Daily Life
Thoughts On “The Crow”
When I got home all jazzed about the Pittsburg trip I went to check out the guest list for our next confirmed journey – Heroes Con in Charlotte. One of the names that jumped out at me was J. O’Barr. The Crow was a big impact book for me.
Something compels me to want to write about this book before I meet him. I’m pretty sure it probably won’t have any bearing on the way I feel about the book, but I can’t be positive.
Only a foolish person is unaware that the experiences we have color & shape us. Only by recognizing & admitting that experience affects us can we hope to begin to exert any control over that influence.
So just to be PERFECTLY safe – let’s talk about The Crow now before anything else comes to bear on my opinion.
Pausing for a disclaimer before we continue – these reviews are as much about me as they are about the books. *smile* So if you want something more straight up & less fluffy go online & read the Comicqueen or SimplyJD. But if you want the skinny with a little more flavor – press on.
I’ve read this book at LEAST four times that I can recall. I read it once after my divorce, once again after the “Big Love” walked out and once in between those two times. Then for good measure I read it right before I wrote this just to refresh on the details.
And what has that got to do with anything? Well, everything…
It’s happened to everyone – a song comes on the radio & just strikes you a certain way. Every word applies to what’s going on in your life
that day; that week, that YEAR. Every chord washes over you with meaning – it tears you up.
Then time goes by – you hear the song again. You remember that song & how much it meant to you. You may even still get that nostalgic rush.
But if sufficient time has passed you might not have such ready access to the exact feelings that imbued it with meaning the first time.
Or, if you’re screwed – you might be having the kind of day where this song puts you EXACTLY back in the place where you were when you first heard it.
That’s what The Crow was like for me. Even on a good day it’s an emotionally gut-wrenching tale. Heck, I’m feeling GREAT right now, but last night when I read it – I still had to set it down at least once & take a minute to regain my composure.
So I’ve read it twice at a time of stability in my life (that would include, ahem – NOW) & twice at a time of upheaval. When things are straight up normal it’s a GREAT book. But, when coping with grief, loss or a sense of abandonment, this is a freaking masterpiece. So that’s where I’m coming from when I’m writing about it.
We’ve wallowed in personal subjectivity long enough – let’s talk about the book. (Or Jeff is NEVER going to let me write for his blog again! *laughing*)
Maybe I went off on that long tangent because I’m a little daunted by writing about the “plot”. How do you describe the plot of a symphony? Where to you start untangling this beautiful fusion of art & prose & poetry.
The opening mantra may be a good place as any start:
“A year ago…a cold October night…
A broken down car on a dirt road…
A man…a girl…madness…pain…and the shadows…
My God, the shadows…”
A year prior to the beginning of the story our main character, Eric, was murdered. Before he died, he witnessed the brutal rape & murder of his fiancé, Shelly. Fiancé is an understatement though. This was his soul-mate – the love of a lifetime.
There is dead and not quite so dead. The loss, the grief – the need to answer to the unanswerable question “Why?” was not extinguished with the death of his body. The compulsion – the obligation – to bring whatever justice he can binds Eric to the mortal world.
Half shade – half man, he hunts down the crime’s perpetrators one by one. I’ve been using a lot of flowery girlie-words to describe this book, but make no mistake – this is a violent book. There are grisly demises aplenty.
Though Eric spends a good deal of time killing, he also is capable of great compassion. He shows kindness to a sad & terribly neglected little girl. He even cares for a stray cat during his stay in the world. And, remarkably, he takes time to make sure each will be provided for after he is gone.
The titular Crow accompanies Eric on his quest. He serves many purposes – observer, counselor, narrator, guide and many other things that I’m sure I’m not smart enough to think of. The Crow is witness to Eric’s suffering – there to talk him through painful reminiscences of his lost love.
That is one of the greatest things about the artwork in this book. The stylistic changes in the art help convey the feeling of different episodes. There is such a sharp contrast to the soft, clean images of the time when Eric and Shelly were in love and the dark, gritty scenes of vengeance.
And, yet, I hate to use a word like vengeance. That’s not really what I get from this story. It’s not so much about revenge & murder – it’s a howl of pain. I’m not denying that there is rage & anger but it is fueled by the anguish & the blackness of loss. I never felt like Eric was “avenging” Shelly as much as he was honoring, with absolute devotion, her & the memory of the time they had.
I know, I know – could I BE more melodramatic?
This is also one of the few books where I esteem the art & the words equally – which is RARE for me. For example, when I first read “Shiver in the Dark” – I kept forgetting there were words to the story because I was so captivated with the artwork. But when I was reading “Superman: Red Son” – well, I think that book had pictures, but I don’t really distinctly remember.
In The Crow there was no such separation for me. Words & art seamlessly tell the story. On one page it might be a snippet of poetry that cuts to the heart. On another page it might be a breathtaking picture. Or, more frequently, the combination creates the perfect tone & mood – one would not be the same without the other.
Now I’ve know some people who’ve had a “Meh” kind of reaction to the story. I’m not saying you’ve had to experience some tragedy in life to totally get this tale, but it speaks with honesty to those who’ve seen dark places in their lives.
And, heck, in this shallow, “hook-up” culture to which we seem to be inexorably gravitating this story shines like a diamond. It seems everywhere you look there is an absence of conviction – nobody knows what they believe in anymore. So presented with a story of passion, devotion & eternal loyalty – well, for a girlie-girl like me, it hardly gets any better than that.
I don’t know what just happened there but we suddenly moved from review to lament. *smile* I think that’s my cue to exit.
Can you tell how much I like this book? I’ve probably way over-praised here, but if you’re going to call yourself a fan of the graphic novel, you should read this. I think it’s a classic of the form.
I’d lend you my copy but somebody’s already snatched it off my desk. That makes me happy though. We can always use a few more converts now can’t we?
Thanks for listening.
Later!
Superman: Red Son
I’m FINALLY getting around to writing something for the blog that’s not about a road trip! It’s been so beautiful outside it’s hard to want to sit at a computer. But that’s all about to change – MWHAHAHA! (That’s my best evil laugh.)
I now possess a LAPTOP! Excuse me a minute while a do a little “happy dance”. All I need is to set up a wireless connection & tonight we take over the world! Whoops – I was channeling the Brain there for a minute. See what happens when you capriciously use the evil villain laugh?
I’m going to write about Superman today – which is just nuts because Superman does nothing for me. I get easily bored with stories that are nothing but “I’m very strong so I stopped a bad thing from happening.”
However there is one thing about Superman that I find endlessly interesting. Superman: Red Son is an entire book is devoted to the exploration of this certain idea, so it got all the synapses in my brain fired up. I just LOVE that! That’s still the best part of reading comics for me – when you find a story that makes you think.
So, what’s this notion to which I’ve alluded? I like stories when Superman struggles with the concept of being god, or even a Christ-like figure, if you prefer. In his heart he just wants to “save” people. The interesting part lies in the struggle to decide by what means you choose to achieve it.
You have all this strength & power, so do you help those you love more by a life of service? Or do you better protect them by using this power to control the best possible outcomes because you are clearly best suited for the task?
Red Son explores this idea in a “what if” tale. I know – don’t balk yet. I have also read some SUPREMELY sucky “what if” stories, but I really dug this one. Mark Millar provides us an interesting premise: What if Jor-L had launched his son at a slightly different time & the rocket crashed in Russia instead of the US-of-A?
So we take all that earnest desire to help mankind & bring it up in a Russian farming collective. Neat, huh?
This book juxtaposes our familiar heroes with real historical characters & events. It does a great job of showing how this change affects not only the fictional characters that populate the story, but also how it might have affected the world.
Everybody’s there too. Even though the characters take different paths – they are still true to the essence of the characters we’ve come to know.
Superman needs his foil – so a tragic loss in the life of a young boy in Russia leads to the creation of a Soviet version of Batman. Wonder Woman joins Superman for a while and then begins to wonder if the Batman was right to question his benevolent domination.
Metropolis still has its Daily Planet, but Jimmy Olson has moved on to other things. Lois is, OF COURSE, there (and so is the chemistry!), but this Lois is married to Lex Luthor. The Luthor in this world devotes his life to putting his not nearly so evil genius to work to find a way to bring down Superman.
However, this time it’s not so much for personal gain, power or vengeance but rather for the preservation of ideological principles. Lex & Superman serve as opposing answers to the question of “How do you go about saving the world”?
Jeff and I talked about this a little at lunch one day. He asked me what the big deal was. What difference could landing in Russia make? I think I had a moment of clarity on the matter so let’s see if I can recreate, eh?
Our American Superman is a product of a culture that prizes individuality. Any time Clark stops to consider the notion that maybe he should just take over – he remembers why he loves humanity so much. It’s in large part due to their free will & indomitable independence.
An American upbringing provides him with a context for understanding that if you kill free will you crush the thing you love. It’s worth preserving that even if you are forced to occasionally let others make bad choices.
Now take that same Boy Scout heartfelt desire to help, and then raise it in a society where control is the norm & collective thinking your daily bread.
The Man of Steele grew up in Stalin’s heyday in Red Son. He was reared in an environment where the government assured you they had everything under control & would take care of all the citizens.
It’s only natural that this cultivated feelings that the best way to protect the world was to “take care” of it. Unfortunately the cost of Superman’s Utopia is free will.
It’s this realization that allows Lex to finally defeat Superman in the end. The final standoff between this alternate reality pair and Lex’s delivery of the ultimate checkmate should not be missed.
I can only WISH that I was clever enough to come up with such an engaging tale. Thank God there are people out there providing thes great stories for us. Treat yourself to a copy of this book. Heck – you can borrow mine!
More half baked opinions coming soon…thanks for reading!!
Later!
On the Road – Pittsburg Comicon
Well thank goodness for procrastination! I was in the middle of writing about Superman Red Son for my April posting when I was whisked away to the Pittsburgh Comicon. The old boy scout is going to have to wait until May, because we’ve got con to dish!
It all came together SO fast. My good buddy David Wray only brought it up on Wednesday. He said if I was free this weekend he would be kidnapping me & taking me to Pittsburgh.
I initially declined because it was my daughter’s birthday that weekend & I certainly wasn’t going to be away for that. David countered with an offer of bringing the kids along. Well, I had to think about it….FOR ABOUT 2 SECONDS!
So big milestone weekend – my daughters attended their first Comic Book Convention. EEK! They had been begging to go but I was concerned they might get bored too quickly. I was wrong – they took to it like ducks to water. (That was my Hoosier cliché moment for the day.) We all enjoyed ourselves immensely. Here’s the low down…
Getting there is half the fun
We left Indianapolis around 9:15 and drove through the night. Well, David drove & I tried to snooze. I got a few 15 minute snatches of sleep before I decided to quit. Plus David was very tired so I stayed up to talk to him for the last stretch. Thankfully the kids totally conked out under a mountain of pillows in the back seat.
We got to the hotel at dawn, but our room wasn’t ready – ACK! We all attempted to snooze a little more, but everyone was pretty tired of being in the car. It was COLD too. I suggested a change in venue & we headed down to McD’s for munchies & loitering.
It finally became a decent enough hour in the A.M. for David to call two of his friends who were also in town. They were gracious enough to let us come over & change clothes & get ready for the con in their hotel. It was of the extreme nice, because there is nothing more awkward than going up to a complete stranger’s room & just totally invading.
Russ Anderson & Tamas Jakab were great! They were there for Frontier Publishing. I am issuing a silent prayer that I got their names & company right. They were nice to me – give them money! Or at least look them up on the web – www.frontierpublishing.net.
While we were there, our hotel called to say our room was ready. At that point everyone had the opportunity to change & tidy up, except – guess who? Yes, me – the one who needs the most sandblasting.
Yet another jaunt back to our hotel & a hasty 15 minute slap-dash spruce up for me (I hope that explains a LOT to anyone who saw me that day) – and we were off to the Expomart for a day of fun!!
Pittsburgh Comicon Day 1
With all our morning misadventures we arrived not 20 minutes before the con opened. David led us to the ticket counter then assumed his alternate identity of “Mr. Connected” & disappeared inside. He was on the hunt for a Scott McDaniel sketch.
The wait was short & the line moved swiftly – Yeah! At first I tried to play hostess to my girls & show them around & explain the set up. It became evident though that I was holding them back. *laughing* So I gave them one of our cells phones & a check in time & location – and they were OFF! I was tickled that they so swiftly got the hang of things.
Now it was my turn to prowl.
Terry Moore Nirvana
As usual I went to the con very UN-goal oriented. (Heck, with 48 hours notice, who can come up with goals anyway!) All I really wanted to do was meet Terry Moore, shake his hand & thank him for existing & for spending part of that existence creating the marvelous Strangers in Paradise.
SIP is freaking brilliant! I will, at some point, devote an entire essay to explaining exactly why everyone should read this book, but today is not that day.
I got my wish & THEN some! Sure I did get to meet him – what a great guy! He signed one of my volumes of SIP & chatted for a few minutes. But that is not the best part. I got a sketch! Not just “A” sketch, but THE sketch. The perfect right sketch for me. I know – I’m such a girl about my emotional attachment to art work.
I talked to his wife Robyn in the morning before Terry arrived. She was so personable – very upbeat & easy to talk to. I was astonished to find out I could get on the sketch list. I have to pause for a minute & thank David. I wasn’t even going to ask, but he literally pulled a page from his sketch book & put it in my hands. Then he (figuratively) kicked me in the butt & told me to get over there & ask. I am SO grateful!
I didn’t even have any idea what to ask for – I could no sooner pick a favorite character from SIP than I could pick a favorite child. With that – I said he could surprise me. When Terry countered with the fact that he could surprise me with a cow – I refined my request to any pretty girl. I figured I’d let him pick the character.
I’m so glad I did. I ended up with a bust shot of Katchoo in profile. It was one of those love-at-first-sight moments for me. I could not have asked for something to make me happier.
Later in the afternoon, the girls joined me for Terry’s informal talk. They were exhausted by that point & were grateful to have an hour just to sit. Anna even dozed off on my shoulder for a bit.
Terry was just as articulate & intelligent as the book he produced. Low-key dry wit punctuated the entire talk. Even my 10 & 12 year old daughters were engaged by the end – listening & laughing. It was a pleasure to at last find admirable the PERSON whose WORK I have always found to be such. It was the perfect Terry Moore experience.
Independent Excellence
If you’ve read any of this junk I post, you may see that I have a big admiration for folks who get out & self-publish. Believing in yourself enough to put your art & words out there for all to see takes a lot of courage & determination. I’m always stumbling across gems.
Our first discovery was an artist named Nate Melton. I knew Anna wanted something Elektra so I was browsing different artists’ interpretation of the character looking for something to suggest to her. I stopped dead when I saw the prints he had out for sale. His work was really beautiful – especially the water colors.
I brought the girls back to his table & they had an equally strong reaction. He might have been their favorite artist for the day – they each bought several prints from him. I sent Jeff some scans of his work – hopefully they will get posted with this. Check out the Scarlett Witch – that was our hands down favorite.
We talked to Nate a bit – he’s got a couple credits with Moonstone books & this was his FIRST con. I hope he sticks with it – I really liked what I saw.
I’d also like to give a shout out (though I am not cool enough to say that) to the bright energetic group of creators at the Midgard Comics table. They were promoting Johnnie Zombie & Stiletto Heights.
I had run into Jennifer Gordon (writer for Stiletto Heights) at a previous con in Indy & I didn’t realize she had her own book. She said there was a free sketch from the artist, Ian Nichols, with the purchase of their Stiletto Heights convention special. I thought that was quite a deal so I picked up a copy & said I’d drop by later for the sketch.
Boy was I in for a treat when I went back to pick it up! I just thought it was going to be a little quickie sketch of one of the book’s characters – not this cool complete picture I got. It was very attractive & appealing. It’s a little on the big side for my little scanner, but I am still going to try to scan it to post with this essay, so everybody can see. Neat surprise!
I read Stiletto Heights on the way home and enjoyed that too. I liked the page layout. I like the prose interspersed with the dialogue. But mostly, I liked that it’s a story about people, relationships & conversation. Jennifer is really good with relationship subtext in this issue.
As you can tell from above I’m a big SIP fan. A lot of that is based on the complex relationships of the characters & the meaty dialogue. We need more of that! I’m glad to see a book that’s got a lot of good human interaction. Keep up the good work Midgard – I’m glad you are out there!
Lackluster World
This last book, Lackluster World, was probably my favorite independent title I picked up this weekend. It is written & Illustrated by Eric Adams. And I am KICKING myself for not paying better attention when I bought it. It was another case of head turning artwork giving me pause. I liked the cat on the book – what can I say? (Mr. Mittens – what a great name.)
I don’t remember what we were doing, but we were on our way somewhere – so I bought issue one dropped it in my bag & kept moving. I didn’t have the pleasure of reading about a day in the life of Fahrenheit Monahan until the drive home. This, of course, made it impossible to get my hands IMMEDEATELY on Issue 2 & 3 (which I now must have).
Now, I’d like to think of myself as a (trying to be) good Christian girl & religion takes an absolute pummeling in this book – but it didn’t so much bother me. I actually found the whole thing incredibly witty from start to finish.
Eric’s characterizations are so deft & observations so astute – I can’t fault him. I’ve got a low tolerance for anyone who tries to bludgeon me with their belief system, no matter what point of view they are trying to sell.
Religion isn’t the only whipping boy either. The book takes a shot at self-absorbed parents, out of control consumerism, macho BS, auto racing as a “sport”, corporate cube life, even clowns. Every observation was executed with surgically precise satire. I loved it! Can’t wait to read more – I’m lending it to Jeff as soon as I see him.
Day 2 – Scott McDaniel
After a delicious dinner at Outback with Russ & Tom (Frontier Publications – give them money they are hardworking & talented! And nice – did I mention nice?) & a DESPARATELY needed good night sleep; we headed back to the Expomart for a few more hours before hitting the road.
The only significant thing that happened that day was working with David to get a Scott McDaniel Sketch for Jeff – which I’m glad we did. I think it was more fun for me to have the opportunity to talk with Scott & his charming mother, Delores, than it was getting the sketch.
We got there early. Anna & Liz – being old pros at this now – told me when & where they would meet me & set out to explore some more. David & I headed back to the table & had the good fortune of being first in line. Scott was running a bit late, which was fine by me. It gave us the opportunity to talk for a while with Delores. She is very sweet (and we are both Diet Coke fans!). I look forward to running into her again.
Scott arrived & I requested a Batman with Batgirl for Jeff. Now as much as I love to watch the artist work – I’ve got to say – I was really was enjoying the conversation. He told me that the proceeds would be going to support a summer youth program at his church. So we got to talking about my home church & picking the right church & how important leadership was.
Here’s the killer part though – anyone who hangs out with me for any period of time knows one thing – I CAN TALK! I was feeling torn – I was ready to launch into my philosophical viewpoint over each & every topic that came up, but I didn’t want to be a distraction from his sketching & there were SO many other people waiting. So I tried to restrain myself.
He seemed like a very intelligent & well grounded guy. I have such respect for people who are secure in their belief systems. Who knows maybe another con, another city – there might be time for full blown conversation. That would be cool.
We took home a GREAT sketch for Jeff – I love the perspective of the sketch – the positioning of the characters is so dynamic. I see why people line up for Scott’s work – I was very impressed. I hope Jeff likes it.
The Road Home
We didn’t rush going home and made it in the door around 7 pm. We were all tired but happy.
I’m glad I could share something I enjoy so much with the kids. It made a big impression on them
Both of the girls pulled out old, long forgotten sketch books & began dreaming up what THEIR comic should be about. They are thinking about a town where all the characters are letters of the alphabet & the letter “S” would be the town superhero. *smile*
Who knows – we’ve all seen stranger things on the shelves….
I should have some thoughts on Superman posted soon & our next big PLANNED trip is Charlotte Heroes Con. Thanks for reading – more soon….
Later!!
Stars Wars Convention / Adam Hughes – Indianapolis
Yesterday went pretty fast.
The morning started out with me waiting for about 25 minutes at the exhibitor entrance to the convention center, as David tried to get a badge for me. As it ended up, somehow he got one of the convention team to escort me in to the exhibitor hall. Now, mind you, tickets are not cheap, and we were inside almost two hours earlier than general admission, and one hour before even the fan club was let in. It was awesome, to be able to walk around before anyone else and just take my time.
We tried a couple of times to go to some of the speaking events, but there were lines even for that stuff, which was ridiculous.
We saw so many interesting costumes, the most interesting of which would have to be, hands down, the Slave Leia’s that were walking around with barely any clothing on. I know that I couldn’t do it, no matter how much I loved any movie.
Our contact runs a T-Shirt booth, so for awhile we helped him out by folding shirts. He was selling shirts hand over fist, and had an overnight shipment that needed to get on his racks.
We ended up going to Hooters for lunch, that was cool. After lunch we saw the R2-D2 building club, where these guys would build realistic, lifesize R2-D2’s, some of which actually rolled around, and displayed the Leia’s distress message from Episode 4: A New Hope.
The end of the day, we were in line to meet the Episode III art department. I only got to see part of that because we ended up going out to dinner just inside the mall with Adam Hughes and Allison Sohn, at Azkaban’s. It was really good food, and Adam is so funny. I really like them, and David really is good friends with both of them, always keeping them in mind and their needs at cons. So, David is a good guy to be friend’s with, but he’s a hoot either way, and the fact that he is connected really isn’t that big of a deal.
After we got home, David took Christine and he girls and headed off into the rainy sunset for Pittsburgh. I got a message from Christine today telling me what a great time she is having, but they got no sleep, arriving in Penn. somewhere around 4 am.
Meanwhile, Sarah working last night, and then she went up to school and did some scrap booking stuff with a group up there. I was asleep on the couch when she finally got home, but when she called, she sounded really happy, so I think she had a lot of fun.
Today, I went in to work to finish up a layout that was a touch over due, and then we worked more on the office in preparation of the Stutz show at the end of the week. I hope we can pull it off, but the walls are finally looking good.
Sarah did some correspondence today, as well as some other things around the house. I finished trimming all of the vines off the fence, and decided to mow both the front and back lawns, so today has been productive already.
Tonight I posted two movies that I have seen in the past week.
Sections Updated: Movies A-B, Movies E-G
Chicago Comic-Fest
New Recommendations:
Patrick the Wolfboy & Footman 15
Boy we had a good time last weekend! David, the Mighty Rothes & I took a day trip to Chicago for a little comic con fun. Well – Sarah brought a bag of things so she could have “quite reading fun” while Jeff, David & I had comic book fun – she’s such a good sport.
I’m going to limit the amount of time I regale you with tales of our adventures because I’m excited about a couple new things I read that I got there & want to talk about that – so here are the highlights.
I think Jeff & David spent more time in the dealer room than I did. David cleaned up on a boatload of statues & Jeff did some trading & wrangled up some issues he was looking for. Meanwhile – I talked. Hey you’ve got to stick with your strengths!
I met Billy Tucci & had him sign one of my copies of Shi. What a pretty book that was! He was very personable & easy to talk to. So many people I encounter have no clue what they believe in or stand for so it was kind of refreshing to see someone who’s not shy about putting his faith & values securely all out there.
I got a couple more prints for my girls from Jeff Moy – they were so pleased with what I got them last time. My daughters LOVE the girl superheroes & we all like his take on them. We got on a geek-speak roll about sci-fi shows & cartoons – that was fun! I have to watch myself though I can really talk your ears off about that stuff.
Check these artists out!
Bill Wilkison
There were two guys there that totally cracked me up (sorry, sucky cliché use there). One was Bill Wilkison. He draws sketches of the con attendees & I was one of his victims. You can see the sketch posted under my columns. Everyone who has seen it bursts out into uncontrollable laughter. While this is crippling my ego, I still like it – it makes me smile. Eh, I accept the fact that I’m pretty funny looking, so caricature is really the only way I should ever be depicted.
Anyway, Bill was super nice & his quick wit kept the three of us laughing constantly. If I can be crass for a moment – the con sketches are really a great marketing thing him. It breaks the ice & draws people to his table – then his personality takes care of the rest. I’m already seeing that being (or at least appearing) approachable is half the battle at these things.
I’d encourage you to check out his work at http://homepage.mac.com/bwilkison. Or stop by & talk to him at the next con – I’m sure you’ll find it very entertaining!
Art Baltazar
The other guy who kept us laughing was Art Baltazar. (His superhero crayon sketches are a RIOT!) I was instantly drawn to his bright, colorful artwork – mainly characters from his Patrick the Wolfboy book. Yeah! FINALLY I’m down to one of the new things I read!
One of the million fragments of things that makes me, is that I’m a mom. I’m always looking for something to share with the kids (I’ve got to get them properly “geeked up” you know). Patrick the Wolfboy is delightful! Talk about a character you just want to give a big hug to!
The artwork is crisp, fresh & consistently charming. The book is done in vignettes rather than big stories. I got the first two collected editions & I had a big smile on my face throughout the read. Jeff read them on the trip home & I heard him laugh out loud several times.
Don’t get hung up on the fact that I said it’s a “kid-friendly” book. There is SO much subtext there. I mean c’mon –
there are nods to both Calvin & Hobbs AND the Rocky Horror Picture Show in the first volume alone. The characters really blossom in the second volume; which is an even richer gold-mine of in-jokes.
I can’t wait to buy the next volume. You can sample it for yourself our on Art’s fantastic website – http://www.artbaltazar.com/. And if you’re socks aren’t properly knocked off – you must be made of stone – get therapy – soon.
Footman 15
Now finally, FINALLY I get to talk about my find of the weekend. God-bless the self publishers! I love original artwork, but if it wasn’t for great storytelling I would have lost interest in comics long ago. So here is your GOOD READ ALERT! Do yourself a favor & pick up Footman 15, by Christopher Rich-McKelvey, Bald Guy Studios (http://www.baldguystudios.com).
There is a line between fantasy & reality, and the guardians of that line are the Footmen. Our nameless heroine is the fifteenth generation trained to make sure the fantasy world stays out of our real human lives. Each issue is one self-contained story of her exploits.
The first issue, “Fairy Fire”, has the Footman tracking an elusive mythological creature know only to her as The Beast. Along the way she wipes out a gathering of fairies (which seem to be the equivalent of cockroaches to her kind) & has an awesome knock-down-drag-out with a Dryad possessed oak tree.
The BEST part is when she finally confronts The Beast at the end of the book. I could not possibly spoil the ending for you. But what transpires sets the stage that this is a woman trained to follow orders. Feeling morally convoluted about the life she lives & the tasks she must undertake is a luxury she cannot abide.
I thought the second issue “Therapy” got even more interesting. Told in frame story fashion – she is visiting a therapist & telling him about her missions. I LOVED the one mission she was on where she had to go take care of a child who had been “infected” by a fairy.
But the part that kept me hanging on was WHY in the heck she was telling this guy all this stuff? Was she sick of the business of killing? Maybe she wasn’t as hardened as she seemed – maybe she was looking for answers or validation?
By the end though, her motives are clear. AGAIN – I wouldn’t dream of telling the rest of the story from here & ruining the wicked twist to it all. After issue two she proves once again she is one cool cookie here to do a job.
There is so much to like about this book!
Two things are done well. First is the establishment of the fantasy world. Christopher totally gets it right. I spoke to him a little at the con & he is very interested in the history of fantasy, fairy tale & legend. He has studied the roots of these stories & it is evident in the vividness of detail in both picture & prose.
Secondly – he’s just flat out created an interesting character. (AND she looks hot – love the pixie hair-cut!) Okay we’re
taking a detour for a minute & it’s going to be ALL ABOUT ME for a paragraph or two (Hey it’s my essay!!!) – but I’m building to something about the book, I promise.
I have a great longtime friend who works at a movie theatre. He’s one of the most creative (and analytical) people I know – we could talk anything to death. One evening a few months ago I dropped by his work & we sat bathed in the distant whirr of the projectors & talked about a story idea.
He said he liked what I was saying but pointed out that maybe the EXACT SAME story might be more captivating if told in a different way & we hashed through examples.
I ruminated on what we talked about for a long time until I had an epiphany – my writing style it TOO darned linear! I always want to TELL the story – get to the end – get to the point. Storytelling can be so much more beautiful & riveting when revealed slowly. Take time to build the character…construct the history, the relationships – then the reader will more likely care about the EVENTS.
When we are given the RIGHT pieces of the story – we naturally want more. (Now I’m back to Footman 15 – see it didn’t take long!) For me this is what Christopher has done with this character. I want to know more about her now. Is she really ice cold – or just trained to be cool? Who’s giving her these assignments? What’s the history of her training & the legacy of the other Footmen?
And a good character can’t just hang out & be interesting. With an unlimited number of mythological creatures to confront & exterminate, Footman 15 has the potential for tons of exciting escapades while we learn more about her.
Okay did I gush enough? *laughing* Seriously though – this is a good looking book that already has some captivating tales to tell. Looking forward to more….
I have come to two conclusions about what I put out on the blog.
One – I want to attempt to avoid writing about what EVERYONE else is. (That Astonishing X-men thing was an easy to hammer out “Omigosh I haven’t written anything in February” deal.)
The other conclusion is that I want to write about stuff I like. I get no pleasure at all from ripping up something. Sharing good things is just more enjoyable.
So in the meantime – I’ll be going to “Linear Writers” therapy & I’m going to keep reading. Then when I find something I
like, I’ll try to stop for a minute & tell you why.
See the delusion that I have readers STILL lingers. *smile*
Later!
Batman: Bruce Wayne Murderer?
Show of hands – who wants a Batman Review? You DO? Hmmm…you may want check out another blog. How many reviewers do you know who always get off track & criminally abuse the words: Like, Totally, Actually, So, Okay & Well?
I DO actually (see there I go!) have a minor in “Comp Lit” from IU. That’s where they hid the film studies program back in the day when I went there. I got a certificate & everything. *giggle* I guess that makes me a certified critic – of movies at least.
But I’m keenly aware that I’m no expert – I still have truckloads of things to learn about comics. And I struggle to do REAL critical writing – I’m just too yakkity. I swear if I had a super power I would be “Easily Distracted Girl”.
So if you want a professional in-depth review, you are going to have to go somewhere else. If you want fun feedback from an honest-to-goodness happy fan – welcome to my world.
Oh! And that, of course, is the last line in the inaugural Batman Beyond. It’s a killer closing tag line to be sure. Got me all ready for more… However nothing can beat the original Batman: The Animated Series from the 90’s though. The girls & I are watching that on DVD right now. I’d forgotten how innovative & superbly done that show was. Mark Hamill is the BEST Joker!
Sorry!!! Do you think if I draw you a roadmap we can find our way back to the original topic?
Let’s talk about Batman: Bruce Wayne Murderer?
If you want to make a case for waiting for the reprint in trade rather than trying to get all the issues – this is a good example. This story arc was covered in, like, what? 10 different titles? Okay, that’s an exaggeration, but point made. The story just wouldn’t have the same impact if told out of sequence or with parts missing.
It could be just me, but when DC & Marvel do these mega-gi-normous crossovers I have a heck of a time getting all the issues, and then getting them in the right order. I know they are trying to promote readership of other titles, but to me, it’s just a big hassle. Does that make me a bad fan? Or just a complete moron?
Nah, I think it just means I have a full & rich life outside of comics (I’m sure I’ll have more to say on THAT someday). I DO love my single issues, but there are times I want my continuity & I don’t want to hunt, gather & forage month to month for it.
When all the pieces are pulled together in paperback form – “Bruce Wayne Murderer?” makes for one gripping murder-mystery.
Anyway…..on to the story… The tale takes place a while after Gotham went to heck-in-a-hand-basket in No Man’s Land. Batman is patrolling with bodyguard turned crime fighting partner Sasha Bordeaux. Upon returning home one night they discover the savaged body of Bruce Wayne ex-girlfriend, Vesper Fairchild.
The frame is flawless – police arrive just in time to catch the scene at its most incriminating. Bruce & Sasha are immediately arrested. And that’s really all I want to say about the plot. As you might suspect the rest of the voyage is about finding out what REALLY happened at Wayne Manor that evening & what happens to Bruce & Sasha. So I’m going to jump into what I think makes this a top-notch story.
First off – throw aside the notion of this being a comic, this is just a good mystery period. It’s got it all – A brutal, despicable crime, the loyal unwavering gal pal, our dark hero, friend turning on friend as the clues are revealed. It’s juicy!
There were two aspects of the story that intrigued me – one, Bruce & Sasha’s stay in prison & how it affects them & two, how solving the mystery unbalances Bruce’s protégés (current & prior).
First – Bruce in jail. This just killed me! WE know he’s Batman – HE knows he’s Batman, but caged & with the world watching his every move – he is utterly TRAPPED as Bruce Wayne (which totally sets the stage for how this particular trade ends – but I’m not telling-nyah!).
What an interesting psychological dilemma for a man so driven to control the situation around him. This is a guy who’s bent on never again being a victim. The extreme effort it takes for him to maintain self-control & show restraint is so palpable it practically jumps out of the book. Man! I think I wanted Bruce to go all Batman on folks as much as he did.
And Sasha’s frustration was JUST as tangible for me. Not only did she have the same survival issues as Bruce, but layer into that her struggle against an encroaching sense of abandonment.
Her devotion is absolute. But isolated in prison her loyalty exists in a vacuum. For a long time she has NOTHING to cling to but her own visceral belief that this man is not a killer. She relates that at some point every bodyguard must decide if they can “take a bullet” for those they have chosen to protect. And, though beaten down physically & emotionally on all fronts, she stands firm.
Now compare her attitude with what’s going on outside the prison walls. Take the people close to Batman – Barbara, Dick, Alfred, Tim et al….individuals groomed by a master detective – and provide them with facts & clues that are pretty darn incriminating. It is fascinating to see not only WHO has doubts but the shades & degrees of doubt that creep into Bruce’s comrades.
Dick served as an excellent focal point for a lot of the great discussions in the book. His heart to heart with Barbara, the impassioned wrestling of loyalty between to the former & current Robin & the ultimate throw-down between Nightwing & Batman all contribute to making this a substantial story.
Here’s the catch – the story in this book ends without finding out whodunit. ACK!
Jeff & Sarah got this book for me as a gift (Thank you guys! XOXO) I brought this for reading during my daughter’s basketball tournament (lots of sitting around between games you know). When I got to the end & realized the pages were over but the story wasn’t I darn near called Jeff on the spot to curse him for getting me hooked on this great mystery.
I showed some restraint (I waited until I got HOME to call *smile*) & found out there was more to the story. If you prefer not to hunt down the single issues – and my hat’s off to those of you who do fancy the hunt – you can pick up the trail in “The Fugitive” which tells the rest of the saga in three parts. (The Rothes got me THOSE books for my birthday – aren’t they too good to me?)
I am soooo glad I read the rest, but I’ll throw on a tiny disclaimer. When you set up a mystery that well; when you build a frame that tight – it is nearly impossible to come up with a TOTALLY satisfactory way to explain everything.
But ultimately the pleasure of this read for me was the journey, not the destination (I think I just stole that from an 80’s rock ballad – Oh No Wait! It’s Aerosmith, right?). The first part is totally worth the read. As for the rest – I guess that’s up to you….
Thanks for listening!
Later!
COMING SOON! I went to a small con in Chicago with the gang this weekend – hope to have something written about our adventures soon. We had a great time as always!
Wil Eisner (1917-2005)
Considered by most to be the father of comics, Wil Eisner invented the graphic novel, and has been the most influential artist to the medium of visual storytelling with only Stan Lee appropriate to mention in the same breath.
Wil Eisner gave a job to Jack Kirby and a number of other great artists, and created the Spirit, which ran in circulation of up to five million for over 11 years.
Wil’s work was most influential to me via his “Comics and Sequential Art” book, which really shows how an artist that lives and breathes the medium does not see it’s limitations but always looks for new visually exciting ways to tell a story. I still will pick that up and read it from time to time.
Wil passed away from complications of a quadruple heart bypass surgery. He was 87.
