Quick Comic Reviews - Sweet Tooth Volume 6

So Sweet Tooth has come to an end and it's been a great run. There were a few times where I doubted it but it ended strong. There were some parts where I felt the page layouts were a bit off but other than that, a very solid conclusion. I wouldn't put this one up with Lemire's Essex County or Underwater Welder but it's a series that's worth checking out.

Man of Steel Review - Bad but okay? SPOILERS

I went to see Man of Steel yesterday and I came out of the theatre thinking "That movie was okay. I didn't really hate it." Yeah, there were some things that I felt were bad but all things considered, I was entertained for the most part. But I also recognized right away that it was a bad movie. It was poorly written, badly directed, and quite a bit of a mess. Yet, I was entertained.

Overall, the movie was a mess. Every scene was written and directed to force you to feel at every moment and it felt like it. It comes across as corny. Instead of building characters you feel for you're getting characters thrown at you while it feels like the writers and directors are yelling in your face to feel for what's happening. Then it switches gears to be over the top action. Again, it feels so in your face that it loses any real potential to connect. So all the things you're supposed to respond to like Pa Kent's death, Superman killing Zod, Superman's decision to bring Krypton's legacy to an end, Colonel Hardy's sacrifice, etc, etc they just get washed away as we get something else thrown at us. It gets thrown at you and then washed away with whatever you're supposed to care about in the next second.

I have to commend the actors, they actually did a decent job with the material and they still come out okay despite all the directing/editing/writing that just gets in their way. I wonder what could have been.

And I won't get into the stupidity of some parts. I'm really trying not to nitpick story parts that made no sense or were just idiotic but there was so much of that here.

So, overall, it wasn't a complete waste of 2 hours for me. But it's a very poorly written and badly directed film.

Quick Comic Reviews - Road to Oz and Saga Vol. 2

Two very different books this time around.

Marvel's Road to Oz - Getting Skottie Young to draw these books was genius, he's probably the main reason I keep coming back to these books. This one felt a bit weak in terms of story, but the art makes up for some of the weaknesses. The characters and their stories are creative, and Young's art really brings it all to life. The Marvel adaptation of the Oz books are a great idea for introducing people (young or old) to the world of Oz. As someone who has never read the books, I can't say any more than that. I definitely recommend these books.

Saga Volume 2 - Includes the big controversial issue which I won't bother to talk about because I feel too much has been said already. This volume continues to introduce us to the amazing (and very unique) universe that Vaughan and Staples are building as well as the characters within. We get to see quite a lot of Marko and Alana's story, Marko a bit more so in this particular volume. The story and writing continue to amaze me and the art is gorgeous. Fiona's art not only match the incredibly unique world being built up but also tell the story quite effectively. All in all, I think this is one of the best books out there right now.

Quick Comic Reviews - Manhattan Projects Vol 2

Manhattan Projects Volume 2 -- The first volume hit me so hard with all its twists and turns, I figured this one would have a tough time topping it. Granted, it didn't have quite as much "shock" to it as the first volume but this volume continued some pretty darn strong storytelling and some very interesting (and weird) twists. The art matches the craziness of the story and it all works well together. This series has quickly become a must read for me. It's probably a little too out there for many but I'm really enjoying it.

Quick Comic Reviews - Buffy, Superman and RIPD

This week was hell. Just, hell.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 9 Volume 3 - I'm not entirely sure why I'm still buying this series. Yes, it's Buffy but it's not exactly good Buffy. This series has been better than season 8 but still not really that good. The first story just seemed to drag on and really didn't feel necessary. The second story, about the first male "slayer", just seemed to be a silly idea from the get go to me and didn't get much better when I read it. Not a bad comic, but not one I'd really recommend.

Superman Earth One Volume 1 - I went in to this one acknowledging that this is yet another Superman origin but hoping it would be an original take on it, which I knew would be tough given how many times we've gone through this. Despite some small parts that seemed original (some of which seem to mirror what I've seen of the upcoming Man of Steel film) it felt completely unnecessary and unoriginal as a story. It felt like they needed an Earth One story so they threw this together, it didn't feel like they had a great story idea and developed it into this. Definitely not on my recommended reading list.

RIPD Volume 1 - Wow, this was a pretty bad comic. Right off the bat, I don't want to say "Men in Black rip off" but there are just so many similarities. And even the differences were so cliche that I found it tough to read. The art? Okay in parts, but weak storytelling in others. Close up shots in weird places where I don't have a clue what was happening took me right out of it. All in all, a pretty big disappointment. Hopefully the movie they made is better because this one was a regrettable purchase.

So some disappointing reads as of late.

Quick Comic Reviews - The Indestructible Hulk Volume 1

The Indestructible Hulk Volume 1 - Before getting into the comic itself I have to comment on the hardcover printing of this book. First up, I was a bit disappointed that this book wasn't the same quality (and increased size) of the last two Hulk hardcovers. I think Yu's art could have benefited from the size increase. But that's acceptable. Secondly, and more importantly, the binding was rather disappointing as I found it difficult to fully open the book on some pages without potentially destroying the binding. This was especially annoying given the art (and sometimes the text) went to the edge of the page and there were a few double page spreads (or least panels that spread from one page to the next) that ended up being somewhat ruined by it. I was also surprised that it was only the first 5 issues but whatever.

As for the content, I really enjoyed the writing. I really like it when the highlight the genius of Bruce Banner. I enjoyed it when Pak did it and I think Mark Waid is taking it to the next level. I wasn't as big a fan of Jason Aaron's psychotic Banner but that's another story. I think Waid's writing on this is great, I've really enjoyed much of his work and this is living up to my expectations. Leinil Yu is a bit hit or miss with me but I like his work here more than I normally do. There were a few parts that I felt were a bit messy and hard to follow/figure out but overall, it was dynamic art that really popped off the page. The page layouts were creative but flowed well for the most part. So this one definitely makes my recommended reading list and I'm incredibly happy to see a Hulk book of this quality.

Quick Comic Reviews - Swamp Thing Volume 2

Some days I think about setting up an anonymous blog to rant/vent about stuff. I know a private journal would be a better idea but somehow I think it would feel better for it to be public, even if nobody actually reads it.

Swamp Thing Volume 2 -- This volume didn't feel as strong as volume 1. Part of it is that this one seems to come to a climax rather early on and then feels like it fumbles a bit to try to find its footing again, at least to me. It's still an interesting story, some solid art (even though it has some substitute artists for the last few issues) and enjoyable but I was a bit let down by it. I also felt that I was missing out not knowing who Anton Arcane was. That reminded me of an issue I've had with many of DC's 52, that despite the "reboot" they are still really written for the regular fan and new fans just feel that they aren't in on the whole story. I'm still planning to pick up volume 3, to see how Snyder's run comes to an end, but it doesn't really feel like a must read any more.

Quick Non-Comic Review -- The Walking Dead: The Road to Woodbury

The Walking Dead: The Road to Woodbury will probably be the last Walking Dead thing I read. I'll still watch the show for the time being but I'm done with the comic and the novels. This one was a little interesting, the characters were a bit more unique and it was another early zombie outbreak story which I find more interesting than the stuff going on in the comic now but overall, it just wasn't really that interesting a story. You sort of saw the Governor's slide into darkness continue for a part of this book but it just wasn't really enough to warrant a novel. The "main" characters in this book seemed mostly throw away characters and as it switched from different perspectives it seemed to do so at bad times, never really giving the full story behind a character's thoughts or actions. And in the end, none of it seemed to matter anyways. So, for me at least, it really feels more like a money grab than a story that really needed to be told. Walking Dead fans may enjoy it, but it doesn't make my recommended reading list.

Ottawa Comiccon 2013 Recap

Ottawa Comiccon has come to a close today and what a convention it was (for me at least). This one had a heavy Joss Whedon feel to it with the likes of Nathan Fillion, Jewel Staite, James Marsters, Nicholas Brendon, and Felicia Day attending among others (not to mention Summer Glau who ended up cancelling at the last minute due to a passport issue, it happens but she was missed by all). But it also had a much better comic book/artist alley line up compared to last year with the likes of Chris Claremont, Neal Adams, Dale Keown, Richard Starkings, and George Perez coming out. So all in all, I had high hopes for this weekend and I really wasn't disappointed other than Herb Trimpe failing to attend again this year (not sure why).

With a slightly smaller crowd, Friday was a good day for me to knock off quite a few things. Like signing up for a commission from Dale Keown, dropping by Richard Starkings' table to get the Elephantmen print signed and talk comics with him (he's great with his fans by the way), buy a Chewbacca bathrobe (which is awesome), grabbing autographs from Jewel Staite, Felicia Day, and Nicholas Brendon, and a photo with Jewel.

Chewie!

Day two was so much more hectic on the floor but fortunately for me, I had a "VIP" pass that helped get me into the Nathan Fillion/Jewel Staite panel as well as the Felicia Day panel, along with front line access to Nathan Fillion's autograph and photo and the Wil Wheaton/Felicia Day photo. Then there was the Nicholas Brendon panel. Then I picked up my sketch from Dale Keown (an incredibly awesome Abomination drawing). And at some point (the day is a bit of a blur) I grabbed a sketch from Pia Guerra (who, in my humble opinion, should charge much more for her sketches).

Pia Guerra's Yorick and Ampersand

 

 

 

 

 

Dale Keown's Abomination

Day three was a bit easier on me. To start, I had the Nathan Fillion panel (the VIP pass helped yet again) and that panel became Nathan and Jewel part 2 (which was awesome again). Then it was shopping (grabbed a page from the Hulk/Pitt one shot from Dale Keown) and just seeing what I might have missed the first two days. My brother, Brent, decided to grab a George Perez Thor sketch and to be honest, I'll probably regret not getting one myself once I'm awake enough to really think about it. But at that point, I just couldn't bring myself to stand in another line. Then I screwed up. I asked Mike Rooth if I could buy a coaster with a Hulk sketch on it but with everything going on, my tiredness, and needing to make sure I had Mother's Day covered I completely forgot to go back and get it. I feel absolutely horrible about that and I'm hoping I can get in touch with him via Twitter so I can make amends at Fan Expo Canada or some other convention.

George Perez sketching Thor for Brent

So, all in all it was a great time for me but I am completely exhausted. One nice thing about it being in Ottawa is I get to meet up with local friends there. Friends who don't make the trip to Fan Expo Canada. And getting to see how happy they are to meet Nathan Fillion or Gillian Anderson, or just sit in on a Nicholas Brendon or James Marsters Q&A panel makes a convention so much better for me. I think the best thing about comic conventions for me is just seeing the joy you see in people when they meet their idols, whether it's an actor, a writer, an artist, or whatever else. That feeling just seems infectious (almost as infectious as the "con flu" that I'm bound to get) but seeing it in your friends' faces just amps it up a bit. So thank you to the organizers, the volunteers, exhibitors, guests, anyone else I haven't covered, and my friends/family including Brent, Carl, Michelle, Meaghan, Amy, and Sean, for making this convention so incredibly awesome. See ya next year!

Quick Comic Reviews - Angel and Faith Volume 3

Free Comic Book Day seemed to be very successful with both stores I visited having plenty of customers coming and going. Many seemed to be new to comics or at least not current customers. A lot of kids and women as well, which I feel is a very good sign.

But this weekend is Ottawa Comiccon which I was pretty excited for, I love conventions. But with Nathan Fillion added at the last minute, I'm absolutely bouncing off the walls. There are just so many people I'm excited to see but Nathan, he's been near the top of my list for a while. Joss Whedon (which I realize will never happen) tops the list, by the way.

Angel and Faith Volume 3 -- This book continues to be a huge step up from the previous Buffy/Angel books, even making those books somewhat more palatable. Still not edible, just slightly less toxic. So maybe it's that those books were just so bad but I'm still enjoying this series. It may not make my recommended reading list, even for Buffy/Angel fans, but I don't regret picking it up. Which seems like a backhanded compliment I know but it's the best I have at the moment.

And now to get back to thinking about Ottawa Comiccon. I'll be sure to post a recap at some point.

Quick Comic Reviews -- Superman, Star Trek, and Hawkeye

Have I mentioned Ottawa Comiccon lately? Probably but I'll mention it again because I love attending comic conventions. And Ottawa Comiccon is looking very good this year. I'm eager to meet Jewel Staite, Summer Glau, Felicia Day (for a second time), Wil Wheaton, and Nicholas Brendon but they've also seriously upped their comic guest line up from last year with George Perez, Chris Claremont, Neal Adams, Dale Keown, Richard Starkings, Arthur Suydam, Herb Trimpe, Larry Hama, Pia Guerra, and many others coming out. It's looking to be a great (and expensive) weekend.

But as for the latest batch of comic reviews...

Star Trek: Countdown to Darkness - I had high hopes for this book as I really enjoyed the comic they put out prior to the previous movie. I felt it really flushed out parts of the backstory and set up the movie well. I didn't get that feeling so much this time. There were hints of an upcoming story but nothing as major as last time. It didn't seem really that important to the story. The writing was okay, the art was pretty good, but it was just an okay Star Trek comic. Not really a must-read, just an "if you're interested."

Superman: Secret Identity - I didn't have a lot of confidence in this one after reading the first chapter, it seemed a bit silly to me at first, but it quickly becomes an incredibly engaging story. There is some really beautiful artwork that really connects you with the story. I can see it not being for everyone, but I might put it in my top 5 Superman stories (up there with All-Star, Red Son, Kingdom Come, Whatever Happened To...). Definitely glad I picked this one up and I would definitely recommend it. Maybe not for everyone, but for many.

Hawkeye: My Life as a Weapon - I now get what all the fuss was about. Was this ever a fun book or what. Great stories, had me chuckling throughout, and an edge-of-your-seat ride from start to finish, through each story. So it looks like I'll be adding another Marvel book to my reading list after all. I'd definitely recommend this book to everyone. And that's all I can really say about it.

Quick Comic Reviews - Red She-Hulk, X'ed Out, and Hive

My power went out last night which meant I had time to read some comics (by candlelight no less).

Red She-Hulk Volume 1 - I had mixed feelings about this book. The main story seems just okay. The military is creating its own team of superpowers (as if that's never come up before) and the Red She-Hulk sees (through a somewhat convoluted story) that this is going to end badly. So, instead of doing something rational she decides to go it on her own (I think the Red She-Hulk and the machine that showed Betty the future) had something to do with that but it still seemed a stretch to make up some reasons for her to fight off the Avengers. And now that I'm typing that up I realize I wanted this story to be okay but I don't really think it is. But worst of all for me is that most of this volume is from Machine Man's perspective. We get glimpses of Red She-Hulk and Betty doing stuff but usually through Machine Man's eyes. So it doesn't really feel like a Red She-Hulk book until the end when she starts describing things to Machine Man. So I guess in a way, it's still really about Machine Man. So all in all, a rather disappointing book. I hope the next volume is better as I'll stick it out for a little while but it really needs to improve or I'll be dropping it.

X'ed Out and the Hive - I chalk these up to great artistic comics where I'm still wondering what the heck is going on. Things are starting to come together in the Hive but we still don't have the full picture. And it's what, two more years for the final book? Perhaps I'll avoid saying one way or another until I'm able to read the thing in full because for now, it's tough for me to recommend these books for most people. But if you're really thinking to try them out, then yeah, I'd say do so.

Quick Comic Reviews - Guarding the Globe Volume 2

The last few days I've spent quite a bit of time working on "inking" a drawing that a friend did and it's completely kicking my butt, these Final Fantasy characters are crazy complicated with all the details they throw in. And it doesn't help that I've been feeling like crap and only able to keep down toast and water.

As for the review...

Guarding the Globe Volume 2: Hard to Kill -- I had my doubts going into this volume but it definitely seemed to work for me. It juggled several really big villains while giving some character moments (mostly about Brit but some others get to shine as well). And the villains are pretty unique and are quickly shown to be major threats in different ways. The art worked for the most part, there were a few panels that I thought were a bit off but nothing too major. All in all, I think this is a fairly solid side story to Invincible (although you can actually read this book without reading Invincible) and I'll stick around for a little while.

Quick Comic Reviews - The Dark Crystal: Creation Myths Volume 2

Went to the dentist today for a cleaning (and X-Rays). No cavities so I guess that's a good thing.

The Dark Crystal: Creation Myths Volume 2 -- Archaia is really kicking butt with their variety of books and top notch production. This is a beautiful book with a great story. Jim Henson created such an amazing world with the Dark Crystal and this book is a worthy successor to the movie. Some may disagree with me on that point but it's how I feel. If you're a Jim Henson/Dark Crystal fan then I feel this is a must read for you. And even if you haven't seen the movie, it's just a wonderful comic. Now I can't wait for volume 3 to come out.

Random KickStarter Thoughts

I've had KickStarter on my brain as of late. Of course part of the reason for that is a certain TV show getting a movie started on there. But there's also the issue of some outstanding "rewards" that I'm having problems with. And I've noticed that I haven't contributed to a campaign in a really long time. There are some simple reasons for this like no "must need to donate to" projects seem to have come up for me lately. There are a few that I think "that doesn't look too bad" but nothing really stood out. I'm also currently "in between" jobs so it's not like I have money to spend.

But having said that, there are other issues. I've had pretty good luck in the projects I've contributed to following through with the project and rewards but there have been a few outliers and they're really bugging me. Some are keeping in touch and trying their best (even if their best isn't that great) to explain what issues have come up and what they're doing to fix them. Others have been downright horrible. They don't respond to me personally but post generic "the rewards have been shipped and you should be getting yours soon" type messages for everyone who's complaining, sometimes they've been posting these messages for many months. Clearly, taking the time to respond to each person would take time I suppose but the fact that they are having that many issues is telling. Some don't even reply with anything that positive. And spending time trying to track down what's happened to my reward, nagging people who have now moved on to other projects and getting no response? Not a great feeling. I don't like to be burned, I take it very personally, so a couple bad experiences really spoils it for me.

The other issue is the companies coming in after the fact. I know there may be weird circumstances that come up but it leaves a bad taste in my mouth when I'm putting money down to fund a project (and not just for the reward) only to have them announce right after the project is funded that some company is stepping in to take over the project. It feels like instead of companies putting up their money to make something happening they're now happily standing by while everyone else does only to scoop in when there's money to be made. Now I'm no expert on these matters, there's probably a lot more to it than what I see, but it does rub me the wrong way. And it's not the business model I want to see.

So despite the initial good feelings I had about KickStarter, it has soured a bit for me. I'm not looking to throw it out altogether, but I am going to be much more hesitant about what I put my money into.

Another Quick Update

Yes, I've gone quiet for a little while yet again. So just a quick update on what I've been reading. I started "The Casual Vacancy" but being a slow reader to start and due to the nature of the book (a lot of characters being introduced right off the start, that always slows me down as I go back and forth to keep track of who I'm reading about) it's going to take me a little while.

I also read "Terry Moore's How To Draw". Moore is a great storyteller (as you may know, I really enjoyed Strangers in Paradise and now Rachel Rising) and this book is an excellent (and pretty quick) read for aspiring artists. It's only a few lessons and doesn't go into too much detail but they are really good lessons. I'll be keeping this book close as I continue on my own comics/art.

Next up will probably be the Dark Crystal: Creation Myths Volume 2.

Quick Comic Reviews - Rachel Rising Volumes 1 and 2

It's been a bit of a weird day.

Rachel Rising Volumes 1 and 2 -- When I was buying these books the woman working at the cash said it was a great series and really creepy. Since it's Terry Moore I figured it was great but I sort of brushed aside the "creepy" comment. Not that it would have changed my mind but yeah, it's creepy. And, other than some balloon placements that I felt were a bit questionable, it's darn near perfect storytelling. It's an excellent story, great characters, and well told in terms of the writing and art. Yeah, it's a little on the dark side (we're talking some violence and icky-ness, not gore for gore's sake) so maybe not for everyone but still, a really great series. I couldn't put them down and now I can't wait for volume 3. Definitely on my recommended reading list (for the fans of the slightly darker stories).

Stupid stupid stupid me

So I've been telling myself that I really need to get the Bluenoser pages done quicker. I keep saying that I need to back off from the 9-10 panel pages, maybe simplify the artwork some more, or do something so they don't take me so long to do. Then I come up to volume 2, part 2, page 5 and I see it's only 6 panels in my script. I pat myself on the back and say let's get to drawing. But then I second guess myself, I think I need to extend the dialogue, add some more fighting, and "fix" a couple other things. But I still have it down to 9 panels so that doesn't seem so bad. Then I really get down to laying it out (just basic stick figure stuff) and... It's now 14 panels:

Fortunately, it's more action and dialogue and I can probably get away with a minimum of background work. But still, someone smack me upside the head.

I also read the digital exclusive Atomic Robo that was given out at ECCC and went on sale today. It was pretty interesting to read it online, some of the digital tricks/technique worked for me, some didn't. But I think these things need to be tried out at some point so we might as well get to it.

Quick Comic Reviews - Captain Marvel Volume 1: In Pursuit of Flight

That new Iron Man 3 kicks some serious butt. Really looking forward to it and I hope it's as good as it seems. I was talking to Meaghan over on her blog about how Marvel doesn't really have the best track record when it comes to third movies (X-Men, Spider-Man, and Blade for example) but this one is looking pretty good.

Captain Marvel Volume 1: In Pursuit of Flight -- Kelly Sue DeConnick has been working hard to create something special on this book, especially in terms of connecting with fans. And she seems to have amassed a decently sized army, and I don't have any numbers to back it up but based on her tweets it has a strong female presence unlike the vast majority of other comics out there. So based on this following (and how friendly she was when my brother and I met her a couple years back at Fan Expo Canada) I decided to check it out for myself.

We'll start with the good. It's well written. It introduces Carol Danvers and establishes her currently changing status-quo to new readers while (I think) not alienating existing fans of the character. It's a classic example of a superhero story really being a character piece. And the art is very good, every page is crammed with so much great work while maintaining the readability. It's a style that may not work for some, I've read a fair amount of negativity around it that could be considered valid, but I enjoyed it.

But, as for the bad, I'd have to admit it's just not a book for me. I know this is going to sound bad, and it probably is bad (either it says something about me or whatever), but I have to be honest. Despite comics (especially "mainstream" comics) being very much a "boy's club" in many ways and despite comics needing books like this that focus on strong female characters, I just find a book that focuses as heavily on it as this one does is not for me. So maybe if I had unlimited funds or if I start to notice that there's been a shift in the story or maybe if I just don't have anything else to read at some point then I may check out volume 2 but otherwise, probably not.

I'm definitely not regretting checking this volume out though. It is still a very well done comic and a good story. It was just one of those "not really for me" type things.

Wow! Maybe I need to rethink calling these "quick" comic reviews. :)

Quick Comic Reviews - The Underwater Welder

Finally starting to make a dent in my to-be-read pile of books. I think a few more books and then it's time for my Sandman re-read.

The Underwater Welder - Jeff Lemire has a very interesting art style that may not work for everyone but his storytelling is top notch. Although there's nothing really that novel about this story he crafts an emotional page turner that keeps you engaged from start to finish. Not much else I can say, this book is definitely worth checking out.