Comic Review: Lost Cat

    As I’ve done several times before (here, here, here, here, here, here, and here), I read this latest book from Jason with a smile on my face…and deep concern on my brow.  If you haven’t read Jason, stop what you’re doing, go to your local comic shop/book store/(or if need be) internet site and get a copy of, well any of his books.  I think I’d suggest starting with The Last Musketeer, but there are so many good ones.  Get it.  Read it.  And then come back.

    OK, now that you’re back, let me get on with this Lost Cat review.  This time ‘round, Jason introduces us to a Sam Spade/Philip Marlow type detective, who needs some money.  A lost cat might do the trick.  From there, the usual unusual things begin to happen.  Femme fatales, jilted lovers, aliens (?), an awful old guy, paintings, a robot.  And it’s all done in that special way, that quiet, reserved, melancholic way that Jason slaps you so hard with.  I get a similar feeling reading his books to what I experience watching Coen Brothers films.  If you write down the plot, there’s not much there.  Yet, within the spaces, there’s a universe of anxiety, pain, bafflement, and resigned humor.  I love it.

    I’m not going to go into the plot of this particular book, or even point out certain highlights.  I’m just going to say that Jason is one of the most consistently enjoyable writers or artists working in the field today.  Every time I read a book by him, it’s like a breath of fresh air, blowing in from lost summers of youth.  Until his next book, I’m done blubbering on about how great he is.  You need to go find out for yourself.

Lost Cat
Author/Artist: Jason
Publisher: Fantagraphics Books
ISBN: 978-1-60699-642-3

-Matt

Comic Review: Locke & Key: Welcome to Lovecraft

    I’ve been hearing about this book for years, and it’s circled around my head as one of those, ‘yeah, I’ll get to it’ titles.  Well, thanks to the graphic novel discussion group I belong to, my hand was forced and I’m glad of it.  This is the first volume of at least five, and though I have every intention of doing so, I have yet to read further.  Welcome to Lovecraft sets up a lot, hints at a lot, and reveals some interesting, but mysterious ‘facts.’  By the end of the volume, I was darned curious about a lot.  One question that plagues my mind is whether or not I read too much into the dark haired woman in the well.  With the Lovecraft reference, I ascribed a Nyarlathotep-type background to her, a bringer of chaos, and one of the only Old Ones to purposefully turn its gaze upon humans, to our lasting horror.  She (it?) fits that mold in this first volume, but again, I think I may be reading too much, or too much of the wrong thing, into it.  Time will tell.  Whatever the case, Hill has set up a great many dominos and shaken the table.  I need to read on, to find out how everything falls.

    One thing is a touch off-putting for this reader; the art.  Now, obviously, art is very subjective.  What I like, and what the next Dork likes will never be exactly the same (talk to my co-Dork Brad about the art in Hawkeye and then talk to me…Or don’t).  And it’s not that Gabriel Rodriguez’s work isn’t technically well done.  (Though it’s not my cup of tea, with the big eyes and kind of cartoony look).  It’s more that the art doesn’t feel quite right with the writing.  Maybe it’s intentional, but things look too nice or happy or…well, cartoon-like.  The subject feels more like something that should be in black & white, or in some old Eerie or Tales from the Crypt style of art.  That said, there are some panels I absolutely love.  The look on young Bode’s face when he’s ‘dead.’  Priceless.  And that shot where the woman in the well climbs out…I actually had a cinematic ‘jump’ when I looked at that panel, something that’s never happened to me in a comic before.  It was startling, and shows that I was engaged with the book.

    Personal artistic taste aside, the book is excellent.  I add my voice to all those others that have probably already told you to read Locke & Key.  And someday in the near future I’ll be listening to my own inner voice and I’ll read the next few volumes.  If you like Neil Gaiman or Clive Barker, especially their more ‘urban fantasy’ work, you should get right on Locke & Key.

Locke & Key: Welcome to Lovecraft
Author: Joe Hill
Artist: Gabriel Rodriguez
Publisher: IDW
ISBN: 978-160010237-0

-Matt

"Take Care Little Guy!" - Witness An American Adventure in The Young & Prodigious Spivet

Another film without an American release date, the international trailer for Jean-Pierre Jeunet's latest fantastical effort has hit and I'm pretty excited to see the director working with a Western landscape.  The story of a young boy fleeing his country home to accept a prestigious award from The Smithsonian; looks to offer an epic road trip with all the fantastical elements we come to expect from Jeaunet.  My only reservation is that the trailer appears to highlight the entire film, but hopefully there are still plenty of surprises to behold.  After all, Jeunet has made at least two of great films of the last decade - Amelie & A Very Long Engagement.

"It's Out There In The Ether..." - The Death of Superman Lives Teaser Trailer

Geeks love a good What If story.  What If Conan The Barbarian death wished the streets of Modern Day New York City?  What If Rick James became The Hulk instead of Bruce Banner?  What If Tim Burton had cast Nicolas Cage as Superman?  As most of you should know, that last one came very close to a reality in the late 1990s.  Kevin Smith was one of the many screenwriters on the project, and for the longest time his College Crowd Chit Chat was the only glimpse we had into the madness of Superman Lives.  Until now.  Thanks to the all mighty power of Kickstarter, director Jon Schnepp has finally assembled The Death of "Superman Lives."  The below teaser trailer promises an in-depth look at what that fabled film could have been, as well as philosophical debates with some of the Man of Steel's greatest living comic book contributors.  Grant Morrison, Mark Waid, Zachary Levi - uh...not sure why Chuck's involved, but cool!  Despite some newsreel footage of Cage, Schnepp has yet to land an interview with the mega actor, but if he manages to do so, than The Death of "Superman Lives" will skyrocket to the top of my most anticipated films.

--Brad

Dork Art: Justin White's Rated G - The Sequel

Here's another helping of Justin White's devilishly cartoony genre makeovers.  Rated G - The Sequel will be showing at Gallery 1988 through September 14th.  Again, why does LA get to have all the fun?  The 2001 monkey madness print might be my favorite, but the smiley American Psycho is a close second.  You can buy some of the prints on the Gallery 1988 website, and you can explore other Mickey Mouse interpretations over at Crome Yellow.  Good stuff.

--Brad

Dork Art: Kevin Tong's Metropolis

Well, we missed it.  Earlier today frequent Mondo artist Kevin Tong unveiled this gorgeous Metropolis print on his website.  It measures 24 x 36 and cost $60.  Oh well.  There's always ebay.


--Brad

Transformers - Age of Extinction

One Summer down, time to start preparing for the next one.  I wouldn't go so far as to call myself a Transformers apologist (I don't really believe in Guilty Pleasures - Own Your Love!), but as much as I recognize the problems of the Michael Bay trilogy, I really just get giddy watching all the overwrought CG catastrophe.  And I hear this next one has Dinobots.  DINOBOTS!!!!!!!  Yes!  And the trade of Shia LaBeouf for Mark Wahlberg is decent - sure, The Rock would have been better but Dwayne can't save every franchise.

--Brad