Quick Comic Review -- March: Book One

I expected an emotional story but I didn't expect such a high quality comic book. The storytelling is great and it makes effective use of the medium. At times I felt like I've seen some of the story before (especially after just watching the movie: The Butler) but this time it's about a guy who actually lived it and that makes me feel a bit more connected in this instance. This book falls into my "recommended reading" pile but not really my "must read" pile. Definitely worth checking out.

Quick Comic Reviews - Invincible Universe Volume 2

I didn't have a lot of hope for this spin off series, I wasn't sure there was enough there in terms of story or characters to carry a separate book from Invincible. But I have to admit that I have been pleasantly surprised. The characters are all quite unique individuals and the stories are very good. I find the art is getting more solid as the series goes on. It's an entertaining book that I recommend checking out, whether you're an Invincible fan or not.

Quick Comic Reviews - Fairest Volume 3: The Return of the Maharaja

As nice as it was to see the return of a certain Fables character, it struck me as a bit odd that it occurred in the Fairest series, which I thought was created to tell more stories of the female Fables. He does share the story with Nalayani so there's that. I would say this is an okay Fables book. It's a good enough story and told in an engaging way while I felt the art wasn't exactly the strongest (panels and the panel to panel transfers not really telling the story effectively or certain panels not really seeming to match the dialogue as well as it could) but it was okay. Overall, it's probably a must read for Fables fans but not really a stand out book that I'd recommend to non-fans.

Quick Comic Reviews - Pretty Deadly Volume 1

I've been meaning to read this one for a while but my "to be read" pile just keeps growing it seems. I had heard mixed reviews going in but I tried to put them out of my mind while reading it.

In terms of writing, the story has some originality to it but also touches on some things that seem to be becoming more common (mostly centering around "Death"). Not a bad thing necessarily, I just wasn't completely blown away by the overall ideas. It is put together well with some great imagery (the butterfly and the bunny, for example). As for the art, it's not for everyone. It has a different, possibly 'messy', look to it. And while some panels are beautiful to look at or have energy popping off the page, some details just don't seem to clear (at least to me). So when the book is written such that a panel is supposed to show a quick glimpse to the reader and the reader can't figure out what exactly it is that they're looking at (at least not at first glance) it can take the reader out of the story slightly. I felt it got better as it went along, or maybe I was just getting used to it.

I'll probably pick up the second volume to see where it goes from here but I'm not sold on the series just yet. So on my rating scale (which I still haven't really come up with) this one falls between "take it or leave it" to "possibly recommend to certain readers if they are looking for something else to read."

Quick Comic Reviews - Miracleman Book One

First up, I have to say that the almost 60 pages of bonus material seemed a bit much. I do like a bit of bonus material in my comics (covers to the issues, original art, etc) but I don't feel it should be one-third of the book.

Anyways, getting to the content of the book. It's difficult to review Miracleman without thinking about the stories behind it. As well, there's the timing of the original publication, there really was nothing like it at the time but now it's been copied over several times. And anyone new to the story may see Miracleman as the copy.

However, this volume only gives a glimpse of the story that "The Original Writer" (as he is listed in the credits) is building and that's too bad. It's just not enough to really get going and to new readers, that's too bad. Having read the series in its (unfinished) entirety, that gives the full picture. And perhaps new readers should wait for a bit more to be built up.

I recommend reading Miracleman, it's an incredibly well crafted story, but maybe just not yet.

Quick Comic Reviews: Indestructible Hulk Volume 4

I had somewhat high hopes for Mark Waid's run on the Hulk but so far, I've felt it just hasn't got there yet. I'm not saying it's bad, I just feel it could be better. This volume is better. Still not blown away with it but I enjoyed this volume more than the previous ones and I'm back to being interested where it goes from here. I was disappointed in the art though. Again, none of the artists are bad, some really excel in the Hulk rampaging, it's the inconsistency of it. What is it with the Hulk books having two or three artists per issue? In the end, I can't really put this on my "recommended reading" list, it's more of a "possible checkout if you're interested" sort of thing.

Quick Comic Reviews - Marvel Knights Hulk: Transforme

Even as a Hulk fan I was on the fence about picking this trade up. It just didn't really look all that appealing to me. Now, I think I could have skipped it. I didn't find the story all that interesting. I wasn't impressed by the art or the writing. It wasn't a bad series, just not that good in my opinion. I don't necessarily regret picking it up, but I could have done without reading it. It doesn't make my recommended reading list.

Quick Comic Reviews: The Manhattan Projects Volume 4

This book continues to be full of crazy. And just when you think you might know where it's going, it goes somewhere else. It makes a path you just don't see coming. It's violent, it's silly, and it's not for everyone but I'm enjoying the ride.

Quick Comic Reviews: Common Grounds

This collection of superhero short stories caught my eye when I saw one of the stories ("Time of their Lives") on Tumblr. The stories are written by Troy Hickman and drawn by an assortment of very talented artists including George Perez, Michael Oeming, Dan Jurgens, Chris Bachalo, and several others. It's a great anthology that is definitely worth checking out. It places pretty high on my recommended reading list and I'm very happy that I was able to track down a copy.

Quick Comic Reviews: Marvel's The Emerald City of Oz

I've really enjoyed this series, mostly due to Skottie Young's artwork throughout. I've felt the later books weren't quite as solid storywise but still enjoyable. This one was a bit better but the ending really hit me. Really glad Marvel published these and I'm really happy to have them all sitting on my shelves as I'm sure I'll pull them out to reread them from time to time.

Quick Comic Reviews: Revival Volume 3

I've enjoyed this series from the start. The writing, the art, the characters, the scenarios that come up, all great stuff. But at the same time I've felt things were all being put out there with not much in the way of resolution. I had been hoping some of the story threads would start to come together at some point so I was glad that this volume really moved some things along. I'm even more engaged after having finished this volume and am eagerly awaiting volume 4.

Book Reviews - The Hunger Games trilogy

I decided to check out these books shortly after seeing the first movie but I decided to finish all the Game of Thrones books first. I thought the first movie was "okay". I felt the first half was pretty poor but the second half brought it up. The second movie was a bit better in my opinion. I enjoyed the books quite a bit more. Learning more about Katniss and what makes her tick, seeing everything from her perspective, was very interesting. It's a bit weird at times as you don't get to see anything that she doesn't see (as you do in the movies) but that sort of adds a different element to it.

I can definitely see why these books appeal to so many and I'd recommend them. I'm tempted to check out some other books by Suzanne Collins but I think I'll wait until my current to-be-read pile is cut down a bit.

Quick Comic Reviews - Atomic Robo Volume 8

I have to admit, the storytelling isn't always spot on. There are times where things could be a bit more clear and I found myself having to stop to try to figure out what was happening. But despite that, this volume was pretty awesome. Of course it was, it has Dr Dinosaur. Loads of fun stuff and great characters beyond Robo and Dr Dino. Absolutely great stuff and Atomic Robo remains near the top of my recommended reading list.

Writer's Block

After recent events I've tried over and over again to compose one blog post in particular. I wanted to start off talking about my social shortcomings, keeping it clear that these are my shortcomings that I have to improve on rather than taking out my frustrations on others, and then moving on to the women in my life, whether they be family, friends, acquaintances, online connections, or just women who choose to share their voice in a public forum. I wanted to touch on how much I have learned from them while realizing how much more there is, and that I'll never fully understand but that I have to keep listening, to keep trying to be a better person. And then I would thank these women for being much stronger than I could be and single out the friends who continue to be such an important part of my life, inspiring me to try to always be better.

But unfortunately every time I try to write up the post it just seems to come out wrong. So until I figure it out let's all just try to be better to one another.

Comic Reviews - Marvel Knights: Spider-Man

Picked this one up at Ottawa Comiccon after talking to Marco Rudy and checking out his original artwork. I bought it primarily for his artwork, which is on the experimental side here (even more so than his usual). A decent story with quite a few good moments. The art is pretty out there and not for everyone but the switching of styles and creativity that Marco brings to the table really won me over. It probably doesn't make my "recommended reading" list but I wouldn't say to avoid it either. Maybe check it out if you're looking for a decent Spider-Man story.

Movie Reviews - X-Men: Days of Future Past

Again, trying to revive this blog with some quick reviews.

X-Men: Days of Future Past -- Have to say, I enjoyed this more than I thought I would. I went in with some preconceptions but this one surprised me. Not a perfect movie, not even close, but enjoyable. I'm also not usually a fan of time travel stuff and this one ties things up a little too cleanly but I didn't find it too hard to move beyond that. The post credits scene, it felt disappointing. I had to explain it to some family members who saw it but they were not really impressed with the scene or the explanation.

In the end, not a must see movie but if you like the X-Men you'll want to check it out. And it will definitely help if you've seen the previous movies.

Ottawa Comiccon 2014

I guess Ottawa Comiccon is good enough reason to resurrect this blog for a bit. So here's my rundown. Overall, it was a fun con. I thought the comic section was a little light and the celebs were great but not really ideal for me (either I've met them or they are known for things I was never really interested in). But it was pretty well organized. Things fell behind at times but they seemed to recover for the most part. So here is my rundown of the three days.

Friday -- Sean Astin was my primary focus on day 1, grabbing a photo and autograph from him. I love Goonies and Rudy but in the short time I had to talk to him I had to praise the decision to cast him as Samwise Gamgee (my favourite character in Lord of the Rings) and say he nailed it perfectly in my opinion. I also decided to pick up three beer coasters from Mike Rooth (with the Leader, Abomination, and She-Hulk drawn on them to go with the Hulk one I had from him) and two booklets from Jenny Frison containing some of her covers.

Saturday -- Day 2 was mostly Q&A's for me. First up, Summer Glau. I expected her to be much more of an introvert but it was a fun panel. Then there was Bruce Campbell. His panel was more of a routine by him then a Q&A but very funny and entertaining. The third panel was Sean Astin and man, the energy and excitement he came with was great. I was a fan before but was even more of a fan after seeing how great he was with his fans. I also went for a photo op with Summer Glau and Charisma Carpenter. I had purchased it when it was Summer and Eliza Dushku but was happy to have had a chance to meet Charisma. Both seemed very nice in the short time you get to say hi before they snap your photo and usher you out.

My day 2 purchases consisted of Hobbit slippers and a copy of Marvel Knights: Spider-Man. After talking to Marco Rudy for a while and admiring his original art I decided I had to give the book a try and he was kind enough to sign it for me.

Sunday -- The last day was a quiet, short day for us. There was the Karl Urban Q&A which was also a lot of fun (the panels I went to were top notch this year) and I grabbed an autograph from Pat Mastroianni (Joey Jeremiah from the original Degrassi series). Pat was very friendly and seemed to really be enjoying his time with the fans. But after some browsing we decided around 3:30 to head home so we could prepare for a Mother's Day BBQ.

So, not a lot of money was spent (depending on your definition of "a lot") but another successful Ottawa Comiccon in my mind. And now I have Fan Expo Canada to look forward to.

New Year, Same Old Story

One of my favourite things about this time of year: The "best of" lists whether it's comics, creators, artists, or whatever else. This is my opportunity to discover what I should have discovered/been reading throughout the year. My "books to be read" piles are growing. Not just one pile, it has grown to many piles. They were out of control before the holidays, now there are no words to describe them. My condo has piles all over the place.

One of my least favourite things about this time of year: Future of comics talk. Yes, I've done it in the past, some time ago, but I've just grown tired of it. It's more print versus digital, digital comics versus webcomics, sales analysis, and "this is the future of comics" declarations that are either obvious or just trying to be shocking, like talking about absolutes, rather than realistic. I've decided I just want to live in the now, what comics are currently sitting around my house, and let the future figure itself out.

Man, I am just too grumpy.

Another Comic Business Post

Starting to re-think that last post and I may post a follow up eventually. After all, who am I to crap on anyone's dream? Even if it is to walk into Marvel Comics and just be handed the reins to Spider-Man.

But on another comic related topic, Terry Moore recently made an appeal for people to pick up Rachel Rising periodicals as the numbers are getting to the point where it may not be worth it to keep going. Two things seem to be factors. One, people are buying trades and with the current comic business set up it's periodicals that keep a comic going (unless it gets to Walking Dead/Fables level and the trades sell like crazy). Moore makes more money on periodicals. If the periodical sale isn't there it never gets collected into trades. Second, sales have been okay but it's getting to the point where the buzz isn't there anymore. The book started with the usual Terry Moore crowd. Reviewers raved about it and it picked up some readers as the buzz grew. But now Moore says people aren't really buzzing anymore. People (reviewers/bloggers) aren't saying much because it's the same thing with each issue: "Another great issue", "You should be reading this series", etc. And since it gets old repeating yourself and these people are looking to bring in readers themselves with new stuff, people sort of stop talking about it.

Other creators have noticed this with their books too. They get a few issues in, there's a buzz created, sales go up as people check it out, but eventually sales plateau and people just stop talking about this excellent series that's still going on.

So what happens? Well, if you're Marvel or DC you make an event. You change the creative team. You say the universe will never be the same. You kill a character or bring one back from the dead. Or you shove the villain into the heroes body, essentially killing off the hero. People bitch. People complain. But people talk and people buy.

Or, you limit your series. You follow Y the Last Man, DMZ, Scalped, Sandman, and countless others and you bring your story to a close to move on to other stuff.

Or, we (meaning someone other than me) figure out how to make the comic business work. We have periodicals, we have trades, we have digital. The methods are all there to get a comic creators work out to their audience and people have shown a willingness to pay so what is the problem here?

Either way, I do hope things work out for Terry Moore and Rachel Rising is a great series that you should be reading.

Dreaming or Just Delusional

What is it about aspiring comic book artists (and writers)? Is it just this occupation and I just don't notice others or is there something that draws the delusional (or possibly dreamers). I see it online all the time, the guys who are constantly harassing Marvel editors because they think they draw the coolest Spider-Man or have a great idea for a Spider-Man story or have no concrete ideas but would make a great "idea man" (yes, I actually saw someone asking for a job where he just sits around coming up with cool ideas for Marvel). And I see it at the conventions. I just find it very, very weird.

The latest example. At Pop Expo Ottawa, as I was looking at some art they had for sale, a guy approached some of the pro artists and asked how he could get a job at Marvel (flag #1). He said he was just out of some arts school (no experience) and really wanted to work for Marvel (maybe not a full flag, flag #1.5 I suppose). He had no physical portfolio built up or anything posted online to show, he seemed to think a simple email or something would get him in (flag #2). So then it was suggested that he connect with the online community of aspiring artists and writers to try to build up some sort of portfolio and hopefully work for a small publisher, make a name for himself before going to Marvel but he had no clue where to go (seriously, can't do a bit of homework for himself? Flag #3) and did not seem all that keen on this approach. He seemed really let down that it wasn't just that easy to work for Marvel (flag #4). So the artists started naming creators that have forums and such set up just for aspiring creators to connect and sure enough, he doesn't recognize any of the names mentioned. We're talking Mark Millar, Brian Michael Bendis and other big name writers and talent (Flag #5). I was still trying not to involve myself in this conversation at this point but it was getting rather difficult. So the artists asked him what creators he's influenced by and he couldn't name one. Not one. He said he never really pays attention to creators (Flag #6).

This went on for a while and the artists were extremely polite and they gave him some very solid advice. But really, why do so many people think "Hey, I'll just be able to walk up to some Marvel guy and he'll give me a job drawing Spider-Man." Do you know how many people want to draw Spider-Man? Do you realize just how many people currently working for Marvel or other companies are working night and day hoping they can get up to drawing a top tier book like Spider-Man? This is not something they are going to give to some guy out of some art school with no portfolio and no professional experience.

This is why I avoid those "How to break into Marvel Comics" panels at cons. I feel it's mostly the same answers to the same questions. How do you get a job at Marvel? If you are asking that question then the answer is most likely "You don't."

I guess comics aren't the only thing, I do hear about people thinking they could just walk onto a sports team, step into a WWE ring, star in a big blockbuster, or make millions writing a bit of software over the weekend (even if they have no idea what that software is going to do). But I just hear it so often with comics.

And don't even get me started on what it actually takes to draw a monthly comic. One story I tell often is when someone asked for advice on drawing their characters consistently I suggested doing a character design workup, sketching the character over and over from different angles, and doing one of those "20 emotions" worksheets (where you draw your character with each of the emotions) they said "You want me to draw the same character over and over 20 times? Are you crazy?" I hate to break it to these people but do you realize how many times the Spider-Man artists has to draw Peter Parker or Mary Jane or any other supporting character? Drawing comics is not just drawing cool pinups of your favourite character whenever you feel like it. I know I have no actual experience but even I realize that.

I don't know why I felt the need to rant this. Maybe I'm just going through some crappy stuff and that's making me feel the need to destroy other people's dreams but come on people, let's be at least a little realistic here.