Considering 2010: Comics

During 2010 the flow of comic books into my home took on a crazed life of its own. Marvel themselves provided me with a hefty supply of titles, but I also bought into plenty of graphic novels and continued to branch out into other publishers' work.

So, I think it makes the most sense to divvy up 2010 into what I most enjoyed from Marvel...and everything else.

MARVEL

Many years ago (before I was a freelancer) I toyed with the idea of telling the story behind Jeff Mace, the man who (via retcons) served as Captain America circa 1946-1950. I was fascinated at the idea that he was a normal man filling in for a believed-dead hero at a time when no one (including readers) cared about super heroes. Fortunately, Karl Kesel has finally told this story in Captain America: Patriot and he hit on every point I wanted to see covered. This book hits the notes of continuity perfectly (which as a handbook writer I'm still impressed by), but I felt it also did a fine job of characterizing Mace and his personal struggles filling a role he didn't really want for people who don't really want him. Also, Kesel's Sub-Mariner is an absolute delight.

I'm constantly impressed at the work editor Stephen Wacker does on Amazing Spider-Man, employing some of my personal favourite writers (Mark Waid, Fred Van Lente, Roger Stern, Dan Slott) and teams of excellent artists, most notably Marcos Martin. In recent issues, I was stunned to find how much I enjoyed Humberto Ramos' art, having been disappointed with his work almost a decade ago. However I felt about the Ramos of 2001, the Ramos of 2010 is worth following!

As part of a research assignment, I went over Peter David's X-Factor, which I don't normally follow. I already knew some of the details of his most recent storylines, but it was eye-opening to read them for myself. In particular the X-Factor Special: Layla Miller which detailed the young mutant Layla surviving in a totalitarian future, X-Factor#39 with the birth of Jaime Madrox's son and X-Factor#40 featuring Madrox's grapple with life were some of the best stories of David's on this title.

Like so many on the internet, I loved Roger Langridge & Chris Samnee's Thor: the Mighty Avenger, sadly cancelled after a mere 8 issues. Written in a stand-alone continuity intended to bring in fans of the upcoming movie (who will, I guess, get to buy the trade paperback anyway), this is the best Thor comic I've read in about 15 years. The gentle humour and fun characterizations are part of what makes it so engaging, but more than anything it's that Langridge takes nothing for granted - nothing. He doesn't waste the reader's time and he doesn't invest in characters or scenes that aren't worth investing in. Every page and every panel matter to the story, so they matter to me.

Avengers Academy is Christos N. Gage's new series to replace Avengers: the Initiative. The concept - superhuman teenagers considered potential super villains being taught to be heroes by the Avengers - has endless potential. Although the series spun out of the Initiative it's actually the spritual successor to Brian K. Vaughn's Runaways as a series about teenagers grappling with their morality.

Even though Greg Pak returned to Incredible Hulk last year, I felt it wasn't up to the standards of Pak's earlier Planet Hulk or World War Hulk. Well, with an exception: Incredible Hulk#611 in which the Hulk battles his son Skaar led to an exceptional pay-off not only for readers of Pak's work, but for anyone who followed Bill Mantlo or Peter David's Hulk.

Fred Van Lente is always good (and needs to get his Comic Book Comics to ship regularly), but I felt his best work in 2010 was on the mini-series Shadowland: Power Man, featuring a teenager who adopts Luke Cage's old "Power Man" handle, along with Cage's old "Hero for Hire" job. Van Lente crafts a believable picture of life in Harlem...or, at least, the Marvel Universe version of Harlem where you're as likely to meet a ninja as anything.

...EVERYTHING ELSE

Sticking with super heroes, I've been giving Grant Morrison a sober second look lately by trying out some of his most esteemed work. So far that's included All-Star Superman, WE3 and the beginning of his Animal Man. I'm definitely learning to appreciate his writing, although I prefer him on stand-alone projects rather than his shared universe work at Marvel and DC. All-Star Superman has at least three panels which struck me with their visual, emotional power; I want to see more of his work. I blogged some more about WE3 here.

2010 was also the year I discovered Joe Sacco via Palestine, Safe Area Gorazde and Footnotes in Gaza. With all the flat-out fiction I read, it's nice to experience something of the real world in my comics. Sacco's work has done a lot to educate me on Israel and Bosnia and inspired me to learn more; it also helped inspire me to commit myself to a mission in Angola for 2011. After all the suffering I witnessed in Sacco's books, I felt the need to get overseas and help people. I blogged some more about Palestine here.

From Sacco I took an interest in How to Understand Israel in 60 Days or Less by Sarah Glidden. This is an autobiographical story where the author goes on a birthright trip to Israel and confronts her prejudices about the Israelis. She never really confronts the issues about Palestine which formed her beliefs so her story's finish is a letdown...but that's real life, eh?

After promising myself for years that I would delve into Stan Sakai's Usagi Yojimbo, I finally took the plunge in 2010 and it's been providing me with some of the most consistently enjoyable stories on my bookshelf. With more than 20 volumes of trade paperbacks in print Usagi seems daunting to outsiders, but as fans in the know promised me, you can start almost anywhere in the series and find the story easy to flow into; I'm currently devouring the snake at both ends, working my way through the trades in order while buying the new issues as they ship.

The concept of a cat-man who solves crimes sounds simplistic, right? It is. What isn't is the art of Juanjo Guarnido, whose ability to render a lush, verisimilitudinous "funny animal" version of 50s noir made Blacksad an instant favourite. The fact that John Blacksad has whiskers is a tool to catch your attention, and it certainly worked on me. I'm eager to see more of Blacksad as it's translated. I blogged some more about Blacksad (and Usagi Yojimbo) here.

James Turner's Warlord of Io seems to have run its (troubled) course, drifting from serialized print format to electronic-only to trade paperback. It's much more plot driven than Turner's earlier Rex Libris, but the plot - video game crazy Zing being named emperor but facing an immediate coup - serves to introduce all sorts of fun characters, situations and opportunities for Turner to flex his artistic muscles. I blogged some more about Warlord of Io here.

Two of my favourite humourous writers came out with projects in 2010: Jim Rugg with his blaxploitation satire Afrodisiac and Bryan Lee O'Malley with Scott Pilgrim's Finest Hour. Actually, while Afrodisiac is straight-up satire on every page (to the point where you can predict the outcomes - Afrodisiac gets every woman because every woman wants him; lather, wash, repeat), O'Malley's final Scott Pilgrim took itself with a smidge of seriousness when it came to Pilgrim and Ramona Flowers' relationship (as in the previous volume).

I took a gamble on American Born Chinese, but considering it had already won a few awards, it seemed like a safe bet. This book collects seemingly-unconnected tales about people who want to be something other than what they are (notably the titular Chinese-American protagonist). I can't know how growing up Asian in a mostly-white society feels, but I empathized with the feelings of otherness and ultimately, it's why I read fiction - to gain insight into other people's experiences.

For decades now, Batton Lash has been producing Supernatural Law - currently on the web - yet it's seldom brought up in comic book circles and the collections are difficult to locate. Happily, I found the volume Sonovawitch! in which Wolff & Byrd, Counselors of the Macabre, represent a man accused of bewitching a woman to love him. In reality, he's a victim of his witch mother, who just wants her son to get married. Sonovawitch! is just one of the stories collected in that trade but it's typical of Wolff & Byrd's misadventures; I look forward to finding the rest of the series.

Finally, I delved into two well-described titles by John Ostrander: Grimjack and the Spectre. The Grimjack Omnibus was a nice little tome with interesting mash-ups of detective, horror, science fiction and comedy; my favourite was a story where Grimjack was hired by a vampire to catch his killer. Ostrander's Spectre may be the best of his work I've read; over 60 issues he delves into Jim Corrigan, a murdered police man bound to the spirit of vengeance, cursed to combat evil until he understands it. Corrigan's journey through the series, particularly his grief at losing his closest mortal friend, a fight with Superman that's unlike any I'd seen before, the character's philosophical and theological discussions with the level-headed Father Craemer and that final issue, with Corrigan's funeral...seek out the Spectre; back issues can be difficult to locate, but it's well worth the effort.

Tomorrow: books!

Warlord of Io has...wrapped?

I've written about Warlord of Io on this blog before; as a quick reminder, it was James Turner's next project after the conclusion of Rex Libris, but it didn't obtain enough orders in the direct market to continue printing after the first issue. To solve the problem, publisher Slave Labor Graphics began offering the issues as electronic downloads at their website.

Warlord of Io tells the story of Zing, youthful and newly-appointed emperor of the moon Io who is spectacularly unable to maintain his throne, facing a military junta. Zing is constantly out-of-touch with reality, trying to solve problems using video game logic.

So, last week the Warlord of Io trade paperback shipped. To my surprise, it contains material which had not been released before. At first I thought I had missed one of the issues on SLG, but I hadn't. In fact, half of the book is material which hasn't been seen before and it wraps up the entire storyline.

I had thought that Warlord of Io had a great set-up for stories which Turner could have taken years to tell, particularly since Zing is clearly in need of some personal growth before he's worthy of regaining his throne. The series also hosted numerous supporting characters, notably amongst the ranks of the antagonists. Dominaxa, for intsance, was clearly a character with more stories to tell.

So, it feels like Warlord of Io was short-changed by the market's indifferent reaction. Or perhaps Turner just feels that it's time to move on to the next project.

Regardless, now you can have the entirety of Warlord of Io in just one volume! Turner's art has come a long way, with increasing amounts of detail in his characters and backgrounds and his sense of humour is deft, not relying on insults or excessive pop culture references. Go pick it up!

Warlord of Io #2 is out!

Slave Labor Graphics' website has released Warlord of Io#2, the third chapter in James Turner's saga which began in Warlord of Io and Other Stories. As with issue #1, the comic is available as a pdf file you buy and download from the SLG site.

We pick up where issue #1 left off: recently deposed Emperor Zing who ruled Io for approximately one hour is being chased by members of the military coup who ousted him. His only allies are his bodyguard Urk and lady friend Moxy Comet. Zing's only hope is his faith in video game logic and the occasional stupidity of his pursuers.

Highlights in this epic space battle issue include suicide torpedoes who lack the incentive to give their lives; giant aliens who smuggle weapons by pretending they're toys; and instructions on how to defeat a capital starship: send them a space mail with a virus attached.

Warlord of Io#2 costs a measly $1 at Slave Labor Graphics! Buy it here

Another look at Warlord of Io

I spoke about the comic Warlord of Io and Other Stories before and described its unlucky fate due to shifting standards over at Diamond; I also described how I recently met James Turner and obtained a rare copy of his second story, simply titled Warlord of Io#1. This time, I'll discuss the most recent work.

Warlord of Io#1 contains the story begun in Warlord of Io and Other Stories. The well-meaning Zing has recently been appointed emperor of Io by his father and hopes to bring about sweeping reforms to impress his friend Moxy Comet. We pick up the story as Zing, Moxy and Zing's bodyguard Urk visit Tne, the wise old tree. Unfortunately, the military of Io are none too pleased by Zing's plan to cut their budget and are even now preparing a coup. Zing, Moxy and Urk must rely upon their wits...and on the stupidity of their opponents.

While the first issue was largely set-up, this time out Turner brings an all-out action issue set at a breezy pace as Zing applies video game logic to every crisis, important lessons are learned about Bobbleheds, Dazbog deletes Plotka as a Spacebook friend and Moxy learns why you shouldn't recharge your cell phone. Plus, the Encyclopedia feed from the previous story returns. Turner emphasized to me that (like the "director's commentary" in Rex Libris#1) it should really be ignored on the first read-through, it's meant to enhance repeated reading experiences.

There's a lot going on in the background of this story, from the wonderful cityscapes and creatures Turner designed to repeated references to the heroic Jon Jett, who is clearly being set up for a later appearance (or running gag). I think perhaps Turner's Hunter-Killer Cyclopbot could put it best: "Prodigious comic book! Luck astronomical! Fortune favors Warlord of Io readers!"

You can obtain a pdf copy of Warlord of Io#1 from Slave Labor Graphics.

Review: Warlord of Io and Other Stories

Today, I'm looking at another book I purchased at San Diego. Bear with me, there's a bit of background to get through first.

Slave Labor Graphics (SLG)'s Warlord of Io and Other Stories was the next project by James Turner following Rex Libris. Those of you who know me know that I love Rex Libris. You would assume that when Warlord of Io came out I would have been lined up for a copy and that's a fair assessment...except it didn't happen.

Sadly, I, like most comics readers, did not buy Warlord of Io. Not for lack of interest, but because I didn't know it existed until it was too late. I only learned of Rex Libris back in the day because of an ad banner at Comic Book Resources and somehow, SLG wasn't able to reach me this time - whatever promotion they had didn't penetrate to me so the first I heard of it was the week it was released.

Well, that might be problem for most comic fans but not me, surely? I have a fine local shop - Another Dimension - which stocks everything. I could simply get a shelf copy, right? Uh, or not.

Then the dire news broke from SLG: orders on Warlord of Io and Other Stories were so low that they could not continue the series. I was mortified; had I but known, I would have ensured that Warlord of Io was on my file, just as Rex Libris had been. The fate of Warlord of Io inspired a lot of internet commentary from the pundits, eager for stones to throw at Diamond or to promote their "print is dead" agenda. It's sad to think that this is the biggest news story James Turner's work has made on the internet. Me, I was one of the few who was genuinely upset to miss out on what I knew would have been a good thing.

I was so happy to see SLG at San Diego so that I could purchase a few of their items (yes, they have an internet store but...well, that's another story). And they complimented me for wearing my International Order of Librarians t-shirt. Now I finally had Warlord of Io; so, just what is the blamed thing anyway?

The main feature, Warlord of Io, introduces us to Prince Zing, son of Emperor Zong. When his father decides on an early retirement, Zing is promoted to the throne. Zing has no particular ambition, but just to impress his ladyfriend Moxy he decides he'll bring about sweeping democratic reforms for all the races he rules over and cut the military budget in half. The military of Io aren't too pleased with this, as you can assume. And so, a conflict is set up...

It looks as though Warlord of Io was being set up with a stable line of antagonists, unlike Rex Libris which changed villains with each storyarc. I sense that Turner was looking to develop a more linear story here than Libris and it would have been interesting to see it play out. It's also interesting to note the difference in his art. It's still unmistakably James Turner, but while Rex seemed to be built from Lego, Zing and Moxy are as round and pleasing as a Hanna-Barbera creation. Just as Rex Libris#1 featured a "director's commentary" at the bottom of the page that most people didn't like (I did), Warlord of Io runs an encyclopedia at the bottom of each page which explains something about the scenery or terminology. I have to say, this time I'm not into it; it distracts too much from the story at hand. Perhaps I'll enjoy it on repeat readings?

Then there's the "Other Stories" part of the equation. These include "Hell-Lost," a tale of competing demons done in the style of Turner's book Nil: A Land Beyond Belief. Then there's "The Democrat of Globcorp," "Tales of the Inanimate Chair," and "Supreme Commander Dan in Terror of the Tiki Space Pirates!" So you get a bit of the wackiness Turner delivered in Rex Libris; the latter three use art styles nearer to his Libris days as well.

Although I've taken a somewhat funereal tone in examining this book, I should note that it's not necessarily the end - SLG is offering a pdf download of what would have been the second issue. Will the series continue on the net or as a graphic novel? Perhaps. At any rate, I need to buy a copy now before I miss out again...