Stumptown by Greg Rucka and Matthew Southworth - A Graphic Novel Review

The Case of the Girl Who Took her Shampoo (But Left her Mini)

I came to this story from ad on television.  Cobie Smulders will star in the TV adaptation of the comic series written by Greg Rucka.  

I’m a sucker for strong characters who are unafraid of dangerous situations, Dex Parios is one tough woman, who is in deep debt with a casino and must do a job for them to have her debt cleared.

As Dex looks for the granddaughter of the casino owner she uncovers dangerous connections and takes a beating in the process.

The story was quick-paced, dark, funny and scary.  Matthew Southworth’s art created a gritty mood and the colours captured the mood and atmosphere of the Oregon coast.

I enjoyed the story very much because it kept to the classic PI storytelling without having to prove itself as being “edgy” by being overtly gratuitous with the violence.  Plus, Dex is sassy as hell and I like that.

I am glad to have read it and happy that I’ll have a TV show to go with it.

Recommended.

Greg Rucka's website - http://www.gregrucka.com/wp/

Matthew Southworth's website - http://matthewsouthworth.net/

Greg Rucka

Matthew Southworth

Spider-Man Noir by David Hine with Fabrice Sapolsky - A Graphic Novel Review

I blew the dust off my copy of Spider-Man Noir before going to see the movie Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse.

Ten years ago I was enjoying the look and tropes of the 1930’s pulp fiction.  Marvel put out a series of Noir books that seemed to lend themselves well to the period.

What they did with Spider-Man was clever in how it was adapted for the 1930's.

I must say,  this is not your friendly neighbourhood Spider-Man.  Oh no, he is very much a deadly vigilante.

I liked this book very much, from the design of the costume to the nod to that other "Spider" who occupied pulp fiction at the time and to the dark tone of the story.

If you're looking for something different, but still familiar you might want to chase this book down.

I was impressed at how Marvel was unafraid to challenge the cannon of this iconic character.

Well done!

Thwip!

David Hine - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Hine

Fabrice Sapolsky - https://fabricesapolsky.com/

Peepland by Christa Faust, Gary Phillips and Andrea Camerini - A Graphic Novel Review

Goodness me, that was a gritty story.

New York in the 1980s was not a pretty place, it's a wonder how much it has changed in a single generation.  Say what you will about gentrification but I do not believe anybody wants to return to the NYC of those days.

Corrupt wealth, corrupt cops, corrupt bosses in a dirty, uncaring city and you've got a backdrop for a dirty, dangerous story.

The art was amazing, I wanted to wash my hands everytime I picked up the book.  (That's a compliment, really.)

But it was the story, oh my, what a scary world Faust and Phillips created.  In the underbelly of Times Square, a murder is caught on tape (yup VHS baby) and the evidence is hidden in a peep show booth.

Once the tape is found a whole raft of villains work extremely hard to cover up what it reveals.


This was a terrific read.  And the ending - cold, man, cold.

Highly recommended.

PS - Faust and Phillips - Doesn't that sound like a terrific detective agency?

Christa Faust - http://christafaust.com/

Gary Phillips - https://gdphillips.com/

Andrea Camerini - http://www.andreacamerini.com/

Hit 1955 by Bryce Carlson and Vanesa R. Del Rey - A Graphic Novel Review

Oh, this is very well done!

The story is a well-travelled trope - corrupt cops working for a corrupt captain.  You just know that things will unravel in a brutal way.

Bryce Carlson's writing shines like the glint of a bullet casing.  Oh my, can he deliver cold, hard lines.

"Do you know what I told Ken Collins right before I pulled the trigger?"

"Nothing."

Yikes!

In the bonus short story, Bonnie, there is a moment where Carlson describes how she tried to cover up the bruises on her face.

"... there was only so much foundation and powder could do.  They could cover up something small, but they couldn't hide the truth."

This kind of writing makes me an instant fan.

The art was moody and captured the aesthetic of the times.  Vanesa R Del Rey has a style that lends itself to the noir sensibilities.  Her use of odd angles and deep shadows worked perfectly with the story. 

Del Rey's art reminded me of Darwyn Cooke's work on the Parker series. 

I cannot recommend this title enough.  I was sucked right into the story and I found myself lingering over the pages soaking up the crisp writing and the lush art.

I Loved it.

Planets Volume 1 by Makoto Yukimura - A Graphic Novel Review

I recently did a Google search to discover new science fiction graphic novels.  Planets caught my attention -  the story of a crew of astronauts who clear debris from low earth orbit.  Yup, space garbage collectors.

The stories follow Hachimaki, a young brazen, prickly, driven and a somewhat lost young man, who dreams of greater things.  Each chapter is it's own stand alone story but there is also a thread that runs through them all.  A mission to Jupiter is announced and Hachi wants to win a spot on the crew.

His drive to become the best astronaut Japan has ever seen turns him into an obsessed person who is lucky he has people around him that understand him.  Otherwise, he'd lose friends quickly.

Chapter 10 of the book is my favourite story.  Hashi and Leo, his friend and co-pilot, crash on the surface of the moon.  Hashi saves him from the wreck but after their ship explodes they must attempt to rescue themselves by walking 40km to the nearest shelter.

This is the kind of man-vs-environment story that grabs my attention and explores the real consequences of exploring space.

This is an English translation and at times the narrative is a bit clunky but that is to be expected.  It also takes some getting used to reading back to front and right to left.

Ultimately it was a satisfying read.

Recommended.

Hachi carrying Leo to safety.

THIS is how I like my SF

James Bond 007: Hammerhead by Written by Andy Diggle, Art by Luca Casalanguida - A Graphic Novel Review

This book was a spot-on delivery of what we've expected from Bond over the years.

There is action, humour, style and cutting-edge technology.

I found the art and the depiction of violence, in particular, to be cinematic.  In that, it wasn't overly gratuitous.  In the past couple of books I've reviewed, I've found the blood, guts and gore splattered on walls a bit too self-serving.

I am sure the body count is about the same but it was handled with a more practiced hand here.

The story was spot on and I was happy to see Diggle bring out the secondary characters, proving they are in positions for more than their typing skills.

And this was a classic plotline; a new weapon is developed to replace ageing infrastructure.  However, what is good for national defence is also good for organized crime and a race is on to control the Hammerhead weapon.

An excellent entry in Dynamite Entertainment's Bond series.

Andy Diggle's website - http://www.andydiggle.com/

Art by Luca Casalanguida

Normandy Gold story by Megan Abbott & Alison Gaylin art by Steve Scott & Rodney Ramos - A Graphic Novel Review

Once again Hard Case Crime and Titan Comics have published a story that is gritty, violent, scary and just uncomfortable enough to keep the reader engaged.

Normandy is a county sheriff who is a witness, well ear-witness, who hears her troubled sister murdered while on the phone.

Set in the dirty 70's the look and feel of the book drew inspiration from such movies as Taxi Driver and All the Presidents Men.  The murder is largely ignored since Normandy's sister was a prostitute.  So she takes up the investigation.

But in this story she is no cop, she is out for revenge and to hurt as many people as she can along the way.

I liked the story but as I said, it was disturbing too.  The lengths Normandy went to learn the truth made me question her sanity.  But then that edginess kept me reading too.

In the end, I needed to take a walk to get some fresh air and then to take a shower, just to remove the effect the story had on me.

The style of the artwork is a perfect rendering of those times and just like those movies, I did not come away feeling good about humanity.

The ending was satisfying but I came away from it questioning my own sense of justice as much as Normandy Gold's

Read this carefully and do not let children near it.

Megan Abbott's website - https://www.meganabbott.com/

Alison Gaylin's website - https://www.alisongaylin.com/

Triggerman by Walter Hill and Matz

Hard Case Crime is one of my favourite imprints.

It has been a few years since I've read something from them and today I was taken aback.  Maybe I'm getting old, I dunno, but I found this story excessively violent.  Bullets fly, blood splatters and bodies pile up with quick regularity.

Set in the American west during the height of gangsters and prohibition; Roy is released from prison in order to do a contract revenge job for his employer.  Corruption is everywhere and everybody is out to stab each other in the back.

This was Noir Fiction at its most distilled.  The artwork, by Jef, is dark and gloomy and utterly bleak; perfect for this story.

As good as it was, it was actually a bit too long, considering that nearly every character had to double cross somebody and pay for it in some way.  Much of the violence felt gratuitous.

For a first taste of Hard Case Crime's graphic novel series this one left me a bit disappointed.

This in no way will prevent me from reading their other offerings, I know they publish a terrific variety of crime fiction.  This one was simply not for me.

Hard Case Crime website - http://www.hardcasecrime.com/

Walter Hill's Wikipedia page - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walter_Hill

Walter Hill

James Bond 007: Vargr by Warren Ellis

I loved the opening sequence in this collection.  Action packed, cold and darkly funny.

In the main story the bad guys are supremely creepy, violent and icky.

Bond is on the trail of a new strain of cocaine that has a nasty way of killing people.  Along the way he has his life threatened many times.

I found the violence in this story excessive.  Hey, I know; it's Bond.  It comes with the territory but there was a lot of nasty, nasty killing going on here.

These books are without a doubt "R" rated.  Do no let your kids read this stuff.

To be honest, I rather liked Eidolon better.  Vargr was meaner, colder and bloodier.

Once again the art by Jason Masters conveys the story amazingly well.

Warren Ellis' website - http://www.warrenellis.com/

Warren Ellis

James Bond 007: Eidolon by Warren Ellis - Graphic Novel Review

Okay, its Bond, James Bond, 007, what elses do I need to say?

Eidolon was a terrific story of revenge and clandestine attempts to undermine MI5 and MI6.

The action was sudden and sometimes unexpected and the bad guy was brutal.  Oh, my!  This was a mean dude.

As graphic as the violence was it was never gratuitous but it was heart-thumpingly cold.

Warren Ellis did a very good job of pacing and keeping the politicians an important part of the story.

Jason Masters' art was clean and cinematic wich lent itself to the grit of the story.

I wouldn't let younger readers at this book, it's pretty brutal.  But if you're looking for a strong, gritty and scary story you can't go wrong with this one.

Warren Ellis' website - http://www.warrenellis.com/

The art of Jason Masters

Warren Ellis

Hawkeye: My Life As A Weapon by Matt Fraction - A Graphic Novel Review

This character is pretty cool.  Sure, Clint Barton is rich and fit but he has no super powers, just very good skills with a bow.

I certainly loved the humor of the first three stories and the art of David Aja lent itself to the tone of the book.

Hawkeye has an equal in Kate Bishop, who is also Hawkeye.  Like Clint, she's conveniently rich and fit.  Hey, it's comics - so it's complicated - but it's still a different approach; to have a hero occupied by two different people. 

I enjoyed the stories.  Oh my, the neighbourhood bad guys were terrific and funny.  Any normal person would be scared of Russian Mafia types.  In these stories Clint is not just fighting the big picture "injustice" but he is fighting it on a personal level - protecting the other tenants of his building.

Best of all Clint makes mistakes.  He is not the all-knowing, never-makes-mistakes hero.  It makes the tension a little bit more real, when you know he can really get hurt.  That said, I think he has a super power - being able to get knocked to the head all the time without a concussion.

This made for a good time and a nice change in form.  Reading a comic book can feel a little bit like watching TV but it's still reading.  Honestly, I often wish there were illustrations in the books and stories I read.  Blending the art of writing with visual arts can be very satisfying.

The art of David Aja

Matt Fraction

The Rise of the Graphic Novel by Stephen Weiner - Book Review #241

Like my previous post about short stories and novellas this book, about the history of the graphic novel, has given me permission to dig into the collection I have in my basement.

I grew up collecting comics in the 1980’s and witnessed the birth of the form myself.  It was a nostalgic ride through my days browsing the comic shops.

While reading the book I added many titles to my wish list on the Edmonton Public Library’s website.

This was a very approachable exploration of the form.  The chapters were short and the book was well seeded with panels from the graphic novels discussed.

An informative read that reignited my joy of sequential art.

Ocean by Warren Ellis - A Graphic Novel

This is the kind of Science Fiction I crave.

A straight-ahead mystery in a far off world.  Jupiter's moon Europa, in this case.

Something is lurking in the depths, under the ice, and it's not nice.

But then there are people and corporations who are also not nice, that want to exploit the discovery.

Enter Inspector Nathan Kane of the United Nations who is sent to investigate and prevent any profiteering of the discovery.

Things get dangerous and deadly very fast but then the story settles into a threat of violence rather than an all out gunplay.  It's teamwork and intelligence that drives the adventure to its wild end.  The majority of characters that moved the plot forward were women, which I found very refreshing.  Not one damsel in distress among them, these gals were in charge of their roles.

I liked the story very much, which was enhanced by the rich, clean art.  Chris Sprouse gave the story the immense scale the setting needed.  The spotless order of the interiors gave it that old-style, shiny Science Fiction feel that has been gone since Star Wars came along and made things gritty.  It was a nice change.

It is rare to find science fiction that does not rely on some kind of techno-magic or alien monster to drive a story.  The trick is to make the setting interesting and fill it with people we recognize.  Technology should be advanced but it doesn't need to bee too far out.  Guns shooting bullets on a space station is a recipe for disaster, but if you change the slugs to acid capsules that only burn organic matter, that's an advancement we can relate to.

If you can get your hands on a copy of this, you will be happy with the work.

Art by Chris Sprouse

Dust to Dust by Chris Roberson & Robert Adler - Book Report #210

In anticipation of the new Blade Runner movie I dug into my old comic collection and read this two-volume story.

It is a prequel to the original movie, however the esthetics are the same.  The art was wonderful, it was dark, dirty, dusty, mouldy and just as wet as Ridley Scott's creation of 1982.

The main story is the same - six rogue androids are on a list to be retired.  Charlie Victor, a replicant himself with a terrific backstory, engages the help of  a "special" human, Malcolm Reed, who can discern humans from replicants.  This talent is a burden all it's own.

Together they navigate an intricate world of violence, morality and "human" rights.

I found the story to be a nice addition to the world of the original Blade Runner movie.

Star Wars: Agent of the Empire by John Ostrander - Book Review #177

I've always been a sucker for spy stories and one set in the familiar Star Wars universe had some appeal.

Volume One - Iron Eclipse

This was a straight up action adventure similar to a James Bond movie.  Our hero is deadly, capable, smart, funny, handsome and terrific with the ladies.

It was clever and fast-paced.  I liked how Jahan Cross, our spy, bumps into Han Solo and Chewie at a critical time in the story.

He also has a droid assistant that I really wish existed because I want one.

Volume Two - Hard Targets

Here we find Jahan Cross at a crossroads where he must choose between his duty as an agent of the empire and to do what is right.

I was less a fan of this one since in centered around politics and power.  There are murders and political shenanigans that I find exceedingly dull.  It's not a fault of the writer, it's a personal preference.

A young boy is caught in the middle and his life is threatened.

I found the first half of the story a slog but I enjoyed how it all came together.  There was a nice touch of humor in the plot development that allowed me to enjoy the story as a whole.

You can find out more about the author here - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Ostrander

Sin City - The Hard Goodbye by Frank Miller - Volume One

Oh, my.

This was fantastic.  Such a dark story with a likable bad guy.  This is the story of how Marv uncovers the mystery of the murder of a hooker with a heart of gold.  Oh yea, and her name is Goldie.

Sure it's a cliche, but that is the point.  Get over it and enjoy the heightened emotion and a leading man who is unique and interesting.  It is a very violent comic, but isn't that what noir fiction is supposed to be like?  

The art was striking; black and white with no grey and razor-sharp lines. I don't know how much black ink it took to print but it must have set a record.  

Everything about this book is unique and I was sold by the third page.

I am looking forward to reading volume two.

Frank Miller

Star Wars: Princess Leia by Mark Waid (writer) and Terry Dodson (artist) Graphinc Novel

This is a collection of the single issues of Princess Leia #1 through #5.

It takes place between the movies A New Hope and The Empire Strikes Back telling the story of how she worked hard to unite the remaining people of Alderaan in the fight against the empire.

I thought the art was bold and clean without being overly cartoony. The book fit right in with the universe George Lucas created.

A ripping yarn, if you will.

Star Wars: Shattered Empire - Graphic Novel by Greg Rucka

With all the attention given to the Star Wars universe with the release of Episode VII it is no surprise the comic publishers are pumping as many titles as can be sold.

Shattered Empire tries more to expand the stories of the aftermath of Return of the Jedi than to fill in the gaps of the main characters from the first trilogy of movies.

We generally follow Lieutenant Shara Bey and how she must deal with the inevitable mopping up of resistance from the Empire and to try to re-unite with her husband and to stand down from war.

I liked the story very much.  It added a touch of reality and complexity that the movies simply could not address, without being six hours long.

Since this story was a mini series, only running four issues, Marvel Comics added the first issue of the new Princess Leia series and the first issue of the classic 1977 adaptation of A New Hope.

This served to up the page count to an acceptable level given the $18.99 cover price and to whet the appetite for more buying of the books.  On it's own the added stories only made the reading disjointed and leaving me a bit puzzled.  I am not sure it worked.

I may have been more satisfied had there been some extras like sketch art and an interview with the author about the series.  I found the added stories took away from what was otherwise and excellent exploration of the Star Wars universe and the complexities of winding a war down.

Batman: Black and White, Volume 1, by Mark Chiarello and Scott Peterson- Graphic Short Story Collection.

I found this volume to be a joy to dip into, I would enjoy a story or two then get on with my day.  It also served me well as a quick diversion when I had a few minutes that I did not want to spend watching TV.  I liked being able to pick the book up, spend ten minutes with it and enjoy a complete adventure

The sequential art is wonderfully diverse.  Each story worked so well with the art that accompanied it.

I enjoyed the range in tone.  Some were over the top action while others contemplative.  The editor did a fine job of collecting a wide range of stories.  It gives you an appreciation that comics are not all fisticuffs and super powers.

Batman is also a good choice for this kind of exploration, in that he is the closest thing in comics to a regular guy.  Sure, he's strong, smart and rich but those are not super powers and that's what makes the character relatable.

If you don't read comics or know much about Batman this book makes for a fine introduction to this form of story telling.

Batman Noir, The Dark Night Returns by Frank Miller (artist and writer) and Klaus Janson (artist)

With all the hype around the new Batman Vs Superman movie I thought I would go back to Frank Miller's work. He is credited in the movie as being an inspiration.

Miller is a strange cat and he sure can put some serious violence and crazy on a page.  I've always liked his noir sensibilities but, incredibly, the art in this book somehow missed the mark for me.  Batman should have been easy to create a menacing mood as the covers surly did.  The interior art, however, was manic and, at times, impossible to understand what was drawn.

The book is a collection of four issues first published in 1986. Miller wrote the story and collaborated with Janson to draw the series.  The mini-series told the story of the return, after a 10 year absence, of Batman.  It explored the reaction of his return by the populous of the city, the criminals and, most interestingly, Bruce Wayne's.  Wayne has aged, and now, in his mid-50's, has to cope with his physical limits.

The entire run was narrated by television news which I thought could have been eliminated. Without it the story would have been cleaner, clearer and darker.  To be honest I felt like I was reading a Judge Dredd story.

Some panels felt more like sketches than finished art and I was constantly wishing Miller had used more of his Sin City methods in the telling of this story.  In the third story, Hunt the Dark Night, the Joker's flying kid-bombs were just too cartoon-like and took me right out of the story.

The entire book was redeemed with the last installment, The Dark Knight Falls where he comes to terms with Super Man and begins to take his crusade in a new direction.

Frank Miller

Klaus Janson