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Friday, September 3, 2010
Rich's Reviews
Exiles #69
by Tony Bedard, Paul Pelletier & Rick Magyar
Marvel, $2.99
This is a series about a group of mutants from alternate realities who save other parallel worlds from imminent cataclysms. One of their number returns to his home timeline – the familiar “616” Marvel Universe we all know and love – only to find it, and his wife, radically altered. Here’s a rare example of a corporate superhero book that has not only survived, but thrived, without any A- or B-list stars. This is especially remarkable when you consider that similar mutant books over the past few years, including District X and the Milligan-Allred X-Force/X-Statix, have had to struggle to survive. Plus, it was co-created by one of the most controversial writers at the Big Two, Judd Winick (though I have no idea how much of his stamp remains after 69 issues). But then, from what I see in Exiles, it’s a bit more of a conventional superhero title than the aforementioned ones. And alternate realities are always a popular concept with Fandom Assembled; I would imagine Exiles functions as a kind of de facto version of What If?
So it took the reunion of one of the best writer-artist combos in recent years for me to get sucked into Marvel’s House of M crossover. This isn’t the first time Tony Bedard and Paul Pelletier have worked on a book since the premature end of Negation – the two, along with original Negation inker Dave Meikis, did a short story in X-Men Unlimited last year. If I had to describe the approach Bedard and Pelletier bring, I’d say their hallmarks include the ability to juggle a large cast of diverse characters; to utilize humor as an outgrowth of the personalities interacting, not necessarily random gags inserted at will; relentless, break-neck action sequences where anything seems possible; and dynamic visuals that don’t look cluttered and compliment the script. I think a good comparison would be to Roger Stern and John Buscema’s Avengers collaboration in the mid-80’s: a good amount of humor, lots of genuinely tender human moments, combined with some of the most exciting slugfests in the long, proud Avengers history. (Stern and John Romita Jr. on Amazing Spider-Man is another worthy comparison.)
Given their accomplishments with Negation, Exiles seems like an appropriate fit for Bedard and Pelletier. Most of these characters are new to me, or at least these versions are (Heather Hudson’s a sister? Sabertooth’s a good guy? Wha?), and because their ties to the more popular heroes are marginal at best, I can come into them with fewer preconceptions. I remember Beak and the second Angel from Grant Morrison’s New X-Men run, of course, though I had no idea they were even interested in each other, much less that they’d eventually hook up. It kinda looks like Beak has become the new Doug Ramsey – the mutant with the worthless power who has to constantly prove himself to justify his role on the team (though I can’t tell if Beak even has a power – I don’t think he does). Anyway, I like the way Pelletier draws them both, especially Angel – curvy and round and shapely in all the right places which, given the fact that she’s now a supermodel in this remodeled timeline, is particularly welcome. Pelletier clearly draws her body differently from Blink’s or Heather’s.
Because of an interview I read with Bedard, I unfortunately have learned who the villain really is (he keeps it a secret in this issue), though I suspect he may have chosen this particular character so he can show off his “mastery” of a Scottish brogue. Actually, it’s no worse than when Chris Claremont wrote Moira MacTaggert in Uncanny X-Men, but it just seems a little too much like needlessly showing off. There was a villain with a Scottish accent in Bedard’s Route 666 and I also felt like Bedard was using it to say “Look at me! I can do accents!” Funny thing was, that character wasn’t actually Scottish and was mocked for his brogue. (Still, it’s nowhere near as impenetrable as the one in V For Vendetta.) The only other complaint I can make is also a minor one – late in the story, Beak claims that the others love the remodeled Earth-616 but I never got that impression. They were surprised by it, wary of it, but it was never clear exactly how they felt about it, and that would’ve made for a nice conflict, given Beak’s situation. Perhaps it’ll get addressed next issue.
So this new story arc is off to a decent start. Looking forward to revisiting some of my favorite Mighty Marvel parallel worlds, which will definitely be fun. B
Tricked
by Alex Robinson
Top Shelf , $19.95
Six lives – a rock star, the woman he falls in love with, a waitress, a counterfeiter, a music snob, and a girl looking for her father – and how they entwine with each other and eventually reach the same place and time. The creator of the acclaimed Box Office Poison continues in much the same fashion here in terms of characterization and storytelling. Tricked feels tighter, more focused than its predecessor. There are fewer of the storytelling stunts that made BOP so endearing artistically, but that’s okay, because this book has a completely different kind of identity. The common denominator in all the protagonists’ lives is lies – why they tell them and how long they’re able to live with them. Alex Robinson is not afraid to make likeable protagonists do unlikable things, and we see quite a bit of that here. Indeed, it’s a bit disturbing at times to see how easy deception can come, and I suspect that’s part of the point. All of us lie to some degree or another, to ourselves if no one else, and lies told often enough can become a second skin, to insulate and protect ourselves from things we may not want to face. In terms of art, what has always distinguished Robinson is not only the distinctiveness he brings to drawing each character, but his ability to manipulate the medium in creative ways to express what he wants to express. There may be stylistically better cartoonists, but there are few that are as cerebral as Robinson when it comes to choosing which images to present and how. Tricked is a worthy follow-up to Box Office Poison, similar in feel but progressively different as well. A
Spiral-Bound: Top Secret Summer
by Aaron Renier
Top Shelf , $14.95
A world of anthropomorphized animals is the setting for this ensemble kiddie adventure centered around a pond-dwelling creature who may or may not be terrorizing the inhabitants of the nearby town, and the children who attempt to uncover the truth and clear an innocent name. This is just good-old fashioned fun. The relationships between the principal characters are handled well and are nice to watch unfold. The art is delightful; beyond rendering so many different kinds of animals, the environment they all inhabit is fully realized as well, to the point where it becomes a mostly believable world. I say mostly because it’s difficult to imagine the larger animals sharing some of the same spaces as the smaller ones. And while I chose to ignore most logistical details like these (how can an elephant can even hold solid objects, much less sculpt, without opposable thumbs anyway?), a few are a bit harder to explain away. However, this is one of those cases where you just have to accept a few things on faith in order to enjoy the rest of the story. Besides, the target audience for this book accepts stranger things than this on a daily basis (talking sponges, super-powered tots, etc.). Bonus points for the wicked clever book design, down to the price-gun tags on the front of the “spiral-bound notebook” and the pencil stuck inside the spine! B+
BOOK REVIEW
Looking For a Face Like Mine
by Prof. William H. Foster III
Fine Tooth Press, $9.95
Essays, interviews and other writings about blacks in comics through the ages by the author, who has made this study his life’s work. This is one of the most difficult reviews I’ve ever had to write, because I’ve met Professor Foster and seen his infectious enthusiasm for the medium, and I believe in what he’s doing and want to help spread the word about it. However, the fact remains that there are serious problems with this book. Whoever was the editor did a piss-poor job of checking for typos, because there are quite a few throughout, including names of creators and titles. Maybe an editor can’t be expected to know comics trivia; I don’t know. But the worst part – the part where I have no choice but to lay the blame at the author’s feet – is that there are at least two incorrect facts. Basic ones. On page 74 he credits Give Me Liberty as written by Dave Gibbons and drawn by Frank Miller, when it’s actually the reverse. And on page 30 he gives a shout-out to my own comic book Celebrity, which is great… but he lists a completely different name as creator. Now I could tell you not to hold these mistakes against him, and indeed, I was tempted to… but any rational thinking person is going to wonder what else in the book is inaccurate if these basic facts are incorrect. And sadly, I find that I can’t help but wonder the same thing. Sadly because there are some good things in this book: interviews with old-school creators Bertram Fitzgerald and Grass Green, Professor Foster himself being interviewed on Ken Gale’s “Nuff Said” radio program – these make for great reading. However, they wind up tainted as well. Therefore in all good conscience, I find I cannot recommend this book, at least, not until the typos are corrected and the facts re-checked. It’s a shame because someone as intelligent as Professor Foster should know better. D
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Rap superstars Public Enemy are poised for a comeback, and in my Glyphs blog this week, I’ve posted an exclusive interview with the co-writer and artist for a forthcoming graphic novel written with PE frontman Chuck D and featuring the hip hop legends in an action-adventure story.
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April 22, 2008:
February 4, 2008:
November 20, 2006:
A Comic-Con without the Captain
