Kings Watch #4 – Review

by Jeff Parker (Writer), Marc Laming (Artist), Jordan Boyd (Colorist)

The Story: Ming comes out of the gate, ready to integrate Earth to his empire, whether its population wants to or not.

The Review: Revamping characters has got to be a rather hard task. Whenever a character needs to be updated for a newer audience, there is always the need to preserve what has been unique to the character while removing the elements that might not be working as well today. Some characters, in many ways, do tend to translate well to a modern audience thanks to a good imagination and some solid concepts behind them, but not all character are so lucky.

It’s why it’s rather impressive to see that Jeff Parker has successfully brought back some older pulp character to the forefront without removing much of what made them likable to begin with. In Kings Watch, parts of the fun was the merging of old-school sensibilities with newer methods to push forward some characters that were definitely simple back in what some might call ”the good old days”. However, with the way the story got bigger with each issues, how could Parker actually continue in a way that could keep up with the conflict without sacrificing any of the previous strengths?

The writer mostly find a way. Without being a perfect continuation to this rise in terms of threat, the opening of the issue as well as the ways the trio of protagonists deals with the army from Mongo does make for an interesting continuation of the story.

The threat that Ming represent is made clear in this issue, bringing in various humanoid beasts, aliens and some clever additions and changes in the battlefield that is the Earth that allows for the heroes to shine in various ways. The way their army and their technology makes them a superior force to reckon with makes it so the stakes are big, but also indubitably clear. Those are the kind of problems that super heroes are there for.

Red Sonja #7 – Review

by Gail Simone (Writer), Walter Geovani (Artist), Adriano Lucas (Colorist)

The Story: It must take a mean chef to make sure human flesh is worthy of fine cuisine.

The Review: It has been a while since we last saw an issue of this title. With the conclusion of the first arc being actually sound in term of quality, the wait was not exactly the best of things for those who had been won over by Simone’s portrayal of the she-devil with a sword. However, with the beginning of a new arc, does Simone bring enough to sate those whose patience was starting to grow weary?

It is a quality return, that’s for sure, as the more nuanced and definitely entertaining version of the character return in full form, with a mission that is actually quite original and also full of potential as far as story goes.

What works quite well here is the new depths that Simone adds to the character. Adding quite a lot of humanity to Sonja, the motivation behind her quest is a rather noble one, which does work very well in contrast to her methods and her demeanour. The complexity between her rude behaviour and her desire to not inflict violence unless it is absolutely necessary adds a good bit of nuance that makes her an interesting lead. Her reactions, her actions and her code makes for a titular character that can still surprise readers, which makes her more and more compelling with close to every issues being released.

Red Sonja #6 – Review

by Gail Simone (Writer), Walter Geovani (Artist), Adriano Lucas (Colorist)

The Story: As the true culprit of every evils that has befallen the town and Red Sonja lets itself be known, it is time for a little savagery from the warrior woman herself.

The Review: Well played Gail Simone, well played indeed. I’ll be honest here and actually say that I’ve been taken by surprise by this issue and its quality. There are always time when a series become a bit tedious, not because of a lack of quality but only because of a certain lowering of the readers excitation. Gail Simone on this title seemed like it was a match made in heaven, yet the series never did seem to be on the same level I thought it could reach someday. The previous issues were very competent in many regards, yet they did not impress me in the best of ways in a lot of areas.

It seem that this issue does a lot of things in order to circumvent my initial impression of this series, with Gail Simone working very thoroughly in order to not only bring this story to a close in a great way, but provide plenty of opportunity for twists and turns along the way.

One the better aspects of this issue, which had been a staple of the series so far is how Simone writes Red Sonja herself, making her much more than just a mere bloodthirsty barbarian out for battle and alcohol. In this issue, every single nuances is brought forth, with her thirst for vengeance, her personal code, her beliefs, her past and most of everything that can make her an interesting protagonist is present. Being presented in a more nuanced way, Sonja ends up being not only interesting and important, but also serves as a good window to the world Simone has built.

Kings Watch #3 – Review

by Jeff Parker (Writer), Marc Laming (Artist), Jordan Boyd (Colorist)

The Story: The protagonists finally band together as the secret of the Kings Watch stands revealed.

The Review: Patience is a virtue that I can be lacking sometimes. In a world where everyone wants everything straight away, these kind of thoughts tend to parasite things we enjoy among a multitude of others. While I am a fan of Jeff Parker, I was getting a bit tired of this mini-series, with how disconnected some of the events could seem and how its three protagonists did not seem to do much beside explain one or two points in each issues. It wasn’t tedious or boring, yet I had seen Jeff Parker write much better comics than this.

Well, it seems my impatience has been unjustly rewarded as the third issue of this series is where not only everything connects, but it also give plenty of rather entertaining and awesome moments for either fans of the characters and those that wish to know a little bit more about them.

One of the rather great elements of this issue is the sensation of spectacle, as there are some introductions and display of major players and what they can do, all done in impressive and satisfactory ways here. Mandrake the magician, the legacy of the Phantom, the secret of the Kings Watch, Ming the merciless and other such concepts are presented in ways that are rather big and expansive. It’s a bit reminiscent of modern super hero comics in a way, as reveals here are treated as results of huge buildup, which is what this story does in a lot of pages. In terms of action and development, it is a ton of fun.

Red Sonja #5 – Review

by Gail Simone (Writer), Walter Geovani (Artist), Adriano Lucas (Colorist)

The Story: Sonja gets cured as she prepares to finally meet Annissia in battle.

The Review: There are certain times when any reader begin to question why exactly he or she is following a certain writer or artist. That particular person may have made some spectacular work before, getting loyalty from a good deal of potential buyers in the process, yet there will always be weaker or stronger work depending on the subject and character. I rather like Gail Simone, thanks to her work on titles like Secret Six and the first volume of Birds of Prey, yet I can’t say I am her biggest fan, with what she is writing right now not exactly doing it for me. I am rather uninterested by Batgirl and The Movement, yet I know that she can do some really great work.

This is the mindset in which I read Red Sonja, with a lot of elements being rather good and fitting with the voice Simone has established for herself as a writer, yet there’s just something missing to make it something absolutely enjoyable and memorable.

King’s Watch #2 – Review

Jeff Parker (Writer), Marc Laming (Artist) Jordan Boyd (Colorist)

The Story: The Phantom learn more about what is going on about the Kings Watch, while Flash gets attacked by the Cobra.

The Review: Old characters still hold some kind of charm, don’t they? After all, the most iconic of super heroes all picked up one or several elements from pulp characters or other old tales in their conception, as traces of the Shadow and Zorro can be seen in Batman, some bits of Mandrake the magician can be seen in Dr. Strange and the list goes on. They may not be the most seriously taken characters nowadays thanks to some of most silly aspects that are attributed to them (like the Phantom’s costume), but for some they hold a cherished place in the collective consciousness of comic readers.

It seems they hold a dear place to Jeff Parker’s heart as well, as he seems to not only respect the origin of those characters, but also manage to bring them to modern time without making them look ridiculous or dated. It would be particularly tough to see the Phantom as an effective and threatening figure, yet Parker seem to succeed as he build on many elements of his mythos to bring the story up to speed while adding flavour to the ongoing narrative. The same also goes with Flash Gordon, a character mostly know for the serials that would nowadays look quite dated, as he participates in the action, showing what makes him special without destroying the tale in the process.

Red Sonja #2 – Review

Gail Simone (Writer), Walter Geovani (Artist), Adriano Lucas (Colorist)

The Story: Red Sonja tries to defend a village from Dark Annisia as she learn a great deal about what is happening to others and herself.

The Review: The propensity to surprise is not something that many writers have the ability to create very often. In a world where perhaps hundreds of stories are produced each and every day, originality and the potential to twist the audience expectation is not something that everyone can pull off.

Thankfully, Gail Simone is not a run-of-the-mill writer, as she do know how to build up a situation, only to subvert it for the readers pleasure. What she has done, in this issue, is construct a premise that could have very well offered a potent, yet unsurprising premise for a sword and sorcery title, only to reveal some key information at the right time, creating a delightful plot twist that bodes well for the future of this title.

The issue opens where the first one left off, as the conflict between the invaders and the village that Red Sonja is trying to defend open. Right off the bat, Simone goes a bit deeper in the first scenes of the previous comic as we get some explanation of just what kind of character Dark Annisia is. What we get from this character is something strange, yet compelling as this new character starts off as a clear foe, yet evolve into something more as the story develops and the connection between Sonja and her is explained. The evolution of the situation from the readers grasp is something that is handled well and that promise more from that specific character, which is something to look forward to.

Red Sonja #1 – Review

Gail Simone (Writer), Walter Geovani (Artist), Adriano Lucas (Colorist)

The Story: To settle a debt of honor, Red Sonja has to train poor villagers how to defend themselves from a brutal horde in a few days.

The Review: I have to confess, I didn’t particularly have high expectations out of this one. It is a sad thing to say, but I have close to no knowledge of who Red Sonja is and what she does, as her character, to me, consist mainly of being a epitome of fanservice. Let’s face it, to those left in the dark, a woman clothed in the thinnest of armour that leaves pretty much nothing to the imagination may lead a lot of readers to think so about the character. The only reason I was interested to begin with, beside the fact that I do rather like the sword and sorcery genre, was that Gail Simone, the writer who brought us the delightful Secret Six was going to be the one telling us stories with this character. With the knowledge that she is quite talented when it comes to strong female characters and female-centric book, could she be the one to make me see the character in a different light?

It is, much to my surprise, pretty much what she did. Not only is Red Sonja a character that has many facets, which Simone manage to show us here, but she also does so in a way that makes it interesting for the readers to explore further. She is a brute, a savage with a sword that can beat most without even thinking about it, yet also able to show mercy and compassion during a fight. She can be bashful and without any reservation, yet has a personal level of honor that shows she has a code even though her violent tendencies may lead otherwise. In the very first issue of this first volume, Simone shows us just who is Red Sonja in a way that feels compelling, proving that she is much more than mere eye candy. I have no problem saying that my initial thoughts on the character were wrong and that thanks to Simone, I have seen the error of my way. The bikini armour may still be there, but the character filling it is interesting.

Game of Thrones #7 – Quick Review

By: George R.R. Martin (story), Daniel Abraham (adaptation), Tommy Patterson (art), Marshall Dillon (letters) & Ivan Nunes (colors)

The Story: About midway through the first novel we find the Imp hanging out with the Night Watch and Ned Stark in King’s Landing.

Quick Review: Now that the second season of HBO’s excellent Game of Thrones TV show is underway, it makes sense to touch base with the comic adaptation of the first novel in George R.R. Martin’s Song of Ice and Fire series.

The story itself kinda “it is what it is.”  This is a straight adaptation from the novels, so there aren’t any surprises to be found.  Adapting a novel like GoT is always going to be tricky because knowing what to include, what to leave out and when to add breaks between issues is always going to be an inexact science.  Much like Marvel’s adaptation of Stephen King novels, this comic is kinda written for a whole different audience than the “Wednesday crowd.”  This is a comic to have on your pull list to share with a significant other or family members who have enjoyed the TV show or the novels.  Plus, it’ll make a splendid collected edition someday that’ll sell well in the bookstore.

A Game of Thrones #1 – Review

By: George R.R. Martin (story), Daniel Abraham (comic script adaptation), Tommy Patterson (art), Marshall Dillon (letters) and Ivan Nunes (colors)

The Story: Dynamite is kinda big on their licensed properties, so it’s not surprising to see a comic adaptation of A Game of Thrones in the wake of the successful HBO series.

Review: A couple of caveats that I should toss out first. One, I’m not usually a big fan of comics based on licensed materials whether they are new material (like Star Wars) or adaptations of existing media properties (like The Stand).  They just tend to not be my thing, but I wanted to pick this up to see Tommy Patterson’s art because Tommy is a twitter buddy of mine (and a wonderfully funny dude).  So, that’s caveat #2– I have a bias toward one of the creators.

It makes me happy to say that I think Patterson’s art is the best thing in this issue.  He accomplishes “basic task #1,” which is to make most of the characters look distinctive.  That’s no small task when you can’t put a character in Iron Man armor or have one be Hulk-shaped and you have to get all of your character designs approved by George R.R. Martin (as I’m pretty sure Patterson did).  Let’s just say that drawing a story like Game of Thrones is challenging for an artist.  He also gets an appropriate amount of storytelling and action into the panels.

I’ve heard a couple of complaints from the blogosphere and podcast universe about how the characters don’t look the same as the HBO series.  I actually think that’s a good thing because I can’t see any point in doing an adaptation of the novel that looks the same as TV series.  If you were going to do that, you might as well just do a fumetti story.  So, this was different, and it did a few clever things with some characters that the HBO series couldn’t do due to budget constraints.  And, there’s also the fact that HBO is only in ~9MM households, so despite the creative class thinking that everyone watches HBO, a lot more people have read the novels than seen the series.

I will say that I don’t think the coloring is doing this issue any favors.  Frankly, I’d have preferred to just see Patterson’s inks in the first portion of the issue that takes place in Winterfell.  The colors just make those scenes a little too bright and shiny and aren’t appropriate.

As for the story, I’ve enjoyed the novels and the HBO series, so I kinda know what will come next.  It wasn’t the smoothest flowing narrative, but adapting a novel to comic form isn’t easy.

Conclusion: If you’re a fan of the novel, this will be a fun graphic adaptation with nice linework.  It isn’t going to set the world on fire, but you could find much worse things to read.

Grade: B-

-Dean Stell

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John Carter: A Princess of Mars #1 of 5 – Review

By: Roger Langridge (writer), Filipe Andrade (artist), Sunny Cho (colors), Sana Amanat (editor), Edgar Rice Burroughs (creator)

The Story: John Carter is the captive of the green men of Mars and must learn their language.

Some Comments Before the Review: I am a long-time Barsoom fan. I discovered John Carter through Marvel’s excellent 1977 series, which led me to Burroughs’ novels and to novel-reading in general. For this reason, I am also reading and reviewing Dynamite’s excellent “Warlord of Mars”, “Dejah Thoris” and “Fall of Barsoom.” Literature is often described as a dialogue, where one creative vision responds, positively or negatively, to another. I’m approaching Marvel’s all-ages “Princess of Mars” as a part of that ongoing conversation.

The Review: The most striking creative choice in this issue is, hands down, the art style. Andrade’s style is so different, in its approach to perspective, exaggeration, anatomy, and polished roughness, that at no point can the other parts of the book be disentangled from it. Andrade’s art is, without reference to positive or negative, fascinating. I found myself questioning both the artist’s motives for creative choices, as well as the editor’s for having chosen such a style. John Carter is an exaggerated, cartoony figure that reminded me equally of the angularity of some of the stringy physiognomies of Heavy Metal’s European works, mixed with Disney’s Hercules. Dejah Thoris is not the incomparable daughter of Helium in her awesome beauty, but something closer to an art nouveau 1920s flapper in faux-futuristic wear. Tars Tarkas appeared (and sounded) priestly and sage rather than fearsome, and the Tharks overall borrowed an insectoid flavor for their hands and posture. I was unsure if this was a strikingly creative character-design choice or whether this was a further exploration of the exaggeration of posture and anatomy for style’s sake. And I think this nailed down for me the central artistic tension I felt. I’ve read unreliable narrators. I now feel I’ve seen an unreliable artist, who makes me question or distrust what I’ve seen. This is not the same charm as a beautifully drawn figure or action sequence, but it is an element of fascination nonetheless and a volley in the stylistic conversation of how Carter has been depicted before.

Kato Origins #9 – Review

By: Jai Nitz (writer), Colton Worley (pencils and inks), Carlos Lopez (colors), Joseph Rybandt (editor)

The Story: The Hellfire Club: Kato is disguised as the Prince of Siam to penetrate the Hellfire Club in an investigation. While there, the butler is killed. Kato investigates it all in his own inimitable style, despite interruptions.

What’s Good: On the art, what really jumped out at me was Worley’s more innovative layouts. Right on page two, the dead butler’s hand intrudes on other panels. On page four, the action spills out again. And on page six, the reactions of everyone to a quick and one-sided fight are fanned out like the feathers on a peacock. Coming as it did between pages of more standard layouts, these shifts definitely hit between the eyes in a good way. Worley was equally strong on action and picking dramatic and powerful camera angles. On the draftsmanship, I obviously continue to enjoy the Kato origins art team.

Writing-wise, Nitz didn’t give us any Kato-esque metaphorical or symbolic musings this issue, but that may have been because those are more suited to times when Kato is alone and being ninja-like. Instead, Nitz treats us to a bit of cultural tourism (or voyeurism, or a sense of coming home, depending on what your thing is) through the inside of a rich swinger and BDSM club of the 1940s where somebody is up to something (no, not that way…well, ok, some people are up to….nevermind). The character sketches of the inhabitants of the Hellfire Club are done with extreme economy: a few words to describe each one, but enough words to give a strong picture. This is the mark of a writer who knows how to focus in on memorable images that define characters for the reader. The best compliment I can give Nitz on these great micro-character studies is that he makes it look easy.

Quick Hit Reviews Week of Feb. 16, 2011

Some weeks it is just insane how many comics get published.  Despite the intrepid efforts of our writing staff here at WCBR, we simply can’t do a full review of every comic.  Thus, we bring you the quick-hit reviews where we say a few words about some comics that were pretty darn good and some others that are not so much…

Silver Surfer #1 – The story here is pretty good stuff.  It isn’t the best story ever regarding the Surfer, but a very solid story involving Earthly affairs with a surprising guest starring role from the High Evolutionary.  This action seems to dovetail with the High Evolutionary story occurring in the Iron Man – Thor miniseries from Abnett & Lanning.  What really puts this issue over the top is the art.  Stephen Segovia and Victor Olazaba do an awesome job drawing and inking (especially inking) the Surfer and Wil Quintana contributes great cosmic colors.  I am trying to pare down my “non-essential” Marvel titles, but this display of art will probably have me sticking around.  Grade: A-  — Dean Stell

Wolverine & Jubilee #2 – This is a great series so far that casts Wolverine in his best role: as mentor to a younger hero.  Not only is this my favorite role for Wolverine, but it has always been the best way to bring new members into the X-universe.  Jubilee isn’t new, but she is in a new “role” as she adapts to her vampiric powers (which we learn more about in this issue).  Kathryn Immonen even works in some very funny bits such as Wolverine’s revelation that one can apparently get one’s tongue stuck to Colossus if it is really cold outside.  I DEMAND that that story be in the next Strange Tales!  This issue is also telling a neat story that shows Logan and Jubilee finding zombies in Siberia and it would have gotten a better grade if not for a wholly confusing final page.  Seriously, the final page made me wonder if there was a printing error and I’d missed something.  Phil Noto’s art is again wonderfully pretty.  He draws such pretty eyes on his women.  Grade: B+  — Dean Stell

Venom/Deadpool #1 – No character but Deadpool could pull off a comic like this, and I highly doubt that many writers other than Remender could have written it. This fourth-wall slaughtering romp through the Marvel U is a great deal of fun, with in-jokes, creative references and absurdity to spare. The artwork is big and bold (as well it should be for this kind of a tale) and the story itself–Deadpool is on a quest to find the Continuity Cube, thus making himself the single most relevant character in the Marvel Universe–is a very funny concept that both Remender and Moll execute very well. I must admit, I’m glad I bought the single, $2.99 comic rather than trying to piece together the four mini-chapters that were spread out over four different books. The story is good enough, and fun enough, that $2.99 feels just about right. Any more cost–or effort–than that would be a little much though, even for a ‘Pool-addict like myself.  Grade: B    — SoldierHawk

Justice League of America #54 – What a difference new art makes!  Bagley’s time on this title was pretty drab, but I really, REALLY like the work that Brett Booth is doing in this issue.  Booth’s classic figures (with a beautiful fine line from inker Norm Rapmund) combines really well with Andrew Dalhouse’s understated colors.  I so enjoy this muted color scheme to brilliant and shiny colors.  The story is pretty good too showing Eclipso coming “back” and beginning to recruit shadow-powered villains.  Very little actual JLA in this issue, but that’s fine.  Hopefully this is the arc where James Robinson’s turn on the series finds its footing.  Very promising.  Grade: B  — Dean Stell

Captain America: Man Out of Time #4 – This series continues to be a wonderful character showcase for Steve, and a more overarching look at his current relevance to the Marvel Universe. I especially like Cap’s being forced to face the less-savory parts of American history he’s missed (rather breezily–or perhaps, very calculatingly–passed over by Tony Stark’s version of the temporal tour.) I am and always will be a huge Tony Stark fan, so the contrast we see between his America, and General Simon’s America, was fascinating, and a lot of fun to read. My only complaint is that, in this issue especially (and mostly for the sake of pushing the story along), Steve seems awfully naive. I understand that both he and the 40s are supposed to represent a more innocent and morally straightforward time, but…c’mon. Cap’s a soldier. He fought the Nazis for crying out loud. He’s seen the absolute worst of what humanity has to offer…and he’s really THAT shocked by the fact that, yes, crime and Bad Things still exist in America today? I do understand why he might be disappointed, but Waid and company spend far too much time milking that for the sake of a larger message.  Grade: B-   — SoldierHawk

Kato Origins #1: Way Of The Ninja – Review

By: Jai Nitz (writer), Colton Worley (pencils and inks), Romulo Fajardo Jr. (colors), Joe Rybandt (editor)

The Story: Way of the Ninja, Part One: The police come to the home of the Green Hornet to ask Kato for help. A Korean grocer has been killed, and they need a steady hand doing translation. Britt (the Green Hornet) tells Kato to go, despite knowing that Kato is Japanese and can’t speak Korean. Kato finds a whole lot of racism (this is just after Pearl Harbor), a beautiful woman, a dead Korean with broken fingers, and a message that makes this whole case look a whole lot more personal that he thought.

What’s Good: This is a very sophisticated story. The action is gritty and noir. The panel layouts are brisk and dynamic, and despite the fascinating and insightful monologue by Kato, the narrative almost feels terse. The art says a lot through body language (check out the detective pulling Kato towards the corpse, or the tense altercation with McLaughlin) and facial expressions (look at Kato’s expressions as he looks at the body – there is menace in his curiosity, a bubbling anger that complements the ironic narrative). The fight sequences are awesome, with silent panels showing panicked, strobed movement before loud blows land and decide the outcomes. Worley and Fajardo do brilliant work of making us feel the setting, the emotions and the action in equal measure.

Battlefields: Tankies #1 – Review

by Garth Ennis (writer), Carlos Ezquerra (pencils), Hector Ezquerra (ink), Tony Avina (colors), and Simon Bowland (letters)

Story: The last of Garth Ennis’ Battlefields stories begins, following a British tank-crew as the Allies push into Germany late into the Second World War.

The Good: Not unlike the rest of the Battlefields stories, Garth Ennis’ writing is spot-on and he’s obviously doing something he loves in telling these war stories.  If there’s one thing that “Tankies” delivers in writing-wise, it’s authenticity.  The on-field commands and terminology feel well-researched and the combat looks realistic and accurate.  Even the casual dialogue feels authentic, as Ennis does a great job of showing the wide cross-section of Great Britain that took part in the war, with the various regional accents being well-portrayed and the interactions between Englishmen of various class or area being well-done.

Ennis also does a great job of, once again, portraying the brutality of war.  The gore is shocking, yet realistic, and the fear the men feel is all too real (the Tiger tank feels truly terrifying, both as specter and unstoppable killer).  The theme of the “German soldier with his back against the wall” is well done and the “take no prisoners” response of the English is equally desolate.  War is clearly a back and forth exchange of escalation, and Ennis shows that escalation can become a matter of emotion and brutality, not being restricted to weapons technology and tactics.

The art is well done and highly detailed and is a good fit for a war comic.  The tanks look great, the explosions look great, and Ezquerra clearly has a talent for drawing the faces of men who are terrified and/or desperate.

The Bad: Honestly, the worst thing about this story is that it had to follow “Dear, Billy.”  That story was one of the greatest things Ennis has ever written and so, by comparison, anything will look bad.  Tankies, thus far, just isn’t as deep as its predecessor.  It looks to be mostly about action and things blowing up in historically accurate fashion, and that just makes it a much simpler comic.

I guess at this point, I just don’t feel that there’s that much to this comic right now.  It’s not bad, it’s just not near as good as its predecessors.    Also, the characters don’t seem to carry the same level of depth or individuality.

Lastly, art-wise, I find some of Ezquerra’s blood splashes to be a little too….thick?  Honestly, there are a few frames where it looks more like lava than blood.

Bottom-line: If you’ve been following Battlefields, you’ll be disappointed by this one, which isn’t to say that it isn’t good (it is), it’s just not exceptional.  It’s still rock solid and authenticity is the name of the game here, but it’s just not as moving and not as complex, and I didn’t feel the same connections with the characters that I felt in past Battlefields comics.  It’s still very good, and while a lot of fun was gained thanks to the action and obvious research, that fun came at the cost of something more intangible.

Final Grade: B-

by Alex Evans

Battlefields: Dear Billy #3 (of3) – Review

By Garth Ennis (writer) Peter Snejbjerg (pencils, inks) Rob Steen (colors).

The Story: Since this is the first review of a three-part series, and the final installment in it, please allow, dear WCBR reader, for me to delve into the general story of the entire Battlefields: Dear Billy title.

This series stars an English nurse named Carrie who survives the worst kind of abuse by the hands of her Japanese captors during the second world war. The way she processes her pain, in both sickening and beautiful ways, fuels this brief but memorable story. Her rotating roles of both hero and villain, victim and oppressor, add depth and realism to this story that is rarely found in any literary medium, let alone comic books. In these pages, Garth Ennis does an almost unspeakable  job of displaying the human condition in all its glory and all its dirt, with all its warts and with all its halos.

What’s  Good: There is noting wrong in the slightest with this comic. It should be studied and emulated. Ennis’ prose is uncannily subtle and powerful. One can get lost in the beauty and transcendence of a single sentence at the top of a panel, and then need to squirm uncomfortably from another line at the bottom of the same panel.

Peter Snejberg’s illustrations are open, simple, and powerful. A perfect compliment to Ennis’ narration.

What’s Not So Good: It ended.

Conclusion: There was a time, I am told, long ago that a comic book reader could get all different kinds of comics. Sports comics, western comics, space comics, and war comics. Must have been great to be a fanboy back then (I for one would love a good NFL based series). Well, Dynamite Comics publishes a true war comic here, breathing hope into a stifling Superhero based comic market. (On the side, I must add that no other comic publisher excites me more of their current offering than Dynamite).

This is my first foray in Garth Ennis’ work and I have to say, he lives up to the hype. Granted, this shouldn’t be a surprise as I have read that both Brian K. Vaughn and Robert Kirkman think he is one of the, (if not the) best out there. I have been weary of reading titles such as Crossed and Back To Brooklyn, which Ennis helms, because of the nature of their content, but these historical nonfiction tales really call out to me.

I realize that in this review I haven’t revealed much of the specific plot and that is because the story is so tightly written that I am afraid any detail might spoil it for the poor lug who hasn’t read this series yet. Quite soon this series will be collected into a small TPB and sold for less than ten bucks. Buy it! Or, if you can find them, get the whole series now with the three beautiful Cassady covers. I cannot not wait for the next series of Battlefields to hit the shelves!

Grade: A

-Rob G