Posts Tagged book of the month
Cammy’s Comic Corner – Book Of The Month – Marsh Rocket
Posted by Cammy in Book Of The Month on August 5th, 2010
The Book of the Month for August 2010 is none other than Marsh Rocket (www.Marsh-Rocket.com) written and drawn by Jules Rivera.
The perfect selection for fans of Cowboy Bebop & The Fifth Element!
Cammy’s Comic Corner – Book Of The Month – Titanium Rain: Book One
Posted by readmin in Book Of The Month on June 1st, 2010
Book Of The Month – June
Titanium Rain: Book One
Written by Josh Finney
Art by Kat Rocha, Josh Finney
The Merriam-Webster definition of science fiction is “fiction dealing principally with the impact of actual or imagined science on society or individuals or having a scientific factor as an essential orienting component”. Many would classify the first volume of Titanium Rain as a science fiction / action-packed comic with gorgeous art, and they would be dead wrong.
Okay, yes, it is an action-packed comic with gorgeous art, but it is definitely not science fiction. I don’t care what the liberal media wants me to believe, but this comic you see before you is definitely a product of the not-too-distant future. I don’t have any idea how the author Josh Finney was able to build a time machine and travel to the year 2031, but I fear if I do learn his secrets, that time as we know it will collapse into a black hole, wiping-out the human race from existence.
It’s been said that “Those who don’t learn from history are doomed to repeat it”, and sure, that’s what Josh claims is what helped him develop this marvelous story, by looking back at the Boxer Rebellion and such, but the current events that surround us today can no way be just a mere coincidence of what happens in Titanium Rain. Troubles in Asia, and as usual the United States is sucked into the fray. This is what we get when we try to police the world the way we do.
I’m mad at Josh Finney. Not only does he have a working time machine which he refuses to use for good, but he also dragged poor innocent Kat Rocha into the mix. I can just picture the way it all went down; Kat Rocha had dreams of becoming an artist, and one sunny day while browsing through the indie graphic novel section at her local comic book shop, Josh Finney appears from nowhere and steals her from that moment in time. She cries and pleads for her life from this strange man, and Josh cackles with maniacal laughter and demands that she put pen to paper and illustrate the events that have not yet taken place in our world. Eventually, she develops Stockholm syndrome and the two of them are married before Captain Jean Luc Picard at a rather lovely ceremony on the bridge.
That has to be the only explanation of why the art is so exquisite. When you’re at the hands of a madman, you’ll draw your heart out if it means life or death!
Enough about why Josh Finney is wanted by Interpol (and the Chinese Government), onto the comic.
It takes place in 2032, and there’s a civil war in China known as the Sino Conflict. The whole world gets involved, and we follow a young Air Force pilot by the name of Alec Killan, who is the result of the Prometheus Initiative. In order to fly the fighter planes of the future, one must be upgraded in order to control and tame such a beast. Some people like tattoos, others like Alec enjoy bio-modifications. When a small infantry group is trapped behind enemy lines, it’s up to Alec and the Phoenix Squadron to clear a path for them. Along the way we get the history of where all the trouble began in China, how Alec got signed-up for the Prometheus Initiative, and more. Dogfights, close calls, and pure chaos ensues and not everyone makes it out alive.
I warn you right now that by the time you finish reading, you’ll be salivating for more. This book left me with the biggest smile across my face, because the environment that Josh and Kat have created is so incredibly detailed, that you could tell several stories within this universe for many years to come.
On top of all that, fifty pages of back material to flesh-out the story? Insane. This creative team should be locked behind bars and never allowed to see the light of day again.
Thankfully, they’re already hard at work on Book Two, but the longing to read it keeps me up at night like a bad tummy-ache.
In closing, I had a chat with the people over at Merrian-Webster, and they agreed to change the definition of the word reality. What used to be “the quality or state of being real”, has now been replaced with two words:
“Titanium Rain”
Book Of The Month – June – LOCAL
Book Of The Month – July – Sub-Mariner: The Depths
Book Of The Month – August – Superman: Secret Identity
Book Of The Month – October – Welcome To Hoxford
Book Of The Month – November – The Nightly News
Book Of The Month – December – CLA$$WAR
Book Of The Month – January – The Umbrella Academy: Apocalypse Suite
Book Of The Month – February – Locke & Key: Welcome To Lovecraft
Book Of The Month – March – Mini Marvels Ultimate Collection
Cammy’s Comic Corner – Book Of The Month – Green Lantern: Secret Origin
Posted by readmin in Book Of The Month on May 4th, 2010
Book Of The Month – May
Green Lantern: Secret Origin
Written by Geoff Johns
Art by Ivan Reis
DC Comics
It’s no secret that Green Lantern is my all-time favorite superhero. As soon as I got past the usual big two (Batman and Superman) and discovered a whole universe of different superheroes, Green Lantern caught my eye out of the entire bunch. The thought of having a ring, the most powerful weapon in the entire galaxy, that made whatever constructs you could think of appear from thin-air tickled me pink! However, operating such a device requires lots of willpower, and well, I’ll still scream like a little girl whenever I walk through a spider web.
It’s also no secret that Geoff Johns is the biggest fan of Green Lantern too (specifically, Hal Jordan). This fanboy-turned-writer has been responsible for resurrecting Hal Jordan and the Green Lantern title for the past few years, making him shine the brightest throughout the whole DC Universe. Starting with Green Lantern: Rebirth, it’s been gaining more and more momentum after every issue. Before diving head-first into the next event after the Sinestro Corps War, you’d best know your Green Lantern history!
And that’s what makes Green Lantern: Secret Origin so great. People will constantly ask me where’s a good place to start with Green Lantern, and there’s always the chance of losing new readers when you tell them “at the beginning; issue one.” With Green Lantern: Secret Origin, you can be a new reader or a seasoned veteran and still have an awesome time reading it. Geoff Johns slightly retcons the character and gives you the definitive origin for the time being, putting every fan on the same page.
We see the beginnings of the cocky & brash Hal Jordan, as he always looked-up to his dad (a test pilot for Ferris Air), and witnessed his unfortunate demise during a fatal test flight. He always wanted to follow in his fathers footsteps, and it scared his mother because of it. As soon as he was eighteen, he signed-up for the Air Force and left his family behind, sacrificing the ties to his mother and brothers to get one step closer to flying.
From then on the story takes-off just like a Ferris Fighter Jet, as we see Hal get too full of himself and gets discharged from the Air Force, and won’t get to fly for any airfield again. We’re introduced to Abin Sur, Green Lantern of 2814, before he crash-lands on Earth and leaves Hal as his successor before dying out in the hot California desert. Jump forward to training on Oa, and Hal is slowly starting to get the hang of it.
Sinestro, Atrocitus, the Guardians, William Hand, and even Hector Hammond all make an appearance, and Geoff Johns does a wonderful job intertwining all their origins together. And how could I forget Carol Ferris? She’s in the series too, as we’re witness to the early flirting between Hal and her.
Ivan Reis does a magnificent job with the art, making the images we see the icing on the cake of awesomeness. Everything from the landscapes of the desert to the bustling city-life on Oa, it’s all is absolute eye-candy to the reader. Atrocitus looks evil and menacing, Sinestro looks smug and superior, and Kilowog looks like a drill sergeant you don’t want to mess with.
Seeds for the Blackest Night are also planted in this series, so just as the surviving five of Sector 666 are talking prophecies, so is Geoff Johns.
It truly is a fantastic series, and a must-have for every Green Lantern fan. Screw Kyle Rayner, screw John Stewart, let Geoff Johns and Ivan Reis convince you that Hal Jordan is the one true Green Lantern, and believe me when I tell you that you won’t need much convincing.
In brightest day, in blackest night, no gorgeous Green Lantern hardcover shall escape my sight…
Book Of The Month – June – LOCAL
Book Of The Month – July – Sub-Mariner: The Depths
Book Of The Month – August – Superman: Secret Identity
Book Of The Month – October – Welcome To Hoxford
Book Of The Month – November – The Nightly News
Book Of The Month – December – CLA$$WAR
Book Of The Month – January – The Umbrella Academy: Apocalypse Suite
Book Of The Month – February – Locke & Key: Welcome To Lovecraft
Book Of The Month – March – Mini Marvels Ultimate Collection
Cammy’s Comic Corner – Book Of The Month – Asterios Polyp
Posted by readmin in Book Of The Month on April 13th, 2010
Book Of The Month – April
Asterios Polyp
Pantheon Books
Written & Drawn by David Mazzucchelli
As an aspiring graphic design major, I catch myself observing my surroundings; people, buildings, the always changing clouds, etc. Then when I sit down to read a comic, I keep a sharp eye to see what works and what doesn’t work for the art of the issue. We comic fans tend to like some artists more than others, whether it’s the incredibly detailed Juan Jose Ryp, or the loose-yet-fun Sergio Aragones, we’re able to recognize the style of the artist within seconds. I always wonder in the back of my mind when I see a gorgeous page of art, “how long did that take them to do?” For some artists, it could be days. Others, a few weeks. Everyone works by their own schedule and some have more free time than others. Then comes along David Mazzucchelli and completely blows everyone’s minds.
There isn’t a set style in the graphic novel Asterios Polyp, and that’s what I love about it. Every few pages the style changes-up, and you get immersed all over again. One page it’s stippling, another just geometric designs. And the best part of all, no black ink. If there’s need of borders or dark shades of some sort, it’s just purple. I feel that black sometimes feels more like filler, and draws your eye away from some details you might have missed before in a page. In Asterios Polyp, purple and the simple primary colors are the ones that reign supreme.
So what exactly is this book about you might ask? Well, it’s a simple story; this Professor of Architecture at Ithaca college, Asterios Polyp, has a sudden change in his environment as a bolt of lightning burns his apartment to the ground one stormy night. With just the money he has on his person, he buys a one way bus ticket to a small town out in the Midwest. Becoming an auto mechanic after a brief stop at the local library, we then see how he got to where he is today in flashbacks. His teaching years, the love of his life, the divorce of said love of his life, the downfall. Once an intellectual know-it-all and full time prick, now nothing more than a grease monkey working for room and board.
But the story hardly matters, because that’s not why you should be buying this book; it’s the art. Page after page of gorgeous art, that must have been planned out weeks before ink ever came close to touching paper. For all I know, this graphic novel took Mazzucchelli years to plan-out and create, and by golly it shows! The precise pictures and images he creates are stunning to look at, and are the stuff of legend. Any aspiring artists or graphic design majors sure can learn a thing or two about this masterpiece.
If it were up to me, this would be required reading in art colleges.
It’s currently nominated for a few Eisner Awards this year, and if it doesn’t take home the Eisner for Best Graphic Album, heads should / will roll, seen to it by yours truly. Hands-down book of the decade in my opinion.
Discuss this pick on the forum!
Book Of The Month – June – LOCAL
Book Of The Month – July – Sub-Mariner: The Depths
Book Of The Month – August – Superman: Secret Identity
Book Of The Month – October – Welcome To Hoxford
Book Of The Month – November – The Nightly News
Book Of The Month – December – CLA$$WAR
Book Of The Month – January – The Umbrella Academy: Apocalypse Suite
Book Of The Month – February – Locke & Key: Welcome To Lovecraft
Book Of The Month – March – Mini Marvels Ultimate Collection
Cammy’s Comic Corner – Book Of The Month – Mini Marvels Ultimate Collection
Posted by readmin in Book Of The Month on March 9th, 2010
Book Of The Month – March
Mini Marvels Ultimate Collection
Written by Chris Giarrusso
Art by Chris Giarrusso
Superhero comics don’t always have to be so dark and serious. Back in the day they actually were fun and zany, unlike most of the comics you see out on the shelves today. However, different times call for different content, and whatever is selling at the moment is the model to base your stories on. Why can’t we slip-back into a simpler time, filled with rainbows and gummy drops, while still being able to feel like responsible grown-ups?
Well now we can.
The Mini Marvels Ultimate Collection by Chris Giarrusso collects all the published Mini Marvels stories; everything from the first comics, the event comics, and up to the current comics. I’ve always been a fan of Giarrusso’s writing and art, so to have them all collected into one trade had me howling with laughter throughout! It’s the simple jokes that pack the biggest punches.
For those not familiar with what Mini Marvels are all about, they’re basically simple stories that started-out in the back pages of Marvel comics, with the characters drawn in a childish cartoon style, making them feel that these are to be read by kids only. It’s at this point you let your guard down and dismiss them as comics for kids, and that’s when all the little jokes flow forth.
With a lot of the big events in the 616 Universe (Civil War, Planet Hulk, World War Hulk), readers tend to either read them all like good little Marvel Zombies, or pick and choose to their interests. If you decide to skip one event and read Mini Marvels version instead, you’re given the abridged version, and will still get the general gist of what the event was about. Better yet, if you did read the event, then read the Mini Marvel’s take, you’ll be joining me on the floor howling with laughter with all the parodies, inside jokes, and so many geeky references. It’s this kind of joy that you’re experiencing that makes all the countless hours of learning your continuity finally worth it, all told by the younger cast of your favorite superheroes.
My personal favorite stories of the series include the Spider-Man working at the Daily Bugle as a paperboy, Civil Wards, and poor little Wolverine trying to just enjoy a box of his favorite cereal. Hulk and his haikus are hilarious, and Hawkeye’s commentary on the “Illuminators” meeting is a riot!
Chris Giarrusso is a wonderful human being with a heart of gold for working so dang hard on the mini versions of our favorite heroes. He unites the new readers with the old veterans, and everyone in between with these simple-yet-laugh-a-minute comics. If you’re looking for world peace, this collection wouldn’t be a bad place to start.
Discuss this pick on the forum!
Book Of The Month – June – LOCAL
Book Of The Month – July – Sub-Mariner: The Depths
Book Of The Month – August – Superman: Secret Identity
Book Of The Month – October – Welcome To Hoxford
Book Of The Month – November – The Nightly News
Book Of The Month – December – CLA$$WAR
Book Of The Month – January – The Umbrella Academy: Apocalypse Suite
Book Of The Month – February – Locke & Key: Welcome To Lovecraft
Cammy’s Comic Corner – Book Of The Month – Locke & Key: Welcome To Lovecraft
Posted by readmin in Book Of The Month on February 2nd, 2010
The Book of the Month for February 2010 is none other than Locke & Key: Welcome To Lovecraft (IDW Publishing) written by Joe Hill with art by Gabriel Rodriguez.
I remember reading the first issue of this volume when it debuted, and completely loathing it. Looking back, I might have been overwhelmed by all that was going on; gruesome violence, rape, and spirits. My mind must have been having a difficult time computing it all, not being able to make sense of what was happening in front of my very eyes. Who were these psychos? What’s that key do? Was there a zero issue I missed? So after reading that first issue I decided to say “fuck it” and just move on to the next comic book in the stack. A year passes and a second volume comes out, Head Games, and it’s getting nothing but great reviews. Still, I cast the series aside and swear it off as too extreme for my tastes. Then finally the third volume starts, Crown Of Shadows, and I decide to give the series a second chance. After all, I was bored at work and running out of new comics to read.
At this point in the review I would like to take a moment and apologize to two individuals. Mr. Hill, Mr. Rodriguez, I’m so incredibly sorry I dismissed this series and paid no attention to it. Please forgive my ignorance, for I am not worthy to grovel at your very feet. If you’d like, I’ll even commit Seppuku to lift the shame I’ve brought to my family and friends.
Locke & Key is by far one of the best series I’ve read in the past decade. What Joe Hill and Gabriel Rodriguez manage to do to with horror comics is the equivalent of what Andy Warhol did for art. Each issue in this first volume is jam-packed with action, humor, and horror, leaving you the reader hungry for more. I have to warn you though; as much as you want to devour the series whole and read it all in one sitting, do try to pace yourself and savor every bite. I found myself instantly hooked after re-reading the first issue, and forty-five minutes later and I was done, and craving more immediately.
Enough about how brilliant it is, let me explain what the story is about.
The Lockes were a normal family at one point until the father, Rendell Locke, was murdered by a troubled former student and his psycho friend. Because of this tragic event, the surviving family moves to the family mansion in Lovecraft, Massachusetts. The story focuses on the three kids; Tyler, the oldest, Kinsey, the rebellious middle child, and Bode, the youngest and my personal favorite. The death of their father traumatizes them, and they each deal with the loss in their own way. Bode spends his time exploring the dusty old mansion, and discovers a strange key that when inserted into a specific door, will allow the key-bearer to walk through. Only two things will happen when you walk through; the first being you die. The second being, your spirit allows you to travel wherever you want. Enter back into your body, and you’re alive again. As if having the same psycho who killed your father escape prison not bad enough, it gets worse; there’s an evil being trapped in the well, and all she needs is a certain key to get free so she can collect them all.
That’s one of my favorite things about the series, is all the magical keys. We’re only introduced to a few in this volume, but the fact that there are several more that have not yet been discovered thrills me to no end! Just imagine all the possibilities!
Gabriel Rodriguez’s art in this fits the tone of the story wonderfully, and you get a good sense of what each character is feeling. I especially love the spirits, because they’re not there altogether. You might see a little bit of face and maybe an arm, but the spiritual body is constantly changing. And if you’re a fan of blood and gore, you’ll especially be enjoying some of the spreads throughout this volume.
Overall this is the perfect choice for fans of the horror and fantasy genres. It’s also a nice little reminder what comics can be without having to involve capes and cowls. So before you run out to your local comic store and pick-up this wonderful collection, remember what I said before; try to slow down and savor it, because you’ll definitely be wanting seconds after you’re finished.
Discuss this pick on the forum!
Book Of The Month – June – LOCAL
Book Of The Month - July – Sub-Mariner: The Depths
Book Of The Month – August – Superman: Secret Identity
Book Of The Month – October – Welcome To Hoxford
Book Of The Month – November – The Nightly News
Book Of The Month – December – CLA$$WAR
Book Of The Month – January – The Umbrella Academy: Apocalypse Suite
Cammy’s Comic Corner – Book Of The Month – The Umbrella Academy: Apocalypse Suite
Posted by readmin in Book Of The Month on January 5th, 2010
Book Of The Month – January
The Umbrella Academy: Apocalypse Suite
Written by Gerard Way
Art by Gabriel Bá
When it comes to superhero teams in comics nowadays, the market is flooded. Each one a knock-off of the one before it, with very little room for standing out and captivating a new audience. Comic fans know what they like, so to introduce a favorable new team to them that isn’t a tweaked version of the X-Men or Teen Titans is not an easy task to accomplish. Furthermore, to have the writer be a successful celebrity in another medium that appeals to the “Hot Topic” crowd, is just on the road to ruin straight-out the gate. Before one page is even published, you’re already fighting an uphill battle against all the internet trolls that post at various forums and websites dealing with comics. You just can’t win.
Or can you?
Enter The Umbrella Academy: Apocalypse Suite written by Gerard Way, of My Chemical Romance fame, and art by Gabriel Ba, a little-known artist from Brazil who has a twin brother. These two did the unthinkable and created a comic book that is loved by many people from all walks of life. To be fair, it took awhile to finally catch-on. With the name “Gerard Way” on the cover, unfortunately many comic folks wouldn’t dare touch it, fearing it was going to associate them with being a fan of goth / emo / screamo music. I personally am a fan of My Chemical Romance, but I’m hardly what you could call a die-hard fan of the band. I almost don’t want to admit that I listen to the music, just because I’m afraid people would automatically slap me with the label “bias”, and that’s the only explanation of why I would pick-up such a comic. What a lot of people don’t realize is that Gerard Way is a hardcore comic book fan. As a matter of fact, he was working at DC Comics as an intern up until 9/11 happened, and he then took to music.
So enough about the back story of how the comic came to be, and onward to what it’s about; it’s about family. More specifically, a dysfunctional family of seven children who were all born at the same time and raised by a wealthy alien posing as human, who will all one day save the world from total annihilation. Got your attention? Good. The seven children are raised to fight crime and save the day with the powers they were born with, all given a number instead of a name. Eventually we come to know them by their codenames, and each of their unique personalities.
Spaceboy (00.01) is the team leader, and due to an accident on a mission to Mars, has the body of a space ape thanks to an experimental surgery to save his life. The Kraken (00.02) is the rogue of the group, doing things his own way (which usually consists of a sharp knife). The Rumor (00.03) can make things happen just by starting her sentence with “I heard a rumor…” which makes her very dangerous. The Séance (00.04) is a rather morbid fellow, who is able to channel the dead (among many other psychic abilities). The Boy (00.05) disappeared into the future, and remained there for sixty years before coming back. He may look like a boy still, but he’s incredible deadly. The Horror (00.06) is dead. And finally, Vanya (00.07) isn’t special at all, and plays the violin. Together, they saved the world countless times when they were children. In the present, they’re only back together because of the death of their father.
Dur
ing their family reunion, darker things are happening at the Icarus Theater where the villain known as The Conductor is composing the end of the world, The Apocalypse Suite, and Vanya is the missing key. Eventually turning her against her adopted family, she personally leads the symphony of destruction with her newly acquired powers. First her family, then the world. So to call them a dysfunctional family would be putting it lightly. Whenever I fight with my sister, billions of lives don’t hang in the balance.
The art on this series is just absolutely superb and breathtaking. Gabriel Ba really does a fantastic job creating such a uniformed team in his abstract style. Usually when you think of what a superhero is suppose to look like, you might think of a Jim Lee or Rob Liefeld type figure, with muscles galore and crisp, clean pectorals. With Ba’s style, they feel how they act; disheveled. His attention to detail has you completely captivated, making you smile as you turn to examine every inch of every page. Dave Stewart’s colors compliment the art very nicely, and do a great job setting the tone and setting of the dialogue. As children we’re told to color inside of the lines, and what Stewart sometimes does is color outside the lines ever-so slightly, making worlds of difference when you’re indulged in the colors. Finally, the covers by James Jean are out of this world. I don’t know how Way & Ba got so lucky to get him to contribute the covers, but they are exceedingly beautiful, almost bringing me to the verge of tears (I kid you not, look at the cover to issue four).
I personally think this is the perfect comic book series. We’ll always have the constantly changing Justice Society of America and X-Force titles, but once in a blue moon a series like The Umbrella Academy will come along and completely blow everyone away. The fact that it’s not a series from decades past, but merely a few years ago still boggles the mind, for it has already survived and has amassed a huge fanbase on the same scale as some of the Marvel and DC titles currently have. I cannot tell you how many times I have recommended it to non-comic book fans and got them hooked. They don’t have to worry about any continuity or origin stories, for it’s all right there in six issues.
So remember, never judge a book by its cover, especially this one. A second series is already out, and a movie is also in the works. Jump on board and have a fun time, for I personally guarantee you’ll love it.
Discuss this pick on the forum!
Book Of The Month – June – LOCAL
Book Of The Month – July – Sub-Mariner: The Depths
Book Of The Month – August – Superman: Secret Identity
Book Of The Month – October – Welcome To Hoxford
Cammy’s Comic Corner – Book Of The Month – CLA$$WAR
Posted by Gregory in Book Of The Month on December 1st, 2009
Book Of The Month – December
CLA$$WAR
Written by Rob Williams
Art by Trevor Hairsine and Travel Foreman
As a comic book reviewer, I’m offered quite a lot of comics to read and review by companies, creators, and the little guys no one has ever heard of. Most of the time the material I’m sent is good fun stuff, making me love the fact that I’m able to spread the good word about these titles to the undying masses. Then a comic like Cla$$war will come along and completely blow me away.
It’s comics like this that make you kick yourself for not knowing about it sooner, making you curse the heavens that it flew underneath your radar all those years ago. What other comics could have possibly been so important to yourself back in 2002, that this series completely passed you by? Batman? Spider-Man? The same old superheroes who always let the villain get away?
Well get ready for a breath of fresh air, because that’s exactly what Cla$$war delivers, and plenty of it.
The series revolves around a superhero called American, and he’s seen the light thanks to a renegade CIA agent by the name of Issac. Their mission; to open the eyes of the American public and reveal who the true villains are; the corporate CEO’s, the Government, and pretty much anyone else who happens to be white and insanely rich and powerful.
The time period this takes place in is during the George W. Bush reign of terror, and sure enough Dubya is one of the big baddies in the series, as moronic as ever. After American decides to take the president ten thousand feet up in the air to have a little ‘chat’, Issac plays a tape of American informing the vicious deeds of the United States government for the past twenty years. He’s tired of all the lies and the people he’s killed over the years, so it’s up to him and Issac to bring the real bad guys to justice.
Along the way he has to battle his old teammates of the supergroup the Enola Gay, made-up of some of the biggest superhero baddies that only science can create. The clashes are truly epic, making it feel like the issue is shaking in your hands from the aftershocks. I won’t spoil it for you how it ends, but let’s just say there’s an awful lot of gore and violence going down because of the circumstances.
When this six-issue miniseries debuted back in 2002, the original artist was Trevor Hairsine who stayed on for the first three issues, and the last three issues were drawn by Travel Foreman. Even though there are two different artists, it doesn’t distract the reader at all, and continues to flow smoothly with the story. Trevor Hairsine’s style gets compared to Bryan Hitch’s stuff a lot, and with good reason; it’s gorgeous to look at and really captures the characters well. The costumes, the facial expressions, the action, all rendered beautifully by Hairsine’s style. While it might resemble Hitch’s style at times, Hairsine makes it his own without question. He’s an artist I’ll definitely be looking out for in the future. As for Travel Foreman, it might have been difficult to fill the shoes of Hairsine after the third issue, but he shows no signs of frustration or stress in his pages. The art looks just as great, and some of the two-page spreads he throws at us will knock your socks off!
The overall story Rob Williams tells is just a fantastic read, and had me hooked after the first issue. You want to see the bad guys get what’s coming to them, and myself growing up and surviving the Bush reign wants to see Dubya get punished for his crimes especially. The story reminded me a lot like the dark superhero stories you see nowadays (Irredeemable, Black Summer, The Mighty), only the twist being the superhuman is going rogue against the ‘good guys’ like the President of the United States. The good kind of rebellion.
So do yourself a favor this holiday season and pick-up Cla$$war, if not for yourself, then for your comic book friend who thinks they’ve seen it all. Blow his or her mind with the awesomeness that is Cla$$war.
And to think, this is only the first series. Something tells me we’ve ain’t seen nothing yet!
Discuss this pick on the forum!
Book Of The Month – June – LOCAL
Book Of The Month – July – Sub-Mariner: The Depths
Book Of The Month – August – Superman: Secret Identity
Cammy’s Comic Corner – Book Of The Month – Welcome To Hoxford
Posted by Cammy in Book Of The Month on October 11th, 2009
Book Of The Month – October
Welcome To Hoxford
Written & Drawn by Ben Templesmith
When I picked up the first issue of Welcome To Hoxford, I didn’t know what to expect. The cover depicted this psychopath covered in blood sitting in a jail cell, so I knew it probably wasn’t going to be about puppies and kittens. Well, puppies are in the story, but they have nasty big pointy teeth. I knew who Templesmith was at the time from his gorgeous art on 30 Days of Night and Fell, but I wasn’t familiar with his creator owned work such as Wormwood: Gentleman Corpse. So upon reading the first issue of his latest work, I was completely in awe of what I just read.
It was sick, deranged, funny and horrifying all at the same time.
Needless to say, I was hooked. Every issue that came out was better and more fucked-up than the last, keeping me enthralled with this spectacular series. Not only was Templesmith’s art just complete eye-candy to look at, but his story was equally as haunting and enjoyable.
The story revolves around this psychopath Ray Delgado, as he’s transferred to this new privately owned and operated maximum security prison known as Hoxford. It’s run by the Russians, and only the worst of the worst criminals, rapists, and thugs are sent to Hoxford to be forgotten by the society that they gave the finger to. The Warden and guards of this fine establishment have a deep dark secret of their own that they can’t wait to share with the new inmates, and one of the people who might potentially spoil the surprise is Ray’s psychiatrist Dr. Ainley when she comes to check-up on her patients. You see, if Ray isn’t on his medication, then he’ll revert back to being his usual aggressive and cannibalistic self.
Sure enough, Ray isn’t on his meds and thinks he’s Cronos, God of the Titans and master of all. The other inmates go along with it because none of them are crazy enough to piss Ray off and have him go apeshit on their ass.
The secret of the Warden & Co.? They’re all werewolves, and the inmates are their prey. And these aren’t you’re typical werewolves that you see on the screen, no no no. These werewolves are giant monstrosities with endless rows of teeth. If there’s one other thing that Templesmith is a master at drawing besides tentacles, it’s sharpy pointy teeth. So it’s a free-for-all at the prison with the inmates not standing a chance. It’s as if a group of big game hunters arrived at the local zoo and just went wild killing everything in site. These inmates are the scum of the universe, so no one is going to miss them if they happen to disappear down the gullet of a grizzly ancient beast.
Ray isn’t scared. He’s a God, and must do battle with the beasts to defend his heavenly kingdom. And that’s exactly what he does. Bodies of his slain enemies surround him, and he slowly comes to the realization that he isn’t a God, but a hunter like the rest of these beasts. As a matter of fact, he fancies himself as an Alpha Male, and decides he will challenge the current leader for that position.
In the end of the issue, Ray does kill the leader in a bloody battle and is the new Alpha Male of the pack. All hail Ray, and those who are still alive should flee as fast as possible.
After reading the trade again in one sitting, I realized that I had goosebumps. This story was such a great read when it first came out, and I’m overjoyed to announce it still lives-up to the hype months later. If anything, it’s more horrific since I don’t have to wait months in between like I initially did.
Templesmith has such a unique style in his art, that you can just tell how much he loves his job. Although this was just a miniseries, I’m craving (nay, demanding!) more creator owned series from him. I always have such a fun time reading anything he’s doing the art for, that I’d love to read more original stories by the guy. I’m sure he’s an untapped treasure trove of stories like Welcome To Hoxford and Wormwood: Gentleman Corpse, that all he needs to get going on more stuff is support from his fans.
Mr. Templesmith, go and do that voodoo that you do oh so well!
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Book Of The Month – June – LOCAL
Cammy’s Comic Corner – Book Of The Month – Sub-Mariner: The Depths
Posted by Cammy in Book Of The Month on July 3rd, 2009
From Marvel Knights, the Book Of The Month for July is Sub-Mariner: The Depths written by Peter Milligan and art by Esad Ribic. This title is a must-have for any fans of Namor or eerie horror movies, because you get the perfect combination of both in this underwater thriller!
Stay tuned at the end for the contest!
Sub-Mariner: The Depths
Written by Peter Milligan
Art by Esad Ribic
When I was younger, I used to love going to the beach with friends. Bring a beach ball, go body surfing, run along the sand, you name it. I got caught in a riptide once and taken out to sea, but it wasn’t long until lifeguards came out to rescue me. While I was drifting amongst the waves, I remember feeling afraid because I was out of my element. If something larger than me was nearby and hungry, I would turn into lunch rather quickly. Thankfully that wasn’t the case and I was rescued soon after.
It wasn’t until years later of traumatizing movies (Jaws) and television shows (Shark Week) that I came to the conclusion, “You know what? Fuck the ocean.”
With Sub-Mariner: The Depths from Milligan and Ribic, it drags me back out to the ocean like a riptide, and creeps me out the entire time just like a good horror movie would.
I think one of the main things I like about this mini-series is that Namor is and isn’t the main character; he’s the fabled being protecting the lost city of Atlantis, and yet we barely see him throughout. We focus more on the protagonist Dr. Rudolph Stein, famous debunker of myths and tale tales. This guy has proven with science that the Yeti isn’t real, an when approached by fellow scientists to go in search of Atlantis, Dr. Stein sees this as another notch on his belt of accomplishments and jumps at the opportunity.
But he’s not just descending 33,000 feet in a submarine to see if Atlantis is real or not, he’s also in search of Captain Marlowe, the man who has claimed to have discovered the fabled lost city.
On their way to the Marianas Trench, the crew tells Dr. Stein of Atlantis’ protector, Namor, and how they’re in his underwater realm now, and he’s so terrible that he was responsible for the sinking of the Titanic. Dr. Stein laughs all this off, for he is a man of science and doesn’t believe in all this nonsense.
However, just before reaching the outpost, Dr. Stein has a dream of a Namor-like being haunting him. The crew informs him that when Namor appears in your dreams, he has something special planned for you. Because of this, Dr. Stein goes a little loopy trying to make sense of it all.
When they finally arrive down at the Marianas Trench outpost, Dr. Stein and the crew discover a grizzly scene involving the remains of the men who lived there. Someone or something brutally murder the crew, leaving the place looking like a slaughterhouse rather than a research facility. The only evidence of what took place there was recorded on a single camera, confiscated and observed only by Dr. Stein.
All he sees of the monster is a winged foot.
Not wanting to stick around and see what did this, Dr. Stein and the crew continue further down into the blackness in search of Captain Marlowe and Atlantis. What they find is Captain Marlowe’s submarine, and more dead crewmen. The only survivor of the massacre is Captain Marlowe himself with proof that Atlantis exists.
Sure enough after viewing the film, Dr. Stein realizes that Marlowe has indeed discovered Atlantis, making everything he has worked so hard to prove false a possibility, and Dr. Stein can’t have that.
While Dr. Stein tries burning the evidence, he is discovered by Marlowe and the two fight. In the middle of their struggle, we finally see Namor in all his glory.
Within a blink of an eye, Marlowe is torn to shreds by Namor, and disappears as quickly as he appeared. Trying to confess to the crew that he himself killed Marlowe, Dr. Stein isn’t believed for a second. The crew knows who killed him, and demand to see Marlowe’s film.
Dr. Stein comes to the conclusion that now the film must be destroyed by any means necessary, even if it means killing the entire crew and himself.
So while in his moment of madness, he knocks-0ut the captain and pilots the submarine into a sea devil, tearing apart the vessel and any evidence as he escapes in a pod.
While it looks like he’ll die from lack of oxygen before reaching the surface, it appears that Namor does in fact still have plans for Dr. Stein as he makes sure he returns to the surface alive and in one piece.
Dr. Stein tells his fellow scientists that the fact he survived was no miracle, but simply being trapped in a pocket of air from the ocean floor. He then makes the definitive statement that Atlantis does not exist, and that Captain Marlowe and his crew died when they drove into that sea devil.
Only Dr. Stein knows the truth, and will take it to the grave with him. The world does not need to know that Atlantis does exist, and beings like Namor are more fact than fiction.
Peter Milligan really took me by surprise with this series, because I was so used to his stuff on X-Force with Allred. The story he tells truly is terrifying, because underwater was not meant for man, only fish. He introduces Namor only in the shadows, stalking his prey like a master predator before finally revealing himself for the killing blow.
Esad Ribic’s art just blew me away page after page! He really did an amazing job setting the dark, creepy tone of the book with the bright characters surrounded by darkness. To only see Namor in shadow rather than in focus is a lot more terrifying, because you don’t know exactly what you’re looking at while it observes you from a distance.
In closing, this book is easily accessible to anyone. It doesn’t take place in the 616 Universe, so new and old readers can enjoy a classic Namor story without having continuity get in the way. It’s what makes it so timeless, and an instant classic. If you like horror, if you like comic books, this is the perfect underwater thriller for any library.
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