By Robin Jones
HAIL HYDRA!
I had to get in on it eventually, even if it is two months late… Hello again, it’s back, my almost annual column of rubbish, twaddle and occasional news!
In a throwback to how I initially started this column, I’ve decided to switch up how I write Papercuts and Inkstains. It’s been a long time since I last wrote one, and that’s unfortunately down to working more, wedding planning and actually writing my own comics. So, in old school Papercuts style, I’ve been asking you guys to pick which book I should read over on my twitter! Since the first story you all picked for me was the fantastic All Star Superman from Morrison and Quietly. This time around, I’ve done my usual lazy ass thing and decided I’ve wanted you to pick between Mark Millar, Dave Johnson and Kilian Plunkett’s Red Son and Geoff Johns’, Richard Donner’s and Adam Kubert’s Last Son. Therefore I took to twitter with #RedSonvsLastSon and you voted!
Just like Highlander, there can be only one, and it was clear that the winner of the quickening here was Millar et all’s modern classic Red Son! A wonderful twist on the classic origins and mythology of Superman, Millar presents to us a world where the infant Kal-El landed not in Kansas with Ma and Pa Kent, but in the Ukraine on a collective farm in the heart of Soviet led Russia. Within this world, Superman is brought up with farm workers whose values of truth, justice and world view is wholly different to the American as apple-pie upbringing he had in his traditional origins. How does the arrival of a superhuman being become utilised by the Soviets and how would a communist Superman differ to our “normal” Superman, brought up with the values and beliefs of the beating heart of capitalism? What effects would this have on the Cold War and just how would America, devoid of a Superpowered being of her, act in defense and retaliation at the news? These are just some of the questions Millar decided to raise and answer within Red Son.
Millar’s writing is, more often than not, highly provocative, and the themes he explores within Red Son are equally so. Within this 3 part inverted geopolitical tale we see an America divided, an economy crushed, an ideology shattered and a monstrous alternative to truth, justice and the American way! The fate of the capitalist west is left in the hands of the brilliant yet morally skewed Lex Luthor, whose own private ambitions and drive to defeat Superman at any cost threaten the world at large. The status quo is also shaken up by having Lois be the estranged wife of Luthor, hiding an obsession with the Man of Steel but never acting upon it. Luthor, with his brutal cunning, must stop the expansionism of the Soviet Union, under guidance of both Stalin and Superman himself, and save the West from an almost inevitable twilight. What Millar does is present us with a character study, albeit a skewed one. By reversing and restructuring the political background and warping the familiar origin tale, we get a piece that examines the concept of nature vs nurture, gone are the comforting and reassuring constants of Kal-El’s past, what we have is an alien…alien.
Millar also sharply brings into question, the geo-political and religious structures of our world. Moving within the zeitgeist, Millar takes a concept which is widely questioned, the argument of theoretical assumptions of ideology vs their implementation and practice, and helps show the discrepancies on both sides. Capitalism isn’t the be all and end all, it’s a social and ideological construct which can be heavily flawed, as is the socialism and communism. Millar also highlights the fact that even the best intentions, whether political or otherwise, can have unexpected, almost devastating consequences. These subtle arguments within his writing parallels the political situation today, with countries acting with the best intentions, but ultimately causing more harm than good. It’s a clever way to mix up things within the medium and enhances the impact of Red Son greatly. There’s also the argument surrounding THAT ending, a controversy which sees many claim it ruins the story. I disagree. I felt that the ending was a suitably Alan Moore-esque way of neatly tying things together. It’s an Ouroboros situation, a never ending cycle with a gnostic influence, perhaps Millar is playing on the Godless ideals of a communist society, where Superman must continue this cycle, learning through his own self reflection that he can do more good for the world by letting it flourish on its own two feet, with the memory of his work being the catalyst?
It would be criminal of me not to mention the artwork within Red Son, from the 50s influenced style, the sci-fi beauty of the later pages, right through to Bamankopf and his fantastic Russian fur hat. The whole artwork from Dave Johnson and Kilian Plunkett compliments Millar’s writing wonderfully. The way the art evolves over time, moving from the golden age style in part one through to a grittier, more modern style for book three helps to show the passage of time and Superman’s loss of innocence. By evoking Soviet-era propaganda posters, it helps plant the story in world which seems very real, and conjures up the fear and uncertainty of the Cold War era.
I implore you all to read this story.
Now, in another returning theme, I am asking you all related questions to the stories you all pick for me! This time around, I wanted to ask you all what Superman meant to you, with Red Son twitsting the Man of Steel’s ideals and emotions, I felt it only pertinent to see what you all felt about the big blue boy scout?
So readers… Here what you all felt #SupermanMeans to you
#SupermanMeans to me: Hope. If an Alien can love earth more than its inhabitants, it gives us something to look up to!
What #SupermanMeans to me? Based on what I’ve read in the New 52 nothing but confusing stuff lol!
#SupermanMeans Well the thing is, Superman is really a US Farmboy. Hes the ultimate immigration story, especially since the 80s as they’ve moved away from Super Science Superman.
#SupermanMeans Though at times admirable, [He] has the mental capacity of a gnat. I prefer Batman, hardened by life’s cruelties. Superman just seems oblivious to them
#SupermanMeans Though I don’t really have a personal connection with Superman,he’s the ideal, not just for heroes but for people. He’ll make the effort to improve things for people. With powers or without he’ll stand up for what he believes in & he’s usually nice while doing it.He’s for everyone. When u need it; an inspiration, protector & friendly face.
#SupermanMeans: he’s an idea, a sign that we can all be better and do better.
#SupermanMeans Superman is the story of who we should be. Not who we are. He says no matter how different you are you’re still capable of doing great things, even in the face of something seemingly impossible. That’s Superman.
#SupermanMeans Superman represents the golden age of comics… That time is over.
He represents, honour and respect. He is the type of person we should all strive to be like.#Supermanmeans
#SupermanMeans wearing tight red pants on top of a blue gimp suit.
#SupermanMeans Superman is everything I’d hope to be. A timeless icon.
#SupermanMeans moral heroism aligned with a chiseled conscious. Epitome of a comic book archetype.
#SupermanMeans seeing as I’ve just written a thesis about aspects of the character, he has become the bane of my life 
Superman means a happy childhood spent watching Lois & Clark and fancying the shit out of Teri Hatcher!
#SupermanMeans Do the right thing as much as you possibly can
Superman means an icon that stands for the things we as humans are incapable of doing. That level of truth, justice, honour, and respect etc….it takes an alien to lead us He also shows how power can corrupt, might take a little kryptonite but it happens.
#SupermanMeans He is my idol, the one person I always look up to. I love his morals and personality. They’re inspiring.
#SupermanMeans that trying to make the world a better place starts with just one person. (Please have a read of Jeff’s blog about why he wears the S right here, he puts forward a compelling argument for how we should all view the world)
#SupermanMeans he is the constant benchmark for all superheroes , in my opinion
Keep your eyes peeled to twitter guys and girls, as I’ll be asking you to choose my next book soon!
Until next time….
Rob Jones is an honourary Yorkie, but for the life of him, he can’t understand why. He writes articles, is attempting to write comics and his life ambition is to own a solid gold Donkey… For more comic news, reviews and the odd bit of sense, follow Robin on twitter @Hulksmash1985
Posted on May 22nd, 2014
Category: Blog, PAPERCUTS AND INKSTAINS VOL. 2, REVIEWS
Tags: Clark Kent, DC Comics, Mark Millar, Robin Jones, Superman Last Son, Superman Red Son, Supermanmeans
By Robin Jones
Written by Mark Millar
Art by Goran Parlov
Colouring by Ive Svorcina
I don’t know about you, but as a child I loved Flash Gordon. I loved the film, the concept, the idea of a man taken to another Galaxy and tasked with saving it, defending it and bringing peace to it, all whilst wearing a rad spacesuit. But what happens after the wars are won, peace is restored and McDonalds offers the olive branch of peace whilst opening a store on deepest, darkest Mongo?
This is what writer Mark Millar and artist Goran Parlov set to find out, in Starlight #1 from Image Comics.
This book is a must for classic science fiction fans. If you like Buck Rodgers or Flash Gordon, then this book will feel like putting on a pair of your comfiest slippers. The concept within the pages of Starlight is how does a decorated, intergalactic hero adjust to normality and the regular world after all the wars are fought? Millar sets up a world which doesn’t take his hero, Duke, seriously. His sons don’t have time for him, his wife of 38 years has tragically passed away, described through scenes which invoke the heart wrenching opening to Disney’s Up, and the world at large brands him a charlatan and a fraud. Millar’s writing is aimed at an older audience, dealing with getting older and trying to figure out your own place in the world. It shows a maturity which I haven’t seen in much of his other work, and the way he weaves his story together makes for a very compelling, engaging story that most of us can relate to in someway.
We are treated to a narrative that weaves past and present as one, giving us Duke’s backstory as saviour of a different race through flashbacks, whilst also dealing with Duke’s present day issues. The scope of Millar’s storytelling is all encompassing, we can see the differences in Duke’s character and personality over the years, how he seems to have lost his spark through the loss of his wife and years of ridicule and scorn. We are given a beautifully fleshed out story which provides us with a fantastic foundation for what looks set to be a classic series.
Goran Parlov’s art really seals the deal. It is a beautiful amalgamation of Silver and Golden age comics with a modern flair. The fantasy scenes are beautifully retro, with ornate laser blasters, exotic worlds, 50′s style representations of spaceships and this is really masterfully offset with the present day. Parlov’s present world is a gritty, drab place, with darker, more washed out tones than in the flashbacks scenes. Special mention should go to Ive Svorcina’s wonderful colouring work, as with Parlov’s inking, it really captures the mixture of the two eras of comics. It’s a wonderful metaphor for the state of comics today, with characters who were initially wholesome and naïve now weighed down by the grit and darkness of the world around them.
I couldn’t pick a fault with this book, the exposition, the dialogue, the concept, the art were all stunning for me. The classic sci-fi feel really stirred a buried sense of nostalgia in me, making me want to look up to the stars and imagine what could be out there again. It’s an emotional, weighted, character driven story which leaves you wanting more. What Millar, Parlov et all deliver is a modern classic in the making and I for one cannot wait to follow the twilight adventures of Duke McQueen!
I give this book a perfect 10 out of 10!
Hit the Queen, grab Brian Blessed and DIIIIIIIIIIIIVE on over to the Inter-Comics website to order the Starlight series right HERE
For more comic views and reviews follow Robin on Twitter at @Hulksmash1985
Posted on March 6th, 2014
Category: PULP FRICTION, RESIDENT OF GOTHAM, REVIEWS
Tags: Comic Blog, Comic Reviews, Goran Parlov, Image Comics, Ive Svorcina, Mark Millar, Millarworld, Robin Jones, Sci-Fi comics, Starlight #1 Review
By Glen Ludlow
So, we’re onto the third issue of the superhero legacy thriller from scribe Mark Millar (Kick-Ass, Superior, Old Man Logan) and superstar artist Frank Quitely (All-New X-Men, All-Star Superman). After teasing and setting up the pieces for the last two issues as to what sort of world our story is taking place in, Millar finally smashes all of what he has established in one swift blow and changes the whole dynamic of the book.
Since the establishment of the superhero clan back in issue one and the eventual arrival of their offspring, the younger generation have faced the harder battle of being in the eyes of the world’s media the whole time, whilst also having the lessons of their forefathers shoved down their throats. Walter, who wants to take charge to solve the problems of the world has been constantly undermined by his more-powerful brother Sheldon, also known as the Utopian.
In this issue Walter makes his move. Chloe, daughter of the Utopian has returned home pregnant with the child of Hutch, the son of the world’s greatest supervillain. Obviously her folks aren’t too thrilled at the prospect, and after the Utopian attempts to tell him to stay away from his daughter, he’s called away to answer an emergency situation halfway across the world. Meanwhile, Grace, mother of Brandon and Chloe, is welcoming her pregnant daughter home, to a house where she can relax and keep away from the glare of the spotlight. But the respite is short-lived when a host of powers lay siege to the house with the intent of killing Grace and Chloe.
On the other side of the planet, the Utopian, having been distracted by a nuclear device threatening to impact, is also attacked and brought down. Here he faces the man sent to kill him – his own son Brandon.
First off, there’s no denying how richly talented a writer Mark Millar is. One of his most important weapons in his arsenal is his ability to pace a story, and here he manages to pull it off with the ease we’ve seen him do it before. Millar has always been very good at natural and unforced dialogue. It’s often understated, lacks the posturing speeches so many other comic writers are guilty of, but he makes it sound like a genuine conversation that we’re eavesdropping in on. The scenes are charged with emotion, and at times are small and intimate in content, after all this whole story so far has been about superhero siblings squabbling over what’s best for the world, and at its heart that’s exactly what this story is all about. Family. It’s about the son who believes his father has nothing but contempt for him. It’s about the daughter who knows she can never live up to the woman her mother envisaged her being. I think we’ve all had moments in our lives where we’ve craved the respect of our peers, only to find us groping around looking for a figure to fill what’s missing in our lives. That comes across in this book. It’s not explored as deeply as I would have liked, after all convincing someone to burn their father’s face off wouldn’t be an easy task to accomplish by any standards, but Walter, in a short space of time, does manage to convince Brandon that his father needs taking down. I felt this scene could have been fleshed out a bit more, we could have seen just how cunning Walter really can be. It reminded me of Anakin’s seduction by Palpatine, it just happened too damn fast, and before you know it, he’s Walter’s puppet.
Quitely’s art is never something I have issue with. It still strikes me just how unconventional his art is for a comic book. That’s what I love so much about it. He’s so different, so expressive, and his art is so full of energy. He’s a man who uses shape and posture to convey what the characters are thinking and feeling, he’s not really one to rely on a skilled inker to add depth and mood to a scene, Quitely is capable of transporting you to an emotional plane just from his delicate pencils. Frank is one of the few artists where I will buy the book just because he’s doing the artwork for it, a rare accolade, as normally I crave story above everything else.
On the summary, the issue is pretty good. It’s an enjoyable read. I have a few niggles with it, it felt more like an issue where all the pieces are being put into place. It’s a necessity, and has to be done sometimes, and I think that’s what’s been applied here.
Posted on October 2nd, 2013
Category: PANELS OF INTEREST, REVIEWS
Tags: comics, Frank Quitely, Glen Ludlow, Icon, Image Comics, jupiters legacy, jupiters legacy #3, Mark Millar, marvel
By Pete Barrington and Sean Favager
Wereeee Baaaack!
Wereeee Baaaack! Hello all and welcome back to the Comic Asylum, hosted by yours truly Pete Barrington and Sean Favager. Yes, it’s been a while since we have graced the blogging world. Inter-comics.com continues to grow with new writers and reviewers that all should be checked out. But we thought it was about time we dusted off our thinking caps, put on our brainstorming gown and started smoking the imagination pipe (not a euphemism people, get your mind out the gutter!). A lot has happened since we have been away, Iron Man 3 and Man of Steel have hit our screens and divided opinions and I’m sure our thoughts on those two films will be made public soon. But for now, we have been brainstorming and over the next few weeks and we hope to have some really interesting debates with our readers. But I think the subject we have for you today is a cracking one to start with…………….VIOLENCE!!
More specifically, violence in the most recent and upcoming comic book movie adaptations. This is something I have been thinking about for a while (a good 20 minutes at least) and wondering at what point Hollywood will make the decision to give us a comic book movie that is maybe given a 15/18 certificate here in the UK, or an R rating in the U.S.A.
So this begs the question then, why did Carrey sign up to play a baseball bat wielding masked crime fighter, whose pet likes snacking on criminals genitalia??
It was all brought to light recently by none other than Jim Carrey and his refusal to do any promotional work for his upcoming film Kick-Ass 2 in which he plays Colonel Stars and Stripes. The actual quote/tweet regarding the violence in the film from Carrey was “now in all good conscience, I cannot support that level of violence”. This revelation came approx. one month after the shooting in Sandy Hook and anyone who follows Carrey on Twitter will be able to testify to his many anti-gun/violence tweets. So this begs the question then, why did Carrey sign up to play a baseball bat wielding masked crime fighter, whose pet likes snacking on criminals genitalia??
The man responsible for the source material for the film, Mark Millar, responded to Carrey by simply stating that Carrey should of known what violence was planned as “nothing seen in this picture, wasn’t in the screenplay 18 months ago, and this should have been no shock to a guy who enjoyed the first movie so much…..” Fair comment I think, especially considering the first movie had a man being set on fire while screaming instructions to his daughter on how to kill a lot of bad guys. By the way, “SWIIITCH TO KRYPTONIIITE” has to be one of Cage’s best one liners, and there’s been a fair few!
Mark Millar, responded to Carrey by simply stating that Carrey should of known what violence was planned as “nothing seen in this picture, wasn’t in the screenplay 18 months ago, and this should have been no shock to a guy who enjoyed the first movie so much…..”
Now, this isn’t going to be about how violence in films has had an impact on violence in everyday life. I am nowhere near smart enough or have any evidence to prove or reject that theory. This is simply going to be about how violence in comic book movies has changed over the years and has this had a positive or negative impact on how movie makers approach adapting a comic book storyline for the big screen. The Box Office figures and reviews almost certainly says that this sort of violence has helped shape how we view these films, from the family friendly yet still violent Marvel phases we are currently going through, to the darker grittier ‘this could happen in real life’ adventures of their DC counterparts, more specifically, the Dark Knight trilogy and the most recent Man of Steel movie.
It’s at this point that I need to warn you that there may be **SPOILERS** ahead, so if you haven’t seen Man of Steel, then firstly I have to ask why??? And secondly you may wish to go see that before coming back to here. I may talk about other films also but enough time has passed that I don’t think I will be spoiling anything for anyone.
In many ways a different film than the latest offering as we see Supes up against 3 people with equal abilities.
It starts in my head in 1980 and to be exact, with Superman II. In many ways a different film than the latest offering as we see Supes up against 3 people with equal abilities. In Man of Steel, it was mainly just the two forces of Zod and Faora that Kal-El has to deal with and we saw how much destruction was caused there, however, in the second outing for Christopher Reeve, he is facing 3 enemies, all with the same abilities as him so no doubt the carnage should of been bigger then, right? Wrong. In Superman II, the only real things that get destroyed was the White House and a portion of the Daily Planet. Whereas, if reports are to be believed, the climactic battle in Man of Steel between Superman and Zod caused approx. 2 trillion dollars’ worth of damage to Metropolis and countless people left injured or worse. Now obviously the argument is made that the budgets and effects available to both movies are vastly different, and that is true, but is anything really lost in Superman II by not having more violence and destruction?, and is anything gained in Man of Steel by destroying a large part of Metropolis? I would have to say no to both. The budget and effects available should not determine the story and basic plot of a movie, and as we’ve seen with other films like Transformers and John Carter that big budget and effects laden films does not a good movie make. The critics are quick to point out that Man of Steel ‘went too far’ with the violence and destruction portrayed, and I have read more than one review saying that Superman killing Zod by snapping his neck was too much for a movie that was rated and presumably aimed at the younger teenage audience. But not one mention of how that killing and subsequent feeling of loneliness for our Supes has an effect on the story and plot going forward.
The budget and effects available should not determine the story and basic plot of a movie, and as we’ve seen with other films like Transformers and John Carter that big budget and effects laden films does not a good movie make.
Back to the violence itself. It can come in many forms, whether the violence is the plan all along like the Joker in The Dark Knight or whether the violence is inevitable/implied in Lex Luthors many real estate scams. I think with Man of Steel, the violence and wanton destruction was a definite reaction to a few things. DC clearly has seen how Marvel is approaching their characters. Yes there are the serious tones to all Marvel films but all of them bring some levity to that universe. The Iron Man quips or the Hulk/Thor and Tony Stark/Bruce Banner chemistry brings a chuckle and some much needed comic relief. These films have clearly set their sights on being comic book adaptations and are proud of it. The DC folks have decided that to distance themselves from that, they have gone the route of dark and gritty storylines with much darker and altogether more violent characters. The Dark Knight is not so much a comic book film than it is an action film based on a comic character. The difference between the two might not seem it but it’s huge in terms of how much violence plays a part in their respective story arcs. Man of Steel had a lot of making up to do after Superman Returns hit our screens. I’m sure that Bryan Singer and the money men over at Warner Bros. were more than happy with the plan they set in place for their new franchise and the direction they wanted to go in. Returns weren’t a complete failure for them and even after the moderate box office it took, they still had a plan for a 2nd and even 3rd film.
But then The Dark Knight came along.
But then The Dark Knight came along…
The men behind Superman had to take a step back and shelve any plans for another Superman outing so soon as it was vastly different than what Nolan was putting out and vastly inferior. Now after this, you can’t bring back Superman for a sequel and have it the same tone of the first as it just wouldn’t work and they saw sense and went with a reboot. Fast forward a few years and we have had another Batman film, Avengers have assembled and the outlook looks slightly different. So if your Warner Bros. how do you approach it? Simple, just do what Batman did. They brought the violence. Man of Steel opens with essentially a one man’s mission for power and control of his dying planet and he is willing to kill for it. Immediately we see the violent side of this new franchise and that carried on throughout the film with the culmination being half of Metropolis levelled and a dead kryptonian with a broken neck.
I know I have really only talked about Man of Steels violence and who knows what we can expect from the sequel or potential JLA film but as a wiser man than me once said ‘You have to play the ball where it lies’ and where it lies at the moment with Warner Bros. is that Superman is going to be violent and there’s going to be destruction because it worked so well with the Dark Knight trilogy and they obviously are going to do things differently than Marvel so I think the violence is here to stay and that to me is not a bad thing.
So does that mean we will see that 15/18 or R rated movie?
So does that mean we will see that 15/18 or R rated movie? I don’t think so, as the core audience is and probably always will be the same but I think they are trying to make it so a more lenient rating doesn’t necessarily mean less violence and destruction and that means that we are just becoming more use to it and maybe more accepting of it too.
Unless we ever see a Deadpool movie, that shit would be craaaaaaazy!
Until next time, take care of yourselves…and each other.
Peace
If we want to leave me feedback then you can find me on twitter at @Pete_the_Red. Positive and negative comments welcome.
Regards
Posted on July 5th, 2013
Category: NEWS & VIEWS, THE COMIC ASYLUM
Tags: Comic Reviews, Jim Carrey, Kick-Ass 2, Man Of Steel, Mark Millar, marvel comics, Pete Barrington, Sean Favager, The Comic Asylum
By Matt Johnson
The issue begins with the younger generation attempting to help out by levitating a ship across the city to help it arrive at its destination quicker.
Jupiter’s Legacy is the new series from writer Mark Millar and artist Frank Quitely. The comic tells the story of an aging generation of veteran super heroes and their offspring, who are far less valiant. The first issue set the scene brilliantly introducing us to the troubled family who incorporate a world very much like our own. There’s no grand fictitious cities or helicarrier riding super police, save for the presence of the super heroes this is a very grounded recognisable setting.
Before long the kids start losing control and it’s up to dad to arrive and save the day, embarrassing his son in the process.
The issue begins with the younger generation attempting to help out by levitating a ship across the city to help it arrive at its destination quicker. Before long the kids start losing control and it’s up to dad to arrive and save the day, embarrassing his son in the process. It sets the theme of the overall issue, which is to say the family are starting to fall apart. Even the older generation are not seeing eye-to-eye. It’s interesting to observe but after the fantastic first issue I felt a little disappointed at how slow and steady things moved this time. A lot of the story beats seemed very familiar and I felt we didn’t really learn that much that we weren’t aware of from last time.
Even the older generation are not seeing eye-to-eye.
The characterisation is very strong though. We haven’t known them very long yet we’ve seen enough to tell that these are well developed and deep characters. Even though they may be filling stereotypical roles of directionless youths who’ve inherited fame and power, both Brandon and Chloe show signs of deeper insecurities that leave me interested to see more of them.
The art, by Frank Quitely, is often very good but unfortunately a bit uneven. Some panels look great but in others look a little unusual. The whole intro sequence looks brilliant and the borderline panic on Brandon’s face as the ship begins to slip from his control is great. But then Chloe’s scenes stand out as she looks noticeably off. Considering she’s recovering from a drug overdose some of her exhausted appearance will likely be deliberate, but she just looks consistently odd compared to the other characters. It’s a design choice that I don’t think meshes too well.
The whole intro sequence looks brilliant and the borderline panic on Brandon’s face as the ship begins to slip from his control is great.
There are a couple of new titbits of information but nothing too surprising takes place in this issue. Things moved a little slower than I’d have liked and the teasing flashbacks we got in the first issue are nowhere to be found here. There’s still a compelling story being told here however and despite my slight disappoint I did still enjoy the issue. Going by the strong opener I’d wager this is just a quiet issue while things are still being established before they get going again. I do absolutely recommend giving the series a chance, but just be warned that this instalment doesn’t quite live up to the high quality of the first issue.
For more comic views follow Matt on Twitter at @PanelsAndPixels and check out his website http://www.panelsandpixels.com/
Posted on July 3rd, 2013
Category: POWER PANELS, REVIEWS
Tags: Comic Reviews, Frank Quitely, Jupiters Legacy #2 Review, Mark Millar, Matt Johnson, Power Panels
Jupiter’s Legacy #1 is the first installment of Mark Millar and Frank Quitely’s new Image venture.
Jupiter’s Legacy #1 is the first installment of Mark Millar and Frank Quitely’s new Image venture. The covers for the first issue were very well done, with 4 different covers: one by Quitely, one by Phil Noto, one by Dave Johnson, one by J. Scott Campbell, one by Christian Ward and one by Bryan Hitch. I’m a huge fan of Dave Johnson’s stuff – mostly his 100 Bullets, Deadpool and Fury Max covers – so I grabbed the Johnson and Quitely covers. Each cover tells a different part of the story as great covers often do. Quitely’s cover depicts the two main characters in the foreground with a statuesque rendering of their parents in the background and is my favourite of the two I grabbed, though Johnson’s cover is pretty wicked in portraying the decadent nuances enveloped in Millar and Quitely’s story.
Quitely’s cover depicts the two main characters in the foreground with a statuesque rendering of their parents in the background and is my favourite of the two I grabbed.
Perhaps the reason I prefer Quitely’s cover over my coveted tried and true Dave Johnson cover art has to do with what Millar does best in this story: create a multi-generational narrative that starts in 1932, Morocco and continues into 2013, America. This echoes Watchmen’s shifts in time setting as Moore offered glimpses at his character’s past and present over multiple decades, though different from the time periods Jupiter’s Legacy concerns itself with. Being that the story portrays superhumans living in the real world and gives readers a sense of what would occur in our pop-culture if superhumans actually existed; it’s no wonder I see Moore’s influence in the pages of Millar’s comic.
The 1932 pages of the story at the start called to mind that nostalgic feeling of an awesome adventure I just couldn’t wait to dive in to.
The interior art is what has really sold me on this series. Millar is a great writer, sure, but I hadn’t previously encountered much of Quitely’s pencils and inks outside of a few issues of The Invisibles and his symbiosis with Peter Doherty on the interiors is really a spectacle to behold. The 1932 pages of the story at the start called to mind that nostalgic feeling of an awesome adventure I just couldn’t wait to dive in to. Doherty and Quitely then demonstrate their adaptability and transplant us to the glitz and glam of the red carpet in modern day, March 2013. There’s scantily clad super heroines and heroes partying at night clubs, golden-age style superhero fights, psychic dimensions and drug overdoses; everything you’d expect from a Millar comic if you’ve ever read any Millarworld titles.
There’s scantily clad super heroines and heroes partying at night clubs, golden-age style superhero fights, psychic dimensions and drug overdoses; everything you’d expect from a Millar comic if you’ve ever read any Millarworld titles.
All in all, I give this comic a 4/5. The art was quite handsome and the writing was funny, thought-provoking and intelligent. The only reason I’m not giving it a perfect 5/5 score is the fact that it’s been done before by Millar. Millar is a great writer and has done a number of comics I’d place in the upper echelon of modern comics, including Red Son and Wanted. Though I’d like to see him branch out more in his choice of genre. Superheros seem a frequent favourite of Millar’s that may be more of a crutch than an aid to him: he relies on them too heavily even outside of his corporate comics writing. I’m not one of those nothing-impresses-me fanboy assholes Millar is constantly writing about, I’m just saying Millar is a versatile writer capable of writing comics outside the superhero genre, so it would be nice to see something fresh from him.
Click HERE to view Jupiters Legacy comics
Follow James on twitter @JamesMClark87 or check out his website: http://50shadesofbloodandviscera.wordpress.com where he reviews only the most bloody and visceral comics!
Posted on May 30th, 2013
Category: 50 SHADES OF BLOOD AND VISCERA, REVIEWS
Tags: 50 Shades Of Blood and Viscera, Comic Review, comics, Dave Johnson, Frank Quitely, Image Comics, James M. Clark, Jupiters Legacy #1 review, Mark Millar
By Glen Ludlow
When I was a kid comics were comics.
When I was a kid comics were comics. That, you’re probably thinking, is true now, comics are comics, but are they really? Who can recall a time when Marvel just published comic books, with the occasional foray into a cheaply made cartoon series based on one of their properties, or some B-movie adaptation that flopped at the box office? You probably all can, in some way remember this dark and distant past, but what has the comic industry become now?
Marvels 1990 Captain America movie aka some B-movie adaptation that flopped at the box office.
Comic characters have always been adapted into the TV/film industry since Batman first pulled on the cowl back in the late 1930’s, as successful as these adaptations were, they never really had the change of attitude that is now affecting the comic book industry as they struggle to mimic their celluloid cousins. Sure, Batman became camp to match the TV series, maybe Superman’s physical appearance may have been tweaked to resemble Christopher Reeve, but the stylistic change comics have undergone since becoming a major box office force in the last decade or so, has left the medium reeling with a massive portion of the industry writing books as storyboards for movies.
I’m not going to attack anyone, far from it, this isn’t an attack on the system, it’s merely a marketplace adapting to attract new audiences, I applaud that. Mark Millar (Superior, Kick-Ass, Ultimates) has written in this way for years. You could quite comfortably take Millar’s work, add a few EXT’s and INT’s to the script, and you would have a shooting script ready for a movie. Millar is a very good writer who excels at his craft, but there comes a time when the beast that is the cinema spin-off turns on its master and begins to dictate how comics should be written, that is now.
You could quite comfortably take Millar’s work, add a few EXT’s and INT’s to the script, and you would have a shooting script ready for a movie.
Marvel and DC are no longer comic book publishers. They are multimedia companies. They use every format possible to sell their characters in. But look at it from this angle: How many children know who Batman is because they’ve played Arkham Asylum or watched him in an animated series? Probably the masses. Now ask the question, how many children know who Batman is because they read the comics first? Probably very few.
I’m by no means insinuating that comic books are a dead medium. They’re a medium in transit. Indie comic sales are stronger than ever, in fact it was an indie book (The Walking Dead) that topped the charts last year as the best-selling book. But how many of those readers that the book now attracts read it because of the TV series adaptation? I imagine quite a few.
Indie comic sales are stronger than ever, in fact it was an indie book (The Walking Dead) that topped the charts last year as the best-selling book.
There is a symbiosis going on now between Hollywood and the comic industry, except this isn’t quite a fair exchange. Comics could go to the great pulpers in the sky and the film machine wouldn’t bat an eyelid. They have their characters, people know who they are, would it really be any great loss if the books were no longer being printed? Probably not. Hollywood gives the comic industry maybe a few hundred thousand new readers when a big movie comes out. These readers will probably pick up the titles of the character they’ve seen on screen, stick around for a few issues, then drop out because they’re either uncomfortable with the medium, or they find it boring. The ones that do stick around, well they’re now feeding the machine that is the Big Two, buying books about people who have spandex fetishes with masochistic tendencies – basically superheroes. These people are blissfully unaware that there might be more to the industry than this, you might get a few slip onto the indie books. They might have friends who get them hooked, but mainly they’re consuming exactly what they see on the screen. Why? Because the industry, at least at the large corporation level of DC and Marvel, has changed to give readers what they can expect from what they’ve seen in the theatre. Gone are the inner-monologues. Gone are the thought bubbles. Gone is the unique opportunity to use a format that is a hybrid of prose and film to do something very unique. What you get is a story you can expect to see adapted for the screen with little worry over how to adapt the material, and it all depends on how the sales go.
The real sadness regarding this change, is apart from a few superstar artists and writers indie titles (most of whom made their names at Marvel and DC) becoming huge hits, you’re left with a top fifty sales chart made up of Marvel and DC books, nearly all of which sell because the latest film is out.
This isn’t what the comic industry is about. Comics, to me at least, were the ultimate place where you could truly experiment with visual storytelling. I’ve read some quite amazing books, but unfortunately most of them face cancellation because they don’t have the audiences they need to survive, mainly because they don’t have the exposure a film adaptation can offer.
I don’t want to live in a world where stories worth telling are snubbed out, because it’s not marketable to the film sharks.
I don’t want to live in a world where stories worth telling are snubbed out, because it’s not marketable to the film sharks. How many writers now sit down and want to write just a comic? How many comic teams sit and create something with no thought of the possibility of their property being adapted into another medium?
I lament for the industry. The true comic industry. It faces a challenging future to survive in a world where comics are no longer a source of entertainment, they are a source of nourishment for games and films.
A world where comics are treated like the art form they deserve to be treated like, and not forced into this hideous beast that feels like it’s auditioning to become a film by showing you the storyboard, well that world would be enough for me.
For more comic views follow Glen on Twitter at @luddersonline
Posted on April 6th, 2013
Category: Blog, NEWS & VIEWS, PANELS OF INTEREST
Tags: Comic Book Movies, Comic Franchises, DC Comics, Glen Ludlow, Mark Millar, marvel comics, Movie Reviews, Panels Of Interest
By Chris Orr (@Orr_Man)
You cross one ocean, you face them all…
It’s “X-Men meets Ocean’s Eleven” (although it’s probably more similar to Ocean’s Twelve).
When it comes to Mark Millar, I am a man divided. I’ve read some of his work at DC and loved it (for example Superman: Red Son) and the same stands for the work I’ve read of his at Marvel (such as Wolverine: Enemy of the State). But, when it comes to his creator owned work, I’m not always as convinced. Millar’s creator-owned work is known for its over-the-top action, violence, seedy suggestions, and strong language. The problem for me is that comic books and graphic novels are often viewed by those on the outside as childish and immature, and when reading Millar’s own creations I often feel that the extreme nature of his style and writing actually reinforces this instead of alleviating it. It’s too over the top, too violent and the f-bomb is dropped so often that it’s no longer “mature” and “adult” but has in fact brought the genre full circle back to immaturity. It just feels a bit too much like it’s aimed at stupid teenagers at times.
Millar’s creator-owned work is known for its over-the-top action, violence, seedy suggestions, and strong language.
Supercrooks, however, doesn’t suffer from this. It’s “X-Men meets Ocean’s Eleven” (although it’s probably more similar to Ocean’s Twelve), as a group of super-powered criminals decide to do one last job to help a friend out of financial trouble. Thinking outside the box, they head away from the superhero-centric United States and go to the superhero-light Spain instead. Here they plan to steal from a retired and brutal super-villain known as The Bastard.
Here they plan to steal from a retired and brutal super-villain known as The Bastard.
It’s a fun story and Millar’s writing here shies away from his excessive tendencies instead creating a fairly mainstream and relatively tame tale (compared to Kick-Ass, Kick-Ass 2 or Wanted for example). There’s still plenty of violence, action and bad language (the bad guy is called The Bastard after all), but it’s tuned to a level that stops Supercrooks from feeling overly immature and over-the-top. The influence from the Ocean’s film series is clear here, and whilst not necessarily a bad thing, it does mean that Supercrooks feels less original than some of Millar’s other works. And with only 4 issues, Supercrooks feels too brief. It would have been much better if Millar had expanded more on the back-story of Supercrooks. The history of the main characters and their relationships with the superheroes and each other is explored far too briefly in favour of a quick, snappy story that wraps everything up neatly without much hope of a sequel. In fact, Supercrooks feels like it’s written with an easy film adaptation in mind.
Credit, however, must go to Leinil Yu, the artist on Supercrooks, who does a brilliant job. The artwork looks superb, with bright vibrant colours, detailed facial expressions, and accentuations that play to the strengths of Millar’s more mainstream and less teen-extreme work on show here. Rest assured though that when the action and violence does break out, Yu is more than capable of providing artwork to match. Millar and Yu worked together on Superior, arguably one of Millar’s other less extreme books, and there’s something about this pairing that just works.
Rest assured though that when the action and violence does break out, Yu is more than capable of providing artwork to match.
Supercrooks, like my general feelings on Millar’s work, leaves me divided. I like the story and the artwork a lot, but there’s not enough depth and daring on show here. I like that it doesn’t rely on Millar’s over-the-top violence, swearing and sex, but at the same time I know Millar is capable of creating darker, grittier, stories that involve more mature themes, and it feels like Supercrooks could have benefitted from this. It’s so clearly influenced by the Ocean’s film series that the feeling that Supercrooks was written just to be easily adapted into a film is inescapable.
Supercrooks: The Heist (which collects Supercrooks issues #1-4) is a decent comic book if you’re looking for a casual read that doesn’t ask you to think too much. Beyond that, it’s unlikely to make much of an impact on the world of comic books. It’s enjoyable and fun, but mostly forgettable.
Thanks for reading, and please feel free to leave a comment. You can follow me on Twitter (@Orr_Man) and Tumblr (www.dresslikethehulk.tumblr.com).
Posted on March 14th, 2013
Category: PROJECT COMICS, REVIEWS
Tags: Chris Orr, Comic Reviews, Kick-Ass, Kick-Ass 2, Leinil Yu, Mark Millar, marvel comics, Millarworld, Project Comics, Supercrooks
By Joe Havard
Superpowers and STD’s. This odd combination is what creators Monty Nero and Mike Dowling have come up with in their new comic!
Superpowers and STD’s. This odd combination is what creators Monty Nero and Mike Dowling have come up with in their new comic, Death Sentence, and not only is it one of the strangest ideas I’ve ever heard, but it also makes for easily one of the best comics available in recent times.
The story follows Verity Flett, a freelance designer, Danny “Weasel” Waissell, a musician whose popularity has decreased to almost nothing over the years, and Monty Nero, a popular comedian, as they all get the G+ virus which will give them extraordinary powers, only to kill them 6 months later. Each character is dealing with the situation in their own way: Verity quits her job in a rage, and finds that she can expel powerful energy from her body, Danny tries to create a new sound and revitalise his career, whilst fleeing from loan sharks and discovering that he can phase through objects and matter, and Monty plays up his situation to the media, with his powers still unknown.
Each character is dealing with the situation in their own way as they all get the G+ virus which will give them extraordinary powers, only to kill them 6 months later.
It’s an interesting concept, and one that writer Monty explores fully. The story makes you think, and keeps you captivated the entire time. The questions running though my mind whilst reading Death Sentence was “would I catch the G+ virus on purpose, for the chance that my powers may be great? What would I do with these powers, and only 6 months to live?”, and it’s two that I still come back to.
The only problem I have with Death Sentence, is that (to my knowledge) it’s only available to read through Mark Millar’s CLiNT magazine. This isn’t much of a problem, as the rest of the magazine is great, but it’d be nice to have individual issues of Death Sentence to be able to collect and carry around, as it’s a lot more practical and convenient than storing issues of CLiNT.
The story is gripping, the characters are believable, and most of all, it’s unique!
With Mike Dowling’s eye-catching and interesting art, and Monty’s brilliant writing and pacing, Death Sentence is sure to be a hit. The story is gripping, the characters are believable, and most of all, it’s unique. With a point being knocked off for not being available as individual issues in comic shops, Death Sentence gets a 9/10. Do yourself a favour, and check it out.
You can follow Joe on Twitter at @KroganSushi
Posted on August 7th, 2012
Category: REVIEWS, THE KEY OF RASSILON
Tags: CLiNT Magazine, Comic Reviews, Death Sentence #1 review, Joe Havard, Mark Millar, Mike Dowling, Monty Nero, The Key Of Rassilon
Hit-Girl continues in her mission to train Kick-Ass
First of all when this series was announced way back at the first Kapow comic con in London, I was majorly excited as I’m both a Mark Millar fan and a massive Kick-Ass fan. I was very intrigued to find out where/when Hit-Girl’s miniseries would fit into the Kick-Ass story, and was pleased to find out that it was set in-between Kick-Ass volume one and two.
Kick-Ass learns the art of crashing through windows...15 attempts later
We kick off straight after the events of Kick-Ass volume one with both Kick-Ass and Hit-Girl coming to terms with the tragic death of Big Daddy (Hit-Girls father and crime fighting partner). Mindy’s (Hit-Girl) sole mission now is to bring down the people responsible for her father’s death aka Red Mist, who himself begins to put the wheels in motion of gaining his own revenge by putting together his very own super criminal gang. While Mindy is planning to continue her crime fighting career she is also back living with her mother and this brings its own struggles as she finds it impossible to acclimatise to a normal life resulting in her being the #1 target for the “in-crowd” at school. This culminates in her making an agreement with Kick-Ass to train him in return for him to showing her the ways of blending in with everyday life and to know what it’s like to be a normal teenage girl in which Kick-Ass agrees.
Mindy is secretly training Dave to be a better hero, and Dave is teaching Mindy how to be a regular 12-year-old girl.
Issue two continues with Kick-Ass training to become a more complete and lethal crime fighter, in which Hit-Girl is putting him in some pretty awesome action scenes. Trust me this is your typical Mark Millar gory comic that we all know he can deliver, combine this with John Romita JR’s fabulous art and you have fight scenes which are truly awesome. While Kick-Ass is progressing with his training under Hit-Girl’s tutelage, Red Mist looks set to make his mark with his organized crime gang and take revenge on Kick-Ass.
Overall i think this comic is an absolute must read for any Mark Millar / Kick-Ass fan and in my opinion fits into the Kick-Ass story amazingly well along with fantastic art by John Romita JR.
MUST READ……
Story: 5/5
Art: 5/5
You can follow Dean on Twitter at @2thacd
Posted on August 1st, 2012
Category: RESIDENT OF GOTHAM, REVIEWS
Tags: Dean Thackray, Hit-Girl, Hit-Girl #2 review, Icon, John Romita JR, Kick-Ass, Mark Millar, marvel comics, Resident Of Gotham
Secret Service #3 Cover
First of all when it was announced that Mark Millar would be working on a new comic project with Dave Gibbons I was very pleased that they would finally be working together. I thought the first two issues were very well written and they introduced a very good storyline, something which was very different to Millar’s usual genre when compared with his other creator owned comics. Although the first two issues were very well written, I thought that they were a bit slow in terms of getting into the main plot, excluding the action scene right at the start of issue one. Unfortunately, in my opinion, the art was a bit of a let down by Gibbons and certainly isn’t the best that I’ve seen of his.
Garry was introduced to the elite ranks of the British Secret Service by his uncle; a highly trained secret agent.
So with issue three coming out I was quite excited to get my hands on it, hoping that this issue would be the one where it would finally kick-start the series with a lot more action and advance further into the story of Garry’s training. Garry was introduced to the elite ranks of the British Secret Service by his uncle; a highly trained secret agent who wants Garry to follow in his footsteps, and come away from a very troubled thuggish life on the streets. It is safe to say this issue does have a kick-start feel to it, the story shows that Garry is getting on well with his training, but at the same time it shows the trouble he is having fitting in with other trainees within the origination. This series has a very British James Bond type feel to it compared to others that Millar has done, this makes it stand out in its own right. Yet again this issue is let down by the art, which in my opinion is very dull in parts and could be a lot better and certainly isn’t up to the high standards of John Romita’s ‘Kick Ass’ or Leinil Yu’s ‘Supercrooks’.
Mark Millar brings a 'James Bond' feel to Secret Service.
Overall this series isn’t your typical gory type Mark Millar comic book but is a fantastic alternative for fans that are into a different type of genre/storytelling, however, in my opinion, the art brings the whole story down. If you are a Mark Millar fan, that won’t matter much to you though.
Story: 4/5
Art: 3/5
You can follow Dean on Twitter at @2thacd
Posted on July 24th, 2012
Category: RESIDENT OF GOTHAM, REVIEWS
Tags: Comic Reviews, comics, Dave Gibbons, Dean Thackray, Mark Millar, marvel comics, Resident Of Gotham, Secret Service #3 Review
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