Choker #6 – Review

By: Ben McCool (writer), Ben Templesmith (art) and Tom B. Long (letters)

The Story: Private Investigator Johnny Jackson has his final showdown with the mutant vampires and corrupt cops in Shotgun City.

Review: It might be cliché to point out the delays on this title, but those delays are very germane to this review.  The first issue came out in February 2010.  That was before I started writing for WCBR and still ran my own comic review blog.  Back then, I said that the art in Choker #1 was kick ass and that the story had promise.  I gave it a 7.2/10.

But, a lot of time has passed. Choker #4 came out in October 2010 and Choker #5 was in January 2011.  So, we’ve only had 2 issues of this comic in the last 18 months.  That’s enough time that anything but the broadest themes of the story have dribbled out of my mind.  I remember that there is this hard-boiled P.I. named Johnny Jackson.  Jackson is a former cop and is working on a series of grisly crimes committed by folks jacked up on some drug that turns them into kinda vampires.  Oh and corrupt police are involved and the corrupt police are using some kind of super-steroid called Man Plus.  That’s about all I remember.  What’s lost for me are all the little relationships among the characters that would make the climax of this issue strike an emotional chord.  I just can’t remember if I’m supposed to be cheering for Jackson’s Deena Pilgrim-esque partner??  I can’t remember if his sidekick is sympathetic or dorky?  I feel like I should be happy about the outcome, but it just didn’t resonate for me.

Now, it could be that this will read a lot better in trade.  And, I could go back an reread my single issues.  But honestly, with the backlog of comic material in my house, something has to be pretty damn special to elbow its way back onto the reading list as a refresher due to publishing delays. And I’m not sure Choker is that special.  It’s nice, but it’s simply not the greatest thing ever.  Certainly it isn’t good enough to kick my current back issue project (rereading ROM Spaceknight) to the side.

Pigs #5 – Review

By: Nate Cosby & Ben McCool (writers), Breno Tamura (artist), Kevin Colden & Jordie Bellaire (colors), Rus Wooton (letters)

The Story: A bunch of Cuban-born agents are trying to break into a prison to kill someone.

Three Things: 

1. I feel like I missed an issue! – This isn’t necessarily the writers’ fault.  I’m pushing 40, read a lot of comics and have a bajillion things going on in my life.  So I DO lose the plot thread of comics sometimes and it isn’t the writers’ fault.  That being said, I’m kinda lost and I’m sure I’m not the only one.  Here’s what I know about the series [SPOILERS]: The President’s arm gets cut off at some point and last issue these Cuban agents were killing a Congressman and his mistress.  So, I don’t understand why – in this issue – they’re trying to break into a prison to kill an inmate.  What does this have to do with the plot?  And there’s this Nazi inmate who seems important, but I don’t think I’ve seen him before.  When I harp on this kinda thing, there is always someone who pops up to give the answers in the comment thread and I’m not debating whether some people can keep track of the plot, but the writers need to do a better job of recapping the action if they want to sell this as a single issue comic.  I’m sure it’ll read better in collected form, but if you’re selling it to me as a single issue I must review it as a single issue.

2. I want to know about the severed arm, dammit! – This is mostly an issue with pacing of the series.  The first issue had that awesome reveal on the final page where we learned that somehow these Cuban agents had chopped off the arm of the US President.  That’s the mystery I want answers to.  I don’t really care about how some of the agents are more committed to the cause than others or any of their personal dynamics.  Further, I don’t see how this story is leading us toward the President.

Pigs #1 – Review

By: Nate Crosby & Ben McCool (writers), Breno Tamura (artist), Chris Sotomayor (colorist) & Rus Wooton (letters)

The Story: A possible Cold War era sleeper cell is activated in the United States.

What’s good: This is a tricky review because the big thing in this issue is what happens on the final page.  I’m not going to spoil it, but even with a warning that “something big happens on the final page”, I guarantee you will still say, “Oh Crap!” when you see it.  You see that final panel and you really want to know what happened to bring the action to that point and how the situation will be resolved.  I’m hooked.

There’s also the fact that this is a straight-up espionage story.  No superpower, no spandex, no women with huge chests….  We need some of this stuff.  It speaks really badly for the fanbase that the only genre of comic books that seems to be economically viable is superheroes.  Now, don’t get me wrong….I love superheroes too, but you need to have some comics around the house to show people when they snicker at your silly, little boy habit.  This is the comic equivalent of a Tom Clancy novel and lots of people read Tom Clancy novels.

Quick Hits Reviews – Week of April 6, 2011

 

Is there ever going to be a “light week” of comics again?  Seriously, have these companies see the sales numbers?  Try as we might, sometimes we cannot get to everything for a full review, thus….the Quick Hits Reviews….

Avengers: The Children’s Crusade #5 – This was my “pick of the week” and it really came out of the blue because you usually don’t expect a middle issue (i.e. 5 out of 9) to be anything too special.  But, this issue had great action as the Young Avengers (and a few “old” Avengers) tangle with Dr. Doom, some neat time-hopping courtesy of Iron Lad and the return of an iconic character to the Marvel Universe.  So, it get’s “full credit” for story.  And Jim Cheung’s art is just incredible.  Sure, this comic only ships every other month, but it looks like Cheung is doing twice as much work and I’ve had zero trouble keeping the story straight in my head during the wait between issues.  This is really worth jumping on, folks!  Just go get the back issues and ride along from here.  Grade: A

Who is Jake Ellis #3 – This is a good example of how to maintain momentum in a story as the creators hit issue 3 out of 5.  Because they sprinkled their mysteries with a lot of Jason Borne-action in issues #1 and #2, the reader isn’t bored by now with the titular mystery.  I’m still legitimately curious about who Jake is…..and who Jon is for that matter.  I also really like that there seem to be only two plausible explanations for Jake (that he is a figment of Jon’s imagination OR he is some other ghostly agent somehow grafted to Jon), but that both seem equally plausible.  This is just a really tight series and I love the art.  Nice job guys!  Also very happy to see that this has sold well enough that it’ll we’ll be getting more than just the five originally planned issues!  Grade: B+

Sweet Tooth #20 – Here’s a tip (and a minor SPOILER)….. if you are a character in a post-Apocalyptic story and you stumble across some kind of underground sanctuary that offers copious food and shelter AND it is only being occupied by a singular caretaker, you should probably run away, right?  Do you think you’re the first people that he has brought into his trap….ooopppps…..I mean “HOME”.  Again with this issue, Lemire is setting up another story that is probably going to have a kinda grim ending because….well…..it’s Sweet Tooth.  But, you just know it’ll be told with style and will tug at your emotions in a way that very few comics will.  I’m also loving seeing Sweet Tooth himself begin to asset himself a little more in his dealings with Jepperd.  He’s come a long way from his days in the woods.  Great art!  Grade: B+

Memoir #2 – Review

By: Ben McCool (writer), Nikki Cook (illustrator) and Tom B. Long (letters)

The Story: A writer continues investigating why a small town had its memories erased.

What’s Good: Creepy and unsettling.  That’s the best way to describe Memoir.  Last issue established all the basics for this story: small town where everyone lost their memories due to some sinister but mysterious “event” + writer has gone to investigate hoping to break the big story.  With that out of the way, McCool and Cook can really crank up the creepiness.

Once again we get fragmented images from the day of the event.  It’s unclear whose perspective these memories are from or what is going on, but the continuing mystery is unsettling as we see townsfolk running away from dudes in hazmat suits.  Interestingly, this is not the only mystery as there are also shadowy figures lurking around town.  It’s unclear who they are or what they want, but they seem evil.

Most of the story development comes from a meeting between our writer and the one person in town who seems to have kept his memories.  Of course, he can’t come right out and say what happened (that would spoil the story, huh?), but instead gives a chilling and confusing account of what happened to him on that fateful day.  The creators were obviously trying to create a feeling of unease in the reader and they succeeded with me.

Throughout the story, McCool does a very good job of playing to Nikki Cook’s strengths.  She really knows how to establish an uncomfortable air in a panel by using things like low camera angles, tight shots of character’s faces and when to go with a black background.  The most effective scene of the issue involves a weird girl in a hospital gown who is straight out of a Japanese horror film.  And, all of this is done in B&W which is so much more effective for this type of story.

Memoir #1 – Review

By: Ben McCool (writer), Nikki Cook (illustrations), Tom B. Long (letters)

The Story: A reporter visits a creepy town where everyone has lost their memory.

What’s Good: Yeah!  Black and White comics kick ass!  One of the hopes I have for the success of The Walking Dead is that it’ll make B&W comics a little more viable as fewer fans turn their noses up instinctively.  B&W actually works better for certain types of stories (in my opinion).  Anyone who has done photography knows that you get a level of contrast and atmosphere when you shoot B&W and comics are no different.  Basically, without the colors to make things look pretty your brain can focus like a laser on what is actually happening in a panel.  Plus, there’s also the fact that B&W comics are cheaper to produce and that lesser expense makes the break-even point easier to achieve for a creator-owned project like Memoir.  I wish more comic creators would think of why their comic needs color, rather than just retaining a colorist.

And what a creepy story McCool is telling here.  The basic concept is that this little town had an incident where everyone in the town lost their memory.  Since the accident, the townsfolk have mostly stayed in their town and now, 10 years later, a news reporter is entering the town to do a little investigative journalism.  What he finds is a creepy town that clearly has some ghastly secrets.  McCool isn’t copying from countless stories of “creepy small towns”, but he does seem aware that the reader is familiar with those stories and that makes it easier for him to establish the creep-factor without dumbing down his own story.

I talked about it a little above, but this comic would be very different with different art.  Nikki Cook’s art builds the creepy atmosphere to a very high level.  As you get further and further into this issue, the art gives you a real sense of foreboding that I’m sure is intentional.  I always think it’s a huge achievement when and artist can trigger an emotion in today’s desensitized reader!  Her art almost has you hearing a creepy soundtrack in your head and that’s a pretty rare thing.

Bonus: A GOOD John Cassiday cover!  I was really worried that he had lost his fastball after seeing his covers for Shadowland recently, but THIS is the guy who drew Planetary and Astonishing X-Men.  I wish we could get some interior work of this caliber.

Quick Hit Reviews – Week of Jan 5, 2011

Here at WCBR we all have pretty extensive pull lists.  Every week, despite our best efforts, there are a few comics that get read, but don’t get the full review treatment.  Without further ado…

Avengers: The Childrens Crusade #4 – I’m enjoying this series as much as anything with an Avenger’s tag on it.  The big news is that the Scarlet Witch is back…. kinda.  The story is lots of fun as we have Wiccan trying to save his mother and the rest of the Young Avengers trying to save Wiccan, while Wolverine tries to kill Wanda, etc.  Just really good stuff.  Cheung’s art is also just top shelf material.  He draws a great Wolverine.  The only thing that has me a little concerned is that this is issue 4 out of 9.  With a bimonthly schedule, it’ll be done around November-ish.  So far, this title has been fun enough that the continuity alarm isn’t going off, but I wonder if they’ll be able to sustain that feeling once Marvel cycles through their next FEAR ITSELF event.  Grade: A- — Dean Stell

Thanos Imperative: Devastation #1 – I had mixed feelings going into this issue.  For all the bitching and moaning from fanboys over Marvel scaling down their cosmic franchise, I kinda felt it was time.  I enjoyed the cosmic stuff, but didn’t think the Thanos Imperative was setting the world on fire.  It was a fine miniseries, but nothing that screamed: You must continue to tell cosmic stories!!!!!  So, I figured this one-shot would be a kind of death-rattle for the cosmic line-up.  WRONG!  It was really awesome!  The basic story is that Cosmo the dog is carrying out the last wishes of Starlord (Peter Quill who died at the end of Thanos Imperative).  Peter had urged Cosmo to continue the Guardians of the Galaxy, but with heavy hitters and not the cast offs that the Guardians were.  So Cosmo ropes in Gladiator, Silver Surfer, Beta Ray Bill and a few other A-listers to form a few team.  I’m excited.  The only thing holding this issue back from getting an A was the art.  I just don’t think this is what Sepulveda was born to draw.  Grade: A- —  Dean Stell

Choker #5 – I quite enjoy the Bens (McCool and Templesmith) miniseries from Image and think it’ll be a great read in trade.  We’re really close to the final resolution of this series and while I’m (honestly) a little confused by some of the machinations going on and who is who, I’m still enjoying it. Templesmith’s art is just one of a kind and is perfect for this type of dark noir infused tale of steroids gone overboard.  The corpse vacuum even makes a return!   The thing hurting this series is the release schedule.  It’s not realistic to say, “they should have all 6 issues in the can before they solicit the comic at all” because the creators kinda need that cash flow to finance the creation of the next issue.  I just wish that the single issue buyers who are at least partially funding the creation of the art got a less punctuated reading experience than the folks who kept their money in their pocket and waited for the trade.  We should get a better experience than the folks who sat on their wallet, but we don’t.  That just seems backwards to me.  Grade: B — Dean Stell

Iron Man – Thor #3 – This comic was pretty good as we see Tony Stark trying to resist the High Evolutionary’s grand plan to make Tony a new “God” and then Thor gets into the act.  I think this would be fun if you just absolutely need more Thor or Iron Man in your life and Eaton’s art is really nice to look at.  The biggest negative for me in this issue is how the heck Diablo got powered up to the point where he could hang with Iron Man, Thor and the High Evolutionary.  He is a a career B-lister who got taken out by Black Cat a few months ago in ASM.  There’s nothing wrong with this comic, but it is an average Big 2 superhero comic.  Grade: C  — Dean Stell

CBLDF Liberty Annual 2010 – Review

By: Various including Darick Robertson, Fabio Moon, Gabriel Ba, Garth Ennis, Paul Pope, Evan Dorkin, Rob Liefeld, Gail Simone, Scott Morse, Geoff Johns, Scott Kolins, Brian Azzarello, Frank Miller, Terry Moore, Jeff Smith, Skottie Young, Jimmy Palmiotti, Amanda Conner, Ben McCool, Billy Tucci, Larry Marder and more

The Story: Comic creators collaborate on an anthology comic to raise money to protect free speech!

What’s Good: You know what’s good: free speech!  Too often the term “free speech” is only thought of as it applies to journalists, but as soon as you start eroding artists abilities to portray their art in whatever why they please because some people find it distasteful, you start to threaten some of the essential liberties that are part of what it means to be human (much less American).  There are places in the world where people cannot say and print what they please and there are people in the good old USA who occasionally give a comic shop a hard time about displaying comics with – gasp – wanton violence or – double gasp – naked people or – triple gasp – naked people doing naughty things! And by “hard time” we mean “take the comic shop to court”.  The Comic Book Legal Defense Fund is a non-profit that helps comic shops and creators defend themselves against such intrusions into free speech and every so often they put out an Annual to raise awareness and money.