June 2002

Interview Conducted By Jonathan Ellis
Click On Thumbnails for larger images

His work has appeared in 2000AD, the comics anthology MEANWHILE, he's won awards for Best New Talent and is currently working on the Dark Horse Mini-Series FORT: PROPHET OF THE UNEXPLAINED with film and television talent, Peter Lenkov for Dark Horse Comics.

Frazer Irving began his artistic career as a kid growing up in Essex, but eventually chose the life of a musician over that of an illustrator. After about five years of the music scene Frazer returned to art, most notably with the two hundred page project, THE MAN WHO LEARNT TO FLY followed by various work for Role Playing Games and eventually stories appearing in 2000AD such as A LOVE LIKE BLOOD and the popular NECRONAUTS. With a style ranging from detailed and poetic to gracefully smooth, Frazer Irving is fast becoming, the next big thing.

POPIMAGE: When did you begin working for 2000AD?

FRAZER: I got the first gig at comics2000 in Bristol after meeting then editor Andy Diggle. I'd sent stuff in before, but meeting the chap face to face helped in solidifying the deal.

Your artwork is very stylized, sort of like the earlier works of Berni Wrightson, who would you say played a strong influence on your work?

I dig Berni's stuff though I'm not a clone in any way... I've seen some of his early work and I can relate to the strong style it has, though to be honest my main influences are more like Buscema, Steranko and Gene Colan more than anyone else. It's always tricky to try and nail down influences because I forget them so quick.

Taking an even closer look, perhaps it goes further back and deeper then those artists. Influences stemming from German Expressionism perhaps? Wood prints? Durer?

Certainly there's some influence from the expressionist movement (although no artist specifically) although this came later on after art school. Wood prints and Durer... heh, you'd have thought so wouldn't you? No, can't stand that stuff. Thinking about it now, I can nail down my brush technique to a mix of artists: David Lloyd, Alfredo Alcala, Charles Burns, Rudy Nebres, Cliff Robinson and Frank Miller. Odd now that I think about it.

I also noticed you work with a very linear style but in some cases you mix in circular patterns, smooth blacks and areas of white space. Are you more self conscious of your work when you know you're being coloured instead of going straight to black and white?

So far I've only had one strip coloured and that was a 6 page Dredd strip at the beginning. When I did that David Bishop (editor) just told me to do it as b/w and let the colourist figure it out. When I'm doing work which will be coloured (by me) I do have a different angle on the lines etc. I try to allow for colour to be used creatively as opposed to just filling in the gaps, but ultimately the linework stays pretty much the same. I've never liked the idea of leaving art "open" for colour because I've always seen such fine examples of comic art working perfectly in both colour and b/w.

The marvel essentials books are a good guide to this. I grew up on b/w reprints of the X-MEN etc, and now I can see the books collected as a whole I can see how well they worked without colour, yet when I compare then to the originals I can see how the colour has added to the work. It's harmony, dude.

How often do you colour your own work?

So far, alla time. If I had a choice I'd always do it. I don't trust colourists. Their eyes are always too close together.

Your own work often involves the beings of the macabre. Are you a big fan of the horror genre and mythological creatures?

Not really. Sure I dig b/w horror comics, and I like some movies, but if ye mean do I read Lovecraft, play vampire the masquerade, own a Freddy Krueger head/glove or read my star sign every day then nope.

I love the Romero zombie flicks, and I liked Lovecraft's "Reanimator", and I really liked the old lee/ditko/kirby monster stories in old marvel comics, but that's about as far as it goes. I think it's odd that I like making this stuff but I don't really get off on the product that's out there. I reckon it may have to do with the fact that I see most of it as just derivative shallow rubbish, and I suppose I feel I have some duty to try and correct that, 'cause when done well these horror things are very very good.

What differences have you noticed between the UK and the North American market and operations for the comics industry?

Uh... well in the UK there's 2000AD. In America there's a bajillionty squillion comics. So far all I'm concerned with is if they pay on time. If I was to expand my interest to the realms of markets, audiences and statistics then I would morph into the twisted and wretched form of the comics marketing-guy instead of the artist. There's a whole world of pain in those marketing books I tellyer...

Did you initially have any desire to work in American comics, or on American comics characters?

Hell yeah. Never read English comics till I was 27 yrs old. All I wanted to do was draw the X-MEN, or later on some HELLBOY-esque horror thing. I LOVED the X-MEN once...

Your first 'proper' project, THE MAN WHO LEARNT TO FLY has been called 'compelling' and 'a must for anyone who enjoys allegoric fantasy'. What can you tell us about this book and why, after so long a stint away from comics, did you decide to come back and create such a lengthy project as a 200 page graphic novel?

Who said that?? I wanna know! Man. Well the MWLTF was the inspiration child of reading HELLBOY. I realized then that one could write and draw their own strip and it could go on and on and on for ages. So I set to it whilst at college mainly riding this sense of inspiration. Prior to this, all I had ever written was a 24 page thing called "the tale of the child eater" which really needs to be scanned soon... but I'd never thought about writing anything longer. It took 3 years to finish and 2 publishers, but it was a very important part of my life and my development as an artist. So who said they liked it?

One of your most popular works is NECRONAUTS, for those unfamiliar what is the premise behind the series?

It's Houdini vs. Cthulu, with Fort, Lovecraft and Arthur Conan Doyle as backup. In direct contrast to fort, the Necronauts was a dark, sinister tale, which focussed far more on the Lovecraftian side of things than the Fortean.

Basically Houdini breaks the barrier between life and death, yet returns... though he has awoken the great old ones on the other side. It then becomes a battle between the old duffers and zombies to stop the old ones in their plan. It's great. I loved it.

How hard was it working with real characters in comic form? Are there any other popular people or historical figures you'd like to someday include in your work?

It's only hard if the writer wants an exact likeness. I prefer to alter them a tad, to suit the story, and so that's not too bad as long as I have pix to work from. I had 2 pix of Lovecraft and 1 of Fort for the Necronauts.

Thought I did O-Kay with that. As for others... I wouldn't mind doing Poe, or Rasputin, or Vlad the Imapler etc, but these are clichés at best...

What can you tell us about A LOVE LIKE BLOOD? Did this strip stem more out of the desire to tell a story or was it more centred around wanting to experiment with your artistic style?

It stemmed from John's weird brain. Initially Tharg offered me the gig as a b/w strip 'cause, like all editors, he saw my stuff and thought "Mmm. Horror" which wasn't a BAD thing, just I wanted to explore something other than the Necronauts style again. It was my first colour strip, and I did experiment a lot. I'm still pleased with that side of it, though the storytelling sucks in a few places.

And your latest work; FORT: PROPHET OF THE UNEXPLAINED?

It's b/w, it's fun. There's not a lot that I can add to the bumf of the press releases as they do that so well, but I suppose I can say that it's been fun to work on, and despite the era and look of the book it ISN'T some heavy, doom laden epic about old ones and the futility of life, like so many b/w horror things try to be. No, Fort is a good fun read. Pete's done some nice things with Fort (purists will be offended at the fact that we've made him a bit more heroic and a bit less geeky than he probably was but hey...) and we've included a few funky extra terrestrial guys too. It reminds me of b/w comics I read as a kid, and that's a job well done I say.

Any plans for FORT to continue past the current mini-series?

Dunno. There have been a few voices asking for more (though the second issue isn't even out yet so I hope they wait to see how it pans out first) but nothing from the boss. I know that peter has left seeds for further adventures, but the final choice is an editorial one I reckon.

How did you hook up with writer Peter Lenkov?

He saw a small pic I had in the Fortean times (which was purloined from the pages of 2000AD no less) and told his editor Dave Land to find me. And the rest is recent history.



Your recent work has drawn off of some popular influences, Edgar Allen Poe and Ken Kesey for example. Were these people you had been interested in previously or had gotten into for the sake of research?

Hahahahahahahahaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhahahaha... No No No... This was all Gordon. Gordon reads books, I don't. I've been aware of their stuff via other forms of the media, but never in a big way. But if no one can see this, then I'll just say "Yes, I've read all their works and they are excellent writers"

What is involved in the creation of a page for you? I can see from your site various breakdowns and details concerning a single page. When working in such a detailed style, and inking your own work, can a page a day be a good notion of how long it takes?

Page a day. I have a secret system now which means I can get it all done quicker than before. The detail is actually all in the inking stage, what I have to work with on the final art board is a very basic outline of the major figures, with the large shadow areas marked out, but little or no detail. Then I get the brush on it and bam, it happens. I prefer it that way as it keeps the work fresh and alive.

So we know you're an artist, you were also a musician, we've already mentioned Ken Kesey, you were inspired by the psychedelic art of Ditko and Steranko, and you're in the UK - knowing all this are you thus obligated to represent a drug addled creative genius stereotype?

Very possibly. I'm also from Essex, so the whole spliff culture is very big here, in the ocean of grey that is suburbia. Though to be honest I operate a pretty clean existence these days, 'cause I've seen the guys who didn't stop, and man they look like shit. Gordon gets more "Druggy" flack than me and he doesn't touch the stuff. I guess it's a side effect of doing these types of stories.

I wonder if readers think Stan Lee was a noble and heroic-yet-mortal kinda guy?

And finally the dreaded 'advice to aspiring creators' question... comments?

Persist, suffer, take the art seriously if not the comics. I can spot em a mile off now. The ones that take criticism badly, the ones who rant on and on about their drawing of Spider-man, the ones who slag off other artists while I look at their work, the ones who think the world owes them a living, the ones who think that 'cause I'm on this side of the table that I am somehow a greedy, fat, hateful selfish monster and it is their task to bring me and my buddies down. These are they folks who will fail. All others have a chance, as long as they persist etc.

You can tell I've done a few folio sessions can't you?

Maybe A few...

Thanks for your time Frazer.

Just a reminder to all the folks out there that FORT: PROPHET OF THE UNEXPLAINED is currently on stands, available from Dark Horse Comics.

Check out this four page preview from the series premiere issue:



For more on Frazer and to see some more amazing artwork,
you can check out his site @ Frazer Irving.com

 

Jonathan Ellis Is Interviews Editor for PopImage


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2000AD Online - Home to the infamous comics anthology
Dark Horse.com - Dark Horse Comics: Publishers of FORT

INTERVIEW: Andrew Barr - As Presented In Go-Go-A-Vision
Interview Conducted By Jonathan Ellis

Sheridan College Graduate, Tae Kwon Do black belt, and a vigorous fetish for Luchadores masks and B-Movies.
Obviously, Andrew, is an artist.

He's also the creator of SOMETHING A-GO-GO, a comic book set in The Martial World, along with other titles such as INFINITE KUNG FU and SHAOLIN TIME FIST. Based in a world devastated by an unknown cataclysm and plagued by the undead, SOMETHING A GO GO is set in the Western world filled with Shaolin Monks, Ninjas, Luchadores, cowboys and comically endowed Go Go Girls.

Freelance artist and comics scribe, Andrew recently took some time out of heavily researching the social and military implications of Julie Strain's boots interacting with the son of Blacula's face to talk to us about all things A Go Go.

POPIMAGE: So another Sheridan graduate huh? I'm starting to think that the Ontario comics scene is built up almost entirely of Sheridan grads. So how'd you go from campus politics and pub fun to freelancer for hire?

ANDREW: The Sheridan grad thing is an odd coincidence, eh? 'specially since the ones I talk to seem to have graduated within a couple of years of each other. As for how I went from the school thing to the freelance thing, that would be telling.

How have you been able to manage the time between the joy of comics and the necessity of work since starting on your projects?

I tend to work on both at the same time. Whenever I have some freelance work I always find a few minutes where I can get some comic stuff done. Usually it's done as kind of a warm up. Working freelance you some times have to draw things you normally wouldn't want to, so its good to throw something fun down on paper to keep you motivated. Ok, three more of these and then I can spend another ten minutes working on that!? kinda deal.

So what's the story behind SOMETHING A GO GO?

Something A-Go-Go is what I think of as a toybox kind of idea. You know when you were a kid you had a bunch of transformers, GI Joes, masters of the universe figures, and rubber dinosaurs so you'd play all these games where they all fight and stuff. Something a go go is like that only there are no action figures (yet) and it's all inspired by b-movies. The first story was a kind of quest plot - "you guys go get that sword thingy or everyone dies!?" But I'm actually not really concerned too much about one continuing story, mostly so I don't get sick of doing the same genre constantly.

So are you enjoying the current 80's nostalgia revival then?

No not really, since the eighties didn't really end until like 1996, I think its a little too early to start remembering it again, plus a lot of stuff that we thought was cool back then really sucks when you see it now. I mean look at the Thundercats what were people thinking, not to mention the world being frightened by cobra a terrorist organization who couldn't hit the broadside of a barn with a laser guided missile... the only thing worth bringing back from the eighties was the horror movies, there were zombie flicks everywhere if that would come back it would be totally sweet. I miss horror movies that were really horror movies. Resident Evil was a step in the right direction, and House of a thousand corpses would have been sweet but the studios said it was too scary. So I guess that's why my comic has gone the direction it has. 70's and 80's horror. And it would be nice if Steve Purcell would put out some more Sam and Max books, that was the best comic ever. That was the Eighties wasn't it?

Now SOMETHING A GO GO actually takes place in the shared setting of other titles. Could you tell us how these titles interact and how you got together with the other creators?

Actually I made up the whole Martial World idea and those other guys just ripped me off.

But seriously, I'm just kidding about that. Originally there were a group of us at Sheridan and we were all in the same class. We worked on a little mini comic called Shaolin Time Fist, the people who worked on it changed pretty frequently but the core group of us Kagan Mcleod, Mike Faille and myself ended up doing pretty much everything, controlling the direction the last few issues went in. After we graduated, we found we were still buddies so we decided we would try to do the Time Fist thing on a bigger scale. So we came up with this huge epic story line where the world was destroyed and only the coolest things survived, and then zombies showed up and made things worse. So we thought to ourselves geez guys this is really neat now how do we make a story out of it? Then came the thing about the ghost emperor of the east who needs to find the pieces of his sacred armour to get his body back so he can be super powerful and control every thing. Then we thought wow this is amazing but it's a lot of work so how about we split up the world and we have each of us make up some characters who can try to stop this guy from taking over the world and then eventually we can all work together on a big crossover thing where they all have to fight the guy.

So we sat down and drew maps and we made up different armies and did research and watched lots of kung fu movies. Then we set to work. Eventually SOMETHING A GO GO: BLOOD OF THE TIGER showed up about a Luchadore and an ex-Go-Go dancer turned freelance exorcist who are trying to stop an evil army from getting a magic sword back to the bad guy and INFINITE KUNG FU showed up about some soldier's search for magic arm guards. But unfortunately the third of our little party got too busy with work so we ended up with just two titles in the epic martial world storyline. And then due to creative differences after the first issues of each the Something A Go-Go and Infinite Kung Fu plots went their separate ways and now no one will ever see the unbelievable climax to that original story. But if you know what to look for you'll see some references in each of the stories to each other.

SOMETHING A GO GO features all sorts of goodies, but can the Luchadores really compare to the might of Kung Fu? I mean, really? Really?!

Of course Luchadores can compare the might of kung fu. I mean look at the movies, it took 7 kung fu brothers, their sister, and Peter Cushing to beat Dracula, but it only took Santo and the Blue Demon to do the same thing and they also beat a wolf man, Frankenstein's monster, a Cyclops, and a vampire woman at the same time!

The setting also seems to take a nod back to the attitude of the old west. Are westerns much of an influence on the book?

You know I never really thought much about that. Something A-Go-Go really owes more to crummy horror flicks, the movies of H.G. Lewis, Lucio Fulci and Russ Meyer than anything else. There might even be a little Coleman Francis inspiration in there too. Although I did watch Django a couple of times while I was working on it, so maybe some of that spaghetti western flavour made it into the mix. Man, that flick was sweet.

David Carradine vs. robots. Someone has to win. Who? WHO???

Robots in 2 out of 3 falls, unless David Carradine's Dad John interfered then it would definitely I would have to go with the Carradines hands down.

John Carradine is just so leathery I don't think anything could beat him. I mean he even pushed around Tor Johnson!

Ever thought of making your own B-Movie? The ULTIMATE B MOVIE perhaps?

I could do that?
Screw this comic book thing I'm going to go make a movie....




I'm back.

It cost too much to make a movie and you need actors and things, and its hard to find actors with the physical attributes I'd require for the main cast. But if someone out there is interested in collaborating on a movie script and can convince a major studio to make a good movie for a change...

Maybe Thee Lesbian prison brides of satanic nazi vampire kung fu wrestling robots vs. The funkadelic dancing mystic racer soldier ninjas. OR take it one step further, The Lesbian prison brides of satanic nazi vampire kung fu wrestling robots vs. The funkadelic dancing mystic racer soldier ninjas IN THE YEAR THREE THOUSAND!!!!!

I'd probably want to make a zombie flick and call it RETURN TO THE REVENGE OF THE BLOOD OF THE DAY OF THE DAWN OF THE NIGHT IN THE BURIAL GROUND IN GARDEN IN THE CASTLE AT THE CITY IN THE JUNGLE OF THE EVIL LIVING BLIND DEAD.

I can see the trailer now. It would be nothing but a monotonous voice trying to say the entire title really fast.

That and the phrase "its only a movie, its only a movie"

I noticed you like to experiment with different styles, the CAMP BLOOD pages stick out for instance. Is there a preferred medium you like to work in?

Well with Camp Blood I'm trying to capture that bad horror movie look, you know when they film out side in the dark there is a weird change in film quality. So I'm trying that out. Mostly inspired by Texas Chainsaw Massacre, you know that scene where the girl in the white pants is pushing the guy in the wheel chair through the woods trying to find out where their friends went but they find leatherface instead and its all dark so you hear all the screaming and chainsaw noise but all you can see is either the white circle of the flash light or the girls pants. But mostly I prefer to work with black ink on bristol and then mess around with it on my mac.

What materials go into use in the creation of SOMETHING A GO GO?

Any thing I can draw with or on pretty much. I'm not that particular if it works it works if it doesn't then I don't use it again. And then it's onto the mac. You dig? Oh yeah not to mention watching lots of movies while I work and drinking Lots of Coca Cola (hopefully they'll see this and give me free stuff).

What can you tell us about JOHNNY ARMY?

heh heh, Johnny Army started as a joke. In school a couple of us were standing around waiting for class and we were discussing how if you put the name Johnny or Jack in front of any word you get a pretty good tough guy name (eg. Johnny Steel, Johnny Fist, Johnny No-food-or-drink-in lab) so when I felt like making up a group of soldiers I came up with a bunch of names like that and called the group Johnny Army, I was going to do a comic about the adventures of these guys, but then got more interested in the Camp Blood idea. Now Johnny Army is put on the shelf for future ideas along side, Escape from Funkton 1999, The Taking of Cellblock 36 Double D, and a couple of others. Don't know when I'll get around to those since the next story I want to do is based on the whole Underwater Nazi zombie genre.

Yeah but what about Johnny Salad and Johnny Hair Dresser? Just not tough enough...

HA HA JOHNNY SALAD HAA HA HAAA, but seriously the Johnny army squad that showed up in the second half of the Blood of the Tiger story had a Johnny Haircut, so I guess Johnny Hair Dresser wouldn't be that far fetched not a tough name but still not that far fetched

So tell me. Do you got da funk? Do you? Huh? Cracker?

I gots a bit a da funk but as Guitar Wolf said? In the wallet on my ass I keep my Rock n Roll license?

When can fans look forward to the next issue of SOMETHING A GO GO or other fine works from Mr. Barr?

The next SOMETHING A GO GO will debut at the Toronto Comic Con this august, but if I'm lucky People will be able to order it through my web site shortly before that, or just by e-mailing me and asking for it... as for other fine works I did some greeting cards for Casablanca Cards in their ABSOLUTE RUBBISH line those should be out soon, and there are some e-book covers I did for some crazy mystery novels over at http://www.ltdbooks.com I did the Lou Dunlop covers, and a buch of Terry Sheils's Mystery Books, "Poe the musical", "Par for the Corpse", "50 ways to kill your Lover"

Any parting thoughts, mystic kung fu tips, movie recommendations or plugs, mmmm... lots of plugs. Plugs I say!

Well I threw a few plugs in that answer about what fans can look forward to for me, so I guess I will say Go to my website http://www.technico-x.com buy my comics if you haven't already, if you can't find 'em e-mail me at andrewbarr@ghostmail.net and order 'em before I run out of issues one and two $5 each and I usually throw in some extra art or something when I mail them out. And make sure to check out the New Direction of Something A-Go-Go this August when Terror At Camp Blood is unleashed at the Toronto Comic Con. In terms of Mystic Kung fu tips never attempt to fight a small, unarmed old man, specially one who is smiling, even if you out number him ten to one (trust me on this one). Movie recommendations.... If you can find it everyone should see "WILD ZERO" if you can't find that then just buy a copy of EVIL DEAD TWO and watch it in fast forward while listening to the Ramones and the Misfits really really loud at the same time, you'll come close to the Wild Zero experience. But make sure you go to my website http://www.technico-x.com and buy Something A-Go-GO where ever you find it. And of course buy all that other stuff I mentioned. And go to my website http://www.technico-x.com there is some funny stuff over in the comicbook section of that place...

And lastly remember no matter where you go there you are.

Thanks Andrew

 

Jonathan Ellis is Interviews Editor for PopImage


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Gregorian Rants #1
by Gregory Dickens

My monthly pull list has, maybe, 12 titles on it. I'm not an elitist by any means. But I don't get free monthly comics. I don't have an unlimited budget for my weekly haul. My purchases are based on long-standing interest in the characters or creators, or on strong recommendations from someone I trust. And that could be a lot of folks: the owner of Tangled Web, my local shop in Spartanburg, S.C.; my regular social comic crowd or my comic-reading co-workers. You know, people with a clue. So this column won't include a sampling of everything published by the comic companies; it'll be what caught my eye, holds it or has lost its allure. If there’s a comic you think I should take a gander at, gimme a yell. After all, if you're reading PopImage, I trust you already.


ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN SUPER SPECIAL #1
WRITER: Brian Michael Bendis
ARTISTS: Alex Mallev, Dan Brereton, John Romita, Sr., Frank Cho, Jim Mahfood, Scott Morse, Craig Thompson, Michael Avon Oeming, Jason Pearson, Sean Phillips, Mark Bagley, Rodney Ramos, Bill Sienkiewicz, P. Craig Russell, Jacen Burrows, Walden Wong, Leonard Kirk, Terry Pallot, Dave Gibbons, Mike Gaydos, James Kochalka, David Mack, Bret Weldele, Ashley Wood, and Art Thibert
Marvel; $3.50

THE HAPS: Spidey encounters the Ultimate version of Blade and Elektra and confronts insecurities as a superhero. He seeks out Daredevil and the FF for instruction and direction, with some unexpected results. Bearing out a subplot from regular ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN book, he presents a school essay on a chosen superhero.

THE VERDICT: This ish wraps up Bendis' ULTIMATE TEAM-UP book, and I can't say I'm affected by its departure. I knew this title was closing so I bought each subsequent issue to be a true completist. It's been a breeze to read - it's not cluttered by awkward and blatant writing stunts and Bendis is a charming writer. Spidey has been funny and Peter Parker has been wracked with doubts. This is solid Spidey doings. But it never wowed me, and the book's crescendo hits a flat note.

Peter's essay spans 24 pages, comprised mainly of double-spread interpretations of Marvel heroes by a great range of artists. Here, Peter offers his manifesto, expanding on the "power/responsibility" motto. But it's a high school student trying to express his logic to other students. Is it a realistic style? Yes. But that grade-school level of communication is relatively simple and shallow. At least compared to the reading level I'd prefer. But then, this isn't really a book for Spidey fans like me. You know: Old. This, I imagine, is a great read for teens actually in that reading level and who may not have been exposed to such a monologue targeted at their level. For them, I'd say this is a good comic book, not just a good Spidey issue.

And dig this: 64 pages. No ads. $3.50. Hot damn.



TRANSMETROPOLITAN #57
WRITER: Warren Ellis
ARTISTS: Darick Robertson/Rodney Ramos
DC/Vertigo; $2.50

THE HAPS: It hits the fan. Soldiers open fire on a university demonstration against the president's efforts to control the efforts of Spider and his "filthy assistants" to expose his illegal activities.

THE VERDICT: When I bought the book this week, the sales clerk informed me this very much felt like the title's last issue. I agree somewhat. The expose plot seems to end on a dramatic note but the story of Spider's mental degradation isn't wrapped up. But that's not my main thought about the comic.

I am bothered and put off by the Kent State recreation. Included is a splash page copied from the infamous photo of a killed student mourned. Now I am not in any way associated with Kent State and I'm too young to have anything but a third-hand knowledge of the Vietnam War protest. But I found it somewhat distasteful to see this recreated for the story. I recognized the parallel immediately in the last issue, and I felt I was slammed over the head with an attempt at poignancy. I'm not accustomed to such heavy-handedness from an Ellis book. Not in this manner. It soured the entire comic for me. But, much like the above review, my age may work against me here. Younger readers may not be as familiar.

The story itself has gone on for ages, it feels like we've watched Spider struggle with brain disease and the obstacles in packaging a case against the president forever. But issue by issue, it's a dramatic read and one that expects the reader to catch-up. There are no editor's footnotes spelling out details for newbies. If you're just now picking up the title, God (and trades) be with you. Make a point to read Gene Ha's amusing dummy newspaper text on the cover illustration.



INCREDIBLE HULK #41
WRITER: Bruce Jones
ARTISTS: Lee Weeks/Tom Palmer
Marvel; $2.25

THE HAPS: The convenience store stand-off continues. Bruce Banner is trapped as a hostage along with other patrons as a besmirched negotiator and FBI agents jockey for control outside.

THE VERDICT: Hulk ain't no superhero, and this ain't no hero comic. Jones has turned the title into a mystery with enigmatic agents working with and against Banner inside a conspiracy to frame the Hulk for murder. In fact, you don't even get the green guy in the comic at all. He's on the cover. That's it. And I didn't miss him. Indeed, when the last page hits, and Hulk's appearance is hinted at, his arrival carries more weight. When was the last time the emergence of the Hulk was used as the cliffhanger ending? Dunno, but it, and the comic as a whole for a while now, packs a pretty punch.

Weeks ain't no John Romita, Jr. either, and you can take that either way. I like his stuff. The pacing is great, and the shift of distance between the camera and panel subject adds to the tension. This is not a book motivated by action, but by motivation. Please appreciate the irony of Marvel's largest hero being economically exercised in small-scale budget. If ULTIMATES and NEW X-MEN are Marvel's high-budget action yarns, INCREDIBLE HULK is, under Jones' pen, an indie flick. What it lacks in eye-bending spectacle, it makes up for in intensity. So what's with the cartoony cereal-box cover parody? It doesn't fit the story at all.



IOO% #1
WRITER: Paul Pope
ARTISTS: Paul Pope/Lee Loughridge
Vertigo; $5.95

THE HAPS: In the futuristic club scene, a young girl's death leads two friends to track down an underground gun salesman. At the same time, a bar busboy encounters a kindred spirit and finds her mislaid diary.

THE VERDICT: Oh Lordy, do I love Paul Pope. The chaos of ink, the sci-fi trappings in a classic noir, the barely-contained panels bleeding off the page. And it's black and white. Yeah, baby. Pope's work - idea and document -- feels like it's too big for the page, yet it's completely accessible. This is a five-character issue with peripheral entities that suggest what's to come, and I can't wait for issue 2 next month.

Pope alternately takes his time establishing the tension of a scene yet spends no time with burdensome movement between them. Everything builds the story. The two interior cover pages clues us in to the kind of world we're visiting like a Fodor's write-up on Pope's noisy, bass-filled city. The comic's labeled as a graphic movie. Pretension? Ambition? Apathy. Pope can call it mashed potatoes, but this book is all gravy --- a sumptuous monochromatic trip populated by the beautiful young. More more more.

 

Gregorian Rants is Gregory Dickens' new regular review column at PopImage. We're glad to have it.


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BLADE OF THE IMMORTAL, VOL. 7: Heart of Darkness



By Hiroaki Samura
Dark Horse Publishing
$16.95

Reviewed by Marc Deering

I am beginning to fall in love with this format of comic. Viz Communications and Dark Horse are the one who mainly do it and it's a great way to bring manga to the U.S and still retain the essence and power of Japanese comics storytelling.

Now, I read the first series a few years ago when it first came out in the standard 32 page comics format. This format is better suited for manga than ours. It translates better than ours and it's easier to read.

BLADE OF THE IMMORTAL is the story about a ronin (masterless samurai) named Manji, who has killed innocents left and right on his master's orders. However, he eventually realizes that his master wasn't as good a guy as he thought, and assassinates him. Killing one's superior isn't very legal, and Manji finds himself one of the most wanted people in Japan. Several police officers try to capture him, but only manage to end up as fodder for Manji's swords. After slaying a hundred officers, he is tired of living and wants to die, but he can't. Not until he has atoned for his slaughter. To make up for the hundred people he killed, he must now kill a thousand more. Naturally, the story doesn't end there, with Manji travelling all over Japan like an ambulating food processor (even though he could), but is sidetracked pretty much instantly into the first great story arc, the battle against the Itto-ryu, as Manji meets the orphan Rin. Rin has sworn revenge against those who murdered her parents, and, knowing about Manji's capacity to absorb wounds, she begs him to help her. They start off with Manji telling her to simply go away, but pretty soon Manji finds himself entangled in the struggle against the killers of Rin’s parents - the almost superhuman Itto-ryu school of swordfighting lead by Anotsu

This volume, HEARTS OF DARKNESS, features the Akagi Assassins, Manji and Rin, acting on insider information from Anotsu's Itto-ryu: Anotsu will leave the city disguised as a woman. After seeing a slim woman carrying a package that looks suspiciously like Anotsu's heavy axe, Rin and Shira follow her out of town. Finally, Shira loses his temper and attacks the woman, discovering that it is indeed a she and not Anotsu, and that the package contained a wooden replica of Anotsu's axe. When two Itto-ryu swordsmen turn up, it becomes painfully obvious that Shira and Rin have walked into a trap. But what the Itto-ryu didn't figure into their equations was Shira. A mad dog is bad as it is, but backed into a corner, it is even worse - and Shira is ticked that he won't get to kill Anotsu, and thus miss out on the reward! "Every one of these guys is mine to play with," Shira tells Rin, "If you butt in, I'll kill you, too." What follows is a slow-motion massacre of the Itto-ryo swordsmen, with Shira letting his freakish desires run freely, cutting them down limb by limb and torturing their limbless bodies before killing them. Rin can only sit by and stare in horror as he has his way with the attackers, and after they are killed, with the woman who lured them out. But when he slices off the woman's leg, fixes her to the ground with a dagger through her hands, uses his sawtoothed sword to gash her breast and starts to rape her, Rin has about had it and draws her sword - only to find herself hopelessly outskilled by Shira who yanks the sword out of her hands. Fortunately, Manji - who has dispatched an Anotsu lookalike at the city gate - has caught up with them and lops off Shiras hand. The episode ends with Shira fleeing into the woods, and two travelers seeing Manji and Rin among the carnage before screaming "murderers!" and running for their lives. Rin ties a tourniquet around the woman's leg and they are forced to leave her, unconscious.

Whew.

Ok, now the artwork by Hiroaki Samura is simply wonderful, as is his way of presenting the story. The action flows smoothly from panel to panel without interruption. Many people have compared this book with that of LONE WOLF & CUB (LW&C is, in my opinion, the BEST comic ever, but more on that some other time). In some respects they are right; in others, not. Yes, they take place in feudal Japan, and yes they deal greatly with revenge, but I think that's where it stops. Hiroaki has taken a different approach as is eveident in the language. Hiroaki has chosen to mix a multitude of linguistic styles, which results in some characters speaking in a way suitable for the 18th century, others talking as if they were coming straight from a 20th century street. For the art, Hiroaki uses a very loose, sketchy style that acts as a way of showing the tortured soul of his lead charater, Manji.

Over all this is a great story; very bloody and violent, but a great story nonetheless. If you are of the mind that likes, or even adores, LONE WOLF & CUB, then this is definitely something to pick up and check out.

Recommended

 

Marc Deering reviews comic books for PopImage, but his heart is not dark at all. Least we don't think so.


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SPYBOY: Bet Your Life TPB



Written by Peter David
Penciled by Carlos Meglia and Pop Mhan
Inked by Norman Lee
Lettered by Clem Robins
Colors by Guy Major
Dark Horse Comics
$9.95

Reviewed by Marc Deering

I just put this trade down and I must say I was impressed. It was really funny. Peter David has taken the best from the 007 films and every fantasy that young boys dream of when they actually see these films and wrapped it up into a very enjoyable package. Not being familiar with SPYBOY (despite me actually knowing Pop Mhan for a number of years. Don't tell him, he won't remember me), I had to take a few of the plot lines as they came to me and deal with them. This TPB covers the regular series issues #7-9, which was fine by me. I might actually track down the earlier ones.

Peter David has again gone out on a limb from his regular mainstream work (THE INCREDIBLE HULK, YOUNG JUSTICE, CAPTAIN MARVEL, etc.) to go out and create a world all his own, and pull off some generally entertaining stories that are whimsical and hilarious at the same time. SpyBoy, or Alex Fleming in his civilian identity, is the ultimate Super Spy. But he has to be activated by a special device to be turned into SpyBoy. Strange, but it works. Oh, and his Dad is Sean Fleming, an amalgam of Ian Fleming, the original author of the 007 books, and Sean Connery, the BEST actor to ever play 007. Cute little thing there that kind of adds to the inventiveness of the story.

Oh, the story? It centers around Spy Boy and his crew stopping a strange and mysterious woman from killing a lot of the members of the United Nations and thereby causing havok across the globe. Just a little mission. No big deal.

The art, I believe, was originally done by Pop Mhan and Norman Lee; but, for two issues, legendary Argentinian artist Carlos Meglia handles the art chores. Carlos is good, but I prefer Pop. Carlos has a crazy cartoony style that is sometimes hard to decipher, but he pulls off some great crazy art that looks really good. Pop, on the other-hand, is more defined and illustrative, which I happen to like a lot more. His lines are distinct and subtle at the same time. Great art by Pop and Norman both.

From what I read, this is a great story. I wish the sales had been better to help get it through this rough market, but that is the way things go. To have it available in TPB form is a real treat and I do recommend everyone check this out. SPYBOY is fun, crazy, and unpredictable.

Recommended

 

Marc Deering writes comic book reviews for PopImage, and we love him "deerly" for it.


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FROM THE WIRE: Transitions


CEREBUS ON HIATUS: DAVE SIM TO WRITE THUNDERBOLTS
By Matt Singer, with additional reporting by Scott J. Grunewald

NEW YORK- In an announcement that is rocking the independent comics world, Dave Sim, creator of CEREBUS has announced that just two years short of his 300 issue goal, he is leaving the book he created and guided for decades to take a position at Marvel as the new writer on THUNDERBOLTS.

From The Wire has acquired, in an exclusive, a copy of Sim's thirty-two page essay entitled "Transitions" which will run in the upcoming final issue of Sim's CEREBUS, occupying roughly three fourths of the content in the book.

In the first of the essay's four parts, entitled "All That is Relevant," Sim explains the move. "When the issue at hand is my contention that feminism lacks a sound intellectual foundation, All That Is Relevant, Germane and/or Pertinent is the intellectual foundation - or lack of same - upon which feminism rests. Clearly, then, my motivation for moving was one of extreme relevancy: mea culpa, mea maxima culpa, and yes, the tongue is planted firmly in cheek with that remark."

Sim has become notorious in certain circles for his outspoken and often controversial views about women and sexuality, subjects he plans to explore in his tenure as scripter and layout artist on T-BOLTS. He explains, "I discovered, through celibacy and the avoidance of masturbation that sexual desire is a lot like a rash. If you keep 'scratching it' the rash only becomes even further inflamed. It comes to seem like an urgent, toppermost of the poppermost, central necessity of your existence. If you learn to leave your penis alone, I discovered, your penis will learn to leave you alone.

"I plan to give Hawkeye, clearly the person in the group with the most itch to scratch, if you will, given my quote unquote implication, a role in voicing my own hermetically sealed sanitary cure for the uncurable, that is, the sexual itch that drives men to the most ridiculous of states."

Longtime readers, like Sim, know that Hawkeye has frequently been on the receiving end of some rather unpleasant relationships with women. Sim plans to change that noting, "Hawkeye will learn, just as I did, that surrendering an accurate perception of reality for a world of fairy-tale falsehoods is far too high a price to pay for sex. And not even good sex, if you know what I mean, and, given the fickle nature of the 'fairer' sex, many of you think you do, but, in reality, don't have a clue."

Asked whether he plans to return to CEREBUS at some point in the future, Sim would only say, "my own decision to alternate periods of intentional celibacy with periods of monogamous sexual and semi-monogamous sexual activity, unequivocally related to all other subjects within that realm. Having gone back and forth between the two states over the course of a decade, I can state unequivocally that celibate Dave Sim sees reality more clearly than sexually-active Dave Sim. Seeing clearly now, I see that, clearly, the choice to do THUNDERBOLTS was a clear one. With great clarity I can say that this is a bold new step for my career, and one that I am clearly thankful to Marvel for giving me. Clearly."



Developing...


FROM THE CREATORS OF THE OSBOURNES: THE RICHARDS
By Matt Singer

NEW YORK- Tonight marks the first airing of "The Richards," MTV?s replacement for the hit reality sitcom The Osbournes until it returns for a second season. Sparked by interest in this type of programming, MTV execs actively pursued similarly dysfunctional families that might be interested in having their every move documented on camera. After a deal with Woody Allen's family fell through, MTV reached an agreement to bring the Richards family, a.k.a. The Fantastic Four, to the small screen for thirteen half hour episodes.

The pilot, airing tonight follows a rather routine day in the lives of The Richards, as father Reed tries to create a new portal to the Negative Zone while brother-in-law Johnny Storm tries to go out on an adventure on his own. When Johnny drinks some of live-in friend Ben Grimm's Mike's Hard Lemonade before taking the Fantasticar out for a late night spin, the two get into a boisterous scuffle (Edited for content to make suitable for all audiences):

Storm: It's my f___in' life Ben!

Grimm: It's my f___in' Hard Lemonade Johnny! What do you think that Fantasticar out there is? Who do you think you are, man? If you?re drunk, flying that thing all around f___in' Manhattan, the cops are gonna f___in' bust you man!

Storm: Get out of my life!

Grimm: You dumb f___!

Storm: THAT'S IT! F______ FLAME ON!

"It's all real," says MTV executive Tom Sloan. "We had a lot of people complaining that The Osbournes was not real, and I think people are going to have an even harder time swallowing Sue ordering around Reed, telling him to wear a different set of unstable molecules and to walk H.E.R.B.I.E., but every bit of it really happened. We were just lucky to catch it on tape. The stuff with Reed chasing H.E.R.B.I.E. around the botanical lab is absolute dynamite."

The first episode also includes a spat between Richards and neighbor Alicia Masters over rowdy villains coming over after midnight, and a cliffhanger ending featuring a visit from Namor, prince of Atlantis and former significant other of Sue Richards. "Reed really blows his stack when Namor comes over," Sloan adds. "The only other thing I can mention is that we couldn?t air most of the words Namor shouted between 'IMPERVIOUS' and 'REX!'"

A TV-MA rated program for frank shapeshifting, coarse language, brief language, and coarse briefs, premieres tonight at the 10 spot on MTV.



DISTRICT JUDGE ORDERS RETAILERS AND MARVEL TO STAND SILENTLY IN THE CORNER AND THINK ABOUT WHAT THEY'VE DONE
By Matt Singer

NEW YORK- In the first legal response to the class action lawsuit filed against Marvel by Brian Hibbs, a New York circuit court judge has ordered the two parties to take a "time out."

"It is hereby ordered," the document, obtained by FTW from sources in the New York Court System, says, "that Brian Hibbs et. al. and Marvel Enterprises Inc. each go and face the corner and silently think about what they have done. The period of quiet introspection shall last no less than five minutes; at which point the parties may return to discuss their actions."

The order continues, "The corner in which each party shall stand must be at a ninety degree angle in a room no larger than thirty feet by thirty feet. The parties must stand with their heads slightly pointed down, with the eyes closed. Banging of parties' heads against respective corners is permissible, given that each party consents to the others banging.

"Failure to remit to silent time will result in a court-ordered slap on the wrist, by a representative the court shall appoint at that time. Should either party refuse to submit to said slap, court shall order a writ of bottom spanking for each. Details on the time, place, severity, and number of spankings will be outlined in writ, should the court deem it necessary."

At press time, neither Hibbs nor Marvel had any statement about the court's decision.

 

All characters appearing in this work are tm & © their respective owners. All Rights Reserved. All material here published for purposes of satire, and no copyright infringement is attempted or implied. Any other use of real names is accidental and coincidental, or used as a fictional depiction or personality parody (permitted under Hustler Magazine v. Fallwell, 485 US 46, 108 S.Ct 876, 99 L.Ed.2d 41 (1988)). And, thanks to Comic Book Resources for the case citation.


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COMIC WARS



By Dan Raviv
Broadway Books, 2002
$24.95

Reviewed by Matt Singer

For mainstream comic book fans in the 1990s, Marvel's bankruptcy was an ever-present itch, impervious to scratching and Calamine lotion. Personally, I was unclear as to what was going on, understanding only that Marvel was in the financial toilet. As long as they kept making comics, everything was simpatico, but there was always that lingering thought that Marvel might just stop existing.

That was scary. What's scarier still is how close it came to happening, and even MORE chilling, the staggering number of times it got near complete corporate meltdown. Reading Dan Raviv's COMIC WARS, about Marvel's financial troubles, is like running in a circle that is slowly closing in on itself. Every page feels like a step closer to the end. Every comic book fan knows Marvel emerged from the bankruptcy relatively unscathed, but reading the book, that fact seems like a genuine miracle.

Before Marvel finally lifted itself out of bankruptcy, it was under the stewardship of two men (Perelman and, briefly, Carl Icahn) who had admittedly never read comic books. They were businessmen, plain and simple. Each had success in the past as corporate raiders, but Marvel was the thorn in both their sides. The cover word balloons say it all: "How two tycoons battled over the Marvel Comics empire...and both lost!!"

Comic book fans interested in the corporate side of industry will be fascinated by the details. I hate business (and the dubious morals on display here represent a big reason why), but reading the accounts of Marvel creditors clawing their way at the limited assets of the company is akin to the fascination-repulsion instinct when watching a car wreck. These people's actions are variously deplorable, nauseating, pathetic, underhanded, and fiendishly clever. But it makes for good reading.

Raviv's narrative is filled with plenty of interesting tidbits and insider information. Sections on Avi Arad, a toy designer who has become a Hollywood producer and bible thumper of sorts for Marvel is an especially intriguing fellow. The notorious Bill Jemas pops up in the final chapter to give a Zen take on marketing ("Media is merchandise, and merchandise is media").

Still, the book could be better. Raviv's fly-on-the-wall style, incorporating public documents with interviews, is heavy on facts and light on style. His prose reads fairly well, but this isn't exactly a page-turner either. His attention to detail also becomes a bit of a detriment; by page two hundred you've read about so many creditors, debtors, trustees, holding companies, junk bonds, and preferred stocks that it's almost impossible to keep them straight in your head. And while Raviv chides the new owners of Marvel for not caring about their famous characters, he has written a 275-page book about the company and shown little more interest than they did; this is a book about a bankrupt company that happens to be in the business of comics. Do not expect a history of the characters, or even a history of the company. The phrase "high-yield" appears far more often than "comic books" (Marvel is, after all, an intellectual property company).

COMIC WARS doesn't so much end as it stops. Marvel is out of bankruptcy, but Raviv struggles to find some sort of happy ending, and none comes. The final few pages present possible futures for Marvel, mostly cause the company's story is continuing. If he had waited a few months longer before publishing the gigantic success SPIDER-MAN movie (of which Marvel gets a huge licensing fee AND a cut of the gross receipts from the tickets) would have made a fine conclusion, especially since Arad's fervor to get Marvel movies made is heavily charted throughout.

This book is not for all audiences, that is for sure; if you don't have a keen interest in Marvel or the quagmire of Chapter 11 bankruptcy, then your money won't be well spent on this expensive hardcover. Still, the depth of the information is impressive, and the narrative is as thorough as it is mind-boggling (Why would anyone give Ron Perelman money that he could use however he saw fit is, after reading this, completely beyond my realm of comprehension). It is a story of facts and numbers. The only conflict, the only desire, is about money. It is hard to make good comics when you don't care if they are good, so long as they sell lots.

Recommended (with reservations)

 

Matt Singer is a bad person and deserves to be punished. That's why he's the new Review Columns Editor at PopImage. His email address is SuperPulse@aol.com.


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FIRST IMPRESSIONS


You might notice that this column, entitled "First Impressions" is a little behind the times, thus making its title rather inappropriate. We're working out kinks here at PopImage Reviews, and not the Ray Davies kind. Please bear with us. Remember two things: it's only up from here, and you aren't paying anyway.

That said, let's get to the reviews, by Scott J Grunewald (SG), Brian J. Domingos (BJD) and Jon Ellis (JE), two fine guys who don't deserve this shabby treatment and one mean EiC who does:


THE FILTH # 1 of 13
Written by Grant Morrison
Pencils - Chris Weston Inks - Gary Erskine
Colours - Matt Hollingsworth
DC Comics: VERTIGO
$ 2.95 US $ 4.95 CAN

Brilliant. (JE)


Reading THE FILTH is like watching Killer Klowns from Outer Space with a Slurpee headache. Mmmmm, brain freeze. (SG)




SPIDER-MAN: BLUE #1
Writer: Jeph Loeb
Artist: Tim Sale
MARVEL KNIGHTS
$3.50

Loeb and Sale work wonders together. I loved LONG HALLOWEEN and DARK VICTORY; DAREDEVIL: YELLOW seemed okay from what I read, and this book might turn out to be something special. I feel, though, that these stories will become a bit contrived at some point.

The story has a different tone than the usual books, but, then again, Peter Parker is drastically different than Bruce Wayne or Matt Murdock. It's light, whispy like a feather, floating through the Marvel Universe. It's a nice blend of 1960s Spider-man and a more modern feel. It's never hokey or clichéd, just strong story telling.

Sale's art is tweaked a bit to look like John Romita SR. and Steve Ditko's previous work. It's not a rip-off, by any means, but more of a riff on the classic look. I also see a bit of John McCrea's PP on the page with Gwen and Peter on the motorcycle. It has that light, European feel to it.

All in all, I doubt I'd pick up another issue, as Marvel will surely collect it down the road. It's nothing that needs to be read right now, but it's definitely not something that Spidey-fans should miss. (BJD)


THE AMAZING SCREW-ON HEAD
Mike Mignola
Colours by Dave Stewart
Dark Horse: Maverick
$ 2.99 US $ 4.99 CAN

One thing you should know going into this is, expect cheese. Fun cheese, as it will become evident as you read on. This one shot is just a fun and clever tale of the amazing screw on head. A hero who beacons to the call of President Lincoln, fighting evil villains like the bad intentioned Emperor Zombie.

This book is straight out fun. It's Mike Mignola so you know what to expect with the art, smooth blacks and at least one angel statue. The colours provided by Dave Stewart may have been better suited for better paper quality, but are none the less, naturally well done.

I feel Mignola may be testing the waters with this one shot, should reaction be substantial enough, perhaps this will lead to further adventures? Personally, I think the amazing screw on head would be well suited for its own animated series. It has that kinda of off the wall attitude that is usually only evident in the Zen craziness of Saturday morning cartoons. For a one shot, definitely worth a pick up. (JE)


FADE FROM BLUE #1
Writer: Myatt Murphy
Artist: Scott Dalrymple
Second 2 Some Studios
$1.00

This was totally an impulse buy because it was a dollar. It follows the stories of four half-sisters: Iya, the model-turned-bartender; Marit, the tuff-as-nails-cop; Elisa, the oblivious songbird; and Christa, the lonely sex columnist. The sisters are the direct result of a polygamist father who had four wives and four daughters in four different states.

I have to admit that this is one of the most original plots I've read in a long time. The story moves at a brisk pace from sister to sister, overlapping the stories flawlessly. Murphy is a complete unknown to me, so I was impressed. I had no idea what to expect and I was pleasantly surprised. There's action, witty dialogue, lost (or missed) love opportunities.

The artwork is nice, too; Clean storytelling, and telling facial expressions. I'll be looking for the next one. (BJD)


SHOT CALLERZ #1 (of 4)
Writer: Gary Phillips
Artist: Brett Weldele
ONI Press
$2.95

SHOT CALLERZ is your run of the mill urban crime comic. Nea's been stabbed in the back and wants revenge on her former cohorts. She goes off trying to find out why.

Beh.

It's an okay read. The artwork is nice to look at. Weldele uses the style he hinted at in the opening and closing pages of COUSCOUS EXPRESS with the pencil/ink/paint look. His story telling is clear, though his backgrounds could use a bit of work.

I'm not so sure I'd pick up this book monthly, but I'd surely grab the trade. (BJD)


With a recycled plot and some uneven and sketchy artwork, SHOT CALLERZ is hardly the slam dunk I thought it was going to be considering I quite enjoy writer Gary Phillips' Ivan Monk mystery novels.

That being said, it's still a decent read, and worth getting if you're looking for something new or if you're a fan of Phillips or Weldele's COUS COUS EXPRESS. (SG)



MORTAL SOULS #1
Writer: Steven Grant
Artist: Phil Xavier
AVATAR
$2.95

MORTAL SOULS is the first new project from Steven Grant in a while. There's a woman out there, with a real "see them as they really are" sort of power, who can tell who is the zombie type fellow, and who isn't. She's off killing all of these Zombies and a certain Agent Traduce is after her.

Meanwhile, we've got Eric Sharpe, a burn-out, over-worked, under-appreciated cop whose life seems to be a perpetual kick in the nuts. He and the chick meet, she gives him her talent and she gets a bullet through the heart from him in return.

Now he's got the "sight" and half the police force is walking around undead. Things aren't looking too good, but for Sharpe this is pretty much par for the course.

It reminds me a bit of Ellis' DARK BLUE (also from Avatar) but it might just be the black and white artwork and supernatural criminal backdrop.

The script's a bit over the top, dialogue wise, at times, but the plot is decent enough. I'm interested to see what Grant does with this story. He can really shine when given the right project, so I'm hoping for the best. (BJD)


CABLE #105
Writer: Daro Macan
Artist: Igor Kordey
MARVEL COMICS
$2.25

Darko Macan has big shoes to fill in taking over the writing position of CABLE . Tischman made Cable a likeable, readable character, and now that level of quality needs to be upheld. I think he's ready for the job. Macan's first issue blends characterization and action and sets us up for the SOLDIER X relaunch later this summer. Kordey brings me back every month, with his top-notch storytelling and highly competent line work. He makes Cable look real, a far cry from his gun-totting origins. (BJD)

 

First Impressions appears on a semi-regular basis. As soon as possible it will be appearing on a semi-nude basis.


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