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Suspended Animation
- Comic Book News and Reviews
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Suspended
Animation
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Robotika: For a
Few Rubles More #1/ $3.95 and 35 pages from Archaia Studios
Press/words by David Moran; art by Alex Sheikman /sold at
book and comics shops; info at www.archaiastudios.com.
The first issue of a comic book series is similar to a first
date. It's impossible to learn everything about the object
of one's initial interest, but if the packaging isn't right
and there's not enough that's intriguing, there won't be
a second encounter, you can bet your sweet bippy.
Prepare to bet your sweet bippy (and your hard earned cash)
on a second date.
Robotika is the second miniseries of a title that reads
and looks a lot like the movie Mad Max if it had been set
in Japan, filmed like the Western classic High Noon, and
written by a streamlined H. P. Lovecraft (the master of
subtle horror).
Intriguing? You betcha.
Throw in a little pseudo-science from the pulp magazines
of the 1930s.
Robotika is sorta like a techo-western sushi comic book.
Ah-so-yippee-ki-yi-ya!
Its reality-based art is heavily influenced by Japanese
and European comic art as well as by the home-grown American
variety, and it just doesn't get much better.
In addition, I applauded the restraint used when dealing
with violence, nudity, profanity, and perversion in the
first series. I clap heartily again.
However, the promotional blurb on its website says a member
of an elite bodyguard protecting the queen is "sent
on a mission to recover a stolen invention that, in the
wrong hands, could trigger a bloody civil war".
Well, that's why you'll need a second date. Not much of
that is in the first issue, but it sure made me want to
read the second one. And maybe sing: "Do not forsake
me, oh my darling…geisha".
Robitaka: For a Few Rubles More is highly recommended.
Michael Vance
Check out Dark Corridor #1 for two Michael Vance short
stories at
www.
mainenterprises.ecrater.com.
Interested in the exciting Oklahoma Cartoonists Collection
and Toy and Action Figure Museum? Go to fourcolorcommentary.blogspot.com
& www.youtube.com/watch?v=eCARtM5BvvU.
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| TimeFlyz, published
by Zondervan Publishing, 160 pages, digest-sized, $9.99.
Imagine you are shrunk down by a band of cyborg flies
and taken on a grand adventure through time to stop an
evil time-traveling spider from kidnaping geniuses from
our past. I know, I know, you hear that every day, right?
Well, in case reading that leaves you at somewhat of a
loss, you might come close to imagining what young Laurel
is feeling as you read "Turtle Trouble," the
story in volume two of TimeFlyz, from Zondervan Books.
Despite this being the second volume of the property,
I got over feeling lost quite quickly with well-done catch-ups
on the story so far, as well as recaps on identities of
characters. This is important, as readers are bound to
simply stumble across this book in some bookstores, as
I did. Thanks very much to writer Ben Avery for making
the story accessible, and those characters interesting.
The best word I can come up with to properly describe
the art of Adi Darda Gaudiamo is "fun." Some
may claim that's too simplistic. But, isn't "fun"
what we want our comic books to be? The very essence of
Manga, which seems to be Gaudiamo's style, is whimsy and
light-heartedness, both of which the artist accomplishes
in superior fashion. No wonder he has met with so much
success in his native Indonesia.
Another attractive feature of TimeFlyz is that, unlike
many comics dealing with Christianity, it doesn't bludgeon
readers with religion. It is mentioned sparingly, yet
in a powerful way at an appropriate place in the story.
In other words, it's not forced, but fits nicely into
the situation. That's hard to do, folks, and Avery is,
again, to be commended for his ability to pull it off.
TimeFlyz is recommended for all readers who enjoy fun,
uplifting stories. So give it to your kids, grand-kids,
or nieces and/or nephews when you're done.
Find it at comics shops, online auctions, some online
retailers, and at www.zgraphicnovels.com.
Mark Allen
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Archie's Pals and
Gals Double Digest #s 113-116/$3.69 and approximately 169
pages each from Archie Comics/various writers and artists/sold
at book and comics shops and at www.archiecomics.com.
So what new does one write about Archie's Pals 'n' Gals
since all of the approximately sixteen Archie titles are
basically interchangeable?
This "double digest" offer more than forty features
including everything from one-page gags, pin-up art, coloring
pages, and word games, to comics stories of varying lengths.
However, that's not different. Almost all of the Archie
digest publications do so.
Archie's Pals 'n' Gals is well-written and drawn in a simple
style with few details that targets a younger audience.
Its cast includes Archie, Jughead, Reggie, Betty, Veronica,
and a smattering of "second banana" characters.
Herein, gentle reader, lies the real difference between
this and other Archie titles: Pals 'n' Gals is loaded with
secondary characters.
The featured bunch includes Lil Jinx (a five or six year
old girl), Sabrina (the Teenage Witch), GiGi (Lil Jinx's
young friend), Mr. Lodge (Veronica's rich father), Josie
and the Pussycats (a teenaged Rock and Roll band), Little
Archie (with the gang also at five or six years of age,
Little Sabrina (as a kiddo), Ginger Lopez (a teenage girl),
and a host of others.
The stories featuring teenagers focus mostly on boy and
girl relationships and situations at school, work and home.
The younger bunch of bananas tackles the problems faced
by preteens. The goal in every story is a gentle fun that
wins more smiles than laughs.
And stories and characters are all set in a world without
nihilism or graphic sex or violence in which each character
is gifted with a sense, almost always implied instead of
stated, of human value and nobility.
Archie's Pals 'n' Gals is recommended for readers of all
ages so inclined.
Michael Vance
Check out Dreams and Visions #35 for a new Vance short
story: www.bconnex.net/~skysong/dream.htm
Interested in the exciting Oklahoma Cartoonists Collection
and Toy and Action Figure Museum?
Go to fourcolorcommentary.blogspot.com & www.youtube.com/watch?v=eCARtM5BvvU.
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Batman: Legends
of The Dark Knight #168, published by DC Comics, cover price
$2.50, back issue prices vary.
My definition of the perfect comic book story:An entertaining
tale that hooks you right away, and contains a  beginning
and ending in a single issue. Such stories are nearly extinct,
these days. I found one,however, in Batman: Legends of The
Dark Knight #168, in a story entitled "Urban Legend."
Long-time comics scribe Bill Willingham weaves a Bat-tale
that's worthy of a "best-of" collection. That
is NOT hyperbole, folks. I mentioned stories that hook the
reader right away, and this one does it with 50-pound test
line. Without giving away any major plot points, I'll simply
tell you that the main character of this issue suffers some
very severe trauma of both physical and mental nature, and
the reader feels a great deal of it right along with him.
We're not talking about 100% shock value, however. No, no,
there are plenty of would-be "greats" resorting
to that in the beleaguered world of comics. The shock is
there, to be sure, but it's backed up with intrigue, drama,
characterization and a darn fine mystery to boot. That doesn't
typically result in comics without great writing, as well
as great art. And, speaking of the art...,
I'd never heard of artist Tom Fowler before reading this
story, but I'm now a fan. The players in this yarn are wonderfully
characterized with a slightly exaggerated style that is
fluid and action-oriented. The hero is tortured and suffering,
yet a noble and sympathetic figure. The villains appear
shifty, smarmy, and at times, a little greasy. All of it
is splashed onto the background of the seedy and violent
Gotham underworld, a place I would only go within these
pages. And, it's a trip well worth the taking.
This issue of Batman: LoTDK is recommended for older readers
who are tired of having to read 30 different issues of six
different titles to get one story.
Mark Allen
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Batman,
# 667-669, published by DC Comics, 32 pages, $2.99.
Stop me if you’ve heard this one: Batman and Robin take
a weekend jaunt to a Caribbean island to hob-knob with
several other “dynamic duos” from around the world, and
it ends up becoming a very un-campy murder mystery. That’s
the premise of “The Island of Mister Mayhew” in issues
667 through 669 of DC’s Batman comic.
If writer Grant Morrison’s not doing the impossible,
here, it’s something very close. He takes a bunch of “weird
c-list crimefighters” (Robin’s words, not mine) and makes
them interesting. With the exception of possibly one or
two of them, further investigation of such characters,
in Morrison’s hands, could prove entertaining, I suspect.
To me, it illustrates the adage that there are no bad
characters, just characters without the proper story.
What’s more, the writer takes a three-issue tale and
gives it a much more expansive feel using well-placed
flash-back sequences.
J.H. Williams proves, as he does in most of his projects,
why he is a fan-favorite artist. With a flair for realism,
as well as a versatility which allows him to delineate
between present and past events with apparent ease, Williams
“paints” the mood of the story with just the right shades
of the suspenseful, the horrific, the macabre, even the
pitiful and ridiculous. Yeah, it’s all in there.
Besides that, he may be one of the best Batman illustrators
in the business. His Caped Crusader is eerily calm, but
can easily be imagined housing multiple psychoses. In
short, he’s “spooky,” and that’s what Batman is supposed
to be.
I suppose I should mention that this story builds off
of an idea first conceived in the ‘50's, in Detective
Comics and World’s Finest Comics, but knowledge of previous
history is completely unnecessary for enjoyment of this
run, which is uncommon for DC, and to be commended.
These issues of Batman are recommended to older fans
of superhero history and those who enjoy a good mystery.
Review by Mark Allen
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Graphic
Classics: Stoker/$11.95 and 141 pages
from Eureka Productions/various writers and artists/available
in book stories, comics shops, and at www.graphicclassics.com.
If he had only written Dracula, Bram Stoker would have been
a master of horror. Thankfully, he wrote other shivering
horror stories as well, and Dracula and six additional Stoker
classics are featured in the seventh volume of Graphic Classics.
All are well adapted by various scribes, which may be the
saving grace of this issue. If there is any criticism of
the Graphic Classics series of comic adaptations, it is
that too many stories requiring a realistic approach to
art feature a minimalistic or "cartoony" approach
instead. This collection is no exception.
Should you invest in Bram Stoker if you don't care for simplistic
doodles as does this reviewer? You betcha!
This reviewer's favorites include Dracula (adapted by Tom
Pomplun, art by Hunt Emerson), The Judge's House (adapted
and drawn by Gerry Alanguilan), Torture Tower (adapted and
drawn by Onsmith Jeremi) and Lair of the White Worm (adapted
by Tom Pomplun, art by Rico Schacheel). Favorite artists
include Gerry Alanguilan and Rico Schacheel.
Why does horror require realistic art?
A major tool of a horror writer is atmosphere, i.e. the
subtle anticipation of crippling damage or even death. It
is tough to garner fear with stick figures.
Nevertheless, Graphic Classics: Bram Stoker is recommended.
The publisher recommends the collection "for ages 12
to adult".
- MV agrees.
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Tales
from Riverdale Digest #s20-23/$2.49
... and 80 pages each from Archie Comics/various artists
and writers/sold at lots of locations and at www.archiecomics.com.
Some hardcore comics fans complain that some publishers
hurt the market by saturating it with multiple titles
featuring the X-Men, Superman, Spider-man,  and
Batman, therefore making it difficult for other titles
to find a niche and flourish.
They don't know saturation.
A quick count reveals that there are at least sixteen
regularly published titles featuring the Archie ensemble
of Archie, Jughead, Betty, Veronica, and Reggie. That's
not counting anthologies and graphic novels featuring
the Fabulous Five as well. But one's man's saturation
is just another man's success, for these titles would
not be published if they didn't sell.
Hey! Here's another one!
Tales from Riverdale differs only slightly from other
Archie titles because of the 'minor' features inside.
These include stories of Sabrina, when she was younger
than the teenage witch, Madhouse sections (Madhouse was
an old Mad Magazine imitation published years ago), and
stories on very minor characters in the Archie pantheon
of ¡second bananas'.
Does that mean that Riverdale is not worth the price
of admission?
Nope. Overall, the quality of art and story in all of
the Archie titles is excellent. The only real surprise
is how the team of Archie creators can consistently come
up with new ideas, which they do in every issue.
It has been a long, long time since Archie has been the
character that sells the titles. These books all feature
an ensemble cast that is unexcelled in the field of comic
books.
True, they are for younger readers (hurrah! Titles for
young readers are desperately needed; without them, there
are few older ones), and not everyone's cup of tea, but
how many cups of dark and violent X-Men or Batman can
one drink?
Recommended.
Michael Vance
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The Mice Templar, issues 1 and 2, published
by Image Comics, Inc., 32 pages, $2.99.
 So,
there's this new comic called The Mice Templar, co-written
by Michael Avon Oeming and Bryan J.L. Glass, with art
by Oeming. It's about a bunch of..., well, mice. If you're
not a fan of "funny animal" comics, however,
don't worry - there's nothing funny, here. There is, however,
a compelling story to be found.
Mice is ultimately about Karic, a youngster who has yet
to discover that he has a great destiny. Karic is enchanted
with the legend of an "ancient warrior-priest"
called Kuhl-En and "The Templar," a group of
warriors who fought for truth, justice and..., ah, you
get the idea. Initially discouraged by adults from listening
to Templar-inspired stories and having imagined adventures
as a Templar warrior himself, Karic finds himself the
victim of deadly circumstances beyond his control, desperately
hoping that the stories of a warrior-caste which offers
hope to those in need are true.
Glass and Oeming created The Mice Templar, and fortunately
for readers, they have done more than simply spawn a serviceable
concept for a new comic; they also offer intriguing characterization,
an exciting plot, gripping action sequences and powerful
emotionality to readers wise enough to give this yarn
a try. I mean, let's face it, when you find the ol' heartstrings
being plucked by cartoon mice, someone's doing something
right!
Oeming's art work brings the characters to life in a way
that endears them to the reader, then surprises them with
the ferocity of which they are capable. Visually, the
book is just as dramatic and emotionally charged as the
script. And, while you may have to work a bit at telling
the characters apart in the beginning, they quickly distinguish
themselves with their individual personality traits, characteristics
and quirks.
The Mice Templar is recommended for all but the youngest
readers, as there is some intense violence and disturbing
imagery. Find it at comics shops and online retailers
and auctions.
Mark Allen
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About
Mark and Michael
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Mark Allen could be considered an unlikely comics
columnist. He is a pastor, a husband and a father of two.
He lives in the sparsely-populated, but not unexciting (no,
REALLY) Oklahoma panhandle, 200 miles from the nearest comic
book store. Still, when he's not spending time with
his family or at the church, he's writing about comics.
Besides having co-written Suspended Animation for over seven
years, he has also conducted interviews and written articles
for various web sites, including Digital Webbing, Komikwerks,
Komikaze and UGO. He is also an honorary member of the Oklahoma
Cartoonists Collection, due to his work on the O.C.C.'s
only fan site, Four
Color Commentary.
Michael Vance was first published in The Professor's
Story Hour chapbook at the age of
eleven and became a professional freelance writer in 1977.
He has been published in
dozens of magazines and as a syndicated columnist and cartoonist
in over 500 newspapers.
His history book, Forbidden Adventures: The History of the
American Comics Group, has been
called a "benchmark in comics history".
His magazine work has been published in seven countries,
and includes articles for Starlog, Jack & Jill and Star
Trek: The Next Generation.
He briefly ghosted an internationally syndicated comic strip,
and his own strip for five years called Holiday Out that
was reprinted as a comic book. Vance also wrote comic book
titles including Straw Men, Angel of Death, The Adventures
of Captain Nemo, and Bloodtide.
His work has appeared in several comic book anthologies,
and he is listed in the Who's Who of American Comic Books
and Comic Book Superstars.
His twenty three short stories about a fictional town called
"Light's End" have been published in Media Scene,
Holiday Out Comics, Dreams and Visions, Maelstrom Speculative
Fiction, Whispers From the Shattered Forum, On Spec, Lovecraft’s
Mystery Magazine and many others.
They have also been recorded by legendary actor William
(Murder She Wrote) Windom and are being released on cassettes
and CDs.One of these stories was nominated for the international
2004 SLF Fountain Award for Best Short Story.
With novelists Mel Odom and R.A. Jones, he co-wrote Global
Star, a tabloid in a world where werewolves and babies born
with bowling balls in their stomachs are reality, and the
New York Times and Washington Post are "trash journalism".
Vance’s weekly comics review column, Suspended Animation,
has been continuously published for almost nineteen years,
currently reaching more than 700,000 readers in fanzines,
newspapers, and in over eighty websites.
In addition, he worked in newspapers for twenty-two years
as an editor, writer and advertising manager, creating three
successful newspaper magazines.
Vance also created the new Oklahoma Cartoonists Collection
housed in the Toy and Action Figure Museum in Pauls Valley,
Oklahoma.
He is currently communications director of a nonprofit agency,
the Tulsa Boys' Home, in
Tulsa, Oklahoma. He is a Christian.
Order Dark Corridor,a horror, fantasy, and suspense short
story magazine at www.mainenterprises.ecrater.com!
Michael Vance contributes the offbeat tales "The Zoo"
and "Picked Clean". $4.50 per issue, USA.
Interested in the exciting Oklahoma Cartoonists Collection
and Toy and Action Figure Museum? Go to fourcolorcommentary.blogspot.com/
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