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Post by droidofages on Apr 2, 2009 10:10:18 GMT -4
April 1st (no foolin'!)A Drifting Life - Yoshihiro Tatsumi is one of those creators that seems to be better known among other comic creators, than with the current generation of fans. Thankfully, Drawn & Quarterly (one of the best publishers out there) is doing a great job at fixing this. We've already seen three collections of his " Gekiga" work in gorgeous hard cover presentations including "the Push-Man and Other Stories", "Abandon the Old in Tokyo" and "Good-Bye". These "alternative" works from the early seventies led the way for the slice-of-life genre, painting a candid and often grim picture of Tokyo's cultural revolution of that time. With "A Drifting Life", we get an arms length autobiography of his life, including his reasons for getting into Manga. Not only do we get to learn about Yoshihiro's life though, we also get a glimpse at the emergence of the Manga industry in post war Japan. Like his hero, Osamu Tezuka (creator of Astro-Boy) Yoshihiro's art often has a great juxtaposition between the cartoon-ish characters and some of the more beautifully rendered backgrounds. If you've avoided manga because you think it's all effeminate looking men with big hair and bigger eyes, dressed in over-designed costumes with more buckles and layers than a 90's Rob Liefeld character and forty foot long swords... than you may want to check out both Yoshihiro and Osamu. Although it is quite a tome at nearly 900 pages, "A Drifting Life" is a fairly quick read. That being said, despite a lack of density, there is still a wealth of information that could have been well served by an afterword, or footnotes of some kind. Regardless, this is a great book for fans of slice of life reading, as well as for anyone interested in the history of manga. Interior example 01Interior example 02
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Post by droidofages on Apr 10, 2009 12:20:03 GMT -4
April 8th
American Jesus - This is the first part of what Mark Millar plans to be a three issue mini series, inspired directly by the Book of Revelations in the Bible. Rather than being an over the top story of angels and devils battling for the dominance of good or evil like most comics derived from Christian religion, American Jesus approaches the subject from a slightly more down to Earth manner. It's more of a; what if the second coming of Christ were to take place in today's North American culture? What if an ordinary, adolescent child were to suddenly show signs of being the son of God returned to the mortal plane of existence? A kid who likes comics and video games, but a kid who can also perform miracles straight from the scriptures. Peter Gross and Jeanne McGee's artwork plays a large role in keeping this airy idea firmly planted in reality by maintaining a lack of sensationalism despite the subject matter. Fun, intelligent and respectful, American Jesus approaches a remarkable concept in an accessible and engaging manner.
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Post by droidofages on Apr 15, 2009 21:02:58 GMT -4
April 15thGus and his Gang - This is kind of a deceptive book. At first glance, it might appear to be a cute, cartoony type of funnybook with a European flavour... and at second glance, it might look like a generic cowboy story... But by the time you get into the third or fourth chapter of this First Second offering (great new-ish publisher), you discover a much deeper resonance in the characters and their relationships with one another. Chris Blain's beautiful brush work has an energy and charm that practically turns the page for you, as what appears to be two dimensional characters take form before your eyes. Despite the obvious differences, and beyond the obvious similarities, I would recommend this book to fans of Jonah Hex. Naturally, not everyone will get into it (or possibly even try it), but those that are fans of character development and strong story telling will likely enjoy Gus and his Gang.
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Post by droidofages on Apr 24, 2009 10:29:26 GMT -4
April 22nd
Jack Kirby's The Losers - Kirby is a king. Along with a hand full of other legends, Jack helped to lay out the foundations of what we all know and love today in superhero comics. Even if you don't realize it, you are a fan of his work, because of how broad and deep his influence goes. Even the artists out there who don't cite him as an inspiration are likely inspired by someone who was. OK, OK. I'm preaching to choir here. Enough about Kirby, and a little more about the Losers: This was a series started in 1970 by Sgt. Rock (woo hoo!) creator Bob Kanigher. This war comic stood out from the sea of others though as it was comprised of soldiers from all branches of the American military, kind of like the Village People... ahem... Each of these characters ( Captain William Storm, a former PT Boat commander with a wooden leg and an eye-patch; Johnny Cloud of the U.S. Army Air Force, known as "The Navajo Ace"; Sarge Clay, one of the oldest serving Marines, and Gunner Mackey, one of the youngest) had already appeared in their own war comics previous to this series, but were gathered together as a team for the first time in an issue of Haunted Tank. These "Losers" were always sent out on the most dangerous of special operations, pitting a handful of guys against a seemingly unstoppable Axis war machine. Despite their name, only these men could succeed regardless of their horrible luck. When Jack was brought onto the series, he held true to this basic concept, if not emphasizing the contrast between their skill as soldiers and their namesake even moreso. Starting in 1974, Kirby only worked on eleven issues, mainly because of the lack of positive response from the series' fans! (I wonder if I would have been one of those purists? Perhaps because he focused more on the men than previous creative teams, bringing stronger character development to the title? “It seems to me that the Losers is a ‘people’ thing. A small squad of ‘everymen’ caught up in the crushing tide of events, pushing their ‘know-how’ to the limit in a wild effort to survive.”Jack Kirby (1975) Despite being somewhat reluctant to take on other peoples' creations (especially ones that were self professed 'losers'), Kirby's run on this cool war comic gave us an energetic (as usual), action packed take on a multi-cultural, tough-as-nails team in WWII well worth checking out in the beautifully collected hard cover now on shelves! (Check out his Fourth World stuff, OMAC and the Demon collections too!) For more info on Kirby's work on the Losers, check out THIS GREAT SITE, and definitely check out their latest and last stand in the opening of Darwyn Cooke's New Frontier (soon to be an 'Off the Shelf' selection as well).
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Post by droidofages on Apr 30, 2009 16:33:15 GMT -4
April 29th
FREE COMIC BOOK DAY!!! - Holy crap! Free comic books!!! This Saturday is one of the best annual events on the calendar, and everyone should go out of their way to find a participating comic shop like Strange Adventures to participate. The selection available to shops is wide and varied, giving all ages and tastes a chance to try some comics out, absolutely free of charge! Two pieces of advice for those who plan on taking part: 1.) Bring a friend or friends who don't read comics yet. FCBD is one of the best opportunities for the uninitiated to delve into our beloved world without any risk. Bringing some kids with you is a great idea too. Cousins, nieces, nephews, etc. will forever remember you as the coolest cousin, uncle, aunt, etc. who brought them to FCBD! Any kids we get reading comics, is a boost for our floundering literacy rates too. It's a win win! ;D 2.) If you're already a regular comic reader, don't just pick up the stuff you already know and like. Grab at least one book that's outside of your comfort zone. You will never get a better opportunity to try something new, than at FCBD. If you're not sure what you want to try, ask the staff at the store you visit. With some perspective on your tastes, they can probably point you in the right direction. So here are just a few that I've previewed and enjoyed: First, the obvious four: Blackest Night and the Avengers are a part of the bigger DC and Marvel picture, and will be great for those who have been following both or either closely, as well as those wanting a jumping on point. Both have lovely art and are fun to read, but it was actually the Wolverine One-Shot that I got a kick out of the most as he visits NEW BRUNSWICK!!! Aaaaaaand, it's the mission that comes right before his first comic appearance, fighting Hulk and Windego in the western wilderness of Canada! How cool is that? DC is also offering an all ages anthology from their younger reader lines Brave and the Bold, Tiny Titans and Billy Batson. Speaking of the kiddies, we have one of the most adorable comics on the shelves for the wee ones. Andy Runton's skill in story telling is evident in this near text-less series Owly, which is well worth checking out for kids under the double digits. Plus you get samplings of Christian Slade's Korgi and James Kolchalka's Johnny Boo too! Woo-hoo! If you thought the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles were all about pizza, skateboarding and saying "cowabunga", you need to check out this 25th anniversary reissue of the ORIGINAL series premiere. One of the greatest black and white indie comics of all time will be reissued in collections soon too, so wet your whistle with this legendary origin story. Also legends in the 80's indie-comic scene are the Hernandez Brothers. Love and Rockets played a big role in introducing a new generation to the 'slice of life' genre in comics. I personally love Jamie's work (the art on the left) for the wrestling, superheroes, sci-fi and riveting relationships. No, that's not Havok in his horse riding gear, that's the new Buck Rogers comic and it's really good! Fans of Fear Agent are gonna wanna check this one out as it embraces classic sci-fi, but with a bit of a modern flavour as well. For fans of classic funnybooks, this double feature gives us a peak at the Nancy and Melvin Monster collections coming out from Drawn and Quarterly in the near future. Reprinted with an aged look, reading these comics puts us in a time machine, heading for an angst-free era of cartooning. Love and Capes is pretty self explanatory. It's a hybrid of drama and superhero action with a fun and light feel to it. This issue of the series explores one of the difficulties of a relationship between a super powered being and an ordinary human. If you enjoyed Ultra from the Luna Brothers, you'll likely want to check out this charming offering. Man, I love this series! If you like Hellboy, Planetary, X-Files and/or Fringe for the exploring of weird happenings in an ordinary world, AND if you like the art and humour of Invincible and Hellboy, you're probably going to enjoy Atomic Robo. There's already a trade out there, collecting the first arc in the series and a second is likely to come out soon, so hop on board with this freebie and join the growing fan-base! So there you go folks! These are just the highlights, so you can expect plenty of other choice books to pick from this Saturday. Hope you all get to take part wherever you are!
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Post by droidofages on May 6, 2009 21:00:04 GMT -4
May 6th
New Frontier - Darwyn Cooke is easily one of the greatest talents in comics today, or in comics history for that matter. The influence of previous legends like Kirby and Toth are obvious, but Mr. Cooke maintains a freshness in his style that focuses on the timelessness of our beloved icons, rather than just nostalgia. The New Frontier retells an origin story for the Justice League of America between '45 and '60, bridging the golden and silver ages of DC superhero comics. Picking up not long after James Robinson's & Paul Smith's the Golden Age, The New Frontier not only introduces many DC icons and unites them against a seemingly insurmountable, pulp-sci-fi-type of crisis, but it also pays tribute to DC's publishing history. As Darwyn himself said on Fanboy Radio: "all retcons are irrelevant; the only continuity that matters is the 'prime continuity' established in the first year by the guys who created the strips. I'm following the exact continuity of the original books in the original time they occurred." So for example, Martian Manhunter arrives in 1953 in New Frontier, the year Roh'Kar appeared in comics, (Martian Manhunter's prototype) and when J'onn J'onzz first appeared in comics, it was 1955, which is when he becomes a Detective in New Frontier. Although any version of this read is a good one, I'm specifically recommending the Absolute Edition for two reasons: 1) You get more story material and a phenomenal appendix that guides you through the remarkable work with Darwyn's insights and inspirations. 2) It's one of the best superhero books ever made, sharing a place next to works like Watchmen, Kingdom Come & Dark Knight Returns (IMHO) and so deserves the deluxe treatment. P.S. - You can see it animated as well (preferably after reading it first) on a direct to DVD release which was nominated for an Emmy! Bruce Timm & the WB animation team did a bang-up job as usual.
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Post by droidofages on Sept 3, 2009 8:56:01 GMT -4
Hey everyone! In addition to the usual weekly comics we all talk about, I like throwing out a recommendation every once in a while of something that may have been available for a little while already. This time around, the book I'd suggest you pull off the shelf and have a look at is Judd Winick & Joshua Middleton's Superman/Shazam - First Thunder. I mainly picked this up because of Josh's artwork. If you like the Luna Brothers' art, chances are you'll like Josh's too. I almost get the feeling we're looking at stills from an animated film when I look at his art, regardless of what the project is and this is no exception. The palette of colours is refreshingly subdued as well. In an era of super saturated computer colouring (which I'm a fan of by the way), it's nice to shake it up once in a while and take in something subtle. The surprise for me though is how poignant the story wound up being. Before this, I think the only Winick writing I had been exposed to was the absolutely hilarious Barry Ween Boy Genius. I was aware of his critically acclaimed Pedro & Me, but hadn't read it yet when I picked up First Thunder, and so I was blown away not only by how real the emotions in this book felt, but at how quickly he had me hooked (this trade was originally published as a four issue mini). In addition to the great art, great writing and it's place in the earlier years of DC's history (the story takes place less than a year into Bruce Wayne's life as Batman), this book offers a perspective on Superman right near the end of the story that I think is genius and worth the price of admission alone. It was one of those "Of course!" moments that gave me a little more access to a character that I used to dismiss as a boring ol' boyscout. All in all, this was a fun read that turned out to be a little more emotionally resonant than I was expecting. Next time you're in your local comic shop, have a look for it or ask the shop keep if they can get it in so you can have a flip through it. It's worth checking out. READ MORE COMICS!!!
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Post by Mike on Sept 3, 2009 9:29:30 GMT -4
Thanks J. I think I will check this out for sure.
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Post by droidofages on Oct 5, 2009 15:00:54 GMT -4
September 31stBefore last week's Off the Shelf, I recommended JSA vs. Kobra. You can see a little more on that by clicking HERE or on the interior image below: Last week's was Robert Crumb's adaption of the Book of Genesis. Although I still haven't read it, I know it's going to be an interesting take, and gorgeous art. I love this guy's brush and pen work. Here's a little sample: I figure I'll never get around to reading the (good?) book, but the graphic novel adaption as presented by one of my favourite, albeit controversial artists of all time will likely hold my attention. I know I enjoyed the Kafka biography he illustrated, so I look forward to this one as well. For more on Crumb, check out THIS documentary or click HERE.
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Post by droidofages on Oct 15, 2009 9:14:07 GMT -4
October 15 - Sulk #2Jeffrey Brown is probably best known for his earnest, often romantic slice of life books like "Clumsy", "AEIOU" and "Unlikely"... (click on books for examples of interiors) ... but he's also made some reeeeeeally funny comics like "Bighead" (super hero spoof), "Incredible Change-bots" (Transformers spoof) and Cat Getting Out of a Paper Bag & Other Stories" (for anyone who has witnessed cat behaviour in their lives)... (click on books for examples of interiors) ... Jeffrey is now working on a series called Sulk that appears to change subjects with each issue. Although it's now up to #3, it was the second issue that caught my eye as a fan of the UFC & MMA fighting. In Sulk #2, Jeffrey illustrates a battle between S.C.F.C.L. (Superior Cage Fighting Championship League) champion Haruki Rabasaku and (I love this name:) Eldark Garprub. It's obvious that Jeffrey is a fan of the sport and its history as he deftly weaves accurate terminology and techniques with a subtle humour. While Jeffrey's art may be a little humble for some people's tastes, it's this down to Earth approach that makes his comics so accessible for so many more. I'd recommend almost any of his books including this new series Sulk.
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