COMING SOON:
COMICULTURE
VOL.2, BOOK ONE FIRST LOOK updated 3/4/04
COMICULTURE
IN THE NEWS
Here's what people said about Issue #2 of Comiculture ...
"(Comiculture is) a gorgeous production that fills a niche no one else is tackling in comics...."
--Randy Lander TheFourthRail.com
"...a great mix of mainstream styles and storytelling and more oddball, indy-spirit comic art as well. There's a remarkable balance in the material here, and it means that any reader...will find something about Comiculture to really enjoy."
--Don MacPherson TheFourthRail.com
"5 (out of 5) Bullets...This magazine deserves your attention...(the) second issue of Comiculture is actually better than the first"
--Ray Tate SilverBulletComics.com
Besides being a comic book professional, I am also a genuine fan of the medium. As often as my schedule allows, I try to get out to my local comic shops to sate my hunger for new and interesting material. This can be difficult but, if one looks hard enough, there is an abundance of good work to be found—sometimes deep in the alternative press racks—sometimes hiding in plain sight.
2002 was a pretty good year and there are a few titles I’m happy to endorse that will hopefully appeal not only to die-hard fans but also to interested newcomers who are looking for something worthwhile to read in a medium that still clings to its adolescent roots.
For my tastes, highlights from the mainstream include Marvel’sDaredevil by Brian Michael Bendis and Alex Maleev. Their run on DD has been quite innovative while staying true to the aspects of the character that fans of the classic Miller / Janson issues would appreciate. The "Death" of the Kingpin story arc was terrific, as was the "outing" of DD’s secret identity that still has repercussions in the current issues.
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Great stories and I must say that Alex Maleev is an awesome talent; perfectly suited to the title. His art is dark, realistic and, dare I say…gritty. New York City has become a living, breathing character in this book.
Bendis also writes the Marvel Max series, Alias (drawn by Michael Gaydos). A great read on its own, Alias also works as kind of a mature-readers companion to his work on Daredevil. Bendis has a real ear for dialogue and his characterizations are spot-on. The protagonist, Jessica Jones, is a former super-hero turned private-eye, but that’s beside the point. She’s as close to a living, breathing human character as I can remember reading about in a monthly comic.
Spider Man’s Tangled Web is a series that I color for Marvel. It’s been great fun. The ever-changing creative teams breathe new life into Spidey’s myth on a monthly basis. Interesting, since Spidey almost never appears in this book! The concept of the title, for those unfamiliar, is the examination of Spider-Man’s EFFECT on the supporting characters, villains and average citizens who cross his path. Great stuff—most of the best stories have been reprinted in collected editions if you want to look for them. The Rhino story alone is worth whatever they cost.
100 Bullets by Brian Azzarello and Eduardo Risso never fails to impress me. This title came along just at the right time to take the place of Preacher, which used to be my never-miss-an-issue, favorite monthly series. I think I like 100 Bullets even more and the story pulls you deeper and deeper into it with each passing issue. The concept is too complicated to explain here, but if you’re a fan of conspiracy theories and tough-as-nails crime fiction, run out now and get all the back issues. They’re all available collected as trade-paperback editions that you will read and reread.
Mike Mignola hasn’t been producing much Hellboy lately because he’s working on the film, which will be in theaters this year. However, in 2002 we did get his quirky one-shot, The Amazing Screw-On Head (reviewed in Comiculture #1 and on this website), and the Hellboy spin-off B.P.R.D. (Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense) by Mignola, Christopher Golden and Ryan Sook. B.P.R.D. measured up just fine to the reliable quality I expect from a Mignola-related project. Epic monster battles entwined with subtle moments of caring and camaraderie between our misfit heroes. Gotta love it.
George Pratt is one of the best painters working in comics today. Maybe THE best, by my estimation. Late in 2002, Marvel released the four-issue Wolverine series, Netsuke, written and painted by George. This is a gorgeous story, which takes everyone‘s favorite X-Man back to Japan and the spirit of his lost love, Mariko. I don’t have any "inside" info about this, but I am POSITIVE this story will be released soon collected in hard & soft cover editions. I’ll be springing for the hardcover.
A few lesser-known titles that impressed me include Paul Pope’s marvelous near-future, cyber-punk soap opera, 100% and the ridiculous and masturbatory Angel And The Ape by Howard Chaykin and Philip Bond—the latter title is, I admit, a guilty pleasure. I love Bond’s art and just started reading Vertigo POP! London, which he also draws and which looks promising. I’m still hoping for more Angel, though (whatta dish!).
Leela Corman’sSubway Series graphic novel and Kerry Callen’sHalo and Sprocket are some of 2002’s real treasures. Issue #2 of Comiculture features conversations with both of these creators—neither of which I was familiar with before stumbling upon their projects, but both of whose careers I will be watching with interest!
My biggest disappointment of 2002 is not all the trash taking up shelf space (that phenomenon occurs in all media), but the fact that some of my favorite creators didn’t produce much at all. The most recent (and finest) issue of Eightball (#22) by Dan Clowes was sheer brilliance--but it came out last March! The absence of new work by Seth (Pallookaville) and Adrian Tomine (Optic Nerve) hurt me personally! I’d also like to see more from Anson Jew (Saturday Nite). Come on, guys -- we need you!
In part two of this article (to be posted in mid-April), read what I think about Fantastic Four, One Plus One, Selina’s Big Score and much more (hey, that rhymes)!
QUICK PICKS FROM OUR OTHER CREATORS:
KLAUS JANSON:Eightball #22 by Dan Clowes was by far the best comic of the year. It had the structure of a novel all within its 38 pages. Amazing work.
DON HUDSON: My recommendation for the best book of 2002 is a book that has a lot going for it, yet has a lot of room for improvement: Hawkman from DC Comics. Rags Morales brings a lot of energy and his style is complimented by Michael Bair’s razor sharp inking. The writing plays up the sexual tension between Hawkman and Hawkgirl but always includes a touch of humor. As for improvement, Rags needs to find better "Side of the Building" establishing-shot reference -- I think he's trying to avoid doing some work. I hope in the future he'll go crazy and draw his masterpiece because his inker can handle anything. Hawkman is an excellent book and will get even better!
RICHARD STARKINGS:Spirited Away: Film Comics Volumes 1-5 by Hayao Miyazaki is my pick. Purists might think that the comics adaptations of Miyazaki's movies aren't really comics, just frames from the movies thrown into a book, but I've been amazed at how much care and attention are lavished upon these crisp presentations of Miyazaki's work. Just about all Miyazaki's classic movies -- Totoro, Kiki, Mononoke -- have been made available as 'film comics', track them down in either English or Japanese, the storytelling is excellent and the opportunity to linger on frames from Spirited Away for more than just a couple of seconds is worth the cover price alone.
ROBERT NAPTON: The single best issue of any comic in 2002 was The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Vol. 2 No.1 by Alan Moore and Kevin O'Neill. I'm no bandwagoner who is talking about this book ‘cause they are making a movie, I've been all about this comic since day one and it's about time it got some notice. The launch of the new series features some great, epic art as author Moore fuses the greatest tales of Mars and weaves together a single universe in which John Carter of Mars and Gulliver of Mars co-exist on the same red planet as H.G. Wells invaders. Great story. Great Art. Amazing back-up piece -- a tour of the weird and fantastic places of England. Quit reading this rant -- go buy this comic and remember that, despite the imminent collapse of this industry, there is still some amazing work being produced by people who aren't making comics just to get a movie deal but get one anyway. (For THE expert on this series go to www.enjolrasworld.com: the number one source for all things League.)
BUDDY SCALERA: The single best issue of 2002 has to be Y: The Last Man #1. This year was a great year for comics, so there is a high watermark for standards. This book struck the perfect balance between pacing, tone, and energy. Vaughn and Guerra have created a story that is simple, yet multilayered and complex. It is a smooth, mature piece of work that will appeal to intelligent, mainstream readers.
BEN RAAB: Not that it needs my recommendation, but I personally loved the latest Hellboy installment, The Third Wish. Once again, Mike Mignola proves why he is the undisputed master of horror pulp fiction by combining Lovecraftian plots with Saturday movie serial-style high-adventure. I give it 5 out of 5 Cloven Hooves!
ROB TOKAR: My favorite release in 2002 was the Captain Britain trade paperback, a collection of early work by Alan Moore and Alan Davis. It's a great read and proof that even the weakest character concepts can rise to greatness with the right creative team.
