posted
I agree completely about Madame Xanadu this current storyline has been nothing short of excellent. Also if anybody is still missing the Martian Manhunter; John Jonzz (or Jones) has been featuring in the last few issues as well.
From: Dorset, England | Registered: Oct 2008
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I also read the latest House of Mystery last night and I'm still loving this series. Of all the Vertigo titles its usually the last I read (except for maybe Unknown Soldier which is so heavy I need to be in the right mindset), but whenever I read it, I'm glad I'm still collecting.
As I said in the past, the narrative structure is my particular favorite part of it, with the oddball horror stories in the middle of the title (this latest "under the bridge" one being especially creepy and good). But lately, I'm enjoying the main characters just as much--particularly Cain, who I'm glad to see as part of the regular cast. Cress & Ann remain scene-stealing favorites.
I also have really grown to like the art of Luca Rossi, who does a bang-up job of adding excitement to the panels where most characters are just talking. There is always the feeling of tension in the series which adds to the effect.
From: If you don't want my peaches, honey... | Registered: Sep 2003
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posted
Like the Cobester (on the previous page), I also picked up American Vampire #1, lured by the promise of a rare Stephen King comics script. I found it a very strong debut and was pleased by both stories.
Scott Snyder is not a writer I've ever heard before, but he already shows a lot of potential in his half of the story. During the course of Scott's entry we meet two struggling actresses in 1920s L.A.'s silent picture era. They both come across very three-dimensional (though potentially a little too modern-sounding in their speech and attitudes, perhaps), so we feel like we get to know them, especially the brunette who we follow thru the whole story.
We start his story with an ominous ending point, then backtrack to see how things got there. She lucks in to what looks like her big break, but things take a horrific turn.
King's story tells the origin of a character who appears in a couple of scenes in Snyder's story. This one has more action in it, but also has some great interaction between the characters in it. It takes place about forty years prior to the first story and centers around the common character, Skinner Sweet, and his being transported to face being hanged for various crimes. We have several telling scenes to give us a good picture of what this guy's like. The action occurs when Skinner's gang derails the train in an attempt to free him. By the end of King's story we learn why the character belongs in a book with the title 'American Vampire' and see him turned in an unusual way.
Taken together, a bigger picture begins to form. I've a feeling a good part of the larger plot, at least initially, will center around a conflict between a rogue Skinner and a more established, hierarchal vampire group. Neither side seems particularly honorable, though.
The art by Rafael Albuquerque is stunning! I also like how he adjusts his style slightly between both eras to set the appropriate tone. He shows a lot of talent, and I hope he's on the series for its duration. Can't wait to see more!
I think King's on the first five issues, but I think the title will still be fine if Snyder carries on by himself, based on what I saw here. I'm definitely giving the title at least those first five and anticipate I'll be on beyond if they continue to hook me.
Bought #2 today but won't read it for a few weeks. When I do, I'll definitely chime back in! Could be Vertigo's next big thing!
-------------------- "Suck it, depressos!"--M. Lash
From: The Underbelly of Society | Registered: Jul 2003
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^Glad to see you're reading it too Lardy! I agree that the potential is there for this to be Vertigo's next big thing.
I figure I'll also plug another series I've been loving since day one (though I think at this point its clear I'm the only one buying & reading), and that is Unknown Soldier. The latest issues are more of a mystery story but refined by the setting and conflict surrounding the Unknown Soldier. The series remains very heavy and not something you want to read when you're in the mood for something light-hearted. But I think it's pretty powerful stuff. I recommend some of you pick up the first trade and tell me what you think.
I wonder if Drysart, the writer (who I would have put in my best writers list if he wrote more than this one series that I was aware of), will add any light-hearted or humorous elements to the series, even if only for an issue. It would help relieve the heavy tension, but I guess it would contradict the honesty Drysart pours into each page regarding what life is really like over there. I'm sure he's thought about it before.
From: If you don't want my peaches, honey... | Registered: Sep 2003
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posted
^I have the first Unknown Soldier TP, Des. I bought it months ago along with several others during a big eBay splurge. Like Battlefields, I just haven't gotten around to it. When I do, I'll let ya know what I think.
Meanwhile, I just read Scalped #36 today. This was an excellent issue that is the first of a two-parter focussing on Red Crow's right hand man, Shunka. There is a very surprising revelation about him (no, he's not another mole!) that is presented in a very interesting way. I'm not going to give it away, but it's a terrific device on writer Jason Aaron's part to highlight how Native Americans deal with a certain cultural/societal/social issue that is often on the mind of posters here. I also like how Aaron gives us some historical background on it and contrasts how it's changed since whites imposed their culture on Native Americans. Those bits were just utterly fascinating.
I dunno if y'all can read between the lines and realize what I'm talking about, but I refrained from spoiling it directly so some of you who are reading thru trades or still may give this excellent series a shot may be as surprised and entertained as I am.
Aaron really does a great job of loading this book with slices of American culture, particularly how it is suffering and declining in modern times. The previous issue, 35, was a standalone featuring a couple unrelated at all to the central storyline as they struggle with poverty and trying to remain self-reliant and free from taking government welfare. It was a beautiful story that was both entertaining and revealing of poverty on the reservations.
If you're not reading Scalped or at least giving it a look...why the hell not?!?
-------------------- "Suck it, depressos!"--M. Lash
From: The Underbelly of Society | Registered: Jul 2003
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AAAARRGGHHHH! Wrote a long post here that I then lost! Don't you HATE that?!?
Anyway, quick version -
Madame Xanadu - still loving it. Looking forward to the upcoming '6 Senses' arc drawn by all-female artists. Very glad that Wagner has obviously decided to stay around longer than his originally intended one or two storylines.
American Vampire - not on my agenda. Vampires are my least favourite pop-culture monster and I don't like wallowing in the evil deeds of horrible, nihilistic characters when I'm looking to be entertained. For a similar reason I stopped buying...
Scalped - got sick of reading about Red Crow (or should I say evil businessman Lex Luthor 2.0) and his constantly getting away with his crimes. The book is undeniably excellently written with very naturalistic dialogue and some fantastic artwork (horrible colouring though) and I've only read the first three trades so I might wait until there are a few more in the bag and then see if there aren't more reasons for me to get back into the book.
From: Australia | Registered: Dec 2003
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quote:Originally posted by Blacula: Scalped - got sick of reading about Red Crow (or should I say evil businessman Lex Luthor 2.0) and his constantly getting away with his crimes. The book is undeniably excellently written with very naturalistic dialogue and some fantastic artwork (horrible colouring though) and I've only read the first three trades so I might wait until there are a few more in the bag and then see if there aren't more reasons for me to get back into the book.
I'll respectfully disagree with you about Scalped, Blacula. Yes, it features Red Crow, a guy who's gotten away with murder and other crimes. But to compare him to Lex Luthor? REALLY?!?! Where Red Crow is concerned, the book is much more about showing how he got to this point, what he has to do to maintain what he has and the constant threats all around him that will eventually be too much. He's very well-rounded, and we really get the sense of who he is and why he's made the choices he has. It's a fascinating character study. If Luthor were even half this interesting, he'd have his own damn book!
Obviously, if Red Crow doesn't interest you, then Scalped isn't gonna be your thing. I often find well-told stories of morally-grey characters to be a lot more interesting than those who always try to do the right thing. I mean, Dash Bad Horse (the series' "good guy") has already had enough moral compromises to make him nearly indistinguishable from Red Crow. But that's a large part of the appeal of the book. As Cobalt said somewhere, Scalped is a very noir book in that it's all about shades of gray.
-------------------- "Suck it, depressos!"--M. Lash
From: The Underbelly of Society | Registered: Jul 2003
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^ I still think he reminds me of evil businessman Lex Luthor during the Byrne years. Since Red Crow is virtually the co-headliner in what is a very character-driven book he of course gets more fleshing out than the writers were able to give Lex Luthor during that period, but in terms of reading about a morally reprehensible character who uses their powerful business connections and force of personality to constantly stay one step ahead of the law, they're cut from the same cloth IMO. (I guess Kingpin might be a similar analogy but I've never read him in anything.)
I agree that the book is obviously meant to have a very morally-grey, noir-ish feel (and I can get into that style every now and then) but from what I read in the first three TPBs there wasn't much 'grey' about Red Crow. Unlike Dash who I agree has been very morally compromised but not to the extent that I'm not invested in his story, Red Crow is all 'black' IMO. I don't have a shred of compassion or sympathy for him and want him done and out of the book so Dash can encounter new adversaries and challenges. And that's a fatal attitude to have toward a character that gets as much page-time as Red Crow does.
Not hating on the rest of the book though which I agree is excellent.
From: Australia | Registered: Dec 2003
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Hmmm...I'm not sure how far the third trade goes, Blacula. Have you gotten to the part where the Hmong come to town? Red Crow has kind of a heroic moment in that arc. Also, the issue in which he's put in charge of Gina's journey to the afterlife (as part of the same arc, I think) is very telling.
I guess, well, I'm not a Sopranos fan...but if you like Tony Soprano, I think Red Crow has a very similar appeal. Bad Guy, but very relatable in a way. Then there's the "good guy" Agent Nitz--don't get me started on him!
Also, Dash and Red Crow are reminiscent slightly of Vinny Terranova and Sonny Steelgrave from a classic run of the old TV series Wiseguy. (Great, GREAT series!) Dash is a lot more gray (going into black) than Vinnie ever thought about being, though, especially as of the latest arc "The Gnawing".
Oh, and Scalped is definitely a finite series with a beginning, middle and end, so I wouldn't be on the lookout for Dash to "encounter new adversaries and challenges". Scalped is the story of Dash, Red Crow, Agent Nitz and the Prairie Rose Indian Reservation, pure and simple.
Yeah, if you want any really morally stand-up protagonists, Scalped definitely ain't the book for ya!
-------------------- "Suck it, depressos!"--M. Lash
From: The Underbelly of Society | Registered: Jul 2003
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^ Can't remember if I got to the Hmong arc but I'm pretty sure I haven't read the Gina afterlife story.
I'm sure I would find any attempts to 'humanise' Red Crow as 'too little, too late' anyway. It annoys me when writers set up a character as evil and then go all 'but look, he's not all bad because he misses his dead wife' or something. That doesn't cut it with me.
I think the revelations of Agent Nitz's true self were when I began to go sour on Scalped actually. As above, it seemed like one of those manipulative 'Look, Red Crow isn't that bad because the guy who's trying to put him in jail is WORSE!' kinda things.
From: Australia | Registered: Dec 2003
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quote:Originally posted by Fat Cramer: Hellblazer: Pandemonium by Jamie Delano and Jock.
The back cover of this book describes him as "silver-tongued con man, blue collar mage, sneering punk - ABSOLUTE BASTARD" - but he's about as far from absolute bastard in this story as he could get.
Attracted by a chador-clad woman in the British Museum, Constantine falls into a well-sprung trap and finds himself volunteered for a special mission in Iraq. A prisoner is causing unbelievable mental trauma for his interrogators and Constantine is the guy they want to sort it out.
He has no choice but to do the job - but manages to handle things in his own way, with little regard for military orders, policies or threats.
A trip to the underworld and a game of poker for souls (including his own) is a bit clichéd for this character, but that's neither the core nor the best part of the story.
Caught in a world of surveillance and brutality (different versions in London and Iraq), he acts with a hard compassion, matched with hard justice at the end. A dose of evil for the evil-doers and an extraction of reward for a couple of good guys delivers a satisfying ending.
I finally read Pandemonium last night, and I concur with FC. This is maybe the best Hellblazer story ever told, a must read, and completely accessible for those who don't follow the ongoing. Extra kudos to Jamie Delano for resisting the temptation to de-age Constantine.
posted
I spent some time in the Vertigo back issues boxes this weekend. I definitely recommend the Death: The High Cost of Living mini series from 1993, and Death: The Time of Your Life mini from 1996. Both are available in trade for reasonable prices. Gaiman and Bachalo do the honors on both. These are must haves for the Sandman completists, as they follow up on Hazel and Foxglove from the “Game of You Storyline”. Mad Hettie plays a big role in the 1993 series. For those not so well versed in Sandman, either of these series would be a good place to test the waters. They allow you to get a good feel for Death and they tell fairly complete three issue stories. Bachalo’s work on both is superior.
I also took on the monumental task of re-reading the “The Children’s Crusade”. This could be near impossible to track down for anyone who didn’t buy it off the racks. I don’t believe that it was ever collected. It was the Vertigo “event” from 1993. The story wound it’s way through two oversized bookend issues of the Children’s Crusade and five Vertigo annuals that year. The annuals included Black Orchid, Animal Man, Swamp Thing, Doom Patrol, and Arcana (which reintroduced Timothy Hunter). It’s imaginative and complex. It focused on the children from each of these series, and their journey to a mystical realm called Free Country. Free Country is a place where abused and exploited children go to escape from adults in the real world. Each chapter is dense. I loved every minute though. Re-reading this reminded me of how amazing Jamie Delano was in writing Buddy Baker’s daughter Maxine in the Animal Man series. My favorite chapter is the Swamp Thing annual, where Maxine takes on a protective role for Swamp Thing’s daughter Tefe. The series also features Gaiman’s Dead Boy Detectives who are a delight to read. If you ever get a chance, don’t be afraid to dive into this story. It’s well worth the time and expense.
-------------------- No regrets, Coyote.
From: Missouri | Registered: Oct 2003
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Ooh, I forgot all about the Children's Crusade! Never read it but always wanted to! It always slips my mind. I'll definitely hunt for it in the back issue binds if I can remember.
From: If you don't want my peaches, honey... | Registered: Sep 2003
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posted
I really enjoyed it - both the first time around and on the re-read. I'm partial to Vertigo of that era, though, and a huge fan of anything Gaiman does.
[ May 02, 2010, 09:11 PM: Message edited by: Jerry ]
-------------------- No regrets, Coyote.
From: Missouri | Registered: Oct 2003
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