Archive for category Book Of The Month
Cammy’s Comic Corner – Book Of The Month – Infinite Kung Fu
Posted by Cammy in Book Of The Month on January 12, 2012
The Book of the Month for January 2012 is none other than Infinite Kung Fu (Top Shelf) created by Kagan McLeod.
A martial arts masterpiece of epic proportions!
Click here to read the written review!
Cammy’s Comic Corner – Book Of The Month – Gladstone’s School For World Conquerors Vol. 1
Posted by Cammy in Book Of The Month on December 18, 2011
Book Of The Month – December 2011
Gladstone’s School For World Conquerors – Vol. 1
Written by Mark Andrew Smith
Illustrated by Armand Villavert
You’d be surprised how many people have contacted me asking for a good ‘all ages’ comic book that I can recommend for their child. Now that’s always a tricky subject; how old are we talking? Are they enjoying titles like Dragon Puncher and Tiny Titans, or are they a little more mature and think Super Dinosaur is the bees-knees? You don’t want them to feel like you’re babying them by giving them a title like Owlie, when in fact they’re reading something like Runaways. It’s a fine line, and there are very few titles that will please everyone.
Imagine my sigh of relief when I picked-up the first issue of Gladstone’s School For World Conquerors earlier this year. From the get-go it read like a fun comic I could let my younger cousin borrow as soon as I was done reading it, and we could both talk about what we loved about the series. While other comics from Marvel and DC might have decades of continuity attached to the characters, with Gladstone’s you get a completely new universe to play in, with enough exposition to keep you interested and excited to find out more about the characters.
And talk about a batch of characters! While with other teen superhero teams, it’s all about training them to be the best they can be to take care of the supervillains, Gladstone’s is the exact opposite; the teen supervillains are in classes learning how to be the ultimate world conquerors (as the title suggests). We follow the team of Kid Nefarious, Ghost Girl, Martian Jones, Mummy Girl, and the Skull Brothers as they idolize their parents and supervillains of old, while accidentally discovering banned materials known as ‘comic books’, portraying their parents as bumbling morons. Infuriated, they then make it their mission to get revenge on those heroes who painted their parents in such a bad light. Little do they know however, that there’s been a treaty between heroes and villains, and all the fights they see on television are actually staged for entertainment. Will the students make a dreadful mistake that upsets the balance between good and evil that’s been protected for all these years? Well, you’ll just have to pick-up the trade and find out!
Gladstone’s School For World Conquerors is such a spectacular display of everything you could want in a teen supervillain book. The character designs and stunning visuals by Armand Villavert are such fun to look at, and this universe that Mark Andrew Smith has created is so magnificent to explore, that I can hardly wait for the next volume to start in 2012! If you’re looking for something fresh and new when it comes to superpowered beings, the first volume of Gladstone’s is definitely worth your money.
∞Click here to listen to the audio interview with writer Mark Andrew Smith∞
Cammy’s Comic Corner – Book Of The Month – Dan Dare Omnibus
Posted by Cammy in Book Of The Month on November 15, 2011
Book Of The Month – November 2011
Dan Dare Omnibus
Written by Garth Ennis
Illustrated by Gary Erskine
A writer like Garth Ennis can be a bit of a sticky pickle for some comic book fans, for you sometimes can’t tell what you’re getting with him. Will it be something gruesome and disturbing like Crossed, or an action and adventure war story along the lines of Battlefields? One man’s bollocks is another man’s red velvet cupcake.
Me personally, I’ve been a fan of every genre he’s done, but especially love the war stories. That’s the argument I use when people tell me he’s just a one-trick pony; constantly churning out vile and over the top stories to the torture porn enthusiasts. While it sometimes may seem as such, there’s always another series, whether it’s licensed or original, that balances everything out and keeps everyone happy.
The Dan Dare Omnibus holds a special place in my heart for several reasons, and I’ve been meaning to talk about it for the longest time. When I first reviewed issue #5 back in Episode 22, it landed me on my very first press list with a comic book company. At the time Virgin Comics was publishing it, and was able to complete the first seven issue arc before the publisher went through a bit of a revamp, and sold the license to Dynamite Entertainment. In 2009 Dynamite republished the collection, and still holds the license to any future Dan Dare adventures to this day. So far, there have been no plans announced.
For those who don’t know, Garth Ennis is a World War II buff and can tell some amazing stories set in that time period. Dan Dare first appeared in the Eagle publication during the tail-end of World War II, and a lot of Brits still recognize the character today. Think of him as the British Buck Rogers, but much cooler. What Ennis was able to do in this relaunch was maintain the character’s science fiction roots, and at the same time update him for a more mature audience. I don’t mean explicit, I mean this is a war story, and it’s not how the cartoons make it out to be.
Since it’s a science fiction story involving aliens and spaceships, it takes a talented artist to infuse the World War II era look and feel to the setting. Gary Erskine does a wonderful job illustrating the different battleships and cruisers, and certainly excels at the terrifying aliens such as the Torr. The space battles and dogfights are rendered beautifully, and really excites the inner-Star Wars fan in me. The hero himself with his classic bombers jacket and lightning-bolt eyebrows truly is the cherry on top.
So if you like science fiction, if you like war stories, and you’re willing to give Garth Ennis a shot, you’ll definitely find yourself appreciating this collection. According to the internet there’s a movie in the works, so perhaps we will get a new ongoing from Dynamite somewhere down the line. Since Garth Ennis is their MVP over there, it’s only a natural fit to have him pen some new adventures, because he definitely proved himself worthy with this omnibus.
Cammy’s Comic Corner – Book Of The Month – Hark! A Vagrant
Posted by Cammy in Book Of The Month on October 1, 2011
Book Of The Month – October 2011
Hark! A Vagrant
Written & Illustrated by Kate Beaton
I have a confession to make; I came late to the Hark! A Vagrant party. My friends always talked about the webcomic with high praise, and how funny and genius it was. In my defense there are hundreds upon hundreds of great webcomics out there nowadays, and it’s so hard to remember to bookmark them all. Of the regular ones I visit, I know their schedules like the back of my hand (Penny Arcade and Gunshow Monday, Wednesday, Friday; Questionable Content and Our Valuable Customers Monday through Friday), but if you’re rather forgetful like I am, you tend to visit a new series if you suddenly remember and are near a computer, or if you’re bored at work and have a smart phone handy. My love of Hark! A Vagrant! blossomed after Comic-Con this past summer.
Jeremy Awesome (cameraman, cool dude) was picking up an advanced copy of the book (signed, limited to 300 mind you) for a friend who wasn’t able to make it. While lugging our camera equipment and spoils of the convention around throughout the weekend, I had a chance every now and then to sneak a peek at the book and see what all the fuss was about. Little did I know, but Kate Beaton would soon become one of those beautiful Geeky Goddesses that I worship (alongside Blair Butler and Felicia Day).
Just like xkcd is a webcomic for the nerds and science types to enjoy, Hark! A Vagrant is the same brand of catnip for the history and literature buffs. Myself being an English major, I was laughing my rump off comic after comic, and much like xkcd you don’t have to be a scholar of any sort to still have an enjoyable experience when reading it (but it certainly does amplify the effects).
The majority of the strips are in the standard three-panel format, with an extended six-panel layout sprinkled in here and there when required. The subject matter jumps from period to period, century to century without a linear timeline. Sporadic keeps things lively and interesting, and doesn’t feel like Beaton is only focusing on one period in time to find humor in. The humor in the strips ranges from sophisticated to just plain silly, with some slightly bizarre thrown in for good measure. There is also some superheroes present, and I must say Sexy Batman had me rolling on the floor for several minutes.
So whether you’re a fan of Shakespearean plays or ever wondered if it was possible to make jokes regarding The Great Gatsby, I highly recommend you check this collection out, then afterward go to her website and bookmark it for your viewing pleasure. It’s such a great looking hardcover, and to think this doesn’t even collect the entire archive! Leaves it open for much more goodness in another thick collection in the future, and I’ll definitely be picking up that one as well.
Click here for past Book Of The Month selections!
Cammy’s Comic Corner – Book Of The Month – Essex County
Posted by Cammy in Book Of The Month on August 9, 2011
Book Of The Month – August 2011
Essex County
Written & Illustrated by Jeff Lemire
Wh
en one thinks of the country Canada, a few keywords that come to mind may include ‘polite’, ‘friendly’, and ‘hockey’. Some might say they’re a little too polite and friendly. They are right above us after all, sitting on prime location to strike at us if necessary with a Canadian blitzkrieg during a quiet winter evening. The only indication that we were taken over would be socialized medicine and the right to smoke the wacky-tobaccy in peace. But alas, Canada is more than just the prime exporter of maple syrup, Michael J. Fox and snow, it’s also the setting of Jeff Lemire’s imaginary hometown in Essex County in his first major graphic novel of the same name.
My first introduction to Jeff Lemire’s work was in fact Essex County, much like everyone else at the time. I remember listening to an episode of the podcast Around Comics (R.I.P.) where one of the hosts Chris was gushing about it, saying it was so much more than just a story about life on the farm. I mean, how do you try and sell a comic set in that landscape? Especially in an industry dominated by superheroes and events, the little independent guys don’t have any room to rise to the top like the exquisite crème that they are. After finally coming across a copy of the first trade paperback, Tales From The Farm, I was immediately hooked. His art style wasn’t conventional in the least; it was very loose, messy and bold, and I loved every single page because of it. His style was something I had never seen before, and yet it worked so well with the storytelling. The style and the story were a natural pairing. To even try and imagine another artist’s style for the series was ludicrous.
Eventually the Essex County Trilogy hardcover came out collecting all three volumes into one gigantic collection, and I naturally swooped-it up and devoured it all over again. Only this time I was in for a bit of a surprise; the collection had two unreleased stories in the very back along with production materials. I was so happy I cried tears of maple! 512 pages, all black and white, ready to be enjoyed all over again multiple times throughout the year (or maybe a tad-bit more spread out than that). If that wasn’t enough, the gargantuan trade paperback was just released earlier this year as well. It’s not as massive as the Bone trade, but it can still kill a small child just the same.
In the first story, Tales From The Farm, we’re introduced to Essex County and the main characters who live there. Lester, a boy who moves in with his uncle Ken after his mother died, has a big imagination and isn’t into farm life as much as he’s into playing down by the creek and creating his own comic books. His uncle doesn’t know how to connect with the boy, but the one thing that brings them together is their love of hockey. Lester starts hanging with the gas attendant Jimmy Lebeuf down by the creek, and enjoys their imaginary battles against aliens and share a love of comic books. Seeds are planted in this first story, and slowly you start seeing the rich history of the town and its inhabitants. It’s fun trying to connect the dots of who is related to whom, and how far back their family history goes.
Continuing on in Ghost Stories, you’re introduced to Lou Lebeuf who is a frail old man suffering from Alzheimer’s, going back and forth from past to present. This volume in particular is fertile with history and hockey, maintaining a perfect balance between the two throughout. Lou remembers fondly playing professionally with his brother Vinnie on the Toronto Grizzlies, until an unexpected love triangle blossoms between Lou, Vinnie, and Vinnie’s girlfriend, causing the brothers to not speak to one another for several decades. It truly is one of the saddest chapters I’ve ever read in comics, and I still feel the tears forming in my eyes when thinking about one panel in particular.
Finally, with The Country Nurse, we follow the daily routine of Nurse Annie, who travels across the county taking care of the patients in need of help. Her own grandmother helped bring orphans from the neighboring county to Essex County back in 1917 after their orphanage burned down one snowy night, further adding to the already rich back story of the place. The events of all three volumes wrap-up quite nicely in this last one, bringing families together, saying good-bye to some old favorites and even introducing a family tree for the reader to see the official history of those involved. From the first volume to the last, you do notice Lemire’s style progressing slow and steady right before your eyes, and yet it blends together quite smoothly for such a quirky style.
I’ll be bold and say Essex County belongs on your bookshelf next to Maus and Persepolis, because it is storytelling at its finest. It’s epic in scope for a graphic novel set in Canadian farm country, but it’s also something you’ll never come across again. If you do, it won’t be as good as this I can guarantee it. It brings me immense joy to see Lemire as a hot-shot writer at DC now, lending his talents to such high profile projects such as Superboy, Animal Man, Frankenstein: Agent of SHADE, and my personal favorite, Sweet Tooth. After reading Essex County, you’ll follow Jeff Lemire with such blind loyalty from title to title, publisher to publisher. He will be the Grant Morrison of a new generation, with his stories staying with us for a thousand years. He should be considered royalty in Canada, because he is hands-down my favorite export from that country.
Well played, Canada, well played.
Cammy’s Comic Corner – Book Of The Month – Strange Science Fantasy
Posted by Cammy in Book Of The Month on July 8, 2011
Book Of The Month – July 2011
Strange Science Fantasy
Written & Illustrated by Scott Morse
In my opening argument, I will prove to you that Scott Morse isn’t just a comic book creator, but a diabolical genius. The whole ‘I’m just a guy who draws pretty pictures’ excuse is nothing more than a cheap disguise, hiding the real brilliance of this man, this legend, this modern day Wizard of Oz. In this case you will want to pay attention to that man behind the curtain, because chances are that he’ll fill your mind with long lost stories of ancient times featuring gods, soldiers, and much more.
I remember reading the first issue of Strange Science Fantasy last year, and really liking the blend of both story and art. It was something unique, bold, and there was nothing else like it. Lo behold with the arrival of the second issue, and I had a gigantic hook simultaneously in my brain and heart, with Morse reeling me in one page at a time. To this day I still bear that hook, and it does make quite the interesting topic of discussion at cocktail parties. The whole concept of mash-ups is to take two or more already existing things, and combine them together to create something new. Music, comics, movies, you can see it thriving in this day and age, it still being a relatively new idea. I love music mash-ups, and have nothing but tremendous amounts of respect to the DJs who are able to create such wonderful new rhythms and beats. The same thing applies to comic book creators who are pushing the boundaries of different genres, creating something new and beautiful as the outcome.
With Strange Science Fantasy, you get exactly that; several different one-shots by Morse, each very unique with a blend of science and fantasy, action and science, etc. You can’t predict the outcome for any of the stories, you can only enjoy the ride from cover to cover. Remember those mash-up action scenes in the movie Sucker Punch? Think that, only good. Morse is throwing ideas at you that you wouldn’t have thought-up in a million years, and yet it feels like it could fit-in comfortably with any era in comic books. For all I know, Scott Morse is the incarnation of Jack Kirby, and he has unfinished story ideas. Now to compare someone to The King of Comics is quite bold, but Morse definitely shows respect to the stories and their creators of old, and you can see loud and clear in his work. His whole style of art is a fantastic pulp look, with beautiful coloring also done by him. Some of these characters he introduces us to are complex, simple, and original all rolled into one, that at times I find myself flabbergasted trying to figure out what his inspirations might have been. Drugs? Grant Morrison? Does he own a giant pop culture blender, and mixed-in a healthy dose of everything? The answer may hurt our mortal brains if we were ever to discover his methods of madness.
Each of these one-shots could easily be a mini-series of some sort, maybe spanning 5-6 issues per character. It’s the kind of collection you could pitch to a publisher, seeing what hits and what misses. I for one would love to see the continued adventures of the Shogunaut & Knucklehead, or see what’s next for the Projectionist. And what’s our old pal G.I. Gantic up to now that his mission is complete? I know I shouldn’t get my hopes up, but it does say ‘Volume 1’ on this trade, perhaps suggesting that more of these magnificent stories are on their way? One can only hope.
In closing, this is a ‘Must Own’ graphic novel for your bookshelf. It has something for everyone, and it’s not like any other comic that I can think of. This is the perfect trade for the one comic geek who has everything, or the one who’s just starting to get into comics. You’ll laugh, you’ll gasp, you’ll study this Grade-A eye candy for years to come. And did I mention as an added bonus you’ll get six pin-ups by artist extraordinaire Paul Pope? Yeah, it’s kind of awesome like that.
Go pick-up Strange Science Fantasy today, and thank me tomorrow.
Cammy’s Comic Corner – Book Of The Month – Blacksad
Posted by Cammy in Book Of The Month on June 7, 2011
Book Of The Month – June 2011
Blacksad
Written by Juan Diaz Canales
Illustrated by Juanjo Guarnido
Dark Horse
Last week when I reviewed Liar’s Kiss for the Top Shelf selection for the month of May, something happened to me; I was bitten by the Noir bug. Now this type of bug isn’t your typical damsel in distress, nor is it lethal, but upon being bitten you will find yourself craving more and more noir stories, whatever medium be damned. That bite definitely influenced my selection this month.
Blacksad isn’t anything new to you if you live in Europe. It was originally a graphic album made for the French comics market by two Spanish creators, and later collected by Dark Horse for the comic fans over here in the states to enjoy. It follows a run-of-the-mill detective, John Blacksad, as he rights wrongs and solves mysterious in 1950-60’s America, in three different stories collected in this volume. So how does this standout from the other pulps and noirs? Simple; anthropomorphic characters with the species based on their personalities. Blacksad is a black cat who always seems to land on his feet, and is very stealthy when he needs to be. A lot of the police are some sort of breed of K9, and the shadier characters and lowlifes tend to be reptiles or other sorts of vermin. Remember those old Disney cartoons, whether it be Ducktales or Rescue Rangers? Same sort of style we enjoy here, only think of this world as a lot more grittier and adult than what you remember. There are certain situations that are rather explicit at times, but don’t let that turn you away; nothing feels forced, it all flows very naturally.
In the first story, Somewhere Within The Shadows, Blacksad investigates the murder of an old flame who he used to be very intimate with. We discover the culprit is a few million dollars above his and the authorities pay-bracket, so John has to get his paws a little dirty to make sure justice has been served, caution to the wind. This first arc really helps introduce us to this world, and has us begging for more by the last page.
The second story, Artic Nation, is my personal favorite. It deals with racial segregation in the 1950’s between the black and white animals. The white supremacist casting is spot-on, and makes it feel that much more real and enticing. Blacksad has been hired to find a kidnapped little girl, with the local white authorities being his number one suspects. What follows is betrayal, deceit, and a whole lot of twists and turns that keep you guessing until the very end.
The final story of this collection, Red Soul, focuses on the Red Scare of the 1960’s, with the famous witch hunts for communist sympathizers. When Blacksad discovers one of his old teacher / mentors is swept-up with the wrong crowd, he feels it necessary to become his guardian angel. A good thing too, because someone puts out a hit on his old friend, and the shocking reason of why causes Blacksad to question everything he thought he knew about him.
The art by Juanjo Guarnido is just absolutely gorgeous to look at. The man used to work in a few different animated Disney projects, so he obviously knows how to create anthropomorphic characters that feel so natural and relatable. His watercolor work really progresses each story, and is just mind-boggling to try and calculate how long each page must have took him to produce.
As for Juan Diaz Canales, the man obviously lives, breathes, and eats noir on an everyday basis to bring us such wonderfully suspenseful stories. To have a post-WWII era as the background for each story really brings a sense of nostalgia to the reader, despite what generation they might be apart of. We learned of these events throughout history class, so to see a different interpretation of each time period is something very special.
If you’re a fan of Parker by Cooke or the criminal Criminal by Brubaker & Phillips, do yourself a favor and add this to your Noir section on your comics shelf. It’s a natural fit, and you’ll find yourself wanting to learn French just so you can see what happens in the yet-to-be-released volume four.
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Cammy’s Comic Corner – Book Of The Month – SEEDS
Posted by Cammy in Book Of The Month on May 12, 2011
Book Of The Month – May 2011
SEEDS
Written & Illustrated by Ross Mackintosh
Com.x
One of the aspects that make comics great is that opportunity of escapism from everyday troubles and woes. What may start as a bad day could easily end snuggled-up in a nice warm bed, reading who the Guardians of the Galaxy are currently up against (Spoilers: no one. The series ended), as your anxieties drift away into the back of your mind.
However, on occasion we tend to get lost in these worlds, slowly becoming dependent on the individuals who play dress-up and fight crime, and you know, don’t exist. What Would Batman Do? has suddenly become a legitimate question for those who can’t differentiate from real life and comic books, nor show any concern about the problems plaguing the world around them. Sometimes we need to derail these happy-go-lucky stories with something that hits a little close to home, provoking us to show that we’re still human.
For the Book Of The Month selection for May, SEEDS by Ross Mackintosh does precisely that. In his first graphic novel from Com.x Comics, he tells the story of his father’s battle with cancer from a firsthand account. Chronicling the first detection of prostate cancer, followed by a secondary cancer in the lungs, Mackintosh compels the reader to look past feeling sorry for his father, and to celebrate the legacy he left behind instead. Chances are you know or knew someone in your life who has struggled with cancer, so it really does hit close to home for the majority.
On a personal note, I recently was informed of my grandfather being diagnosed with liver cancer, so while I was reading the graphic novel there was definitely a few moments that I could relate to regarding his current state of well-being.
By the end of the story, you feel like you have a better understanding of the kind of man he was, and are thankful that Ross Mackintosh provided you with the opportunity to get to know a complete stranger. For a first graphic novel, I was tremendously impressed by his art and storytelling. His style of art reminds me of someone else who I can’t recall at the moment, but it was simple and yet spoke volumes.
So before you go back to reading the latest Fear Itself tie-in, treat yourself to SEEDS by Ross Mackintosh. Perhaps it will compel you to go out and live life to the fullest a little bit more, appreciate the loved ones around you, and seize the day.
Click here for previous Book Of The Month episodes!
One of the aspects that make comics great is that opportunity of escapism from everyday troubles and woes. What may start as a bad day could easily end snuggled-up in a nice warm bed, reading who the Guardians of the Galaxy are currently up against (Spoilers: no one. The series ended), as your anxieties drift away into the back of your mind.
However, on occasion we tend to get lost in these worlds, slowly becoming dependent on the individuals who play dress-up and fight crime, and you know, don’t exist. What Would Batman Do? has suddenly become a legitimate question for those who can’t differentiate from real life and comic books, nor show any concern about the problems plaguing the world around them. Sometimes we need to derail these happy-go-lucky stories with something that hits a little close to home, provoking us to show that we’re still human.
For the Book Of The Month selection for May, SEEDS by Ross Mackintosh does precisely that. In his first graphic novel from Com.x Comics, he tells the story of his father’s battle with cancer from a firsthand account. Chronicling the first detection of prostate cancer, followed by a secondary cancer in the lungs, Mackintosh compels the reader to look past feeling sorry for his father, and to celebrate the legacy he left behind instead. Chances are you know or knew someone in your life who has struggled with cancer, so it really does hit close to home for the majority.
On a personal note, I recently was informed of my grandfather being diagnosed with liver cancer, so while I was reading the graphic novel there was definitely a few moments that I could relate to regarding his current state of well-being.
By the end of the story, you feel like you have a better understanding of the kind of man he was, and are thankful that Ross Mackintosh provided you with the opportunity to get to know a complete stranger. For a first graphic novel, I was tremendously impressed by his art and storytelling. His style of art reminds me of someone else who I can’t recall at the moment, but it was simple and yet spoke volumes.
So before you go back to reading the latest Fear Itself tie-in, treat yourself to SEEDS by Ross Mackintosh. Perhaps it will compel you to go out and live life to the fullest a little bit more, appreciate the loved ones around you, and seize the day.
Cammy’s Comic Corner – Book Of The Month – Mesmo Delivery
Posted by Cammy in Book Of The Month on April 12, 2011
Book Of The Month – April
Mesmo Delivery
Written & Illustrated by Rafael Grampá
Dark Horse
When I first got into comics, it was superheroes or nothing else. There was only one kind of shape and design for characters, and it was the classic cookie-cutter look of big muscles, tight spandex, and skimpy outfits for the girls. That’s the comics everyone is reading, and because of it they’ve been dominating the market for the past several decades. Like sheep we follow blindly into the comic stores to verify that Spider-Man still loves Mary-Jane, Batman has a Robin, and the Hulk is still smashing things. This is the only type of comic style we know, and slowly we’re all dying a little inside because of it.
First, there was bland. Then, there was Grampá.
Rafael Grampá is one of those boys from Brazil that is reinventing what we perceive as the standard comic book mold. He not only breaks this mold, he completely obliterates it. I first heard of him a few years ago from the 5 anthology he participated in with a couple other unknown artists; Becky Cloonan, Vasilis Lolos, Gabriel Bá, and Fabio Moon. Yeah, never heard of any of those chuckle-heads. A majority of you first gazed in amazement at his work with the Daredevil #500 pin-up he provided featuring an old-school red and yellow Matthew Murdock. More recently, he did the fantastic Wolverine story in the first issue of the second volume of Strange Tales, which is an absolute crime that the story wasn’t considered Eisner worthy (politics, I say! Politics!).
Enough about how amazing Grampá is, let’s talk about his first graphic novel Mesmo Delivery. Originally published by Adhouse back in 2008, it just last year started coming-out under the Dark Horse banner. And when it comes to the kind of material Dark Horse publishes, this graphic novel is a absolute shoe-in. The story is a simple one of two men, one ex-boxer and one Elvis impersonator, driving a delivery truck across the country containing some sort of mysterious cargo. Only one of them knows, and it’s his job to keep it hush-hush. After stopping in a small Podunk town for some rest and milk, the ex-boxer Rufo starts getting the attention of a group of bored locals who mean business. A fight ensues, and it doesn’t go the way you’d think it would when an ex-boxer is involved. As a matter of fact, one simple fight turns into a balls-to-the-wall bloody massacre, and ends with no evidence left behind. Well, bruises and busted knuckles aside.
It’s not fair to artists to compare their perfected personal style to others, but in a case where it’s hard to describe with words a style so randy, it’s best to compare only to give you a clear vision. Think of Grampá’s style as if you blended together the styles of Geof Darrow, Frank Quitely, Gabriel Bá, Fabio Moon, Juan Jose Ryp, and Becky Cloonan. Add a dash of Asian influence, and you’ve got yourself one beautiful mindfuck on paper.
The entire graphic novel is under 100 pages (including extras and back matter), and because of it I pine for more. It does leave it open for future stories, so if they’re currently in development I cannot wait! I want more pretty pictures ASAP!
So if you’re interested in something new that ain’t your daddy’s comic book for under $10, do yourself a favor and pick-up Mesmo Delivery today. It will certainly tickle your art taste buds.
Cammy’s Comic Corner – Book Of The Month – The New Fantastic Four
Posted by Cammy in Book Of The Month on March 12, 2011
Book Of The Month – March
The New Fantastic Four
Written by Dwayne McDuffie
Art by Paul Pelletier
Marvel
Due to two recent major events in the comic book industry, I determined this should be the book of the month that I selected. Last month, the comics industry was shocked when we lost an extremely talented individual named Dwayne McDuffie. Whether you know who he is or not, chances are he’s had an impact on your comic reading experience. He wrote entertaining stories for many different companies, and had a major role in the animation field as well, giving us Static Shock and writing many of your favorite Justice League Unlimited episodes.
Also last month, the Fantastic Four lost the Human Torch to the devastating Annihilus hordes from the Negative Zone, in a way disbanding the team. The news made headlines worldwide, and was spoiled days before the issue had even hit stores. Because of these two events, one story in particular jumped out at me from a few years ago, and I find it very fitting that this Book Of The Month selection is sort of my own personal tribute to Dwayne McDuffie, may he rest in peace.
The New Fantastic Four debuted in Fantastic Four issues 544-550, taking place after Marvel’s Civil War event. Sue and Reed needed a break and decided to take a second honeymoon while trying to resolve some issues between them, while T’Challa and Storm need a new Wakandian embassy for the time being as the one in New York was just bombed. Seeing an opportunity to help out Reed and Sue, Black Panther and Storm set-up home at the Baxter Building and join the team as the new husband and wife part of the equation.
Spanning from cosmic battles against Galactus and his heralds, to battling the Fearsome Five on the moon Titan, McDuffie and Pelletier keep us the reader entertained to the max. McDuffie had said in prior interviews that writing the Fantastic Four was a lifelong dream for him, so you can absolutely tell he put heart and soul into this collection. It really is a great tribute to the Fantastic Four stories of old, and has the perfect mixture of fun, science-fiction, and glorious illustrations. Paul Pelletier kills it on art, and has the cast rendered beautifully throughout while at the same time gives us exciting scenes of cosmic proportions.
Whether you’re a new fan or old fan of the Fantastic Four, McDuffie gives us longtime friends and foes for everyone to enjoy including the Watcher, Silver Surfer, the Wizard and so many more. Do yourself a favor and pick this trade up, because it really demonstrates how talented McDuffie was, and maybe it will inspire you to checkout his other masterworks as well.
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