Dylan's Sequential Theology 11.07.2012

With the Kickstarter, and our aggressive advertising bringing in a lot of new people, I thought I would take this time to explain what this column is all about... for the first time. Each Wednesday, I pick four comics that deserve at least a glance. I tend to read a lot of Dark Horse and Dynamite, so you might notice a bias in that regard. I keep spoilers to a minimum, so no worries there.

And always, if you disagree with anything I say, then prove me wrong.

This week, we have samurai, witches, demons, and Vampire Slayers... Although probably not the one you're thinking of.

47 Ronin #1

Story by Mike Richardson, art by Stan Sakai
The story of the 47 Ronin is an old Japanese tale. In some strange way, it's almost the Japanese Christmas Carol. Not in the sense that a rich man learns to love life and spread good cheer because he has learned the true meaning of a national holiday, but more to the extent that it has been adapted more times than might possibly be beneficial for the advancement of human civilization. And yet, with every reinterpretation, writers manage to inform a new generation, and find new facets to the story people have not seen before.
It takes place in Feudel Japan during a time much like France during the reign of the Sun King. Lords live at the estates of other lords in a hierarchy geared towards direct control.
One Daimyo from the country is requested to stay with his lord and learn the ways of the court. The young Daimyo is disgusted by the crassness of his lord and does not take his verbal abuse lightly. This leads to a dispute which has become the seminal literary example of what it means to follow the Code of Bushido.
With so many adaptations, is it possible for Mike Richardson and Stan Sakai to breath new life into this story of 47 men who step outside of Japanese law to follow a greater code of honor?
Yes, I believe there is. Having watched several adaptations of the 47 Ronin ("Chushingura" by Hiroshi Inagaki is an excellent one), they all feel somewhat flat. It's all incredibly well composed, but never quite makes a visceral connection with me. It could be lost in the East meets West translation, but beyond story beats, I tend to have trouble caring for the narrative's many characters. In this version, Sakai's art and Richardson's simplistic writing serve the story well. While it might tell a bit more than show, that was an aspect inherent in the original work. When one man chooses to speak the truth in a room full of liars, he must make his actions clear.
While a lot of people influenced by manga have fallen into the trap of pose-etic works of splash-page flash, Stan Sakai is firmly planted in the Osamu Tezuka school of art. While his characters are melodramatic, the setting is first and foremost. These incredibly expressive people live in a world with seasons and live in a world with a sky. There's something refreshing about seeing such attention to setting in a comic book, manga influenced or otherwise. And since the seasons play such an important part of the 47 Ronin story, Sakai really ensures you are able to enjoy them.
Few artists are able to show just how much fun they are having every time they put the brush to paper. Sakai's line is angular, but full of life. He is no stranger to large atmospheric crowd scenes, and this book is full of them. If you always wanted to see Stan Sakai's excellent cartooning, but find talking animals to be somewhat of a deal-breaker, then you definitely need to pick up this book.

Colder #1

Story by Paul Tobin, art by Juan Ferreyra
Dark Horse has a foot firmly planted in horror. While they may not have a strong brand for it like Avatar, a media darling like 30 Days of Night, or as robust a back-catalog as Vertigo, their general output tends towards the supernatural (Hellboy anyone?). Colder is the latest addition to the Dark Horse horror family and they promote the book as being "in the vein of Garth Ennis' "Preacher." Which is a very bold statement that may doom this series from the beginning. But Paul Tobin is certainly willing to try and live up to that moniker. But before you pick up this book and start expecting a philosophical debate about Christianity and the nature of God in modern society set against a Spaghetti Western backdrop, you need to put that idea right out of your head. This series (from the first issue anyhow) has seemingly much more in common with Alan Moore's recent Neonomicon (minus the squiggy sex bits). The world these people reside in feels much more like Lovecraft,s Insmouth than Ennis' journey through the "American Heartland." Its horror stems from a person's loss of control and the inability to trust their own mind instead of gore and sexploitation. All of that said, I'm excited to see where this series goes, if Paul Tobin is legitimately telling a lengthy 70+ issue epic, then I will stick with this series till the end.

The Shadow #7

Story by Victor Gischler, art byJack Herbert
After Garth Ennis' run on the Shadow came to a startling and quite sudden finale last month, Victor Gischler is given quite a strange place to start his arc... Ennis' Atomic Bomb gave a launch pad for any creator to swoop in and tell whatever tale they have in mind for the eternal man of mystery. Would it be a traditional heist gone awry? Perhaps an attempt on the city's water supply? Maybe stopping a faction of Nazis from gaining a foothold in England? No, Gischler has decided to tell a story that feels like a "Year 1" story, but has to be a "Year 300" story.
The Shadow encounters a man who possesses the same gift to mask people's empathy. He feels lost, as though someone has stopped him from being able to hear or see, but luckily they are masked from each other. Gischler does an excellent job of conveying Cranston's fragile state of mind, and Gischler's fortune cookie wisdom works quite well. But there is a major chronological rub that I don't want to spoil.
I gave Dynamite some credit and said "this is a new version of the character, and what I have known doesn't factor into THIS Lamont Cranston/Kent Allard," but the fact that they reprinted Chaykin's "Shadow: Blood and Judgement" and accepted it as canon, leads me to believe this serious could only take place AFTER those events. By that point, Cranston has encountered so many foes that have been capable of replicating his gifts, this would hardly be new for him. Yet The Shadow, through out the issue, acts as though this is within his first couple years of fighting crime. I can only assume that some editors have some major signals crossed.
I try really hard not to be a giant fanboy when it comes to the Shadow, but it's in my blood. I've been reading his stories, watching his serials, and listening to his radio dramas since I was a tiny tike, and his mythos is something I adore. I have given a lot of leeway to a lot of Shadow stories in the past (accepting Chaykin's Shadow was one of the most rewarding), but Gischler is treading a weird line for me. It's not bad, but he does something a lot of writers who are unfamiliar with the character tend to do, and that's assume he is Batman. Throughout the issue he is seen crouching, and behaving like the Dark Knight, and less like the enigmatic man who scouts out the situation first, then wreaks havoc with his twin .45s of justice! He is smoke, he is a spirit, not a dude that crouches on windowsills. Gischler's over-reliance on The Shadow's inner-monologue also destroys some of the mystery of the character. He is at his best when the reader does not know him, but is seen through the eyes of either victim or villain with only the blood curdling laugh as a warning.
"Dylan, could you hate this issue any more?" Yeah. I probably could. Because I actually enjoyed it a lot. While he "committed a lot of crimes" against my personal Shadow continuity, he managed to sell me on Lamont as a person in his early days as the Shadow and showed me the moment when The Shadow deems it is just fine to take a life. If he can tone down the Bruce Wayne, and amp up the cocky ace fighter-pilot, this could be an excellent series.

Willow #1

Story by Jeff Parker, art by Brian Ching
The Buffy-verse has gone through an epic sundering lately, with every character getting their own title. Buffy Season 9 progresses the Slayer's life in the 21st Century with its usual witty satire of popular culture and modern societal norms. Angel & Faith has become the island of misfit toys for all of Buffy & Angel's forgotten yet beloved characters, and Spike's book is... er... a book with Spike in it.
Since Willow hasn't had her own series before, but is such a fan favorite and major player in the Buffy-verse, this series has a bit of anticipation to live up to. Luckily, Jeff Parker is able to deliver. This issue juggles three things rather effortlessly. It ties up where it spins out of Angel & Faith, it presents the reader with everything they need to know about Willow if they have never read or seen any other Buffy stories, AND it sets up the series for the foreseeable future. Jeff Parker gives Willow a task that is big enough that it warrants a solo-series away from everyone else. Willow must dimension hop in order to find a new hold for the Earth's magic after Buffy destroyed it "last season." And as an opening act, Jeff Parker has taken her into the world of Lewis Carrol's Alice in Wonderland. Supposedly, when Lewis Carrol was dreaming up this classic surrealist satire, he was actually visiting this world just beyond our own. Not the most original idea assuredly, but if this series becomes Willow dimension hopping through classic literature and mythology then bring it on, Jeff Parker! I can't wait!

That's it for this week's picks, see you next week for more of my favorite books on the shelves!

Dylan's Sequential Theology 08.01.2012

It's Wednesday again! This time around we've got a pretty odd bunch. A lot on the Dynamite side, and one from Dark Horse which is an interesting companion to our Featured Book this month Black Sad. Check them out before you leave your LCS, or while you're on your lunch break.

BEASTS OF BURDEN: NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH, ONE-SHOT

Story by Evan Dorkin, Drawn by Jill Thompson

This stand-alone issue contains three stories about animals fighting supernatural foes. Imagine "Lady and the Tramp: Vampire Hunters" and you're most of the way there. And unlike a lot of books where the artist seems to have never seen a dog, Jill Thompson's animals have a diversity of identity, and natural expression that is cartoony, and animalistic, but NEVER human. It's great to see an artist capture those characteristics with such clarity and in amazing watercolors that capture natural light, and mood as the scene calls for it. With plenty of modern monthly comics relying on basic photoshop flats, this book really makes you sit up and take notice of its craft. The addition of basilisks, ghosts, and goblins are just icing on the cake. Evan Dorkin's writing gives each animal a personality all their own and makes these suburban protectors a team to be reckoned with. 

I'm not one for talking animals as a general rule, unless it's the "Adventures of Milo & Otis" or "Secret of Nymn," and this certainly brought those two films to mind. Honestly, this book is the kind of book I always want to see more of in the American marketplace. Well crafted art, excellent stories, and a concept that has no "readily apparent audience."

As with a lot of the books I've started reading since this column began, this is my first time reading something from this "universe." While snooping around to find out a little more about the series, I discovered Dark Horse has the first issue of the previous mini-series available for free. Along with a smattering of their other titles for you to try. If you are craving more Beasts of Burden, and can't wait to buy the hardcover collection, it will tide you over for a minute or two. 

THE NINJETTES #6 (of 6)

Story by Al Ewing, drawn by Eman Casallos

I have a lot of issues with the Jennifer Blood series. It always feels like a lot of lampooning shock for shock's sake. Mark Millar on steroids, or an Eli Roth movie set on a Zack Snyder sound-stage. And sometimes I'm up for that as long as the plotting is tight and I'm never able to realize what I'm reading. Every character is horribly flawed, there's not much to root for, and everyone will die a terrible death.  If I can't be strung along at break neck speeds, it tends to become a plodding mass of disinterest and I find my mind drifting off to other books about things might have something to say instead of one giant adolescent rape joke for 22 pages. If that's your thing, more power to you. BUT this issue (despite suffering from all of the above mentioned "problems") had an interesting idea that the Ninjettes concept is merely a brand, and someone else can simply take their identity for themselves and use it to their own ends. And not in an ernest "someone must cary on the Batman legacy" more of a "lets use their name to our advantage and get rich as hell." It's not high art, but I was a fun ride. Definitely made the other issues  in this mini-series worth it.

THE SPIDER #4

Story by David Liss, drawn by Colton Worley

Dynamite has resurrected two pulp heros recently and it was kind of controversial that one of them didn't get to keep his 30s roots. Pulp heroes are pretty generic by today's bombastic standards. The old Spider (who Stan Lee has sometimes sited as a loose name inspiration for Spider-Man) was one of those ilk. He wore a trench coat, and fedora and solved crimes with a gun. And bringing these heroes back, much less bringing them into the modern era can be a tough sell. They don't get the benefit of their backdrop to round them out, and their fellow cast can feel immediately dated when updated for a modern audience (why are there so many web developer friends?). Pulp hero motivations also tended to be little more than "I am in a book where I solve crimes." And their identities were less important than reading about them shooting people. But this lack of characterization, presents a list of fun challenges for writers willing to tackle these lost or forgotten characters. 

How do you make them stick with todays audiences? Their blank slate nature makes them quite difficult to deal with but also freeing. David Liss has given Richard a stock cast of cops and friends to play off of when he's not running around as the Spider, but they don't seem to rise above their type. Since he's got The Spider facing biological warfare perpetrated by someone running around dressed like an Egyptian god, I can see the "battling the supernatural with science" angle and that has a certain appeal. But it's not really pulling me in. It feels as though he doesn't want to put too many marks on the chalkboard just in case it winds up not working.

What has me really excited about this series is Colton Worley's art. The Spider has been rocketed into the modern era with art that puts him squarely in the 21st Century. Colton Worley digitally augments photos for every panel. It's very similar to Josh Finney & Kat Rocha's style, although it feels a bit flatter and at times like it is being drawn with chalk. Colton occasionally chooses the wrong photo for the character's action, an it can really pull you out of the moment, but when he does an action scene with the Spider in his crazy Alex Ross' "Venom of Earth-X" look, it reminds you why you're putting up with the sometimes dull characters. Last issue was particularly rough, but this time around Colton seems to be getting better performances from his actors which in turn, helps David Liss' scripts. It's certainly worth browsing just to see the art.

THE SHADOW #4

Story by Garth Ennis, drawn by Aaron Campbell

I am a huge fan of The Shadow. When I was little, my dad gave me a stack of issues from the 70s, and a bunch of tapes of the old radio drama, I've been hooked ever since. I've seen all six of the movies, and read at least a couple issues of every comic incarnation (except the Archie "masked hero"). So after a decade of absence from the comic book world, Dynamite announcing this series, got this fanboy very excited. His personae has always oscillates back and forth between being more like Batman or The Punisher with a supernatural bent, so having Garth Ennis' on the title truly seemed like a no brainer. The  grizzly realism he gives comic book violence, makes him an incredible fit for this character. And Aaron Campbell's an excellent pulp artist. His characters costumes always immerse you in their era and his layouts bleed the supernatural into the Shadow's world. Ennis has been doling out information in this book at a rate of one jewel per-issue. It's been almost agonizingly slow as each month I learn one more small piece of the puzzle. Sadly, the puzzle seems to be "where is this all going?" Lamont Cranston wealthy young man about town, has been courted by the U.S. Government to go to China and help them stop Japanese officials and a Japanese warlord from getting their hands on a doomsday device. Little do U.S. officials know, Cranston is in reality The Shadow! And he seeks to ensure that Japan ally with Germany to ensure that WWII ends swiftly... Somehow.

It's a simple premiss, and Ennis uses the time frame to great effect. It feels like a pulp novel taken very seriously. The over-the-top elements have been scrubbed clean and his "evil warlord" is not at all what one would expect from a globe trotting tale of adventure and intrigue. The Shadow and his powers are the only arch and supernatural part of the series and he uses them very sparingly. Yet there is mention of the secluded mountain temple where ancient mystics seem to reform criminals and send them out to do good in the world... perhaps 

As always, if disagree with me, then prove me wrong.