to sea to continue searching for The Massive.

And apologies to Kristian Donaldson in my last review for not properly fact-checking his gender, HIS art is still continuing to cut like a knife. There is a coldness that pervades this series that really sells the post-apocalyptic nature of the piece. Even though the world feels very much intact, everyone seems to be sleepwalking through life, unable to cope with their individual losses.

The timelines and text back-up pages at the end of these issues may not be vital to understanding the story, but they do add layers of nuance that might otherwise be missed in the quiet and all-too-serious lives of these environmental Cassandras.

Why aren't you reading this book?

Disagree with me? Then prove me wrong.

Dylan's Sequential Theology 07.11.2012

This is my pick list for Wednesday July 11th 2012. So when you're at your local comic shop, give these books a look.

Kirby Genesis #8

It's the final chapter of Kurt Busiek's first arc, and it is most assuredly epic. Every character is punching everything, and gods appear in the sky and look ominous while judging life on this planet.

Nestled within its bombastic fist kicking, Busiek has an interesting idea about the nature of gods, and consequentially the Kirby-verse itself, that really represents what makes this line of comics so unexpectedly compelling for me.

Kirby's original work had very little to distinguish mortals from gods due to his overly operatic, and seemingly techno-organic costume designs and signature facial structures, which tended to transport the reader to another world entirely from the get go. But Kirby Genesis has cracked that nut with the addition of Alex Ross' paintings.  I normally loath Alex Ross' colors because they seem weirdly unnatural, but here they really emphasize the celestial nature of the Primals when they are in the same panel with Jack Herbert's line art. Sometimes a weakness can become a strength and I really don't think I've ever enjoyed his work more than in this particular context. If you're not reading this line of comics, Kirby Genesis #9 would be an great place to start. Just sit back, relax and let the intergalactic insanity sweep you up in all of its chaotic glory.

I know I personally can't wait to read more comics with Sigurd Dragonsbane.

Buffy Season 9 #11

I was so excited by the announcement of Buffy Season 8, and bought the first two story arcs before promptly losing interest. It felt too much like a comic book adaptation of the show, and not the series in comic book form... Confused yet? My big problem with the Buffy comics had always been the constant need to say "What if Buffy were a comic book character?" and not "What if we just kept making Buffy episodes but they happened to be on a two dimensional page with an unlimited budget and word balloons that can act?" That's what this issue was for me. They finally hit that sweet spot of what it was like to watch Buffy. 

This storyline focuses on Buffy getting work as a bodyguard in a world where demons, and vampires are public knowledge, and slayers are no longer humanities secret protectors. Of course, Buffy is terrible at it because she confuses every demon for a potential threat and her boss (another former slayer) thinks she's not cut out for this line of work. It's a fun flip of the status-quo and I'm shocked it never happened in the tv series.

Andrew Chambliss wrote several episodes of Dollhouse, Vampire Diaries, and Once Upon a Time. And his TV pedigree in the fantasy genre, and his work experience with Whedon evident. He has a really strong understanding of these character's voices and his Buffy fandom shines through without feeling like a Joss Whedon imitation. Georges Jeanty's art gives his characters the expressiveness they need and a level of photorealism that is not too intrusive.

I've heard some interesting things about the previous arc that had me intrigued about the series and while I'm coming in late, I'm happy I did.

Massive #2

The first thing I said when I picked up this book was, "this art is fantastic!" Kristian Donaldson brings a Pia Guerra feeling to this book with a somehow colder line. The book focuses on the crew of the Kapital as they hunt for their sister ship The Massive. Brian Wood's main character has devoted his life to saving the world from ecological disaster, and within the past few years every horrible catastrophe has happened all at once. They sale the seas while searching for the Massive, and show what a world would look like after all has ended. Brian Wood has a fun time playing futurist and creates a Hong Kong I kind of wish existed today. I look forward to seeing how the rest of the world has fared, and what else the oceans have in store for the crew of the Kapital. The single issues also have exclusive material in the back which adds additional layers to the story so far so don't pass it over just because it ain't got pictures. This series is definitely worth your time and since it's only on issue 2, how can you pass that up?

Eerie #1

Recently, Dark Horse has resurrected the old Creepy and Eerie line from Warren publishing, and they have taken a brilliant tact with the price/content of the two sibling magazines. If Creepy's $4.99 price point is too rich for your blood, the $2.99 Eerie has sixteen fewer pages, without a single dip in quality. Both are "black and white" anthology titles featuring stories by incredible writers and artists from comic's past and present.

I love horror films, but I am willing to write one off entirely if there is more than two jump scares. Luckily it is nearly impossible to have a jump scare in the comic medium unless it's your big twist. The  stories live and die by their art. The old Warren and EC comics had plenty of amazing artists that were able to give you a grizzly image or a sudden twist that could save a pretty humdrum story, but David Lapham's "A Robot For Your Thoughts" in this issue has done something truly rare and manages to get inside your logic processor and rewire you from within, and it will be very hard for future artists and writers to top it. His twist is not just "THEY WERE PLAYING SOFTBALL WITH A HUMAN HEAD!" but something far more chilling both in thought and... execution.

The other three stories in this volume are a little more standard in their approach, one body invasion chill, one tail of astronauts discovering ancient life on a foreign planet, and one rather haunting Frankenstein inspired yarn written by Bruce Jones and lovingly airbrushed by Richard Corben entitled "Child" that makes this comic three bucks well spent.

What issues are you looking forward to this week?