Comic Review: Fatale Book One

    I reviewed this book some time ago, but I don’t feel that I gave it enough time/space.  So here I go again.  Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips have created a hybrid Noir-Lovecraft tale that spans history and delves into some existential horror in a way often lacking, even from the devotees of H.P. Lovecraft writing today.  Mood is a primary factor, almost a character in itself, in classic Noir films (and their Hard Boiled literary counterparts) as well as in the Cosmic Horror that was shaped by Lovecraft and his circle.  Fatale is dripping in mood.  From the heavy, black shadows and muted colors of the art, to the grim trudge toward doom taken by each character.  The series isn’t about mood and atmosphere, but they sure play a big part.

    With plot and character nods to the inspirational source material, genre fans should be able to hop right in.  The corrupt cops, the corruptible journalist, the violent mobster, and the mysterious vamp.  The cult murders, growing sense of deep history, and hints at supernatural natures build up the Mythos elements.  I’m a sucker for stories that build a sense of deep time, of back story for characters and plot.  And while the main story of a woman in fear, manipulating two men in a chess game played against a demonic figure plays out, we start to see that events have been building for a long, long time.  I love the little connections to historic events that are dropped in, too.

    This was my second reading of the first volume, and I found myself even more invested, paying closer attention.  At the point that I’m writing this, I’ve read the first three volumes, and am setting off on a quest to read all five in the very near future.  And I know that some of the stuff introduced in this volume pays off, or plays into what comes next.  But I’m still not sure how it all comes together.  And I can’t wait to find out.  When I read this the first time, I was captivated.  And it got my creative juices flowing.  It made me want to run an epic, generation spanning Call of Cthulhu roleplaying game campaign.  Reading it again, I see why.  Besides being a good read for Hard Boiled/Noir fans, for Horror fans (particularly of the Lovecraftian bent), it’s a great read for tabletop gamers.  It’s also another reminder of the great stuff coming out of companies like Image, who aren’t weighted down with demands for status quo maintenance.

Fatale: Death Chases Me
Author: Ed Brubaker
Artist: Sean Phillips
Publisher: Image Comics
ISBN: 978-1-60706-563-0

-Matthew J. Constantine

Comic Review: Black Science Volume 2

    The first volume of this science fiction series (read my review here) thrust the reader into the mad dimension hopping world with little regard.  You had to pick your way through the various characters and their back stories with little help.  A mad scientist, his lover and partner, his kids, his estranged wife, his sleazy boss (?), his mysterious assistant, etc.  And the tech?  What is it?  What does it do and what does it mean?  I had a hard time following it at first, partially because so much was happening, and partly because some of the characters looked a bit too similar.

    The art in volume 2 seems to have improved a bit (it was already good), and the various characters have taken on a bit more distinctiveness.  The color pallet is beautiful, and I really like the hazy look of the Native guy’s Black Science flashback.

    Volume 2 feels a bit less feverish, a bit easier to read and follow.  The pace is still breakneck, with plenty of twists, action, danger, and high stakes.  And the overall theme, or plot of the book becomes more apparent.  There seems to be a building dimension war, with variations of characters from each reality trying to grab power, right wrongs, and what have you.

    My earlier sense that the Pulp/30s/50s vibe of the comic’s design belies its 70s bitterness has grown.  I have very vague recollections of a TV show called Otherworld, which kind of freaked me out as a lad.  This comic reminds me of those feelings.  As well as stuff like The Star Lost, UFO, The Quiet Earth, and other, more pessimistic and strange science fiction.  The characters are all complex, and most of them are kinda bad.  It’s even hinted at that in the multiverse, our protagonists might not be the ‘good’ versions.  In fact, they might be the villains for much more virtuous counterparts.  Or not.

    As happened at the end of volume 1, I found myself wishing I had the next volume at hand upon finishing 2.  I want to find out what happens next, and it sucks that I’ve got to wait for…I don’t know, six months or so, for the next volume to come out.  I guess in that sense, it’s kind of like waiting for entries in a film series, where you know it’s coming, but you’ve got to wait.  I’m sure, when it’s all out, I’ll have to give it a start to finish re-read.  So, while this isn’t my favorite science fiction comic on the market right now (East of West, maybe?), it’s very good, getting better, and I recommend checking it out.

Black Science Volume 2: Welcome, Nowhere
Author: Rick Remender
Artist: Matteo Scalera
Publisher: Image Comics
ISBN: 978-1-63215-018-9

-Matthew J. Constantine

Comic Review: Manifest Destiny Volume 2

    Picking up where volume 1 (read my review here) left off, Manifest Destiny’s second volume continues the story of Lewis & Clark, Sacagawea, and the rest of the Corps of Discovery as they explore the horror filled lands of the Louisiana Purchase.  In this volume, they face more strange creatures, and stresses from within the group.  But they also find more pieces to a slowly unraveling puzzle.  The arch found in volume 1 is not the only arch.  And the locals know enough to stay clear.  Are they the cause of the strange creatures?  Or a related symptom?  Time will (I assume) tell.

    All of the things I liked about the first volume remain true for the second.  Cool creatures (gross creatures), weird ideas, solid art, and a general mood that I respond well to.  And the development of the various characters, not just Lewis and Clark, but also crewmen and others, helps keep the pages turning as sure as the action and danger.  A lot has been introduced in these first two volumes.  I’m hoping it all comes to something.  And I can’t wait to find out what that something might be.

    For those looking outside the realm of spandex heroes, who have an interest in alternate history, Manifest Destiny is a must read.

Manifest Destiny Volume 2: Amphibia &Insecta
Author: Chris Dingess
Artist: Matthew Roberts, etc.
Publisher: Image Comics
ISBN: 978-1-63215-052-3

-Matthew J. Constantine

Comic Review: East of West Volume Three

    Xiaolian is no longer content to let events happen on their own.  As she and the other leaders of the new world try to navigate quickly shifting loyalties and dangers, Death continues the search for his child, the Three Horsemen are coming, and the Endless Nation is on the march.  War is coming, and things are about to get very hairy.

    With volume three, it feels like most of the chess pieces are on the board, and the great game is in full swing.  Events happen fast, blood hits the floor, and Beast walks.  This is a story that barrels forward like a freight train.  It’s intensely readable, visually striking, and a visceral, gut punch of a tale.  An epic for the ages.  This is the kind of thing you feel lucky to discover and immediately want to rush right out and make all your friends read.  Well, this is the best way I can do that.  Read East of West.  It’s the business.

East of West Volume Three
Author: Jonathan Hickman
Artist: Nick Dragotta
Publisher: Image Comics
ISBN: 978-1-63215-114-8

-Matthew J. Constantine

Comic Review: East of West Volume Two

    In the second volume of Jonathan Hickman’s alternate-Western/Sci-Fi operatic epic, more deadly troubles are revealed, more hell comes a knocking, and Death pays a price for a little info.  The politics of the weird world grow more and more strange, as nations build for the coming war.  All the while, Death’s kid sits, deep inside a cyber-dungeon, waiting for the time when he can rise and become an instrument of apocalypse.

    By this stage in the story, there are so many threads, so many characters.  It really does feel like a grand epic.  Not only is it big storytelling, writ on a huge, Western inspired canvas.  But it’s also high emotional drama about families, dynasties, rivalries, revenge, and zealotry.

    East of West revels in the format, telling a massive, cinematic, operatic story in lush color and stark imagery.  I can not wait to see how this tale develops.  If the ending can live up to the beginning, this should stand alongside other great epics with no shame.  It’s a must read, and another reminder that companies outside of the Big Two are producing some swell graphic literature.

East of West Volume Two
Author: Jonathan Hickman
Artist: Nick Dragotta
Publisher: Image Comics
ISBN: 978-1-60706-855-6

My review of volume 1 is here. 

-Matthew J. Constantine

Comic Review: Manifest Destiny Volume 1

    It’s 1804, and Lewis & Clark have been sent out into the wilderness to explore the Western lands so that future settlers can know what to expect.  Well, that’s the official story.  In truth, President Jefferson knows that the West is full of strange and dangerous tribes, and worse, monsters.  And in order for settlers to be safe, Lewis & Clark are going to have to tame the wild and weird.

    Chris Dingess quickly twists expectations, as the expedition finds a huge arch, not unlike one we’re all familiar with, but this arch is made of branch and leaf, instead of shining metal.  And it gets much worse when they kill a native, who is a strange thing indeed.  A tribe of buffalo headed centaurs?  OK.  As if that wasn’t bad enough, when they reach La Charette to meet up with a guide, they stumble across a terrible plague.  Internal strife and external threat puts everyone on edge.  And the realization that this mission isn’t what everyone signed up for may be too much for some.  That’s when Sacagawea shows up, and boy howdy, I’m curious to see what comes of that.  I’ve enjoyed several ‘Weird Western’ stories and settings, but I don’t think I’ve ever seen one quite like this.  I like the cast of characters and the mysteries and horrors they’ve found.  I’m very interested in where the story is heading and what it’s all going to be about.

    The art in the book is good, occasionally excellent.  The panel work is good, not causing confusion or getting in the way, while remaining dynamic.  And the coloring lends a vividness that is refreshing.  I would almost expect a horror themed story like this to be more drab, or darker.  I like that it’s quite colorful, with much of the horror taking place in the bright light of day.

    This is another example of Image Comics publishing the kinds of things I’m more interested in reading.  For people who want to try comics, but aren’t interested in super heroes, and don’t want to have to wade through decades of back story, Image is where it’s at.  From sci-fi, to horror, to spy thrillers, they’re producing a fantastic variety of graphic fiction.

Manifest Destiny: Flora & Fauna
Author: Chris Dingess
Artist: Matthew Roberts
Publisher: Image Comics
ISBN: 978-1-60706-982-9

-Matthew J. Constantine

Comic Review: Velvet Volume 1

    If you need a one sentence synopsis to sell your book, you could do worse than “Imagine that Miss Moneypenny used to be a superspy, and when Bond gets killed, she gets blamed, and has to clear her name no matter how many bodies she leaves in her wake.”  Velvet is one seriously cool character, and as the first volume of the series progresses, you learn more and more about her time as a spy, and the bad opp that put her behind a desk.  Set deep in the heart of the Cold War, with exotic locations and plenty of action, this is a compelling comic, and one of the best things on the market at this time.

    Ed Brubaker and Steve Epting, who brought the Cold War to life in Captain America’s Winter Soldier arc, are unchained from Marvel’s generations of canon, able to create new characters to explore spy action where consequences are real.  If a character dies, there is no editing staff insisting that he or she be resurrected six months later.  Nobody is safe in this kind of story, and that’s the best.  Brubaker’s writing is intense and crisp, with plenty of sudden, shocking twists, yet doesn’t feel rushed or confused.  Epting’s art is typically stylish, with solid, but not flashy panel work.  There’s a Film Noir style, which is enhanced by Elizabeth Breitweiser’s awesome color work.

    If, like me, you’re just not all that into the caped crusaders and spandex clad heroes, comics like Velvet are an excellent option.  Being a fan of Cold War spy thrillers doesn’t hurt.  Brubaker has quickly become one of my very favorite writers working in the medium, and I can’t wait to find out what he has in store for Velvet in the coming months.  I can’t imagine things will turn out well, but I’m guessing she’ll get plenty of bloody vengeance before it’s over.  It reminds me of why I am digging Image Comics, these days.  While Marvel and DC continue to flounder around with reboots and re-launches, Image is dropping some of the best comics I’ve read one after another.  Sure, they’re putting out stuff I don’t care for, you can’t please everyone, every time.  If you’re willing to read comics, but not interested in super heroes, take a look at Image’s catalog.

Velvet: Before the Living End
Author: Ed Brubaker
Artist: Steve Epting, etc.
Publisher: Image Comics
ISBN: 978-1-60706-9645

-Matthew J. Constantine

Comic Review: Prophet: Empire

    The many threads of the many John Prophets are beginning to weave together into a tapestry of marvelous oddity.  In this, the third volume of this Dune-esque science fiction epic, we witness the liberation of Earth, the waking of weapons, and connections to the past.  Hero Johns and villain Johns, and everything in between.

    Prophet is a wonderfully off the wall tale, the likes of which you just don’t see every day.  It’s nowhere near as relatable or friendly as Star Wars or Firefly.  It’s nowhere near as tame as Interstellar or Avatar.  It does not help you, and does not care if you get it.  Prophet is.  Perhaps I’m ascribing too much to Brandon Graham and Co.’s work.  But whatever the case, I’m loving this obscure, out there, trippy, freaky story, writ large on the face of a chaotic universe.

    In previous reviews (volume 1, volume 2), I’ve mentioned the art.  It remains.  I’ve mentioned the ‘similarity’ to The Incal, Dune, Metabarons, and the like.  That is all still true.  It is a series that science fiction fans should be reading.  Seek this out.  It’s a punch in the brain, and it’s awesome.

Prophet: Empire
Authors: Brandon Graham, etc.
Artists: Simon Roy, etc.
Publisher: Image Comics
ISBN: 978-1-60706-858-7

-Matthew J. Constantine

Comic Review: Prophet: Brothers

    The continuing adventures of John(s) Prophet.  The universe continues to expand, and the truth behind John Prophet and his returning empire is revealed in small pieces.  What is going on?  What’s with all the Prophet clones?  I still don’t know, but by the end of this volume, I’m starting to get some ideas.

    As with the first volume, the art is often rather ugly, but it fits well with the bio-tech sci-fantasy universe being imagined.  The ultra-tech, bio-tech, and just plain weird-tech in Prophet is awesome.  A gold mine of strange creatures and devices (sometimes a bit of both).

    One of the things I love about this book is how the characters simply act, knowing all the rules of their world.  We see them do what they do, and must piece together how to feel about it, what it might mean, where things are headed.  And, as we see all these various incarnations/iterations of John Prophet putting pieces into place, we must try to construct the larger plot.  Old Man John is probably my favorite version, but several of the others are cool.  The sequence where he lets his mental shield down and takes in the movements of the universe is especially cool, and produces one of the best splash pages I've seen in a while.  I really can’t wait to see where this all ends up.  One of the best comics on the market today.

Prophet: Brothers
Author: Brandon Graham, etc.
Artist: Giannis Milonogiannis, etc.
Publisher: Image Comics
ISBN: 978-1-60706-749-8

-Matthew J. Constantine

Comic Review: East of West Volume One

    A little Alternate History never hurt nobody.  The first volume of East of West starts with an introduction to the world, a world where the States did not come back together after the Civil War, where things got mighty weird, mighty fast.  Then it throws us into the fire.  The Three Horsemen have risen…Wait, what?  Oh, yeah.  Death has started his solo career, and he’s got his own thing going.  We’re introduced to various ideas, both of the alternate world, which has a generally Western vibe, and to the overall plot.  It seems Conquest, Famine, and War are itching to bring it all down, but Death doesn’t want to play their game.  There’s some kind of cult devoted to the Horsemen that infects the halls of power.  And in what would have been California, in New Shanghai, someone waits for Death.  Someone who might just change everything.

    While steeped in the flavor of classic Westerns and Alternate History Science Fiction, there’s something operatic about this comic.  By the time it gets rolling, the orgiastic violence and sweeping speechifying is something to behold.  Death is a cool character, and his two companions Crow and Wolf are fun.  But it’s when Xiaolian comes into her own that things get interesting.  I think that’s the point where I started to really, really dig this series.  Now, I can’t wait to find out what Death & Co. get up to, what kind of hell Xiaolian is going to dish out.  And just what’s going on with all these conspiratorial cultists.

    The series is exciting.  A page turner.  I’ve been reading a lot of comics for various reasons lately, and reading this reminds me just how great a page turner can be.  As I’m reading it, I can also see some parallels between this series and Pretty Deadly (and to a degree, Saga).  But where I think Pretty Deadly gets everything wrong, this series gets it all right.  When the moments of extreme drama happen, it’s earned your emotional investment, not simply told you that you should feel something.  When Death and Xiaolian show their metal, and you start to understand what you’re reading, I felt giddy like when I listen to a swelling piece of Beethoven or Wagner.  And it looks nice.  The art is pretty darned good, and the panel work excellent (though, I'm a sucker for semi-contained, structured panels).  I can’t wait to see what happens next, and recommend you join me in my journey.  Heck, Volume One is only 9.99, so give it a try.

East of West Volume One
Author: Jonathan Hickman
Artist: Nick Dragotta
Publisher: Image Comics
ISBN: 978-1-60706-770-2

-Matthew J. Constantine

Comic Review: Pretty Deadly Vol. 1

    The image on the cover is interesting.  Flipping through, it has a Weird West mixed with Sci-Fi vibe.  OK.  Let’s give it a try.  Alas, they can’t all be winners.  Kelly Sue Deconnick’s Western (there’s no Science Fiction, it turns out) is a mishmash of humdrum Anime/Manga gags, tossed into a mixing pot and…well, no.  It almost makes you think something good might have come out the other end, but it just gets worse.  It’s just tired retreads presented in a tired way.  And the cutesy crap with the butterfly and the bunny skeleton?  What is this, a 1990s Vertigo comic?

    The art ranges from blah to aggressively ugly.  Some of the coloring is interesting, but without good pencils/inks to hang it on, who cares?  It might have worked in a different comic, or one where the story really captured me.  This ain’t it.  The writing starts out fine, but becomes more, I don’t know, opaque(?), as the book progresses.  And all the ideas feel like they came out of a dozen anime TV series from the 90s.  And Deathface Ginny?  Ugh.  Why not give her an over-sized gun-sword to complete the stupid image?

    Anyway, this is another one of those series I hear a lot of people saying good things about, and I just scratch my head.  Shoddy writing, dull ideas handled in dull ways, ugly art.  I wouldn’t recommend it.  I will not be reading on.

Pretty Deadly
Author: Kelly Sue Deconnick
Artist: Emma Rios
Publisher: Image Comics
ISBN: 978-1-60706-962-1

-Matthew J. Constantine

Comic Review: Storm Dogs

    I’m always hungry for new science fiction, and flipping through a few pages of this, I thought it looked interesting.  And it is.  A cast of characters with some potential end up in a dangerous situation and need to do some investigating.  I like the setting, and the feel of the larger universe outside of the limited environment the story takes place in.  While the Western vibe is obvious, the sci-fi elements are strong and I’d like to see how they might be used.

    The general story is about some mysterious deaths and tense relations with native creatures on a backwater world.  There are tech restrictions, scofflaws, hoodlums, and corrupt officials.  A lot is introduced, and some of it is explored.  However, the volume ends on a cliffhanger.  Yes, you kind of know who is doing what, and you mostly know why.  But there are still lots of questions, and one very big one right at the end.  OK.  I get cliffhangers.  The problem is, I can’t find any evidence that this series is continuing.

    The art is good, though I did run into a bit of confusion at one point because character design on two people was similar enough.  Still, once I realized my mistake, I didn’t make it again.  The writing is fine and the story solid.  The setting/universe is really the thing that sold me on the book as I was reading.  I like the main cast of characters, and I’d like to see how they might develop.  But a lot of my feelings are overshadowed by not knowing if there’s any more coming.

Storm Dogs: Season One
Author: David Hine
Artist: Doug Braithwaite
Publisher: Image Comics
ISBN: 978-1-60706-825-9

-Matthew J. Constantine