Sweet Tooth #40 – Review

By: Jeff Lemire (writer & artist), Jose Villarrubia & Lemire (colors), Carlos M. Mangual (letters), Gregory Lockard (assistant editor) & Mark Doyle (editor)

The Story: Jeff Lemire ends his outstanding post-apocalyptic series about a boy with antlers.

Review (with SPOILERS): Endings are hard and Jeff Lemire does a pretty solid job of wrapping up Sweet Tooth in this issue.  It’s impressive how he was able to show us the fate of all the major characters and also flesh out the broader world that we’ve come to enjoy over the last 3-4 years.  For example, I wanted to know what happened to Gus/Sweet Tooth AND whether the world eventually ran out of gasoline.  Lemire was able to scratch both of those itches for me.

Sweet Tooth #39 – Review

By: Jeff Lemire (story/art), Jose Villarrubia (colors), Carlos M. Mangual (letters), Gregory Lockard (assistant editor) & Mark Doyle (editor)

The Story: The big showdown between the evil Abbot and Jepperd & Sweet Tooth.

Review (with SPOILERS): This issue was a perfect example of the sadness and melancholy that has set Sweet Tooth apart from pretty much every comic on the market.  There is just something to the way that Jeff Lemire creates and builds his characters and stories that lends itself to sadness and longing.  He certainly doesn’t give a happy feeling, but Sweet Tooth is special and different and that’s something worth celebrating in a comic market that is 95% about people in spandex.

Sweet Tooth #38 – Review

By: Jeff Lemire (story & art), Jose Villarrubia (colors), Carlos M. Mangual (letters), Gregory Lockard (assistant editor) & Mark Doyle (editor)

The Story: The final battle begins as the bad guys arrive in Alaska.

Review (with minor SPOILERS): By the end of the issue, Lemire has maneuvered things back to a familiar dynamic: Gus/Sweet Tooth is in peril and Jepperd/The-Big-Man must come to his rescue.  We’ve seen that scenario a few times in this series and it always works.  It gives the story a very Taken sensibility where Jepperd plays the bad-ass that totally fits his character.  As he’s said a few times, the only reason Jepperd is still alive in this apocalyptic setting is that he’s shown a talent for killing people.  Furthermore, the presence of Jepperd’s actual son means that he might have to make a choice between his true son and Gus.  Surely Lemire wouldn’t do something THAT evil, right?

Sweet Tooth #37 – Review

By: Jeff Lemire (story & art), Jose Villarrubia (colors), Carlos M. Mangual (letters), Gregory Lockard (assistant editor) & Mark Doyle (editor)

The Story: Gus’s group has reached Alaska, but the bad guys are hot on their heels.

A few things: 1). $hit about to hit the fan… – With only 3 issues to go after this, events are going to climax very quickly and that made this the issue where everyone “takes their places” for the finale.  Oh sure….it won’t be quite as simple as Jepperd and his buddy fighting the bad guys while Gus & Co. try to sneak out the back…..clearly other stuff will happen like Gus sneaking back into the fray.  Still, this issue had the effect of bracing all the characters for the finale: they all hug each other, go their separate ways and get ready for the end.

The best moments are the little ones: Gus and Jepperd having a final few moments together, Jepperd’s buddy remarking about their “playoff beards”.

Sweet Tooth #36 – Review

By: Jeff Lemire (art/story), Lemire & Jose Villarrubia (colors), Carlos M. Mangual (letters), Gregory Lockard (assistant editor) & Mark Doyle (editor)

The Story: The good guys arrive in Alaska for the final 4 issues of this post-apocalyptic series.

A few things (with minor SPOILERS): 1). Pieces & characters falling into place. – The pieces really seem to be falling into place.  As the gang arrives in Anchor Bay, Alaska, Lemire reveals to us the (probable) source of the hybrid kids and also their purpose (GOOD).  Provided that we can believe Dr. Singh, these hybrid kids are kinda bearers of the disease that has killed humanity as retribution of humans digging up the vault with all the animal-gods coffins (GOOD).  It should really be stressed the Dr. Singh may be crazy and may have some or all of this story incorrect.

Sweet Tooth #34 – Review

By: Jeff Lemire (writer), Lemire and Nate Powell (art), Jose Villarrubia & Powell (colors), Carlos M. Mangual (letters), Gregory Lockard (assistant editor) & Mark Doyle (editor)

The Story: How did the shaved-head dude with the round sunglasses become such a bastard?

A few things: 1). Entertaining story about life during the opening days of the plague. – If you love apocalypse fiction–which Sweet Tooth is–there are two technical parts to the story.  There’s always the “what comes after civilization” part and that’s what 99% of Sweet Tooth has been about.  But, the other interesting aspect of apocalypse fiction is “What happened?”  We’ve known it was a plague, but not a whole lot else.  Who were these people before the plague?  Are they basically the same people as before, or has the apocalypse changed meek school-teachers into rabid warlords?  How bad was the actual fall of society–you know, how long people stopped watching TV accounts of the apocalypse and realized, “This ain’t getting any better.  I should consider stealing stuff from my neighbor.”  This issue delves into the background of the chief-baddie of the series, showing how he and his brother came to be the men we know now.  It clicks together nicely, is well-paced and sets the stage for the finale of the series.

Sweet Tooth #33 – Review

By: Jeff Lemire (story & art), Jose Villarrubia (colors), Carlos M. Mangual (letters), Gregory Lockard (assistent editor) & Mark Doyle (editor)

The Story: After the events in the dam, our motley gang heads back out onto the road.

Recap/Review (with SPOILERS): Whoa!  Format change on the comic!  Lemire decided to go with a landscape view for this comic – you turn the comic so it is up-and-down instead of the standard orientation.  It’s a little unclear why this choice was made and it has it’s advantages and disadvantages.  On the plus side, it does make the comic stand out and since this is the beginning of a new story segment, and standing out might gain Sweet Tooth a few readers who say, “Oh, what’s that sideways comic book?  I’ll try that because I love sideways comic books.  Or I’ll at least look twice at it.”  The format also seems to give Lemire more flexibility with the opening of the story that is told in more of a storybook format: prose with interspersed images rather than sequential panels with word balloons (the issue shifts to “standard” comics by the end).

Previews – May 2012

Maybe we’ll start this as a new feature?  I’ll flip through Previews, tell you what I think is worthwhile and you can tell me I’m a moron.  Sound like fun?

DARK HORSE

– Axe Cop: President of the World #1 – At some point, this odd comic that is written by 8 year old Malachai Nicolle and illustrated by his brother, 31 year old Ethan, will lose it’s magic.  Someday Malachai will probably “grow up” too much or become too self-aware, but until that happens we should enjoy the ride.  Here’s a link to my review of last Spring’s Axe Cop: Bad Guy Earth #1.

– Early issues where you can hop on before it’s too late.  Fatima: The Blood Spinners #2 by Gilbert Hernandez, Mind Mgmt #3 by Matt Kindt and The Massive #2 by Brian Wood.

– Eerie Comics #1 brings back the beloved old Warren Publishing title.  It’s really hard to go wrong with a horror anthology in black and white.  Of course, don’t miss the big brother: Creepy Comics #9.

Sweet Tooth #32 – Review

By: Jeff Lemire (writer & artist), Jose Villarrubia (colors), Carlos M. Mangual (letters), Gregory Lockard (assistant editor) & Mark Doyle (editor).

The Story: In the finale of Unnatural Habitats, Gus is forced to grow up and take action to save his friends.

A few things: 

Go hockey! – The entire time I’ve read Sweet Tooth, it’s struck me how much Mr. Jepperd looks like some of the characters from Jeff Lemire’s Essex County (and if you haven’t read Essex County, snap to it!).  So, it was super-cool to see hockey make an appearance in this issue after figuring so strongly in EC.  Seeing the skates and sticks had a certain, “Hell yeah!” about it, but what really made it special was what a change up it was for the series.  Thus far, Sweet Tooth has been nothing but sadness and strangers working together to survive.  The pre-apocalypse world is so far gone that these aren’t even the same people as whenever the plague hit.  But suddenly we see two old acquaintances find each other through hockey and all the distrust simply washes away; they’re pals lacing up skates to go save the day.  I guess it’s just nice to see a moment of happiness in Sweet Tooth and a reminder that these folks can be human again.

Really good sequential artwork by Lemire. – It’s easy to get lost in the haunting aspects of Lemire’s artwork and lose track of how good he is as a sequential artist.  The opening sequence shows Gus & Bobby executing a plan to save some friends.  It’s kinda a tricky scene and Lemire pulls it off really well.  You can follow the plan, step-by-step.  Each panel illustrates a step of the plan and Lemire focuses on giving us the information we need rather than fussing around with a pretty splash page that wouldn’t be as educational.

Touching death. – For an piece of apocalypse fiction, there isn’t a lot of death in Sweet Tooth (compared to a series like The Walking Dead).  So, when we do lose a character in this issue, it’s pretty touching.  You really feel for the rest of the group too.  Sweet Tooth is such a lonely place and here was a friend and companion leaving them.  It really feels like the group is one smaller now.  It’s probably not as sad as a few other climaxes in this series (Jepperd’s son!), but it was a definite punch in the gut.

Sweet Tooth #31 – Review

By: Jeff Lemire (writer/artist), Jose Villarrubia (colors), Carlos M. Mangual (letters), Gregory Lockard (assistant editor) & Mark Doyle (editor)

The Story: Danger comes at our protagonists from all sides.

Review: For some reason, this felt issue felt more like the Sweet Tooth that I’ve grown to know and love over the last few years.  Not sure why that was….  Perhaps the excellent Matt Kindt flashback story arc just took me “out of the story” and it’s taken a few issues to back into the flow?  Regardless, this issue had the two BIG elements that I look for in a post-apocalypse story.

Danger: Haggarty is up to some really bad things, huh?  Things look really bleak for the ladies and hybrids back at the damn because you don’t see any good way out of this predicament.  Even though they’re “the good guys” and there will likely be something that comes along to save them, it wouldn’t surprise anyone if we lose a character or two here.  And how about the mess that Jepperd is in?  For all his bellowing about how he’s going to kill his captor, Jepperd is the one who is tied up and being menaced by a guy with an axe!  The scary thing about an apocalypse isn’t the plague or zombies, it’s the breakdown of human society that suddenly allows the “bad guys” to do whatever they please.

Unknown: The other element that apocalypse stories need is a healthy element of the unknown.  We can tell that Haggarty is evil, but how is he evil?  Is he just a garden-variety killer?  Is he creating a cookbook full of recipes for cooking hybrid kids?  Just look at the cover for this issue with Bobby and the pig-girl roasting over a fire!  Or is Haggarty going to be some more sympathetic broken soul who we can understand in some sick sort of way?  And what about the guy holding Jepperd?  One of the things that would be horrid about an apocalypse is not knowing who you can trust and both Jepperd and his captor would be going through this in spades.  I must say that with Jepperd’s behavior, I certainly wouldn’t untie him.  It’d be much safer to smash his head with the axe, take his supplies and move on with life.

Sweet Tooth #30 – Review

By: Jeff Lemire (writer and artist), Jose Villarrubia (colors), Carlos M. Mangual (letters), Gregory Lockard (assistant editor) & Mark Doyle (editor)

The Story: Will Jepperd go back to save his friends in the dam?

Five Things [Light spoilers]: 

1. $hit is starting to hit the fan back at the dam. – This is issue 2 of 3 in this story arc, so you know the issue will be relatively climax-free.  Thus, most of the issue consists of showing us “how real the danger IS” instead of resolving anything.  But, sheesh… Is that dude in the dam creepy!?!  He may look like a paunchy middle-aged man, but he’s truly an evil man.  Of course, in the real world, evil probably does look like this sometimes, but in comics we are so used to seeing post-apocalyptic evil being personified by someone with a shaved head or mohawk, tattoos, a huge group of followers, etc.  This is a nice change of pace and the situation in the dam looks pretty dire.  Wonder what that dude did with the wife and kid who were left in there with him years ago?

2. Art is good, but… – I DO still love the art in Sweet Tooth.  Lemire’s characters have this haunting quality that is perfect for a tale like Sweet Tooth.  They should look sad because this world is sad!  When I think of how perfect someone’s art is for a story, I often try to imagine the story as drawn by other artists: Ed McGuinness?  Jim Lee?  Jim Ballant?  When you think of it that way, I really can imagine few artists who can get this emotional reaction from the reader.  Others might be able to tell this story differently, but THIS is Lemire’s unique story.  Still…. there were  a few panels and sequences in this issue that were less than what I’m used to from Lemire (odd transition when the car flips over, the fight in the dam, the way Dr. Singh looked, etc.).  I know that Lemire is taking on more and more writing duties in the main DC universe and you have to wonder how he still has time to write and draw Sweet Tooth unless he is working ahead.  I guess what I’m trying to say is that I worry that DC is “stealing” one of my favorite creators to do books that I don’t want as much as Sweet Tooth.  Sigh….

Sweet Tooth #29 – Review

By: Jeff Lemire (writer & artist), Jose Villarrubia (colors), Carlos M. Mangual (letters) & Mark Doyle (editor)

The Story: We return to the present day story of Sweet Tooth and learn some disturbing things about the refuge in the dam.

Five Things:

1. Nice to return to “normal” Sweet Tooth. – The just completed arc of Sweet Tooth was good as we flashed back in time and learned a kinda “origin” for the Sweet Tooth universe, but it’s nice to be back with Gus, Jepperd, Bobby and the other characters we’ve come to know and love over the last few years.  Even as much as I enjoyed Matt Kindt’s art, it’s nice to get back to the one-man-band that is Jeff Lemire (although he DOES bring a colorist along in this issue).

2. Knew there was something fishy about that guy! – Didn’t that guy living in the dam just seem a little creepy?  We knew something was off about him and now we know what it is.  Even though it was pretty obvious that there would be something sinister about the guy, this is not what I thought would happen so kudos to Lemire.  Lemire also does an excellent job on the reveal itself and working the reveal around the page turns and breaks in the action.  Guess this dude was just waiting Jepperd to leave so he could make his move???

3. Nice mechanism for getting the gang back together. – I don’t know about you, but I didn’t love the idea of the group splitting up when Jepperd, Singh and Gus left the dam.  I really liked the characters who were getting “left behind” and don’t know what I’d have done without getting a monthly fix of Bobby and his funny talk.  My am not like it at all!  So, the reveal of the bad guy is probably going to serve as a nice device to bring everyone back together and that’s a good thing because I think it would have damaged the storytelling to have this continue with a split narrative.

Sweet Tooth #28 – Review

By: Jeff Lemire (writer), Matt Kindt (artist), Carlos M. Mangual (letters) & Mark Doyle (editor)

The Story: The final chapter of this late-1800’s story showing a possible origin for the Sweet Tooth universe.

Four Things:

1. Very streamlined story without many answers. – I usually break my reviews up into five bullet points, but the story in this issue isn’t really that complex.  That isn’t a bad thing as it accomplishes what Lemire wants it to accomplish.  At the end of last issue, we saw the reveal of a Sweet Tooth-like baby complete with antlers.  Here we see how everything get’s turned upside down as the “rescue party” decides that the baby is a demon that must die, but the story is really just a straight-forward resolution to that conflict.  There’s not a lot of nuance or layering here.

2. Not many answers. – Maybe my expectations were out of whack, but I was hoping for a little more in terms of answers.  Looking on the bright side, the series has been talking about how the present day protagonists need to get to Alaska, but it’s been vague on WHAT they need to do in Alaska.  At least they have a target now.  Although one does still wonder how in the world they would have known to go to Alaska OR how they’ll find the cave once they get to Alaska (it’s kind of a big place).  It felt like there could have been a little more meat on the bone here and maybe we could’ve gotten some really big answers in this issue.

Sweet Tooth #27 – Review

By: Jeff Lemire (writer), Matt Kindt (art and colors), Carlos M. Mangual (letters) & Mark Doyle (editor)

The Story: The possible origin of the plague that is affecting the “current” Sweet Tooth universe is revealed.

Five things: 

1. An interesting and unique “origin”.  Sweet Tooth is an apocalypse story just like The Walking Dead, The Stand, Mad Max, I am Legend, The Road or countless other stories.  However, even though it explores the same survival themes as other apocalypse fiction, there has always been something obviously different about Sweet Tooth.  Usually in these types of works, the cause of the apocalypse is pretty obvious: nuclear war, disease, comet hitting the Earth, alien invasion, etc.  But, Sweet Tooth clearly has something else going on due to all of these kids who are animal hybrids.  I mean, maybe in the 50’s people would have believed that the evils of RADIATION would cause deer/human hybrids, but that wouldn’t fly as an explanation in 2011.  In Sweet Tooth, it’s never been clear what caused the kids to look this way and recently the search for the cause of the apocalypse has taken on greater importance than the survival.

2. Not sure I personally love the explanation.  This bullet point is going to have SPOILERS, so skip it if you don’t want to know what happens!  This issue’s story centers around actions that took place in northern Alaska over 100 years ago where they show a man of European descent living among the Native Americans.  He finds a cave that is full of all these caskets with each casket having the image of an animal on it.  Notably, the images are all of hybrid kids we’ve seen in the pages of Sweet Tooth (which was an Oh Crap! moment).  When he opens the casket, and sees a deer-boy skeleton, he supposedly disturbs the Deer God who then somehow returns to Earth as an deer-boy just like Gus (in the current comic).  I’m just not sure I love this “angry gods” revelation because it’s just too metaphysical for me personally.  I like my apocalypses to be about a cause I can understand (like nuclear war or disease) or to be left unsaid (zombies).  Some fans will eat this up, but I’m just not a fan of the metaphysical and spiritual finding their way into my comics.

3. Moody Matt Kindt art.  In some ways, I’m kinda surprised that Lemire chose this story arc to bring in the guest artist.  On one hand, it is set in a different time, so it isn’t as jarring to the eye as having another artist draw Gus and Jepperd.  But, this is also the origin of his entire story.  Oh well, to each their own…  Having said that, Kindt does a wonderful job.  I’ve always loved his soft water-colored look in OGNs like Three Story, Super Spy or The Tooth, and he doesn’t disappoint here.  There’s just something about his art that is able to convey sorrow so effectively.  Another way to think of this is, “What other guest artists could Lemire have tapped and gotten this effect?” and I really can’t think of many.  Gabriel Ba and Fabio Moon probably could have done it pretty well, but I can think of a whole heap of “acclaimed” artists who wouldn’t have been able to get the tone that Kindt nails here.

Sweet Tooth #26 – Review

By: Jeff Lemire (writer), Matt Kindt (artist & paints), Pat Brosseau (letters) & Mark Doyle (editor)

The Story: A flashback to 1911-era Alaska and a possible glimpse of what triggered the plague that has wiped out much of humanity in the present day Sweet Tooth story.

What’s Good: Matt Kindt is probably the perfect artist to illustrate a few issues of Sweet Tooth.  I’ve wondered for a while if we’re seeing some of the last monthly art from Jeff Lemire who usually writes and draws this series.  Now that he has duties to writer Animal Man and Frankenstein over in the new 52 at DC, it has to be hard finding time to also draw a 20-page comic every month.  That’s not to say it’s impossible, but it has to be difficult.

Kindt is really an inspired choice to do an arc of Sweet Tooth.  I think of Kindt as more of a watercolorist, but even his linework is pretty different than Lemire’s.  However, both Kindt and Lemire live in that same emotional area in terms of what their art says.  It’s very somber, measured and thoughtful art in both cases and perfect for the mood of Sweet Tooth.  There are a few panels in here that are beyond wonderful such as a double-pager of the team dogsledding with the Northern Lights in the background. That would be a hard scene for digital colorists to capture, but Kindt nails it with watercolors.  Also love Kindt’s sound effects.  There’s a particular scene where a guy get’s grossed out and barfs and the word “BLURRG” is mixed in with the vomit coming out of the guy’s mouth.  Great stuff!

The script is pretty interesting too.  In the main ongoing story of the series, the characters have decided that they need to reach Alaska because they think there is an answer for the plague that killed most of humanity frozen up there.  This issues’s story seems to be filling in some of those blanks as we follow a new character in the year 1911 as he searches for a lost missionary expedition in frontier Alaska.  The whole thing has a creepy vibe because you just know that something bad has befallen the expedition and Kindt really sells the “alone in the wilderness” atmosphere.  It’s really just an alien concept to today’s reader: Being so totally out of touch that no one would know what happened to you for months/years.

Sweet Tooth #25 – Review

By: Jeff Lemire (writer, artist & colorist), Jose Villarubia (colorist), Pat Brosseau (letters) & Mark Doyle (editor)

The Story: Choices for the good guys: stay in the dam or continue to Alaska?

The Review: This wasn’t the best story cycle of Sweet Tooth, so I’m kinda glad that its over and we’re on to new and hopefully better things.  It wasn’t remotely “bad”, but it lacked for those punch-in-the-guts moments that have characterized the earlier stories.

It was interesting seeing the protagonists arguing about what to do next and that ties into a common theme of post-apocalyptic fiction: Where to rebuild?  All of these stories have their moments of action where the good guys are running for their lives from mutants or the bandits of the wastelands, but once they get some room to breathe, it becomes a question of what to do next.  Is this a good spot to settle down?  Might it be better somewhere else?  Search for “the cure,” or just hunker down and make the best of things where you are?  Us readers are so used to living in a world where we have instant answer to questions like, “What temperature is it in Anchorage, Alaska right now?” that you have to really think about what you’d do in their situation where you don’t know anything.  The dam is a pretty sweet place to hang out and a LOT better than anything else they’ve found.  But, splitting the group wouldn’t be a bad idea from a storytelling standpoint because this comic worked better with a smaller cast.

Of course, the other staple of post-apocalypse fiction rears its head too towards the end of issue: If you’re going to try to live in the best spot, you’d best be armed to the teeth because other people – nasty people – will come knocking.  The last page really augurs good things for the next story cycle.

The only disappointment I have with the story is that we still don’t really know much about the dude living in the dam.  I guess that is to be expected because we don’t really know much about most of the characters, but I was expecting a little more information.  I’m unsure whether to be truly disappointed about this or glad that Lemire didn’t take the easy path of having a cliché moment where the dude laughs (“BWAH HA HA! style, of course) and springs a trap on our protagonists.

Sweet Tooth #24 – Review

By: Jeff Lemire (creator), Jose Villarrubia (colorist)

The Story: Somebody tell me this isn’t death and I’m just trippin’.

The Review: One of the most inadequately written scenes in Flashpoint: The World of Flashpoint #3 involves Traci 13, spear in her gut, internally commenting, “So this is what dying is like.”  The line is effectively sterile, since she never tells us what part of death she’s experiencing.  Not that you can really blame writer Rex Ogle for avoiding the description; as a state of being few of us come back from, death can be rather difficult to write, to say the least.

So rather than talk about it with words, Lemire shows us death through Gus, who in the throes of his draining life journeys through an eerie, very primal landscape, filled with the corpses of his fellow Hybrids.  An animated, skeletal stag serves as a guide, and his few words are thought, not spoken, commanding Gus to see certain things, yet never enlightening him on what he sees.  It all feels like an Aborigine dream vision, in keeping with the title’s naturalistic spiritualism.

A lot of the imagery involves macabre scenes featuring Hybrids in the most wretched, tragic aftermaths of death, perhaps emphasizing the futility of living as one.  The scenes also suggest that Hybrids, despite being the offspring of humans and possessing human features, are still separate from humanity, as Gus sees a hanging grounds filled only with Hybrid remains, swaying from the treetops.  These are clearly visions intended to pain Gus exclusively.

Sweet Tooth #23 – Review

by Jeff Lemire (writer & artist), Jose Villarrubia (colors), and Pat Brousseau (letters)

The Story: Gus and co. debate whether or not to leave the Dam for Alaska.

What’s Good:  This is the sort of script that really shows off what a strong, ensemble cast Lemire has put together and ends up being all about the character-work.  It’s hard to believe that not long ago, this was entirely a “man and boy” adventure focused tightly on Jepperd and Gus.  Now we’ve got a whole crew of characters, each of them likable and/or compelling in their own unique ways.  Bobby is probably the cutest character in any comic I’m reading right now, so much so that I hope Lemire starts carrying around Bobby plushies at conventions.   Johnny delivers a slight but never forced or over-the-top comic relief to the group.  Meanwhile, Doctor Singh looks more crazy-eyed and conspiratorial by the month, and that’s certainly the case here.

Meanwhile, on the darker side of things, Lucy grows to be an increasingly tragic, hard-luck figure as her condition worsens.  Even more interesting is Walter Fish, who reaches a new high as far as general creepiness is concerned, despite never really doing anything incriminating.  It’s a wonderful balance that Lemire is striking with the character.  Jepperd is, of course, as strong as ever as well, continually moving around the issue with a constant, barely tethered anger.  I also liked how violently Jepperd reacts when his soft side gets rebuked.  The minute he gets rejected, he instantly closes up behind that anger once again.

So all told, it’s strong character-work all around met with Lemire’s excellent, moody artwork, with fun layouts and little adjustments in line-work whenever a particular panel is meant to reflect a mood or emotion.

Sweet Tooth #22 – Review

By: Jeff Lemire (creator), Jose Villarrubia (colorist)

The Story: “Shoot first, ask later” seems to be the rule of thumb in this world.

The Review: In my review of Fables #104, I mentioned the difficulties in jumping into the middle any series.  So it was with some trepidation I waded into Sweet Tooth, which hasn’t really been around for that long and yet by most accounts has already taken on a rich life of its own.  A couple people warned me the impact of the story would be lost without some familiarity with the ongoing plot.  And so I expected to read the issue and come out completely puzzled.

It’s rather a waste to have all that concern over nothing, as Lemire makes this issue (as I suspect he makes every issue) quite a cinch to hop in with no prior knowledge whatsoever.  While over on Superboy, I frequently noted the occasional blandness he gives the cast, the characters in his own title pop with vibrant personality: tough cynic Jepperd, strong-willed Lucy, antsy Dr. Singh.  The moment they open their mouths, you get a firm grasp on who these people are.

Nowhere does this come through more clearly than in Lucy and Jepperd’s volatile interactions.  Given how obviously tough each of them is (their fatally accurate marksmanship says as much), their relationship can’t be anything but edgy at the best of times, but it speaks volumes when he ventures, “You can’t really be mad at me?”  For a gruff like Jepperd to be sensitive to Lucy’s feelings shows there’s a heart of gold beneath his rugged and scarred exterior.

Lemire also makes it easy to catch on not only to the overall plot (group on the run searching for sanctuary), but the major conflict at hand as well.  This ragtag bunch has clearly been through some harrowing experiences on their journey, so the idea of finding sanctuary that much sooner no doubt poses serious temptations.

But the timing of it all seems a little too perfect to really trust haven-provider Walter’s motives.  Though he insists to Jepperd and Lucy that the woodland rangers are dangerous, to get the duo to shoot the men from behind seems suspiciously hasty, as does persuading the group to come back to his place for the night before they think of investigating the bodies.  In doing so, they miss a vital clue to their quest, as Lemire explicitly points out in the final panel.

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+

Sweet Tooth #19 – Review

by Jeff Lemire (writer & artist), Nate Powell, Emi Lenox, & Matt Kindt (art), Jose Villarrubia (colors), and Patrick Brosseau (letters)

The Story: Lucy, Becky, and Wendy share their histories with one another as they wander through the forest.

The Review: One certainly can’t fault Jeff Lemire for not taking creative risks with Sweet Tooth.  Last month we got a landscape-styled “storybook” issue and this month we have Lemire bring along three indie cartoonists to help illustrate three separate tales and, much as was the case last month, he makes gold out of what could have been a disaster.

Given that it’s the main attraction this month, the art seems a fitting place to start.  All three guest artists, and Lemire himself, have incredibly different styles.  Yet, it really, really works as each artist was masterfully chosen for each particular story he or she illustrates.  Each artist has a very unique look, but it suits the stories of the particular characters they illustrate beautifully.  Nate Powell’s more mundane, slice-of-life look on Lucy’s previous life as a married nurse, Emi Lenox’s tragic Saturday-morning cartoon take on Becky’s childhood, or Matt Kindt’s dreamy, surreal storybook take on Wendy’s life with Mom.  Each artist brings something unique to the table and each gives a certain life to their part of the issue, what that highlights the tone Lemire that was going for in each little story.

Sweet Tooth #18 – Review

by Jeff Lemire (writer & artist), Jose Villarrubia (colors), and Pat Brosseau (letters)

The Story: Gus and the gang hit the road to Alaska, readjusting to the outside world.

What’s Good: Jeff Lemire is never afraid of getting experimental with Sweet Tooth’s layouts, and nowhere is this more on display than this month, where the book is in landscape and, at points, narrated like a storybook, with a splash page on top and a page of prose narration below.  But that’s not what’s best about this issue.

What’s best is its emotional resonance.  Take for example the tension between the newly reunited Jepperd and Gus.  Jepperd’s obvious sense of guilt and his clumsy attempts to reconnect are absolutely heartbreaking, regardless of whether he’s done wrong.  There’s something pathetic in his actions this month, using relics in an attempt to rekindle a time long past and regain a friendship with a Gus that no longer exists.  Or is that Gus simply buried?  Either way, it’s really gut-wrenching, eye-watering stuff that is sincere in the utmost.

Gus himself functions incredibly well this month as a kind of moral compass.  His clear sense of right and wrong show a much clearer, more defined character than the impressionable kid from issue 1.  Perhaps he’s idealistic, but he’s steadfast.  Gus shows himself to be a restraining force on the adults, a figure who reminds them of their humanity.

I also really enjoy the group dynamic that the comic has taken on.  In some ways, it reminds me of the Walking Dead: it’s an ensemble in a post-apocalyptic world, with each character having his or her unique characteristics and place in the group.  A special mention also has to go to Bobby, who gets in a couple of really hilarious lines this month.  It was surprising to get that out of Lemire, as Sweet Tooth has never been the comic to go to for laughs.

There’s also a heavy emphasis on the importance of the innocence of childhood this month that was really quite touching.  Seeing all the tension and horror of the series break away, even for a moment, to allow for kids to be kids and friends to be friends was a beautiful sight to see.  Indeed, the final splash of the issue almost made my eyes water.  It was such a display of friendship and goodness and acceptance that it’s hard to put into words.

Sweet Tooth #17 – Review

by Jeff Lemire (writer & artist), Jose Villarrubia (colors), and Pat Brosseau (letters)

The Story: As the battle for the militia camp reaches its bloody end, Jepperd learns the truth about his child.

What’s Good: Beneath all the evocative writing, moody visuals, experimental layouts, and grim atmosphere, Sweet Tooth is a damned good story.  It’s issues like this that prove that, showing that Lemire is just as concerned with narrative as he is with creating his world and striking emotional chords.

This is also one of those issues that builds great things for the future.  By the issue’s end, there’s no mistaking the fact that all of our characters are in very different places from where they were at the start of the arc.  Our band finally congeals as a group, and they have a whole new mission on their hands, one that’s very enticing and looks to go back to the “epic journey” trope that Lemire did so well with early on in the series when Gus and Jepperd were questing after the fabled Preserve.  This trek looks to be even more ambitious and I can’t wait to see where this series goes.

Beyond that though, this issue is an electric thrill ride.  The action is amazing, the violence uncompromising, and there are major twists and developments aplenty.  Standing above them all is Jepperd’s discovery of the identity of his child.  There is no way that the child’s identity won’t shock you, as it becomes increasingly clear how subtly Lemire had laid his red herrings.  Of course, the manner in which its all revealed is gut-wrenching in typical Sweet Tooth fashion.  Regardless, it’s an awesome moment for the series, particularly in how it suddenly makes a character so tertiary up to this point so suddenly crucial.

Sweet Tooth #15 – Review

by Jeff Lemire (writer & artist), Jose Villarrubia (colors), and Pat Brousseau (letters)

The Story: Jepperd and the hybrid cultists prepare for war, Gus makes good his escape, and Singh and Abbott unearth some secrets about Gus’ family.

What’s Good: This is one hell of an issue and the best issue of Sweet Tooth to come around in a while, and that’s saying a lot.  It perfectly mixes big events/reveals with build-up for future issues that, all told, leaves the series at a fever pitch with more momentum and excitement behind it than ever before.  What has often been a slower, quieter, thoughtful series is suddenly transformed, for the time being, into a rollicking and absolutely riveting thriller of a book.

There’s so much to like about this book.  First and foremost is the change in Gus.  While his childhood innocence is still there, he has emerged as a natural leader.  His relationship to his fellow hybrid escapees is sincere and genuine, but he’s also clearly the one they look to.  Gus almost ends up like a weird, dark kind of Peter Pan, leading a band of isolated children through a strange world filled with murderous adult figures.  It’s up to Gus to call the shots, and, more important, instill hope and comfort to his group and the results are a wonderful read.

The big events, however, relate to what Singh and Abbott dig up at Gus’ old home.  It hints at very interesting things to come for the series but, more than that, it lends the book an almost supernatural, or at least speculative, tone.  During these scenes, and the book’s amazingly written montage conclusion, Singh narrates by reading from Gus’ father’s “bible.”  This bizarre book actually reads like a legitimate holy book, written specifically for Sweet Tooth’s world.  It’s filled with the appropriate metaphors and language, but it carries a very eerie prophetic power.  It leads one to wonder whether there were some powers at work in Gus’ father’s work.  Even if not, this narration, and this bible as a whole, lends the book a very, very ominous and downright chilling tone.  More than that, it makes this issue and the events it builds feel important.  The last few pages will have you starving for the next issue, which is not generally something Lemire has focused on in Sweet Tooth.

Superboy #1 – Review

by Jeff Lemire (writer), Pier Gallo (art), Jamie Grant (colors), and John J. Hill (letters)

The Story: Superboy defends Smallville from a major member of Superman’s rogues gallery.

What’s Good: Reading this first issue of Superboy, it’s clear that there are two different Jeff Lemires at work here. There’s the contemplative, indie creator attuned to the tone and rhythm of rural life and then there’s the gleeful, DC fanboy eager to use his new toys in explosive fashion. The fact that these two sides of Lemire are perfectly balanced is why Superboy #1 is such a success.

It’s clear right from the get-go that Smallville itself is not only key to the book’s atmosphere, but is such a presence that it almost constitutes a character in its own right. Lemire has managed to use Smallville to give the book an affable, friendly, and joyful tone; Superboy reads a lot like the superhero cartoons you loved as a kid, the sort that had that happy innocence but also never condescended. Smallville makes this book lovable, what with its intimacy and its nuances. It influences Connor, forcing him into contemplation as he interacts with nature itself in almost Romantic fashion and is also a vulnerable figure that needs protecting.

Then the DC fanboy Lemire steps in. The DC figures (Phantom Stranger, Parasite) are so opposite to Smallville that they create a sort of dissonance the lends the book a kind of goofy weirdness while creating some real excitement. Once the action starts flowing or Parasite is shown sucking the life out of Smallville, it’s clear that Lemire is having the time of his life, and that joy is infectious.

The transition between Smallville contemplation and comic book action is also expertly done and Lemire’s sense of pacing throughout the book is fantastic. Part of this is thanks to those moments where the indie Lemire and the DC fan Lemire bounce off one another, which is also when the book is at its most interesting. Take, for instance, Lemire’s choice of Parasite as a first victim; big and purple-skinned, it doesn’t get any more comic-booky and Lemire goes on to show the villain destroying and rotting out Smallville’s farmland wherever he sets foot. It’s as though the DCU is poisonous to the sanctity of Smallville innocence.

Then there’s the wonderful link between the book’s beginning, which features lovely narration as Connor ponders thoughtfully over a field, and how that very physically foreshadows how Connor defeats Parasite. It was definitely a fist-pumping moment where, in a way, Connor uses Smallville’s natural setting to defeat the outsider, Parasite.

Pier Gallo’s artwork is also a wonderful choice for the book and reminds me of a simpler, stream-lined, and softer Frank Quietely. Gallo’s work is subdued and homey, and thus perfect for Smallville. This, however, contrasts wonderfully with his depiction of Parasite, who is a lumpy monstrosity. Jamie Grant’s colors are also wonderful match for Gallo, enhancing everything that makes his work strong while glossing over and smoothing out any weaknesses. His tones a bright, happy, and, in a way, innocent, mirroring both Gallo’s work and Smallville itself.