It Came From the NYPL

Alan Moore’s Complete WildC.A.T.S
Written by Alan Moore

Penciled by Travis Charest, Kevin Maguire, Ryan Benjamin, Jason Johnson, Dave Johnson, Kevin Nowlan, Scott Clark, Aron Wiesenfeld, Jim Lee, Josh Wiesenfeld, Mat Broome, Pat Lee & Rob Stotz
Inked by Troy Hubbs, Randy Elliott, Sal Regla, Trevor Scott, Scott Williams, Art Thibert, Terry Austin, Hakjoon Kang, Andy Owens, Harry Thuran, Tom McWeeney, John Nyberg, JD, Bob Wiacek, Dexter Vines, Richard Friend, Mark Irwin, Luke Rizzo, Sandra Hope, John Tighe, Richard Bennett, Jason Gorder & Scott Taylor
Colored by Wildstorm FX, Bad@$$ & Alex Sinclair
Lettered by Bill O’Neil & Comicraft
Cover art by Charest
Published by DC/Wildstorm

A while back, I borrowed Wild Worlds, a collection of Alan Moore-written odds-n’-ends set in the Wildstorm universe, from the library, and it was a mostly terrible reading experience. Eventually, despite Wild Worlds, I decided to borrow the other major collection of Alan’s Wildstorm tenure – his slightly-over-a-year long turn on Jim Lee’s WildC.A.T.S series.

Reading the stories, I’m couldn’t help but think … — so y’all know I’m a big Neil Young fan, right? These books – Wild Worlds and Complete WildC.A.T.S – remind me of Neil’s early and mid-1980s output: amazing artist, really terrible work.

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Victorian Undead: Sherlock Homes vs. Dracula #1
Written by Ian Edginton
Illustrated by Davide Fabbri with Tom Mandrake
Colored by Carrie Strachan
Lettered by Saida Temofonte
Cover art by Ryan Sook
Published by DC/Wildstorm

It’s probably just my own obliviousness, since this is a sequel and all, but did you know that there was a previous Victorian Undead series?  Sherlock Holmes vs. zombies?  I didn’t.  In truth, when this comic showed up in my mailbox, I kind of laughed at it, yet another genre mashup.  Cowboys vs. Aliens.  Pride and Prejudice and Zombies.  I haven’t actually read any of them.  They might be good, but it just doesn’t appeal to me.  But here is was, Sherlock Holmes battling Dracula, and it was in my hands.

Victorian Undead: Sherlock Holmes vs. Dracula is, perhaps not surprisingly given Ian Edginton’s name in the credits, a very good genre potboiler.  Edginton doesn’t force the action – the set-up is simple, and Holmes involvement makes obvious sense.  The titular villain doesn’t appear until the final page, so readers are essentially treated to twenty pages of Holmes’ investigation.  Edginton clearly knows his Arthur Conan Doyle.

The art’s fairly strong, with strong character designs and very good page layouts.  Fabbri’s able to move the reader’s eye through the page very effectively.  The end result is a fun, engaging genre thriller, sharply dialogued, well drawn, and worth the time of any interested reader.

Red Movie Prequels
Published by DC/Wildstorm

So there’s this film coming out, called Red, and it’s based on a 2003 miniseries of the same title by writer Warren Ellis and artist Cully Hamner.  I haven’t read it.  I tell you this only because Wildstorm is now publishing four one-shot comics that serve as prequels to the film and if you’re expecting me to cast these books against the comics that originated the concept … I can’t.  I can only judge them on their own merits.

And on those merits, they’re okay.  Don’t run out and buy them if you’re unsure about the material, but if the concept – ex-CIA spooks targeted for assassination to cover up their wetworks past – sounds interesting or if the movie trailer really rocked your world, yeah, go for it.  Each issue is plotted by the movie’s writers, Jon and Erich Hoeber, so these four little vignettes should dovetail nicely into what appears onscreen.  Telling an effective little black ops yarn in 24 or so pages, each one-shot focuses on one of the movie’s four protagonists, giving some insight into their methods and their relationships with each other and the agency.  It’s solid thriller stuff, with largely professional artwork.

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Ratchet & Clank #1
Written by T.J. Fixman
Illustrated by Adam Archer
Colored by Jonny Rench
Lettered by Saida Temofonte
Cover art by Creaturebox
Published by DC/Wildstorm

Every time a video games-based comic arrives in my mailbox, I experience a moment of trepidation.  I don’t game and have absolutely no knowledge of the Ratchet & Clank games, so it’s certainly possible that some element of the game’s universe could act as a story linchpin for some readers yet slip completely past my notice.  So I read with the tack that this comic could possibly be someone’s first exposure to the characters and concepts.  To date, video game-based comics have left me cold; however, with this approach in mind, Ratchet & Clank #1 really works.

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Ides of Blood #1
Written by Stuart C. Paul
Illustrated by Christian Duce
Colored by Carlos Badilla
Lettered by Johnny Lowe
Cover art by Michael Geiger
Published by DC/Wildstorm

So here’s the premise behind Ides of Blood: during Caesar’s rule of the Roman empire, vampires are real and have recently begun to move from life as slaves to members of society, including the series protagonist Valens, head of the Praetorian guard.  Amidst various political infighting, a vampire killer is on the loose and Valens must bring the murderer to justice.

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The X-Files/30 Days of Night #1 (of 6)
Written by Steve Niles & Adam Jones
Illustrated by Tom Mandrake
Colored by Darlene Royer
Lettered by Ed Dukeshire
Cover art by Andrea Sorrentino; Sam Kieth; or Tom Mandrake & JD Mettler
Published by DC/Wildstorm and IDW

30 Days of Night fans be warned: Niles and Jones use the vampires only in brief teases at the issue’s open and close, preferring to focus on the FBI agents’ investigation.  Capturing the playful banter between Mulder and Scully, the issue reads like a lost episode of the X-Files series.  But they leave little doubt that Mulder and Scully are headed into big trouble.

Tom Mandrake draws it up beautifully, providing creepy imagery and solid likenesses of David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson.  If Mandrake has one shortcoming, he never seems to attempt that playfully wry grin of Duchovny’s, which is such a large part of Mulder’s charm and deadpan humor.

A nice solid debut issue, The X-Files/30 Days of Night #1 introduces its scenario – Alaska, after the sun is set for a month-long chunk of winter, inhabited by vampires – and its characters – FBI Special Agents Fox Mulder and Dana Scully – so that readers of either franchise can quickly and easily leap into this crossover miniseries.  It’s almost certain to fully entertain fans of either franchise.

A God Somewhere
Written by John Arcudi
Illustrated by Peter Snejbjerg
Colored by Bjarne Hansen
Lettered by Wes Abbott
Published by DC/Wildstorm

You, like all of us, have probably occasionally wondered what it would be like to have superpowers.  I certainly have.  It seems like it would be fun, maybe even heroic.  Of course, then I think more about it and realize that we all have our own personal biases in life, about driving habits (oh, to heat vision the tires of some of those New Jersey drivers!) or food or politics or religion, and really – superpowers seem like a very bad idea.  How many people are really that altruistic in real life?

John Arcudi and Peter Snejbjerg apparently think like I do.  Their new graphic novel, A God Somewhere, tell readers of Eric Forster, a young man mysteriously bestowed with amazing powers.  With Eric becoming something more than human, Arcudi wisely frames the story through the perspective of Eric’s best friend Sam, along with Eric’s brother Hugh and sister-in-law Alma.

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Tom Strong and the Robots of Doom #1
Written by Peter Hogan
Penciled by Chris Sprouse
Inked by Karl Story
Colored by Carrie Strachan
Lettered by Todd Klein
Cover art by Sprouse, Story & Strachan or J.H. Williams III

If Alan Moore isn’t available to spin more stories of the pulp-inspired hero he co-created, Peter Hogan’s a mighty fine choice to carry on the adventures of the Strong family.  Tom Strong was Moore’s reimagining of the superhero via the original pulp hero model, a man given strength by science and intelligence by learning.  With Moore splitting from the publisher, Hogan steps into the breach to spin a yarn that finds Strong’s illegitimate Nazi son (read it to understand how that came to be) time traveling to the past and altering the outcome of WWII.

Granted, Nazis as villains is the most overused cliché there is, but Hogan understands what makes Tom Strong – really what makes the most memorable superheroes – such a strong escapist protagonist.  Tom’s compassionate and kind, intelligent, and absolutely uncompromising in his heroic convictions.  Hogan puts him in the middle of seemingly impossible odds and just lets that purity of spirit shine through.

Actually, Hogan does more than that.  He opens on Tom’s wife Dhalua and follows her through half the issue, which builds (or rebuilds) the reader’s connection to Tom’s family and enhances the appreciation of Dhalua’s sudden disappearance in the Nazi-controlled reality Tom finds himself trapped in.  This debut issue not only sets up the long odds of Tom Strong vs. the entire Naziverse to recreate reality and save his family, but it also poses the riddle of why Tom Strong alone of all people remembers the way things should be.

Chris Sprouse, Alan Moore’s collaborator in Tom Strong’s creation, returns to illustrate this latest adventure, and of course, he’s perfect for the job.  Sprouse’s strong, clean lines capture the powerful elegance and simplicity of a character like Tom Strong, physically and thematically, and Sprouse’s lean, streamlined architecture and technology fit the uncluttered escapism of the serial.

There are limits to where you can go with a character like this, which is why Tom Strong’s the sort of character who’s best in small bursts of cotton candy escapism, and Tom Strong and the Robots of Doom looks like it’s going to be exactly that.  Alternate realities, Nazis, one man against the world, shining beacons of hope and uncompromising faith, and superior artwork – this one’s got it all.  Don’t miss it.

Batman #700
Written by Grant Morrison
Illustrated by Tony Daniel, Frank Quitely, Scott Kolins, Andy Kubert and David Finch & Richard Friend
Colored by Ian Hannin, Alex Sinclair & Tony Avina, Brad Anderson and Peter Steigerwald
Lettered by Jarek K. Fletcher
Cover art by Finch or Mike Mignola

Batman Gallery artwork by Shane Davis, Juan Doe, Guillem March, Dustin Nguyen, Tim Sale, Bill Sienkiewicz and Philip Tan
Secrets of the Batcave sequence designed and 3-D modeled by Freddie E Williams III, with text by Matthew K. Manning

Seven hundred issues is a nice round number, isn’t it?  (Well, if you don’t count issue number 0 or 1,000,000.)  Grant Morrison, one of the more imaginative and challenging writers in comics today, scripts the 700^th issue of the comic series Batman, and as is the way with these big round numbered issues, he opts for a celebration of Batman and his timelessness.

In this case, the issue titled “Time and the Batman” follows three different Batman – Bruce Wayne, Dick Grayson and Damian Wayne – through encounters with a somewhat mythical Joker’s Joke Book and a time-traveling Dr. Carter Nichols.  Of course, the story doesn’t really illuminate any great insight into the concept of Batman.  Morrison fits a few snappy lines into the script, but none of the three major chapters offer much insight into the importance of Batman, nor does any chapter offer more than a jumpy, unfocused action piece.

There is one great page, three panels, two lines – second to last page in the far future versions of Batman chapter, and that one page sums it all up perfectly.  Alas, the portions of the issue leading to it don’t deliver.

Artistically, the segmented narrative justifies the divergent art styles.  Though I’m not particularly a fan of Daniel or Finch’s over-rendered style, both present solid action sequences, and Frank Quitely, Scott Kolins (his pages are too saturated with color in comparison) and Andy Kubert also provide strong pages, each giving their particular Batman their own distinct mark.

Mysterius the Unfathomable
Written by Jeff Parker
Illustrated by Tom Fowler
Colored by Dave McCaig
Lettered by Saida Temofonte
Published by DC/Wildstorm

This book is a blueprint nearly for what I want in escapist adventure fiction.  Curiously, it also enforces a theory that has developed in my mind in the ten years since I phased out the monthly grind in favor of more digestible, more convenient trade paperback-sized chunks.

Namely, my theory is that finite stories are significantly better than open-ended, forever-running serials.  Mysterius the Unfathomable’s tight plotting reminds me (and probably many people my age) of Back to the Future, wherein every scene, nearly every minor reference, comes back to influence the main plot or become at least a side joke.  It’s the type of plotting that ongoing serials attempt, but rarely pull off because the original writers didn’t actually intend what later writers are grafting into the canon, and because the back story becomes too stretched out, too arbitrary, for each reference to take on the necessary import.

Which isn’t to say that open-ended serials are a bad thing.  For publishers and creators, it’s a steady revenue stream.  For fans, it’s a safe bet and a comfortable purchase.  In theory, though not so much in practice, characters can evolve in a more organic manner.  But I believe that for story, for the purposes of plot, a finite format gives each individual story a sharper focus, a more cogent through-line.  I guess that’s pretty obvious, but given the red-headed stepchild treatment of miniseries in the comics field, it’s something that’s flickered through my mind more than once: “I’d read this if it weren’t so damn long.”

And there’s always the possibility of a sequel.

Anyway, Mysterius the Unfathomable, the book that spawned this unlikely tangent, is pretty damn entertaining.  Mysterius’s narrator, dubbed Delfi by her boss, finds herself as the latest aide to the long-lived mystic known only as Mysterius.  Opening with a parallel story that explains how Delfi became associated with Mysterius, while also chronicling their latest case together, Jeff Parker introduces two disparate storylines, establishing the tenor of Mysterius’s personality and his modus operandi.  That Parker is able to dovetail the two cases together only ices the cake.  While investigating on behalf of a cursed business man, Mysterius and Delfi run afoul of a mystic with ambitions of godhood.

The story’s appeal is based in Parker’s ability to keep the plot racing forward, creating dire consequences, while still maintaining a sly sense of humor.  Mysterius’s dour disposition creates a perfect straight man for most situations, and Delfi’s wry observations highlight the delightful absurdity of, for example, rhyming children’s books as a means of summoning demons.  The heroes have a mission to accomplish, but Mysterius is not a book to take too seriously; it’s having fun with itself.

Because the plot is tightly wound and supporting players from minor scenes recur throughout, Mysterius does require considerable attention.  Though a fairly minor nit to pick, several of Parker’s secondary characters don’t have the weight they should possess, and their reappearances (or offhand references to them) are sometimes difficult to place.  Added to the relationships between dimensions, the flashbacks, the surprising twists, and the emotional journey of Delfia and Mysterius, it’s sometimes a little bit much.

Tom Fowler, the illustrator, matches the material perfectly.  A humor cartoonist in the best sense, Fowler’s pear-shaped figures are exaggerated and distorted caricatures, marked by distinct characteristics, mannerisms and, of course, Mysterius’s bulbous red nose.  Handling everything from Suessian demons to Central Park, Fowler packs every page with details, gags and creative modeling, all of which builds the atmosphere and tension of Mysterius.

In short, Mysterius the Unfathomable attains the frothy fun of the best light-hearted adventure fiction.  It’s a romp, a good time, a little silly, a little scary, with a title character who needs to learn a little humility, and a true protagonist learning to take control and use her own wits.  Parker keeps you guessing until the end, and Fowler makes it look great.  If you want a fun adventure comic, Mysterius the Unfathomable is a terrific one.

“The Winter Men” is a patchwork quilt of observations and red herrings that takes the spy thriller to new heights of eccentric fun. It’s one of those stories that starts out about being one thing and ends up embracing everything. Meet Kris Kalenov, the main character in “The Winter Men,” he is your guide into the underworld and beyond. It’s a new world order since the collapse of the Soviet Union and Kalenov is no longer a star player in a Soviet secret weapons program. He has become a Moscow cop, usually full of vodka and, at the start of this tale, is keeled over drunk on a sidewalk covered in snow.

I did not discover “The Winter Men” when it was a comic book but, considering its production delays, including its switchover from Vertigo to Wildstorm, it’s understandable that it somehow slipped by me. Luckily, I did not have to experience any long waits between issues and got to read this new collected trade in one sitting. This is a good read anytime and anywhere but I also see it as perfect inflight reading. Aren’t spy thrillers very popular in airport bookstores? I believe this to be so. It’s because you’re out of your element and open to adventure.

One big thing about “The Winter Men” is that it gets you way out of your element. It’s like “Goodfellas,” one of the best movies about gang life, all about wiseguys and getting whacked. “The Winter Men,” is all about Russia’s new Mafiya and its biznessmen and getting under the right roof. There’s also something akin to “Watchmen” going on in the background, a uber-man that was once the pride of Mother Russia, but it’s Kalenov and his rough and shady bunch, that will have you delight over this convoluted plot as you would in, say, an Elmore Leonard novel.

“The Winter Men” has a real attitude about it too. It promises the world, heroically keeps up with its ambition and, if it falters, shrugs like a good world-weary Russian. Kalenov, our drunk Moscow cop who once was so much more, would prefer to just live quietly and make do with his less than perfect marriage. But too much has happened in the past and it can’t be ignored. “We once filled the sky with heroes…but now they’ve fallen to earth…” That is an intriguing refrain that is looped throughout the book. Within the span of the first few pages: hints of the Soviet super-hero program, a woman is shot, a child is kidnapped and Kalenov is picked up from the snow and enlisted to solve the crime of the century, although he doesn’t know that yet.

All this reminds me of any number of very good television series that, from the narrative, the characters and the production value, are clearly a cut above. And these shows usually make big promises and it’s okay if they don’t deliver on all of them since it’s the world that the characters inhabit that’s most rewarding. I think of shows like, “Life on Mars,” at least the American version, or “Life” or “Dollhouse.” In fact, it’s interesting to consider if these shows would have done better in finding an audience if they were less about process and more about results but, then again, these shows are primarily about attitude. The promises they make, real or not, can be legitimate fuel for the story’s engine.

Another connection to “Watchmen,” I think, is the group of heroes that Kalenov originally belonged to. Somewhat tongue-in-cheek, the line-up is recalled by Kalenov in a regular loop throughout the book: Drost, the soldier; Nikki, the gangster; Nina, the bodyguard; Kalenov, the poet; for a total of four, or five, if you include The Siberian. There’s even a sepia toned photograph of the gang in much happier times: Nikki has just told a joke and it has The Siberian in stitches. Along with the irony, it’s those details, the atmosphere and texture that this book thrives on.

There are a couple of scenes that come to mind. And, like everything else here, the writer and artist team of Brett Lewis and John Paul Leon tackle it with gusto. One has Kalenov and Nikki creating a disturbance in a McDonald’s so that they can unbolt from the floor a plastic table and chairs console to take home. The employee desperately tries to convince an irate Kalenov that the mayonnaise does adhere to city regulations with “well above the forty percent fat requirement.” Another good one has Nikki in the middle of a full-on turf war with other soft drink vendors. Informing the mayhem and murder are quotes from a self-help best-seller like, “Lose Control to the Maximum.”

Perhaps your reading of “The Winter Men” will find it keeping to all its promises and even holding the answer to the meaning to life. God knows, it is certainly within its reach. If you find fault, some blame, maybe a good bit of it, can go to the fact the series was cut from a promised eight issues down to six. There are parts to the story that do appear truncated. And the ending does seem to come all too quickly. However, the fact remains that this comic is really about the quirk and it’s all there for you to enjoy.

“The Winter Men” collected trade releases on November 25.

Hope you enjoyed this installment of Comics Grinder and I welcome you back for more. You can always check in too at the Comics Grinder site.

If there was a book that isn’t Sandman more deserving of oversized, supersaturated Absolute edition, Promethea is it. It’s a sometimes-skipping, sometimes-running, sometimes-strolling journey through a dream world as wild and beautiful as Neil Gaiman’s but ruled by a warrior-queen who’s everything Wonder Woman ought to be.

Promethea is a living story, and she’s just taken over a new human host. The previous incarnations, like something out of Joseph Campbell, have all left their mark on her, and they each have something to teach young Sophie Bangs, a college student whose research has led her to Promethea’s tale.

I love Alan Moore (which should almost go without saying) and yet I’d never read these stories, which are probably the most like me of any of his works. Promethea is in one sense the wealth of woman-knowledge and magic passed down from generation to generation, and that’s an idea I can certainly get behind. But the story is less about ideas than about feelings; less a story than an experience.

Imagination-scapes unfurl across double-page spreads full of symbols that evoke a visceral reaction and yet are things you’ve never seen or heard of. It makes me want to write, or dream, or write about dreams. Hell, it makes me want to draw, and I’m no good at that.

Layered into the story are thoughtful critiques of power, hierarchy, patriarchy, as well as pokes and gibes at mainstream comic storytelling. The tale gets stranger as it goes on, spinning off into splashy explanations of Moore’s thoughts on magic and myth within the myth he’s created.

It’s less a narrative than a trip, fables layered on top of stories and characters’ identities shifting into dreams. If Watchmen is Moore’s Ulysses, then Promethea is Finnegans Wake and it demands the same experience—stop trying to make it make sense and just let it wash over you and enjoy the ride.

This week kicked off with some interesting news, with Wizard CEO Gareb Shamus announcing that the ailing entertainment company would be assuming the reins of FunFare, a toy magazine aimed at younger children.

Yet at the same time, we’ve also heard reports of even more layoffs, in addition to general complaints about Wizard’s online store. With competition looming in the convention department, and Wizard’s staff and funds shrinking to the point of consolidating into one New York office, what’s the company’s next step?

You may be surprised, but apparently it’s taking over a new convention — in Toronto.

According to the Beat, Wizard has announced that it has purchased the Toronto Comicon. “We’ve always had a strong following in Canada, so buying the Toronto Comicon is something that allows me to give back to our fans. These attendees are known to be serious collectors and comic industry followers,” Shamus said in a press release.  “I am thrilled to offer the guests, celebrities, artists, dealers and exhibitors to our Canadian audience for the very first time.”

Peter Dixon, the former owner of the con, will be “intimately involved” with the new management, who are scheuled to debut the all-new, all-different con in 2010. But with Wizard’s shrinking fortunes, is this a sound reinvestment strategy, or a Hail Mary in the face of opposition from exhibitors like Reed and websites like, well, us? What say you, Rama readers?

Did you give Mysterius the Unfathomable a try during its DC Comics WildStorm six issue run? After reading the last issue of the series, out last week, I’m as big a fan as when I started and I can only hope that this is not the last we see of the magician/mystic/detective and his lovely assistant, Delfi.

Created by the team of writer Jeff Parker (Agents of Atlas) and artist Tom Fowler (Mad Magazine), this series says goobye for now. A lot has been said about the quality of this series to which I add that this is one you’ll want to read more of once you let yourself inside this fully realized world of quirky supernatural goodness.

It’s in the last couple of issues that things come to head between Mysterius and Delfi. With their lives in mortal danger, Delfi lashes out at her boss for being so selfish as to allow them both to get into such a mess. Just when he needs her the most, she abandons him. Of course, Mysterius does not realize how badly he’s behaved or how badly he needs Delfi. In the end, they both may need each other far more than they could ever admit.

And that is at the heart of this story. Nevermind, for a moment, the witches, the zombies, and the pits of hell that also make up the plot. Basically, this is a buddy story. Mysterius may seem to be a dapper yet bumbling middle-aged man with a pot belly. But, when he’s teamed up with the right assistant (this time it would be Ella Tamblyn aka Delfi) he has a better than even chance at summoning his formidable magical powers. It also helps if he can somehow make a human connection with his Delfi and, despite himself, he just might be able to inspire her to help him. Some pretty successful comics titles are based on much less. The foundation is in place for this series to come back with a bang and I would prefer it to be sooner than later. Check out the Word Balloon interview with Jeff Parker where he says he’d love to pursue more Mysterius comics and would definitely see a possible TV show. His first choice for an actor to play Mysterius would be Geoffrey Rush. I still see Bill Murray as a contender but I can see why Rush would fit right in.

Thanks to the artistry of Tom Fowler and colorist Dave McCaig, all hell can break loose spectacularly in this final issue. Human (and nonhuman) excess runs amok in this satire of Burning Man which is worthy of the best Mad Magazine parody. Much has been said about the European look of this comic. I would go ahead and say it is a European style, both in the writing and art, which is made up of elegant detail, delicate exaggeration, and overall irreverence. Most of these characters are mercilessly drawn with more than a little junk in the trunk. Things are played up for laughs and it works quite well here even when depicting minions from hell battling zombies. Americans can sometimes take things too seriously, including minions from hell and zombies.

Understandably, Mysterius the Unfathomable is a special taste, sort of like Seaguy, but easily accessible. Once you get the collected trade to this year’s best kept secret in comics, you’ll see what the fuss is about and you’ll enjoy lingering over it. Here’s a sample of a nice added touch of spookiness. Delfi and Mysterius are en route to see a client when Delfi thinks she sees something strange:

Delfi: Wait–No…How did he turn the other way so quick? Look here, bird!

Mysterius: You…can’t see his face?

(pause)

Mysterius: Did that bird not have a face?

Delfi: Well, I’m sure it did, I just couldn’t see it. No big deal, sorry to stop everything. I just do that.

Mysterius: No, it is a big deal if it was a portent. Faceless bird…

Delfi: Can’t a portent be for something good?

Mysterius: Almost never.

Towards the end of this story, just when everyone should be resting easy in a comfy epilogue, off in a corner, there it is again, that bird without a face. What a cool and eerie way to say that Mysterius remains at your service.

While not a sales juggernaut like some artists (*cough* Hitch *cough* Lee *cough), artist Chris Sprouse does have a dedicated fanbase… one of which I am a part of.  So it’s great news to read on Sprouse’s blog this week an update on his comics projects. He’s currently at work on a new Tom Strong miniseries with writer Peter Hogan called Tom Strong: Robots of Doom. While original writer and co-creator Alan Moore isn’t returning to the character, Moore has given the blessing for his co-creators to continue on the ABC creations if they would like (such as the recent Top 10 miniseries).

According to an earlier blog post by Sprouse, the plan is to do several miniseries “so that Tom Strong can live on–Hellboy-style–as an ongoing series of self-contained mini-series.” While this new miniseries hasn’t been official solicited by DC/Wildstorm/ABC (is that confusing?) yet, this writer expects a Late Fall 2009 release.

It’s time to be super self-referential here; my instant reaction after reading Ex Machina #42 has to be re-said here:

The problem with Ex Machina from @WildStorm is when it’s on my pile, it ruins every other book in its wake of awesomeness. So. Damn. Good.about 8 hours ago from TwitterFon

TheGeek616

Lucas Siegel

I think that’s the best 140 character sum up of the experience of reading this book I could come up with. The true measure of greatness that Vaughan, Harris, Clark, and Mettler have achieved is that this story is perfect as a comic book. It could be told through another medium, but it wouldn’t be told as well.

The art in #42 has to be mentioned first. I’ve always been a fan of Harris’s art, but the way he has grown in his storytelling over the course of 42 issues has been incredible. In this issue, there are 8 pages of conversation with no real action. The story, thanks to both the great flow of the actual words and primarily the story telling in the art. The first half takes place in a dark underground room, and most of the conversation features the two characters’ hands and their shadows. It’s such a brilliant device and it made the whole thing that much more exciting. There is some action in this story, however, and while it is a little more static that some artists’ work, that is actually the preferred style here. The snapshot style of his art serves the building tension beautifully. The last three pages were especially gloriously creepy, and while the reveal at the end was expected, it was still exciting to see. Clark and Mettler know exactly how to bring out the best in Harris, and these three should work together for the rest of time.

Brian K. Vaughan continues to top my favorite writer on a regular basis: himself. While Y: The Last Man has been my favorite comic for quite some time, the final year of Ex Machina may change my mind. This issue is remarkable in that it tells a solid story on its own, it fits into the current story arc nicely, revealing just enough about the past and present to keep it going, and fits in the overall 42 issue so far story, building on what has come before and setting up the future. This is comic book writing at its absolute finest. It proves that characterization is just as important as high action, and the balance between the two that should be reached in any story. Vaughan definitely rewards longtime readers, showing that he’s had an overall story in mind for Mitchell Hundred since the very beginning.

I can’t wait for more Ex Machina, and oddly, thought it is one of my favorite reads, I can’t wait for it to end. All that means is I’ll get to enjoy it all over again, and more easily share the whole story with others.

So if you’re not reading this, I’d like to know why. The book has something for political fans, superhero fans, fans of deep characterization, fans of conversation, fans of writing taking the forefront, fans of art driving the story. This. Is. Comics.

It’s been years in the making, but Planetary #27 may make its triumphant return in 2009!

Wildstorm announced a new “creator-driven” series of books at the ComicsPRO conference in Memphis that will make their way into stores in 2009.

One of the questions discussed is the legacy of Grant Morrison, whose WildC.A.T.S. and Authority relaunches were left unfinished. Hank Kanalz of Wildstorm said that WildC.A.T.S. “will be completed as a graphic novel, and will be solicited when it’s complete.”

The Authority, meanwhile, will be completed by Keith Giffen and a number of different artists.

In addition, Kanalz announced several new series.

PS238′s Aaron Williams will team up with Fiona Staples to create North 40, which deals with a Midwestern town and its hidden book of nightmares; Red Herring, by Dave Tischman and Philip Bond, will be a series of miniseries logged as “Daily Show meets X-Files”; David Lapham will create Sparta, a magical story about a town built around a football team; and Jeff Mariotte will mastermind Garrison, an FBI procedural tracking down a serial killer.

[Via Nerdage in Memphis.]

Mysterius The Unfathomable #3

Created by Jeff Parker and Tom Fowler

DC Comics – Wildstorm

This is a limited run that should continue because of all its eye-popping intelligent goodness. An old school magician, turns out to be a real wizard, pals around with beautiful young women, likes antiques. Sounds good so far and it only gets better.

In issue 3, we find our wizard, Mysterius, hot on the case with his lovely and wisecracking assistant, Delfi. His client is eager to rid himself of a witch’s curse and this has led the sleuthing duo to Grant’s Tomb just as it blows up.

You can see Tom Fowler, the artist, embrace the MAD Magazine tradition of exaggeration and turn it into his own in the ongoing strip for MAD entitled, Monroe. And you see his style in full bloom in Mysterius with a gorgeous cinematic kick as his talents blend with the writer, Jeff Parker. This series howls with life. The explosion at Grant’s Tomb propels the characters in all directions with the witches making their getaway in a hatchback. But, hold on, captured perfectly in one panel: out of the rearview, the witches spot Mysterius tauntingly holding up the idol they all seek.

The energy never lets up in this multi-textured series. You get all sorts of little asides: a bunch of hippies off on a road trip, a sidewalk con artist outwitted at cards. The atmosphere is palpable. You even get a book within a book, held up for you to see, full of crazy art and incantations. 

The story of Vic Chesnea is further explored. He was the first client we got to know in issue 1. He is in limbo, one part in hell and the other clinging to reality. This is the result of a séance led by Mysterius. Although it really wasn’t his fault, Mysterius finds himself further and further involved in bringing Vic back and making sure all the ugly ghoulies from hell stay put.

We get a generous helping of these ghoulies. It is an ambitious depiction successfully executed. Mysterius and his team are frantically dripping candle wax to ward off evil spirits, as the mansion fills up with fog. Then, from the mail slot, the first demon strikes Delfi. Erika grabs a sword. And Mysterius yells out, “Yes, now whack that tongue off my assistant!” This is a lot of fun. It is just as good, if not better, than some of the best movies with goofy demons, including Ghostbusters. Come to think of it, a movie pitch for Mysterius would have to say, “leading man role of wizard playboy suitable for Bill Murray.” 

Last year, WildStorm did something bold: the heroes full-on lost, the world was destroyed, the population decimated, and every book set in that universe had to drastically change. The pro-active teams and heroes of this slightly more “extreme” world suddenly had to fall back and play the protection game. Some of them were killed, and worse, some were simply taken out of commission (How can you be a King of Cities if there are no Cities left?).

There were a couple of stumbles and missteps with the relaunches of the core books, but now that things are running smoothly, the folks at WildStorm have created a story that runs seamlessly between Gen 13, Stormwatch: PHD, Authority, and Wildcats.

That’s not to say the story is constantly moving back and forth between every issue of every book. The fine line between a cohesive universe and annoyingly disjointed stories has been walked nearly perfectly here. You can read any one of the four books and have a full story. You’ll be lucky, as well, because DnA, Chris Gage, Edgington, Beatty, and Utley are telling some very cool post-apocalyptic stories individually. The way they weave together is sometimes subtle, like a single location or character being mentioned in two or more books, and sometimes elaborate, with entire scenes replaying across more than one book. This is done sparingly, so it doesn’t induce any rip-off feelings, just a sense of cool.

The world hasn’t magically snapped back into place, the internal conflicts amongst each team are much more dire (if they can’t trust/rely on each other, they’re screwed), and it’s making for a truly new world, new dynamics, and new stories.

The other nice way they’re tying the stories together is through four part backups that run in each of the four books. Now for this, yes, you need to get all four for the complete story, but its not essential stuff. It does, however, further grow the universe and the other characters that live in it, and set up stories for later. A nice bonus to include, and while they’re at varying levels of excitement, they still make the whole post-apocalyptic world feel much larger and more devastating.

In an industry where continuity between characters (or even between a single character and himself) can get quite confusing, what WildStorm has done here isn’t just a successful experiment or a breath of fresh air, it’s a truly cool project that excites this Non-Jaded Comic Fan. Stories that stand-alone, issues that provide large looks at the characters involved while also adding to a larger tapestry, and the strongest inter-book continuity out there makes for some great reading.