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Sorry, happy ending to those three volumes, lovers re-united and all that. There's a Volume 4 (out this month) taking it up to issue #24 but I think that's it for the series.
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Yeah, Vol #4 is the final volume of the series, bringing it to conclusion.
Glad you liked it, FC! I need to get Vol #3 and #4 and wrap up this excellent series.
From: If you don't want my peaches, honey... | Registered: Sep 2003
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When it came time to start putting together the second annual Comic Book Review Month, one of the really cool ideas to come out was from Fat Cramer who suggested a challenger to Legion World for someone to at last put together a solid review of Unwritten. Month and month out, all the readers of Unwritten (including myself) proclaim it as one of the best comic books in the industry but add in “it’s really difficult to even review it or explain it”. And that’s pretty true! But I figured I’d try anyway.
I caught up on the latest two issues, which helps move things along to the next storyline in which the three main characters are still on the run from the mysterious group hunting them, while also the authorities, and so journey across the pond to the United States to visit Herman Mellville’s old house which is in a town that is basically a big tribute to Moby Dick (this is true). This comic is a comic book thriving on metaphor and allegory and that comes into play here as Tommy, the lead character, is in search of his own white whale—namely the truth bringing together the entire series.
In fact, that helps me backtrack a little to the premise of the series. Keeping in mind the first thing mentioned—on how difficult it is to explain—I’ll try my best to sum it up very loosely. Tom Taylor is the lead character, whose father also wrote 14 Tommy Taylor novels that are very similar to Harry Potter, and achieved the same sort of crazy success. In fact, many fans think Tom Taylor actually *is* Tommy Taylor. As the series has progressed, we the readers are constantly asking ourselves that as well. This dovetails nicely into what the series is about, which is namely fiction vs. reality, and our own interpretation of what that means. It also focuses on the various story-telling methods and narrative structures in literature as the creators use them in varying ways, and the they are actually important to the story itself. When you look at the comic book Sandman, by Neil Gaiman, you can see it was a series about stories; that is entirely the case here, even moreso.
It’s much more complicated than that, but hey, you’ve got to read it to understand. But to whet your appetite: homes of authors come into play; locations used in novels that really exist come into play; Frankenstein has popped up; Nazi Propaganda man Josef Goebells played a part; and each story-arc has things like that. Writer Mike Carey and artist Peter Gross both provide layer upon layer in so many ways each issue. I can’t wait until it’s built up a solid 30 issues or so, so I can do a reread.
Meanwhile, getting back to the story at hand: as Tommy searches for answers, this story focuses more on the three characters and recent developments; namely, the revelations about Lizzie and a possible budding romance and the ramifications of the recent vampire attack on Savoy. I’m really glad to see this as once again it takes things back to character, so that while the awesome story and impressive story-telling feats remain, we get solid character moments as well.
The series has a huge sense of mystery to it; a sense of adventure as the lead characters venture off into new places; a sense of romance; a sense of danger as they are on the run; and a constantly building mythology that is fascinating and very smart.
This is a contender for best series in comic books. It’s smart and it’s unique.
From: If you don't want my peaches, honey... | Registered: Sep 2003
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American Vampire had yet another great issue, though it kind of serves as a break-up of the larger story as we re-focus back on Pearl & Henry and what they’ve been up to, while also learning the fate of Hattie from the first arc, which further ups the stakes of this story (no pun intended).
I’m really into the current story so I wish we could get back to it, but I am very curious as to how all the various facets & characters will interact as the storyline culminates.
Mateus Santoluco steps in as artist for this issue—is he here permanently? I really like Albuquerque so I hope not, though Santoluco does a great job. Both artists draw the American vampires as just over the top ferocious and crazy and it’s just really cool to see. Those images are downright scary!
Pearl is a terrific character and I’m enjoying her continued usage. The scene where she wonders what scares Henry—all the while we the readers see them having sex and her reverting to her grotesque vampire form to bite him—was well done.
From: If you don't want my peaches, honey... | Registered: Sep 2003
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While the overall plot(s) of House of Mystery roll along in the latest issues (revealing a few important secrets), it’s the usage of different story-telling techniques that continues to be the major draw of this series for me. In #32, Abel has the characters get involved in a murder mystery in the beginning of the story, which provides all sorts of fun scenes when they decide they’d rather start ad-libbing their own lines and taking things in their own direction. In #33, the short story told within (by Cain, so you know it will be out there) is really fantastic, and Sturges & Lloyd provide a creepy, ironic short story that makes sure the ending gives you both what you didn’t expect and a little of what you did expect. I love these little short stories, especially when they are offbeat and have the appearance of being nonsensical but are actually quite carefully crafted.
House of Mystery is still a series I’m enjoying quite a bit. It’s not the best Vertigo title—not on par with Fables or Unwritten or some of the recent cancelled/finished series—but it’s still a very solid read each month. It makes sure it’s very different from everything else and that variety is a huge plus for my reading enjoyment.
I found Poet (the younger version from his past before he died) hitting on Ann to be a really odd scene, even though it made sense story-wise. Ann is probably my favorite character, as who doesn’t love a female Pirate Captain whose love interest is a dragon?
From: If you don't want my peaches, honey... | Registered: Sep 2003
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Lardy, my sister put a message on my Facebook about Scalped which she just started reading--I made sure to give you proper credit for spreading the word! (In case you didn't see it).
From: If you don't want my peaches, honey... | Registered: Sep 2003
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Hellblazer continues to be top notch stuff. This month was a nice done-in-one to clear the air after the wedding stuff for the past six issues or so. John and Epiphany are deciding where to live, when John's apartment is targeted for development. Evicting John Constantine is never a good idea.
From: Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada | Registered: Sep 2004
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Final issue of "Joe the Barbarian" shipped yesterday. It was good story and had a satisfactory ending. I think the series could have been easily five issues instead of eight and had the same impact, and the delays were inexcusable, but all and all an enjoyable read.
From: Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada | Registered: Sep 2004
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Word from sdcc that Unwritten is going dooubletime for 10 months starting with #31... each month followed by a .5 issue that's both tangent to the main story and a seperate story thread in itself entitled "Tommy Taylor and The War of Words", in the vein of popular one-off stories we've seen previously. Other artists will contribute to the .5 issues.
Sounds ambitious, can't wait to see how it all plays out.
-------------------- "Anytime a good book like this is cancelled, I hope another Teen Titan is murdered." --Cobalt
"Anytime an awesome book like S6 is cancelled, I hope EVERY Titan is murdered." --Me
From: Up a Gumtree | Registered: Jul 2003
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Just want to voice an opinion I suspect all readers of American Vampire share, that the spin-off miniseries has been utterly kickass so far. Exquisitely written with incredible art, its an awesome blend of pulp, horror and war comics.
Meanwhile, the main title continues to be fantastic as well. I'm loving how the two series at once provide the two different WWII theaters, the Pacific and European. That's a lot of characters getting some screen time and Snyder makes them all interesting. Book's daughter and others will assuredly continue to play a big role in the main series and I'm enjoying their 'solo' adventure off to the side.
Also, the Phillipines vampires are hella-scary!
From: If you don't want my peaches, honey... | Registered: Sep 2003
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I finally got into the right mood and read a couple of Vertigo trades I'd bought on eBay lots a while ago based on the recommendation of one Mr. Cobaltus. These are the first two trades ("Haunted House" and "Easy Kill") of the latest Unknown Soldier series that was cancelled fairly recently.
In a word: wow.
Based on the first fourteen issues collected in those trades, Unknown Soldier deserved to be recognized as one of Vertigo's Elite series. Instead, it's sales were in the toilet, so it ended with issue 25.
This series is a combination of two essential elements: 1) the trappings of the classic DC character reimagined into a compelling mystery, not as to whom the title character is but as to how or why he's apparently been trained and programmed as a highly trained black ops soldier with him having no memory of same, and 2) the real world backdrop of Uganda circa 2002 amidst an insurgency rife with human rights violations.
It's the latter of these particularly that drew me into this book. While I had heard vaguely of such things as children being kidnapped and conditioned to become part of insurgent armies, I'd never heard of the LRA or Joseph Kony or of the Acholi or of Musevini. Writer Joshua Dysart educated me through his dramatizations about something that I suppose the news media doesn't find "sexy" enough to cover the way it should. It's absolutely horrifying to know that things like this happens in the real world. I mean, I knew it did, but to see specifics and know that what I was seeing dramatized here wasn't a stretch at all was disturbing in a way that pure fiction is not.
But on top of all that, Unknown Soldier is a great story with memorable, compelling characters. The title character is complex and conflicted. His wife, who becomes estranged from him thru the circumstances of the story, and an ex-CIA agent with some apparent knowledge of the Soldier's origin are his main supporting characters. Also prominent are an actress trying to bring attention to Uganda's conditions and a young boy who the Soldier rescues from the LRA's conscription. All of them draw you into the story and make you want to read more.
These volumes just feel like important and necessary reads. If you read them, I don't think you'll regret that you had, even though the images and the horrors within are all the more terrifying because they are based on truth. Utterly compelling reading.
I know after I finished both volumes, I looked up Kony and the LRA to find out what happened to them. We heard a lot about Bin Laden and Saddam Hussein, but even what those two have done may not compare to the horrors this man and his LRA terrorists have committed in Africa. And both are still on the loose and spreading their terror further and further.
My only regret is that I don't already have the two concluding volumes to read now. Well, that and that there aren't going to be any more.
I knew you would love it. It was a fantastic series on every level. I think maybe it was too heavy and intense for a lot of casual fans. But honestly even though it felt incredibly important there was never a sense of it being preachy. It had fantastic characters, an action-packed adventure feel and a badass tone and atmosphere.
By far one of the best series in years. Though I wish it went longer, it was a potent dose of comic book excellence while it was around and I hope others check it out.
Oh, and the Unknown Soldier continuity twists and turns at the end were awesome.
From: If you don't want my peaches, honey... | Registered: Sep 2003
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