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Assorted Comic TPB Reviews
Apr. 7th, 2013 08:03 amThe New Deadwardians – This a story about British class struggles, disguised as a story about vampires. Clever writing, interesting characters, and the right amount of plot for the length of the book. Also, it goes for an obvious and overdone twist and then subverts it, which I really liked. Recommended.
Animal Man: Born to Be Wild (Vol. 4) – This picks up the reprints of Animal Man after Grant Morrison left the book. The first arc has Peter Milligan trying to prove he can do just as many drugs as Grant Morrison in a story about the world being wrong and something happening to Animal Man’s powers. Then Tom Veitch takes over, with a much less psychedelic story about the world being wrong and something happening to Animal Man’s powers. You’d think there would be more than one story to write about Animal Man, but apparently you’d be wrong.
Spaceman – I don’t generally like Brian Azzarello’s work. I think he goes for a lot of cheap vulgarity and violence rather than actual depth most of the time. This was actually pretty decent. I mean, it’s still full of vulgarity and violence; the action is a little jumpy and when combined with the stylized jargon used for dialogue it can be hard to follow at points; and a better writer probably could have done an even better job of it. But it actually has something to say and makes some effective satire and commentary on the human condition. So kudos, Mr. Azzarello, this is likely the best work you’ve ever done.
Dominique Laveau, Voodoo Child: Requiem – The seven issues of this title are collected in one trade, and it’s pretty obvious that it was cancelled with one issue’s notice: The first six issues set the stage of a New Orleans / Voodoo-based mythology and a grand cast of characters for what’s obviously intended to be a multi-year storyline. The last issue wraps it all up in a collection of flashbacks. (I feel like I’ve seen this a few other times: The “This is what I was going to do with the series” final issue.) As the story never really grabbed me, I’m not terribly upset about it.
Deadenders – A collection of all 21 issues of the 2000 Vertigo series, that’s kind of a formula Vertigo series: The protagonist makes Holden Caulfield seem pleasant and well-adjusted; there’s plenty of sex, nudity, drugs and violence to show that it’s “edgy”; the setting turns into softer sci-fi as the series goes on; and the book was obviously cancelled well before the author had wanted so it fast-forwards into a neatly wrapped-up ending it really isn’t ready for. Also, the art style makes it hard to tell most of the male characters and some of the female characters (which include a pair of identical twins) apart. I’m unimpressed.
Stormwatch: Volume 1 – This actually a later volume of Stormwatch, as it picks up the book when Warren Ellis takes over writing it, as he starts introducing the new characters who will eventually form the Authority. I think I had read these stories before in a paperback collection (this is hardbound), but they’re still pretty good. If you’re excited about the first appearances of Jenny Sparks and Jack Hawksmoor, this is for you.
Animal Man: Born to Be Wild (Vol. 4) – This picks up the reprints of Animal Man after Grant Morrison left the book. The first arc has Peter Milligan trying to prove he can do just as many drugs as Grant Morrison in a story about the world being wrong and something happening to Animal Man’s powers. Then Tom Veitch takes over, with a much less psychedelic story about the world being wrong and something happening to Animal Man’s powers. You’d think there would be more than one story to write about Animal Man, but apparently you’d be wrong.
Spaceman – I don’t generally like Brian Azzarello’s work. I think he goes for a lot of cheap vulgarity and violence rather than actual depth most of the time. This was actually pretty decent. I mean, it’s still full of vulgarity and violence; the action is a little jumpy and when combined with the stylized jargon used for dialogue it can be hard to follow at points; and a better writer probably could have done an even better job of it. But it actually has something to say and makes some effective satire and commentary on the human condition. So kudos, Mr. Azzarello, this is likely the best work you’ve ever done.
Dominique Laveau, Voodoo Child: Requiem – The seven issues of this title are collected in one trade, and it’s pretty obvious that it was cancelled with one issue’s notice: The first six issues set the stage of a New Orleans / Voodoo-based mythology and a grand cast of characters for what’s obviously intended to be a multi-year storyline. The last issue wraps it all up in a collection of flashbacks. (I feel like I’ve seen this a few other times: The “This is what I was going to do with the series” final issue.) As the story never really grabbed me, I’m not terribly upset about it.
Deadenders – A collection of all 21 issues of the 2000 Vertigo series, that’s kind of a formula Vertigo series: The protagonist makes Holden Caulfield seem pleasant and well-adjusted; there’s plenty of sex, nudity, drugs and violence to show that it’s “edgy”; the setting turns into softer sci-fi as the series goes on; and the book was obviously cancelled well before the author had wanted so it fast-forwards into a neatly wrapped-up ending it really isn’t ready for. Also, the art style makes it hard to tell most of the male characters and some of the female characters (which include a pair of identical twins) apart. I’m unimpressed.
Stormwatch: Volume 1 – This actually a later volume of Stormwatch, as it picks up the book when Warren Ellis takes over writing it, as he starts introducing the new characters who will eventually form the Authority. I think I had read these stories before in a paperback collection (this is hardbound), but they’re still pretty good. If you’re excited about the first appearances of Jenny Sparks and Jack Hawksmoor, this is for you.
