High Speed Comics

FREE COMIC BOOK DAY

2008-05-03T14:58:00.001-04:00

News Update

2008-04-28T17:24:00.002-04:00

It's beginning to be that hectic time of the year again, but here's a quick update about things afoot:

-A movie poster for the upcoming Incredible Hulk movie came out recently. You can look at it here.
-Iron Man opens in theaters this Friday, May 2nd.
-This week's issue of Blue Beetle is a special Spanish issue. If you're looking for something a little different and unique, check it out.
-Got tales or pictures from New York Comic Con? Send 'em here and share them with everyone!

Take it easy comicphiles!

Emerald City Con Auction

2008-04-26T12:07:00.002-04:00

Warren, I know we don't know each other outside of a few random posts on your boards, but I'd like to ask a favor for a fellow creator and friend of mine. I hope you could get the word out about the benefit auction for Josh Medors at Emerald City Comic Con. Josh is a really good guy, but he's got cancer on his spine and they've told him if the chemo doesn't work it looks bad. He's mostly a freelance artist (he's currently working on one of the Frazetta books at Image), so he's uninsured. It's well known you can break servers with your link posting abilities, so if you could, it would be much appreciated by Josh and all of us. Here is the info (it's on the front page):http://www.emeraldcitycomicon.com. Josh is a big fan of your work, so anything you could do would lift his spirits.

Thanks,RD HALL
http://www.myspace.com/rdhallHeroes

Online GN writer
http://www.nbc.com/Heroes/novels/index.shtml?novel=80

John Sowder Interview

2008-04-12T21:57:00.003-04:00

PENUMBRA from ‘Divine Authority Presents’

-by Joe Churney

I first became aware of local artist John Sowder when I picked up a copy of Fan-atic Press’ Slambang Comic Anthology. He wrote and drew a strangely touching story entitled ‘When You’re Different’, which is about a flesh-eating monster who is trying to live a normal life in a small suburban town.

Currently Mr. Sowder is gearing up to produce Penumbra: a series of 8-page stories for a comic anthology. The series is set in the year 1977 and revolves around a young girl and her quest to discover the secrets involving her non-human lineage. There are many surreal and flat out strange scenes along the way, and the art is an interesting mix of classic superheroes with a homespun dark indy look. I had the chance to speak with Mr. Sowder and pour over the finished product as it stands so far.

Joe Churney: What is Penumbra about?

John Sowder: Penumbra is slated to appear as a five part mini-series to be featured in the forthcoming anthology ‘Divine Authority Presents’.

The story centers around Valerie, who is a nineteen-year-old girl who discovers that she’s the offspring of an otherworldly being and that her very existence threatens all human life on earth.

Initially, I started this as an homage to ‘70s Mike Ploog comics like Man-Thing or Werewolf By Night with a bit of a Lovecraftian twist. I think the story shifts to a darker tone by the second part and becomes something quite different.

J.C.: Who are the central characters of the story?

J.S.: Well, there’s Valerie. Visually, I suppose she’s a rogue Charlie’s Angel with a chainsaw instead of a gun. She’s on a quest to discover her true origins when she’s forced to form an alliance with a mysterious man known as ‘Nameless Joe Quinn’. And then there is Valerie’s twin sister Twila, who is not entirely human.

Valerie is caught between these two characters, she doesn’t trust either of them. She has special powers but the more she uses them, the more she becomes like her sister. So she really has to struggle to hold on to her humanity.

J.C.: Recently Steve Gerber, the writer of Man-Thing, passed away. What are your thoughts on his work?

J.S.: His work was eye-opening for me. I’ve always been a fan, right up to the end. He was a creative writer and a bit of a risk taker. He could take the most insane concept and make it work.

J.C.: Who are some of your other influences?

J.S.: Too numerous to mention! When I was younger, I had these big Swamp Thing double issue reprints with cool wrap-around covers. I wanted to draw like Bernie Wrightson. I stopped reading comics until I was older and picked up a copy of Moore’s Killing Joke . After that I read pretty much anything I could get my hands on.

But I look outside of comics for inspiration as well. I love old pulp stories and illustrations, as well as a few current small press magazines. Noir cinematographers like John Alton are an influence.

J.C.: When will Divine Authority Presents be available.

J.S.: There’s no set date as of yet. It will be announced on the Divine Authority website. I’ve been taking my time and making sure to do my best. If I never get the chance to work on any other comic, this is something I can call my own and I’m happy about that.

____________________________________________________________________

You can check out the Divine Authority website at www.DivineAuthorityComics.com

Review: Secret Invasion #1 (Spoiler-Free)

2008-04-02T22:33:00.003-04:00

Writer: Brian Michael Bendis
Art: Leinil Yu

Anyone who has been reading comics for…well, for a while knows that Marvel and DC are big on ‘event’ stories. The are often huge and overwhelming and not as good as they are advertised to be. The latest is Marvel’s “Secret Invasion”, headlined by Brian Michael Bendis and Leinil Yu. The first issue hit today. How was it? Read on.

I’m as tired of the next big universe altering event as the next person, and I wasn’t really feeling SI until recently. Then I figured, if this really goes back as far as BMB claims…that’s the makings of something pretty special. So I decided to check it out. If you don’t know the basics, the Skrulls have decided to push a full-on invasion of Earth by taking advantage of their shapeshifting abilities. This gives them the element of surprise and sows seeds of distrust throughout the heroes. That basically where SI picks up.

Bendis is definitely a polarizing writer. Some love his characters and dialogues, while others hate those same things and lament his lack of skill with ‘big’ characters rather than his street-level stuff. However, SI has a nice mix of both. Yes, this is a huge alien invasion with nearly every hero involved, but he’s getting into the psyche of characters and focusing on the psychological aspect of this attack, and it works well. There are speeches, attacks, and some crazy reveals in this issue, and it looks to only get wilder from here.

As dividing as Bendis is, Yu can be said to be just as polarizing, if not more so. His art works well for this event where it might not have otherwise. He draws dark and gritty characters (now with an inker, unlike his New Avengers work, thank goodness), and that fits the tone of the story – nothing is truly clear cut and definite, and Yu’s art adds that uncertainty to the story.

Overall, this was a solid first issue. It sets up the rest of the story nicely and sets in motion several different plot threads. If you’re interested in what’s been going on in the Marvel Universe, you owe it to yourself to check this out.

FREE Fallen Angel art

2008-03-19T16:45:00.002-04:00

IDW Celebrates Peter David's Fallen Angel #25 by artist signing and free original Art

For more than two years, readers of Fallen Angel have been enjoying a dark atmospheric tale of a former celestial being who continually defies THE BOSS by helping those who can't help themselves. Now reaching issue 25, Fallen Angel is the longest running title in IDW Publishing history.

To celebrate this landmark issue, IDW is giving away original pages of J.K. Woodward's series artwork at two different promotional events.

This issue will be special in more than just number, though. Peter David is promising an absolute upheaval in the story, "The great thing about a creator-owned series such as "Fallen Angel" is that I can unilaterally kick over the apple cart without having to run it by a plethora of Powers That Be, and that's what's happening. The great thing about working with (artist) J.K. Woodward is knowing that he's able to take whatever I throw at him and knock it out of the park." IDW's Editor-In-Chief, Chris Ryall, calls J.K.'s work consistently brilliant and "nothing short of awe-inspiring". J.K. is thrilled with the series success, "Peter gave me some exciting challenges with this story and I've had a great time illustrating. There's a reason I've stayed with this series for over 2 years!"
J.K. reveals that loyal readers will be rewarded with bonus features in this issue, including a double cover and character gallery, but that the extra content also makes it a great time for new readers to jump in. “…It not only introduces the characters but gives a summary of the story so far. It’s a perfect jumping on point for first time Fallen Angel readers.”
As for the free artwork, a page will be given to each of the first 10 people to attend one of these promotional events:

Wed March 26, from 5-8pm:
The Comic Bug
1807 Manhattan Beach Blvd
Manhattan Beach, 90266
www.thecomicbug.com

Wed April 2, from 7-9pm:
Golden Apple Comics
7018 Melrose Ave, LA 90038
www.goldenapplecomics.com

Artist J.K. Woodward will be on hand to sign his pages, copies of the comic or pretty much anything the fans want to stick under his sharpie.
I'll also be there with copies of Crazy Mary for JK and I to sign.

Catch up

2008-03-18T18:33:00.002-04:00

It’s been awhile since I’ve posted anything but a review or two and there is good reason, this:

I am the proud daddy of a one Madison Jean Rozayln Colbert and I have the lack of sleep to prove it.

I’m currently running about two weeks behind any and all TV shows, which is a dog’s year in the internet so I’ll skip all that and hit on a few things.
1 – The Doctor Who comic from IDW really captures the spirit of the new show. If you’re a fan, like Moi, you won’t be disappointed even when there is a 40 foot tall cat made of sand.
2 – My friends at glitchwork studios in San D have a new comic coming out called TITANIUM RAIN if you read any of their “Utopiates” series (odds are against it really and truly your loss) you know these folk kick out some serious hardcore SF comic with a strong cyberpunk edge. This new comic seems like a cool idea and you can check out a ten page preview at this link:

http://www.blogger.com/www.glitchwerk.com/titanium

Comics in America needs more Science Fiction, the genre is limp in the states and I have no idea why. Glitchworks has the ability to change that with enough momentum.

While we’re on the subject of free Nine Inch Nails take the on-line distribution idea a step further with GHOSTS VOL: I – IV. Most bands from the 90’s still claim relevance but only Radiohead and NIN seem to be doing anything new. “Ghosts” is a 36 track instrumental experiment with the first volume available for free download or you get all 36 tracks (copy protection free) for $5.00. 36 tracks of NIN music might seem brutal to some but if you’re a fan, like Moi, it’s worth the price of admission. Hearing banjo being played in a haunting scary minor key should be enough to convince you, you cheap bastard. To go along with the release NIN has teamed with youtube for an open source film festival using the tracks as the foundation.

One last thing on the book front:
Anton Strout, an old school buddy of mine, has released his first novel. The name is DEAD TO ME and you should at least stop by your chain book store and read a page or 3 and then buy it.
More info at:

http://www.antonstrout.com/

That’s about it for now I’ll be sending more reviews next week.

MIKE
ROCK!!!

Doctor Who in comics again!

2008-03-11T00:02:00.001-04:00

DOCTOR WHO
Issue 1

Review by Michael Colbert

Written by Gary Russell
Art by Nick Roche
Colors by Charlie Kirchoff

IDW Publishing

The Doctor returns to the time of comics with a lot to like for the hardcore and casual fan.

A lot of people don’t “Get” Doctor Who, at least in this country. The TV show has been a kiddie program, history show, horror, Hard SF, a parody, a bad Fox network TV movie, and even Cyberpunk in its decade’s long run. So why don’t a lot of Americans “get it”? One reason is that The Doctor doesn’t conform to the typical space opera hero most people regencies (but most people think of Captain Kirk as a typical Sci Fi hero); he doesn’t use guns, only a sonic screwdriver and his wits. And he’s more inclined to disarm people with witticisms and fast talk than Kung foo. He’s more cerebral than muscle; it just doesn’t scan in the land of the cowboy and Bruce Willis. Another reason is because it’s so unapologetically, willfully… English… That means whimsy, dry humor and laughing at the void that constantly threatens to consume. It makes for an odd balance sometimes and if the story doesn’t deliver the goods it can all come off as just plain silly. One book written about the best of Science Fiction television said “Doctor Who can, at its worst, be stupid and distracting, at it’s best hypnotizing.” So how does the new comic featuring the 10th Doctor and his human companion Martha Jones fare against high expectations from the fans, an uphill climb in a US market that seems to have no interest in SF comics and is still so damn English?
Pretty well, thank you very much.
For those of you who don’t know, the Doctor is an alien. His race is called “Timelords” and he is the last one. He looks human and frequents Earth in his TARDIS a time and space ship that looks like a police call box (it’s an English thing). The brilliant aspect of Doctor Who is that he can go anywhere and anywhen so a story can go in any direction and be just about anything. That’s a lot of choices laid out and a lot of ways to get lost but more often than not Doctor Who stays coherent, colorful and fun, which is a pretty good way to describe the comic. Admittedly I’m a bit biased but at the same time my judgment is harsher because I’ve been such a long standing fan. The stand alone story already assumes you know something about the Doctor, a safe assumption if you’re buying the comic, but doesn’t require much effort on the reader’s part to catch up. The Doctor and Martha Jones are sampling the best chocolate milkshakes from across time and space (English whimsy) and stumble across an alien that captures rare or extinct species for hunting purposes (the void right there with a milkshake). The story keeps a light tone and moves along fast enough to keep you from noticing the silliness in the internal logic (A space diner that houses a slave trade, and alien badguy that says he rocks). It’s all good fun with a wink and humor. The space milk bar where the action takes place is called the “Korova v.3” and the splashpage has aliens ranging from beavers to bugs to cyborgs all enjoying the best milkshake in the universe (including one alien crying over his spilt drink). The plot is paper thin but it whizzes by so fast you’ll hardly notice. The conflict is resolved in a fashion completely loyal to the internal logic of Doctor Who with the bad guy dooming himself despite The Doctor offering a chance at redemption. Then it’s off to the next adventure.
If you are a fan of Doctor Who you’ll have plenty to enjoy, the comic has really captured the spirit of the rebooted TV show and hopefully with future issues can tackle the potential also. The villain is a callback to a TV episode (the first Christmas special) which links nicely if you’re a fan. If you’re not a fan, or have a passing interest, I’d still suggest you give it a try; the book can be so many things that odds are The Doctor will deliver eventually.

Mark McCracken Interview

2008-03-09T19:41:00.004-04:00

DIVINE AUTHORITY

-by Joe Churney

Divine Authority began when artist Jamie Apgar approached his cousin Mark McCracken to collaborate on a comic book project. In their younger days, Jamie was impressed with the elaborate stories Mark would conceptualize while playing with action figures. Together they established Midnight Warriors: the flagship title of what was then known as A.M. comics (Apgar/McCracken, a.k.a. ‘After Midnight’).

Since then, Divine Authority has established a loyal fan base and expanded to include other titles such as -Girl!, Icebox, The Nameless One, Rank in Hell and more. Not only is Divine Authority a way for Mark McCracken and others to promote their own creator-owned projects, D.A. also exist as a labor of love.

I had the chance to pose a few questions to D.A. publisher and creator Mark McCracken:

Joe Churney: What are some of the hardships and challenges of publishing/promoting your work?

Mark McCracken: I think one of the biggest challenges for me is getting highly invested in a project that never sees fruition. Collaborating with artists on a level where we are only hoping to promote our work and try to garner profit, and not offering a page rate in a traditional employer/employee setting, everything is based on motivation. Sometimes an artist will be "gung-ho" about a project, rip through 7 pages, and then taper off and decide to quit because they don't have it in them to finish the book. I actually have a book I am sitting on now, a solo one-shot for a character from Midnight Warriors, for which the opening scene has been drawn by three different artists and never finished. With a project like this, I am disappointed, because I like the script, it's integral to the story of the character, and I want to see it printed. With other stories it's actually beneficial they never saw fruition because it's given me the opportunity to revamp the concept continually, making it into something far better than it had been before. A potential ongoing series, "Spyne", has fallen into this situation, and each time it's lost the artist and been re-written, I've always added something new to the story that makes it all the more unique and interesting.

Lately I've been working primarily with artists online and it can be stressful trying to get a feel for people simply from words, but it hasn't stopped me from trying. Just this year I found an artist with amazing potential, Fran Ros, who's already blazed through most of an issue of Midnight Warriors that I am dying to see available in-print.

Another hardship we've suffered in the past was mistreatment by a printing company.

J.C.: Do you have a regular print schedule for your books?

M.M.: We don't have a regular printing schedule. When Jamie and I first started out, we wanted to be monthly. Then we realized it was pretty impossible. And that was back when our lives weren't so busy. Now I find myself and all of the aritsts have school, work, and their personal lives, so it's really difficult to put out anything on a regular basis. It also depends on the motivation factor, too. I try to script a project while an artist is working on it, that way I can tailor to their strengths and include any new ideas I've come up with in the meantime. I hate a script that gets "stale" waiting on an artist, so Ive found this method of scripting to be very beneficial to me. I personally like to have several new issues of a series out each year.

The easiest way to guarantee this is to stagger artists, so that each issue isn't necessarily drawn by the same artist. This works well with -Girl! because it is a comedy, originally drawn in traditional manga style, and from issue #5 & upward I have tried to script each issue as a self-contained story, without requiring the readers to have read the issues that came before in order to enjoy the story. With a series like Midnight Warriors it is a little more difficult because I try to keep the art style more realistic, the issues flow one into the next with a lot of continuity-heavy plotlines. What I have tried to do to alleviate this is to work ahead. While at the moment I am completing the present issue, Midnight Warriors#10, with Francesca, I am also working on a storyline encompassing MW#12-16 with Edgard Aedo, for which he's already finished the first part and is working on the second. This way, by the time we reach #12, we will have several issues completed by Edgard to release in a row without needing to sub artists to keep release dates closer.

J.C.: What have been some of your personal favorite stories that you have published?

M.M.: My favorites are always the stories yet to be, because I feel as time goes on my writing only gets better.

Of what we have printed so far, I liked -Girl!#1 because it introduced what I considered to be a fairly unique concept for a heroine, and in #6 (presently at Ka-Blam!, soon to be in my hands) I put added emphasis on the fact that each of -Girl!'s personalities beleive they are the prime personality and the others are the splits. I also have a special interest in #6 because it is based on a true story of my experience with a certain major retailer. It was easiest to weave it into -Girl! as a common plotline is the fact that -Girl! cannot keep a job because she is constantly shape-shifting into her other selves.

I liked Midnight Warriors #3 because it introduced Ray, one of my favorite characters of the series, and also included a lot of hints toward ongoing plotlines that most likely went unnoticed for the time being. The once certain plot elements are revealed in future issues, re-reading the back issues will offer a lot of new insight, readers will start to pick up on things they didnt notice before. MW#6 probably could have been told better (it was actually written prior to #3-5 as Andy Sullivan was working on issues in advance while he was a Marine away from home), but I thought it was unique to have a character afraid of their own birthday, and then finding out why was such a huge shock and so tragic you wanted to vomit. I plan to touch back on this storyline in MW#14 & 17, shedding some new light on the story with some added details, and it will of course be relevant to what is going on at present tense in the story. It leads into one of the biggest plot twists we've had in the works since Day One.

J.C.: Tell me a bit about your future plans for Divine Authority.

M.M.: First of all, I would like Divine Authority to have a wider variety of books. Right now we primarily print Midnight Warriors and -Girl!. "One Wrathful Bastard" is driven by Jim Sullivan and I am waiting until it gets going before we bring in a guest penciler to further the series. I would like to make the upcoming "Divine Authority Presents" a prominent project. The concept of asking only a small contribution per issue from artists ( 8 pages) has proven a better motivator, and will see the fruition of completed issues on more of a regular basis. Also, it will showcase several art styles and themes within each issue to give readers a sampling of our universe with each issue. Within the next few years I would like to see some of my longtime projects see print, and there is also a project I have been sitting on for about five years, never actually writing it because I want it to be my best work, and I have a feeling someday soon i will be ready to get started on it. I think the concept is very original. I'd like to think it is what -Girl! could have been if I wanted to make it an adult horror book. The series is tentatively called "Psychotik".

Second of all, I would like to attend more conventions as guests. So far we have remained fairly local, attending cons in Southern Tier NY, as well as Wizard World conventions. I've expressed interest in FanExpo up in Toronto, and someday soon I'd like to do San Diego Comicon.

I think the greatest challenge with doing cons is getting several artists to travel there as well, since they sell the book more than I do. If not for the artists bringing my story to life, no one would read it. The art is what people want to see and when it comes to autographs, they want to meet the artists, and I don't blame them. We were definitely squeamish about conventions back when we were printing them ourselves and they were completely B&W, and now that we're printing professionally it's a matter of having more books available and a variety of themes. We definitely have more to offer now than we did last year, and next year I hope for even more.

________________________________________________________

If you would like to check out any of the Divine Authority books for yourself, please feel free to drop by their website at www.DivineAuthorityComics.com

and check out their myspace profile page at http://www.myspace.com/divine_authority.

Note: We were made aware of a misspelling in Mr. McCracken's name and it was promptly corrected. We apologize for this mistake.

Review: Logan #1

2008-03-07T23:16:00.002-05:00

Writer: Brian K. Vaughan
Artist: Eduardo Risso
Colorist: Dean White

Let's set some things straight - Wolverine is awesome (if perhaps overused). Brian K. Vaughan is awesome. So what could a BKV-penned series about Wolverine be other than awesome?

That answer is nothing, and the three-issue Logan miniseries is just about as cool as it gets.

Hot off the finale of his hit series Y: The Last Man, Vaughan takes a look at Logan's past as a WWII soldier in Japan. This is only a three issue series, so BKV doesn't waste any time in this first issue. We're with Wolverine in the present before being presented with a flashback that takes over the rest of the issue. Everyone knows Logan's a badass, and this setting is the perfect place to show that as he mows through a few Japanese soldiers. However, his tough-guy attitude has always overshadowed a hidden soft side that he shows to very few people in his life. We get to see this, though, and the warrior is perfectly juxtaposed with a man looking only for peace.

The dialogue is pitch perfect in this issue. BKV captures the voice of Logan perfectly - he's someone who's experienced but still hopeful, and this is at a stage before all of the Weapon X mess, were we can see the future Wolverine at his purest. Other characters, such as a fellow POW and a young Japanese woman are also portrayed incredibly, with just the right amount and type of dialoge to give them unique voices.

This writing is complamented greatly by the art. Eduardo Risso seems to be able to draw every situation. Brief superhero antics, wartime battle, serene countrysides - this book has everything, and the pencils are both clean and edgy at the same time. It works in conjunction with Dean White's moody colors which perfectly set every scene. The pale winter landscape, dark and moody prisoner camp, and beautiful Japanese sunset each have their own feel and emotion that, with the writing and art, make for picture-perfect panels throughout.

If you've read anything by BKV, you know how character-driven his stories can be. With someone as deep and complex as Logan, it was only a matter of time before Vaughan got his claws (pardon the pun) into him, and it was well worth the wait. Get on the ride for these three issues. You won't be disappointed.

Review: Gravel #1

2008-03-01T15:28:00.002-05:00

Michael Colbert
Logos728@yahoo.com

Story and Script: Warren Ellis
Script: Mike Wolfer
Artwork: Raulo Caceres

“Strange Killings” badass makes jump regular series, body count already piling up.

Warren Ellis has a long history of writing cantankerous badasses; it’s one of his best modes. Midnighter from “The Authority” declared with a smile “I love my job” as he used a giant spaceship as a battering ram. His John Constantine wallowed in melancholy, misanthropy and magick. Spider Jerusalem would back up his rants with a gun called the bowel disruptor, which does exactly what you think but with settings ranging from watery to tsunami. These characters and others have no qualms about dispatching naughty folk in nasty, violent, bloody ways and usually follow up with quips that include words such as “arse-rape”, “dog carcass”, and “weasel”. It’s all good fun, if you’re so inclined to gleeful mayhem and one liners that would make Bruce Willis jealous. A curmudgeon is entertaining; a curmudgeon that can freeze you solid, smash you like glass and then say that your shattered body pieces should be fed to rabid wombats is hella entertaining!

Then there is William Gravel. William Gravel is a special forces or MI6 or some secret black-ops dude who combines guns with spells, knifes with incantations, C4 and arcane texts. He harvests bullets from an etheric world called The Body Orchard. He can do gun fighter moves that puts Neo to shame. He can be inside a room slicing you from balls to chin before you even know he’s there. He’s a combat magician. It’s a bloody mash-up of ideas that is so obvious after the fact that it’s a wonder it’s taken this long for it to be a comic book.

Is Gravel cantankerous? You bet. Is he a bad ass? No debate. The one thing that sets him apart from other Ellis characters of this type is he’s not as chatty. This, smartly, brings the high concept action front and center. And what action we got; issue one has Gravel visiting a small village and squaring off against some hideous crocodile/rattle snake/cuthulu type monster whose very presence on the material plane is killing birds right out of the sky and poisoning the ground. But that’s not why he’s here. The bigger story is Gravel collecting a magic book called The Sigsand Manuscript; a book so powerful that the circle of magicians Gravel was part of (The Minor Seven) have broken it into 7 sections to protect the fabric of reality. It’s a given that he is going to cut a bloody path through his fellow magicians to unite the book and then…

The concept is great and executed with the level of quality you’ve come to expect from Ellis. He shares script credits with Mike Wolfer, and it’s pretty seamless, maybe that explains the absence of colorful descriptions of violence you usually get from an Ellis joint and the restraint works for the character. The voice you hear with his internal monologue sounds like a gravely whisky soaked voice calloused over by years of hardcore-seen-it-all violence. His spoken dialogue is more blunt and to the point. Completely in line with a battle hardened killer magician.

Raulo Caceres’ art work has a distinctive Indy comic feel, or at this point it might be an Avatar look, but this is not a bad thing. Every panel drips with baroque detail that enhances the creepiness and atmosphere of the title. “Mom” the monster is chilling in a way that gets under your skin and the sequential action is staged clearly so that the high concept logic doesn’t get lost. Greg Waller’s colors also enhance to atmosphere and pervading sense of dread that is necessary for this title to work.

Gravel isn’t a quantum leap in Warren Ellis’s catalogue but really this a character type that he dives into with relish and seems to get the most fun out of writing. The action/horror hybrid rarely works in any medium. Gravel is the rare exception delivering ass kicking and chills in equal measure. He may be a tight-lipped cantankerous badass but as long as this title keeps delivering creepy fun, I’m willing to visit Gravel every month.

www.whoiscrazymary.com

Tales of the Black Freighter Anime Extra!

2008-02-29T22:14:00.001-05:00

One of the best things about Alan Moore's Watchmen is how deep it is. Part of this is thanks to the pirate "comic-within-a-comic" sequence that wasn't looking like it would make it's way to the film. But it seems director Zack Snyder has found a way to had the Black Freighter sequences to Watchmen - as an anime segment in the DVD. Gerard Butler is going to voice the character. Should be cool.

Check out the story here.

Comic Film Extravaganza!

2008-02-29T20:01:00.003-05:00

Happy Leap Year...Day...everyone! To celebrate this momentous-ish occasion, here's a treat for you: the newest trailers for Iron Man, Hellboy II: The Golden Army, and Superhero Movie! Enjoy!

Iron Man Exclusive Trailer

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Hellboy II: The Golden Army trailer

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Superhero Movie

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'Wolverine' Cast Gets Filled Out

2008-02-22T15:38:00.002-05:00

It's been a big week for the upcoming 'X-men Origins: Wolverine' spin-off film. After learning this week that Ryan Reynolds would play Deadpool (a longterm rumor which has finally come true), Friday Night Lights' Taylor Kitsch would be Gambit, and rapper Will.i.am (popular with the Black Eyed Peas) is filling the shoes of John Wraith/Kestrel, Variety has two more names to add to the list - Dominic Monaghan of Lord of the Rings and Lost fame will play Barnell, "a mysterious character from Wolverine's past who has the ability to manipulate energy and electricity," and Daniel Henny takes up the role of Agent Zero.

Review: X-Force #1

2008-02-16T18:11:00.002-05:00

Michael Colbert
logos728@gmail.com

Writer(s): Craig Kyle and Chris Yost
Artist(s): Clayton Crain

A line has been drawn, but just to show where to cross it.

“X Men don’t kill… These aren’t the X Men.” And that is the thesis statement for the new X Series “X Force”. Cyclops takes the bad asses of the mutant world and turns ‘em loose on the enemies of the X Men with a new objective… one that is decidedly un-X like. Tired of re-acting to events Wolverine, X-23, Warpath and Wolvesbane have been put together to get real PRO-active on the Purifiers, a fanatical religious group that see mutants as the offspring of the devil.

Is it worth it?

This is a question I think will come up quite often in this series. Already there is the thorny moral issue thrown up about killing. Wolverine, no stranger to killing, is reluctant to bring the others into this world, or (in X-23’s case) to thrust them back into killing mode. He knows the cost it will exact on the others having cut a bloody path across the 20th century himself. One of the most engaging things about Wolverine is his hard fought and won humanity and his constant struggle to maintain it, always has been. It makes sense that he wouldn’t want to be responsible for anybody else losing it. But the situation is dire and desperate times call for desperate actions. At least that’s the rational.

Now I know X-Force is primarily an action title and fretting over morality issues may be as useless as asking The Punisher if he feels bad when he shoots criminals. It’s arguably not the point. It’s just that such a big deal is being made out of this aspect that Kyle and Yost have to address it eventually.

At the moment there is lip service being paid; Wolvie gives a half hearted attempt to talk everyone out of spilling blood but when X-23 and Warpath just keep on going Logan gives a shrug and says “…your life”. Within a page the purifiers are bleeding out across their base.
The purifiers are, at this point, pretty one dimensional, like the Nazis Indiana Jones has to fight to get to the ark. The main bad guy is distinguished by his face having been mutilated and as their ranks fall to claw and knife you don’t really feel much except that, we… that’s what they are there for. In other words cannon fodder. It’s hard to care about them for such reasons, yes they are bad guys but think of how interesting the struggle is between Xavier and Magneto. Both men have valid points and for all his arrogance and anti-human position we know where Magneto’s pain comes from, he’s not just a cackling villain. The same can be said for The Reverend Stryker, the man who founded the purifiers. This makes them if not sympathetic at least somewhat understandable.

There would be a stronger emotional reaction if Wolverine took out someone like that.
All in all you should approach X-Force like the big budget action movie it intends to be and don’t worry about the repercussions or questionable morals; Rambo didn’t in his second, third, and fourth movie and neither did the gover-nator in any of his movies.

It’s just odd that they are calling attention to it so much.

As for the art Clayton Crain’s work is beautiful and lush. Warpath’s vow of vengeance at the grave of his brother has a cinemascope scale to it and a brilliant juxtaposition of light and dark elements; beautiful colorful magic hour sky and Proudstar in complete silhouette. Nimrod looks sufficiently scary as a genocidal Jesus and the atmosphere is thick and menacing. The book is a thrill to just look at.

In conclusion it will be interesting to see where Kyle and Yost take this book, if it will be more surface or depth. Till that time you can enjoy the gorgeous art and the sheer enjoyment of watching bad X-asses doing what they do best.

Review: Astro City Character Special: Beautie #1

2008-02-16T18:09:00.002-05:00

Review by Michael Colbert
Logos728@gmail.com

Writer: Kurt Busiek
Art: Brent Anderson
Colors: Alex Sinclair

A bit player in the Astro City pantheon steps up to the foreground in the first Astro City comic in god knows how long…

It’s hard to believe Astro City has been around for over 10 years, especially given its inconsistent release schedule. As a rule you have to constantly pump out new product or your readers will lose interest moving on to the next thing and filling their pull lists with something that gives them a more regular fix. With a few exceptions I’m guilty of it too. So how does Astro City still keep me coming back even with gaps of years between stories?

I’d have to say its quality over quantity. Though it is inconsistent in releasing material the consistency of the stories has never faltered. Case in point the new “Character Special” out this week “Beautie – Her dark plastic roots” all ready we get a few layers of meaning in the title and though the main character struggles with surface impressions the story has no such problems.
Beautie has been seen in the background of several action sequences throughout Astro City and it’s normal to wonder why a life size Barbie doll (Beautie doll in the story for obvious reasons) is beating the crap out of aliens and such. It seems an odd fit, and come to find out she feels the same way. Beautie is a robot with no memory of her origins and because of this (the origin part) she has a deep melancholy streak running through her. Now this “robot wanting to be human” is not an original idea, it goes all the way back to Pinocchio at least, but Beautie, in a nice twist, doesn’t want to be human. She has accepted what she is but her lack of roots, as it were, leaves her feeling like a phony and hollow both figuratively and literally. Barbie facing an existential crisis.

Busiek wisely avoids the clichés of this kind of story and gets right to the essence of what drives it… Identity. Beauty has roles to play, member of The Honor Guard, Corporate spokes… um… doll and when she does she’s content. It’s outside of these predetermined roles that she gets lost. The question of identity is only half answered; she has a public identity but no personal one. Almost any work-a-holic would find this familiar territory.

This identity theme re-occurs constantly through the story. Beautie has residence in the gay section of Astro City, a sly joke on the love of Barbie in the gay community; she has found a sort of kinship with others who have had to face issues of identity. The end of the story also carries the identity issue, gender identity, when Beautie finally meets her creator.

A sly humor comes through at several points, the fact that Beautie is beloved by the gay community, Beautie telling a pick up artist that she has no genitals, Beautie’s instinctual attraction to shoes and clothes. The story engages, spins a little mystery, and also has some alien ass kicking thrown in for good measure; it pretty much delivers on all fronts. This is all part of the quality that Busiek and company always pour into the series. Deep themes and feelings flow just beneath the surface of a seemingly superficial experience. Even in the bit players.

Not if we didn’t have to wait so long for the next one.

A Moment of Silence

2008-02-12T18:27:00.000-05:00

I think most comic fans remember when celebrated artist Mike Weiringo passed away late last year. As sad as it is when anyone dies, especially in a tight-knit community such as the comic industry, it's even worse when more than one passes away in a short amount of time.

That's just what we're dealing with, though. According to assistant editor Nate Crosby's blog, colorist Stephane Peru passed away just the other day. He was currently working on the excellent Incredible Hercules, and if you're reading that book, you know how much his colors contributed to the atmosphere. In a world where we are concerned only with writing and pencils, it's easy to forget the other jobs that are a part of the process, like the inkers, colorists, letterers, and others. But if you've ever read a book where any of these is sub-par, then you know how big an impact a master like Peru was in getting a book just right.

This is coming just days after industry vet Steve Gerber passed away as well. Gerber is most well known for works he created such as Howard the Duck and Omega the Unknown, among many, many others, and was working as recently on DC's Doctor Fate mini-series. He was one of the shakers and movers in the seventies and eighties, and he will be missed.

Prayers and best wishes to the friends and family of both of these great men.

Some thoughts

2008-02-12T15:53:00.000-05:00

I started an article that sort of meandered, and then I got to the whole Stephanie Brown memorial case in a dream sequence in the most recent issue of Batman and thought it might be a good idea to actually consider the symbolism behind it, since Morrison's writing is rife with metatextual meaning.

We have the case appearing during a dream sequence during the Thogal ritual, which is designed to cut the demons out of Bruce's spirit. Grant Morrison stated in interviews that this ritual was to take him away from the grim, serious business guy that we had seen since DKR. But what happens is a shattering of identities--a very literal split in the mind, creating a series of other Batmen that seem to reflect different periods in his history--a gigantic, roided out Bane-like Batman, and a vengeance-obsessed Batman that looks an awful like Azrael. These three variations on a single theme play into the central question behind Grant Morrison's entire Batman run: who (or what) is Batman? Morrison does have a handle on the situation--the theme of identity has run through every single one of his runs and creator owned works.

But I think the case comes from regret. To Bruce, it's a failure--he let another of his proteges get killed. He refuses to continue to relive the pain of another needless death because of his own carelessness. He needs to divorce himself from emotion if he's to survive as Batman and not go insane. (This is explored in Arkham Asylum, the excellent (if flawed) graphic novel by Morrison and Dave Mckean). The case isn't there because Batman doesn't want it there.

But as Morrison excises the weirdly inhuman Batman from Bruce Wayne and brings the two personae in line, we see a delineation in how we start perceiving the world around us. Suddenly a case for a fallen ward doesn't seem like a bad idea.

But, we must be mindful of the CONTEXT of how this is being presented. This is a dream sequence, and does not represent the reality that is presented with the Batman title, and this is where the entire feminist thing comes in, and really makes people sort of look at Morrison like he's some sort of god (which he actually is, just not a feminist pandering god. He's a tier above Warren Ellis in the internet god pantheon).

The whole thing gets turned into some sort of fan entitlement thing, and gets away from actually discussing the story on its own merits. I think it's a big thing within the mythology of the story, but not as some sort of feminist rallying point.

James Robinson named new Superman writer

2008-02-10T00:11:00.001-05:00

Yes. It's official.

For those of that don't know, Robinson is the writer of my most favorite series ever: Jack Knight Starman, created with Tony Harris of Ex Machina fame.

In it, he takes Jack Knight, son of Ted Knight, the original Starman, on a personal journey of discovery and all out action for 81 issues.

Go read it. Right now I'm going to think about how awesome this announcement is.

Activision Announces more Marvel-related Games

2008-02-08T18:00:00.000-05:00

We all know that a video game-version of the upcoming Iron Man movie is well in the works from Sega, but Activision, the publisher of popular games such as Guitar Hero and the Spider-man movie and X-men Legends series, announced a few new games for the upcoming year.

In addition to a brand new Spider-man game, the company also reported a sequel to the epic Marvel: Ultimate Alliance. There is no further new on the release of these titles.

More information on Activision's announcement can be found here.

Review: The Boys # 15

2008-02-08T17:23:00.000-05:00

Reviewed by Michael Colbert

Writer: Garth Ennis
Artwork: Darick Robertson
Colors: Tony Avena
Lettering: Simon Bowland

It seems that, eventually, great superhero comic writers put out a comic about how much they hate superhero comics. Some examples that come to mind are Warren Ellis with “Ruins”, Mark Millar with “Wanted”, and Garth Ennis with “The Punisher kills the Marvel universe”.

Well how about “The Boys”? A bunch of CIA-backed tough guys deliver well-deserved beat downs to a bunch of jerk-offs in capes. Sounds like a big case of hating on the surface. The thing is; Garth Ennis, when hitting on all cylinders, has an uncanny ability to be both superficial and deep at the same time. The Boys is quite possibly the best example of this dichotomy you could possibly find; this series embraces the 14 year-old boy in the reader with sex, heads splattering, booze/drugs, scatological humor and a grim violent world view that only a teenage boy could have. At the same time Garth knows the consequences of all this and hopefully while your laughing at the mean streak something else slips in. This is by no means subtle, subtle isn’t the first word I’d ever use to describe Ennis’ work (in fact it wouldn’t be the hundredth word) but it is, at his best, (as with The Boys) primal, demented, visceral and a hell of a lot of fun.

Did I mention mad funny too?

Which takes me back to the hating superhero statement at the beginning, The Boys isn’t a hating superhero story; it’s a superhero comedy but instead of taking the absurdist approach we come in from a black comedy angle. The superheroes of The Boys are pretty much magnified versions of the worst parts of human nature and The Boys themselves aren’t that far behind. This is what both Wee Hughie and the young naïve super heroine Starlight are finding out almost simultaneously. As if to reinforce this almost a quarter of the comic is an exchange between Billy Butcher (the leader of The Boys) and the head of the CIA (I’m counting the hate sex they have) about how all levels are compromised, morally and security wise. Garth brings up how the Taliban and the CIA were buddies during the 80’s and doesn’t shy away from the accusations of drug connections that partnership probably brought about. The issue ends with the two most innocent characters questioning what they’ve placed their faith in; Starlight in Christianity and Hughie in Billy Butcher.

Don’t let any of this put you off from the book believe me there is plenty of trademark Ennis violence and over the top dialogue also and eventually everybody winds up having a conversation over a beer. Oh yeah, there’s more sex in this one than other issues too.

If you were interested in The Boys but didn’t want to play catch up this issue is a good jumping on point. There is talk about past events but you can dope it out pretty easily and with what seems like a turning point coming up for both Hughie and Starlight it feels like The Boys is reaching a new level of (gulp) maturity…

Maybe the level of a fifteen year-old boy.

Reviewed by Michael Colbert
mcolbert@socal.rr.com
www.whoiscrazymary.com

Review: Midnighter #16

2008-02-08T17:02:00.000-05:00

Review by Michael Colbert

Writer: Keith Giffen
Penciler: Lee Garbett
Inker: Rick Burchett
Colors: Mayor w/ Rover

Midnighter isn’t much of a superhero. Surly, doesn’t play well with others, no compunction about killing his enemies and uses a metal stick to it. He really doesn’t demonstrate ANY of the qualities you should find in superheroes except that he doesn’t give up and great fighting skills. Then how is it that this not-much-of-a-superhero has attracted talent the likes of Brian K. Vaughn, Garth Ennis, and Jimmy Palmiotti to his solo run?

Midnighter isn’t much of a superhero.

That makes him interesting.

VIII (8 for you non-Roman Catholics) is the second story arc from scribe Keith Giffen and it expands and builds off of what he did on the “Anthem” arc. Midnighter is slipping into a more superheroish kinda mode; he now has an alter ego, a small town base of operations, and even a spunky sidekick, very superhero. Except that it’s Midnighter, so his alter ego was fabricated by his adopted daughter, his base of operation is populated by the Anthem organization (who used him as a media boogeyman and tried to kill him last arc… oh, and now has a truce with them) and he kidnapped his spunky sidekick. All this seems to lighten Midnighter up about 2%, which for him is a lot, but as always trouble is brewing on the next page. An assassin organization built around patricide has been wiping out The Authority’s spy network. Now they are trading up to Midnighter.

To call Keith Giffen’s dialogue lean is a bit misleading. The clipped phrasing and single word exchanges ARE lean but it’s so packed with meaning and intent that you can sense everything floating just beneath it might bear another pass just to get everything but since when is reading a comic twice a bad thing? I would love to see the script because there is a lot of information packed into the silent panels and plot points are just sitting calmly in the background waiting to be seen a second time around. To make it short Giffen and co. do not spoon feed you and that adds more value to the book.

Lee Garbett’s pencils are smooth an detailed he doesn’t falter on the action or gore (necessary for Midnighter) but his little touches, a character’s reaction, Mindy (the spunky sidekick) sliding off her perch with a baseball bat, the compositions, all bring fluidity and inner life to the characters. Inks and Colors are top notch especially the color scheme of Harmony (the base of operations) with calm earth tones and small town haze.

Midnighter is not much of a superhero. All the trappings of his job surround him but when you look a bit deeper it’s all upside down.

That’s what makes Midnighter interesting.

Review: Doktor Sleepless #5

2008-02-08T16:58:00.000-05:00

Reviewed by Michael Colbert

Writer: Warren Ellis
Artwork: Ivan Rodriguez
Color: Greg Waller
Covers: Various

Warren Ellis comes in four categories: 1 – BRILLIANT – Planetary, Global Frequency, 95% of Transmetropolitian, and Fell to name a few. 2 – Experiment with form – Stealth Tribes, Apparat, and Tokyo Storm Warning. 3 – Superhero twist – Thunderbolts, The Authority, Ultimate Fantastic Four. And 4 – The Rant – 35% of Transmetropolitian, “Come in Alone” and Doktor Sleepless. There is a lot of overlap of these categories with a lot of his work but the last category divides readers strongly. It’s interesting but not that surprising that fanboys could really dig Thunderbolts but have no interest in what’s going on in Doktor Sleepless. But Warren Ellis writes for fans of the medium more than fans of comic books. Which can make Doktor Sleepless a tough but rewarding read.

Laced with research inducing references and prone to extended rants Doktor Sleepless is Warren’s first “Comic Novel” since Transmet. And where Transmet was about “how the more things change the more they stay the same”, Sleepless seems to be about WHY that is and what we could do about it. Issue 5 advances the plot and all the set up we’ve had for the first 4 issues is starting to pay off there is a designer disease on the loose, city hall corruption, and another answer to why John Reinhardt/Doktor Sleepless could be in two places at once. Of course it also opens up other questions; like how does his nurse know the Murdered Max Cale, what is that clockwork angel hanging around and what’s behind that “H plate”. But the core of this issue and others is “The Rant”. Doktor Sleepless broadcasts his rants to the populace of Havenside through multiple mediums and this issue’s issue is music and artifice. Jumping from manic Street Preachers to Bob Dylan to Memphis Minnie the rant tackles the “concept” of real and how it’s sold to us. “Real” is a pre-determined façade adhering to what you think should be “real”. Real is a product, authenticity is a brand and knowing this can free you from the concept of “Real”. In a subjective universe what’s any more real than anything else.

This is what you’re dealing with when you read Doktor Sleepless, and I love Warren Ellis’ rants because I think Warren Ellis says interesting things. But I’m a fan of the medium and not just a fan of comic books.

Ivan Rodriguez’s artwork is good, it has more of an indy feel to it and that’s not bad. The Rant would challenge any artist but he always stages them like a caged animal stalking the perimeter, Sleepless carrying his broadcast mic around like a Freddy Mercury as Mad scientist. Atmosphere could be a bit more pronounced, Doktor Sleepless presents himself as a mad scientist character and though it’s a game it would be cool if it felt more like a mad scientist world.

Extra props should be given to Raulo Caceres who does the wrap around cover (the cover choice I get). It’s called the coloring book cover and that’s because it’s black and white, intricate and large. Issue 5’s wraparound cover seems to be filled with mad scientist gumball machines with Doktor Sleepless doing his best Frankenstein pose holding electric jawbreakers the size of his hands, very playful and at some point I think Avatar should have a coloring book contest with these covers.

Doktor Sleepless ain’t for everybody, that much is clear but if you’re more interested in the future than people getting knocked through walls you should give it a try.

Review: Abe Sapien: The Drowning #1

2008-02-08T16:39:00.001-05:00

Writer: Mike Mignola
Art: Jason Shawn Alexander
Colors: Dave Stewart

This review is gonna start with an admission of guilt: I don't read Hellboy. I know, I know. I've just never gotten into the series, despite the fact that it seems like something I'd dig. Go figure.

I have, however, seen the movie, enjoyed it thoroughly, and am anxious for the sequel. My favorite character in the movie was the aquatic Abe Sapien, so when I heard a mini-series starring the Gilled Wonder (you can use that one, Mr. Mignola) was coming out, I was pretty excited. I could get my feet wet in the Mignola-verse without dedicating myself to it while reading about a character I enjoy.

Issue one of The Drowning seemed to be standard fare. Some weird occult stuff, flashbacks, investigations, etc. I expected that much from watching the Hellboy film. The story is interesting enough: taking place in Abe's early years with the B.P.R.D., he sent to look into a recently-discovered shipwreck surrounding an old mystical event. A lot of the issue is set up, but we get some nice character moments with the fledgling Abe, as well as with some of the agents of the department.

The art looked great. It's a little more realistic than what I'm used to seeing of Mignola's (the mini is drawn by Jason Shawn Alexander), and it captures the atmosphere of the whole story very well. Even the muddy colors add to the eerie mood.

Overall, I think it's safe to say that I'm on board for the rest of the mini. The first issue ends with a cliffhanger, and it intrigued me enough to check out the rest of it. As long as it can throw in something more than a generic struggle against ancient evil magic, I'll be pleased.

I am new, Let's get to know me

2008-02-06T16:50:00.000-05:00

So I'm here, and I'm new to the High Speed Blog. I think it would be a good idea to let you know who I am and what I'm about.

I'm a superhero reader by far, so I'm trying to expand my horizons and read an indy book a week with "My Year in Indy", so I can become a hipster.
I'm also a Morrison nut, and I'm going to be totally aping Andrew Hickey's excellent DC Morrisonverse series of posts as to how he's been laying the groundwork for Final Crisis since 2000 (!(no joke)).

And, to top it off, I'll take my own look at some classic runs with my "Jeff's Reading Old Stuff" segment.

And, I KNOW you're wondering why I'm doing this. Simple: To actually get off my ass and do it. I'm an enormously busy person, but I do have a passion for comics, and, like many other bloggers with aspirations, want to write comics professionally.

So check back every so often. I'll ATTEMPT to have a new post everyday, even if it's just linkblogging and pointless rambling about how much I think you should read Captain America.