Posts Tagged dave stewart
Cammy’s Comic Corner – Book Of The Month – Baltimore: The Plague Ships
Posted by Cammy in Book Of The Month on February 18, 2012
Book Of The Month – February 2012
Baltimore: The Plague Ships
Written by Mike Mignola & Christopher Golden
Art by Ben Stenbeck
When the name Mike Mignola comes to mind, one automatically associates him with the Hellboy / B.P.R.D. universe that he brought to life over at Dark Horse. Just upon reading a Mignola-penned comic, you’re transported to a gloomier cesspit of a world where monstrous machinations roam wild and free, and Armageddon is constantly creeping up around every corner. Mignola sets a certain tone with his stories, that even if two different works of his aren’t connected in the same universe, somehow in the back of your mind you know they are. It doesn’t hurt that Mignola has access to the best artists in the business, with each of them bringing their own style paired with that natural Mignola-feel to the characters. Throw in colorist Dave Stewart on every project, and it’s a comic book hit waiting to happen.
When I first heard of the character Lord Henry Baltimore, it was at Comic-Con International a few years ago. There was a poster of the first issue at the Dark Horse booth, and I instantly recognized Mignola as the artist. While everyone would love to see more Mignola art on his own stories, the man is obviously extremely busy building universes that he simply wouldn’t be able to keep to a schedule if he were illustrating as well. So the next best thing for us comic fans is to have him at least produce the covers of the comics he’s writing, and that’s the natural conclusion I came to when looking at the cover to Baltimore: The Plague Ships. Sure enough, he and Christopher Golden were the authors, and this guy I wasn’t that familiar with, Ben Stenbeck, was on art. It’s Mignola, it looks creepy, what have I got to lose?
Upon further research of this series, I discovered that Mignola and Golden originally wrote an illustrated novel about Lord Baltimore a few years earlier called Baltimore, or The Steadfast Tin Soldier and the Vampire. While I still have not read it to this day, it’s not considered required reading if you were to dive-in to Baltimore: The Plague Ships, for the authors give his entire history within the miniseries. Lobster Johnson has a similar type of novel (The Satan Factory), so perhaps it’s just a thing for some comic writers to explore and experiment with their characters in different mediums.
In a nutshell, Lord Henry Baltimore is a veteran of World War I and was gravely wounded in battle. His entire company was slaughtered on the field, and when he awakes he discovers monstrous bat creatures feeding on his fallen brothers. Lashing out with a bayonet, he strikes and wounds one of the bats in the right eye, blinding him for the rest of its days. For that, the bat infects Baltimore’s wounded leg with gangrene and releases a plague onto all of Europe. Turns out these bats are actually ancient vampires, and the one that Baltimore wounded was an older and more powerful one named Haigus. Haigus has his revenge as he destroys everything Baltimore has ever loved, and after having his fun continues to plunder and kill across Europe. Losing the leg and replacing it with a wooden peg leg, Baltimore’s only mission in life is to get even with Haigus, and only then will he be able to rest.
Already finishing a second miniseries (The Curse Bells), this first volume really examines the effects of the plague across Europe, and shows Baltimore going to the extremes to hunt down and kill his winged foe. He gets sidetracked onto an island in this volume, filled with sunken plague ships and German submarines. The plague and vampires are connected, and whatever dead beings the plague touches can be brought back to life. This hardcover has page after page of action sequences, weapons galore (Baltimore is a one-man armory), and gruesome creatures aplenty. Even if not directly connected to the Mignolaverse, it certainly is a nice pairing for any horror comic fan.
Before Baltimore, I recognized the art team of Ben Stenbeck and Dave Stewart from another Mignola miniseries Sir Edward Grey: Witchfinder. Instantly I was hooked by Stenbeck’s smooth finishes, and uniquely dark and gloomy style. Stewart’s coloring choices were superb as well; setting the tone with dated, muted colors to fit the feel of that period. I was so happy to see both gentlemen back for the second volume The Curse Bells, for I cannot imagine a different art team for Baltimore now.
So if you like Hellboy and want something in that same vein from Mignola, I highly recommend checking out Baltimore: The Plague Ships. You’ll worship the art, fall head-over-heels in love with the story, and quickly choose Lord Henry Baltimore as the subject of your next commission at a convention.
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Cammys Comic Corner - Book Of The Month - Baltimore The Plague Ships Play Now | Play in Popup | DownloadCammy’s Favorite Covers for 2/1/12
Dark Horse Presents #8 by Duncan Fegredo & Dave Stewart
Admit it, you shed a tear too when you learned what happened to Hellboy. I’ve said it before on the podcast and I’ll say it again in writing now; Mike Mignola doesn’t have to illustrate a Hellboy story ever again, as long as he keeps giving art duties to Duncan Fegredo. I realize it sounds crazy, but Fegredo has out-Mignola’d Mignola! Don’t get me wrong; Mignola is a wonderful artist, but Fegredo has somehow taken his baby and improved it beautifully. While Fegredo really impressed me, it’s Dave Stewart’s colors that really put twenty-three cherries on top; look at all that pretty dabbing and texture! This cover is absolute eye-candy.
X-Club #3 by Rodin Esquejo
Let it fly in the breeze
And get caught in the trees
Give a home to the fleas in my hair
A home for fleas
A hive for bees
A nest for birds
There ain’t no words
For the beauty, the splendor, the wonder
Of my…
Hair, hair, hair, hair, hair, hair, hair
Flow it, show it
Long as God can grow it
My hair
-Hair, Hair the Musical
Sweet Tooth #30 by Jeff Lemire & Jose Villarrubia
My favorite cover of the week, hands-down! I’ve seen some ‘gangsta’ tattoos in my day (I watched Oz, I know what’s up), and this design is practically the standard. However, with the tattoos I’ve seen it’s usually a dead child or relative that’s being highlighted, and if the person puts on a few pounds, it then becomes all distorted looking. Pretty soon after one cheeseburger too many, it looks like you’re mourning the Elephant Man. The shading and shaping of the body looks fantastic (Jepperd looks great for his age), and I especially like the images of Bobby and Wendy on the arms, along with his loved ones of past and present underneath. If you consider yourself a hardcore Jeff Lemire fan, get these tattoos and show Jeff at the next convention you see him at. I can guarantee you he won’t be expecting it.
Cammy’s Comic Corner – Book Of The Month – The Umbrella Academy: Dallas
Posted by Cammy in Book Of The Month on January 8, 2011
The Umbrella Academy: Dallas
Written by Gerard Way
Art by Gabriel Ba
Dark Horse
Another January, and another Umbrella Academy book is the pick of the month. If you can’t tell by now, I’m a little obsessed with this series. I like starting off the new year with a selection that makes me smile from ear to ear, and no other series tickles me pinker than The Umbrella Academy.
In this second volume, Dallas, we see the aftermath of the White Violin’s rampage from Apocalypse Suite, and once again the team is disbanded. Space Boy is more like the Pillsbury Doughboy, The Rumor is left speechless by her deranged and amnesiac sister, the Séance is now a celebrity, Kraken is the only member trying to fight crime, and Number Five is down on his luck at the race track. Not exactly the team we fell in love with. After being visited by a small army of Temps Aeternalis agents, things get set in motion for Number Five, then eventually the whole team as well.
This volume is packed with back story of Number Five, and how he became the ultimate killing machine we see today. He was labeled an anomaly, and used by the Temps Aeternalis to travel throughout time and correcting mistakes in the time stream. When it eventually comes to assassinating JFK in 1963, his older self rebels. Because of this, JFK goes on being president for eight years, Hargreeves acquires nuclear missiles from him, and eventually the world is destroyed because of it. It is extremely important for Number Five to go back in time to finish the job, and the rest of the team is forced to get involved.
Whether it is the past, present, or future, Gabriel Ba is able to execute the pages flawlessly. This time around, he even took over for illustrating the covers as well. From the breathtaking landscapes of Vietnam, to the office at the end of time, he continues to bring us amazing visuals that only his art style is capable of delivering for a series like this. Add a dash of Dave Stewart once again on colors, and it’s eye candy of the highest caliber.
While I patiently wait for the third volume, Hotel Oblivion, it gives me endless time and pleasure to relive such wonderful storytelling by Gerard Way. I think with the completion of this volume, he finally earned the much-deserved respect from the pickiest of comic book fans. He is one of us, and he’s not one of these blow-hard musicians trying to make a quick buck that we’ve seen examples of time and time again. Yes, Hotel Oblivion is currently on hiatus due to My Chemical Romance touring, but after delivering to us two absolutely spectacular volumes so far, I will gladly wait patiently for the next one. It’s not like he’s going to pull a Warren Ellis and take an eternity to deliver on something he started years ago, right? Right?
The best thing going for this series is that it’s a lot like Hellboy; anyone can pick up any volume, and still have a great reading experience. You don’t need years of continuity to enjoy it, for it is easily accessible to comic readers of young and old. While waiting for the third volume in 2011, why not treat yourself with the first two this month? Where else can you get red licorice vines and instant Armageddon?
Nowhere else in comics, I can assure you.
Cammy’s Comic Corner – Episode 148 (12/05/10)
Posted by Cammy in Weekly Reviews on December 5, 2010
Last review episode of 2010! No Pick Of The Week, but we do have a diverse Fast Five! Picks include Taskmaster #4 (Marvel), Sweet Tooth #16 (Vertigo), Lady Death #0 (Avatar), Baltimore: The Plague Ships #5 (Dark Horse), and Brightest Day #15 (DC).
While the reviews may be done with this year, there will still be plenty of content in these next few weeks!
Cammy’s Comic Corner – Book Of The Month – The Umbrella Academy: Apocalypse Suite
Posted by readmin in Book Of The Month on January 5, 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
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